Bridget's Blog

Swimming Pools in Catonsville, Maryland

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee (CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061) — Fri, 25 May 2012 14:57:03 -0700

Swimming Pools in Catonsville, Maryland

Is it HOT enough for you? Did the summer sneak up on you and you are trying to figure out what to do with the kids?

School will be over in a matter of days and you are already dreading the "I'm booooored" that will be sure to come.

If you have been discouraged to find that several of the area pools have long waiting lists to get in, you are in luck!

I am going to let you in on one of the areas best kept secrets. There is NO WAITING LIST at Crosby Crossing Swim Club (formerly known as Wesview Pool). CrosbyCrossing is a member owned pool, with a professional management team. You don't have to be a resident of the Westview Park neighborhood, we have members from all over the area!

Just wait until you check out the beautiful facility situated on 3 acres in Westview Park, at 1315 Black Friars Road. The pool is open from Saturday MAY 26, 2012 through through Labor Day. The hours are limited while Baltimore County Schools are in session. There is a 6 lane pool, with a diving area and a separate fenced kiddie pool. There are two play areas, basketball and sand volleyball court. A full service snack bar is open daily serving a wide variety of summer fare, snowballs and snacks. There is PLENTY of parking!

Our Swim Team is one of the best reasons to join Crosby Crossing. Your kids will meet lots of new friends, have tons of fun and get lots of exercise! Our team has heart! The new coaching staff and parents work together to help your child to learn and improve on freestyle, back stroke, breast stroke and butterfly. They will learn sportsmanship, team work, and dedication. It's a great way to spend time with your kids and interact with folks in your community!

Get Cool and Have Fun....Join Crosby Crossing Swim Club today. Please let them know you heard it from Bridget "Maryland Mortgage Mama" McGee

Here's a guide to the Catonsville Area Pools. Please note, this article is from 2011. Please be sure to check with each club for their most updated information.

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS# 196068 CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure!

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest. Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

FAQ: Should I Talk To A Lender First? Answer: Absolutely NOT!!

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee (CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061) — Wed, 23 May 2012 20:01:20 -0700

When I first read Chris' title, my first thought was "What the HECK is he talking about?" Then I read the post and the comments, and I agree with many of them. Take the time to dream and then make the time to PLAN! If you are looking in Maryland, call me and we'll get you there!

This is my response to Chris' blog:

I like it! I get lots of calls from folks who found a house they love in the neighborhood or online, then we start talking about the boring stuff like recent foreclosure, 19 collection accounts, recently self-employed or laid off, no down payment...most of those folks, years later are still in the exact same position when they find another house they love.

If more people would take time to dream, then make the PLAN and follow it...the perfect next steps, it would make the time spent reviewing their situation and money I spend on credit reports all worth while.

I must say, when I get a call from someone willing to do the work and not just dream the dream, I know that I will be on the invite list for the house warming party. AND, I will be on the list when they are ready to upgrade to the next home too! It may take a month, it may take a year, but together we can make that dream a reality!

Bravo!

Maryland Mortgage Mama

Via Chris Hardy Search Fort Collins Homes for Sale - Fort Collins CO Neighborhoods (Coldwell Banker patandchrishardy.com):

FAQ: Should I Talk To A Lender First? Answer: Absolutely NOT!!

If you’re truly dreaming of owning your own home, dream often and dream BIG! Talking to a lender will do one thing and one thing only – squash your dreams! Here’s some advice: First, set up an account at Pinterest, then visit HGTV.com, Google Images, or download the Houzz app for iPad. Visit sites that show outrageous homes for sale and look for the things you love most about dreamy houses and then start pinning like mad. Luxurious bathrooms? Magnificent closets? Clever kitchens and genius storage solutions?

Will your bedroom need to be big enough for a sleigh bed or bunk beds? What are the ideal dimensions of that room? Do you have a vision of what your dream garage looks like? How about sunlight? Moonlight? Basements finished or empty caverns? Do you want your home to face east or west? North or south? Does gardening appeal to you or do you like watching other people take care of grass and plants and shrubs and flowers? Are you a Victorian or a Bungalow? Loft or Townhome? Stucco and stone or brick and siding?

The best thing about dreaming is that your dreams don’t have to be cluttered by external filters like affordability, practicality, and sensibility. Dreaming and collecting images of favorite homes and interiors may help reveal key elements of a home that are important to you. Enjoy the dream stage of the home buying process – just make sure you’re purposeful about it.

You’re not likely to afford much of what you see – but there are key components of what you like that may be scalable to fit just about any budget. Give yourself a fixed amount of time to dream and then examine the boards you’ve created and pinned images to. Create a board of “Must Haves”. Share it with your partner to see what his or her dream home boards contain and create a shared board that include elements you both like.

Many times, a buyer has done the ‘responsible thing’ and spoken to a lender first to determine the actual dollar amount they can spend – but haven’t spent any time really dreaming about what they want in a home. Believe me, the process of discovery can be difficult and filled with heartbreak if appropriate and purposeful dreaming hasn’t been explored first! Once you’ve completed the dreaming phase and are ready to buy a home, then yes, talk to a lender to get a realistic idea of the price point you qualify for. It may be a bit of a buzz-kill but with all the dreaming research completed and with the consultative skills of a local real estate inventory professional, you can start shaping your dream into reality.

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS# 196068 CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure!

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest. Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

Can An E-Mail Become A Binding Agreement To A Contract

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee (CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061) — Thu, 17 May 2012 08:03:30 -0700

Agents need to be aware and protect their clients and themselves! Please read this important post by Martha Brown, regarding an email she received from Capitol Title. Are you putting yourselves at risk for a lawsuit by emailing without a disclaimer?

Thanks for sharing Martha!

Maryland Mortgage Mama

Via Martha Brown Homes & News Around Annapolis (Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc):

Can An E-Mail Become A Binding Agreement To A Contract?

So today while reading my emails one popped up from Capitol Title, a well known and respected Title Company here in Maryland. Like everyone I use email quite often and have found it to be a great way to keep track of what was said. But now after reading this I am certainly going to use the disclaimer if and when ever discussing an offer or anything that could be construed as such. You may want to do the same.

Below is what was said in the email from Capitol Title including the disclaimer suggestion.

We are all familiar with the requirement that a contract for the sale of real estate must be in writing to be enforceable. This requirement arises from a law called the "Statute of Frauds" which has been enacted in most states, in various forms, and provides that certain types of contracts are required by law to be in writing to be enforceable. The types of contracts generally included are contracts involving interests in land, contracts that cannot by their terms be performed within one year from the date of formation, promises to answer for the debt of another, promises made in consideration of marriage and contract (over a certain, stipulated amount) under the Uniform Commercial Code for the sale of goods.

The Maryland Statute of Frauds provision relating to real estate contracts (§5-104 of the Real Property Article, Annotated Code of Maryland) states:

"No action may be brought on any contract for the sale or disposition of land or of any interest in or concerning land unless the contract on which the action is brought, or some memorandum or note of it, is in writing and signed by the party to be charged or some other person lawfully authorized by him."

In light of the recent proliferation in electronic communication (e-mail in particular) litigation has occurred in several states on the issue of whether an e-mail, sent by a party to a transaction or that party's agent, can unwittingly satisfy the requirements of a "written agreement" and result in the formation of a contract between the parties.

Examples of cases in which emails have resulted in a finding that an agreement was formed that satisfied the statute of frauds can be found in cases decided in New York and Massachusetts in which the courts held that e-mails sent by parties or their agents in connection with a real estate sale, upon which the defendant had typed his name or which contained a salutation consisting of the defendant's name, satisfied the requirements of the statute of frauds and resulted in the formation of a contract.

As a result of these developments parties to real estate transactions and their agents may want to consider including, in any e-mail communications transmitting an offer, counteroffer, term sheet, contract, lease or other real estate related communication, an appropriate disclaimer to the effect that the e-mail in question may not form the basis of a binding agreement unless and until incorporated into a separate, mutually acceptable, written agreement signed by the parties. If a broker or agent is initiating or transmitting the e-mail, they may also want to include a statement that the broker or agent has no authority to bind their client and any terms must be incorporated into a separate, written agreement signed by their client to be enforceable.

Can an E-Mail Become a Binding Agreement To A Contract?
Seems The Answer Could Be YES!!

**************************************************************************************

Annapolis Area Real Estate

Make the Move with Martha

Call 410-440-7839 or 800-735-5122

martha@HomesAroundAnnapolis.com
Martha Brown CRS
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc
Your Certified Residential Specialist for Annapolis Area Home Sales or Purchases



Lets House Hunt

Visit Annapolis

Join Me on Facebook

Google Martha



All Photographs and/or written material and content produced by Martha Brown. All Rights Reserved and may not be reproduced or reprinted without express written permission of

Martha Brown of Long & Foster Real Estate.

Every effort has been made to assure that the information in this blog is as accurate as possible. Martha Brown of Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. disclaims any implied warranty or representation about it's accuracy, completeness or appropriateness for any particular purpose. This includes but is not limited to any information provided by third parties which is accessed through this blog via a hyperlink.

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS# 196068 CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure!

