August 2020 Serving All of Central MD

Inside This Issue…

• Page 1 - The Canvas

• Page 2 - Seismic Shifts

• Page 2 - Cultivate Creativity

• Page 3 - MDREPros Hot List!

• Page 4 - The MDREPros Difference

• Page 4 - Ghost Ship Identified

• Page 5 - Laughter Corner

• Page 5 - Why A Normal Market Is Just What We Need

• Page 6 - Financial Focus

• Page 6 - Volunteers Wanted

• Page 7 - Telecommuting & Beyond

• Page 8 - FUNDAY MONDAY

Maryland Real Estate Professionals…

Realtors With Exceptional Service For Life!

“Insider Tips For Healthy, Wealthy & Happy Living…”

The Canvas One day a professor asked his students to prepare for a surprise extra credit test he said he would be emailing them at home. The class was surprised because the summer session was almost over, and final grades were already pretty well established.

That evening, each student received a photograph of a large yellow canvas with one gray dot painted in the mid-dle, along with instructions to write an essay on the paint-ing.

When the professor received the answers back, all of the students with no exceptions described the gray dot, try-ing to explain its position, the contrast, and so on. After reading all the answers, the professor sent a follow-up email out to all the students:

“I am not going to grade you on this test; I just wanted to give you something to think about. No one wrote about the yellow section of the canvas. Every-one focused on the gray dot and the same happens in our lives. We have a whole canvas in front of us but we are so busy focusing on the dark spot in the middle. Life is a special gift with different layers: friends, livelihood, love, family, the miracles we see every day. I want you all to realize the dark spots in our lives are just one thing on a very large, bright personal canvas. Take your eyes away from the apparent spots in your life and enjoy each one of your blessings and each moment that life gives you. I wish you the best!”

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Save Your Eyes August is Cataract Awareness Month, and that’s a good time for everyone to get acquainted with the dangers that a cataract can pose. A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye. Because the lens focuses light onto your retina, any blockage or distortion can result in diminished eyesight.

Cataracts develop gradually and usually (but not always) in older people. Congenital defects, inflammation, exposure to certain kinds of radiation, diabetes, and smoking can also contribute to cataract formation earlier in a per-son’s life.

The standard treatment is surgery to dissolve the clouded lens and then remove the frag-ments from the eye; doctors then insert an artifi-cial lens to replace the old one. Because cataracts develop slowly and without pain, symptoms may not be obvious.

Check with your eye doctor if you start to notice these changes in your vision:

• Vision that it’s cloudy, blurry or dim. • More difficulty seeing at night. • Heightened sensitivity to light. • Seeing halos around lights. • Colors seem faded, or yellowish. • Double vision in one eye.

Take care of your peepers!

A World of Help

August has some pretty amazing holidays dedicated to animals all over the world. Here are a few worth celebrating, internationally and here at home.

International Assistance Dog Week, August 2 - 8

International Assistance Dog Week (IADW) was created to recognize all the devoted, hardworking assistance dogs helping individuals mitigate their disability related limitations. According to the IADW website, International Assistance Dog Week was established due to the efforts of Marcie Davis, a paraplegic for over 35 years and the author of Working Like Dogs: The Service Dog Guide-book.

International Homeless Animals Day, August 15

Every year on the third Saturday in August, International Homeless Ani-mals Day celebrates taking care of our pets and spreading awareness of pet overpopulation. Consider volun-teering or helping to sponsor a spon-sor spay and neuter clinic, adopt-a-thon or microchip clinics in your neighborhood.

World Elephant Day, Wednesday August 12

Launched in 2012 to bring attention to the urgent plight of Asian and African elephants, World Elephant Day asks you to help conserve and protect elephants from the numerous threats they face. World elephant-day.com has some great information on supporting better protection for wild elephants, improving enforcement policies to prevent the illegal poaching and trade of ivory, conserv-ing elephant habitats, better treat-ment for captive elephants and, when appropriate.

Did you know?

