Abberly Crest Blog

Did you know it is almost time to plant your fall garden? Even if you live in an apartment in Lexington Park, MD you can still have a garden, an indoor garden.

Do yourself a favor and plant some sweet, crunchy winter carrots this year. It is time to get those seeds into their pots. Long rectangular or deep round pots are perfect. Some carrots grow shorter and stubbier than others so these may be a better choice for you.

There's also still time to get seeds of fast-maturing, warm-season vegetables going, such as snap beans, cucumbers and summer squash, and lettuce. Your snap peas, summer squash and cucumbers can grow in a pot on a trellis. Lettuce will look great in a garden pot on your apartment patio.

In some really sunny window gardens, even fast-maturing peas and potatoes will do well in the fall garden.

If you love onions, be sure to try some multiplying onions and perennial “nest” onions as well as garlic and shallots.

Moving into your new apartment in Lexington Park, MD certainly takes a bit of adjusting. You have to get familiar with the space, the roads, and the people around you. Like people, pets need time to become accustomed to a new home and new faces too.

If you’ve just moved into a new apartment with your pet, using your pet's favorite food bowl, bedding and toys will help in getting your pet to feel at home. If your pet will have free-roam of your apartment, let the him/her come out of their cage when it they want by leaving the door open.

Try to keep your pets routine as normal as possible during all phases of the move. If you regularly feed, exercise or play with your pet at certain times, continue to do so. This may help reduce the chances of it getting upset.

Hopefully you have been able to get a recommendation for a veterinarian from your previous vet, if this move was not local for you. Once you yourself are settled in, locate and visit a veterinarian. Abberly Crest is a pet-friendly apartment community, so feel free to ask us any questions.

When deciding whether to rent or buy, you are making the choice to rent an apartment home or renting the capital needed to buy a home. Most Americans don't consider that they are renting equity (from the bank) to buy a home. As you are aware, very little equity is built in the first few years of paying a mortgage. Many people are surprisingly still very unaware of this fact.

This following article explains how renting is financially better than buying in about 75% of cases!

For the Past 30 Years, Renting Was Generally Better Than Buying

If homeownership is the American dream, then the nation had better wake up. That's the message from a new research paper that examines whether buying or renting a home was a better financial decision over the past 30 years. Most would find the result surprising: over the period Americans were better off renting between 65% and 75% of the time, depending on the investment alternative.

The article essentially looks at eight-year periods and assumes that a person invests the money he or she saves by renting. Since buying is generally more expensive than renting, renters have extra money to invest. It also makes a number of assumptions favorable to homeownership, including gains from the mortgage interest tax deduction, the option to refinance, and the ability to walk away -- loss-free -- from an underwater mortgage. Still, renting wins approximately three-quarters of the time.

The staff at economic research organization e21 explains why this result actually shouldn't be so shocking:

Counter-intuitive as the finding may be to some, it is actually quite logical. Unless someone possesses the cash necessary to buy a residence, he or she will be renting one way or another. The choice is between renting the property directly or instead renting the capital necessary to buy the property. The amount of capital to be rented is a function of house prices, while the bulk of a mortgage payment is interest, which is the rental payment on this capital. After 2 years, the typical 30-year amortizing mortgage balance has been reduced by less than 3%. This means that a household that took out a $300,000 mortgage with a 5% interest rate to buy a home has only reduced its mortgage balance by $8,600 after two years despite spending nearly $39,000 in total over this period.

Housing advocates may respond by pointing out that at least the $8,600 in this scenario went towards home equity rather than simply being squandered on rent. But, as demonstrated in the Real Estate Economics article, the principal component of each mortgage payment - i.e. the portion of the mortgage payment that goes towards reducing the principal mortgage balance instead of interest - is an added expense renters don't have.

This turns the real estate industry's biggest talking point on its head: you aren't throwing rent into the wind each month, you're casting away equity.