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest. Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

Taking the Stress out of Saving for a Down Payment

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee (CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061) — Fri, 11 May 2012 08:42:46 -0700

Thanks June for a well written and informative post on saving for a down payment.

Just wanted to add that there is still 100% financing available with VA (available for veterans) and USDA loans(for properties in more rural areas).

It helps to speak with a loan officer to determine the best loan to meet your goals.

Maryland Mortgage Mama

Via June Piper-Brandon CDPE, CIAS, ePro, Assoc. Broker (Century 21 New Millenium):

Taking the Stress Out of Saving for a Down Payment

Are you dreaming of owning a home, and feeling stressed about coming up with money for a down payment? Coming up with 3.5% or more of the purchase price is enough to scare many perspective buyers away. However, even if you don’t have the necessary funds for a down payment in your bank account, there are many other options that you should take into consideration to come up with the money you need to put a down payment on your dream home.

Possibly one of the easiest ways to get a down payment for a home is to borrow against your retirement account. Many people have been investing in a 401(k) plan or traditional IRA for years, and first-time homebuyers may borrow up to $10,000 for their down payment without incurring a penalty, so long as you pay it back. For those who are self-employed—or if your employer allows it—you can also borrow up to $50,000 from your current 401(k) and pay yourself back over five years at a low interest rate.

Another thing you can do is look for down payment assistance grants. Down payment assistance and community redevelopment programs offer affordable housing opportunities to first-time homebuyers, low-income and moderate-income individuals and families who wish to achieve homeownership.

In Maryland there are many such opportunities and even some that are linked to your place of employment. There are FHLB grants of $5,000 that can be piggy backed with SELP/CDA money, there are Live Near Your Work Programs and some lenders have special in house programs. And, if you're thinking about buying in Baltimore City - if you participate in the Live Baltimore Trolley Tour and take the education program you can qualify for another $4,000 grant.

Family is another option that you may want to take into consideration when it comes to securing money for a down payment. Sure, you may be too proud to want to ask for money, but if your family can help you and your family move into your dream home, isn’t it worth it? If you do get help from a family member keep in mind the lender will ask you to sign a form called a gift letter,  explaining the relationship and the lender may also require your parents to explain where they got the money and prove that they are financially able to make such a gift. One of my clients recently did this and now they are living in their new home. Be sure to check with your loan officer first though because some loan programs do not allow gift funds for down payment and the money for your downpayment has to be yours.   Just one more reason to be sure that you are preapproved for a mortgage before you start looking.

If you’re still not finding the money to put together for a down payment, there’s always the creative lease/purchase agreement. Homeowners who can’t sell their homes in this market will be more amenable to cutting a deal with buyers and may be willing to take part in a lease/purchase agreement, where you rent the home you want to buy and a percentage of your rent is applied toward the down payment. If you go this route, make sure you get a contract outlining all the details so both parties are safe. I am working with a seller and buyer/buyer's agent right now in a lease purchase option. The buyer needed to work on their credit first so we all sat down and wrote up an acceptable agreement and the buyers are living in the house and the price was agreed upon, they are paying rent and have been for 8 months now and building their credit. In 2 months they will settle on their home.

Adding a down payment option to your wedding registry is gaining popularity among those just starting out in life together. Several mortgage companies allow those getting married to set up a down payment registry. What a great way to celebrate the joining of two people in holy matrimony than to help them buy a house.   You can set up a trust account at a bank and provide guests with the account number and have them make deposits to the account instead of purchasing a gift. This is fantastic, I have done this with the daughter of a client of mine and they are just about ready to buy.

If none of these things will work for your specific situation, there’s always the old fashioned “saving for a rainy day” tactic. Try putting aside 10 percent of your paycheck each week and make an effort to bring a lunch to work instead of going out. If you’re married, use the money you would spend on birthday, anniversary and Christmas presents and put that toward your down payment. You might also need to forget that vacation this year. It may seem like a lot, but the sacrifice will be well worth it when you’re living in your new home.   I received an email from a friend the other day about a large pickle jar by the dresser and at the end of every day the couple would empty their pockets and pocket books of all the change into the pickle jar to save money for their childs college education, but this would also work for saving for a downpayment.

If you are thinking of buying or selling an home in Maryland give me a call at 410-292-0100 or start your search here and we'll talk about the market conditions and what your home could possibly be worth in today's market place if you are thinking of selling. If you are considering buying a home, there is no better time than now to buy. The tax savings and wealth building alone is worth the plunge into todays market. Century 21 New Millennium is part of the largest nationwide relocation company and can assist with your move here in Maryland or anywhere in the United States or abroad. Ask me how.

In keeping with saluting our heroes, during 2012 I am waving flat fees for active duty military, retired military and the families of fallen military, as well as policemen, firemen and emt's. If you enter into a contract by the New Year's eve I will waive the flat fee at settlement. This is a $395 savings. If you are thinking about buying or selling a home give me a call and receive full service real estate assistance from an experienced agent. Our office is open 7 days a week and we can be reached at 410-730-8888 or I can be reached directly at 410-292-0100.

June Piper-Brandon ~ Associate Broker, CDPE, CIAS, ePro

Century 21 New Millennium

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS# 196068 CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure!

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest. Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

Boot Camp With Bob...Lots of Good Stuff for Bloggers!

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee (CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061) — Fri, 11 May 2012 07:39:36 -0700

Margaret really knows how to get down to the nitty gritty! The AR boot camp is a great way to learn a ton about blogging in bite size pieces!

Thanks Margaret, I will be going to the recording to listen to the full presentation!!

Warm Regards, Maryland Mortgage Mama

Via HomeRome Realty Author:Real Estate the Rome Way 410-530-2400:

Boot Camp With Bob...Lots of Good Stuff for Bloggers!

Today I took notes while listening to Bob Stewart tell us how to write a first blog or in many cases a next blog. I think I got more out of this session than most newbies.

One of the new features is allowing a maximum of 70 characters in the title. Notice above there are 17 characters remaining.

When writing a blog decide...who is your audience? Make the title engaging.

If the blog is for your peers...make it funny or edgy.

If the blog is for consumers...make it for SEO ranking.

His example today was written in WYSIWYG.

Just place your curser and start typing! Please make use of paragraphs to separate your blog...no wall of words or lack of whitespace.

With only 6 seconds to capture a reader, make it easy to read.

The "shift key" takes you to the next paragraph without a space...not the "enter key". I tried this and it did not work for me.

Bob emphasized that content is what matters...not fonts and colors.

Here is a good way to start.

Always write your words FIRST!

Place the post in Draft Mode!

Save it!

You can go back later to make changes using the keys to

italicize

underline

strike through

BOLD

indent

Bullet

add photos

spell check

As for adding a link…I do it the Rome way and it is much easier and it works for me! May have to write another post about this.

Other notes from Bob's session.

-Photos

Use vertical and horizontal space.

Grab the corners to re size.

Link photo from your blog.

Wrap text..constrain proportions use left or right..20..20

-When using Tags, place a comma between each.

-There are many recordings for video tutorials..go check out whatever you need.

-You can disable your comments but.. why?

-Visibility is Public only if you are a Rainmaker.

-Share content…FB, tweet, google plus.

-The recording will be in your group within the hour.

Don't forget to sign up for next week’s class. The topic is SEO! Bob thinks this is the most important class!

Boot Camp With Bob...Lots of Good Stuff for Bloggers!

Author of Real Estate the Rome Way

www.HomeRome.com

410-530-2400

See My Baltimore Homes for sale

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS# 196068 CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure!

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest. Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

ActiveRain SEO Upgrades and Downtime

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee (CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061) — Wed, 09 May 2012 23:44:19 -0700

Are you wondering why you are not seeing the ActiveRain blog posts the way they always have been? Bob is great at keeping us informed, hope you find this helpful!

Thanks Bob and Thanks AR!

Via ActiveRain Corp.:

We've been working hard behind the scenes to improve the SEO on ActiveRain. SEO is a funny little monster. Our friends at Google are never shy about keeping the target moving and in our effort to continue to hit the mark, we've been dedicating a lot of resources toward making site improvements with the sole objective being to get ActiveRain member content ranking better.

To that objective, we will have some scheduled downtime to push out an update to the site. Our downtime will begin at 10pm Pacific time on Wednesday, May 9th and last for approximately an hour.

What will be changing? Glad you asked............

Blog post snippets instead of ten full posts:

In our continuing effort to please the Google monster, we have made some changes to the way your main blog page displays content. In the past, if you were go to your main blog page on ActiveRain (located at activerain.com/blogs/(username).......mine is located at http://activerain.com/blogs/arbob because arbob is my user name) you would see the ten most recent posts and be able to scroll down and read every post in its entirety. After today, your most recent post will show as a full post, but the remaining 9 posts in your blog will only show as snippets.

Why? Because I said so..........haha, ok not really. The why has a few reasons. The first one is that showing the full post on your blog page means that the content is potentially being indexed on the same domain in two different locations. And continues to show on ActiveRain in two locations. It gets indexed on the direct URL, but also on the main blog URL. Now, your direct URL will be the main place that search engines will index the content. We're removing the chance that Google will see the content in two locations and potentially penalized us and you.

