<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/utility/FeedStylesheets/rss.xsl" media="screen"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"><channel><title>Dave Melka : Announcements</title><link>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Announcements/default.aspx</link><description>Tags: Announcements</description><dc:language>en</dc:language><generator>CommunityServer 2.1 SP1 (Debug Build: 61019.2)</generator><item><title>5 Common First Time Home Buyer Mistakes</title><link>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/2009/09/15/5-common-first-time-home-buyer-mistakes.aspx</link><pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2009 03:36:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">5edfaaee-a27e-48b4-8c60-c844c1e230d9:522120</guid><dc:creator>Dave Melka</dc:creator><slash:comments>0</slash:comments><comments>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/comments/522120.aspx</comments><wfw:commentRss>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/commentrss.aspx?PostID=522120</wfw:commentRss><description>5 Common First Time Home Buyer Mistakes&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;1. They don&amp;rsquo;t ask enough questions of their lender and end up missing out on the best deal.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
2. They don&amp;rsquo;t act quickly enough to make a decision and someone else buys the house.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
3. They don&amp;rsquo;t find the right agent who&amp;rsquo;s willing to help them through the homebuying process.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
4. They don&amp;rsquo;t do enough to make their offer look appealing to a seller.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
5. They don&amp;rsquo;t think about resale&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span&gt;&lt;em&gt;before&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span&gt;they buy. The average first-time buyer only stays in a home for four years.&lt;/span&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Please browse my website for listings, reports and important local real estate information.&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Dave Melka&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Your Real Estate Professional&amp;nbsp;for life!&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hud and Foreclosure home specialist! Let me help you find a low priced home!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Business #443-677-2074&amp;nbsp;or Broker #410-234-2244. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;My other web site&amp;#39;s are&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="http://www.davemelkarealtor.com,%20http//www.baltimorelowpricedhomes.com"&gt;http://www.davemelkarealtor.com, http://www.baltimorelowpricedhomes.com&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;and &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/aggbug.aspx?PostID=522120" width="1" height="1"&gt;</description><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Real+Estate/default.aspx">Real Estate</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Market+Conditions/default.aspx">Market Conditions</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Sale/default.aspx">For Sale</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Rent_2F00_Lease/default.aspx">For Rent/Lease</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Open+Houses/default.aspx">Open Houses</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Announcements/default.aspx">Announcements</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Events/default.aspx">Events</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Industry/default.aspx">Industry</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Point2/default.aspx">Point2</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Finances/default.aspx">Finances</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Buyer+Information/default.aspx">Buyer Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Community+Information/default.aspx">Community Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/maryland+realtor/default.aspx">maryland realtor</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/baltimore+harford+county+real+estate/default.aspx">baltimore harford county real estate</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/home+buying/default.aspx">home buying</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Baltimore+Real+Estate+-+Baltimore+Maryland+First+Time+Home+Buyers/default.aspx">Baltimore Real Estate - Baltimore Maryland First Time Home Buyers</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Dave+Melka+Realtor/default.aspx">Dave Melka Realtor</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/baltimore+harford+county+real+estate+cheap+homes+low+cost+homes+maryland+realtor/default.aspx">baltimore harford county real estate cheap homes low cost homes maryland realtor</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Sale+harford+county+maryland+edgewood+home+for+sale/default.aspx">For Sale harford county maryland edgewood home for sale</category></item><item><title>Edgewood Joppatowne Steelers Cheerleading and Football Program - EJS, EJS, EJS! For all your Home Buying and Selling Needs, Contact Dave Melka. Dad of 10 and under Cheerleader!</title><link>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/2009/03/03/edgewood-joppatowne-steelers-cheerleading-and-football-program-ejs-ejs-ejs-for-all-your-home-buying-and-selling-needs-contact-dave-melka-dad-of-10-and-under-cheerleader.aspx</link><pubDate>Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:54:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">5edfaaee-a27e-48b4-8c60-c844c1e230d9:431898</guid><dc:creator>Dave Melka</dc:creator><slash:comments>0</slash:comments><comments>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/comments/431898.aspx</comments><wfw:commentRss>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/commentrss.aspx?PostID=431898</wfw:commentRss><description>&lt;p&gt;Hello Edgewood Joppatowne parents&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; I&amp;#39;m Dave Melka with Real Estate Professionals and i&amp;#39;m also the dad of Allison who is on the 10 and under cheer team. I&amp;#39;m a local Realtor who is willing to assist all local and Rec Council members with my home town discount. I will sell your home for 4.5% total commission and i will help anyone buy a home for NO CHARGE! I&amp;#39;m very handy, so i will give back by helping with moving cost, repairs or home warranty up to a $400.00 value! Call, email, text or facebook me at anytime! Here is a bit about me;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hello&lt;br /&gt;I&amp;#39;m Dave Melka from Real Estate Professionals, Maryland sales office and a Edgewood Maryland resident! Please take the time to browse my web site for free valuable reports on any heighborhood you are intersted in and contact me so i can assist you in finding that dream home. I live in beauiful Harford County Maryland, I&amp;#39;m married with 3 beautiful girls that go to school in the Joppatowne, Maryland area and we are very involved with the Edgewood/Joppatowne Recreation Council. We live very close to Edgewood and Aberdeen Proving Grounds, so i can be very helpful with any military base relocations. That&amp;#39;s a little about me, so enjoy my web site and contact me with any questions you have relating to your present or future home, i will be ready and willing to assist at any time.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Please browse my website for listings, reports and important local real estate information.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Dave Melka&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Your Real Estate Professional&amp;nbsp;for life!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hud and Foreclosure home specialist! Let me help you find a low priced home!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Business #443-677-2074&amp;nbsp;or Broker #410-234-2244.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;My other web site&amp;#39;s are&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="http://www.davemelkarealtor.com,/"&gt;&lt;font color="#000066"&gt;http://www.davemelkarealtor.com,&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;&lt;font color="#000066"&gt;&lt;font color="#000000"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/font&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="http://www.baltimorelowpricedhomes.com/"&gt;http://www.baltimorelowpricedhomes.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;&amp;nbsp;and&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana" size="3"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;a href="http://www.finderofdreamhomes.com/"&gt;http://www.finderofdreamhomes.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana" size="3"&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana" size="3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;em&gt;Go Edgewood Joppatowne Steelers!!!!!!!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;font color="#000063" size="2"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;img src="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/aggbug.aspx?PostID=431898" width="1" height="1"&gt;</description><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Real+Estate/default.aspx">Real Estate</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Market+Conditions/default.aspx">Market Conditions</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Sale/default.aspx">For Sale</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Rent_2F00_Lease/default.aspx">For Rent/Lease</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Open+Houses/default.aspx">Open Houses</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Announcements/default.aspx">Announcements</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Events/default.aspx">Events</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Technology/default.aspx">Technology</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Industry/default.aspx">Industry</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Point2/default.aspx">Point2</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Product+Reviews/default.aspx">Product Reviews</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Finances/default.aspx">Finances</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Buyer+Information/default.aspx">Buyer Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Seller+Information/default.aspx">Seller Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Community+Information/default.aspx">Community Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/renters/default.aspx">renters</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/maryland+realtor/default.aspx">maryland realtor</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/baltimore+harford+county+real+estate/default.aspx">baltimore harford county real estate</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/home+buying/default.aspx">home buying</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Baltimore+Real+Estate+-+Baltimore+Maryland+First+Time+Home+Buyers/default.aspx">Baltimore Real Estate - Baltimore Maryland First Time Home Buyers</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Dave+Melka+Realtor/default.aspx">Dave Melka Realtor</category></item><item><title>$8,000.00 Home Buyer Tax Credit</title><link>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/2009/03/01/8-000-00-home-buyer-tax-credit.aspx</link><pubDate>Mon, 02 Mar 2009 01:07:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">5edfaaee-a27e-48b4-8c60-c844c1e230d9:431051</guid><dc:creator>Dave Melka</dc:creator><slash:comments>1</slash:comments><comments>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/comments/431051.aspx</comments><wfw:commentRss>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/commentrss.aspx?PostID=431051</wfw:commentRss><description>&lt;p&gt;
&lt;u&gt;&lt;strong&gt;$8,000.00 Home Buyer Tax Credit
&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;

   1. It&amp;#39;s a refundable tax credit that&amp;#39;s lesser of 10% of cost of the home or $8,000. So as long as you buy a home over $80,000, you can qualify for the full $8,000 refundable tax credit.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;
   2. The income restrictions still apply. The full amount of the credit is available for individuals that make no more that $75,000 ($150,000 on a joint return). The credit phases out above those caps ($95,000 for singles and $170, 000 for joint returns). This means if you make in between these amounts ($75,000 - $95,000 for individuals and $150,000 - $170,000 for joint filers), you can still qualify for a partial credit.
   &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;3. You do not pay this $8,000 back unless you sell the home within three years from your purchase date.
&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;   4. This credit applies to first time homebuyers only. The government&amp;#39;s definition of a first time homebuyer is someone who has not owned a principal residence in three years prior to purchase.
&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;   5. The time frame is retroactive to January 1st, 2009 and goes through to December 1st, 2009. You must close on a home before December 1st, 2009 to receive the credit.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;
   6. If you close on your home after you file your taxes, you can file an amendment to your 2008 tax return so that you can receive the check AFTER you file that amendment. Contact your tax professional to assist you with filing your amendment or for specific questions in regards to any of the above information. Further information can be obtained by contacting the IRS or the tax professional of your choice directly.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;

*For further information consult your tax professional or contact the IRS directly.