Birds and reptiles have a nictitating membrane in their eyes that functions as a third eyelid. It’s called the plica semilunaris,

and apparently humans have them, too. It isn’t entirely useless, though; it still helps to

drain tears and remove foreign objects from the eye.

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Master These ASAP

These acronyms aren’t new, but they are worth revisiting: ALF (Always Listen First): Used in training sessions and counseling, this is simply a polite thing to do. BRAN (Benefits, Risks, Alternatives, Nothing): Useful for deciding on a proposed course of action in business. What are the benefits, potential risks, and alternative courses of action? GROW (Goals, Reality, Options, Will): Often used in life coaching sessions, these are factors involved in self-improvement. IDEA (Identify, Design, Execute, Augment): A planning strategy to first identify the relevant issues, then design a course of action, execute the plan, and adjust or add to it as necessary.

Shifting Into Night Work Most of us aren’t used to working all night, but with many of us working from home, chances are your schedule has changed. Here are some strat-egies to get into the groove of working a night shift: • Manage your sleep during the day— not just how long, but how soundly. • Get rid of all distractions, especially the phone. • Try to sleep at the same time every day. • Keep sleeping temperature about 68 de-grees. • Use earplugs to keep noise at bay. You can also muffle intrusive sounds with a fan or “white noise” machine. • Accept changes in your schedule. Don’t try to maintain your normal routine; keep social events and family outings at times that fit your new work schedule needs. • Eat light at night and get extra servings of fruits and veggies, cereal, pasta and rice.

Enjoy Your Workday Do you often feel as if your workday will never end? An article on the Market-Watch website offers a simple technique for feeling more energized and engaged, and getting more done.

It’s called “reattachment to work,” and it can take many forms. You might start your day by talking with your spouse or partner about what you’re going to do today, or cycling through your to-do list first thing in the morning, or giving yourself three concrete goals to accomplish as soon as you get to work. This kind of planning can jump-start your brain and help you focus on activities and goals that make your day go faster. It will give you a feeling of energy and engagement that can make work feel more satisfying throughout the day.

Maryland Real Estate Professionals

w/REMAX Realty Plus 301-831-5600 - O 301-418-8640 - C

Mark@MDREPros.com www.MDREPros.com

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Provided by: Dan Flavin, Sr. Mortgage Banker, Advisors Mortgage, NMLS 112267, 3545 Ellicott Mills Drive, Suite B, Ellicott City, MD 21043 Dan@1atmc.com 410-935-3528 https://dflavin.advisorsmortgage.com/prequalify

THANK YOU for reading my personal newsletter. I wanted to

produce a newsletter that has great content and is fun and valuable to you.

Your constructive feedback is always welcome.

AND…whether you’re thinking of buying, selling or

financing real estate, or just want to stop by and say

“Hi,” I’d love to hear from you…

LAUGHTER CORNER

I don't know how I got over the hill without getting to the top. ******************************

A dog, his foot wrapped in a band-age hobbles into a saloon. He sidles

up to the bar & announces: "I'm lookin' fer the man that shot my

paw." ******************************

Some do Jenny Craig, Some do Richard Simmons...I do Sara Lee

****************************** Why is it called "after dark" when it

really is "after light"? ******************************

A lie has no legs to stand on, but it gets places.

****************************** Some people just don't know how to

drive: I call these people, "everybody but me"

***************************** Doctor: Hello, did you come to see me with an eye problem? Patient: Wow, yes, how can you tell?

Doctor: Because you came in through the window instead of the

door. *****************************

I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die

of natural causes.

