Simply Bowie March Issue

MARCH 2021

The Ultimate Realtor®

India Hall focuses on the ultimate customer service and relationship experience when serving clients.

From Old To New

AMAZING Home Renovation Projects

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March 2021

KA-CHING!!

ATTENTION HOMEOWNERS: If you’ve been thinking about selling your home, listing it with me NOW will get you the most money! Here’s why:

There is an influx of buyers in our low inventory market which means more offers on your home. With more competition, buyers act fast and are willing to pay more. Bidding wars are common.

Record low interest rates generate more buyers.

Buyers can afford to pay more for a home which means the purchase price can be higher yet the monthly payment can remain low.

My non-traditional marketing plan is tailored to get your home the most exposure to attract the most buyers while keeping your family safe and your daily life with minimal disruption.

Call or Text 301-686-5857 ANYTIME or go to www.MyPGCoH ome.com for your current home value in 15 seconds!

India Hall

E E R F

MSAC, RENE, ABR

The Ultimate REALTOR®

Office: 301-352-4065 4201 Mitchellville Road, Suite 401, Bowie, Maryland 20716

Providing 5-Star Real Estate Services in Maryland & Washington, DC 2

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March 2021

Lic#582593 (MD) | Lic#SP200205324 (DC)

All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

If your home is currently listed, please disregard.

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Table of

CONTENTS 6 PUBLISHER’S CORNER 7 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR This Is Home

Sanctuary

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THE 5-STAR REAL ESTATE EXPERIENCE

The Ultimate Realtor® - India Hall, MSAC, RENE, ABR - focuses on the ultimate customer service and relationship experience when serving her clients.

MILLENNIAL HOMEBUYING TRENDS

These Millennial homeowners share their stories.

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March 2021

18 FROM OLD TO NEW

Home renovation projects that have wowed us.

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FEELS LIKE HOME

Our favorite uniquely designed spots in your home.

27 LOCKLOCK BAKED GOODS

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Authentic Filipino baked goods homemade with love.

SECURE YOUR INFORMATION

How to protect yourself when you are online.

35 SIMPLY HAPPENING

Here’s what is going on around town.

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PUBLISHER & PRESIDENT Veronica Fountain Veronica@simplymagazines.net EDITOR IN CHIEF Alyson Turner Alyson@simplymagazines.net CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jaylin Ward Lauryn Forbes Alyson Turner

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CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Veronica Fountain RJ Pulk

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LAYOUT & AD DESIGN Natthaphon Foithong ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Veronica Fountain Veronica@simplymagazines.net 5

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March 2021

THIS IS

HOME

PUBLISHER’S CORNER

My absolute favorite place in my home is my kitchen. I love to cook for family and friends and welcome everyone here. People lucky enough to have a really big kitchen know that it is the best room in the house for their families as they all gather there together.

March is our Simply Bowie “Home Issue”, where we cover the “most popular rooms in your homes” that are beautiful and unique. What is your favorite room in your house? Check out these fantastic spaces; the music room, the library, the cigar or wine room, art room and more.

We are also having discussions with Millennials on the home buying process since they are now the fastest growing segment of home buyers. Meet some of our local Millennials that have recently purchased, and view a few homes that have been through some gorgeous Before and After remodeling projects.

Veronica Fountain President & Publisher

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If there was one really interesting perk that came out of the last year, it is the amazing ways that people have transformed their homes into their offices, their entertainment venues, their schools and so much more.

In our “Home” issue, we hope you enjoy some amazing stories of renovation projects, the 5-star real estate experience, unique rooms, an at-home bakery, and how to protect yourself while spending so much time online.

Thanks for bringing us into your home, Bowie. As always, we wouldn’t be here without all of you!

Light & Kindness

Alyson Turner Editor In Chief

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YOUR SANCTUARY

If there is one thing that we have learned over the past year it is that our homes can truly be our safe haven. When the first lockdowns began, we had no way of knowing how much time we would really be spending at home.

YOUR HOME IS

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Real

The

5

Estate Experience

Star

Article By Alyson Turner Photography By RJ Pulk

The Ultimate Realtor® India Hall, MSAC, RENE, ABR - focuses on the ultimate customer service and relationship experience when serving her clients.

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March 2021

passion. I have a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Accounting.

As I climbed the corporate ladder in Accounting, I realized I was not completely fulfilled. I really thought the corporate arena was my destination, but there were some hard spots for me. I could not be completely creative at the level my heart desired. I could not fully grow a business that was in line with my personal vision. I was unable to reach and serve all the people that I wanted to reach and serve. Then, one day, it hit me. Real Estate was my true calling.

