Officials: Be Careful In Hiring For Home Repairs

by WBALTV | wbaltv.com | October 1, 2010


State officials are urging homeowners to be careful when choosing a contractor to repair damage from Thursday's severe weather.

Alexander M. Sanchez, secretary of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, said residents can be taken advantage of if they're not careful.

"Too often, unlicensed contractors arrive after harsh conditions, such as this week's storm and flood, with offers to help when their true intent is to take advantage of people in distress," he said. "Often the first available or the cheapest contractor is not the best choice."

Homeowners who use licensed home improvement contractors are protected by the Maryland Home Improvement Commission's Guaranty Fund. This fund is administered to compensate homeowners who suffer economic damages at the hands of a licensed home improvement contractor.
 
No coverage is provided to the homeowner if the contractor is unlicensed.

"Homeowners should remember the law requires contractors to hold a current license in order to perform home improvement, electrical, plumbing or heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration work,” said Stanley J. Botts, DLLR's commissioner of Occupational and Professional Licensing.

Consumers may contact DLLR's Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing at 410-230-6001 or click here to check the licensing status and complaint history of any contractor.

Be sure you're covered with your own Clinton MD Home Insurance policy through Jones & Associates.

Maryland offers homebuying incentives to BRAC workers

by Ryan Sharrow | September 29, 2010 | Baltimore Business Journal



Maryland’s housing department said Wednesday a new program will provide an additional $2,500 in home buying assistance to military workers relocating to the state.


The BRAC Match Program enables homebuyers to receive $2,500 in down payment and/or closing cost assistance if purchasing a home through the Maryland Mortgage Program, administered by the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development. The state-run mortgage aid program offers first-time homebuyers a variety of low-interest, fixed-rate loan options.

The BRAC Match Program is available to civilian and military employees of the federal defense agencies that are relocating to Maryland.

The Base Realignment and Closure plan is expected to bring thousands of workers to Maryland from New Jersey and Virginia over the next several years.

The program can be used with other state assistance programs currently available to homebuyers.

In July, the state announced plans to expand the Maryland Mortgage Program ahead of BRAC and provide $100 million in mortgage loans to homebuyers in 10 counties.

Check on your own Maryland Home Insurance with Jones & Associates Insurance Agency today!

Insurance broker releases ‘very preliminary’ reform guide for employers

The CIMA Cos., an insurance broker with offices in the Baltimore, Md., and Washington, D.C., areas, has issued a tentative guide for employers on federal health care reform.

The Woodbridge, Va.-based company called its guide “very preliminary” in this “environment of uncertainty,” according to a statement.

The guide on handling compliance deadlines in the sweeping Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act precedes actual federal regulations for implementing the law, which was signed into law in March.

The CIMA guide includes a timeline for the requirements, along with a description of some of the issues that must be resolved through the regulatory process; speculates on what the act might cost employers; and includes links to resources for additional information.

The guide is available in PDF format in The CIMA Letter.

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