The second reason is this will allow your main blog page to load much faster. Google likes faster and has been using it as a variable in their algorithm since early 2010. It will also allow those main blog pages to load faster for any users accessing your content via that route. Granted, most of the traffic you get from Google is landing on direct pages, but this change will help load times across the entire site.

The third reason is this will limit the number of links that show on your main blog page. If one link is good, then 100 must be great, right? Well, not exactly. The more links you have on a page, the less benefit each additional link will provide.

Character Counter When Creating Blog Titles:

There is a best practice in creating page titles that suggests keeping your page title to 70 characters or less. To this end, we have installed a character counter when you create the title of your blog post. On ActiveRain, the title of your blog post becomes the page title of the URL at which your blog lives. The page title is also the clickable component of a Google search result. It's your main 'ad copy' so to speak in the search engine results. Google will show the first 70 characters of the title. So it's important that your page title relates what your post is about in the first 70 characters.

It's also important that you get your keywords closer to the front of the page title as opposed to later in the page title. We'll have a little ? mark that explains some best practices next to the area where you enter your title. Take a second to click and read it. Once you go over 70 characters we'll try to convince you to limit it to 70. Can you make it longer? Yes. Should you? In some cases maybe (like if the post is members only and you know it's not going to show in search results).....but generally you'll want to limit the title to 70 characters.

Channel Page Cleanup:

When we first launched channels, we allowed members to create topics under each channel. Since it's release, ActiveRain members have created over 600,000 topic pages. It's become unruly and from an SEO perspective it's just not adding any value to the site. In fact, it may be sending negative signals to the search engines. So we have taken a more limited approach in selecting topics when you place your blog posts in a channel. You will now see that any time you go to place your blog post in a channel, the topics will be defined. This is an effort to eliminate a massive number of links that were sending poor signals to the search engines and also attempt to make the channel pages more relevant for a predetermined number of topics. We'll be keeping a close eye on how this new design impacts traffic and most likely making adjustments to the topics which you can select when creating posts.

Stay tuned, more updates coming in two weeks!

~Bob

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS# 196068 CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure!

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest. Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

A Mother's Day Gift for Supermoms: Nine Counter-Balancing Tips

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee (CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061) — Wed, 09 May 2012 23:32:26 -0700

Do you suffer from Never Enough? Everyone needs to balance work and life and this post is a great blueprint to start that process. Life is great and our children grow too quickly. It's time to take control and make sure that we are working toward that balance.

Thanks for a great reminder! Happy Mother's Day!!

Warm Regards, Maryland Mortgage MAMA!!

Via Jay Papasan (Keller Williams Realty):

This "do it all" attitude has been popular for decades, but does it make the role of working moms seem too easy?

For a mom, the job is always on, and these days, seven out of 10 mothers are also career women. So it’s no wonder “balance” is a hot topic among the maternal workforce. But has anyone ever really found that perfect work-life balance? The answer is no, and surprisingly, they’re happier for it.

The truth is mothers have been stepping up to the breadwinning plate long before the 80s made it the norm instead of the exception. The Great Depression and World War II liberated even more women from the kitchen and into the office. For instance, does the name Rose Monroe sound familiar? It should.

Better known as Rosie the Riveter, Rose became the iconic symbol for women at work everywhere in the 1940s. And, today her infamous “We Can Do It!” propaganda poster has helped idealize the idea that women can “bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan.” Similarly, TV moms like Diahann Carroll’s Julia – a 1968 show about a widowed nurse raising her young son – Elyse Keaton from Family Ties and Claire Huxtable on The Cosby Show all made balancing successful careers and motherhood look easy.

Truth is, it’s not.

But have you ever wondered if the ideal “supermom” is just that – a propaganda poster or a Hollywood fantasy? If so, you’re right. And, your mind and body will thank you for knowing better!

A recent study found that while working can be good for a mother’s mental health, there is a catch. Mom’s who expect the as-seen-on-TV perfection in all areas of life are in for a disappointment and may actually be more likely to be depressed. But, somewhat ironically, “women who don’t expect to be able to balance work and family have better mental health,” says Kristina Leupp, who led the study.

And, some of the most successful business moms know it. Lisa Price, founder of the beauty line Carol’s Daughter says she knows it’s okay to not be great at everything: “The first step is admitting that you cannot do it all.” And real estate icon Barbara Corcoran admits perfect balance is “a phantom case.” But she does turn off her business line every night at 6:30 to spend the evening focused on being a mom. Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s COO, has an incredibly demanding day job, but still tries to leaves work every day at 5:30pm to have dinner with her family.

What’s the trick?

Counter balance is the real-world power these stiletto-clad supermoms possess. And they’re not the only ones finding the force. In the role of business leader, husband and father, Gary learned he couldn’t do everything. There will always be some sort of imbalance. So be prepared for things to be out of balance. His advice is to acknowledge this as a fact of life, and react quickly when something important goes by the wayside. When you get out of balance, counter balance.

For example, if you have to stay late at work on Tuesday night and miss reading to your kids, make sure to be home early on Wednesday. Not next month, or even next week. Tomorrow. This is where your true super-strength will be rewarded.

Marci Fair, a long-time mom and real estate agent, says working mothers need to realize the importance of being able to make tough decisions to lighten their load. “We may not be able to lead the work ‘special projects’ committee; we may only be able to be on the team. And we may not be able to keep our home as clean or organized as we would like,” she explains. “Find a way to ignore the dust on the hanging pendant…that really doesn’t matter anyway.”

So, in a thank you to all supermoms across the universe, here’s a quick tip list for value-added time with your family.

The nine wonders to added family-time fun

1.       Teach your kids to help in the kitchen so dinnertime prep becomes a family event.

2.       Stock up on make-ahead recipes for the freezer and Crockpot to shorten prep time.

3.       Add the cost of house-cleaning to your monthly budget to get some extra help. Those extra hours at the office should pay for something.

4.       Force yourself to unplug from work by turning your phone off when you get home from work.

5.       Create a game out of household chores that involves the whole family’s participation.

6.       Plan everything for your family’s day the night before for an efficient morning that allows for family breakfast.

7.       Leave the kids at home once a month (with a babysitter, of course) and schedule a special night for just you and your partner.

8.       Make a point to eat dinner with your family every weeknight.

9. Sign up for Cozi, an online calendar that keeps the whole family updated on important events. Have scheduled family time at least three times a week.

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS# 196068 CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure!

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest. Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

7 Steps to Writing a Killer Blog Post

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee (CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061) — Mon, 07 May 2012 21:23:26 -0700

If you are not following Rebekah Radice, stop what you are doing and go subscribe to her blog. Rebekah is super sharp and is an EXPERT at Social Media Marketing. She has had more than a few features and you will be sure to learn something each time you check her posts out!

This is great information on writing a killer blog post. Follow her advice and you will be a better blogger in 7 easy steps!

Maryland Mortgage Mama

Via Rebekah Radice Social Media Marketing, Management & Strategies (Manager of Industry Engagement, Better Homes & Gardens RE):

Writing great blog content on a consistent basis can be difficult. Whether you are fighting writers block or want to improve your content; writing a blog post brimming with creativity does not always come easy.

Writing a great blog post involves an understanding of your audience and a commitment to their needs.

Writing high quality content that keeps your readers engaged and hungry for more is a skill any blogger can master.

Finding your rhythm, tone and voice simply takes time and practice.

How to Write a Killer Blog Post

1. Do Your Homework

Logic says don't start hiking a 14,000 foot mountain without a little preparation. Likewise, writing a blog post without investigating your topic is a recipe for disaster.

Google It! – Google has loads of tools for bloggers from your basic Google search to the Google Keyword Toolbox – a treasure trove of gadgets that will speak to your blogger soul!

Research keywords – Keyword research is incredibly important to the search engine optimization of your site. With keyword research you determine what your clients are searching for and what terms will receive the most Google juice. There are many options for keyword research, the most popular being Google’s Keyword Tool.

Link It - Substantiate your findings with links to credible articles.

2. Know Your Niche

Provide well thought out, fact supported tips and advice for your readers. Before you begin to craft content for your blog, it is best to:

Determine the "WHY" behind your blog

Understand the needs of your target audience and how you will provide a benefit or solution

Identify their motivation and what persuades them to take action

Your next step is to ask yourself:

Have I figured out what my niche is and whether there’s a market for it?

Can I make money with this niche?

Can I provide quality content on a continual basis?

Have I researched my competition? What are they doing well and what can I do better?

3. Compel and Connect

A great blog post excites the audience, arouses curiosity and creates a compelling reason to come back for more. Connect with your community by drawing them into the conversation.

Encourage readers to contribute and allow them to connect with you across multiple social channels. Make it easy for readers to get involved, be heard and share their knowledge with other blog readers.

4. Update Your Blog

Writing a great blog post includes tuning up your blog. Make it a part of your routine to regularly check for updates to your blog platform. Neglecting this simple step could slow down your blog or worse, leave you vulnerable to security issues.

Also make sure that your plugins are updated and that your categories are customized and easy for your readers to navigate.