It was the one thing that completely fulfilled me. So, I decided that I would do real estate all the time. I left my 6-figure salary making over a quarter of a million dollars a year to start my own real estate business. I have a vision of serving many clients and reaching and teaching many people about the power of real estate. Every day that I get to do this, I realize more and more that I am living in my purpose. As I continue my journey, I see myself being the best me that I can be,” India says, “I am continually developing into this amazing person and I love who I am. I also love my clients and I invest in them. I do all these things for my happiness and to touch people’s lives because I feel like I need to connect with people and educate them and help them to build wealth and succeed as part of my life’s purpose. For me, it is the perfect blend of my Accounting and Real Estate backgrounds and it feels good.”

As an Accountant, I worked for money. I do not work in Real Estate for money. Yes, I want to get paid my value and paid for my knowledge and experience, but I do not work one real estate transaction just to get paid. I really, genuinely enjoy what I do.

Get to know The Ultimate Realtor® Meet India Hall, The Ultimate Realtor®. India supports buyers, sellers, and investors with residential real estate resales as well as new construction. India is known as The Ultimate Realtor® for a host of reasons. She is well versed in her knowledge of real estate, she uses non-traditional methods to enhance results for her clients, she has an extensive financial background that adds value to the real estate transaction, and her magnetic personality and relationship building focus with her clients are a few things that make her successful. When you meet India, you will immediately see that she has a captivating personality.

Her burning desire to serve her clients dismantles the traditional, transaction-focused real estate process. India believes that focusing on the relationship with her clients is the key to a successful real estate experience. “I give everything to my clients.

I feel that my clients deserve a 5-star real estate experience. That is my goal, every time,” India tells us. While India is a shining star in the real estate industry, she makes sure that every client is valued as if they are a celebrity and she willingly rolls out the red-carpet treatment for her clients. “My clients get the absolute best of me, all the time, and from every angle. This means that whatever my clients need, I set out to accomplish,” India says.

As a licensed Realtor® for the past 18 years and as the former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for a commercial real estate law firm specializing in community development in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, India knows the industry and how to meet her clients’ needs. “Before becoming a full-time Realtor®, I was Chief Financial Officer for a local real estate law firm and working real estate as a dual career. Accounting is my original 10

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The Red Carpet India possesses dynamic qualities that set her apart and enable her to successfully procure the goals of the buyers and sellers she serves. When working with India, clients can first expect an in-depth, 30-minute consultation. “I start each client connection with a consultation. During this time, I share with my clients a bit about myself. I talk about my background so that my clients know who they are working with. I describe how I work and what my clients can expect from me. I set the tone up front. I also get to know my clients. I ask them specifically to share their dreams, their goals, everything they are looking to accomplish, and the reason why they have reached out to me. Why have we made this connection? As they share, I am listening with an extended ear,” India says, “I am trying to find the depth in what they are saying. Someone may say ‘I really want to move “here”’ and I ask them, ‘Why do you want to move, what does this area offer you?’ I get people who want to shift because they are growing their family, they want a different school system, or they want to be close to other family members, but they may not mention any of that directly. I aim to discover the reasons behind the move to best meet the needs of my client. After discoveries are made, together with my client, we will set a strategy. The process begins from there,” India says.

Whether the price point is $100,000 or $1,000,000, India knows how to make the right moves to best benefit her clients. “I don’t push a wrong contract because it doesn’t make sense. I want my clients to have the best experience. It is not about selling fast all the time. It is not about knowing the whole history of the place March 2021

or the location. It is all about innovation and connecting the right buyers with the right sellers. You must know the habits of people, you must know what people are thinking on a daily basis, you have to know what brings them anxiety and what their goals are,” India says, “Some people don’t want to be rushed and you have to be able to make them comfortable. In a real estate transaction, there are many things that you cannot control, but you can get ahead of it. I try to anticipate any loopholes to ensure my clients a positive experience.”

Through the real estate transaction, India gets to know her clients well. She focuses on building a relationship with her clients. “The best part about this for me is to get to know my clients. I want my clients to get to know me in the process as well. I talk about my life and my daughter who has an intellectual disability but is making major accomplishments. With every client that I have had, we build relationships, we talk about our lives or current events. I think it’s important to let people know we are all human and human interaction is necessary.”

Another part of India’s “5 Star Real Estate Experience” is to ensure that clients are getting the absolute best treatment, education and understanding during the process. India’s background in accounting gives her an advantage in real estate. Instead of just helping her clients buy or sell a house, India also works to “empower clients to build wealth through real estate.” India says, “The way to build [wealth] is you have to be non-traditional in your actions meaning that you cannot do what the majority does.

You must be different. Being different means navigating against the grain. This way you will be more apt to earn the results that you want.”

“I am smart and solution oriented. I push the limits for my clients, you get that standard with me. You also get a person that is going to strategize your next effort. If you are a seller looking to buy a next house, I am going to listen. I treat all my clients the same. No matter the price point, my customer service is the same. My clients will always feel special.”

