Military families stationed at Fort Meade, Andrews AFB, the U.S. Naval Academy and other military installations in the Crofton area and throughout the D.C.-Baltimore region will be glad to learn they may now be eligible for relief to their housing woes, compliments of the recent stimulus package. It comes in an expansion to the Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP). administered by the Army Corps of Engineers.  The program was intended initially to assist military homeowners affected by base closings under BRAC 2005.  It has since been extended to help those affected by the credit and foreclosure debacle, and now it will also help  these service members: Military personnel with PCS orders who are unable to sell their homes Wounded warriors required to relocate for medical reasons, and Sur... 03/13/2009

If you are facing financial hardship paying your morgate, find the help you need!  The MD Homesource Group is equipped to help you with your real estate needs.  Don't face a difficult decision alone! The MD HomeSource Group is one of Maryland's leading Real Estate expert.  CEO Emmaniece Gordon is a licensed Associate Broker, serving the needs of Maryland area Buyers and Sellers.  We understand that finding the right solutions to your real estate needs are critical in the current Real Estate Market. That is why we set high standards.  Buying or Selling a home can be a complex undertaking and hiring the right team of Real Estate professionals is also very critical. Emmaniece Gordon, CDPE  will help save you time, money and frustration in the process.   We are equipped to handle all your r... 02/12/2009

Are you relocating to the Pentagon, or perhaps Andrews AFB or Fort Meade. and trying to decide where to live  in the D.C - Baltimore - Annapolis area?  Now your choice of where to focus your home search will be much easier because an unbiased source has rated public school systems throughout the country, including Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. According to Education Week's Annual Quality Counts Report for 2009, Maryland Public Schools top all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Criteria for this ranking by the education publication included: Chance for Success Transitions and alignments School finance K-12 achievement Standards, assessments, and accountability In fact, Maryland ranked number one in transitions and alignment policies, which measures a State’s ability to connect the K-... 02/08/2009

  Headed to Fort Meade?  If so, you may be surprised to learn there are many neighborhoods within 30 minutes - in five, yes FIVE, counties.  That means five entirely separate school systems, not to mention dozens of schools, that your children may attend when you relocate to the area. Let me assure you that each of these school systems has something to offer.  But making a school choice should probably be based on the individual school, perhaps even individual classes, near any homes you consider.  And, of course, if your child has a special need of any kind, it's a good idea to contact the school system(s) in advance of your home search to inquire about schools that will best address that need, and focus your home search in any area served by the most appropriate school(s).   There's ... 01/24/2009

ActiveRain has so many new members since the holidays last year, I'm betting there are lots of you who didn't see this.  Apologies to Clement Clark Moore for my parody on his "A Visit from St. Nicholas". I'm looking forward to the day when this doesn't work because the market is "up" and not "down" -  You'll see what I mean... 'Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the town, Not a buyer was stirring, the market was down.Our sale sign was posted in front with care,In hopes that some buyers soon would be there. The children were curled up reading in bed,And visions of moving danced in dad's head.Now Grandma in her sweater, and pa in his cap,Were asleep near the fire, taking a nap. When out in the yard there arose such a clatter,I leaped from my chair to see what was the matter.A... 12/17/2008

There are not a lot of new home communities on Fort Meade's doorstep, but there are plenty nearby. Since builders make it so easy for you to walk in and purchase directly from them, home buyers often are not aware that it cost no more to be represented by a real estate professional in their home purchase.   When I'm sitting in a builder's model with clients, I often have a million questions that my client never thought to ask.  And, as the builder's representative goes through the multi-page contract, I sometimes interrupt to ask my clients "Do you understand what that means?" and offer a more detailed explanation. As you prepare for your first house-hunting trip to Maryland, I know you'll want to check out the new home communities online, as well as resale listings and established neig... 12/06/2008

Fort Meade families enjoy many holiday offerings on post, ranging from a holiday concert by the U.S. Army Field Band to Meade Club's New Year's Eve Dinner Party.  But why not venture beyond those gates to participate in some holiday happenings in nearby communities? Here is a list of local events published yesterday at www.FocusOnCrofton.com: NOVEMBER 28 - 30 - Festival of Trees- Kennedy Krieger Institute, at the Maryland Fairgrounds in Timonium - More than 500 decorated trees!  (For information, www.festivaloftrees.kennedykrieger.org) NOVEMBER 29 - Christmas Tree Lighting at Park Place in Annapolis, 5-8 p.m.  Annapolis Family Christmas, Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis, 3 p.m. The Elves Who Saved Christmas, Children's Theater of Annapolis, 11 a.m. (For information, call... 11/28/2008

