This installment of Mind Your Business focuses on homeownership opportunities – tips, incentives, and the chance to ask industry experts the questions you need answered.

Imagine yourself in your own space – one you can renovate and reconfigure at will. A space where you decide how much noise is too much noise, and instead of paying rent you’re investing and building equity.

If you’ve ever been interested in buying a space of your own but aren’t sure where to begin, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Schedule

8:45 am // Doors open to attendees

 

9:00 am – 9:15 am // Introductory remarks

Will Backstrom (PNC), Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, and Laura Gamble (PNC)
 

9:15 am // Incentives to Buying a House in Baltimore

Steve Gondol, Executive Director, Live Baltimore – Download
 

9:40 am // Obtaining a Mortgage

Ashley Ball, Mortgage Loan Officer and Mortgage Services Advisor, PNC – Download
 

10:05 am // Using a Realtor

Liz Etzel, Real Estate Consultant, Keller Williams Realty Download
Chi Yan, Realtor, Keller Williams Realty
 

10:30 am // The City’s Vacants to Value Program

Julie Day, Deputy Commissioner of Baltimore Housing in the Land Resources Division – Download
Ken Strong, Deputy Commissioner of Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development, Division of Green, Healthy and Sustainable Homes which includes the Office of Homeownership
 

10:55 am // Tax Benefits to Buying and Working in a Home

Bob Snyder, Attorney & Chair of the Tax Practice Group, Thomas & Libowitz – Download
 

11:20 am // Benefits to living and working in one of the city’s 3 Arts and Entertainment Districts

Pamela Dunne, Program Director for Community Arts Development, Arts and Entertainment Districts, Maryland State Arts Council – Download
 

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm // Lunch and networking in Charles Theater lobby

Downloads

1. Seminar Schedule
2. Resources for New Residents – Steve Gondol
3. Obtaining a Mortgage Presentation – Ashley Ball
4. Using a Realtor – Liz Etzel and Chi Yan
5. Vacants to Value Presentation – Julie Day and Ken Strong
6. Tax benefits to buying and working in a home – Bob Snyder
7. Benefits to living and working in one of the city’s 3 Arts and Entertainment Districts Presentation – Pamela Dunne

Partners

Brought to you by Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, PNC Bank, What Weekly, City of Baltimore, Vacants to Value, Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance, Station North, Bromo Tower and Highlandtown Arts and Entertainment Districts, Live Baltimore, Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, Social Enterprise Alliance, AIA Baltimore, Jubilee Baltimore, St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center, MICA Career Development, Neighborhood Housing Services of Baltimore, Maryland Art Place, Maryland State Arts Council, The Charles Theater and Joe Squared.

Speakers

Steve Gondol

Executive Director // Live Baltimore

Steve Gondol is the Executive Director of Live Baltimore, a local marketing organization whose mission is to help people find a place that they can call home in Baltimore. We gather resources, simplify information, research money-saving incentives, and offer firsthand knowledge about the city with the goal of cultivating and maintaining thriving neighborhoods. www.Live Baltimore.com is the area’s leading source for this information. Steven’s background in urban planning and interest in city life includes living in cities such as Cleveland, Amsterdam, and Washington DC. A native of the Youngstown, Ohio area, Steven is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelors of Urban Planning degree.  He resides with his family in the Patterson Park Neighborhood.

@LiveBaltimore
 

Ashley Ball

Mortgage Loan Officer and Mortgage Services Advisor // PNC

As a Mortgage Loan Officer and mortgage services advisor in the Greater Baltimore market, Ashley Ball is committed to helping clients achieve their homeownership goals by understanding each unique financial situation and providing lending solutions specifically for immediate or long term needs. Ashley is an expert in the Greater Baltimore market and has years of experience making the borrowing process as simple and convenient as possible for her clients. Ashley is dedicated to serving your unique needs and answering all questions along the way. She knows the business inside and out and can help you find the right financial solutions for your life. Ashley is a proud Baltimore City native. She has been involved in many ventures in local arts for the last 25 years, music and theater being two of her greatest passions. Ashley is very excited to be a part of Mind Your Business.

PNC Bank Facebook
 

Liz Etzel

Real Estate Consultant // Keller Williams Realty

Liz Etzel has been assisting buyers and sellers in Baltimore City for over 6 years. She specializes in first-time home buyers, sellers, investors, short-sales and renters. Liz has been a top agent in her Keller Williams office in Baltimore since she started in the business. She’s taken extensive training in all aspects of Real Estate to ensure that she can be the best possible agent she can be to her clients. Liz knows the city inside and out and can provide a wealth of knowledge about different neighborhoods to clients who are relocating or clients who already live in Baltimore. Liz is fantastic at really listening to the specific needs of each and every client so that there is no time wasted when the buying or selling process begins. Liz treats every client like they are her number one priority and it shows. She prides herself on the constant stream of repeat business and referrals given to her by past clients. Liz is constantly striving to be on the top of her Real Estate game and she does everything with a smile.
 

