Jamie Smith

Starting in today's editions, business coverage moves inside the Maryland section Tuesdays through Fridays. The Money & Life section will continue to run on Sundays as a stand-alone section. A few regular features that have been in the daily Business section will move to other sections: * Dream Home will move to the Go Today section starting Saturday. * Jamie Smith Hopkins' Real Estate Wonk column will move to the Sunday Real Estate section. * Hanah Cho's On the Job column and the At Work feature will move from Wednesday to Sunday's Money & Life section.

Sun business columnist Jay Hancock and real estate reporter Jamie Smith Hopkins were named winners of Best in Business awards Friday for their 2010 work from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers. Hancock was recognized for his column writing under the category for dailies with 200,000 to 500,000 Sunday circulation. His work included columns about the investigation of stent use at Towson's St. Joseph Medical Center. Smith Hopkins won for her coverage of real estate in a category that included media of all sizes.

Beginning next week, business coverage will move inside the Maryland section Tuesday through Friday. The Money & Life section will continue to run on Sundays as a stand-alone section. A few regular features that have been in the daily Business section will move to other sections: * Dream Home will move to the Go Today section starting Aug. 2. * Jamie Smith Hopkins' Real Estate Wonk column will move to the Sunday Real Estate section on Aug. 3. * Hanah Cho's On the Job column and the At Work feature will move from Wednesday to Sunday's Money & Life section starting Aug. 3. A number of regular features from syndicated columnists or wire services are being discontinued, including the Your Funds column by Charles Jaffe, Helpdesk from technology columnist Bill Husted and Real Estate Matters by Ilyce Glink.

Nice places are tucked all over the Baltimore region, from urban rowhouse neighborhoods to rural outposts. I set out to find 10 that everybody and their brother doesn't already know about - ones with prices in reach of first-time homebuyers. Here are these hidden-gem neighborhoods, selected with the help of Real Estate Wonk readers. These aren't the only gems out there, and I'm not claiming they're the absolute best. (You'll never get a completely objective list out of something so subjective.

Ocwen Loan Servicing gives penalty fee refunds Ocwen Loan Servicing has refunded nearly $675,000 to borrowers in Maryland after charging them prepayment penalties that violated state law, Maryland's Office of the Commissioner of Financial Regulation said Wednesday. After the financial regulation office found some violations, Ocwen checked all its Maryland mortgages and sent refund checks to more than 180 borrowers at the end of last month, the state said. - Jamie Smith Hopkins Senior housing complex in Middle River almost done The first phase of the 196-home, $43 million Renaissance Square development in Middle River is nearing completion, with a senior housing apartment building expected to open to residents in December, developer Enterprise Homes said Wednesday.

Most new-home buyers think that smaller is better - if it comes with extra features. The National Association of Home Builders' latest survey of recent homebuyers found that 63 percent prefer more amenities to more space, which could explain why the average home size has leveled off in the past three years after growing steadily since 1970. The most popular options, according to the survey, include a walk-in pantry, island work area in the kitchen and linen closet in the bathroom. Nearly 45 percent of households preferred brick to any other material on a home's front faM-gade.

Rising home costs cause stress beyond mortgage payments The true price of rising home costs goes far beyond ballooning mortgage payments, a poll by the Homeownership Alliance finds. The Washington-based group said last week that more than half the residents surveyed worry that home costs will prevent them from sending their children to decent schools. Nearly half are considering whether to leave their communities in search of affordable, desirable housing. And almost a third have someone in the family who commutes at least an hour to work.

Jamie Smith never went to school until she earned a perfect 4.0 grade average last year in her freshman year in college.Well, not school as most of us know it. Smith was educated at her Columbia home from the day of her birth 19 years ago until she took three courses at Howard Community College before enrolling full-time at the University of Maryland Baltimore County.She never took a formal examination until she tackled the Scholastic Assessment Test and scored 1,320 of a possible 1,600.She never got a grade in any subject until she entered college and never was placed in a school "grade" -- never a fourth-grader or a high school sophomore.

Lester I. D. SmithTile salesmanLester I. D. Smith, a retired salesman for a tile company who secured the contract to furnish the tiles lining the Fort McHenry Tunnel, died Wednesday of cancer at his home in the Pinehurst area. He was 72.He was a salesman for the American Olean Tile Co. in the middle Atlantic states for 26 years and retired at the end of 1992. He won many of the company's President's Awards for successes such as the tunnel contract.Born in Narberth, Pa., he served in the Navy during World War II and graduated in 1948 from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.

