Timonium Real Estate Agent

Baltimore County Restaurant Week Extended

Baltimore County Restaurant Week has been extended through September 5, 2010 for 14 of the 15 originally participating restaurants.

2010 was Baltimore County’s first restaurant week, and from the look of things, this will continue yearly!

Restaurants from Towson to Timonium to Sparks have been and are continuing to participate with discounts for lunch and dinner!

The participating restaurants, brought together by the Milton Inn in Sparks, are:

Towson:

Cafe Troia on Allegheny Ave in Towson

The Melting Pot on York Rd in Towson

Stoney River Legendary Steaks in Towson Town Center

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Lutherville/Timonium:

The Peppermill on York Road in Lutherville

Michael’s Cafe on York Road in Timonium

Christopher Daniel on Padonia Road in Timonium

Sabor in Mays Chapel in Timonium

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Cockeysville/Hunt Valley:

Vito’s Cafe on York Rd in Cockeysville

Patrick’s on Cranbrook in Cockeysville

Greystone Grill in Hunt Valley Towne Center

Jesse Wong’s Kitchen in Hunt Valley Towne Center

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Other Baltimore County Locations:

The Milton Inn on York Rd in Sparks

Artful Gourmet Bistro in Owings Mills

The Grill at Harryman House in Reisterstown

Mia Carolina in Glyndon

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So enjoy these great Baltimore County restaurants while they have their specials going on for the next two weeks!

Charles Street Construction at 695 Ramp Closures

On August 10, the Charles Street ramp to 695 West closed, and the roundabout entrance to that & I-83N reopened.

Traffic before had been routed coming north into the right lane to enter the Beltway, and those traveling south have used alternate routes to access I-695W since that entrance closed in early April.

According to the State Highway Administration’s press release, this new closure should be temporary, about two weeks.

The big upcoming change should come at about August 24th, when the west bound ramp from northbound Charles Street should re-open. The ramp to eastbound I-695 from Charles Street remains closed for the time being.

Weekend work will really change things. Look out for these big issues the weekend of August 27 -30 (or 9/10-13 in case of inclement weather):

Charles Street Bridge Traffic Switch – Weekend Work

• 9 p.m. Friday, August 27 to 5 a.m. Monday, August 30: Crews will shift all Charles Street traffic from the old bridge to the new bridge.  The Charles Street Bridge will remain open to vehicular traffic during the shift, with flagging operations and intermittent traffic stoppages throughout the weekend.

The ramps from southbound I-83 (Harrisburg Expressway) and eastbound I-695 to Charles Street will be temporarily detoured to the MD 45 (York Road) interchange during the weekend.  The flyover ramp from southbound I-83 to eastbound I-695 will remain open during the bridge traffic shift.

In case of inclement weather, the Charles Street bridge traffic shift and temporary ramp closures will take place the weekend of September 10-13.   This interchange currently carries more than 120,000 vehicles per day along I-695, with 55,000 vehicles per day along Charles Street.

Additionally, the left-turn ramp from southbound Charles Street to eastbound I-695 (Inner Loop) will remain closed until late fall, and the posted detour through Lutherville will continue.

Maryland State Fair in Timonium 2010

The Maryland State Fair in Timonium begins August 27 and runs through September 6, 2010, bringing rides, games, and more to northern Baltimore County for 11 days!

This year, in addition to the regular concerts, one really big one is Justin Bieber, which has caused a huge stir all around Baltimore and sold out right away.

The two other Maryland State Fair concerts are Bret Michaels and Gretchen Wilson, both of which still have general admission tickets available.

A large portion of the Maryland State Fair is designated for livestock and horse shows as well as demonstrations. This year, the Timonium Farmers Market will be open each day to get local foods from local farms to enjoy!

Certain days have ride and admission specials, like a $20 wrist band for all day rides, and Food Lion has a $5 off coupon for 5 days of the Fair. Ride tickets are $1 each, and depending on the rides, they take 1-6 tickets. A book is available at the ride booth for $45 you get 50 ride tickets, and that is available to anyone on site.