&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Please browse my website for listings, reports and important local real estate information.&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Dave Melka&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Your Real Estate Professional&amp;nbsp;for life!&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hud and Foreclosure home specialist! Let me help you find a low priced home!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Business #443-677-2074&amp;nbsp;or Broker #410-234-2244. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;My other web site&amp;#39;s are&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.davemelkarealtor.com,%20http//www.baltimorelowpricedhomes.com"&gt;http://www.davemelkarealtor.com,&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.davemelkarealtor.com,%20http//www.baltimorelowpricedhomes.com"&gt; http://www.baltimorelowpricedhomes.com&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;http://www.finderofdreamhomes.com&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;font color="#000063" size="2"&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;img src="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/aggbug.aspx?PostID=431051" width="1" height="1"&gt;</description><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Real+Estate/default.aspx">Real Estate</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Market+Conditions/default.aspx">Market Conditions</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Sale/default.aspx">For Sale</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Rent_2F00_Lease/default.aspx">For Rent/Lease</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Open+Houses/default.aspx">Open Houses</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Announcements/default.aspx">Announcements</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Events/default.aspx">Events</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Technology/default.aspx">Technology</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Industry/default.aspx">Industry</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Point2/default.aspx">Point2</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Product+Reviews/default.aspx">Product Reviews</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Finances/default.aspx">Finances</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Buyer+Information/default.aspx">Buyer Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Seller+Information/default.aspx">Seller Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Community+Information/default.aspx">Community Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/renters/default.aspx">renters</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/maryland+realtor/default.aspx">maryland realtor</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/baltimore+harford+county+real+estate/default.aspx">baltimore harford county real estate</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/home+buying/default.aspx">home buying</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Baltimore+Real+Estate+-+Baltimore+Maryland+First+Time+Home+Buyers/default.aspx">Baltimore Real Estate - Baltimore Maryland First Time Home Buyers</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Dave+Melka+Realtor/default.aspx">Dave Melka Realtor</category></item><item><title>Woodbridge Center, Edgewood Maryland Local Resident Realtor-Living in Woodbridge Center for 20 years! Call for Hometown Discount!</title><link>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/2009/02/10/woodbridge-center-edgewood-maryland-local-resident-realtor-living-in-woodbridge-center-for-20-years-call-for-hometown-discount.aspx</link><pubDate>Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:39:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">5edfaaee-a27e-48b4-8c60-c844c1e230d9:421739</guid><dc:creator>Dave Melka</dc:creator><slash:comments>0</slash:comments><comments>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/comments/421739.aspx</comments><wfw:commentRss>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/commentrss.aspx?PostID=421739</wfw:commentRss><description>&lt;div class="Module HtmlModule"&gt;&lt;div class="Module HtmlModule"&gt;&lt;table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="Panel DesktopModuleTitlePanel"&gt;&lt;tr id="_ctl2__ctl11__ctl0_ct_3025059_3025059_t_tr"&gt;&lt;td align="left" id="_ctl2__ctl11__ctl0_ct_3025059_3025059_t_tc"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h1&gt;&lt;span class="Title" id="_ctl2__ctl11__ctl0_ct_3025059_3025059_t_mt"&gt;&lt;font color="#0066cc"&gt;&amp;quot;All I can strive to be is the absolute best possible version of myself.&amp;quot;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="_ctl2__ctl11__ctl0_ct_3025059_3025059_Table1"&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td id="_ctl2__ctl11__ctl0_ct_3025059_3025059_hh"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hello&lt;br /&gt;I&amp;#39;m Dave Melka from Real Estate Professionals, Maryland sales office and a Edgewood Maryland resident! Please take the time to browse my web site for free valuable reports on any heighborhood you are intersted in and contact me so i can assist you in finding that dream home. I live in beauiful Harford County Maryland, I&amp;#39;m married with 3 beautiful girls that go to school in the Joppatowne, Maryland area and we are very involved with the Edgewood/Joppatowne Recreation Council. We live very close to Edgewood and Aberdeen Proving Grounds, so i can be very helpful with any military base relocations. That&amp;#39;s a little about me, so enjoy my web site and contact me with any questions you have relating to your present or future home, i will be ready and willing to assist at any time.&lt;br /&gt;Thank You very much and have a great day!&lt;br /&gt;Dave Melka&lt;br /&gt;Your Real Estate Professional for Life!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Business # 443-677-2074&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Broker # 410-234-2244&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="2"&gt;&lt;font face="Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif"&gt;&lt;font size="2"&gt;&lt;img align="left" alt="Couple.jpg" border="0" height="150" hspace="10" src="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/shared/cache/ImageGallery/Contact/Couple.jpg.img" width="300" /&gt; &lt;br /&gt;There are aspects of real estate sales that seem pretty simple.&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;font face="Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif" size="2"&gt;There are many elements of a smooth transaction, however, that are complicated and daunting.&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif" size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;I can help you with every aspect of buying or selling your home because I&amp;rsquo;m experienced, because I&amp;rsquo;m professional . . .and because I care.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="2"&gt;Dave Melka&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="Module PhotoAlbumModule"&gt;&lt;div class="Module" id="ModuleDiv"&gt;&lt;table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="Panel DesktopModuleTitlePanel"&gt;&lt;tr id="_ctl2__ctl11__ctl0_ct_3025039_3025039_t_tr"&gt;&lt;td align="left" id="_ctl2__ctl11__ctl0_ct_3025039_3025039_t_tc"&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana"&gt;In today&amp;#39;s competitive real estate market, timing is everything.&lt;/font&gt; &lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif"&gt;&amp;nbsp;Many good homes are sold before they are ever advertised. Beat other homebuyers to the hottest new homes for sale in&amp;nbsp;any Maryland area&amp;nbsp;with my&amp;nbsp;&lt;strong&gt;New Listings Notification&lt;/strong&gt;.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;&amp;nbsp;If you own real estate that you&amp;#39;re thinking of selling, I would be happy to provide you with a &lt;strong&gt;FREE Home Evaluation&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="5"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;My services are FREE of charge for buyers, so call or email me at anytime and the lowest commission charge for selling your home in Maryland!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/font&gt; &lt;table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="NOBORDER"&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Whether you are buying or selling a home, hire someone like me, who wants to earn your business. I invite you to contact me as I&amp;#39;d be happy to assist you with this important transaction. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;In addition, if you have any general questions about buying or selling real estate in Maryland, please contact me as I&amp;#39;m more than willing to help. &lt;strong&gt;BUY OR SELL A HOME WITH ME AND I WILL PURCHASE A HOME WARRANTY FOR YOUR NEW HOME&amp;nbsp;OR HELP YOU WITH YOUR MOVING COST&amp;#39;S UP TO A $300.00 VALUE!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;ASK ME HOW&amp;nbsp;BALTIMORE COUNTY&amp;nbsp;FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS CAN GET $35,000 AND&amp;nbsp;HARFORD COUNTY&amp;nbsp;$10,000 TOWARDS THEIR HOME PURCHASE AND NOT HAVE TO PAY IT BACK!&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Please browse my website for listings, reports and important local real estate information.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Dave Melka&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Your Real Estate Professional&amp;nbsp;for life!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hud and Foreclosure home specialist! Let me help you find a low priced home!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Business #443-677-2074&amp;nbsp;or Broker #410-234-2244. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;My other web site&amp;#39;s are&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="http://www.davemelkarealtor.com,%20http//www.baltimorelowpricedhomes.com"&gt;&lt;font color="#000066"&gt;http://www.davemelkarealtor.com, http://www.baltimorelowpricedhomes.com&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;and &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h1&gt;&lt;span class="Title" id="_ctl2__ctl11__ctl0_ct_3025039_3025039_t_mt"&gt;&lt;font color="#0066cc"&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;&lt;h1&gt;&lt;span class="Title"&gt;&lt;font color="#0066cc"&gt;********Call today to get your hometown discount!*******&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;img src="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/aggbug.aspx?PostID=421739" width="1" height="1"&gt;</description><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Real+Estate/default.aspx">Real Estate</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Market+Conditions/default.aspx">Market Conditions</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Sale/default.aspx">For Sale</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Rent_2F00_Lease/default.aspx">For Rent/Lease</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Open+Houses/default.aspx">Open Houses</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Announcements/default.aspx">Announcements</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Events/default.aspx">Events</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Technology/default.aspx">Technology</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Industry/default.aspx">Industry</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Point2/default.aspx">Point2</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Product+Reviews/default.aspx">Product Reviews</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Finances/default.aspx">Finances</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Buyer+Information/default.aspx">Buyer Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Seller+Information/default.aspx">Seller Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Community+Information/default.aspx">Community Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/renters/default.aspx">renters</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/maryland+realtor/default.aspx">maryland realtor</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/baltimore+harford+county+real+estate/default.aspx">baltimore harford county real estate</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/home+buying/default.aspx">home buying</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Baltimore+Real+Estate+-+Baltimore+Maryland+First+Time+Home+Buyers/default.aspx">Baltimore Real Estate - Baltimore Maryland First Time Home Buyers</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Dave+Melka+Realtor/default.aspx">Dave Melka Realtor</category></item><item><title>STOP PAYING RENT IN MARYLAND! ...BUY A LOW COST HOME WITH YOUR MONTHLY RENT PAYMENT! I CAN HELP!</title><link>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/2009/02/10/stop-paying-rent-in-maryland-buy-a-low-cost-home-with-your-monthly-rent-payment-i-can-help.aspx</link><pubDate>Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:10:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">5edfaaee-a27e-48b4-8c60-c844c1e230d9:421718</guid><dc:creator>Dave Melka</dc:creator><slash:comments>0</slash:comments><comments>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/comments/421718.aspx</comments><wfw:commentRss>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/commentrss.aspx?PostID=421718</wfw:commentRss><description>&lt;h1&gt;Don&amp;rsquo;t Pay Another Cent in Rent To Your Landlord . . .&lt;/h1&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;hr /&gt;&lt;p align="center"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&amp;quot;If you&amp;rsquo;re like most renters, you feel trapped within the walls of a house or apartment that doesn&amp;rsquo;t feel like yours.