Patrick Dugan

Public Forum: Wed. January 27, 6:30pm to 8:00pm

County Governmental Center, Chesapeake Building, Leonardtown

The Task Force is asking members of the development, engineering, and surveying community as well as members of the building trades to attend this forum and provide comments concerning the Metropolitan Commission. Customers of MetCom also are encouraged to attend and offer comments. In case of inclement weather, the forum will have a rain date of Wed. February 10^.

Citizens are also invited to send in written comments: The MetCom Task Force, c/o John Savich, County Administrator, St. Mary's County Government, P.O. Box 653 Leonardtown MD 20650.

All comments given at this public forum and received by mail will assist the members of the task force as they make their recommendations in their Summer 2010 report.

There are ten task force members appointed by the St. Mary's County legislators, the County Commissioners and the Metropolitan Commission. The co-chairs are Joseph Densford and MaryLynn Stone. Other members are F. Elliott Burch, Jr.; Ford Dean; Shelby P. Guazzo;

Glen Ives; Robert Jarboe, Susan McNeill; James W. Spence, and Frank Taylor.

The public forum can be seen live on Ch 95 or on the county's website at www.stmarysmd.com (click on Ch. 95). The Ch 95 schedule can be checked on the county's website for rebroadcast dates. Minutes of previous meetings of the Task Force are available upon request to the Public Information Office at pio@stmarysmd.com. For other information about the Metropolitan Commission, log on to www.metcom.org.

The Board of County Commissioners for St. Mary's County has asked residents to

use the Maryland Mortgage Program. There is over $3 million approved for use by St.

Mary's County citizens to finance home purchases.

"We know that the housing sector is a critical part of our county's economy and

that our families desire home ownership," said Commission President,Francis Jack Russell,

"We approved the use of the county's allocation of federal housing bond funds for individual mortgages for

qualifying families. While the funds are part of a state program, our allocation will be reserved for St. Mary's

County residents for two months."

You can qualify for this program if your income meets teh following guidelines. Qualifying families in St. Mary's

County include 1-2 person households making less than $85,600 and 3 or more person

households making less than $98,440. The maximum mortgage amount under this

program for St. Mary's County is $343,125.

To find an approved Maryland Mortgage Program lender in St. Mary's County,

call Patrick Dugan at 301 672 195.

For more information about the program and other housing

information, log on to the Maryland Housing and Community Development website

at www.mdhousing.org.

To reach a Realtor qualified to handle this process call Patrick Dugan at 301 672 1925. Or e mail him at PatrickDugan@mris.com

If your plans this year include a major move, it is important that you plan ahead to save yourself frustration, time and money. Start planning your move at least six to eight weeks before your targeted moving date. As with most things, the earlier you can plan it, the better.

Start your moving company search by asking friends or neighbors to recommend moving companies. Check with people who have moved recently. Your Realtor should also have a list of at least three local or national moving companies that their clients have been happy with for past moves.

Contact these companies to ask about their charges and the types of services they offer. After that compare movers to determine which one suits your needs and budget. Each company should have various plans to serve you. Some plans will include everything from packing to unpacking. Others will be more along the lines of pick up and drop off. You need to see what will fit your needs the best. If your move is being paid for by the company you work for it is very important that you understand the services they will pay for. Be sure to speak with your Human Resources contact before signing anything.

Companies will offer estimates to help you approximate moving expenses. Such estimates can be binding (the mover guarantees the price prior to the move) or non-binding (the mover estimates the price and provides final charges after the shipment is weighed). To assist movers in calculating the cost of your move, show them every item to be moved, including the contents of your attic, basement, and garage. Ask the mover to explain the estimate in detail and reach a clear understanding about the amount of packing and other services you'll require. Also, be sure you receive a written and signed copy of the estimate.

Before packing begins, the mover will take an inventory of your household goods to be shipped. Since the inventory record is one of your most important shipping documents, make sure all copies are legible, and that all items are numbered, listed and described correctly. To save on packing charges, you may want to pack part of your belongings yourself. But keep in mind movers usually will not accept liability for breakage to "owner-packed" items, or they may require that the driver inspect the cartons. Be sure to ask your moving company about its own policy, and ask for advice on packing materials and procedures.

While we as Realtors are happy to pass on information about recommended movers, we also can be a source for all types of information. We can help with lenders, settlement companies, home inspectors, termite inspectors and so forth. The key for us is to be sure if we are passing on somebody's contact info that we know they are reliable.

It is also important for a Realtor to be clear to you as to whether they have any interest in you choosing one company over another. If there is any financial benefit to your Broker when you choose one company over another, that broker is bound by law to make you aware of this relationship.

If you have any comments, suggestions for future articles or help with your real estate needs, call Patrick Dugan at 301-672-1925. I can help with selling your current house, finding a new home, and relocation services if you are moving out of the area. I'll help make your move as pleasant as possible. You can also reach me at PatrickDugan@mris.com