Behind the Scenes Strategies for Buyers “Buyers usually don’t know what real estate agents truly do. We are behind the scenes working to get everything done. I work with title companies to ensure that clean title is transferred from owner to buyer. I work with home inspectors who provide an assessment of the condition of the property. I work with appraisers, ordered by the lender, who provide a professional value of the property. And most importantly, I work with lenders.

For a non-cash transaction, lenders are the key to any deal. The lender is so important to the experience because I can find a client a home but if they don’t have the funding, there is no deal.

Although buyers can use any lender of their choice, I have a rotation of preferred lenders. I pair my clients with lenders based on what they need. There are three ‘need’ categories that dominate this market - First Time Home Buyers who need down payment assistance, Technical & Innovative Lending for clients who don’t need down payment assistance such as VA clients, corporate clients, or even just my busy clients who need 11

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an efficient lender, and Solution-Based Lending for clients with challenging financial profiles. Lenders are not one size fits all.”

“I do all sorts of non-traditional things for my clients to get the best results. I have buyer clients right now who really want to be in a particular community, and I have done so many out-of-thebox things to help them reach their goal. I posted their wedding photo on a neighborhood forum asking those who live in their desired neighborhood and have what they are looking for to call me. We want their house! I would do this for myself so why not do this for a client? I treat each real estate transaction like it is my own,” she tells us, “This is a relationship business. I want to have a happy client. My goal is to get my clients what they want, to make them completely happy and to make sure that we have a relationship afterwards. I let my clients know that I work with integrity and that they can completely trust me.

The Model Home Method Marketing Plan for Sellers The way that India presents homes to the market on behalf of a seller is a strategy that she calls ‘The Model Home Method’.

“After the initial consultation and being hired by a seller-client, my first step in benefiting a seller is to provide unsurpassed exposure for their home by syndicating it on over 1,000 search engines and consumer websites nationwide as well as all major social media platforms. My listings average about 97,000 views from my advertising campaigns alone. This does not even include the syndicated exposure. My listings reach the other side of the country. I have had sellers obtain buyers relocating

March 2021

from other time zones because the buyer saw and loved the seller’s property from the online presentation.”

“With this maximum exposure, I ensure that the best images of the home are presented. I have my professional photographer come in and take high-definition photos. I have my professional videographer come in and capture the beauty of the property in motion. I have had clients love the video of their home so much they were in tears after seeing it. That is how powerful video is. I do video in two ways depending on the needs of the property.

I do an animated flow of the property with soothing theme music like you would see with a model home. The other video is called a Matterport – this is basically a 3D digital imaging of your home where you can go room by room and see the details of the home. Since we are in this COVID environment, this type of video can also help get buyers from far away or those not able to see the home in person”, India tells us.

strategy, we listed her home for the highest comp.

We received multiple offers and with me as the negotiator, the seller ended up with an offer of $591,000. That was $31k over the list price. So even though the market or the highest comp said the price was $560,000, I pushed for the best price we could possibly get,” India says.

Empowering Clients to Build Wealth

“I have my clients tell me what attracted them to the property and why they bought it. Then, I intertwin their comments with what I see are the benefits and value of the property to create a powerful description of the property that will make a buyer fall in love. I also do a full color model home portfolio brochure, not just a basic home flyer. I am extremely detail oriented. I offer advice on furniture placement, home orientation and professional staging, if necessary. I provide my sellers with a net sheet so that they will know how much money they will profit on the sale of their home. I do not offer my sellers anything less and every day I am improving my processes for the benefit of my clients”, India says.

India shared with us an example of her non-traditional methods to build wealth that she openly shares with her clients.

“Traditionally, when a couple starts a family everyone worries about saving for a college education. Most people start a savings account or invest in a 529 Savings Plan. My advice is to say no to that or make that a secondary option and not the primary option. If you can invest, you should invest in real estate.

Real estate generally increases largely in 3-to-5-year increments.

From the time a child is born to college age is 18 to 20 years, you have at least 4 increments of market increase during a child’s lifespan from birth to college. The birth of a child is a prime reason to purchase real estate. Use this opportunity to build wealth and set your child’s life up so that they are debt-free as adults. You can purchase real estate as a primary residence or secondary property. When you purchase a secondary property, rent it out. In the beginning the cash flow may be low or even at a breakeven point depending on what you buy. Over time the rental prices go up and you are using that cash flow to maintain the property. It is like the stock market in that your investment will need some time to grow. But real estate is more certain than stocks,” India says.

In addition to keep tracking of the entire process, India goes above and beyond for her clients. “I can sell a house in 1 day, 3 days, 5 days. A house is valued at whatever a buyer is willing to pay. I push all limits. I had a seller and the highest comp [comparable – like or similar property] in her neighborhood was $560,000. As a

India continues to explain what she calls the ‘Buy & Hold’ method. “Keep this property for 18 to 20 years. As real estate values increase, so does the value of your property. In addition, you are paying down the mortgage on this property with rent from your tenant. By the time your child attends college, your

For your 5-Star Real Estate Experience, connect with India Hall today at 301-686-5857 or IndiaHall.com.