&amp;quot; &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;hr /&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It&amp;rsquo;s a dream we all have - to own our own home and stop paying rent. But if you&amp;rsquo;re like most renters, you feel trapped within the walls of a house or apartment that doesn&amp;rsquo;t feel like yours. How could it when you&amp;rsquo;re not even permitted to bang in a nail or two without a hassle. You feel like you&amp;rsquo;re stuck in the renter&amp;rsquo;s rut with no way of rising up out of it and owning your own home.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Don&amp;rsquo;t Feel Trapped Anymore &lt;/h2&gt;&lt;p&gt;It doesn&amp;rsquo;t matter how long you&amp;rsquo;ve been renting, or how insurmountable your financial situation may seem. The truth is, there are some little known facts that can help you get over the hump, and transfer your status from renter to homeowner. With this information, you will begin to see how you really can:&amp;nbsp; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;save for a down payment &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;stop lining your landlord&amp;rsquo;s pockets, and &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;stop wasting thousands of dollars on rent. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;h2&gt;6 Little Known Facts That Can Help You Buy Your First Home &lt;/h2&gt;&lt;p&gt;The problem that most renters face isn&amp;rsquo;t your ability to meet a monthly payment. Goodness knows that you must meet this monthly obligation every 30 days already. The problem is accumulating enough capital to make a down payment on something more permanent. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But saving for this lump sum doesn&amp;rsquo;t have to be as difficult as you might think. Consider the following 6 important points:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h3&gt;1. You can buy a home with much less down than you think &lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;There are some local or federal government programs (such as 1st time buyer programs) to help people get into the housing market. You can qualify as a first time buyer even if your spouse has owned a home before as long as your name was not registered. Ensure your real estate agent is informed and knowledgeable in this important area and can offer programs to help you with your options. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;h3&gt;2. You may be able to get your lender to help you with your down payment and closing costs&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;Even if you do not have enough cash for a down payment, if you are debt free, and own an asset free and clear (such as a car for example), your lending institution may be able to lend you the down payment for your home by securing it against this asset. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;h3&gt;3. You may be able to find a seller to help you buy and finance your home &lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;Some sellers may be willing to hold a second mortgage for you as a seller take-back. In this case, the seller becomes your lending institution. Instead of paying this seller a lump sum full amount for his or her home, you would pay monthly mortgage installments.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h3&gt;4. You may be able to create a cash down payment without actually going into debt &lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;By borrowing money for certain investments to a specified level, you may be able to generate a significant tax refund for yourself that you can use as a down payment. While the money borrowed for these investments is technically a loan, the monthly amount paid can be small, and the money invested in both home and investment will be yours in the end.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h3&gt;5. You can buy a home even if you have problems with your credit rating &lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you can come up with more than the minimum down payment, or can secure the loan with other equity, many lending institutions will consider you for a mortgage. Alternatively, a seller take-back mortgage could also help you in this situation. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;h3&gt;6. You can, and should, get pre-approved for a home loan before you go looking for a home&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;Pre-approval is easy, and can give you complete peace-of-mind when shopping for your home. Mortgage experts can obtain written pre-approval for you at no cost and no obligation, and it can all be done quite easily over-the-phone. More than just a verbal approval from your lending institution, a written pre-approval is as good as money in the bank. It entails a completed credit application, and a certificate which guarantees you a mortgage to the specified level when you find the home you&amp;rsquo;re looking for. Consider dealing only with a professional who specializes in mortgages. Enlisting their services can make the difference between obtaining a mortgage, and being stuck in the renter&amp;rsquo;s rut forever. Typically there is no cost or obligation to enquire. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;There are many important issues you should be aware of that affect you as a renter. Why on earth would you continue to lose thousands by throwing it away on rent when with your agent you could take a few minutes to discuss your specific needs so that you can stop renting and start owning. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;This conversation costs you nothing. And, of course, you shouldn&amp;rsquo;t have to feel obligated to buy a home at the time you review this. But by taking the time to explore your options, and learn about the ways you can afford to buy a home, think how prepared and relaxed you&amp;rsquo;ll be when you are ready to make this important step.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;In addition, if you have any general questions about buying or selling real estate in Maryland, please contact me as I&amp;#39;m more than willing to help. &lt;strong&gt;BUY OR SELL A HOME WITH ME AND I WILL PURCHASE A HOME WARRANTY FOR YOUR NEW HOME&amp;nbsp;OR HELP YOU WITH YOUR MOVING COST&amp;#39;S UP TO A $300.00 VALUE!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;ASK ME HOW&amp;nbsp;BALTIMORE COUNTY&amp;nbsp;FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS CAN GET $35,000 AND&amp;nbsp;HARFORD COUNTY&amp;nbsp;$10,000 TOWARDS THEIR HOME PURCHASE AND NOT HAVE TO PAY IT BACK!&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Please browse my website for listings, reports and important local real estate information.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Dave Melka&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Your Real Estate Professional&amp;nbsp;for life!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hud and Foreclosure home specialist! Let me help you find a low priced home!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Business #443-677-2074&amp;nbsp;or Broker #410-234-2244. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;My other web site&amp;#39;s are&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="http://www.davemelkarealtor.com,%20http//www.baltimorelowpricedhomes.com"&gt;&lt;font color="#000066"&gt;http://www.davemelkarealtor.com, http://www.baltimorelowpricedhomes.com&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;and &lt;/font&gt;&lt;font color="#000063" size="2"&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/aggbug.aspx?PostID=421718" width="1" height="1"&gt;</description><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Real+Estate/default.aspx">Real Estate</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Market+Conditions/default.aspx">Market Conditions</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Sale/default.aspx">For Sale</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Rent_2F00_Lease/default.aspx">For Rent/Lease</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Open+Houses/default.aspx">Open Houses</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Announcements/default.aspx">Announcements</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Events/default.aspx">Events</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Technology/default.aspx">Technology</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Industry/default.aspx">Industry</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Point2/default.aspx">Point2</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Product+Reviews/default.aspx">Product Reviews</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Finances/default.aspx">Finances</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Buyer+Information/default.aspx">Buyer Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Seller+Information/default.aspx">Seller Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Community+Information/default.aspx">Community Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/renters/default.aspx">renters</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/maryland+realtor/default.aspx">maryland realtor</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/baltimore+harford+county+real+estate/default.aspx">baltimore harford county real estate</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/home+buying/default.aspx">home buying</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Baltimore+Real+Estate+-+Baltimore+Maryland+First+Time+Home+Buyers/default.aspx">Baltimore Real Estate - Baltimore Maryland First Time Home Buyers</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Dave+Melka+Realtor/default.aspx">Dave Melka Realtor</category></item><item><title>Buy a Home With Zero Cash In Maryland!</title><link>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/2009/02/08/buy-a-home-with-zero-cash-in-maryland.aspx</link><pubDate>Mon, 09 Feb 2009 04:01:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">5edfaaee-a27e-48b4-8c60-c844c1e230d9:420912</guid><dc:creator>Dave Melka</dc:creator><slash:comments>0</slash:comments><comments>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/comments/420912.aspx</comments><wfw:commentRss>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/commentrss.aspx?PostID=420912</wfw:commentRss><description>&lt;p align="center"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&amp;quot;Now you can realize the dream of owning your own
home with zero down payment.&amp;quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;p align="left"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Zero Cash Down Payment Program offers you a way to buy a
home with no down payment. &lt;em&gt;That&amp;#39;s right zero down payment.&lt;/em&gt; You may have
owned a home before and are presently renting, or are a first time homebuyer and
need a way to break into the housing market but held back because you thought
you required a substantial down payment. Or you may be in the position where you
do not want to liquidate your financial assets to use as a down payment on a
home. Regardless of your present situation, you want a way to get into or to
reenter the housing market without having to make a cash down payment. The Zero
Cash Down Payment Program may be just the answer you need. Here&amp;#39;s what is
required to qualify for the Zero Cash Down Payment Program.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align="left"&gt;Program Qualifications&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 align="left"&gt;1. An excellent credit history&amp;nbsp;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;
    &lt;p align="left"&gt;no recent history of bad debts&amp;nbsp;
  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;
    &lt;p align="left"&gt;consistent and timely payment of current liabilities
&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 align="left"&gt;2. Limited liabilities&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p align="left"&gt;You will be required to disclose all current liabilities you
have in order to determine how much more debt you can carry. (ie. present car
loan, credit cards, etc.)&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 align="left"&gt;3. At least 3 years of employment stability&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p align="left"&gt;You will be required to show proof of employment for the past 3
years, ie. a letter of employment from your employer or financial statements for
the past 3 years if self-employed.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 align="left"&gt;4. The financial ability to carry larger monthly payments&amp;nbsp;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p align="left"&gt;Without a down payment you will be required to meet the
obligation of larger mortgage payments. Your monthly payments could vary from a
few to several hundred dollars more per month.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align="left"&gt;Under the Terms of the Program You Can Purchase Many Types of
Properties&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p align="left"&gt;They include:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;
    &lt;p align="left"&gt;detached or semi-detached homes&amp;nbsp;
  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;
    &lt;p align="left"&gt;free-hold town homes&amp;nbsp;
  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;
    &lt;p align="left"&gt;condominium town homes 
&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p align="left"&gt;It is important to note that not all properties qualify for the
Zero Cash Down Payment Program. To ensure that you get an accurate picture of
what properties may or may not be included in this program in your particular
