Howard County MD

By themarylandrealestateexpert.com

Maryland rewards its environmentally conscious residents
Are you thinking of renting, or buying Maryland real estate ? If you are, here is a very interesting fact; there are an increasing number of jurisdictions within the state of Maryland offering incentives to the environmentally friendly residence.  An environmentally friendly resident is one, who is working to shrink his or her carbon footprint on our environment.  

Baltimore is one of the areas that is rewarding these environmentally conscious people.  Baltimore has initiated the Live Near your work Program.  This program helps first time home buyers with settlement or closing costs if they decide to purchase homes that are located in a close proximity to where they work.  City officials want the zone to cover the whole city but currently businesses owners specify there own guidelines.  The way this program works is that the city partners up with local businesses and both put $1,000 grant which is applied towards an employee fee.  Certain people believe that this will create more stable neighborhoods, and help businesses because with employees living closer to work there is less of a likelihood that they will show up late, and it will allow people to walk or take public transportation to there place of employment.  Currently there are roughly 85 businesses that are participating in this program.  The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development have a similar program called House Keys 4 Employees.  What this program does it is matches any employer contribution to homebuyers.  The State will loan homebuyers up to $2,500 to go to the down payment or closing cost, but the employer has no limit on the amount they can contribute to this fund.

Also in Baltimore's 15 garages they created roughly 200 spaces that are specially marked hybrid spaces.  On top of this these hybrid drivers get to enjoy discounted monthly parking fee and spots located on the lower levels of the garage.  If you are wondering what monthly parking fees are in these city garages, they range from $80 on the low end all the way up to $195.  According to the assistant manager  of off street parking with the parking Authority of Baltimore, there is currently no waiting list to sign up for these hybrid spots; but there have been roughly 75 drivers who have signed up to take advantage of this great offer.  If you are wondering what the qualifications of the cars that can get these spots are, they must be a hybrid car that can get more than 29 city miles per gallon.  Some of the lot owners that are participating are not sure why there have been so few people who have signed up thus far for this great plan.  Zhasta Mostly,  manager of the Franklin Street  and St. Paul Place lot thinks it could be  do to lack of awareness by these car owners.  So if you are an environmentally conscious individual certain areas of this state will reward you for your efforts.