Buying into Baltimore 2010

Homebuying Fair & Neighborhood Tours

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2010 Dates

WEST - May 8, 2010

EAST - September 11, 2010

How does the program work?

• All activities are free and open to the public.
• The event consists of homeownership education sessions, exhibits and neighborhood tours.
• Education sessions consist of 45 minute workshops beginning at 9:00am on topics such as Applying for a Mortgage, Finding a Home in Baltimore City, Renovating a Home, and Baltimore City Homeownership Incentives.
• Visit with exhibitors such as mortgage lenders, real estate agents, title companies, new construction development, homeownership counselors, neighborhood associations, etc.

Neighborhood Tours: Guided or Self-Driven?

Tours have been designed to show you many hidden neighborhood highlights; they will introduce you to different neighborhoods of Baltimore City and provide you with detailed neighborhood information and history.

Guided Tours

• View a variety of neighborhoods and homes, ranging in style, price and geographic location - all with the ease of someone else doing the driving.
• There are four individual home tours. Each tour will have four departure times, which begin at approximately 10am and the last departing at approximately 1pm.
• Each narrated tour stops at four sample homes for sale.  At each home, your ticket will be stamped (proving that you participated in event).
• Tours are narrated to provide first-hand knowledge of the area.
• Event registration does not guarantee seats on any of the guided tours. However, every effort will be made to accommodate your choice.
• You must sign up for each guided bus tour individually on the day of the event after you’ve officially checked in and registered on site.

Self-Driven Tours

• You are welcome to drive the tour routes yourself. Maps will be provided.
• Maps and driving directions will be available at 10am the day of the event at the “City of Baltimore” table in the exhibit area.
• Be sure to visit at least four (4) of the 16 homes on the tour and get your Award Ticket stamped to qualify for the $3,000 award.

What are the fair boundaries?

The fairs are split between the Western and Eastern regions of the City via a virtual vertical line running through the city, North to South. The boundary is not a straight line so as not to split any neighborhood in areas.

Boundary dividing line:

Starting from the North (Baltimore City/Baltimore County Line)...

• Head south on Charles St.
• To west on 29th St.
• To south on Howard St.
• To west on Camden St.
• To east on Russell St. and continue to County Line

Is my house on the East or West side of the boundary?

If you have a home in mind and want to know if it qualifies for the West or East side, use an online mapping application, like I-map, to plot the address and compare its location to the boundary line.

How do I get the $3,000 award?

Bring your validated/stamped ticket, signed contract of sale & photo ID to Baltimore Housing, Office of Homeownership (417 E. Fayette St. Suite 1125 - contact info will be on ticket). You will be eligible for the award funds if all of the following conditions are met:

• A housing counseling certificate is required before a commitment letter for award funds will be issued. Counseling must be completed prior to signing a contract of sale. We urge you to get this housing counseling as soon as you can; it must be completed BEFORE signing the sales contract. Click here for a list of housing counseling agencies.
• You are one of the first 50 people to submit the validated home tour ticket, valid homeownership counseling certificate, and signed contract of sale to the City's Homeownership Office.
• You must use this home as your primary residence.
• You close on your new home within 90 days from the event date. Contracts signed prior to May 9, 2009 will not be eligible for the award funds.
• Your property is within the fair boundaries.
• Your mortgage amount cannot exceed $417,000.
• You are encouraged to use a Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac approved lender.
• You must invest a minimum of $1,000 from personal funds/resources.
• The award is secured by a Deed of Trust written for a five-year term; the payback obligation reduces 20% for each year of occupancy and is released after the five year period.
• Purchase contracts must be signed and dated after the “Buying into Baltimore” event, not before. Contracts signed prior to the event date will not be accepted.
• Questions? Call Baltimore Housing’s Office of Homeownership directly at 410.396.3124.

Are only the sample homes for sale on the tour eligible for the $3,000 award?

The sample homes for sale on the tours qualify, but the award eligibility is not limited to the featured houses. As long as the property you wish to purchase is within the fair boundaries (West of boundaries applicable for West Fair, East of boundaries for East Fair) and is under the $417,000 price limitation, that home is eligible for the award funds.

I have a home for sale. Can I get it to be included on the tour?

• Real Estate Agents can email the MLS listing to house@livebaltimore.com.
• The property must be listed on the Metropolitan Regional Information Systems (MRIS) to be considered.
• Live Baltimore cannot guarantee any properties being included on the tours.
• Live Baltimore visits homes and makes final decisions on which homes are chosen.
• Homes to be featured on the tours will not be disclosed to the public until the day of the event.

Want to Volunteer?

If you are interested in volunteering for Buying into Baltimore, please email info@livebaltimore.com or call 410.637.3750.