Under the Governor’s proposed Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2012 (BRFA, HB 87/SB 152), Maryland would be the first state EVER to scale back the most important tax benefit that homeowners receive – this is NOT an honor MARYLANDERS want!

The BRFA bill would reduce the mortgage interest deduction and the deductibility of state and local property taxes for manyMaryland homeowners for the first time ever.

For nearly 100 years, the tax code has protected mortgage interest deductibility.

Under the proposal, if a Maryland taxpayer’s federal adjusted gross income exceeds $100,000; single taxpayer’s itemized deductions would decrease by 10% when calculating Marylandtaxable income – that’s an INCREASE in your Marylandtaxable base!  Taxpayers with adjusted gross income over $200,000 would see their deductions decrease by 20%!

Since housing and real estate account for over 20% of Maryland’s gross state product – essentially the engine for economic recovery – more tax burdens on real estate and homeowners will only further delay Maryland’s much-needed stimulus to restoring our State’s economy to the robust one it recently was!

The mortgage interest deduction and the deductibility of state and local property taxes account for almost 70% of total deductions claimed by Maryland taxpayers – vital incentives for a strong housing/real estate market recovery.

With so many of Marylanders facing diminished homeowner equity and/or possible underwater mortgages, this proposal would do more harm than good!  Please help save MD’s MID (Mortgage Interest Deduction),  URGE your legislators to OPPOSE the Governor’s BRFA Bill.  Many thanks for your advocacy efforts!

Click here to contact your legislators

Cindy Genther Named Maryland Rookie REALTOR(R) of the Year

The Maryland Association of REALTORS(R) (MAR) named Cindy Genther their 2011 Rookie REALTOR(R) of the Year at the annual MAR Conference on September 12, 2011. Genther is a sales agent with Rock Hall Properties Real Estate and received the award from a field of 15 agents who were nominated by local REALTOR(R) boards across the state. Rookie REALTORS have less than five years of active sales experience in the field of Real Estate.

At the award presentation, MAR Rookie REALTOR Advisory Group Chair, Lee Hatfield noted that in the 12 months ending in June 2011, Genther had completed 16 real estate transactions,  taken more than 50 hours of continuing education (including Graduate Real Estate Institute), and is on the Board of Directors of the Bay Area Association of REALTORS. He stated that Cindy is also a member of the Business Advisory Board of the Washington College Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) Team, and she is active in the Greater Rock Hall Business Association and Kent County Chamber of Commerce.

Cindy has been a sales agent at Rock Hall Properties Real Estate since it opened in November 2009. The brokerage offers real estate sales and property management services in Kent County Maryland and is a subsidiary of The Flynn Company of Philadelphia, PA.

CASA – IT’S ABOUT HELPING KIDS!

In September 2009, BAAR formed a community service partnership with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Queen Anne’s and Kent Counties, an organization that works with our most vulnerable children: those who have been abused, neglected or abandoned and are under the protection of the court.

CASA’s primary role is to advocate for the best interests of these children, all of whom are in foster care, helping to ensure that they are placed in safe, permanent homes.

This is what makes the BAAR / CASA connection so meaningful.

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If you are interested in working directly with the children,
contact CASA Executive Director Polly Newell at 410-758-2664

To learn more about CASA, visit the local CASA website: http://www.casaqackent.org