Meet Ray Farrell, the son of a widowed Irish immigrant who came to the United States to escape the potato famine in Ireland.   The armistice ending World War I might not have been signed at the Palace d'Versaille on November 11, 1918, if it were not for him and the men he led. Their role was less prominent than that of the top negotiators, but it was a key factor in securing the peace. A little world history refresher: Negotiations for ending World War I began in January 1918, with 70 delegates from 27 nations participating, excluding the defeated nations of Germany, Hungary and Austria - and Russia, who had negotiated their own treaty.  Each participant had its own agenda, and discussions were often quite heated.  For example, French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau wanted to cripple ... 11/10/2008

Since I often have clients relocating to Fort Meade, I visit the Fort Meade website fairly often and try to view it through the eyes of a military spouse preparing for a move to the area.  When I was a Navy wife, we didn't have the Internet, so I never had any idea what to expect at our destination.  Larry got orders, I started saying my "good-byes" and we were off on a new adventure without any idea of who we might meet, where we might live, or what might be available to us at our next duty station.  It was just a fact of life.  Today's military families are very fortunate to have so much information at their fingertips! When you visit the Fort Meade website, you'll eventually come across a link to Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation page, which is full of information about what'... 10/31/2008

With Fort George G. Meade just a few minutes and a few miles from our office, every agent at RE/MAX Vision counts relocating soldiers among our past clients.  As we've introduced military personnel attached to Fort Meade to real estate in Crofton and other communities near the post, we've gotten to know them and their families on a personal level, as well as a professional one.  We're so grateful to them for their service and very glad to have them as neighbors now. Inspired by clients who are Fort Meade soldiers, several of the agents in my office got together after our sales meeting on Tuesday to become "Santa for a Day" and stuff holiday gift bags for deployed troops.  Every gift bag is unique, but they all contain a book of puzzles, candy, hand sanitizer, pens, toothbrush and toothp... 10/09/2008

Included in Your Online Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County, Maryland - Home of Fort George G. Meade, NSA, Northrop Grumman, BWI, and the U.S. Naval Academy.   When you live in Anne Arundel County, you can play a round of golf in Crofton, go crabbing on the Chesapeake Bay near Annapolis, and then attend a concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington or ballgame at Camden Yards in Baltimore - all in the same day.  What an amazing lifestyle we enjoy! As a newcomer to the Baltimore-Washington area and Anne Arundel County, you'll want to carry a camera with you at all times.  Even though I'm a native Washingtonian, you can still catch me taking photos of our Nation's monuments as we drive past en route to Northern Virginia... stopping to watch the ships in the Baltimore Harbor... taki... 09/23/2008

Mark your calendar for tomorrow, September 15. That's the date when you can go online to Operation Give and participate in Operation Christmas Stocking by purchasing a pre-filled Christmas stocking or gift bag of goodies for deployed American trrops. That's the "no-excuse" way of participating in this effort, co-sponsored by Operation Give and Target.  Their goal: Put one of these Christmas stockings, bags or gifts into the hands of all 100,000+ deployed soldiers.  Last year, they shipped 50,000 tons of them overseas! If you prefer to buy or make your own stocking or gift bag, you can take advantage of Operation Christmas Stocking's partnership with Fed Ex to ship yours to their base of operations in Salt Lake City (contact operationgive@comcast.net for shipping instructions). Here are ... 09/14/2008

If you haven't yet discovered the Summer Concert Series at Fort George G. Meade, let me suggest you head on over to the Fort Meade Pavilion this weekend (August 16) to hear the Army Concert Band & Soldiers' Chorus.  They'll be performing Tchaikovsky's Overture to 1812, complete with Cannons, in the final performance of this year's series. The last time I heard this performed, we were at Wolf Trap - it was magnificent, but it was a lot more expensive. You see, the Summer Concert Series at Fort George G. Meade is free and open to the public.  You can afford to bring the whole family - expose your kids to the classics! And, just like Wolf Trap, you can bring your own comfy lawn chairs or blankets.  It starts at 7 p.m. But this concert series is not only less expensive than Wolf Trap, the K... 08/11/2008