Why A Normal Market is Just What We Need

The housing market has been hot for a while now. Homes have been flying off the shelves as fast as they have been listed. Buyers have been competing in bidding wars just to find a home to buy, let alone find their dream home. This ‘seller’s market’ has driven home prices to new heights. Home price appreciation averaged over 6% across the country. However, home price growth has recently started to cool down. The latest report from CoreLogic shows that home prices have only risen by 4.7% over the last 12 months. Many buyers and sellers planning to enter the housing market this year have started to wonder if we are headed towards another housing crash. Ralph McLaughlin, Deputy Chief Economist at CoreLogic, recently stated in an interview, “There’s no reason to panic right now, even if we may be headed for a recession. We’re seeing a cooling of the housing market, but nothing that indicates a crash. The real elephant in the room here is housing supply.” The simple answer is we are returning to nor-mal’ market. The inventory of homes for sale more closely matches the demand in the market. The added supply means fewer buyers are outbidding each other. Therefore, prices are experiencing less upward pressure. McLaughlin went on to explain, “If there are a lot of homes on the market and suddenly no one wants to buy them, you’ll get into a downward spiral of price competition. Right now, however, we’re in the opposite situation, there isn’t an over-abundance of homes on the market.” As more renters looking for their piece of the American Dream enter the housing market, demand for housing will continue to grow. The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University estimates over 30 million new households will enter the market from now through 2040. “There’s the natural life cycle of young people getting older and starting to do adult life things which include … buying a house and that’s a lot of potential inertia that could last indefinitely.” Bottom Line Home prices will start to appreciate by historical norms as we continue to head towards a more ‘normal’ market, rather than the over 6% seen over the course of the last couple of years. This is great news! Homeowners looking to sell their home will have buyers, as more buyers will be able to afford them!

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FINANCIAL FOCUS

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by financial advisor Mat

Tiahrt, Hampstead, Maryland, 410-239-0859. mat.tiahrt@edwardjones.com

Can You Invest for Retirement and Education?

Fail Well Success is about failure. At least, it’s about learning how to fail without letting it stop you from moving forward. As personal and business coach Jane Herman writes:

“You have heard the expression, ‘Anything worth doing is worth doing well.’

Here’s your new motto:

‘Anything worth doing is worth being willing to do badly.’

If something is important to you, then you have got to be willing to try it, even knowing that you may fail. If you have the attitude that you can’t do something unless you can do it well, or perfectly, then you will never take a step. Be willing to take the step.

Typically, this time of year is filled with graduation ceremonies and celebrations. But with the coronavirus pandemic, not much has been typical lately. Eventually, though, things will return to normal and schools will reopen for in-person learning. And if you have young children, you may want to save for their higher education, whether that be college or trade school. At the same time, though, you’re moving ever closer to retirement. Can you save for your kids’ education and a comfortable retirement for yourself at the same time? It is indeed possible, although you may need to prioritize somewhat. Specifically, you may not want to put off saving for retirement in favor of education. But by viewing these goals together and investing as early as possible in each of them, you can take advantage of one of your biggest assets – time. Of course, you’ll still have to budget your resources. You want to invest as much as you can, but not so much that your monthly cash flow is crimped. Consequently, you may have to consider retiring later, contributing less to your child’s education, or a combination of the two. First, consider your retirement accounts. If you have a traditional 401(k) or similar plan, your contributions come out of your paycheck before you even see the money – so it’s about as painless a way of building your retirement fund as possible. Put in as much as your budget allows and consider increasing your contributions when you receive a raise at work. You can also direct your bank to move money each month from your savings or checking account into your IRA. Now, let’s move to your other key goal: education. Several education funding vehicles are available, but one of the most popular is the 529 plan. Your earnings grow tax-deferred and withdrawals are free from federal tax, provided the money is used for qualified higher education expenses. (529 plan withdrawals not used for qualified expenses may be subject to federal and state income tax and a 10% IRS penalty on the earnings.) Furthermore, your 529 plan contributions may earn a state tax deduction or credit if you participate in your own state’s plan. You can set up recurring contributions from a bank account to a 529 plan. And you don’t have to fund your 529 plan on your own. Instead of gifts for birthdays, holidays, graduations and other occasions, why not ask friends and rela-tives to contribute to the 529 plan you’ve set up for your child? They’re all eligible to participate – and their contributions may earn them tax benefits if they live in your state and you’ve in-vested in your own state’s plans. A financial advisor can help you plan for more than one goal, understand the benefits and tradeoffs of your decisions, and make the process of saving for those goals easier. So, get the help you need to stay on track – or rather, two tracks – to-ward the important objectives of education and retirement.