5. Take a Stand

There’s nothing worse than reading a blog with a “middle of the road” stance. Get passionate about your topic and be willing to take the opposing side.

Are you writing about a hot topic but fear you’ll be crucified due to your position? Well get over it! Readers gravitate towards blogs that have a voice and a tone. How can your blog have either one if you never spell out who you are and what you believe in?

6. Be Authentic

If you are open and honest with your readers, it is very easy to take a stand about what you believe. Authenticity goes a long way to building loyalty.

If your readers do not feel a connection to you, then quite simply, they are not going to buy what you are selling. Be bold, be brave, be YOU!

7. Have Fun

There is no use blogging if you are not enjoying it. Get passionate about your craft and let your readers feel it. Engagement and feedback will add fuel to your creative fire and keep you focused and excited about your blog!

7 Steps to Writing a Killer Blog Post was written by Rebekah Radice.

Subscribe to Rebekah's Blog for Social Media Marketing, Blogging and Business Success Strategies that Help You STOP Those Time Sucking Activities and Maximize, Prioritize and Monetize Your Online Efforts! Just Click SUBSCRIBE!

Want to know more about me? Just Google Me!

T: 719.387.1368 | Email: rebekah@rebekahradice.com | Website: http://rebekahradice.com

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate | Manager of Industry Engagement

Get the Scoop on All Things Real Estate!

Find Me Online!

Recent Articles from Rebekah's Blog

Creating a Social Media Strategy that Doesn't Suck

You Can Be a Referral Magnet

6 Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Website or Blog

How to Use LinkedIn to Generate Real Estate Business

Top 5 Reasons You Should Blog on Active Rain

3 Easy Ways to Customize Your Active Rain Blog

Get the Itemized List of Posts!

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS# 196068 CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure!

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest. Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

Knock Knock....Who's There?...PROSPECT!

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee (CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061) — Mon, 07 May 2012 20:44:23 -0700

Knock Knock....Who's There...PROSPECT!

The knock on the door at my home came as I was finishing up with a client. I answered the door and asked the salesmen to hold just a second while I finished up my call.

Once I finished, the gentleman at the door said: "I am sorry that we caught you in the middle of a call."

ME: "No worries, I am a loan officer, pretty much any time you come by these days, you will catch me in the middle of a call!"

HIM: "You are a loan officer? I am trying to buy a home and I am having trouble, can you help?"

ME: "I would be happy to speak with you about it and see what I can do"

HIM: "That would be great, I haven't felt comfortable that the folks I am dealing with really know how to help me."

HIS TRAINEE: "I have a friend dealing with a lender in California and I know he's having trouble with a refinance, do you think you may be able to help him?"

ME: "Without knowing the situation, I don't know, but I would be happy to review his loan. I can at least let him know if he is in good hands or if we may be able to offer a better loan option."

"Here's a card for each of you. You and your friend are welcome to call me anytime. Now, what can I do for you?"

Apparently these days I don't even have to go OUT to find folks who need my help! Have I built a better mousetrap? Nope, I just love what I do and mention it to anyone who will listen!!

This is door-knocking from the inside out!

Knock, Knock....Who's There? PROSPECT!

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS# 196068 CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure!

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest. Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

Getting out of my comfort zone Part 2 ~ ActiveRain Meet-up with Maryland AR Rockstars!

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee (CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061) — Tue, 01 May 2012 06:56:25 -0700

For any Newbies, or seasoned bloggers who haven't stepped out of their comfort zone and attended an ActiveRain meetup or reached out to connect with those at the top of the "leader board" in your area....Diane gives a great account of her initial hesitation and what she found out...ActiveRainers don't bite...well, I can't speak for all ActiveRainers, but everyone was very well behaved at the G&M!

To steal borrow from an old advertisement...."Reach out and touch someone today!"

Maryland Mortgage Mama tm

Via Diane M. Phillips, Realtor® Real Estate, Homes For Sale, Homes (Frankly Real Estate Inc.):

Getting out of my comfort zone Part 2 ~ ActiveRain Meet-up with Maryland AR Rockstars!

I was invited to an ActiveRain meet up by a dear AR friend Bridget McGee. If you haven’t met Bridget, especially if you are in Central Maryland, you really should make it a point to met her. She’s kind, outgoing and a fantastic mortgage resource. Bridget mentioned a few of the rainers who would be there, I felt a little intimidated. Margaret Rome, was actually hosting it Martha Brown, Rich Iarossi, Margaret Woda were among the people expected to attend. These are people I admire on AR, they are wonderful bloggers and real estate agents.

“AR Rockstars!”The phenomena was mentioned at raincamp I attended. I laughed at myself quietly from my seat in the audience as Bob Stewart tried to encourage us to talk to those we admire and learn from them & share with them. I saw some really interesting bloggers who I couldn’t bring myself to strike up a conversation with. I don’t recall how many activerainers attended the raincamps (Philly & Atlantic City) suffice it to say there were a lot!

At a meet-up there was no sitting quietly in the audience taking it all in. There were about 15 of us at G & M’s in Linthicum Heights, Maryland talking, sharing ideas, eating and of course taking pictures, lots of pictures. Bridget did the introductions and I had an opportunity to speak with Margaret Rome, Martha Brown, Rich Iarossi, Margaret Woda and a few others. It was a wonderful experience I am so glad I went. Everyone I spoke with was warm, welcoming and offering to help and share in anyway I may need. The only thing better than talking with rainers on AR is having lunch together face to face!

Thanks Bridget for the invitation and thanks Margaret Rome for being an amazing hostess and new friend. It was a true pleasure meeting some of my “AR Rockstars” Thanks for making me feel right at home!

Getting out of my comfort zone Part 2 ~ ActiveRain Meet-up with Maryland AR Rockstars!

The Real Estate Philling Station where you can Phill-up on real estate information before you head out on the road and run out of gas knowledge. Knowledge is power, fuel yourself by contacting Diane M. Phillips today for all your Maryland Real Estate needs. The Real Estate Philling Station, full service full time!

Want to get to know me better? GOOGLE ME!

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Diane M. Phillips, REALTOR®
Cell/Text: 443-286-4365
Office: 703-827-4066
DianeJustSold@gmail.com
Search Homes
FranklyRealty.com DianeJustSold.com
Follow me @DianeJustSold
Be a fan on Facebook!

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS# 196068 CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure!

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest. Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

What costs are involved in owning a home in Maryland?

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee (CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 19:13:26 -0700

What costs are involved in owning a home in Maryland?

I always tell my clients that it is important for them to determine what a COMFORTABLE monthly payment would be and not necessarily to purchase a home at the mortgage for which they can qualify. These two numbers can vary WIDELY! When determing the true cost of home ownership it is a good idea to consider all costs. This is a basic list that you may find helpful when budgeting for your new home.

1. Mortgage : Principal and Interest payment.

2. Property taxes which is based on your purchase price. Taxes are based on a percentage of the assessed value and varies by county.

3. Mortgage Insurance or (PMI/MI) If you put down less than 20% most lenders will require mortgage insurance. The mortgage insurance protects the lender in case of your default (failure to pay).

a. Conventional Loans –Mortgage insurance is required until the loan reaches 80% of the purchase price

b. FHA Loans-Required up front mortgage insurance (UFMIP) that is financed into the loan. UFMIP is currently 1.75% and is paid directly to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

c. 30 year-Monthly Mortgage Insurance (also called Annual Mortgage Insurance) must be paid for at least 5 years AND until the loan reaches 78% of the purchase price. Current rates (April 2012) 1.25% for loans over 95% Loan to value (LTV), drops to 1.2% for loans below 95%.

d. 15 year-Monthly Mortgage Insurance (also called Annual Mortgage Insurance) must be paid only until the loan reaches 78% of the purchase price. There is no minimum time frame requirement.

e. VA Loans-There is no monthly mortgage insurance. VA loans do require a funding fee that is typically financed into the loan.

f. USDA Loans-Also called Rural Development (RD) Loans. Now require a monthly mortgage insurance of .35% for the life of the loan.

There are programs where you may purchase with less than 20% down with no mortgage insurance, typically the interest rates are significantly higher.

4. Homeowner’s Association Fees-This can vary from zero to hundreds of dollars a month depending on the community amenities. Some communities have an additional fee

5. Homeowners insurance (also called Hazard): This protects the structure (cost to rebuild) and contents (all your stuff), and has other benefits. Pricing, deductibles and coverage varies widely by policy and company.

6. Flood Insurance: If you are in a flood zone, you will be required to carry flood insurance. Costs vary widely.

7. Refuse: Depending on the area, you may be required to pay a service to pick up your trash. Many counties/areas include this as a part of your property tax.

8. Utilities: Public Water/Sewar, Cable, Phone, Gas/Electric (you can request an average from the owner or call the gas/electric co. to get an average , Well/Septic, phone,

9. Lawn care/maintenance –mower, grass seed, mulch, etc.

10.Termite: I have heard that there are two types of homes in Maryland, one that has had termites and one that will get them. It may pay to have an annual contract for pest control. This could run from $50 to $150 per year.

11.Repairs-Minor: This can vary widely depending on the age and quality of construction of the home. It is always a good idea to have a fund of $500-$2500 to cover general maintenance.

