Ellicott City Realtor Catonsville Realtor

Shred Event

Date: Saturday, February 5th, 2011, from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, 10050 Baltimore National Pike,

in the Enchanted Forest Shopping Center, Ellicott City, MD

It's the start of a new year.  Time to toss your old documents and get ready for tax season.  Anything relating to your taxes or to financial records that is dated before your 2005 tax return can be shredded, according to this NY Times article.

Here's what to expect:

• A 31 foot long mobile shredding vehicle, from Mobile Data Shredding with a very fast processing speed & a materials capacity of 10,000 lbs.
• Paper clips, staples, hanging file folders, non-plastic binders & files, alligator clips are acceptable
• Visual, proof positive confirmation via on-board cameras and video monitor displaying the entire input, destruction and output process.

Important information to note:

• Unable to shred plastic or cardboard materials
• Computer hard drives, CD's, Diskettes & X-Rays can be accepted but are unable to be shredded on site.

Bring your items to be shredded, as well as this article, and watch the rapid destruction of your unwanted paper materials

This is a FREE service provided by Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage

See you there!

(psst - I've hijacked Tim's blog today.  Shhh ... don't tell him - let's just see if he notices) -Shari, Tim's Assistant :)

When Customer Service is Better than Expected.  Back in December my husband and I visited Grilled Cheese & Co. in Catonsville.  A relatively new restaurant, it has become one of our lunchtime favorites and we try to get there as often as we can.  My personal favorite is the Fresca, but my husband loves the Crabby Melt.

On this most recent visit, we had a bit of confusion with our order.  Not quite satisfied with our waitress' answer, my husband asked if the Owner had a minute to speak with us.  Matt, one of the Owners stopped by our table, and quickly and congenially resolved our issue.  He offered several times to get us a little something extra to make up for the confusion.  Excellent customer service, right?  We declined several times, we didn't really want to make an issue, we just had a question about our order.

That's when Mike went a step above and beyond excellent customer service.  He looked to the decision maker in our family, our 5 year old, and asked her if she would like a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner.  Her eyes lit up and she said, "YES!".  Later that night, I was very happy to have one less dinner to cook, my 5 year old relished what she considered her very own personally crafted sandwich, and I was left feeling more than a little impressed with The Grilled Cheese Co.  For the first time in what felt like too long, I felt as though a company I liked actually valued my business.  When was the last time you felt that way?

This focus on customer service is one of the reasons I enjoy working for Tim (and no, he's not paying me to write this).  In the two years that I've worked for Tim, I've seen how much he values his clients' business.  And I've seen the other side - agents that don't put the same effort into taking care of and advocating for their clients' most important needs.

The whole experience got me thinking about what I've come to expect from service providers.  I've made a decision - in 2011 I resolve to give my business (whenever possible) to companies that truly value my patronage.  Whether in person, or online, or through a service company, or as a Realtor, if a business goes above and beyond the expected...well, they can expect me to come back.

Oyster Cove in Grasonville, Maryland - Year Round Vacation Living with Easy Access to Commuter Routes - Best of Both Worlds

If you're looking for a waterfront condo or townhome on Kent Island, take a closer look at Oyster Cove.  Located in Grasonville, right on the Kent Island Narrows, step right outside the community's door to the water.  This community also offers a private marina with the option to rent or purchase a boat slip for ultimate flexibility in waterfront living.  Other community amenities include a clubhouse, swimming pool, tennis courts, and elevator service to upper levels.  The condominiums are truly zero maintenance - check with the condominium association to verify that the association handles 100 percent of exterior property maintenance.

Just minutes from Route 50, yet within walking distance to shopping and local restaurants such as The Crab Deck, Jetty Restaurant, and Bridges, this community extends away from the traffic of Kent Island into the peace and tranquility of the bay.

Waterfront living has never been more affordable in recent years.  Oyster Cove has homes available for less than $400,000.  The nicest units will be on the second level or above, and will feature floor to ceiling views of the water, as well as recent upgrades to kitchens and bathrooms, a separate laundry room and will have been well maintained.

Oyster Cove Homes for Sale

In addition to Real Estate, another thing I am passionate about is sports.  Not only do I play sports myself, but I also volunteer with and serve on the Board of the League of Dreams.  The League of Dreams is a charitable organization that provides baseball and softball experiences to all individuals regardless of their physical or mental challenges by hosting free clinics, leagues, tournaments and special events.  Through the League of Dreams, these players have the opportunity to 'hit one out of the park' or score the winning run, as well as develop lifelong fitness habits.

On Saturday, July 17th I am a Sponsor and the Chairperson of The Crab Ball - A Summer Celebration of Music, Cocktails, and Award Winning Crabcakes, held at Michael's Cafe in Timonium.  Tickets are only $10! Come and enjoy reduced food and drink prices, live performances by Jah Works, Ellen Cherry, Checkered Past, Still Counting, and Maynard and the Mobtown Saints.

At 7:30 pm, we'll be holding the Maryland Crabcake Eating Contest, and the winner will receive $500 cash and free crab cakes for a year.  To register for the contest, visit www.michaelscafe.com.