Whether Fort Meade is your neighbor, your employer, or your duty station, you'll want to be there tonight at 7 p.m.  (August 9, 2008) The Army's fabulous JAZZ AMBASSADORS are performing at the Fort Meade Pavilion.  This concert is open to the public, and there is no cost for parking or attendance.  Just bring your own comfy lawn chairs or a blanket.  The entire family is welcome (but not your pets). If you're not familiar with The Jazz Ambassadors, you're in for a treat.  This 19-member touring orchestra is part of the Army Field Band, and they literally tour the world to showcase America's own art form - Jazz. Expect to hear your favorite contemporary jazz and jazz standards, plus some pop tunes, dixieland, patriotic music... maybe even some swing, bebop, and Latin music.  The evening ... 08/09/2008

Included in Your Online Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County, Maryland - Home of Fort George G. Meade, NSA, Northrop Grumman, BWI, and the U.S. Naval Academy.   What does Charles Dickens' classic tale about the French Revolution, England and spying have to do with working at Northrop Grumman, USNA, Fort Meade, BWI or anywhere else in Anne Arundel County, Maryland?  Well, absolutely nothing - except the title of the book is so perfect for anyone living near the two great cities of Baltimore and Washington - I just had to borrow it! The ambiance, history, and things to do in a city like either of these are enough to fill years of weekends with places to visit and things to do.  So how do you decide?  Focus on Baltimore first and then Washington next year?  Do something in Washington... 02/24/2008

Included in Your Online Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County, Maryland - Home of Fort George G. Meade, NSA, Northrop Grumman, BWI, and the U.S. Naval Academy.     When you relocate to Maryland, you'll find water, water, water everywhere!  In fact, there are 4,360 miles of tidal shoreline within the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.  2,633 square miles of Maryland are covered by water (of 12,407 total square miles in Maryland). But you can't just grab a fishing pole and head for the shoreline!  A license is required to go fishing in Maryland, with only a few exceptions. 1.  License Free Fishing Areas - There are License Free Fishing Areas located throughout the tidal portions of the Chesapeake Bay, but you must comply with State fishing laws and regulations. 2.  Fre... 02/17/2008

Included in Your Online Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County, Maryland - Home of Fort George G. Meade, NSA, Northrop Grumman, BWI, and the U.S. Naval Academy.   Welcome to Fort Meade and Anne Arundel County Maryland! Families of civilian employees and military personnel relocating to Fort Meade will find a post that covers 5,415 acres, with nearly 70 miles of roads and more than 1300 buildings.  There is privatized housing, a shopping mall, bank, credit union, post office, chapels, medical and veterinary facilities, day care center, movie theater, golf courses, bowling alley, fast food restaurants, a park, and just about anything else you might expect to find in a city or town, anywhere in America.  Fort Meade has a rich history, dating back 90 years to 1917 when Camp Meade was au... 02/10/2008

  PCS moves are a fact of life for the families of U.S. Army personnel. That's why I created this directory of real estate agents and lenders across the country who live and work near Army bases in the Continental United States.  Even more important to you, I'm sure, is the fact that they WANT to work with military personnel to make relocation into your new community as smooth and pleasant as possible for your entire family.  These real estate professionals are local experts who know answers to your questions about neighborhoods, schools, home prices, shopping, organized sports, restaurants and shopping in the area around your new post.  Each of them is a blogger, with articles about real estate and the area that you can read at your own pace.  Many of them provide a link on their websi... 01/13/2008

Included in Your Online Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County, Maryland - Home of Fort George G. Meade, NSA, Northrop Grumman, BWI, and the U.S. Naval Academy.   So you have orders in hand for Fort Meade!  Let me be one of the first to welcome you to Maryland.  I'm sure you have already checked out the website for Fort Meade, so I won't attempt to tell you about the base or its services.  Instead, let me tell you about the surrounding area and five critical steps for Fort Meade-area home buyers. You will find Fort Meade conveniently located between Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., about a half hour west of Annapolis in Anne Arundel County and just minutes from Howard and Prince George's Counties.   As a D.C. native, I am very familiar with all of these areas, and can answ... 12/12/2007

Included in Your Online Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County, Maryland - Home of Fort George G. Meade, NSA, Northrop Grumman, BWI, and the U.S. Naval Academy. Anne Arundel County agencies are scrambling to anticipate the impact of 22,000 new jobs on infra-structure and public services ranging from transportation to education and health care, while REALTORS and developers are concerned about housing this increased population.  Meanwhile, businesses such as restaurants and retailers explore opportunities for growth and profit in and around Anne Arundel County.To identify and prepare an effective plan for the expansion of Fort Meade, County Executive John Leopold established a BRAC Task Force in March 2007, under the leadership of Robert C. Leib.  BRAC Updates are open to the public ... 08/06/2007