12.Repairs-Major: For major repairs such as a roof, windows, well/septic it is a good idea to have an emergency fund to cover any future major repairs. You can contribute a small amount to this fund with each paycheck so if you do have a repair, you hopefully won’t have to resort to using credit. Your home inspector can give you an idea of the expected roof life expectancy. If you have a concern, you can pay a roofing company to give you a full inspection and warranty.

You will also want to consider the cost to furnish and decorate your new home. You don't want to purchase a home and have to sit on the floor or sleep in a sleeping bag (at least for too long)!

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS# 196068 CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure!

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest. Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

Renters are people too! A thank you to Relo Agents...

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee (CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 19:24:20 -0700

Renters are people too!

I got a call today from a young lady who "found me on the internet". I am not sure exactly where she found me. It could be my Zillow profile, or because I answered questions on Trulia. It could have been one of my ActiveRain blogs or something nice that a client or a realtor wrote about me.

She called me because she had been looking for a rental in Baltimore. She is from another state and has moved quite a bit for her job. She is settling in Baltimore with a family member and is currently living in Executive housing. Her company provides relocation realtors to assist in the transition. My client never felt like a priority, like any of the folks she was dealing with cared about her or her needs.

Well guess what? She talked to her family about her frustrations and they advised her to find a lender and talk about buying because they heard it was cheaper to buy than to rent.

I was the one that got that call. I was the one who pre-qualified her and I am the one that was able to refer her to one of my amazing Realtors to find her the right home.

This is a borrower who has a GREAT income, good credit scores and a strong desire to move quickly....sounds like the perfect trifecta to me!

Ask the right questions and you will be amazed at what you find out.

MY new client (thanks to the agent(s) who blew her off ) has already spoken to one of my preferred realtors and will be looking for the right home to PURCHASE in Baltimore in the $300,000 range. It sounds like someone (or a few someone's) lost out on a potential commission check and a potential referral.

Are you asking the right questions of your rental clients? Is it time for them to buy instead of rent?

If you are considering a rental in Baltimore, call me first. You may be surprised at what you find out! I have realtors ready to help, no matter what your needs!

Renters are people too! A thank you to Relo Agents...

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS# 196068 CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure!

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest. Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

Active Rain Meetups-One Of My Favorite Things To Do

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee (CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 20:13:16 -0700

Active Rain Meetups-One Of My Favorite Things To Do

If you haven't been to or scheduled to attend an ActiveRain Meetup, WHY NOT? You don't know what you are missing!

We are very lucky in Maryland to have some of the most prolific, intelligent, professional, kind, funny, open, honest, beautiful, friendly....well I think you get the idea....ActiveRain members around.

OK, I know that most of the folks that are ACTIVE ActiveRain members don't come to the party if they don't have something going on, but these people are truly amazing on and off the computer. I bet if you attended one (or more) of these meetups, you found the same!

I attended my first ActiveRain event a few years ago, when Margaret Rome held a very special Open House. I have attended every one in the area since. Many of these folks have become business associates, all of them have become mentors, and most of them have truly become friends. Each meetup is different, but there is always a common thread...sharing, friendship, positivity, laughs, and lots of pictures!

These are not folks that are complaining about not being busy enough and don't have anything better to do. These are folks that have been and are very successful (SUPER BUSY) in real estate and in life. They come from different companies, but they don't try to recruit each other or poo poo the others business model. They celebrate each others successes, refer business, ask and answer questions....They care about each other, having gotten to know them first by reading their posts here on ActiveRain. They are authentic. What you see is really what you get.

Margaret Rome said "It's not about the company, it's about the person. We don't care where they hang their license, but how they treat their clients and our referrals."

I am a loan officer. I don't attend meetups to solicit business, although over time many of these folks have referred clients to me, and I have referred business to them. I don't go with a rate sheet or reasons why they should use me. Every lender touts "great rates and great service", my goal is to meet folks and get to know them in person, share a laugh (many laughs, really), good food and great conversation. If there is a good fit, the business will come. When it does, I am grateful and do everything in my power to ensure that the referrals are well taken care of. When it doesn't that's OK too.

I made the mistake of telling Margaret that I didn't get a chance to post this yesterday because I didn't "have time". As soon as it came out of my mouth I realized what a silly thing that was to say (especially to Margaret who somehow finds time to call members, mentor, post daily, AND sell a ton of Real Estate. No one has any more or less time than I do. We all have business, family, life... but everyone who is ACTIVE realizes the importance of this forum, of the connections.

I have fallen down a bit on my blogging of late. The meetup was a great way to reconnect. The online Boot Camp will help too.

Take the time to get out from behind the computer monitor and connect, truly connect. Blogging is a form of social media. I think sometimes we're so caught up in the media, we forget the social. If there wasn't a meetup scheduled in your area, pick up the phone and invite someone (or a few someone's) for lunch or for coffee, or for a cocktail or a walk. We are blessed to have folks (Margaret Rome and Martha Brown so far) who have been willing to take the lead in our area and the group is growing.

I am proud to say that several folks I personally invited joined in the fun:

Andrea Bedard (Fabulous and caring Montgomery and Anne Arundel County Realtor...specializes in military buyers and sellers-a lifestyle she is intimately familiar with)
Diane Phillips (a sweet, hard-working Carroll County and PA Realtor-, both wonderful people and bloggers whom I would highly recommend you follow if you are not already.
Denise Litzau of Property Title & Escrow (She was kind enough to take the group pictures, unfortuately I missed capturing her)-I have worked with these folks for years and re-connected recently....I sent Denise an AR invite, I will let you know when she starts blogging. She was impressed with this group! They are offering $295 plus title insurance on purchases over $300K. They also offer free tax assessment appeals. Try them, you won't be disappointed.

Margaret's client Lucy Clark was there too. She is not only the previous owner of the Chocolate House...

http://activerain.com/blogsview/2124363/this-is-a-reblog-by-c-tann-starr-you-missed-the-bixler-church-open-house

she has started a business that includes custom floor plans and custom maps for Real Estate. Lucy has a ton of ideas and will Floor You (and your clients). This is pretty cool stuff that would fit really well with the Single Property Websites I offer to my realtor partners to add to their marketing of their listings.

All in all, there were 15 of us...we had a few more who RSVP'd, but were unable to attend. Ellie McIntire (and a few others) managed to scoot before the group picture, but I got to catch her with Diane and her newly signed copy of "Sell Your Home the Right Rome Way."

I bet the next Maryland meetup will be even bigger. Martha Brown is already planning one in Annapolis for May when Jeff Dowler is in town. You know I will be there, won't you join us?

In the meantime...anybody want to have lunch?

ActiveRain Meetups-One of my favorite things to do!

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS# 196068 CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure!

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest. Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

RainMaker Boot Camp

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee (CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:51:10 -0700

This is a great program for folks new to ActiveRain or those like me who just need a good kick in the pants. SIGN UP and join in!!

Maryland Mortgage Mama

Via ActiveRain Corp.:

ActiveRain is proud to announce our new RainMaker Boot Camp training series! Members blog on ActiveRain so they can generate leads, get referrals from the relationships they build on our site and learn from our amazing community of more than 200,000 real estate professionals.

Join our free RainMaker Boot Camp class and you'll get:

* Eight live classes to teach you the essentials of real estate blogging
* Placed in a micro-community of other new RainMakers to build your roots in the network
* Mentoring from ActiveRain Ambassadors on how they've found success in the 'Rain
* One-on-One support and assistance from our Staff
* Action Items you can download after each class designed to put the concepts into play

If you have a RainMaker account and would like to reserve a spot in an upcoming Boot Camp, please submit the form below:

&amp;lt;a href="https://imsd.wufoo.com/forms/x7x2q5/" data-mce-href="https://imsd.wufoo.com/forms/x7x2q5/"&amp;gt;Fill out my Wufoo form!&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

Our first Boot Camp series is launching Thursday, April 26th with each class starting at 9am Pacific. Every Thursday thereafter be ready for the next class in the series.

The eight core classes in our Boot Camp series are:

1. RainMaker Orientation (April 26th)
2. Writing Your First Blog Post (May 3rd)
3. SEO Blog Training (May 10th)
4. Linking in Your Blog Posts (May 17th)
5. Draft Review Class (May 24th)
6. How to Get Referrals (May 31st)
7. Outside Blogs (June 7th)
8. Tracking Your Results (June 14th)

Don't worry, if life gets in the way and you miss a live class, we'll have a recording available.

This is your fast track guide to everything AR, blogging and knowledge. We've never had a program as clearly outlined like this before and we're putting much care into building each participant's success. If you have the drive to really say "This is the day I'm going for it", you'll have every inch of our support behind you!

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS# 196068 CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure!