At 9 pm, Coy Pond will offer champagne cocktails and summer wine tasting.  The party will continue on until 2 am, with an encore performance by Still Counting.

I'd love it if my friends could join me for this event.  If you'd like to purchase tickets, please contact me, or visit www.missiontix.com.  See you there!

Maple Lawn - a Small Town Planned Community with Townhomes, Single Family Homes and Estate Homes

Twenty miles north of Washington DC and twenty miles south of Baltimore, MD, Maple Lawn is a planned community built on the ideal of a late 19^th century small town.  ‘These small towns were distinctive, prosperous and thriving and, most of all, had a sense of community'.¹  Six small-scale neighborhoods have been designed and are planned with interconnected, tree-line streets, open space and a variety of housing styles and options.

Maple Lawn is slated to offer abundant retail, corporate and medical/dental professional space in its Business and Westside Districts.  Retail spaces are designed with short term parking spaces to facilitate quick errands, and Business District Office Buildings feature bicycle storage areas and shower facilities to promote employees walking or biking to work.  Living in the community you serve becomes a reality for many professionals who choose to work and live in Maple Lawn.

Howard County Public School System has provided four brand new schools that are within walking distance of Maple Lawn.  School districting can change annually and should be independently verified with the school distict.  HCPSS has a School Locator tool right on their homepage.  The schools within walking distance of Maple Lawn are:

• Cedar Lane School
• Fulton Elementary
• Lime Kiln Middle School
• Reservoir High School

School rating information can be found at greatschools.net.

The Maple Lawn Community Center offers a fitness center, an Olympic pool and a second kiddie pool, ball fields, bbq pavilion, conference rooms, a children's activity room, tot lot and outdoor courts for basketball, roller hockey tennis and more. And if you can't find it at the Maple Lawn Community Center, you're sure to find it at nearby Schooley Mill Park.

Homes for Sale in Maple Lawn, April 2010:

1.  From www.maplelawnmd.com

Oak Forest in Catonsville, MD - Homes with a History Near Patapsco Valley State Park Hilton Area

Just south of Frederick Road in Catonsville, and East of Rolling Road is the historic community of Oak Forest.  Many of the homes in this neighborhood are old, older and very old - some of them stately Victorians dating back more than 100 years.

Catonsville has the benefit of proximity to the big city of Baltimore, while keeping its unique small-town qualities.  Created in the late 18th century by Richard Caton, the modern center of Catonsville retains its historic character with a recently restored traditional Main Street.  Annual Events are well known in the area and include the Taste of Catonsville, Frederick Road Fridays, Crab Feast, Arts and Crafts Festival, Santa House and the extremely popular Catonsville 4^th of July Parade and Fireworks.  This year Catonsville will celebrate its 200^th birthday, and the 4^th of July parade is certain to reflect the spirit of this anniversary.  Find out more about Catonsville events at www.catonsville.org.

The Oak Forest Area of Catonsville has easy access to Baltimore 695 Beltway, Interstate 95, and is a very quick trip on 195 to the Baltimore Washington Airport, and AMTRAK, MARC commuter service and MTA Bus Lines and Light Rail.  Also located nearby are the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) and University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC).

Oak Forest homes are just steps from the Hilton Area of Patapsco Valley State Park.  With a recycled tire playground, camping areas, pavilions and miles of wooded trails, you won't have to go far to enjoy the best of Maryland's State Parks.  Also located nearby is the Rolling Road Golf Club, a challenging, private 18 hole golf course.

The historic homes of Oak Forest go on the market infrequently.  If purchasing one of these homes is of interest to you, sign up for a Listingbook account to create your search.  Enter "Oak Forest" in the Subdivision field.  Your search criteria will be saved, and you will be notified via email when a home that matches your criteria goes on the market.

Oak Forest homes for sale, April 2010:

Rockburn Township is a small community of single family homes located off Montgomery Road in Ellicott City, MD.  The community is consists of approximately 200 homes on various cul de sacs off Rockburn Drive.  The lots are large in this newer community, with most being more than quarter of an acre in size.  Most homes are less than 20 years old, and are two stories with basements and 3 to 5 bedrooms.

Rockburn Township is within walking distance to Rockburn Branch Park, a 415 acre wooded recreational area that offers sporting fields, a playground, 7 ½ miles of walking trails, Pavilions, Restrooms and a free 18 hole disc golf course.  The park is home to Fall Hay Rides, a Haunted House, an Annual Easter Egg Hunt, and numerous other community events throughout the year.  Also located within the park is Pfeiffer's Corner School, a restored one-room schoolhouse constructed in 1883.

Homes in Rockburn Township are located within the Howard County Public School System and are currently districted for Rockburn Elementary School, Bonnie Branch Middle School and Howard High School.  School rating information for Howard County Public Schools can be found at greatschools.net.  School districting can change from year to year, and should always be independently verified with the school district.  Howard County has a very useful School and Bus Locator tool.

Other area amenities include the public Timbers at Troy Golf Course, located just a quick drive away on Marshalee Drive.  Convenient everyday shopping can be found at Lyndwood Square, also located off Marshalee Drive.

