Johns Hopkins to Buy Former Zurich Site Near Keswick and Hampden in Baltimore

The Johns Hopkins University has entered into a contract to buy the former 11.4 acre Zurich Insurance Co. site at the corner of Keswick Road and 40th Street just south of Roland Park and north of Hampden in northern Baltimore City.

Located adjacent to the Rotunda, this is a great location not too far from JHU’s Homewood Campus.

More details on the sale can be found in the Baltimore Sun article by Edward Gunts. He writes that:

The departments that will move to the site have not all been identified. Hopkins spokesman Dennis O’Shea said the buildings will be filled with Johns Hopkins employees over time, as leases elsewhere expire and as other business considerations dictate. The first workers are expected to move in during the second half of 2010. He said employees likely will come from a variety of Hopkins locations, including the former Eastern High School property on 33rd Street, the former USF&G campus in Mount Washington and East Baltimore.

About 1,100 employees are going to be working at this North Baltimore site, which could mean more home sales in the Roland Park, Keswick, and Hampden neighborhoods, if people want to live close to work.

This is great news for this neighborhood since Zurich vacated earlier this year to move to Baltimore County. With the Rotunda redevelopment in the works with townhomes, condos, and offices in the plans, and the Keswick Multi-Care center right there, this sale is wonderful to continue to build on this neat area of Baltimore.

New Maryland Property Tax Assessments to Average 19.7% Lower Value — What This Means for Towson Homes

The new tax assessments for the State of Maryland are due to come out in the upcoming days, and the state’s assessment office says it will show an unusual thing — a drop of an average of 19.7% in value since 2005-6, the last time many of these homes were assessed.

What does this mean for Towson Homeowners?

Not much, unfortunately.

Your taxes will not be lowered, as Maryland still needs your money.

Also, the way assessments are structured, even if your value had jumped UP tremendously, the taxes would only rise a capped amount. The 19.7% drop does not lower the value enough to restructure your property’s tax rate. In most cases, unless you bought your home in the last two years, your taxes will still rise.

Larry Carson of the Baltimore Sun wrote a very detailed article explaining the drop in values but not in taxes owed.

Towson has not dropped in value as dramatically as some areas, so I do not expect to see that percentage here. I will be curious to see what Maryland now has my Towson home assessed to be versus its true market value.

Tax assessments are not actual market values of a home, so be aware of this. If you would like a true market value range for your Towson home, please contact me, and I will be happy to give you an approximation of market value!

New Year’s Eve Daytime Celebration at Port Discovery in Downtown Baltimore

For the young ones in the crowd who can’t make it up until midnight on the 31st, Port Discovery has it’s Noontime New Year from 9:30 am – 4:30 pm on December 31, 2009 in Downtown Baltimore.

At noon, the countdown will happen with Maryland Public Television favorite Bob the Vid Tech, Bob Heck.

Kids will celebrate with milk & cookies and enjoy multi cultural celebrations from around the world!

There will be many activities including origami, calligraphy, pasta making, mask creating, and much more. There will be performances by dance troupes and singing groups — a huge celebration all day.

This should be a fun time for all, especially those who have been off from school since December 23rd (or earlier.) A chance to get out, enjoy, and celebrate the New Year in a very different way!

Just another great reason to play, work, and live in Downtown Baltimore!

 

Port Discovery is a Children’s Museum located at 35 Market Place, Baltimore, MD 21202. Admission is $12.95 for children aged 2-102!

West Towson Elementary School Boundaries to be Revealed January 6, 2010

The West Towson Elementary School is under construction, and the plans for boundaries are being revealed at a public meeting on January 6, 2010.

The Baltimore County School Board would like input on the boundary drawing possibilities from the Towson neighborhoods affected by the possible change in redistricting.

The open meeting being held January 6 will be at Loch Raven High School, which is located at 1212 Cowpens Avenue in Towson, MD 21286 at 7 pm.

The West Towson Elementary School is scheduled to open in August 2010 and is located on Charles Street next to the Ridge Ruxton School. The school is being built primarily to help reduce the overcrowding at Riderwood Elementary School and Rodgers Forge Elementary School in Towson.

Baltimore Ravens Still in Playoff Hunt After Mistake Ridden Loss Against Steelers

According to the Baltimore Sun, a confirmation came from the NFL that if the Baltimore Ravens win next week against the Oakland Raiders, they will be in the playoffs.

Now, if the team plays like they did today, that won’t happen.

This game was painful to watch. Mistake after mistake, penalty after penalty, this did not look like a playoff caliber team.

The Ravens should have won this game. They gave away +/- 18 points by touchdowns and scores being recalled due to penalties.

It is very exciting that the Ravens can possibly still make the playoffs and that it is in their own hands whether they do it.

So come on, boys, make Baltimore proud and PLAY LIKE A RAVEN AND WIN NEXT SUNDAY!