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest. Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

THIS ONE HAS THE WOW FACTOR! 3 Bedroom, Possible 4th 2 bath Westminster, MD

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee (CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 13:59:46 -0700

3 bedroom home in Westminster on just over 1/2 acre of land. This one is a must see, lovingly updated and cared for. Westminster, MD For Sale By Owner

1608 Carriage Hill Drive
Westminster, MD 21157
THIS ONE HAS THE WOW FACTOR!

Amy Therit

Daytime:	410-876-9298
Evening:	410-876-9298
eMail:	Contact

Price	:	$259,900
Bedrooms	:	3
Bathrooms	:	2
Square Foot	:	1,028
Lot Size	:	24,001
County	:	Carroll
Property Type	:	FSBO
Year Built	:	1976

click for more information and pictures

Property Description

This lovely 3 bedroom 2 bath split foyer is a MUST SEE! The beautiful, wide open upstairs living area has been completely updated. It's the perfect home for entertaining while being cozy enough for every day. Through the dining room and out the slider to a huge deck overlooking your expansive yard that back to woods. The master bedroom has a fabulous custom closet that has to be seen to be appreciated. Head downstairs to the meticulously decorated walk-out club basement...the best place in the neighborhood to watch the Ravens take on any rival! Check out the built-in brick bar, the guest bathroom, and an extra room that could be another bedroom, home office or workout room.

No detail is left undone in this charming, move-in ready home, from the soft-close drawers in the kitchen, LG Hi-Macs counter tops, easy care laminate flooring, upgraded appliances, newer windows, roof and siding. Whether you are a first time buyer, down-sizing or moving up...this is a home that can't be missed!

For sale only, please don't contact regarding rental or lease to own.

Please be sure to contact Bridget McGee at CrossCountry Mortgage-
410-960-2061 for special financing and a closing cost credit for the appraisal up to $400.

Features List

3 Bedroom/2 Bath	Split Foyer	16x24 Deck
Brick Wood Fireplace	Built-In Bar	Poss 4th Bed/Office
Custom Kitchen	Hi-Macs CounterTops	Lower Freezer/Fridge
Decorative Touches	Custom Closet	Over 1/2 Acre
Quiet Street	Vinyl Siding	Easy Clean Windows
Refuse approx $225yr	Propane Heat	Well and Septic
Laundry Room

Equal Housing Opportunity.

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS# 196068 CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure!

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest. Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

My Irish Roots

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee (CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 20:36:22 -0700

My Irish Roots

Top of the evening to you...

With a name like Bridget McGee I bet you are not surprised to learn that I have Irish Roots.

In 1913, my grandmother, Bridget McDonnell Nolan, left her home in County Mayo, Ireland to travel to America. She arrived at Ellis Island as one of the maids for a wealthy family. She was 15 years old.

She worked and sent money home to her family in Ireland, eventually saving enough to bring one of her sisters to America. Together they saved to bring another, and so on until there were five McDonnell sisters who all eventually married and settled in Baltimore, Maryland. And so began a legacy of family love and legacy.

I remember dancing the Irish Jig as child in my grandparent's basement. I always loved to spend time with my grandparents. My grandmother was the most welcoming woman I have ever known. If someone showed up unexpectedly, she'd always put the kettle on for a nice cup of tea. If it was meal time, she'd throw another potato in the pot. I am the 28th of 30 grandchildren and somehow we all felt that we were the most important.

Each year, for as long as I can remember, the McDonnell Family has gotten together at Christmas and on the Saturday before Father's Day. The offspring of my great aunts (my gran's sisters) tend to make a better showing than the Nolan's, but we are always represented. As I have gotten older, this extended family has become more and more important to me. I have always loved being Irish and often joke that my grandmother used to say "T'ain't funny McGee" so I married one!

I was hoping to get to Ireland this summer with some of the family, but plans have changed. Many years ago, when asked if she wanted to go to visit Ireland, my grandmother said "After trying so hard to get away from there, why would I spend our hard-earned money to go back?" I will one day go see the country that birthed such amazing, strong and brave women. I can't imagine leaving my family knowing that most likely I wouldn't see them again. There is family that still lives on the land where my grandmother was born. I want to meet more of the family and lift a glass (and more)with them.

My daughter is named Sydney. I just loved the name. I found out when she was about 1 year old that my grandmother had a sister named Sydney who died while a toddler, and that my Great-Grandfather had nicknamed my Great-Grandmother Catherine, Sydney! Now those are some roots!

On this feast day of St. Patrick, I raise my glass of Guiness to you Gran, to your parents who loved you enough to let you go, and to you Pop Pop for finding the true gold at the end of the rainbow! I toast the McDonnell sisters and their offspring who have carried on the legacy of love and family in Baltimore that you began! I hope you are looking down and smiling!! Slainte!

"May God grant you always...A sunbeam to warm you, a moonbeam to charm you, a sheltering Angel so nothing can harm you. Laughter to cheer you. Faithful friends near you. And whenever you pray, Heaven to hear you.”

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS# 196068 CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure!

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest. Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

In Honor of St. Patrick and the Lenten Season...

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee (CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:43:53 -0700

Let's hear one for the Irish

An Irishman moves into a tiny hamlet in County Kerry, Ireland, walks into the best pub and promptly orders three beers. The bartender raises his eyebrows, but serves the man the three beers, which he drinks quietly at a table, alone.

A little later, the man finished the three beers and orders three more. The next evening, the man again comes in, orders and drinks three beers at a time. Soon the entire town is curious and whispering about 'The Man Who Orders Three Beers.'

Finally, a week later, the bartender broaches the subject on behalf of the town. "I don't mean to pry, but folks around here are wondering why you always order and drink three beers at a time?"

"Tis odd, isn't it?" the man replies. "You see, I have two brothers, and one went to America, and the other to Australia. We promised each other that we would always order an extra two beers whenever we drank... as a way of keeping up the Irish family bond."

The bartender and the whole town were pleased with this answer, and soon "The Man Who Orders Three Beers" became a local celebrity and a source of pride to the hamlet, even to the extent that out-of-towners would come to watch him drink.

Then, one day, the man comes in and orders only two beers. The bartender pours them with a heavy heart. This continues for the rest of the evening. He orders only two beers. The word flies around town. Prayers are offered for the soul of one of the brothers.

The next day, the bartender says to the man, "Folks around here, me first of all, want to offer sincere condolences to you on the passing of one of your brothers. You know - the two beers and all."

The man ponders this for a moment, then replies, "You'll be happy to hear that both of me two brothers are alive and well. It's just that I myself, have decided to give up drinking for Lent..."

Author Unknown

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS# 196068 CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure!

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest. Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

Loans, Loans, EVERYWHERE

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee (CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 20:52:18 -0700

Loans, Loans, EVERYWHERE

"I heard no one can get loans. How is your business?" That was what I heard recently. I guess they didn't read my blog entitled "Rates are Crazy Low, but can I get a loan?

Here is my answer:

I am blessed.This has been a crazy time for me, good crazy! The Spring buying season is already in full swing, as long a a home is priced right and looks good, there are often multiple offers within days. As the flowers have already started to bloom, so has my business.

This is my activity for just the last 3 weeks:

In the last week I have had several buyers with accepted contracts, a few are even approved short sales.

I completed an FHA streamline refinance for the boyfriend of one of my pre-approved buyers looking for the right home.

I am getting referrals of qualified buyers for home purchases all over Maryland from both ActiveRain (Wahoo!) and non-ActiveRain Real Estate partners.

I have gotten calls from folks for both purchases and refinances based on my reviews on Zillow. "I love what I read and feel very comfortable talking to you about my situation".

I have gotten referrals from ActiveRain friends and partners for home purchases and for refinances for their friends and past clients. The referrals of clients is wonderful, the referral of friends and family is a huge honor!

I got two calls as a direct result of blogging on ActiveRain. "I just had to call someone known as the Maryland Mortgage Mama"

I am working on several VA IRRL (Interest Rate Reduction Loans) for past clients and friends.

I took a refinance loan application for a client. Her boyfriend sat in on the meeting. We are now reviewing his current conventional loan in Annapolis for a VA refinance.

I have just completed a loan for a client I met at another client's Christmas ornament exchange party. When I called the initial client to thank her for the referral, we discussed a potential refinace of her mortgage and she promised to send me more referrals.

I have completed an application for the purchase of a home for one of my Team In Training Teammates.

I completed an application for a refinance for a parent at my daughter's school.

I met a potential client at Dunkin Donuts on Saturday after my daughter Sydney and I struck up a friendly conversation with a lovely older couple at the next table. ("Mama, you are elder, they are elderly") I was grimey and certainly not dressed to impress, but we were open and helpful and they happened to know my step-mom. He also happens to own two houses just 6 houses apart. He has not lived in one for 6 years although much of his "stuff" is there. He told me that it's getting expensive to have two houses and he really should sell it. I handed him a card and said, "When you are ready, I have some fabulous agents I can refer to you."

Just tonight, I met a potential client at a Lamb of God School fundraiser at Panera Bread. I complimented another customer (not there for the fundraiser) on her outfit (Red really was a fabulous color on her). I was wearing my Mortgage Mama pin. She asked about Interest rates and told me she has a 7% interest rate on her current mortgage and was wondering if it would be a good time to refinance. Needless to say, I handed her my card.