area, it is advisable to review the terms of the program with your Realtor&amp;reg;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 align="left"&gt;Benefits of the Zero Cash Down Payment Program&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 align="left"&gt;1. No Down payment &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p align="left"&gt;If you are renting, why pay your landlord&amp;#39;s mortgage? Why not
reap the benefit of building your own equity? Are you renting because you are
held back from owning your own home because you think you need a substantial
down payment? The general perception of many would-be-homebuyers and even that
of some Realtors&amp;reg; is that a substantial down payment is required in order to
purchase a home. This is simply not true. Because of this perception many
would-be-homebuyers feel they have to save for years before they have enough
money for a down payment so that they can finally enter the housing market. In
the meantime they are lining someone else&amp;#39;s pockets, while waiting a long time
before they can start building their own equity. Well, with the Zero Cash Down
Payment Program you don&amp;#39;t need a down payment to buy a home. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 align="left"&gt;2. Buy a Home Now! &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p align="left"&gt;If needing a down payment is keeping you from owning your own
home, this new program offers you an immediate way to get into the housing
market. With the Zero Cash Down Payment Program you don&amp;#39;t have to wait to
purchase a home. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 align="left"&gt;3. Approved Bank Program&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p align="left"&gt;It is important to know that the Zero Cash Down Payment Program
is an approved bank program. Review this program with your lender or Realtor&amp;reg;
who has specialized knowledge in financing and can assist you with the Zero Cash Down Payment Program. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align="left"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Call me to assist you through this process and show you all the great deals on homes in Maryland!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align="left"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;Dave Melka, Real Estate Professional, Inc.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align="left"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Your Real Estate Professional for life!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align="left"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Blue Collar&amp;nbsp; Service but delivering Blue Ribbon Results!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align="left"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Business #443-677-2074, Call, text or email me anytime!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align="left"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;www.baltimorelowpricedhomes.com&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align="left"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;www.finderofdreamhomes.com &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align="left"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/aggbug.aspx?PostID=420912" width="1" height="1"&gt;</description><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Market+Conditions/default.aspx">Market Conditions</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Sale/default.aspx">For Sale</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Rent_2F00_Lease/default.aspx">For Rent/Lease</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Open+Houses/default.aspx">Open Houses</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Announcements/default.aspx">Announcements</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Events/default.aspx">Events</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Industry/default.aspx">Industry</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Point2/default.aspx">Point2</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Product+Reviews/default.aspx">Product Reviews</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Finances/default.aspx">Finances</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Buyer+Information/default.aspx">Buyer Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Seller+Information/default.aspx">Seller Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Community+Information/default.aspx">Community Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/renters/default.aspx">renters</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/maryland+realtor/default.aspx">maryland realtor</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/baltimore+harford+county+real+estate/default.aspx">baltimore harford county real estate</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/home+buying/default.aspx">home buying</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Baltimore+Real+Estate+-+Baltimore+Maryland+First+Time+Home+Buyers/default.aspx">Baltimore Real Estate - Baltimore Maryland First Time Home Buyers</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Dave+Melka+Realtor/default.aspx">Dave Melka Realtor</category></item><item><title>Bulle Rock Maryland Realtor Ready to Assist with Purchasing Your Luxury Resort Living Home!</title><link>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/2008/09/24/bulle-rock-maryland-realtor-ready-to-assist-with-purchasing-your-luxury-resort-living-home.aspx</link><pubDate>Thu, 25 Sep 2008 03:03:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">5edfaaee-a27e-48b4-8c60-c844c1e230d9:362943</guid><dc:creator>Dave Melka</dc:creator><slash:comments>0</slash:comments><comments>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/comments/362943.aspx</comments><wfw:commentRss>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/commentrss.aspx?PostID=362943</wfw:commentRss><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#800080"&gt;&lt;font color="#000080" face="Geneva, Arial, Sans-serif" size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font size="4"&gt;Welcome to Long And Foster, Aberdeen Maryland Sales, your source for Maryland&amp;nbsp;real estate&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif"&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;&lt;font&gt;My name is &lt;u&gt;Dave Melka&lt;/u&gt;, i have lived in the Harford County, Maryland&amp;nbsp;area&amp;nbsp;for the last 20 years. I service the entire Baltimore, Cecil&amp;nbsp;and Harford County area&amp;#39;s. I&amp;#39;m ready and willing to help you find your dream home today! If you are looking for an honest , reliable and hard working Realestate&amp;nbsp;Agent, you have finally found him. Please contact me today so we can get started on selling your present home or finding that home of your dreams!&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif"&gt;In today&amp;#39;s competitive real estate market, timing is everything.&lt;/font&gt; &lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif"&gt;&amp;nbsp;Many good homes are sold before they are ever advertised. Beat other homebuyers to the hottest new homes for sale in&amp;nbsp;any Maryland area&amp;nbsp;with my&amp;nbsp;&lt;strong&gt;New Listings Notification&lt;/strong&gt;.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="5"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;My services are FREE of charge for buyers, so call or email me at anytime!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/font&gt; &lt;table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="NOBORDER"&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Whether you are buying or selling a home, hire someone like me, who wants to earn your business. I invite you to contact me as I&amp;#39;d be happy to assist you with this important transaction. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;In addition, if you have any general questions about buying or selling real estate in Maryland, please contact me as I&amp;#39;m more than willing to help.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Please browse my website for listings, reports and important local real estate information.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Dave Melka&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Your Realtor for life!&lt;br /&gt;Long And Foster, Aberdeen Maryland Sales &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hud and Foreclosure home specialist! Let me help you find a low priced home!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;cell # 443-677-2074 office # 410-575-6411 voice mail # 410-575-6411&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;My other web site&amp;#39;s are&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="http://www.davemelkarealtor.com,http//www.baltimorelowpricedhomes.com"&gt;&lt;font color="#000000"&gt;http://www.davemelkarealtor.com,http://www.baltimorelowpricedhomes.com&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;and &lt;/font&gt;&lt;a href="http://davidmelka.lnfre.com/"&gt;&lt;font color="#000000"&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;http://davidmelka.lnfre.com&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;The Residences at Bulle Rock;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A look at the six extraordinary homebuilders of Bulle Rock tells you that these homes are far from ordinary. From condominiums to single family homes to villa homes, these unique residences have been built with a dedication to luxury and quality.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="style3"&gt;Inside this gated community, the standard of excellence continues throughout the shared amenities. The 37,000 square foot Residents&amp;#39; Club is full of resort-style attractions and services. A planned resident-only marina and yacht club opens the Chesapeake Bay to exploration. And walking trails, swimming pools, tennis courts and, of course, world-renowned golf fill your days with activity. At The Residences at Bulle Rock, Life Imitates Vacation. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Website-http://www.bullerock.com/&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Contact me for a tour of all the homes listed for sale today. Have a great day!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dave Melka&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Long &amp;amp; Foster&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;#443-677-2074&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/aggbug.aspx?PostID=362943" width="1" height="1"&gt;</description><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Real+Estate/default.aspx">Real Estate</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Market+Conditions/default.aspx">Market Conditions</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Sale/default.aspx">For Sale</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Rent_2F00_Lease/default.aspx">For Rent/Lease</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Open+Houses/default.aspx">Open Houses</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Announcements/default.aspx">Announcements</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Events/default.aspx">Events</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Technology/default.aspx">Technology</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Industry/default.aspx">Industry</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Point2/default.aspx">Point2</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Product+Reviews/default.aspx">Product Reviews</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Finances/default.aspx">Finances</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Buyer+Information/default.aspx">Buyer Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Seller+Information/default.aspx">Seller Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Community+Information/default.aspx">Community Information</category></item><item><title>What is Your Maryland Home Worth? FREE Quick OVER-THE-NET Home Evaluation! FREE CMA AND HOME LISTINGS EMAILED DAILY!</title><link>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/2008/06/23/what-is-your-home-worth-free-quick-over-the-net-home-evaluation-free-cma-and-home-listings-emailed-daily.aspx</link><pubDate>Tue, 24 Jun 2008 03:19:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">5edfaaee-a27e-48b4-8c60-c844c1e230d9:319938</guid><dc:creator>Dave Melka</dc:creator><slash:comments>0</slash:comments><comments>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/comments/319938.aspx</comments><wfw:commentRss>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/commentrss.aspx?PostID=319938</wfw:commentRss><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#800080"&gt;&lt;font color="#000080" face="Geneva, Arial, Sans-serif" size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font size="4"&gt;Welcome to Long And Foster, Aberdeen Maryland Sales, your source for Maryland&amp;nbsp;real estate&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif"&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;&lt;font color="#000000"&gt;My name is &lt;u&gt;Dave Melka&lt;/u&gt;, i&amp;#39;ve lived in the Harford County Maryland&amp;nbsp;area&amp;nbsp;for the last 20 years. I service the entire Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Cecil, Howard&amp;nbsp;and Harford County area&amp;#39;s. I&amp;#39;m ready and willing to help you find your dream home today! If you are looking for an honest , reliable and hard working Realestate&amp;nbsp;Agent, you have finally found him. Please contact me today so we can get started on selling your present home or finding that home of your dreams!&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif"&gt;In today&amp;#39;s competitive real estate market, timing is everything.&lt;/font&gt; &lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif"&gt;&amp;nbsp;Many good homes are sold before they are ever advertised. Beat other homebuyers to the hottest new homes for sale in&amp;nbsp;any Maryland area&amp;nbsp;with my&amp;nbsp;&lt;strong&gt;New Listings Notification&lt;/strong&gt;.