Home Ownership

Maryland Historical Trust Home Tax Credit

The Maryland Historical Trust provides owners repairing and renovating their historically designated homes a sizable tax credit called The Heritage Structure Rehabilitation Tax Credit. In the year you apply for the credit, owners receive 20% off their Maryland State Income Tax; additional credit at the federal income level if your property is income producing.

Applying for this credit, however, typically takes quite some time for approval, but this gap in time can be used to your advantage by using it to design, plan, permit and revise your project as necessary. CRC is experienced enough to avoid lengthy delays, but we also know how to maximize the use of the additional time provided to ensure all other facets of the project are secure.

The trust also provides support in the form of grants and loans for private and non-profit groups. More information can be found about historical property financial aid, and in depth information about Maryland historic home construction, on the Maryland Historical Trust website.

Energy Star: A practical, government program for energy savings

If you have purchased a computer or home appliance in the last five years, you have likely noticed the Energy Star stamp on some, or most, of the products you researched. But what is Energy Star?

The Energy Star website describes itself as:

“ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.

In 1992 the EPA introduced ENERGY STAR as a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. …The ENERGY STAR label is now on over 60 product categories including major appliances, office equipment, lighting, and home electronics. EPA has also extended the label to cover new homes and commercial and industrial buildings.”

CRC is especially excited about the expansion of this program into residential and commercial construction which we can work into our existing Energy Star recommendations. The program is also set to soon include tax credits and rebates on appliances beginning late 2009 or early 2010.