Real Estate Information

The Board of Education is continuing a yearlong comprehensive high school redistricting process. The objective of the redistricting is to create an attendance zone for the new St. Charles High School and to relieve overcrowding at existing high schools. The redistricting will be comprehensive and have impact on all six existing high schools. Students impacted by the redistricting will not change schools until August 2014; however, the Board started the process early to provide ample research, feedback and notification time. Here is a Link to the B.O.E. web site, It would be prudent to look into what’s happening and how it affects your family and make yourself heard on the subject. It you don’t then you will have to take what you get and live with it.

For a complete listing of school zones click here!

Well Folks… it seems that spring may have finally sprung! That being the case, one of the things that always comes to my mind along with spring conditions is the need to get the yard and home back into ship shape. That means spring cleaning and de-cluttering! Some of us love it, some dread it! Personally I love this time of year! It’s difficult to single out a particular reason but I’m sure it has to do with the weather and all of the spring flowers! It’s a glorious time of year, alive with new life and rebirth! There is also the byproduct of all of this cleaning and de-cluttering, Unwanted stuff and the trips to the dump along with the Yard Sales that become as common as the daffodils sprouting in the yards that host them.  It’s to those who pour over the penny saver and news papers eagerly looking for the end product of seasonal cleaning compulsion that this BLOG is directed.

     While on an wandering web trek, I came across  a free site that I think will make the avid yard sale hunter giggle like a child. It’s called www.gsalr.com and it touts itself as the world’s largest Garage Sale, Yard Sale and Estate Sale Marketplace. Whether it is or isn’t I don’t propose to know but I can tell you it’s very easy to use and really slick. People post their sale information and it add it to the data base and plots the sale on a map. You as a shopper put in your desired geographical area, Date range or day of the week and it will bring up every sale on the map as push pins. When you mouse over the push pin it gives whatever details the seller included! Contents of the sale, rules, times etc. it’s very simple and very cool! Now the best part! You can save your selected sales and then print them on a map with driving instructions for a carefully planned day of sifting through other peoples trash and treasures! Give it a Shot I’m sure you will find it as entertaining as I did! Happy Yard Sailing!

Serving the myriad public educational demands of about 125,000 students, the Prince George's County Public Schools system (PGCPS) is large enough to hold a spot on the list of the nation's top 25 largest school districts.

Located in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, PGCPS is administered via the coordinated efforts of Prince George's County's own local government and the Maryland State Department of Education.

There are a total of 204 schools that fall under the broad purview of the PGCPS system, as well as a few other special centers, which include:

Elementary Schools

• 122 elementary schools (PreK-5)
• 24 middle schools (6-8)
• 23 high schools (9-12)
• 12 academies (PreK-8)
• 9 special centers
• 2 vocational centers
• 5 alternative schools
• 7 public charter schools
• Howard B. Owens Science Center (Pre-K-12)

PGCPS provides daily transportation to more than 90,536 students via its 1,335 school buses, which are equipped with GPS, on 5,616 routes. It employs some 18,000 people, approximately 9,000 of which are teachers.

The public educational demands for residents of Calvert County, Maryland, are met primarily by Calvert County Public Schools, a school system composed of 4 high schools, 6 middle schools, 13 elementary schools, a center dedicated to vocational education, and myriad other facilities.

In addition to the comprehensive curriculum provided in the schools listed below, students have access to a variety of other exceptional student services. Professional staff members, school psychologists and nurses, program coordinators and a school police liaison officer work in harmony to guide students along their individual academic, social and personal pathways.

Here are the individual schools that collectively make up Calvert County Public Schools:

Elementary Schools

• Appeal - in Lusby
• Beach in Chesapeake Beach
• Barstow - in Barstow
• Calvert - in Prince Frederick
• Dowell - near Solomons
• Huntingtown - in Huntingtown
• Mt. Harmony - in Owings
• Mutual - in Port Republic
• Patuxent - in Lusby
• Plum Point - in Huntingtown
• St. Leonard - in St. Leonard
• Sunderland - in Sunderland
• Windy Hill - in Owings

Middle Schools

• Calvert - in Prince Frederick
• Mill Creek - in Lusby
• Northern - near Owings & Dunkirk
• Plum Point - in Huntingtown
• Southern - in Lusby
• Windy Hill - Owings

High Schools

• Calvert - in Prince Frederick
• Huntingtown - in Huntingtown
• Northern - near Owings & Dunkirk
• Patuxent - in Lusby

St. Mary's County Public Schools serves approximately 17,449 students from pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade. One of the ways it accomplishes this tall task is through the support and specialized training of its compassionate teachers, principals and vice principals, and certified guidance counselors.