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;&amp;nbsp;If you own real estate that you&amp;#39;re thinking of selling, I would be happy to provide you with a &lt;strong&gt;FREE Home Evaluation&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Whether you are buying or selling a home, hire someone like me, who wants to earn your business. I invite you to contact me as I&amp;#39;d be happy to assist you with this important transaction. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;In addition, if you have any general questions about buying or selling real estate in Maryland, please contact me as I&amp;#39;m more than willing to help. &lt;strong&gt;BUY OR SELL A HOME WITH ME AND I WILL PURCHASE A HOME WARRANTY FOR YOUR NEW HOME&amp;nbsp;OR HELP YOU WITH YOUR MOVING COST&amp;#39;S UP TO A $300.00 VALUE!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;ASK ME HOW&amp;nbsp;BALTIMORE COUNTY&amp;nbsp;FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS CAN GET $35,000 AND&amp;nbsp;HARFORD COUNTY&amp;nbsp;$10,000 TOWARDS THEIR HOME PURCHASE AND NOT HAVE TO PAY IT BACK!&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Please browse my website for listings, reports and important local real estate information.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Dave Melka&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Your Realtor for life!&lt;br /&gt;Long And Foster, Aberdeen Maryland Sales &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hud and Foreclosure home specialist! Let me help you find a low priced home!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;cell # 443-677-2074 office # 410-575-6411 voice mail # 410-575-6411&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;My other web site&amp;#39;s are&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.davemelkarealtor.com,http//www.finderofdreamhomes.com"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;http://www.davemelkarealtor.com,http://www.finderofdreamhomes.com&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;, &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;a href="http://davidmelka.lnfre.com/"&gt;&lt;font color="#000000"&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;http://davidmelka.lnfre.com&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/aggbug.aspx?PostID=319938" width="1" height="1"&gt;</description><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Real+Estate/default.aspx">Real Estate</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Market+Conditions/default.aspx">Market Conditions</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Sale/default.aspx">For Sale</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Rent_2F00_Lease/default.aspx">For Rent/Lease</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Open+Houses/default.aspx">Open Houses</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Announcements/default.aspx">Announcements</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Events/default.aspx">Events</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Technology/default.aspx">Technology</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Industry/default.aspx">Industry</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Point2/default.aspx">Point2</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Product+Reviews/default.aspx">Product Reviews</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Finances/default.aspx">Finances</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Buyer+Information/default.aspx">Buyer Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Seller+Information/default.aspx">Seller Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Community+Information/default.aspx">Community Information</category></item><item><title>BRAC...Military Relocation to Aberdeen Md...Harford County Maryland Realtor ready to assist with Base Realignment ..Your Hometown Realtor for life! I can Email Pictures of your favorite homes and neighborhoods until you are ready to travel to Maryland!</title><link>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/2008/06/05/brac-harford-county-maryland-realtor-ready-to-assist-with-base-realignment-to-aberdeen-proving-grounds-your-hometown-realtor-for-life.aspx</link><pubDate>Fri, 06 Jun 2008 04:05:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">5edfaaee-a27e-48b4-8c60-c844c1e230d9:311679</guid><dc:creator>Dave Melka</dc:creator><slash:comments>0</slash:comments><comments>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/comments/311679.aspx</comments><wfw:commentRss>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/commentrss.aspx?PostID=311679</wfw:commentRss><description>&lt;strong&gt;&lt;table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="NOBORDER"&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#800080"&gt;&lt;font color="#000080" face="Geneva, Arial, Sans-serif" size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font size="4"&gt;Welcome to Long And Foster, Aberdeen Maryland Sales, your source for Maryland&amp;nbsp;real estate&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif"&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;My name is &lt;u&gt;Dave Melka&lt;/u&gt;, i have lived in the Edgewood, Maryland&amp;nbsp;area&amp;nbsp;for the last&amp;nbsp;20 years. I service the entire Baltimore, Cecil&amp;nbsp;and Harford County area&amp;#39;s. I&amp;#39;m ready and willing to help you find your dream home today! If you are looking for an honest , reliable and hard working Realestate&amp;nbsp;Agent, you have finally found him. Please contact me today so we can get started on selling your present home or finding that home of your dreams! &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif"&gt;In today&amp;#39;s competitive real estate market, timing is everything.&lt;/font&gt; &lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif"&gt;&amp;nbsp;Many good homes are sold before they are ever advertised. Beat other homebuyers to the hottest new homes for sale in&amp;nbsp;any Maryland area&amp;nbsp;with my&amp;nbsp;&lt;strong&gt;New Listings Notification&lt;/strong&gt;.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="5"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;My services are FREE of charge for buyers, so call or email me at anytime! If you are out of town, feel free to contact me so i can send you by email, all the home&amp;#39;s for sale from the Maryland MLS for your area of choice. I can then go by the home that are your favorites and take pictures of the homes and neighborhoods, and then email them to you so you can get a better idea of home and area before you come into town!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="NOBORDER"&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Whether you are buying or selling a home, hire someone like me, who wants to earn your business. I invite you to contact me as I&amp;#39;d be happy to assist you with this important transaction. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;In addition, if you have any general questions about buying or selling real estate in Maryland, please contact me as I&amp;#39;m more than willing to help. &lt;strong&gt;BUY OR SELL A HOME WITH ME AND I WILL PURCHASE A HOME WARRANTY FOR YOUR NEW HOME&amp;nbsp;OR HELP YOU WITH YOUR MOVING COST&amp;#39;S UP TO A $300.00 VALUE!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;ASK ME HOW&amp;nbsp;BALTIMORE COUNTY&amp;nbsp;FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS CAN GET $35,000 AND&amp;nbsp;HARFORD COUNTY&amp;nbsp;$10,000 TOWARDS THEIR HOME PURCHASE AND NOT HAVE TO PAY IT BACK!&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Please browse my website for listings, reports and important local real estate information.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Dave Melka&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Your Realtor for life!&lt;br /&gt;Long And Foster, Aberdeen Maryland Sales &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;HOMETOWN REALTOR READY TO BE YOUR BRAC SPECIALIST. I live about 1 mile from Edgewood and Aberdeen Proving Grounds.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hud and Foreclosure home specialist! Let me help you find a low priced home!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;cell # 443-677-2074 office # 410-575-6411 voice mail # 410-575-5005 &lt;/font&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;My other web site&amp;#39;s are&amp;nbsp;http://www.davemelkarealtor.com&amp;nbsp;and &lt;/font&gt;&lt;a href="http://davidmelka.lnfre.com/"&gt;&lt;font color="#000000"&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;http://davidmelka.lnfre.com&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;BRAC INFO...http://www.apg.army.mil/apghome/sites/local/&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;img src="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/aggbug.aspx?PostID=311679" width="1" height="1"&gt;</description><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Real+Estate/default.aspx">Real Estate</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Market+Conditions/default.aspx">Market Conditions</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Sale/default.aspx">For Sale</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Rent_2F00_Lease/default.aspx">For Rent/Lease</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Open+Houses/default.aspx">Open Houses</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Announcements/default.aspx">Announcements</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Events/default.aspx">Events</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Technology/default.aspx">Technology</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Industry/default.aspx">Industry</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Point2/default.aspx">Point2</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Product+Reviews/default.aspx">Product Reviews</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Finances/default.aspx">Finances</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Buyer+Information/default.aspx">Buyer Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Seller+Information/default.aspx">Seller Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Community+Information/default.aspx">Community Information</category></item><item><title>Price Reduced on 336 Pine Street in Wyn Mar $239,900!</title><link>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/2008/02/26/f8ebd24b50d94548a5bd9584049e778f.aspx</link><pubDate>Wed, 27 Feb 2008 04:54:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">5edfaaee-a27e-48b4-8c60-c844c1e230d9:261115</guid><dc:creator>Dave Melka</dc:creator><slash:comments>0</slash:comments><comments>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/comments/261115.aspx</comments><wfw:commentRss>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/commentrss.aspx?PostID=261115</wfw:commentRss><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id="LeadIn"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wyn Mar, Aberdeen&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp;-&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span&gt;Announcing a price reduction &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;on 336 Pine Street, a 2,702 sq. ft., 3 bath, 4 bdrm single story &amp;quot;Rancher&amp;quot;. Now&lt;/span&gt; &lt;img border="0" height="20" id="Price_mi" src="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/Office/PortalOfficeShared/images/1x1.gif" style="position:absolute;" title="MLS #HR6609985" width="34" /&gt; &lt;span id="Price_r"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana"&gt;MLS&amp;reg;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;span id="Price_pl"&gt;$239,900&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;-&lt;/strong&gt; This home has it all!. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/Aberdeen/Maryland/Homes/Abereen_MD_21001/Wyn_Mar/Agent/Listing_1422441.html"&gt;Property information&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/aggbug.aspx?PostID=261115" width="1" height="1"&gt;</description><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Real+Estate/default.aspx">Real Estate</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Market+Conditions/default.aspx">Market Conditions</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Sale/default.aspx">For Sale</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Rent_2F00_Lease/default.aspx">For Rent/Lease</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Open+Houses/default.aspx">Open Houses</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Announcements/default.aspx">Announcements</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Events/default.aspx">Events</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Technology/default.aspx">Technology</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Industry/default.aspx">Industry</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Point2/default.aspx">Point2</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Product+Reviews/default.aspx">Product Reviews</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Finances/default.aspx">Finances</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Buyer+Information/default.aspx">Buyer Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Seller+Information/default.aspx">Seller Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Community+Information/default.aspx">Community Information</category></item><item><title>Valentine’s Day top 10 tips that won't take you broke!