Frame Your Goals Deciding what you want is an important first step toward success — personal or professional. But it’s not enough to simply know your goal. You’ve got to know how you’re going to achieve it. Frame your goals in terms of tasks and performance, not just outcomes. What actions do you need to take, today and tomorrow and in the future to get closer to your objective? Assign specific tasks to yourself, knowing how you’ll measure the outcome of each activity does more than bring you closer to your goal. It gives you a sense of control over what happens to you. You’re not just wishing for success, but working steadily toward it. Regular accomplishments will keep you motivated and moving forward.

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On Facebook: Be sure and “Like” - @TodaysCaptionThisPhoto

Keep Your Bestie Cool Summer is a time for both you and your pet to enjoy the sunshine and outdoors. But along with the fun, the season also offers situations that can endanger your pet.

The Humane Society of the United States offers these guidelines for pet owners to keep their furry friends safe this summer:

Never leave your pet in the car! During warm weather, the inside of your car can reach 120 degrees in a matter of minutes, even if you’re parked in the shade. Pets who are left in hot cars even briefly can suffer from heat exhaustion, heat stroke, brain damage, and can even die. Don’t think that just be-cause you’ll be gone “just a minute” that your pet will be safe while you’re gone.

Practice water wisdom. Always supervise a pet in a pool. Provide plenty of water and shade for your pets while they’re enjoying the great outdoors so they can stay cool.

If you can’t stand the heat... On hot days, limit exercise to early morning or evening hours. Hot asphalt can burn your pet’s paws. Pets can get sunburned, too, and your pet may require sunscreen on his or her nose and ear tips. Watch out. Your pet can suffer from heat exhaustion and heat stroke. The signs of heat stress include heavy panting, glazed eyes, a rapid pulse, un-steadiness, a staggering gait, vomiting, or a deep red or purple tongue.

If your pet does become overheated, move him into the shade and apply cool (not cold) water over his body. Let your pet drink small amounts of water or lick ice cubes. If necessary, get him to a veterinarian immediately.

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This newsletter is intended for entertainment purposes only. Credit is given to the authors of various articles that are reprinted when the original author

is known. Any omission of credit to an author is purely unintentional and should not be construed as plagiarism or literary theft.

Copyright 2020 Maryland Real Estate Professionals w/ REMAX Realty Plus. This information is solely advisory, and should not be substituted for medi-

cal, legal, financial or tax advice. Any and all decisions and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a qualified physician, attorney,

financial advisor and/or CPA. We cannot be held responsible for actions you may take without proper medical, financial, legal or tax advice.

Go to

www.TheFundayMonday.com Or write Mark@MDREPros.com

And enter the correct answer for this months contest!

Q. What was the first video game played in space?

A. Pong B. Tetris C. Donkey Kong D. Mario Kart

Small Business Survival Your favorite small businesses— the neighborhood bookstore, the family-owned coffee shop, your local grocery store— all worked hard to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CNN website shares these suggestions for making sure they continue to succeed: Buy gift cards for upcoming presents. Most local businesses have gift cards for sale. Buying a few puts money in their bank accounts right away, even if the recipients don’t use them right away. Shop locally, even online. We’ve all grown used to online shopping. Check websites for local opportunities to order what you need instead of heading to an internet giant. Look for discounts. Businesses trying to attract customers will offer discounts to entice consumers. Taking ad-vantages of these discounts will help support them while helping you to stay within your budget. Skip the homecooked meal. As stores begin to reopen, many restaurants are still delivering food. Order in to support a local establishment as they spread their wings again. Tip generously. Your tip may or may not directly benefit the store, but it will show your appreciation to delivery driv-ers and staff, which can result in higher morale and better retention, which businesses need now more than ever.