Of course, that equity also provides a potential benefit. The analysis's eight-year rolling methodology appears to miss the biggest reward of owning a home: living rent-free once the home is paid off. After that 30-years is up, the longer a family remains in that home rent-free, the more buying pays off. Taking this into account would almost certainly change the result in some, if not all situations. Renting may be a better option initially, but there's no eventual reward.

An important point still needs to be made here: buying a home that you don't plan to live in for an extended period of time probably isn't a great idea. The rent you pay in the form of interest on a 30-year loan for five or even 10 years won't be any better than if you had just rented outright. But if you're planning on living in a home for 30-plus years, then you could potentially get some benefit from buying rather than renting.

Original article by By Daniel Indiviglio, The Atlantic

Get ready to head out of your apartment in Lexington Park, MD and enjoy a  weekend of fun in Leonardtown.  “First Fridays” events will commence with a special on August 5th to kick-off Leonardtown’s “Beach Party on the Square” event the next day.   This celebration of “First Fridays” will be a great evening of art, entertainment, food, and specials.  Live music on the Square will feature the talented Yeh Jazz Trio and the swinging Pax Rats.  At 7:30 PM, a gift drawing will take place in the Town Square. 

Tickets for the drawings are free; just stop by any participating Leonardtown Business Association member’s place of business.   Winners must be present to collect their prize.  Each first Friday of the month, the Leonardtown Business Association celebrates “First Fridays” between the hours of 5 PM – 8 PM.

A new activity to the Beach Party this year is the Running of the Balls, presented as a cooperative effort between the Leonardtown Rotary Club and the Lexington Park Rotary Club.  The balls are released at 7 PM on Fenwick Street Hill.  Get your prepaid balls from any Leonardtown or Lexington Park Rotary member or at the Beach Party event.

For great family fun, check out Leonardtown’s “BEACH PARTY on the Square" event on Saturday, August 6th from 4 PM – 9 PM.   This action-packed event is sure to boast a good time for all!   Highlights include the fantastic tunes of “The 25th Hour Band”, a performance by Xtreme Athletics, line-dancing, Zumba dance, a strolling minstrel, magic and illusions by Super Magic Man, Reggie Rice, and the amazing ENF Kids’ Jam, who will tout the principles of our environment thru singing, acting and dancing!

It is National Grilling and Hot Dog month and if you live in an apartment in Lexington Park, MD, this is a great excuse to grab the neighbors and get outdoors. Light up the grills at Abberly Crest and see how many different kinds of dogs you can grill up. There is nothing more synonymous with summer than the all-American hot dog.

Here are some recipe ideas:

For some, there are strong feelings about preparation before you even think of dressing it. Grilling them is a favorite for many, they say this is the only way to eat a hot dog.

There are those hot dog aficionados that only steam. Steaming allows you to introduce some nice flavors. You can use water, but steaming with a flavored or a hearty micro-brewed beer can produce a great result.

But really, the culinary creativity comes in the form of toppings. There are countless varieties out there, so embrace the challenge to look past mustard, ketchup and relish.

Some other topping alternatives to consider:

• Dill pickle and cucumber spears, sliced tomatoes, sweet pickle relish, pickled peppers, diced onion and yellow mustard. Sprinkle with celery salt (some know this one as the Chicago dog).
• BLT Dog — bacon bits, lettuce, tomatoes and mayonnaise.
• Barbecue sauce and french fried onion strings.
• Guacamole and salsa.
• Smear the bun with cream cheese and top with grilled onions (the Seattle dog).
• A mix of chopped black and green olives.
• A generous spoonful of baked beans and some crushed tortilla chips.
• Chili and cheese.

If you live in an apartment in Lexington Park, MD, luckily you don’t have yard work to do this weekend. So, if you are looking for some things to do, here are some events in Southern Maryland.

St. Mary’s County is Maryland’s first colony. Discover a 17th-century “city,” climb to the top of a Potomac River lighthouse, view a beautiful Tidewater sunset.  Shop and dine in historic Leonardtown or take a crab feast cruise on the Chesapeake Bay.