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The Season Finale

property should be nearly 2/3 of the way paid off, and remember, the tenant paid this for you. You now have significant equity from both the market increase and the reduction in principle of your loan that a tenant paid. Equity is money. Money is what you need to pay for college. After 18-20 years, you can sell the property to pay for college, or you can continue to hold onto the property and draw a line of credit from it. If you decide to keep it, you can later gift the property to your child once he or she graduates. In summary, you have now financed your child’s college education and gifted them a home to live in. In this process you have successfully set them up and given them a head start on life. You have removed the possibility of your child worrying about debt and student loans and buying a house, all the things we stress over as adults. This allows your child to be a creative being and provides the ability for them to focus on building businesses and thinking of new concepts. We want to encourage our children to build companies like Amazon and Tesla, to have the opportunity to build a creative platform. Other than love, what else better can you give your child than a debt-free education and a home to live in? The real estate ‘Buy & Hold’ method is a wealth strategy to live by. I live by it and I want my clients to be empowered to do the same”, India says.

Overall, India is a realtor who brings value. Not only just buying and selling your home but enhancing the entire real estate experience. “This year, I have decided to gift my clients with a Closing Day present from Tiffany’s [Tiffany & Co]. The real estate experience should be fun and rewarding. I like to reward my clients with something that is classic that they will always remember me by because I genuinely care, and I want them to have a great experience. I am just an everyday person, but I will give my all to my clients.”

Since becoming a full-time Realtor®, India has expanded her family’s “Ultimate” brand into multiple divisions to include The Ultimate Realtor® for real estate sales, The Ultimate Team where she expands her real estate division to build and mentor other real estate professionals to be successful like herself, and The Ultimate Real Estate Group. LLC where she holds her personal real estate investments. India is a force to be reckoned with in the real estate industry.

India’s Vision: Relationships Experience - Results With over 18 years of professional real estate experience, millions of dollars in residential real estate sales, and many satisfied real estate clients, India Hall, also known as The Ultimate Realtor®, has developed an expansive reputation as one of the top real estate professionals in the state of Maryland. India is a graduate of George Mason University with a Bachelor of Science in Integrative Studies and Accounting. India also has a Master of Science in Accounting (MSAC®) from Keller Graduate School of Management.

India is an Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) certified by the Center for Specialized Realtor Education and a Real Estate Negotiation Expert (RENE®) certified by the Real Estate Business Institute. Both organizations are comprised of an elite network of real estate professionals focused on offering buyers and sellers the highest level of client service and business integrity. India serves sellers, buyers, investors and relocators in residential real estate transactions. India’s goal is to provide top notch real estate services to her clients to include educating her clients and getting results. She is a master of her craft.

www.IndiaHall.com

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MILLENNIAL HOME BUYING TRENDS The landscape of buying a home is something that is ever-changing. One age group that is steadily reshaping this landscape is millennials. Born between 1981 and around 1996, millennials make up 38% of homebuyers, according to a report done by the National Association of Realtors. After the financial crisis interrupted the plans of many, this generation is now taking the housing market by storm as they begin to settle down and have families. According to a Real Estate in a Digital Age report, 99% of millennials start their home search online and 58% found their current home on a mobile device. Many also opt to utilize a realtor to make the process run as smoothly as possible.

We spoke to three recent millennial homebuyers who worked with India Hall, The Ultimate Realtor®.

Article By Lauryn Forbes

Domino.com polled first-time Millennial buyers to see which features they could live without if it means a better deal.

“Pass on the Personal Backyard or Balcony It turns out that while mowing the lawn and waving to the neighbors looks nice in films, it’s something buyers are readily leaving behind to fully commit to investing in a place. More than half of those polled said they’d give up a private yard or outdoor space in order to buy within their budget. Another plus: Ditching the outdoors can help narrow your search.

You Don’t Need a New Build In the survey, participants were asked a series of questions in two waves, once in April and again in October. Over those six months, people let go the idea of a shiny new house and embraced finding an older one with character—to the tune of a 12 percent increase in responses to the polls.

Consider Moving Farther Than Across Town You’re about to buy a building! Go big or go home—literally. If you’re willing to shake up your entire life by taking on a mortgage, it might also be worth relocating to a new city. With remote working as the new standard, you don’t need to pay Manhattan rent when you can dial into a Zoom call from Philadelphia instead. Per the report, nearly half of participants agreed, with 41 percent listing transitioning to a more rural area or a new destination as a fair trade-off—a notion that then increased to 46 percent in the second wave of the survey. If there’s any kind of silver lining to the past year, it’s that new owners can catch a place they really want to buy rather than squeezing a small starter option for everything it’s got.”