I get my business from many places. I put myself out there. I network. I stay in contact with my clients and referral partners. I let folks know what I do, sometimes overtly, sometimes passively. My brother and I offer competitive rates and fees, while offering full mortgage reviews to ensure folks are in the right loan. We take care of our clients and I truly love what I do and I am blessed.

"I heard the market tanked and no one can buy houses." What is your answer? Where are you getting your business?

Loans, Loans, EVERYWHERE

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS# 196068 CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure!

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest. Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

St Patrick's Day Parade Baltimore, Maryland 2012

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee (CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 06:58:39 -0800

St Patrick's Day Events in Baltimore

With a name like Bridget McGee, I don't have a choice but to celebrate my family's Irish heritage. Irish or not, Start your St. Patrick's celebrating on March 11th.

The Official Mass of the St. Patrick Parade

Attend mass at The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary before the parade on Sunday, March 11 at 10:45 AM. The Basilica is located at 409 Cathedral St.

Shamrock 5K 1:15 PM

This fun run with 5000 runners of all ages dressed in plenty of Kelly green, costumes, It starts at Charles St and Franklin and ends at the Power Plant Live between Pratt and Lombard. There will be lots of celebrating after the race!

The St Patrick's Parade

Get your Irish On!   Celebrate your Irish Heritage or just join in the fun in Baltimore that's been the happening place to be for over 50 years! All the pomp and circumstance you can handle. There are Bagpipes and Irish dancers, politicians and lepruchan swag. There's music and marchers and plenty of food and fun! There's Kelly Green and Kilts, and flags galore! The parade starts at the Washington Monument on Charles and Center Streets, marches down Charles Street and turns left on Pratt to Market Place at Baltimore's Inner Harbor.







COME ON DOWN TO BALTIMORE AND GET YOUR IRISH ON ON MARCH 11, 2012!   EVERYBODY'S IRISH!!

St Patrick's Day Parade Baltimore, Maryland 2012

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS# 196068 CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure!

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest. Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

Seriously, NO Pictures? RED DAY Maryland Keller Williams

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee (CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 19:54:57 -0800

Seriously, NO Pictures?

I never thought I'd see the day when Ellie McIntire and Maryland Mortgage Mama would be at an event and there would be NO pictures to share! I did want to be sure to tell you about the event though.

Today my brother Tony and I attended the Keller Williams RED (Renew, Energize, Donate) Day Fundraiser at the Outback Steak House in Ellicott City Maryland. It was great to see Ellie McIntire and the whole McIntire Team take part. We were able to meet and greet lots of folks and get out of the office on this beautiful Baltimore day. I got to see Sydney Hawkins, a lovely Keller Williams agent who helped my good friend find the right home. She even brought her mom and her aunt to support the event, such wonderful ladies! I got to meet some folks I have only known as "facebook friends", including Aaron Gartrell, met some more of the great folks of Keller Williams and their partners: lenders, title companies, home inspectors, appraisers, and others. We even got to see the lovely ladies from Maryland Title Works Unlimited...always a pleasure! Unfortunately, time was too short to meet everyone, but I am confident that our paths will cross when they are meant!

It was a fun event organized by Keller Williams Realtor John Hallis (and lots of other helpers). Less than 6 weeks ago, he approached Outback Steakhouse with an idea to have a private luncheon at $25/head, a silent auction and a 50/50 raffle to benefit RED Day to help with repairs and renovations in some of the neediest areas of Baltimore City. Not only did Outback Ellicott City hop on board, so did 4 other Outback's around Maryland. They really get involved in supporting the community! Based on the Ellicott City turnout, I am sure the day was a huge success!

The silent auction included everything from a basket of cheer, sports memorabilia, spa services, restaurant gift certs, even a ghost tour in Ellicott City.

What happens on RED Day in Maryland? According to the press release on www.reddaymd.com:

As part of the RED Day effort this year Keller Williams Select Realtors of Ellicott City, has joined forces with KW Excellence in Towson, KW Baltimore in Canton, and KW Realty Centre in Columbia, MD in partnership with Open Door Baltimore, William Paca and Dr. Bernard Harris Elementary Schools to provide a massive day of service in one of the neediest sections of our city. Starting at 8am and running thru 4pm. These facilities are in dire need of repair and replacement of decaying areas of the structures. We plan to paint hallways and repair auditorium furnishings, among other things, at the schools. In order to perform our work efficiently, Keller Williams and RED Day volunteers will also be treating the 1100+ students from William Paca and Dr. Bernard Harris Elementary Schools to a massive “Field Day” at Patterson Park complete with games, face painting, a picnic and so much more, all while demonstrating the need to love and care for one another! It’s a magnificent thing to see and we hope you can be a small part of it all!

All this takes money, today's event will help to offset some of the costs. The RED DAY event takes place on May 10th. There are still volunteer opportunities available. There is also a huge need for things like a parking area for the volunteers on the day of the event, drinks, snacks and more for the event. If you know anyone who might be able to help, I am sure if you contact John at the Ellicott City office.

The winner of the 50/50 donated their half back to the cause, raising almost $800 for a great cause! Unfortunately I didn't get the name of the generous winner, but I have a feeling they will be blessed many times over!

Hope to see you on May 10th for RED DAY!!

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS# 196068 CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure!

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest. Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

Wordless Wednesday (almost)-Hiking Near Catonsville, MD

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee (CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 19:21:34 -0800

Wordless Wednesday (almost)-Hiking in Catonsville, MD

My daughter and I headed out to Grist Mill Trail, part of Patapsco State Park on Saturday. It's a great place to explore. We started out on the trail, and even off-roaded for a bit, even though Syd was a little over dressed for the hike! Check out the earrings!

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS# 196068 CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure!

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest. Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

Feed your face in Ellicott City and raise money for "RED DAY"

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee (CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 17:23:42 -0800

It sure would be nice if we could get a whole slew of ActiveRain Peeps to join Ellie and all the other Keller Williams folks for an afternoon of fun for a great cause. My brother Tony and I will be there...anyone else?

Tickets are still available!

50/50, a Silent Auction and for a good cause...count me in!!

Via Ellie McIntire Homes for sale in Howard County Maryland (Ellicott City Clarksville Howard County Maryland Real Estate):

Feed your face in Ellicott City and raise money for "RED DAY"

There is no better fundraiser than the one that fills you with food AND makes money for a good cause in the process. One of the biggest community events for Keller Williams is RED DAY.

RED DAY is the day that we, as fortunate Real Estate agents in Howard County and ambassadors of our community that we live and work in, GIVE BACK. To be able to volunteer for RED DAY we need to raise money.

Wednesday March 7th at Outback Steakhouse in Ellicott City (The pinnacle of community devotion and giving) hosts the RED DAY community fundraiser. For a mere $25 you can enjoy to your hearts content the delicious food that Outback offers AND raise money for RED DAY too. Other Outback locations around Baltimore are also participating.

Lucky you, tickets are still available. They can be purchased online. Click here

Feed your face in Ellicott City and raise money for "RED DAY"
RED Day at Ellicott City Outback Steakhouse on March 7th

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you are planning to move to the Central Marylandarea and you want a BUYERS AGENT that really knows the area and all that it has to offer, I can help. (Personal tours of the area included in the service)

If you are looking to successfully sell your Maryland home with a Realtor who will market your property with multiple resources, call me for an appointment.

These are the areas that I serve Buyers orSellers in the Metro Baltimore area : Howard County, Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Harford County, Anne Arundel County, Carroll County, Montgomery County or Prince Georges County . If you would like more information please call me, Ellie McIntire at 443-418-7668or e-mail EllieMcIntire@MRIS.com

Don't take my word for it, see what other happy families have said about their home buying or selling experiences.
Ellie McIntire Client Reviews on Zillow.

Ellie McIntire

The McIntire Team Real Estate Services.

Keller Williams Realty Centre

443. 418 7668 (cell)

443.766 1768 (O)

443.766 1769 (E-Fax)

E-mail: EllieMcintire@MRIS.com

www.EllieMcIntire.com

We redefine the essence of service

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS# 196068 CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure!

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest. Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

Guess What? THE LENDING ENVIRONMENT HAS CHANGED!!!

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee (CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 11:03:01 -0800

GUESS WHAT? THE LENDING ENVIRONMENT HAS CHANGED!

I recieved a referral from a realtor for a client interested in buying a $60,000 condominium in Towson, MD. We'll call him FRED. She asked if I thought it would be a waste of my time to call Fred. I said no and contacted him immediately. We had a lovely conversation. We discussed that condo financing is more difficult than it was before but that I would do what I could to help. I told him that I would need to get some additional information to see if traditional financing channels would be available on this particular condo.

I found out that FHA financing for this condo is not an option but conventional financing appeared to be available. This would mean additional out of pocket money for down payment and closing costs.

Fred said that wouldn't be a problem and said he was still interested.

We were ready to move forward for the prequalification. I reviewed his credit and found that his credit balances were 78%-110% of his available credit, bringing down his score to below what was needed to qualify. I suggested that he pay down his balances (a total of less than $1500) to improve his score and we discussed the total cost to purchase.

I got this email back: Let's try to find a lender, maybe someone you know, someone that will finance the condo for me by putting the closing costs and down payment into mortgage, Including the not so good credit history of mine. I think it might be possible. Because, the condo is "only" $60,000. It's not like I am buying half a million home.