These skilled educators ply their trade in St. Mary's County's 17 elementary schools, four middle schools and three high schools. Some of the benefits of sending your child to any one of the following schools within the St. Mary's County Public Schools system include its recent successes trumpeted on its website, such as 2012's graduating class earning a total of $20.6 million in scholarships; 2011's graduating class surpassing state and national averages on the Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT); and implementing Full-Day Kindergarten one year in advance of the state's mandated 2007 start date.

Here are the individual schools that collectively make up St. Mary's County Public Schools:

Elementary Schools

• Benjamin Banneker
• Chesapeake Public Charter
• Dynard
• Evergreen
• George W. Carver
• Green Holly
• Greenview Knolls
• Hollywood
• Leonardtown
• Lettie Marshall Dent
• Lexington Park
• Mechanicsville
• Oakville
• Park Hall
• Piney Point
• Ridge
• Town Creek
• White Marsh

Middle Schools

• Chesapeake Public Charter
• Esperanza
• Leonardtown
• Margaret Brent
• Spring Ridge

High Schools

• Career and Tech Center
• Chopticon
• Fairlead
• Great Mills
• Leonardtown

On Nov. 6, 2012, the state of Maryland rolled the dice on the expansion of full-fledged gambling and, depending on your point of view, hit the jackpot or went bust.

The Gaming Expansion Question, or simply “Question 7,” allowed voters to determine whether or not to essentially turn Maryland into a sort of East Coast Las Vegas, along the lines of  Atlantic City, New Jersey. It passed, but just barely (51.9 percent for and 48.1 percent against), and not without heated controversy.

Now that Question 7 has been answered by the voters, existing casinos in Maryland, like Maryland Live! in Hanover, can remain open 24 hours a day and, by early 2014, expand their slots-only gambling options to include a variety of traditional casino games, such as blackjack, craps, roulette, and other dice and card games.

According to the Washington Post, the clear winner in this game of legislative roulette is MGM Resorts. Las Vegas' largest casino operator appears to hold all of the trump cards over Penn National Gaming in the deal to develop a proposed resort and casino at National Harbor. Carrying an estimated $800 million price tag, this new casino has the potential to surpass all other East Coast casinos in terms of profits, the Post reported, and will likely siphon a considerable amount of revenue off of Penn National's Charles Town casino in West Virginia.

How it all turns out remains to be seen, but in any event some big changes are taking place.

Majestic wrought-iron gates greet you as you arrive at Historic Bellvue, a private and secluded estate.  Just past the gate is a charming guest cottage with 1 bedroom, 1 full bath, a kitchenette and fireplace. Beyond the guest house the estate unfolds into a peaceful park-like setting. You first come upon the main house.

Built in 1800, this beautifully renovated home known as Bellevue, is situated on a 10.23 acre estate just minutes from the National Harbor and Washington DC. The Estate was one of Southern Marylands' former tobacco plantations. It now includes a 4-level main house with 4 bedrooms and 3 full baths, a kitchen with granite counter-tops and gas fireplace, elegant formal rooms with the original pine plank flooring, and wood-burning fireplaces, a library with built-in book shelves, 2 large bedrooms with wood-burning fireplaces, and 2 bedrooms with wall to wall carpeting.

Additional out buildings and landscaped coves created by lush shrubs and flowering plants, provide plenty of room for entertaining away from the main house. A blue marble patio is a central focal point, with granite stone pathways taking you to the outlaying structures found on the estate.

The Orangery provides an all-season retreat, and allows for flower and plant growth during cold winter months. It also provides the perfect spot for afternoon happy hour or a late morning brunch.  To the side of the Orangery, and in another hidden cove is a hot tub.