</title><link>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/2008/02/07/valentine-s-day-top-10-tips-that-won-t-take-you-broke.aspx</link><pubDate>Thu, 07 Feb 2008 16:05:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">5edfaaee-a27e-48b4-8c60-c844c1e230d9:251181</guid><dc:creator>Dave Melka</dc:creator><slash:comments>0</slash:comments><comments>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/comments/251181.aspx</comments><wfw:commentRss>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/commentrss.aspx?PostID=251181</wfw:commentRss><description>&lt;p class="textBodyBlack"&gt;&lt;span id="byLine"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;These tips can help you dream up an approach to this year&amp;rsquo;s celebration that is both meaningful and economical.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="textBodyBlack"&gt;&lt;span id="byLine"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1. Get creative when it comes to dinner.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; You really don&amp;rsquo;t have to spend $85 to $250 on a romantic dinner at a restaurant. Why not have a nice candlelit dinner at home? You could even get all dressed up for it. If you know you&amp;rsquo;re going to be too tired to cook after work on Valentine&amp;rsquo;s Day, which falls on a Thursday this year, order a special meal ahead of time and pick it up on your way home.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="textBodyBlack"&gt;&lt;span id="byLine"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2. Enjoy a little ambiance.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; If you both really want to go out on the town together, you could have coffee or a drink and dessert at an expensive caf&amp;eacute;, restaurant or romantic bistro. This is a way to savor the atmosphere &amp;mdash; and your date &amp;mdash; without emptying your wallet. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="textBodyBlack"&gt;&lt;span id="byLine"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3. Play hooky.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; OK, do NOT follow this tip if your job or your partner&amp;rsquo;s job is hanging in the balance. But if you&amp;rsquo;ve racked up some vacation time, or if your employer allows you to take personal days from time to time, why not see if you can take the day off together on Thursday? Depending on where you live, the two of you could stroll through a park, walk on a beach, go snow-shoeing, take a rowboat or paddleboat out on a lake, or catch a matinee movie. You also could drive to a small town near your home or through neighborhoods you&amp;rsquo;ve never visited before and search for small, out-of-the-way places to eat or find public parks and open spaces for walks. Or, heck &amp;mdash; if the two of you can score Thursday &lt;em&gt;and&lt;/em&gt; Friday off work that week, you could enjoy a four-day weekend together. You could do this at home, of course, or you could plan a short getaway that isn&amp;rsquo;t prohibitively expensive. For ideas on how to line up reasonably priced accommodations and find other travel deals, &lt;a href="http://null/id/19317583/" target="_blank"&gt;this past &amp;ldquo;10 Tips&amp;rdquo; column about saving money on summer travel&lt;/a&gt; contains tips that can be helpful at any time of year.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="textBodyBlack"&gt;&lt;span id="byLine"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;4. See some live music.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; Check to see whether a university or college in your area is offering any potentially enjoyable concerts on Feb. 14. Performances by the college music department would likely be free or cost a fraction of the price charged by professional orchestras and opera houses.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="textBodyBlack"&gt;&lt;span id="byLine"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;5. Seek out some silence.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; Here&amp;rsquo;s a potential date idea if you&amp;rsquo;ve both been stressed out lately: You could wander through libraries and bookstores with coffee shops that encourage browsing. Rediscover passages you love from your favorite books, and enjoy the quiet. (Cautionary note: Be careful not to go nuts buying $25 paperbacks! That could defeat the whole purpose of this tip!)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="textBodyBlack"&gt;&lt;span id="byLine"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;6. Have low-cost fun with food on Feb. 14. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;You can pull out the cookie cutters and make heart-shaped cookies and even cut your lunch sandwiches into hearts. You also can make heart-shaped cupcakes by placing a marble inside each muffin tin on the outside of the paper cupcake cup. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="textBodyBlack"&gt;&lt;span id="byLine"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;7. Give thoughtful gifts. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;Most people stick to the same general gift themes on Valentine&amp;rsquo;s Day: flowers, chocolates, cards, maybe a piece of jewelry. Can you think of something different that might mean a whole lot more &amp;mdash; and maybe even cost a whole lot less? This &lt;a href="http://null/id/15718948/" target="_blank"&gt;past &amp;quot;10 Tips&amp;quot; column about how to avoid overspending during the holiday season&lt;/a&gt; includes a tip about making your own gifts. Such gifts could include cakes, cookies or gift certificates for your services. The gift certificate idea might be just the ticket for you if you&amp;rsquo;re short on cash but high on love this Valentine&amp;rsquo;s Day. You could offer to run errands for your loved one, make a nice dinner, clean the house, repair the car or give a massage.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="textBodyBlack"&gt;&lt;span id="byLine"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="box_brl sitewrapperbox" style="width:100%;"&gt;&lt;table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="boxH_brl"&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class="boxHC_brl"&gt;&lt;div class="hauto textSmallBold"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="boxB_brl"&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class="boxBI_brl"&gt;&lt;p class="bigRedLink"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p class="textBodyBlack"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;8. Reflect on that flower purchase.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; If you&amp;rsquo;re sure your special someone will be devastated without the gift of flowers, then you probably should get some. But once again, you don&amp;rsquo;t have to follow the herd. Everyone opts for roses at this time of year, but there are plenty of other gorgeous and neglected (i.e., less expensive) flower varieties to choose from. And red isn&amp;rsquo;t your only option, either. You also could choose peach, pink or yellow. What&amp;rsquo;s more, if you place your flower order early, you stand to save as much as 15 percent on your purchase. And here&amp;rsquo;s another detail to consider: Does your partner love to garden and work in the yard? If so, a beautiful outdoor plant that will keep on living might be more appropriate than cut flowers that will quickly fade.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="textBodyBlack"&gt;&lt;span id="byLine"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;9. Write down how you feel.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; Using a package of inexpensive Valentines from the drug store or grocery store &amp;mdash; or, for that matter, any kind of paper &amp;mdash; you could write out dozens of reasons why you love your mate. Leave the messages all over the house, in both noticeable and hidden-away places. This is a gift that could keep on giving for weeks or months to come.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="textBodyBlack"&gt;&lt;span id="byLine"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;10. Plan ahead for next year.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; If Valentine&amp;rsquo;s Day is a holiday that matters to you and your significant other, make a mental note of how quickly it can sneak up on you after the big winter holidays in December. Think about realistic ways you can cut back on your spending so you&amp;rsquo;ll be able to use cash to cover all of the 2008-09 holidays without relying on credit cards and going into debt. Can you cut back on costly coffee drinks, snacks and sodas during your work day? Or maybe put off some discretionary purchases you&amp;rsquo;ve been thinking about making? &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="textBodyBlack"&gt;&lt;span id="byLine"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;em&gt;Sources: &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li class="textBodyBlack"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.frugalfun.com/frugalfuntips.html" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Shel Horowitz&amp;rsquo;s FrugalFun.com&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li class="textBodyBlack"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theromantic.com/" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Michael Webb, author of &amp;ldquo;The RoMANtic&amp;rsquo;s Guide: Hundreds of Creative Tips for a Lifetime of Love&amp;rdquo;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li class="textBodyBlack"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.livingonadime.com/" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Living on a Dime&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li class="textBodyBlack"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.huntington.com/" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Huntington Bank&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Please browse my website for listings, reports and important local real estate information.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Dave Melka&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Your Realtor for life!&lt;br /&gt;Long And Foster, Aberdeen Maryland Sales &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hud and Foreclosure home specialist! Let me help you find a low priced home!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;cell # 443-677-2074 office # 410-575-6411 voice mail # 410-575-6411&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;My other web site&amp;#39;s are&amp;nbsp;http://www.davemelkarealtor.com&amp;nbsp;and &lt;/font&gt;&lt;a href="http://davidmelka.lnfre.com/"&gt;&lt;font color="#000000"&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;http://davidmelka.lnfre.com&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="textBodyBlack"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/aggbug.aspx?PostID=251181" width="1" height="1"&gt;</description><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Real+Estate/default.aspx">Real Estate</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Market+Conditions/default.aspx">Market Conditions</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Sale/default.aspx">For Sale</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Rent_2F00_Lease/default.aspx">For Rent/Lease</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Open+Houses/default.aspx">Open Houses</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Announcements/default.aspx">Announcements</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Events/default.aspx">Events</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Technology/default.aspx">Technology</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Industry/default.aspx">Industry</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Point2/default.aspx">Point2</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Product+Reviews/default.aspx">Product Reviews</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Finances/default.aspx">Finances</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Buyer+Information/default.aspx">Buyer Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Seller+Information/default.aspx">Seller Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Community+Information/default.aspx">Community Information</category></item><item><title>Price Reduced on 8 Baltistan Court in Kings Court to $219,900; new from top floor to basement!</title><link>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/2008/02/04/d4040246353e4baf83ddb0d70f44495c.aspx</link><pubDate>Mon, 04 Feb 2008 05:41:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">5edfaaee-a27e-48b4-8c60-c844c1e230d9:249339</guid><dc:creator>Dave Melka</dc:creator><slash:comments>0</slash:comments><comments>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/comments/249339.aspx</comments><wfw:commentRss>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/commentrss.aspx?PostID=249339</wfw:commentRss><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id="LeadIn"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kings Court, Rosedale&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp;-&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span&gt;Announcing a price reduction &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;on 8 Baltistan Court, a 1,673 sq. ft., 3 bath, 3 bdrm townhouse &amp;quot;Colonial&amp;quot;. Now&lt;/span&gt; &lt;img border="0" height="20" id="Price_mi" src="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/Office/PortalOfficeShared/images/1x1.gif" style="position:absolute;" title="MLS #BC6637509" width="34" /&gt; &lt;span id="Price_r"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana"&gt;MLS&amp;reg;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span id="Price_pl"&gt;$219,900&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;- No updates needed here!. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/Rosedale/Maryland/Homes/BC6637509/Kings_Court/Agent/Listing_1491294.html"&gt;Property information&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/aggbug.aspx?PostID=249339" width="1" height="1"&gt;</description><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Real+Estate/default.aspx">Real Estate</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Market+Conditions/default.aspx">Market Conditions</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Sale/default.aspx">For Sale</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Rent_2F00_Lease/default.aspx">For Rent/Lease</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Open+Houses/default.aspx">Open Houses</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Announcements/default.aspx">Announcements</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Events/default.aspx">Events</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Technology/default.aspx">Technology</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Industry/default.aspx">Industry</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Point2/default.aspx">Point2</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Product+Reviews/default.aspx">Product Reviews</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Finances/default.aspx">Finances</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Buyer+Information/default.aspx">Buyer Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Seller+Information/default.aspx">Seller Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Community+Information/default.aspx">Community Information</category></item><item><title>$10,000 FREE MONEY AVAILABLE TO HARFORD COUNTY MARYLAND FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS!</title><link>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/2008/01/30/10-000-free-money-available-to-harford-county-maryland-first-time-home-buyers.aspx</link><pubDate>Wed, 30 Jan 2008 05:21:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">5edfaaee-a27e-48b4-8c60-c844c1e230d9:247149</guid><dc:creator>Dave Melka</dc:creator><slash:comments>0</slash:comments><comments>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/comments/247149.aspx</comments><wfw:commentRss>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/commentrss.aspx?PostID=247149</wfw:commentRss><description>&lt;table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#000080" size="5"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font color="#000080" size="5"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Harford County SELP&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font color="#000080" size="5"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font color="#000080" size="3"&gt;First Time Home Buyers&lt;br /&gt;Settlement Expense Loan Program&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;hr /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="justify"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff" size="2"&gt;The primary purpose of the Settlement Expense Loan Program (SELP) is to encourage first-time homebuyers to consider homeownership in existing residential communities in Harford County. The program is administered by the Harford County Housing Agency. Homebuyers&amp;rsquo; workshops and individual counseling are offered to potential homeowners. Settlement expense loans up to $10,000 are available to families whose income is at or below 80% of area median, adjusted for household size. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color="#000080" size="2"&gt;INCOME LIMITS FOR YEAR 2007&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;table cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;"&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;HOUSEHOLD SIZE &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff" size="2"&gt;1&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff" size="2"&gt;2&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff" size="2"&gt;3&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff" size="2"&gt;4&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff" size="2"&gt;5&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff" size="2"&gt;6&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff" size="2"&gt;7&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff" size="2"&gt;8&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;INCOME LIMIT&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;$41,300 &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;$47,200 &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;$53,100 &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;$59,000 &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;$63,700 &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;$68,450 &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;$73,150 &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;$77,900&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0"&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;p align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#000080" size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a name="BUYER ELIGIBILITY"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;BUYER ELIGIBILITY&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ol style="font-size:10pt;color:#6060ff;"&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;Completes homebuyer education curriculum:&amp;nbsp; Workshop(s) and counseling session(s) with a Harford County designated HUD certified Counseling Agency (Home Partnership, Inc. or Harford County Housing Agency [HCHA]).&amp;nbsp; &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;BEFORE SIGNING A REAL ESTATE CONTRACT.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;Meets income eligibility:&amp;nbsp; 80% of area median, adjusted for household size.&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;First time home buyer (cannot have previously owned a dwelling within the last 3 years). &amp;nbsp; Exceptions granted for divorce, death of spouse, or owner of substandard housing.&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;Qualifies for a fixed rate mortgage with a participating lender. (Please see referral list.)&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;Post purchase liquid assets cannot exceed 20% of gross annual household income.&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff" size="2"&gt;Buyer&amp;#39;s minimum cash contribution: 3% of gross annual household income for families at or below 50% of area median income, up to 2% of minimum cash contribution, may be a gift, but not a loan, and 5% of gross annual household income for families at or below 80% of area median income, up to 4% of minimum cash contribution, may be a gift, but not a loan. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;table cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;AREA MEDIAN INCOME AT OR BELOW 50%&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;$26,550&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;$30,300&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;$34,100&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;$37,900&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;$40,950&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;$43,950&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;$47,000&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;$50,050&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="left"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;AREA MEDIAN INCOME AT OR BELOW 80%&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;$41,300 &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;$47,200 &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;$53,100 &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;$59,000 &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;$63,700 &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;$68,450 &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;$73,150 &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;$77,900&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;p align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#000080" size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a name="PROPERTY CRITERIA"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;PROPERTY CRITERIA&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ol style="font-size:10pt;color:#6060ff;"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff"&gt;&lt;li&gt;Existing dwelling or new construction that is owner occupied, occupied by buyer, or vacant at the time the contract is signed. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Dwelling types: Single family detached, semi detached, townhouse, and condominium apartment. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Passed a home inspection for Federal Housing Quality Standards (HQS) using a designated County inspection firm which certifies that the dwelling is free from hazardous defects and meets basic standards for livability. All noted deficiencies must be corrected and reinspected prior to SELP Loan approval. Inspection fee can be financed in SELP loan. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Sales price cannot exceed 95% of median purchase price for area (203B limit). &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Must be principal residence. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;p align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#000080" size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a name="SELP LOAN TERMS"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;SELP LOAN TERMS&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ol style="font-size:10pt;color:#6060ff;"&gt;&lt;font color="#6060ff" size="2"&gt;&lt;li&gt;SELP Loan Amount: Maximum - $10,000. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Loan will accrue interest of 5% in the first year only. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Loan principal and accrued interest is repayable upon the earlier to occur of sale, transfer, refinance, default on primary loan, or discontinuance of borrower occupancy. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;div align="left"&gt;&lt;table cellpadding="7" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;"&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;font size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt; Official SELP PROGRAM GUIDELINES &amp;amp; PROCEDURES adopted by the Harford County Housing Agency take precedence and clarify the details of the information presented here.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align="center"&gt;&lt;font color="#000080" size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Harford County Housing Agency&lt;br /&gt;15 South Main Street - Suite 106, Bel Air, Maryland 21014&lt;br /&gt;410-638-3045 Fax: 410-893-9816&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Contact me today so i can get you in touch with a mortgage financial advisor so we can help you get up to $10,000 towards your first home!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Your Long &amp;amp; Foster Realtor for life!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dave Melka&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;443-677-2074&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.finderofdreamhomes.com/"&gt;www.finderofdreamhomes.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/aggbug.aspx?PostID=247149" width="1" height="1"&gt;</description><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Real+Estate/default.aspx">Real Estate</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Market+Conditions/default.aspx">Market Conditions</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Sale/default.aspx">For Sale</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Rent_2F00_Lease/default.aspx">For Rent/Lease</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Open+Houses/default.aspx">Open Houses</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Announcements/default.aspx">Announcements</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Events/default.aspx">Events</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Technology/default.aspx">Technology</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Industry/default.aspx">Industry</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Point2/default.aspx">Point2</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Product+Reviews/default.aspx">Product Reviews</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Finances/default.aspx">Finances</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Buyer+Information/default.aspx">Buyer Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Seller+Information/default.aspx">Seller Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Community+Information/default.aspx">Community Information</category></item><item><title>$35,000 IN FREE MONEY TO FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS IN BALTIMORE,  MARYLAND! THOUSANDS OF HOMES UNDER $100,000 AND THOUSANDS OF HOMES UNDER $50,000 IN BALTO. CITY!!! CALL ME TO SEE HOMES TODAY!#443-677-2074..MY SERVICES ARE FREE 2 BUYERS!</title><link>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/2008/01/11/35-000-in-free-money-to-first-time-home-buyers-in-baltimore-county-maryland.aspx</link><pubDate>Sat, 12 Jan 2008 03:45:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">5edfaaee-a27e-48b4-8c60-c844c1e230d9:238018</guid><dc:creator>Dave Melka</dc:creator><slash:comments>1</slash:comments><comments>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/comments/238018.aspx</comments><wfw:commentRss>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/commentrss.aspx?PostID=238018</wfw:commentRss><description>&lt;p align="center"&gt;&lt;font face="CG Omega" size="3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;BUYER ELIGIBILITY&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="CG Omega" size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Before signing a real estate contract, completes Homebuyer Education Curriculum: Workshop(s) &amp;amp; Counseling with a Baltimore County affiliated Housing Counseling Agency *.