Admission to the Maryland State Fair is $8 for adults, $6 for senior citizens, $3 for children 6-11 years old, and free for children under 6 years old.

Parking is $3 in the main lot, and there are many other parking lots around where one can pay to park. Just north of the Timonium Fairgrounds is the Deereco Lightrail Park & Ride, where parking is free.

The Maryland State Fairgrounds are located at 2200 York Road, Timonium, MD 21093.

Timonium Condo FHA Approval

At the end of 2009, HUD changed its’ condo approval process for FHA condo financing.

No longer can a community be given a “spot” approval when a unit goes under contract if a buyer desires to use FHA financing.

Condominium developments must be approved in advance of an FHA sale and the approval is only for a certain amount of time.

Many Timonium condo buildings have been approved already.

Luckily HUD has set up a website to check whether a condo development has been HRAP or DELRAP approved.

I entered the Timonium zip code 21093 to see all approved units. You can do this for any zip code if you are unsure of the condo development’s name!

Contact me if you are considering selling or buying a Timonium condo. I can help you navigate these tough waters!

Timonium Farmers Market

The Timonium Farmers Market at the Maryland State Fairgrounds is a great source of fresh fruit, vegetables, and local meat.

Each Wednesday afternoon, the market has local farmers showcasing their great produce and those around are enjoying!

Even in the heat, the market is full of people looking for local food.

CSA members have the convenience of picking up their weekly shared vegetables from Hope Ridge Farms here.

Hills Forest Farm from Kingsville has their bees’ honey available, and since it is local, it has been shown to be good for allergies.

The local meat from Gunpowder Bison & Trading is delicious!

The greatest part about the Timonium Farmers Market is that it is run by these and other local farmers.

During the Maryland State Fair at the end of the month, the market will be open each of the the ten days.

The Timonium Farmers Market is open through October 27.

Come by and get some fresh wares!

What is a Broker’s Open?

What is a Broker’s Open?

Here in Baltimore County, Wednesdays generally are “Broker’s Open” day. There is a fairly small area where Broker’s Opens tend to be highly successful, and that is in the Towson, Lutherville, Timonium, and Hunt Valley neighborhoods.

A Broker’s Open is where a real estate agent and their brokerage invite agents from their own and other brokerages to come view a new listing they have to showcase. Generally, they provide lunch or snacks to the agents, to thank them for taking their time to come. Visiting agents then give the listing agent feedback on what could be done to make the house more appealing to buyers, about the price, etc, to help the listing agent.

Buyers and neighbors are usually welcome to visit the home, as they would a regular weekend open house.

Please contact me if you would like to learn more about a Baltimore County Broker’s Open and how it may help to sell a home.

Bay National Bank Closed

Today Bay National Bank in Lutherville was closed by Federal Regulators.

It will re-open on Monday as Bay Bank. Bay Bank is also located in Lutherville.

This is the fourth Maryland bank to close in the past two years, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Bay National Bank customers will be able to access their money over the weekend, and won’t have to worry that checks will not go through, as they will be honored. People who have Bay National Bank mortgages will continue to pay their mortgages as usual. All Bay National Bank customers should wait for notification from Bay Bank before making any changes, as it may take some time to get the systems switched over.

Bay National Bank in Lutherville was FDIC insured, so insured deposits are still available. The FDIC estimates that this closure will cost the Deposit Insurance Fund approximately $17.4 Million.

Baltimore 4th of July Events

Baltimore has many 4th of July events for people to enjoy.

The largest one is in Downtown Baltimore called “Ports of America Chesapeake Fourth of July Celebration”. Entertainment begins at 2 pm with the jazz band Lovecraft, and at 8 pm the Naval Academy’s Electric Brigade begins at 8 pm.

Fireworks are scheduled to go off at 9:30 pm and can be seen from the Inner Harbor, Fell’s Point, Federal Hill, and other places around the harbor. The music and entertainment is located in the Inner Harbor at Harborplace Amphitheater located at 401 Light Street.

