10 quick tips for updating your kitchen or bathroom
Kitchens and baths are the two areas of a house that can have the most impact on resale value. Why? These rooms are used often and typically cost the most to update. How do you stage your...Read More »
MARYLAND SELLING SUCCESS STORY:
Ten days to a sale
It may have been 90 degrees outside when Nat and Celia Giacobbi moved to Charlestown in June, but the 16 inches of snow that blanketed their Arlington, Va., home this past winter was in the back of...Read More »
22 September 2009
While dance competitions are heating up the small screen— with hit shows like Dancing With The Stars and So You Think You Can Dance—there’s one lady who knows better than anyone how to make those steps look...
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22 September 2009
Sell now or wait it out? That is the burning question on many homeowners’ minds these days. The decision is as personal as your...
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Behind the lens
For the life of her, world traveler Barbara Walker couldn’t understand why anyone would want to watch someone else’s home videos. Then one day it hit her: “There are a lot of people who have traveled throughout their life and for whatever reason are no longer able to,” says Walker. “My videos allow them to revisit places they’ve been and travel to places they’ve never seen...Read More »
Come out from under the rug!
You may have a hidden treasure if you are preparing to sell a home that has hardwood floors covered by wall-to-wall carpeting. In today’s market, you’d be hard-pressed to find a home buyer who doesn’t prefer hardwood...Read More »
Poets find the right words
American poet Robert Frost once said, “Poetry is what’s lost in translation.” In Catonsville, a talented group of poets and poetry-lovers are hanging on every “lost” word with the Poets’ Corner, a monthly program at Charlestown that features readings, lectures, and poetry-related workshops. “The Poets’ Corner is for anyone who enjoys poetry,” says poet Phyllis Rowe, who organizes the program. A retired English teacher, Rowe wrote poetry while attending George Washington University in the ‘50s. After 42 years of teaching, she picked up her pen again when she moved to Charlestown. But, she says of the Poets’ Corner, “You don’t have to write poetry. If you just like listening to it, you’re welcome to join...Read More »
How do you spell relief? Tai chi
Like many people, Irma Seitz started practicing tai chi as a way to prolong her good health. “Tai chi exercises your body and your mind,” says Seitz. “I’ve been doing tai chi ever since I moved to Oak Crest in 1995. It’s a quiet exercise that takes a lot of concentration. I’ve found it’s a wonderful way to learn to relax and...Read More »
The greatest gift
One of the greatest life lessons Peggy Wixted learned came from her grandchildren. “They taught me not to sweat the small stuff, enjoy life, and laugh more,” she says. Wixted, a grandmother of five, has plenty of opportunities to practice all of those lessons and teach new ones as she plays an active role in the lives of her grandkids, ages 8 to 22 years...Read More »
Oak Crest dogs: Worth barking about
President Harry Truman once said, "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog." Throughout history, dozens of dogs have wandered the halls of the White House, providing its inhabitants with love, companionship, and a refuge from the daily rigors of the Presidency. The new First Family is no exception. From all accounts, the Obamas’ Portuguese water dog puppy, Bo, seems to bring a lighthearted air to the 132-room mansion. So what is it about having a dog that makes a house feel more like a...Read More »
‘Our house sold in less than 13 days’
After friends threw David and Elsie Sartorio a 50th wedding anniversary party at Oak Crest, the couple was immediately attracted to the friendly Parkville-based community. "We know a lot of people who live here, and everyone expressed enjoyment and happiness with their decision to move," says Mrs. Sartorio. Seven years later, the couple decided to call Oak Crest and see for themselves what the hubbub was all about. Seventeen days after making that call, the Sartorios sold their four-bedroom house in Cockeysville and are now enjoying Oak Crest’s worry-free lifestyle for...Read More »
The simple life
In spring 2008, Jewell and George Brenneman decided to trade in their Elkridge house for a maintenance-free 1,100-square-foot apartment home at Charlestown, the community by Erickson in Catonsville. But what they sacrificed in square footage, they made up for in creative...Read More »
