Category Blogs I Follow

Thanks to L. K. Benson for sharing this blog about taxes and more financial news.

It’s Almost Tax Time

We are hard at work preparing for another busy tax filing season. If you are a tax client, you will be receiving an email from us soon. It will outline our normal processes and procedures.

New Retirement Savings Bill

We first told you about a new retirement savings bill that had overwhelming bipartisan support back in July 2021. It took Congress far too long, but they finally passed the legislation, dubbed the SECURE Act 2.0, in late December. It might not have the same level of impact as the original SECURE Act, but there are a significant number of changes. these include another delay to the RMD start date, increased Roth options, and much more. Chris has a summary of som...

Thanks to Clean Sweep for this episode of Tips from the Pros on common chimney issues that can come up during a home sale.

When you are preparing to help your buyers and sellers make any home transaction, the inspections are often one of the most important parts. If buyers find out about an issue that will take thousands of dollars to fix, it could compromise the entire sale. Scheduling a chimney inspection ahead of time is one way to avoid this. What are some of the most common chimney problems that can pop up as your sellers list their homes?

Creosote Accumulation

Creosote is a dangerous substance that naturally accumulates in chimneys as fires are lit. When creosote is present in a client’s chimney it does not necessarily mean that they did anything wrong...

Need a last-minute gift? Thanks to the University of Maryland/Maryland Grows for this blog. This article suggests holiday gift ideas for gardeners.

Can you hear them? Tiny little elves are softly singing carols. The holidays must be around the corner.

Need Gifts?

If you’re scratching your head for gift ideas for the gardeners in your life, the Master Gardeners and I can help. Here are a few suggestions to make smiles wider and green thumbs greener.

Tools are cool. Yes, we say we really don’t need yet another tool. We lie. Our eyes light up at the flash of steel and the smoothness of a wooden handle. 

A Hori Hori soil knife – a multipurpose tool with a serrated edge and slight curve that digs, plants, cuts, weeds, and more – is a perennial favorite.

Thanks to L. K. Benson for sharing this blog about retirement planning.

Retirement Planning

Webster’s dictionary defines retirement as “a withdrawal from one’s position or occupation or from active working life.” For generations past, that was probably a pretty accurate description of retirement. You worked hard, often for one company, got your gold watch, retirement dinner, and your pension, and then lived a life of leisure (typically not for too many years after retirement). 

But today, our perspective on retirement has changed dramatically. Most Americans no longer have a company pension to rely on in retirement. The average life expectancy for a male did not increase to over age 65 until the 1950s. Now it is close to age 80...

Thanks to the University of Maryland/Maryland Grows this informative article about getting to know your local mantis.

Q:  I’ve heard that not all of our praying mantis types are native. They’re all good for garden pest control though, right, or are some bad instead?

A:  Maryland is currently home to five species of praying mantis, but only one is native, which is the Carolina Mantis. The others are the European, Chinese, Narrow-winged, and Asian Jumping Mantids, with the latter being the most recent introduction...

Thanks to Clean Sweep for this episode of Tips from the Pros about choosing the best wood for your fireplace.

Choosing the Best Wood

After you’ve scheduled your fall fireplace and chimney maintenance, your chimney will be clean and ready for warm evening fires and safely enjoying time with friends and family. However, the small choices that you make every day can impact how quickly dangerous creosote builds up. What wood should you choose for your fireplace?

You Must Use Dry, Seasoned Firewood

When you cut down a tree in the backyard, it’s tempting to immediately repurpose it as firewood. However, that is not a good idea. Because trees are living things, they contain up to 45% water immediately after being cut down...

Thanks to the University of Maryland/Maryland Grows this informative article about trying to figure out what’s digging holes in the lawn.

Damage in the yard

With the transition into the Fall season, I often find myself feeling a mixture of emotions. I feel relief, that another growing season is coming to an end; sadness, that it went too fast; and excitement for what the next year will bring! I am sure that our animal friends also sense the need to prepare for the changing seasons. As such, over the last few days, I’ve been seeing some damage happening in my yard from an uninvited guest! 

Can you guess what caused this digging of the grass? This occurred in two different areas of my lawn over the course of a week...

Thanks to Clean Sweep for this episode of Tips from the Pros about common home issues that pop up every October.

October is here and Spooky Season is about to officially kick-off. Unfortunately, our team is not certified to remove ghosts or ghouls from your home. But we can help in a variety of other ways! With that in mind, we’ve decided to outline a few of the most common issues around the house that seem to manifest around this time of year. If you’re currently struggling with any of the following issues, be sure to reach out to the Clean Sweep team for a rapid and thorough response!

Chimney Related Issues

• Creosote. Did your fireplace get extensive usage last winter? If so, there is bound to be a buildup of creosote left behind...

Thanks to the University of Maryland/Maryland Grows this informative article about crapemyrtle woes.

Q:  My crapemyrtle has white stuff on the bark that I’ve never noticed before, though the foliage looks unaffected, if a bit dull lately. I thought these plants were pretty pest-free, so what might this be?

A:  We’ve had a lot of inquiries about this lately. Your plant has Crapemyrtle Bark Scale(CMBS), a non-native insect pest that was discovered in Texas in 2004. It was confirmed in Maryland in 2020. Incidentally, crapemyrtles also can host Crapemyrtle Aphid. And, it’s possible for the two to be infesting a plant simultaneously; their impacts on the plant are similar.

Thanks to Clean Sweep for this episode of Tips from the Pros. This issue is on creosote.

All realtors know to make sure the HVAC system is working to perfection and the caulk in the bathtub is touched up. However, many totally gloss over one of the most potentially dangerous parts of the home: the chimney. Over time, even well-maintained chimneys can accumulate creosote build-up on the inside. Unfortunately, home inspectors are generally looking for obvious signs of wear and damage during the chimney portion of their examination. That means that any creosote build-ups outside of the naked eye may be glossed over altogether. Naturally, that doesn’t make creosote buildup any less dangerous.

Creosote 101

Creosote is a flammable and dangerous buildup that accumulates on the insid...