Friday and Saturday, the 2nd & 3rd, Harborplace celebrates its’ 30th Anniversary. Since it was opened in 1980, they are having 80′s themed Anniversary fun, so you can join in and hopefully have a blast!

In Baltimore County, at Oregon Ridge in Cockeysville, the BSO Start Spangled Spectacular happens both July 3rd & 4th! Gates open at 5 pm and the concert begins at 8 pm. Tickets are available online now. It culminates in a huge fireworks display accompanied by the Orchestra.

There are a number of places in Baltimore County where fireworks are scheduled on the 3rd, 4th and 5th, so you can enjoy three nights in a row! Baltimore County’s website lists:

July 3, 2010

Baltimore Country Club (rain date July 4)
11500 Mays Chapel Road

Catonsville High School (rain date July 4)
421 Bloomsbury Avenue, Catonsville

Eastern Yacht Club (no rain date)
918 Seneca Road, The Barge

Grange Elementary School (rain date July 5)
2000 Church Road, Dundalk

Oregon Ridge Park (no rain date)
13401 Beaver Dam Road

The Suburban Club (rain date July 5)
7600 Park Heights Avenue, Baltimore, 21209

Woodholme Country Club (rain date July 5)
300 Woodholme Avenue

July 4, 2010

Fullerton Park (rain date July 5)
4208 Fullerton Avenue

Loch Raven Academy (rain date July 5)
8101 LaSalle Road

Oregon Ridge Park (no rain date)
13401 Beaver Dam Road

July 5, 2010

Hereford High School (rain date July 6)
17220 York Road, Hereford

For parades and more daytime fun, the Baltimore County website shows quite a few from Kingsville to Towson to Catonsville!

Saturday, July 3

Arbutus Recreation Council
Begin: 12:30 p.m.
End: 1 p.m.
Route: Formation area: Tom Day Boulevard Route: Tom Day Boulevard to Carville Avenue to East Drive. (Super Fresh store parking lot)

Catonsville Celebrations Committee
Begin: 3 p.m.
End: 5:30 p.m.
Route: Formation area: Montrose Avenue; Bloomingdale Avenue; Route: Starting at Montrose Avenue and Frederick Road, proceed east on Frederick Road to Bloomsbury Avenue, turn right on Bloomingdale.

Dundalk Heritage Parade Committee
Begin: 8 a.m.
End: 1 p.m.
Route: Formation Area: Logan Village Shopping Center. Route: North on Dundalk Avenue, east on Belcare, north on Liberty Parkway, west on Dunglow Road, west on Dunmanway, north on Shipping Place, east on Shipway, north on Admiral Boulevard, south on Liberty Parkway to Dunmanway.

Glyndon Community Association, Inc
Begin: 10 a.m.
End: noon
Route: Formation area: Albright Avenue. Route: Albright Avenue east to Central Avenue, north onto Central to Chatsworth Avenue, west onto Chatsworth to Railroad Avenue, south onto Railroad to Albright Avenue.

Hampton Improvement Association
Begin: 8:45 a.m.
End: 9 a.m.
Route: Formation: Dead end court Gateshead & Seminary Ave; Start north end of Gateshead Rd, down to St Francis Road left onto Valley View Drive, quick right in to Hampton Mansion farmhouse grounds.

Greater Kingsville Civic Association
Begin: 10 a.m.
End: 11 a.m.
Route: Formation area: Kingsville Fire Hall, Bradshaw Road and St. Stephen’s Church lot for fire trucks and large vehicles. Route: from Kingsville Volunteer Fire Department grounds, down Bradshaw Road, right on Jerusalem Road, at judges viewing stand to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Street parking lot.

Pine Valley / Valleywood Community Association
Begin: 10 a.m.
End: 10:45 a.m.
Route: Formation area: Pine Valley Drive and Presway Road; Start at Pine Valley Drive and Presway Road-South to Sandee Road left  then left on Rickswood Road into school (Pinewood Elementary) parking lot.