Homes for Sale in Rockburn Township, April 2010:

List Price:  $550,000

Recent Sales in Rockburn Township:

Sold ROCKBURN TOWNSHIP ELLICOTT CITY MD Property Listings

Other similar neighborhoods in this area include Lyndwood, Rockburn, and Rockburn Commons.  To find out more about homes in these communities, please feel free to contact me.

Village of Long Reach, Columbia - How Did They Name Those Streets?

Columbia's Villages, neighborhoods and streets are often references to the history of the area as well as famous works of art and literature.  High Tor Hill, in the Village of Long Reach is no exception.  Below is a brief history of some of the names in the Village of Long Reach:

‘Long Reach' was the name of an original land grand presented to Major Edward Dorsey in 1695 for 448 acres.

Robin Jeffers was an American poet at the height of his popularity in the 1920s and 1930s, whose work reflected his passion for the wild beauty of the then undeveloped California Coast.  He built a home near Carmel called ‘High Tor'.  From his poem ‘Tor House':

To make stone love stone, you will find some remnant.
But if you should look in your idleness after ten thousand years:
It is the granite knoll on the granite
And lava tongue in the midst of the bay, by the mouth of the Carmel

‘Tor' is an old English term for a high stone outcropping.

The Long Reach Community Center is named Stonehouse, and is located in the Village Center.  From the Robin Jeffers poem Star Swirls:

And this place, where I have planted trees and built a stone house

This information was compiled from various sources including Oh You Must Live in Columbia, Missy Burke, Robin Emrich and Barbara Kellner, 2008, Columbia Archives.  Visit the Columbia Archives yourself to purchase a copy of this book, or check out a copy from the Howard County Library, and to find out more about the fascinating history of the names of this city!

The Cove Condominium Community - located in the Village of Wilde Lake - Spacious Condos with Water Views of Wilde Lake, and a Community Pool, conveniently located just across Little Patuxent Parkway from the Mall of Columbia

Located in the Neighborhood of Bryant Woods, between 10000 and 10100 Windstream Drive, this classic condominium community is situated directly on Wilde Lake, with many units offering a view of the Lake.  Although they were built in the 1960's as one of Wilde Lake's first apartment communities, these units were converted to condominiums in the 1980's and have been very well maintained by the Cove Condominium Association.  The landscaping is impeccable, and the convenience of a community pool sets these homes apart.

Wilde Lake is a 22 acre manmade lake, built and maintained by the Columbia Association.  The Lake has a well kept 1.5 mile loop walking trail, tot lot, and picnic area.  The Columbia Association maintains the Boathouse, as well as the Barn on the Lake's shore.   Wilde Lake flows downstream into Lake Kittamaqundi.

Shopping can be found at the nearby Wilde Lake Village Center, which is home to David's Natural Market, or at the Governor Century Plaza Shopping Center , both of which are just a short drive from The Cove Condominiums.   Also nearby are Howard Community College and Howard County General Hospital.

Wilde Lake is also home to the Columbia Swim Center, an indoor pool complex with two full sized pools,  a wading pool, locker rooms, sauna, KidCare child care option, and the popular Splashdown indoor water park.

Entertainment and recreation can be found at any of Columbia's nearby cultural and sports centers:

• Merriweather Post Pavilion
• Toby's Dinner Theatre
• Columbia Art Center
• Columbia Horse Center
• Columbia's Supreme Sports Club and other Athletic Clubs
• Fairway Hills Golf Club and Hobbits Glen Golf Club
• Wilde Lake Tennis Club
• Columbia Ice Rink
  

For more information about what living in Columbia has to offer, visit www.columbiaassociation.com, and to find out more about living in the Village of Wilde Lake and other Columbia Villages, visit www.columbiavillages.org.

About Federal Hill

One of the oldest neighborhoods in Baltimore City, Federal Hill is located West of Martin King Luther Jr Boulevard and North of Interstate 95. From the top of the hill in Federal Hill Park, you have a panoramic view of Baltimore City’s Inner Harbor. Walking distance to the stadiums, Inner Harbor, and Museums, this neighborhood is a convenient location to all of the major Baltimore City attractions:

• Maryland Science Center
• Baltimore Museum of Industry
• National Aquarium
• American Visionary Art Museum
• Little Montgomery Street Historic District
• M&T Stadium
• Carroll Park
• Hippodrome Theatre
• Camden Yards
• Baltimore Convention Center
• Fort McHenry
• Lexington Market
• …and so much more!

Federal Hill’s business include a number of locally owned and operated establishments, with a wide variety of bars, pubs and restaurants, but also including some unique companies that you would not find anywhere else. Not the least of which businesses is the Cross Street Market, an old-fashioned fresh food market whose origins date back to 1846.

You can find out more about Federal Hill’s history, businesses and events by visiting www.historicfederalhill.org.

Photos of Federal Hill – the Neighborhood, the Businesses, the View:

Photos courtesy of Andy Ellis of bmoreconnected – www.facebook.com/bmoreconnected

Move in time to take part in the festivities at the annual Federal Hill Main Street’s Spring Block Party on April 25th!!!