Chi Yan

Realtor // Keller Williams Realty

Born in Hong Kong, Chi Yan and his family immigrated to the United States back in April 1983 and settled in Baltimore City.  His parents opened up a Chinese food restaurant with the help of family members later that year, and this is where he learned the value of customer service in a very early age.   After graduating in 1997 with a bachelors’ degree in Business Administration at University of Baltimore, he worked at Elite Title, Inc for over eleven years clearing titles, judgments and performed hundreds of settlements with home owners and home buyers.  Chi passed his real estate license exam and has been a full time real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty Baltimore since 2009.   With over 15 years of experience in real estate, he has helped many first time home buyers to purchase their first properties in Baltimore.  As a top selling agent in Keller Williams, Chi has served in the Agent Leadership Committee for the past 2 years.   He is a preferred agent at Live Baltimore.  Chi and his wife have been living in Patterson Park since July 2007 where he helped organized the Patterson Park Home Tour for the past two years.   He served as vice president for the Patterson Park Neighborhood Association.  He also helped organized the Johns Hopkins bus home tour with the Southeast Community Development Corporation.   A proud father of a 10 month old daughter named Victoria (YaYa).   Chi is ready to help you to fulfill your real estate dream.

@ChiYanBaltimore
 

Julie Day

Deputy Commissioner // Baltimore Housing in the Land Resources Division

Julie Day is the Deputy Commissioner of Baltimore Housing for the Land Resources Division. She manages the staff responsible for acquisition, asset management, and disposition of city owned properties. She is a key member of the leadership team of Vacants to Value, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s blight elimination initiative. Julie joined Baltimore Housing nearly twenty years ago as a staff attorney and served as Director of the Code Enforcement Legal Section for several years prior to her current assignment. She is a native Baltimorean, a member of the Maryland bar, and a lifelong Orioles fan.

Vacants to Value Facebook
 

Ken Strong

Deputy Commissioner // Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development, Division of Green, Healthy and Sustainable Homes which includes the Office of Homeownership

Ken Strong is the Deputy Commissioner, Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development, Division of Green, Healthy and Sustainable Homes which includes the Office of Homeownership. In previous positions with Baltimore City, Mr. Strong served as the Chair of the Baltimore City Planning Commission, Division Chief-State’s Attorney’s Office, Head – Bureau of Solid Waste, Recycling Coordinator, Safety Division Chief – Department of Transportation, Director of Energy Efficient Homes, and Director of the Office of Homeownership. Outside City government, Mr. Strong served as Deputy Director – Advocates for Children and Youth, Executive Director – South East Community Organization, President – Southeast Development Inc.; Director of Research and Policy – Community Law Center, and Urban Affairs Director – Center for Urban Environmental Studies. In his civic work, Mr. Strong was a founding board member of the Community Law Center, Mayor’s Liaison to Baltimore’s “Save Our Cities” March, Election Day Coordinator – Handgun Control Campaign, Board President – The GreenMount School, and a graduate of the Greater Baltimore Committee Leadership Program. Ken lives in the Beverly Hills neighborhood of northeast Baltimore with his wife Sandee and their daughter Jasmine … and their dog Abbey.

Vacants to Value Facebook
 

Bob Snyder

Attorney & Chair of the Tax Practice Group // Thomas & Libowitz

Mr. Snyder is the chair of the tax practice group for Thomas & Libowitz. This practice area involves federal and state tax research, advice, and planning for the firm’s clients in a variety of areas ranging from joint ventures and business transactions to real estate and personal tax matters for individuals. It also includes the representation of clients at all administrative levels of the Internal Revenue Service and before the United States Court. Before joining Thomas & Libowitz, Mr. Snyder was a partner with Weinberg & Green for thirteen years and served for several years on the firm’s Executive Committee. During his career, he has represented some of the largest privately held companies in the country in mergers, acquisitions, structuring tax motivated transactions and providing federal and state tax advice and planning for the companies and their owners. Mr. Snyder was a key player in structuring the transaction resulting in the most recent purchase of the Baltimore Ravens.
 

Pamela Dunne

Program Director for Community Arts Development, Arts and Entertainment Districts, Individual Artist Awards // Maryland State Arts Council

Pamela Dunne has served on the staff of the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) for twenty years, three as Assistant Director where she oversaw all grants and programs for the Council with direct responsibility for MSAC’s flagship Grants for Organizations Program and the Maryland Cultural Data Project. Previously, as Arts Education Program Director, her responsibilities included the Arts in Education (AiE) Artist in Residence Program, AiE Visiting Performers Program, Teaching Artist Institute, Maryland Artist Teacher Institute and Poetry Out Loud as well as Program Director for Children’s Events and Literature and liaison to statewide and national arts education partnerships. Pamela currently serves the Arts Council as Program Director for Arts and Entertainment Districts, Community Arts Development and Individual Artist Awards.

Maryland State Arts Council Facebook

 

 

If you have any questions, please email us.