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="CG Omega" size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Meets Income Eligibility: 80% of area median, adjusted for household size.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ol&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;font face="CG Omega" size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First time home buyer (cannot have previously owned a dwelling within the last 3 years). Exceptions can be granted for separation, divorce or death of spouse or prior ownership of documented substandard housing.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;font face="CG Omega" size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Qualifies for a fixed rate mortgage with a Participating Lender. (See the &lt;em&gt;Referral List )&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;font face="CG Omega" size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Post purchase liquid assets cannot exceed 25% of gross annual household income.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;font face="CG Omega" size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Gift Contributions may not exceed 3% of the sales price. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;font face="CG Omega" size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Buyer&amp;rsquo;s proposed post purchase housing and total debt ratios cannot exceed 31% and 43%, respectively, of the gross monthly household income.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;font face="CG Omega" size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Has cash equal to 5% of gross household income to contribute to purchase (see below).&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align="center"&gt;&lt;font face="CG Omega" size="3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;PROPERTY CRITERIA&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="CG Omega" size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1.&amp;nbsp; Existing dwelling that is owner occupied, occupied by buyer, or vacant.&amp;nbsp; New construction is excluded.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="CG Omega" size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2.&amp;nbsp; Dwelling types: Single family detached, semi- detached, townhouse, and condominium unit.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ol&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;font face="CG Omega" size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Located within the mapped Community Conservation Area.&amp;nbsp; Please see&lt;em&gt; &lt;strong style="color:black;background-color:#ffff66;"&gt;MALP&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong style="color:black;background-color:#a0ffff;"&gt;Program&lt;/strong&gt; Boundaries.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="CG Omega" size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;4.&amp;nbsp; Has had a satisfactory home inspection and has been certified as meeting the federal Housing Quality Standards (HQS) using an inspection firm from the County&amp;rsquo;s pre-qualified list.&amp;nbsp; The HQS certification provides assurance to the County that the dwelling is free from hazardous defects and meets basic standards for safety and livability.&amp;nbsp; All noted deficiencies must be corrected and verified prior to SELP Loan approval.&amp;nbsp; The home inspection and HQS certification fee can be included as part of the buyer&amp;rsquo;s minimum cash contribution.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ol&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;font face="CG Omega" size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The cost of repairs required to correct HQS identified deficiencies might be Included in the borrowers maximum loan amount up to $2,500 when such repairs are done by a licensed contractor&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font face="CG Omega" size="3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align="center"&gt;&lt;font face="CG Omega" size="3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;strong style="color:black;background-color:#ffff66;"&gt;MALP&lt;/strong&gt; LOAN TERMS&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="CG Omega" size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1.&amp;nbsp; &lt;strong style="color:black;background-color:#ffff66;"&gt;MALP&lt;/strong&gt; Loan Amount: Minimum $15,000, Maximum $35,000(of which up to $25,000.00 can be used for principal curtailment). &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="CG Omega" size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2.&amp;nbsp; Buyer&amp;rsquo;s minimum cash contribution: 5% of gross annual household income.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="CG Omega" size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3.&amp;nbsp; &lt;strong style="color:black;background-color:#ffff66;"&gt;MALP&lt;/strong&gt; Loan- Loan is deferred for fifteen (15) years (&amp;ldquo;Affordability Period &amp;ldquo;). Thereafter, the loan is forgiven after 15 years, unless sale, transfer of title or default occurs before the end of the (Affordability Period) 15 years.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="CG Omega" size="2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;4.&amp;nbsp; Primary Loan- Loan principal is repayable upon the earlier to occur of sale, transfer, refinance, default on primary loan, or discontinuance of borrower occupancy in the home.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For more info on the MALP program, please contact me at #443-677-2074.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Please browse my website for listings, reports and important local real estate information.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dave Melka&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana" size="3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;MY SERVICES TO BUYERS ARE ABSOLUTELY &lt;u&gt;FREE&lt;/u&gt;!!!!! CALL ME ANYTIME&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Your Realtor for life!&lt;br /&gt;Long And Foster, Aberdeen Maryland Sales &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hud and Foreclosure home specialist!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;cell # 443-677-2074 office # 410-575-6411 voice mail # 410-575-6411&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;My other web site&amp;#39;s are&amp;nbsp;http://www.davemelkarealtor.com&amp;nbsp;and &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;a href="http://davidmelka.lnfre.com/"&gt;&lt;font color="#000000"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;http://davidmelka.lnfre.com&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;OR &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.finderofdreamhomes.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;WWW.FINDEROFDREAMHOMES.COM&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/aggbug.aspx?PostID=238018" width="1" height="1"&gt;</description><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Real+Estate/default.aspx">Real Estate</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Market+Conditions/default.aspx">Market Conditions</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Sale/default.aspx">For Sale</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Rent_2F00_Lease/default.aspx">For Rent/Lease</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Open+Houses/default.aspx">Open Houses</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Announcements/default.aspx">Announcements</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Events/default.aspx">Events</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Technology/default.aspx">Technology</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Industry/default.aspx">Industry</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Point2/default.aspx">Point2</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Product+Reviews/default.aspx">Product Reviews</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Finances/default.aspx">Finances</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Buyer+Information/default.aspx">Buyer Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Seller+Information/default.aspx">Seller Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Community+Information/default.aspx">Community Information</category></item><item><title>5 Simple Ways to Increase a Home's Value!!!!</title><link>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/2008/01/07/5-simple-ways-to-increase-a-home-s-value.aspx</link><pubDate>Tue, 08 Jan 2008 03:55:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">5edfaaee-a27e-48b4-8c60-c844c1e230d9:235777</guid><dc:creator>Dave Melka</dc:creator><slash:comments>0</slash:comments><comments>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/comments/235777.aspx</comments><wfw:commentRss>http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/commentrss.aspx?PostID=235777</wfw:commentRss><description>&lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;span class="article_title"&gt;5 Simple Ways to Increase a Home&amp;#39;s Value&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;font face="Arial" size="2"&gt;Good home maintenance is key to creating and preserving a home&amp;rsquo;s value. Not to mention, it also impresses potential buyers. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;font face="Arial" size="2"&gt;Here are five basic steps that every home owner ought to take &amp;mdash; before spending money on dream bathrooms or gourmet kitchens.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font face="Arial" size="2"&gt;1. Safety&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;font face="Arial" size="2"&gt;. Make sure smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are installed and in good working order. Check fuel-burning appliances to make sure they are properly vented and no gas connections leak. Make sure the electrical system is adequate. Flickering lights and popping breakers are the sign of a problem. Anchor handrails and grab bars adequately.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font face="Arial" size="2"&gt;2. Preventive maintenance&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;font face="Arial" size="2"&gt;. Repair any leaks in the roof, seal gaps in the siding, paint bare wood, replace damaged decking, patch cracks in concrete, and caulk around tubs and showers.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font face="Arial" size="2"&gt;3. Conserve energy&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;font face="Arial" size="2"&gt;. Install a programmable thermostat, weatherstrip doors and windows, fix leaking faucets, upgrade insulation, and replace leaky windows. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font face="Arial" size="2"&gt;4. Go green&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;font face="Arial" size="2"&gt;. Consider environmentally friendly materials for windows, doors, siding, decking, fencing, roofing, flooring, and insulation. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font face="Arial" size="2"&gt;5. Improve comfort&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;font face="Arial" size="2"&gt;. Get rid of clutter, open up spaces, update window treatments to allow in more light, and organize closets and storage.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Please browse my website for listings, reports and important local real estate information.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Dave Melka&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;Your Realtor for life!&lt;br /&gt;Long And Foster, Aberdeen Maryland Sales &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;Hud and Foreclosure home specialist!&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;cell # 443-677-2074 office # 410-575-6411 voice mail # 410-575-6411&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;My other web site&amp;#39;s are&amp;nbsp;http://www.davemelkarealtor.com&amp;nbsp;and &lt;/font&gt;&lt;a href="http://davidmelka.lnfre.com/"&gt;&lt;font color="#000000"&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana, Sans Serif" size="3"&gt;http://davidmelka.lnfre.com&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://finderofdreamhomes.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;http://finderofdreamhomes.com&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/aggbug.aspx?PostID=235777" width="1" height="1"&gt;</description><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Real+Estate/default.aspx">Real Estate</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Market+Conditions/default.aspx">Market Conditions</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Sale/default.aspx">For Sale</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/For+Rent_2F00_Lease/default.aspx">For Rent/Lease</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Open+Houses/default.aspx">Open Houses</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Announcements/default.aspx">Announcements</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Events/default.aspx">Events</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Technology/default.aspx">Technology</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Industry/default.aspx">Industry</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Point2/default.aspx">Point2</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Product+Reviews/default.aspx">Product Reviews</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Finances/default.aspx">Finances</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Buyer+Information/default.aspx">Buyer Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Seller+Information/default.aspx">Seller Information</category><category domain="http://davemelka1.point2homes.biz/blogs/dave_melka/archive/tags/Community+Information/default.aspx">Community Information</category></item></channel></rss>