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LEAVING A LEGACY FOR HER FAMILY As many millennials are, Kimberly Harvey was perfectly content with renting. The ease of exiting a lease is nowhere near as tedious as putting a house on the market. However, her biggest reason for buying a home is because she has a family. As a mother, she acknowledges the importance of creating opportunities for generational wealth. “I [thought], I should really have something that I can hand off to them”, Harvey said.

As for her home buying process, she knew exactly what kind of house she wanted and how much money she wanted to be approved for, but she didn’t really know what her credit should look like to get there. She understood this was the first place she had to start, and the place where she encourages potential homebuyers to focus on. She stressed the importance of getting one’s credit in order before attempting to move forward in the buying process.

“I feel like if you don’t know where you are with your credit, then really you won’t even know where to begin with a realtor,” she said.

Addressing fellow homebuyers, she emphasized that, “whether you’re a millennial or not, older, younger, it doesn’t matter, you definitely should find a great realtor, it’s key”. Her realtor helped bridge the gap between her and the lender, making sure that she understood everything that was being communicated to her. She added that some qualities to look for in a good realtor are good communication skills, honesty, and being able to answer a lot of questions and break things down for their clients.

When it comes to her new home, she is most excited to decorate. She also can’t wait to go outside.

As a self-proclaimed “outdoorsy” person, she loves to plant flowers and can’t wait to create a garden in her new yard.

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A PLACE TO CALL THEIR OWN Longtime Hyattsville residents and partners Yicela Alvarado and William Martinez decided this past October that they wanted to invest in a home. As many other millennials do, they transitioned from renting a place to signing a mortgage, closing on their new home in Riverdale, Maryland in January.

Their reasoning was that they are only paying around $100 more for something that they are working to own.

With the purple line extending into the area and property values rising, Riverdale seemed like the perfect community to invest in property and to live in. “We’re really happy that we’re here is because we’re starting to see the change,” said Alvarado.

It all started with an idea and a Google, and through this Alvarado was connected with home mortgage companies and then to a trusted realtor.

Due to an extremely competitive market, they were not selected to secure the bid to the home they were dead set on.

Although disappointed, they later ended up finding the home of their dreams.

Research, the help of friends, and their realtor really made their home buying process as smooth as possible, with the process only taking two months.

Being younger than many homebuyers gave Alvarado and Martinez the insight to use the internet as a major tool to get their information. “if we don’t know something we just Google it”, Alvarado said.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Alvarado and Martinez often used their space to entertain, and being able to do that again is one of the things they’re looking forward to most in their new house. However, they agree that they’re the most excited about decorating their new place and recreating the fun, positive environment that they often emulated.

The couple wanted to emphasize that while buying a home as a minority may seem like a daunting task, it is important to have a good support system as well as find people to work with that want you to get the home as well. “It’s possible for anyone to have a home,” Martinez said, “Just don’t give up and keep going with the process”.

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FAMILY, FRIENDS & SUCCESS Alvina Stokes was led to the idea of buying a home when she no longer felt the need to keep spending money on leases.

“It got to a certain point where I was tired of leasing homes.

Leasing got very expensive.” Stokes explained. “I just figured okay, well if you look into a mortgage, you’re benefitting from it because it’s yours”. She felt as if she was wasting her money continuing to rent from people when she could invest in something.

Stokes’ new home is a four-level, three-bedroom, twobathroom loft-style townhouse located in an Upper Marlboro community. She purchased her home with the amount of space she needed in mind, as she wanted a home she could entertain guests in, as well as accommodate her family.

From the stories she has heard about buying homes, she believes that her home buying process was smooth sailing and is extremely grateful for it. “The hardest part for me was actually picking my home,” she said. She also didn’t know within which county she wanted to reside, but had no major issues or hiccups in her home buying process.

Stokes is also an upcoming entrepreneur who plans to launch an online clothing store named “Divatude Collection” in Spring 2021. Her new home will accommodate this venture, as she plans to set aside her loft area to make an office and work storage space for her store.

She is most excited to add her personal touch to her home and to decorate it. Additionally, she can’t wait to entertain guests in her new home and simply show it off.

In addressing potential homebuyers, she wants to share the following tips: “Save early, decide what you can afford, strengthen your credit, have patience, and select India Hall the Ultimate Realtor® as your agent”.

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From

OLD To

NEW Check out these gorgeous home renovation projects.

Article By Alyson Turner

This Old House on PBS was one of television’s original home renovation shows that is still going strong today after 30 plus years. Homeowners and home renovation enthusiasts alike love to see the magic of the “Before” and “After”. In this month’s issue, we wanted to share a few local renovation projects that caught our eye.