One teen dies, another hurt; both found near light rail Maryland transit officials say one teenage boy is dead and another is seriously injured after they were found lying on light rail tracks near the Lutherville station. Maryland Transit Administration spokeswoman Jo Greene says it's unclear what happened to the boys. She says a fare inspector on a northbound train spotted two people lying inside the southbound tracks about 3:15 p.m. Sunday. The train stopped, and the operator ran back to where the boys were lying.

Networking event targets small businesses Minority-owned and small businesses interested in government contracting can attend a Nov. 13 outreach event on the subject at the Morgan State University Student Center. It's free, but the deadline to register is Oct. 16. The "Networking for Strategic Partnerships" event, put on by the Maryland Judiciary, the Maryland Department of Human Resources and Morgan State University, is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Information: Larry Jones of the Maryland Judiciary, 410-260-3658.

One teen dies, another hurt; both found near light rail Maryland transit officials say one teenage boy is dead and another is seriously injured after they were found lying on light rail tracks near the Lutherville station. Maryland Transit Administration spokeswoman Jo Greene says it's unclear what happened to the boys. She says a fare inspector on a northbound train spotted two people lying inside the southbound tracks about 3:15 p.m. Sunday. The train stopped, and the operator ran back to where the boys were lying.

Starting in today's editions, business coverage moves inside the Maryland section Tuesdays through Fridays. The Money & Life section will continue to run on Sundays as a stand-alone section. A few regular features that have been in the daily Business section will move to other sections: * Dream Home will move to the Go Today section starting Saturday. * Jamie Smith Hopkins' Real Estate Wonk column will move to the Sunday Real Estate section. * Hanah Cho's On the Job column and the At Work feature will move from Wednesday to Sunday's Money & Life section.

Beginning next week, business coverage will move inside the Maryland section Tuesday through Friday. The Money & Life section will continue to run on Sundays as a stand-alone section. A few regular features that have been in the daily Business section will move to other sections: * Dream Home will move to the Go Today section starting Aug. 2. * Jamie Smith Hopkins' Real Estate Wonk column will move to the Sunday Real Estate section on Aug. 3. * Hanah Cho's On the Job column and the At Work feature will move from Wednesday to Sunday's Money & Life section starting Aug. 3. A number of regular features from syndicated columnists or wire services are being discontinued, including the Your Funds column by Charles Jaffe, Helpdesk from technology columnist Bill Husted and Real Estate Matters by Ilyce Glink.

Rising home costs cause stress beyond mortgage payments The true price of rising home costs goes far beyond ballooning mortgage payments, a poll by the Homeownership Alliance finds. The Washington-based group said last week that more than half the residents surveyed worry that home costs will prevent them from sending their children to decent schools. Nearly half are considering whether to leave their communities in search of affordable, desirable housing. And almost a third have someone in the family who commutes at least an hour to work.

Most new-home buyers think that smaller is better - if it comes with extra features. The National Association of Home Builders' latest survey of recent homebuyers found that 63 percent prefer more amenities to more space, which could explain why the average home size has leveled off in the past three years after growing steadily since 1970. The most popular options, according to the survey, include a walk-in pantry, island work area in the kitchen and linen closet in the bathroom. Nearly 45 percent of households preferred brick to any other material on a home's front faM-gade.

Lingering cold temperatures and a steady wind hindered the performances of the athletes competing in yesterday's sixth annual Knights' Invite at North County but it didn't stop Amber Day from setting a meet record.Day, a junior at Oakland Mills, captured the Outstanding Performance Award after setting the new meet standard in the 200-meter dash at 25.8 seconds.Day collected three gold medals, winning the 100 dash in 12.6 and the 400 in 58.6."I really didn't expect to have such a good day because we had a tri-meet on Monday and I was feeling really tight," said Day, who finished second in the 200 and third in the 400 at last year's state meet.

Reporter answers selected readers' questions on the region's housing boom Nick G. Marulli, Baltimore: I just purchased a remodeled rowhouse in Upper Fells Point. I understand that the area is becoming very popular. However, I have noticed a lot of empty remodeled properties around there. Why are there so many empty remodeled rowhouses in the Fells Point/Butchers Hill area, and do you think home prices in that area will continue to climb? Hopkins: Sometimes homes that appear to be fully remodeled aren't quite finished yet -- some rehabbing jobs take more than a year to complete as contractors wait for inspections or juggle multiple projects.