Towards the back of the property is a stunning Greek Temple with a grotesque perched high atop of its entrance.  It is currently being used as a home office, and includes a full bath, wood-burning fireplace and a floor-to-ceiling, wall-to wall span of windows overlooking lush trees and a creek that runs through the back of the property.. It could easily be converted to an additional guest house if desired.

The Bellvue is only one of three surviving, once popular, Tidewater models, and is an excellent example of the early architectural style found throughout the area.

It's no secret that Charles County is proud of its rich and storied history. So, why not shine the spotlight on it in class and style every year? Highlighting the county’s past is one of the primary reasons that the Charles County Historic Preservation Commission exists, and the Commission's Preservation Awards and Reception Ceremony serves this purpose perfectly.

This year the Charles County Historic Preservation Commission's Reception and Awards Ceremony is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Old Waldorf School, located at 3074 Crain Highway, Waldorf.

The Historic Preservation Award is bestowed upon eligible businesses, organizations, projects and individuals annually, at a gala awards ceremony. The county's Preservation Commission created two categories for its awards, which are Preservation Service and Preservation Projects.

In the Preservation Service category, recipients are awarded some well-deserved recognition for their superior support for and exceptional achievement in furthering the preservation of Charles County's unique and special history. Some of the specific areas of consideration include the following:

• Community leadership
• Education
• Advocacy
• Research
• Planning
• Development

Under the umbrella of the Preservation Project category, you will find award recipients who have displayed outstanding leadership and initiative in preserving and restoring historic buildings, in interpreting the county's architectural features into new construction, and in the creative reuse and adaptability of the county's historic structures. Considering the number and outstanding quality of Charles County’s historic buildings, we all benefit from the efforts made to preserve and understand them.

Event details for the Charles County Historic Preservation Commission's Reception and Awards Ceremony:

• Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Old Waldorf School, located at 3074 Crain Highway, Waldorf
• Each attendee is encouraged to donate $5, which will help further to goals of the Charles County Historical Trust; light refreshments will be served
• For more information or to RSVP for the event, please contact Beth Groth at 301-645-0684 or [email protected].

Bank of America would like to inform the real estate agent community that Congress has extended the certain provisions of the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act through the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 until December 31, 2013. This act benefits qualified homeowners who may have otherwise owed taxes on forgiven debt after going through a short sale.

Homeowners will continue to receive their 1099-C forms. Please keep in mind that homeowners should always consult their tax advisor so they can evaluate their personal situation and understand their tax payments.

The Debt Forgiveness Act, scheduled to expire on December 31, 2012 could impact many homeowners of distressed properties. Those are homes in a state of pre-Foreclosure where homeowners are attempting to avoid foreclosure by selling them as a short sale.

Federal tax law generally requires that a taxpayer who has indebtedness that is forgiven by a lender is required to claim and pay taxes on the amount of the forgiven indebtedness, which is classified as "income." As a result, prior to 2007 homeowners whose homes were foreclosed upon or who completed short sale transactions (or received principal reductions in loan modifications) were potentially required to pay taxes on the amount of indebtedness which was forgiven in those transactions. The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 was passed by Congress in order to modify the law by providing taxpayers who met certain requirements an exemption from taxation on the forgiven indebtedness. That law, however, is scheduled to expire at the end of 2012 and, unless extended by Congress, will result in the loss of this exemption and the imposition of additional and potentially significant taxes on thousands of distressed homeowners.

More than 50,000 homeowners go through Foreclosure each month and the number of short sales has increased significantly over the last few years to approximately 500,000 per year. In addition, as a result of the $25 billion foreclosure irregularity settlement which the nation's largest mortgage lenders recently entered into with the federal government, thousands of homeowners may receive principal debt reductions over the next few years. Although an extension of the exemption would seem to be a "no brainer," the fact that Congress is entering a "lame-duck" session creates the possibility that little legislation will move ahead through the end of the year.         

Even if the law does expire, some homeowners will still be eligible to exclude the income from forgiven indebtedness. For example, if the debt is discharged in bankruptcy or the homeowner is "insolvent" (meaning they have more debt than assets) at the time of the debt forgiveness, no tax is due. But homeowners who are considering a short sale and their agents should take this pending expiration into account and seek competent legal or tax advice so they will be prepared for the ramifications to them, if any, that will result if the law is not extended by Congress prior to the end of the year.