Great Places to Live in Maryland

Q: How are individual property tax bills figured?
A: Unlike the income tax and the sales tax you pay, the property tax is not based on how much money you earn or how much you spend. It is based solely on how much the property you own is worth.
The real property tax is an ad valorem [...]

Q: What if my contractor bungles the job?
A: If you have a legitimate complaint, keep after the contractor until the needed repairs or alterations are made. If this fails, contact your local Consumer Protection Agency. Keep a copy of the contract, receipts, and photographs of the work. Although it has no legal authority, you also [...]

Q: How do growing equity mortgages work?
A: Also called GEMs, these fixed-rate mortgages have monthly payments that increase in increments of 3 percent or more to reduce the principal loan amount. They are often written by the lender at a below-market interest rate and have shorter terms.
A GEM lets you pay off the mortgage earlier, [...]

Q: What is a balloon mortgage?
A: It is a mortgage in which the entire unpaid principal becomes due and payable on a given date, five, 10, or any number of years in the future. The borrower must pay up, refinance, or lose the property.
Interest rates on balloon mortgages are lower than for fixed-rate mortgages. So [...]