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KTB CONSULTING & CONSTRUCTING

301.704.3430 A Luxury Bathroom Makeover In Purple

This gorgeous renovation by KTB consulting took this old, cramped bathroom down to the studs and created a luxury feel with a brand-new shower design, shower seat, toilet, sink and cabinet, and deep purple walls. This renovation gives a fresh, clean look that everyone can enjoy.

BEFORE ...

AFTER ...

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— From OLD to NEW —

TAILORCRAFT BUILDERS & SPIRE ARCHITECTURE TailorCraft.com | SpireArch.com

A Family Legacy Just a few years ago, homeowners Nikki & Reid McCargar moved into an old family home built by Nikki’s great-grandfather in 1939. With the help of TailorCraft Builders & SPIRE Architecture, Nikki & Reid are completing an entire renovation while keeping many of the original features done by her greatgrandfather. Recently, they have completed an addition with an in-law suite for her mother, extended the family room, rebuilt an old side porch, and opened up the living room on either side of the fireplace. They are currently working on the main renovation project.

BEFORE

AFTER ...

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– ADV E RT IS E W IT H US –

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OUR FAVORITE

ROOMS

These amazing rooms are perfect sanctuaries inside your home to enjoy a good book, to study, to practice your painting or your music, or to watch a movie with your family.

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HOME THEATER Photo: HGTV 23

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March 2021

— OUR FAVORITE ROOMS —

SPORTS MEMORABILIA & BASEMENT BAR

Photo: Decoist.com

MUSIC ROOM

Photo: Pinterest.com

LIBRARY

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March 2021

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March 2021

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LOVELOCK BAKED GOODS

Christian & Roxanne Calipes create truly delicious, authentic baked goods that bring a taste of the Philippines to Maryland.

Article By Alyson Turner Photography By Veronica Fountain

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March 2021

Like so many in 2020, when the pandemic began, Roxanne Calipes was laid off from her job. In addition, she had recently given birth to her first baby. Her husband, Christian was also unable to work, when the hotels shut down. They began to consider new ideas for bringing in some income. Christian tells us, “My wife is not one to sit around or to stay unemployed, she loves to cook and bake. When we lived in Washington DC, we had taken a shot at [selling our baked goods], but we had a smaller apartment. Now that we own a home, we decide to upgrade the kitchen, buy a second refrigerator, and build a business. We had both worked in hotels. [Before the pandemic], my wife was a cook and was working in the pastry department. I was more in the service side of the industry.”

Christian & Roxanne decided to take their strengths and create a business that reflected their love of homemade baked goods and making people smile. Christian handles the customer service aspect, taking orders, solving issues, book keeping and making sure that Roxanne has all the ingredients she needs. In early July, the couple began taking more orders and Christian delivered them. They eventually built a regular customer base. Even during the slow months, the regulars kept ordering and kept coming back.

Christian and Roxanne both grew up in the Philippines. They began dating when they were around 14 years old. Roxanne has a deep love for cooking. “My wife was born in a house of cooks. I used to come around all the time. Her parents would make a dozen different dishes and set up a table outside. She grew up around cooking and has been following her passion since she was very young. Then, she got into the food industry here,” Christian says, “When I left the Philippines in 2010, we stayed in touch and I was able to get her here in 2016. We got married on June 2, 2016 right when she came here. We had our first baby in April 2020. We are very thankful. He came at a perfect time and he puts smiles on everyone’s faces.

It was a tough year, but he is great.”

Christian continues, “When we first started the business, we wanted to capture the Filipino community in the area because when we moved here, there wasn’t a large presence of Filipino pastries and desserts. At that time there was an item trending, a roll stuffed with ube [a purple type of yam] and cheese so my wife made her own version. The Ube Cheese Pan De Sal is easily still one of our top sellers. The difference is that unlike other bakers in the area we make our ube from scratch. Instead of using premade ube filling. She also makes the pastry from scratch.”

After seeing so many processed baked goods, Christian and Roxanne wanted to create something truly homemade and authentic. “At home, you would stop into any pastry shop and have the fresh, hot smell of your pastry while you carried

Lovelock Baked Goods is located in Clinton, Maryland.

They take orders through Facebook messenger or customers may call for an order at 202.352.1872.

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March 2021

Christian & Roxanne’s Top Sellers & Personal Favorites

UBE CHEESE PAN DE SAL A roll with ube and cheese filling.

MANGO CHEESECAKE

it home. We missed that fresh smell; it kind of brings us home and we wanted to share that with the Filipino community in the area. One of our regulars began to spread the word for us. We have customers from all over Northern Virginia and we now have many requests for the cheesecakes. We are slowly capturing a bigger audience.”

Christian and Roxanne want to give their customers the best baked goods possible with the freshest ingredients. “What we want people to know is that we always strive to give people the best of what we make. Roxanne has a passion for cooking. It is part of my principle in life that if I am going to do something, I want to do a really good job. We don’t just do this for the money, we do this because we want to be great at it. We have a dream that one day we will start a bakery or a coffee shop and own our own restaurant.