Erickson Communities Bought by Hanover Based Redwood Capital Investments LLC

On Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009 after an 18 hour auction, Erickson Communities chose Maryland based Redwood Capital Investments LLC to pull itself out of bankruptcy, of which it filed for Chapter 11 protection in October.

Redwood successfully outbid a New York company, Kohlberg, Kravis Roberts & Co. to get Erickson’s assets, including the non-profit groups Erickson operates.

Erickson says that the Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing nor its sale will affect its residents such as those in Erickson’s Oak Crest Community in Parkville and Charlestown Community located in Catonsville, both in Baltimore County. Refundable deposits and living arrangements will remain the same for those currently living in those communities.

It is a great thing that Erickson is able to keep this sale within Maryland, as our state has had a recent number of large companies being bought or headquarters moved out of state, like Towson based Black & Decker ’s buy out by Stanley Works in Connecticut.

Erickson began to have trouble when the real estate market began to drop after 2005’s boom. The large refundable deposits new residents put down (up to around $400,000) were usually paid from proceeds of the new resident’s sale of their prior home. With homes not selling for the amount needed for the downpayment, less people were moving into the retirement communities.

Fore more details on the Erickson Communities sale, read Baltimore Sun reporter Jamie Hopkins Smith’s article.

This is great news for Erickson Communities, their residents in Parkville’s Oak Crest and Catonsville’s Charlestown, Redwood Capital, and especially the State of Maryland!

Merry Christmas to All Who Celebrate

I want to wish everyone who celebrates, a very Merry Christmas.

I hope at some point during the month of December families were able to be together in one shape or another.

December holds many celebrations from Hanukkah, which was December 11-19, to Kwanzaa, which begins tomorrow and runs through January 1, plus many birthdays and other events to share.

My thoughts go out to our soldiers in other countries who are serving us so we can enjoy our freedom.

I thank everyone who has been a part of my life this year and look forward to meeting those who will be a part of next year.

Today was a wonderful day for my family, and I hope it was for you as well!

Places to Eat in Towson on Christmas Day

There are many people who look for good places to eat in Towson on Christmas Day besides their homes. I know we do, because our family dinner is always on Christmas Eve.

I received a notice that P.F Changs in Towson Town Center will be open (call to make sure, but was told they are open 3-8 pm, 410-372-5750) , so I decided to look at what else may be as well.

A great short post from Elizabeth Large, The Baltimore Sun Restaurant Critic, has gotten many comments from readers with other suggestions.

In the past, I know that Joey Chiu’s Greenspring in Lutherville has been open, as my family has dined there a few times on December 25th. Szechuan House at York  & Seminary in Lutherville should also be open. (Again, I recommend you call, and possibly get reservations, as you will find many people out enjoying the good food! Joey’s Chiu’s 410-823-1125, Szechuan House 410-825-8181)

If you know of other places open, I would love to hear what & where — you may just find me there!

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Track Santa to Towson on GoogleMaps Christmas Eve

Do you have kids who wonder how Santa gets around the world and delivers presents to all of the good girls and boys? How does he get to us here in Towson and children over in Japan on the same day?

Well, GoogleMaps and NORAD have teamed up to provide Santa Tracking on both Googlemaps and Mobile Googlemaps this Christmas Eve!

Check out the Official Google Blog about how NORAD tracks Santa as he travels around the world.

If you won’t be home, you can download Mobile Google Maps for your phone so you can track him while YOU are on the move!

Enjoy tracking Santa as he travels the world!

New Baltimore County Carbon Monoxide Detector Law for Rental Units

The Baltimore County Council voted unanimously on legislation to require Baltimore County rental property owners to install carbon monoxide detectors in all units that are heated by fuel-burning units and those directly attached to enclosed parking areas.

This comes on the heels of 1,355 fire department responses to carbon monoxide calls in 2008, and the Baltimore County Fire Department expects that number to be above 1,400 for 2009.

Baltimore County rental unit owners will have eight months to comply with this new law, which begins 45 days from its signing on December 21.

The Baltimore Sun’s Mary Gail Hare reported on this new legislation in an article today. Here are more details on the law:

Landlords must also provide information on alarm testing and maintenance to at least one adult tenant of each unit. The tenant is responsible for maintaining the device and for replacing its batteries.

Property owners who violate the new ordinance would initially receive a correction notice, but no fine. Failure to comply after the notice would authorize the code enforcement inspector to impose a fine of $200 per day for each day the violation persists.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors are a good idea for homeowners in Towson as well, as many homes have natural gas or oil burning heat. I personally just ordered one for my house, because a friend recently had her alarm go off, thank goodness, as their boiler had failed, and CO2 at unsafe levels entering their home. They have an infant and a toddler daughter. Luckily with the alarm, they spent the night out of the house and with the boiler fixed, were able to return home safely. She credits the detector with saving their lives.

You can find Carbon Monoxide Detectors at many stores, the prices ranging from $30-$60.

A worthwhile investment for your family, and now a required investment for many Baltimore County rental unit owners.

Next Page »