While I wanted to say: DO YOU NOT WATCH THE NEWS? DO YOU HAVE YOUR HEAD IN THE SAND? WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?

Instead I said: I wish I could help you but the lending environment has changed and traditional fianancing won't allow the type of financing you are looking for.

As I sent earlier, I believe that your score will improve by paying down the debt. Maybe you can have a family member who could help with the down payment and the closing costs??

His Answer?

The problem is not not the money. I can get the money. It's just, i don't want to. Giving out cash these days isn't the smartest thing, I believe.

Well, guess what? That's what the banks think too!

THE LENDING ENVIRONMENT HAS CHANGED! Size doesn't matter. You have to be able to meet the guidelines of the home you are purchasing whether it's a $60,000 home or a million dollar home.

There is limited 100% financing available, there are not as many grant programs for down payment/closing cost assistance and FHA is strongly considering lowering the maximum seller concession from 6% to 3% of the purchase price. Higher credit scores are required to qualify.

WAIT! Don't get discouraged and give up! There ARE loans available. You just have to understand the lending environment and work within realistic guidelines.

Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to have perfect credit, but you must be able to show an ability and willingness to pay. You don't have to make a million dollars but you have to be able to document your income and show you are able to afford the mortgage along with your other obligations. You don't need 20% down payment, but you will need to have at least 3.5% to put down on the home (unless you qualify for a VA loan or a USDA Rural Development loan).

Don't listen to the hype, get the real answers by talking to a lender who understands the current lending environment. If you aren't ready now, then let's get a plan in place so that you can get ready. If you are willing to listen and do the work, I will help to get you there!

By the way....If anyone knows a lender who has a program to fit Fred, let me know, I am happy to pass along the information.

GUESS WHAT? THE LENDING ENVIRONMENT HAS CHANGED!

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS# 196068 CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure!

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest. Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

FHA May LIMIT Seller Contribution-BUYERS NEED MO' MONEY!

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee (CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 12:13:53 -0800

FHA May LIMIT Seller Contribution-They are at it again!!

FHA is proposing a rule to limit seller contribution One reason is that they feel that the 6% cap that is currently in place is serving to artificially inflate the appraised value of homes. The new rule will drop the maximum seller contribution from 6% to a maxium of 3% or $6000 whichever is GREATER.

There is also an increase in the annual mortgage insurance premium (also called monthly MIP) by .10% going into effect for loans under 625,500. Over 625,500 there will be a .25 increase. EFFECTIVE FOR CASE NUMBERS ASSIGNED ON OR AFTER APRIL 1st.

Not only will there be an increase to the monthly cost, but the Up Front Mortgage Insurance Premium will increase from 1% to the 1.75%. This number is typically financed into the loan. EFFECTIVE FOR CASE NUMBERS ASSIGNED ON OR AFTER APRIL 1st.

What does that mean for your buyer's? HIGHER out of pocket costs and a HIGHER monthly mortgage payment.

Here's an example assuming a $250,000 home for sale in Baltimore, Maryland.

PLEASE NOTE: The fees noted below are estimates and may not represent the true cost to purchase a specific property. For the actual cost to purchase a home in Maryland, including rates and fees , please contact me directly at 410-960-2061. The 4% rate is for example purposes only. Your actual rate may be higher or lower than 4%.

A REAL WORLD COMPARISON USING:

TODAY'S REGULATIONS AND PROPOSED CHANGES

If you have been pre-qualifed using the current numbers, be sure to ask your lender if the upcoming changes will affect your ability to purchase. Realtors, if you have buyers under contract on short sales, be aware, any delay may mean a buyer that no longer qualifies or needs more money out of pocket.

Is this one more reason to get off the fence and buy today?

If you would like to read and weigh in on the proposed changes click here.

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/02/23/2012-3934/federal-housing-administration-fha-risk-management-initiatives-revised-seller-concessions#h-15

FHA May LIMIT Seller Contribution-BUYERS NEED MO' MONEY!

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS# 196068 CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure!

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest. Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

CATONSVILLE, MARYLAND-NEWEST SWEET SPOT

Bridget "Mortgage Mama" McGee (CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:47:32 -0800

CATONSVILLE, MARYLAND-NEWEST SWEET SPOT

Grab the kids and head to the HMART Shopping Center at Rolling Road and Route 40 in Catonsville for Catonsville's Newest Sweet Spot.

SweetFrog opened recently to serve folks in Catonsville, Maryland premium, all natural, soft serve yogurt. It's not just yogurt, it's yogurt YOUR way. They have a great selection of delicious soft serve yogurts (100-110 calories per 83g which is about 3 ounces).

How Does It Work?

1. Serve yourself the flavor or flavors you like. There is a wide variety to choose from.

There are so many great flavors and flavor combinations, be sure to ask Kristin or any of the SweetFrog employees for a taste.

2. Head to the toppings bar...

Talk about options?! Keep it light and add fresh fruit, or a bit more decadent with syrups, nuts, candy or even cereal!

3. Weigh and Pay...

4. TASTE!

5. SMILE!

By the way...FROG stands for "FULLY RELY ON GOD".

You can even help NAME THAT FROG and WIN $10,000!

Stop by soon and welcome SweetFrog to the neighborhood!

SWEETFROG

HMART SHOPPING CENTER RT 40 and Rolling Road

852 N Rolling Road Catonsville, MD 21228 (next to Starbucks)

CATONSVILLE, MARYLAND'S NEWEST SWEET SPOT!

Warm Regards,

Bridget McGee Maryland Mortgage Mama NMLS# 196068 CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. 410-960-2061 EHO

If you are considering purchasing a home in Maryland and want to be sure you are mortgage ready, my brother Tony and I will be happy to help! We help to make the mortgage process a pleasure!

If you already own your home, we are happy to provide a no-cost mortgage review to help you to determine if refinancing may be in your best interest. Please contact me at 410-960-2061.

Bridget's Blog

Swimming Pools in Catonsville, Maryland

FAQ: Should I Talk To A Lender First? Answer: Absolutely NOT!!

Can An E-Mail Become A Binding Agreement To A Contract

Taking the Stress out of Saving for a Down Payment

Boot Camp With Bob...Lots of Good Stuff for Bloggers!

Boot Camp With Bob...Lots of Good Stuff for Bloggers!

Today I took notes while listening to Bob Stewart tell us how to write a first blog or in many cases a next blog. I think I got more out of this session than most newbies.

One of the new features is allowing a maximum of 70 characters in the title. Notice above there are 17 characters remaining.

When writing a blog decide...who is your audience? Make the title engaging.

If the blog is for your peers...make it funny or edgy.

If the blog is for consumers...make it for SEO ranking.

His example today was written in WYSIWYG.

Just place your curser and start typing! Please make use of paragraphs to separate your blog...no wall of words or lack of whitespace.

With only 6 seconds to capture a reader, make it easy to read.

The "shift key" takes you to the next paragraph without a space...not the "enter key". I tried this and it did not work for me.

Bob emphasized that content is what matters...not fonts and colors.

Here is a good way to start.

As for adding a link…I do it the Rome way and it is much easier and it works for me! May have to write another post about this.

Other notes from Bob's session.

-Photos

-When using Tags, place a comma between each.

-There are many recordings for video tutorials..go check out whatever you need.

-You can disable your comments but.. why?

-Visibility is Public only if you are a Rainmaker.

-Share content…FB, tweet, google plus.

-The recording will be in your group within the hour.

Don't forget to sign up for next week’s class. The topic is SEO! Bob thinks this is the most important class!

Boot Camp With Bob...Lots of Good Stuff for Bloggers!

ActiveRain SEO Upgrades and Downtime

A Mother's Day Gift for Supermoms: Nine Counter-Balancing Tips

7 Steps to Writing a Killer Blog Post

1. Do Your Homework

2. Know Your Niche

3. Compel and Connect

4. Update Your Blog

5. Take a Stand

6. Be Authentic

7. Have Fun

Knock Knock....Who's There?...PROSPECT!

Getting out of my comfort zone Part 2 ~ ActiveRain Meet-up with Maryland AR Rockstars!

What costs are involved in owning a home in Maryland?

Renters are people too! A thank you to Relo Agents...

Active Rain Meetups-One Of My Favorite Things To Do

RainMaker Boot Camp

THIS ONE HAS THE WOW FACTOR! 3 Bedroom, Possible 4th 2 bath Westminster, MD

My Irish Roots

In Honor of St. Patrick and the Lenten Season...

Loans, Loans, EVERYWHERE

St Patrick's Day Parade Baltimore, Maryland 2012

The Official Mass of the St. Patrick Parade

Seriously, NO Pictures? RED DAY Maryland Keller Williams

Wordless Wednesday (almost)-Hiking Near Catonsville, MD

Feed your face in Ellicott City and raise money for "RED DAY"

Guess What? THE LENDING ENVIRONMENT HAS CHANGED!!!

FHA May LIMIT Seller Contribution-BUYERS NEED MO' MONEY!

CATONSVILLE, MARYLAND-NEWEST SWEET SPOT