We have had this dream since we were in high school that we would own a business together. It comes from the heart. Everything we make has a purpose to bring smiles to our customers. When customers return, it is proof that we are doing that,” Christian says, “We would like to continue to reach customers and make them happy with our baked goods and our products. You don’t want to put something out there that you cannot be proud of. That makes it special in many ways.”

Overall, Christian & Roxanne with Lovelock Baked Goods want to make great products that bring joy to their customers. “We would like to share a little taste of the flavors of our home country, the Philippines. We hope that our friends and neighbors of all different cultures will be inspired to share with their friends and families. We would like to see our products on all of the tables and when the pandemic is over, we hope we can all gather together again.”

One of the newest items uses sweet mangoes from the Philippines.

Filipino mangoes are very sweet and create a very nostalgic flavor for us and our customers. If you close your eyes that flavor will take you home. That is what it is to me. It takes me home. My wife found this ingredient, made a shake out of it and then she made ice cream. She had already made the Ube Cheesecake and I said ‘you need to make this Mango Cheesecake.’ It is my favorite item on the menu and it is a perfect balance of flavors.

UBE CHEESECAKE Roxanne’s favorites are the mango and ube cheesecake.

SPANISH BREAD We used to call it “Spanish bread” back home in the Philippines.

It is stuffed with butter and sugar. The delicacy is actually from France, but we call it Spanish bread. It is the perfect breakfast pastry and paired coffee will get you going.

MAMON is a fluffy sponge cake. It comes in Cheese, Mocha, Ube, Pandan.

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How to be

SIMPLY Secure Online Article By Jaylin Ward

Have you been on the receiving end of phishing emails? Maybe suspicious text messages from your bank or delivery service. Have you had to change your password several times recently? Well, you may be experiencing “breach fatigue.”

Breach fatigue is the exhaustion that follows after endlessly trying to protect your information on the internet. Data breach alerts are becoming increasingly more publicized due to federal regulations on internet security, yet companies have not rigorously invested in preventative measures to combat this in the first place.

Your data is a highly targeted commodity, and governmental bureaucracy can make it very hard to regulate the internet. As content consumers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important that we fight off any form of fatigue and mask our data like we mask our mouths and noses.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends a few precautions: • • • •

Do not click links in suspicious emails Use strong passwords and do not repeat them Do not overshare your information on social media Do not connect to unsecured wifi networks

All of these rules can be a bit obscure. What does a suspicious email look like? What makes a wifi network insecure? Let’s break this down together.

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March 2021

Emails At the genesis of the pandemic, hackers and cybercriminals impersonating the World Health Organization (WHO) sent an assortment of phishing emails. Some messages requested account information, or a prompt to click a malicious link.

Others went as far as to request payments toward a fraudulent fundraiser. What made it even worse is that the email address came from what appeared to be a WHO account.

Luckily, not all email hackers are as sophisticated. You can take several steps to verify your sender with the following: • Check the email address: Phishing emails from impersonators typically have the wrong domain address. You can verify the email address by cross-referencing addresses on the website.

Unfortunately, some hackers are skilled in forging the sender information, which is why you should...

• Verify the information: Opening the email will not give away your information but, responding or clicking on any links will. The impersonator may ask you to click a link or furnish your password for whatever reason. Before you panic, verify the link by searching the company’s website for keywords in the suspected URL or visit their FAQ page to verify if they would ever email you for certain sensitive information.

• Verify the URL: While cybercriminals are sophisticated, there is always a mistake. In the case of impersonators, check the URL for spelling mistakes or incorrect domains. For example, the World Health Organization’s domain is .int so, anything from a .com, .org, .net, et cetera is a scam.

Passwords Coming up with a strong password could be so fulfilling that you become tempted to use it everywhere. It is important to use unique passwords across all sites, especially those with sensitive information like your passport number, social security number, and banking information. If this is you, don’t be ashamed.

Crafting the perfect password can be a task, and programs like Google Chrome and iCloud Keychain are making it easier for you to stop guessing and choose one of theirs. While that may be the easy way out if someone uncovers your master password, all of your other passwords are at risk.

Security experts recommend three things: • Use a third-party password saver: they’re more encrypted than Google and Apple 32

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• Use a long password: passwords 12-15 characters long are better than random ones. The longer it is, the more possibilities there are for hackers to run through.

• Spread out special characters: more and more websites require a special character as it adds security to your password; however it can be easy if you have them at the beginning or end of your password. Adding some to the middle, or randomizing them can increase your security.

Social Media Social networking is an ever-expanding internet sensation that the federal government has limited knowledge of how to regulate. Its unprecedented, innovative nature is equally invigorating as it is concerning. Apps like Facebook and Instagram have impeccably detailed profiles of us based on content that we like, share, and comment on. This is enabled by data aggregation. This data can be legally sold to robocallers, commercial businesses, and third-party data aggregates alike.