Towson Area Fourth of July Parade
Begin: 10:30 a.m.
End: 1 p.m.
Route: Formation: Towson University (Burke & Bosley) disperse at Burke & Washington Avenue.

Wilson Point Civic Association
Begin: 9 a.m.
End: 10:30 a.m.
Route: Formation Area: Middle River Vol. Fire Co & Beech Drive-Route: Right onto Wilson Point Road-right onto Dogwood Drive, left onto Shore Road, left onto Hazel Drive, left onto Wilson Point Road, to the Middle River Vol. Fire Company’s lot for disbursement. Distance total 1.6 miles.

Sunday, July 4

Sudbrook Park Inc.
Begin: 10 a.m.
End: 11 a.m.
Route: Formation area: Triangle at Adana Road, Kingston Road and Windsor Road. Dispersal area: Playground McHenry Road. Route: Parade travels up Adana Road, turns right into Carysbrook Road, turns right onto Olmstead Road, turns left onto McHenry and ends at playground on McHenry Road.

Coachford / Springlake Community Association
Begin: 10 a.m.
End: 11 a.m.
Route: Formation area: Galewood Circle-Timonium; Route: Galewood Road, right on Tregarone, right on Hartfell, left on Fallsbrook Road, left on Springlake Drive, left into Pot Spring School parking lot.

Colonial Village Neighborhood Association
Begin: 9:30 a.m.
End: 10:30 a.m.
Route: Formation: Lowell Drive at Deerfield Road / Lowell Drive; Route: east at Plymouth Road, south at Concord Road, west on Concord Ending at Salem Court.

Monday, July 5

Hereford Optimist Club
Begin: 5:30 p.m.
End: 8 p.m.
Route: Formation area: Hereford SHA lot; beginning at Hereford Shopping Center, start east on Mt. Carmel Rd to North onto York Road (Rte 45) end at Hereford High School.

Some culminate in the fireworks displays in the area.

So enjoy 4th of July in Baltimore. There is plenty to do!

Photo courtesy of Sam Howzit via Flickr CC

Baltimore Real Estate Sales Down in May 2010

Baltimore real estate sales were down in May 2010, a noted amount after the Homebuyer Tax Credit ended.

As noted from MRIS, the local Multiple Listing Service, pending sales decreased 13.7% compared to May 2009. April 2010 had 16,089 contracts written. May had only 9,527, which is 6,562 less!

The good news is that the homes that are on the market took less time to sell on average.

The continuation of the not-so-good-news is that for the most part, prices were lower.

View the full 13 page May 2010 Baltimore real estate Market Indicators report.

I will have more detailed information on Baltimore County real estate and Baltimore City market trend indicators coming soon.

What Not to Pack

Many times people are not sure of what not to pack when moving either for the movers or for yourself!

RISMedia and Lowe’s came up with a great list to help.

For irreplaceable items, I recommend taking them with you in your car. Unfortunately many times things get broken. You want to make sure to have these items with you. If you want or need to send them, take it to a shipping place like Fedex or someplace where they will pack it for you and ship it. For Timonium residents, there is a FedEx location (map) right on York Road in Lutherville.

For heat sensitive items, you will want to have them in a climate controlled location. Moving trucks are not climate controlled, so candles and such are likely to melt.

Large items such a pool tables, which need disassembling, let the pros do it. They can take it apart at your current house and put it together on the other end at your new house. The professionals do this often, and have insurance for situations where needed. If you take apart yourself, the insurance usually would not cover it.

As for flammable, hazardous materials and such? Do not bring them AT ALL. Find out how to dispose of them properly and do so before moving. Baltimore County residents have access to the Eastern Landfill in White Marsh for most items, while the Baltimore County Resource Recovery facility in Cockeysville takes a limited number of these things. Here is the Baltimore County Hazardous Waste Recycling and Disposal web page for more details and contact information.

Hopefully you found this information useful. Contact me for more Baltimore County moving resources.

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