The La Plata Summer Concert Series takes place tonight and every Friday night. This event is held at the La Plata Town Hall, 305 Queen Anne Street from 7 – 9p. Throughout the summer there is a live concert every Friday night with a play area for children. Concessions are also sold; bring a lawn chair or blankets.

Moving to a new area is never an easy task, but if you’re looking for an apartment in Lexington Park, MD, Abberly Crest could be your new home. Located in Southern Maryland, Lexington Park is located right near Pawtuxent Naval Base and St. Mary’s College.

Located on the Western Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, this area is famous for our seafood. Steamed crab, crab cakes and oysters top the list of our favorites. However, one of our most traditional dishes is “stuffed Ham” with cabbage, kale and onion and spices. If you’re relocating to the Naval Base, Andrews Air Force Base or the Willows Run Business Park, be sure to try this delicious meal when you visit!

Lexington Park in seaside St. Mary's County is one of the nation's fastest-growing "micropolitan" areas,  largely on the strength of military growth. Southern Maryland is the fast-growing area in Maryland, and a very desirable bedroom community for people who work in DC. So come visit or give us a call. The staff at Abberly Crest would like to give you more information.

With Lyme disease cases on the rise, the staff at Abberly Crest wants you to be well informed in regards to this disease. Detected early, Lyme disease can be cured by antibiotics. Cases that go untreated or are not treated early enough may result in chronic symptoms, including fatigue, joint pain, facial nerve paralysis and other neurological problems.

1. Do not think that Lyme disease is only prevalent in New England. Maryland is a current hot spot. Diagnoses are increasing in the state every year.
2. Lyme disease makes up 90 percent of tick-borne illnesses in the United States. More cases of Lyme disease are reported than any other vector-borne disease in the United States.
3.  1000’s of cases were diagnosed in Maryland in 2009 (the last year stats were available). Nationwide, 38,000 people contracted it.
4. Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria carried by the deer tick, called borrelia burgdorferi. It is transmitted by a deer tick, which begins about the size of a poppy seed. If that tick feeds on you for three days, it will approach the size of a "dog" tick.
5.  Left untreated, 60 percent of the people infected with Lyme disease will develop arthritis, as well as many other symptoms and conditions. Caught early, antibiotics may kill it off entirely.

So close to our Nation’s Capital and the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, what is the Fourth of July without fireworks? The Fourth of July is about our nation’s independence, and fireworks add to the celebration, they are the piece de resistance. Where can you find fireworks in Southern Maryland? At Abberly Crest we’re glad you asked!

Chesapeake Beach—July 3rd at dusk, right in front of the Rod-n-Reel located. It’s the largest fireworks show on the bay!

Solomons  Fireworks—July 4th at dusk. This show can be viewed from the Riverwalk.

Hollywood Volunteer Fire Dept.—July 3rd On Route 235 just north of the Leonardtown. The family event starts at 11 am. The live band, No Green Jelly Beenz, starts at 7 pm, and the fireworks start at dusk. The band will resume after the fireworks until 11 pm.

Have a happy and safe Fourth of July from everyone at Abberly Crest Apartment Homes.

This Saturday at Annmarie Garden in Solomons, from 12-3 is the Tobacco Trail Antique & Classic Car Meet. The 36th Annual Meet is the main event of the National Capital Region (NCR) of the Antique Automobile Club of America.  This meet showcases more than 100 antique and classic cars that serve as a touchstone to the past and brings to life these classic works of art that once ruled the highways.

During the Tobacco Trail Meet, the automobiles will be judged and awards and trophies will be given to in numerous categories.  The awards ceremony is at 2:00pm.  The event also includes family activities and food vendors.  Don't miss this wonderful event that celebrates the automobile as art!

Registration is open to ALL vehicles 1986 and older - including for the first time Street Rods, Kit Cars, and Modified Vehicles.  There are even cars here from 1916 and older. The NCR includes the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Northern Virginia.

This is a rain or shine event!