March 2021

• Sharing less personal information on social media • Turning off location services in your settings, and on apps like Twitter and Facebook You don’t need to go ghost to be secure, just consider sharing less and living more.

Wifi Networks With working and schooling from home as the new normal, so are internet service failures and outages.

For many, public wifi is the best resource for these infrastructural pitfalls; however, it comes with a few precautions.

Public wifi is shared with several users through a public password or none at all. This low level of accessibility allows cybercriminals to siphon your information.

The public wifi you may think is a modern resource in your city may be a “rogue hotspot.” These passwordfree connectivity points can install malware or steal data you may have used to order an Uber or buy a new desk chair.

When connecting to public wifi, be sure to refrain from: • • • •

Social media sites, and hackers, also have what we tell them freely. Filling your profile with every job you’ve had, your hometown, your first pet, and where you went to school can be seen by everyone who stumbles across your page. They’re also the answers to security challenge questions you’d select if ever locked out of your account.

Instagram analytics may be engaging for personal validation or business insight however, it could also pose a data risk. If you do not have a brick and mortar shop, a business number, or email, do not list your personal details. This information can be used by scammers to target people you follow by impersonating you or send invasive mail to your home and email account.

To avoid this consider: • Protecting yourself by omitting your address and phone number on resumes published to Glassdoor or LinkedIn • Setting up a P.O. Box for your business • Using a Google number or public-facing number that isn’t connected to your personal information 33

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Making credit or debit purchases Accessing online banking account Logging in to websites with card information stored Sharing personal information like your Social Security Number or Insurance policy info via messaging apps

Takeaways Working from home, at this level, is an unprecedented feat for all of us. Together, we can create a healthy work environment by doing our part to stay secure on the internet.

Security experts suggest that Geotagging has evolved from checking in on Facebook to automatic location updates when sharing a picture, tweet, or status.

There are several websites on the internet that dox our personally identifiable information like your phone number, address, race, family members and friends, political affiliation etcetera.

Our data is becoming increasingly vulnerable to online data breaches, which are becoming exhaustingly regular. There are several reasons why this happens and only a few ways to protect ourselves from opportunistic hackers.

March 2021

Barbara Lee Life Coaching Center Relationship & Transformation Coach Barbara Tydings Services Offered: • Relationship Coaching • Online Life Coaching • Business Coaching • Grief Coaching Currently, Barbara is doing complimentary discovery calls.

All coaching is virtual or over the phone due to COVID-19.

To begin your transformation, visit BowieLifeCoach.com or call 410-212-0671.

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This 10-week

Transformation Program is a small investment for a lifetime of results.

LAIKA TO FUND

Simply Happening

A N I M AT I O N S T U D I O

FOR BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY

STUDENTS

Article By Lauryn Forbes | Photos Courtesy of Bowie State University

Bowie State student Angel Tillery, left, works with Professor Tewodross Melchishua Williams on animation concepts.

BSU Student Center

The Academy Award nominated animation studio, LAIKA, has partnered with Bowie State University to create a stop-motion animation studio on campus.

This makes Bowie State the first historically black university to have one. Founded in 2005 and known for its critically-acclaimed films such as Coraline, ParaNorman, Kubo and Missing Link, LAIKA is giving this opportunity in order to help diversify the animation industry. LAIKA is also funding upgrades to BSU’s green screen studio. According to a report done by NBC Washington, this donation will also include cameras and software in order to make sure students have everything they need to start their animation careers.

According to the school, along with this, the production company has committed to create an internship and career pipeline for students that are interested in the animation industry.

According to Melchishua Williams, the chair of the BSU Department of Fine and Performing Arts, the 35

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animation industry is one in which the voices of people of color, women and members of the LGBTQ community are often underrepresented.

Regarding it’s partnership, Arianne Sutner, LAIKA’s head of production said, “At its heart, LAIKA is a community of artists, craftspeople and scientists committed to expanding the technological capabilities of our animation medium in order to tell everyone’s stories with boldness, compassion and excellence. Helping BSU students to express their experience, their artistry and their potential through the stop motion art form speaks to our creative and corporate mandate. We’re so excited to explore their talents and to provide mentorship and tools that will enlarge the scope of their filmmaking vision.”

As reported by NBC Washington, BSU hopes to have the studio up and running by next year. Additionally, Bowie State was recently recognized as one of the best HBCU art programs in the nation, as reported

by The Hundred-Seven.

March 2021

MARCH 2021

Millennials

Share Stories of the Homebuying Process

The Ultimate Realtor®

From Old To New

India Hall focuses on the ultimate customer service and relationship experience when serving clients.

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March 2021

AMAZING Home Renovation Projects