A true story by Jonathan Taylor, aka Cupid

Recently, a man wanted to transfer a property to his son and girlfriend who had been living in the house paying rent for 20 years. Dad wanted to sell to the son for the amount of the outstanding balance on the mortgage.  I explained that there would be a 3% transfer tax on 1/2 of the value of the property. The  1/2 of the property going to the son was exempt because it was a conveyance between parent and child, but there was no such exemption for the transfer to the girlfriend. He said they had been together for 25 years but just never bothered to get married. They never felt a need to. I joked and said that “If you want them to get married, tell them as husband and wife, they will save $1500 in transfer tax.” They got married two days later. At settlement, they were so excited because they got married and got a house. Life is good.

Ward & Taylor went pink for the month of October to heighten awareness in the fight against breast cancer.  The fun included a breakfast of bagels and pink cream cheese (strawberry!), pink & white M&Ms in every conference room, and a team of employees who walked in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer fundraiser in downtown Wilmington.

We had so-o-o much fun at the NCCBOR Showcase last year! Among the very nattily dressed businessmen and women we were brave enough to parade through the door in full costume! Someone must have appreciated our efforts because we received awards for the Best Decorated Booth and Most Magical Booth. We’ll be the first to tell you . . . “there’s no place like home.”

DEHOFI? That’s the Delaware Housing Opportunity Fund, Inc., a non-profit that provides need-based housing counseling and assistance in our community. Bill Ward is on the board of directors. On Oct. 2, W & T participated in a fundraiser at the Hockessin Memorial Fire Hall. Realtors and other folks from the real estate and mortgage communities turned out in force to meet Jen Behm, recently crowned Master Chef in a national television competition, and to bid for her services as personal chef in a silent auction. The bidding got so intense that Jen finally agreed to do two dinners, and everyone went home happy! The event was a fund-raising success, too, netting about $14,000 for a worthy cause.
Below, Janice Moores strikes a pose for the camera as she and Bill Ward, Barbara Brodoway and Carol Strouth enjoy the acoustic guitar of Bernie Doherty, a loan officer with Pike Creek Mortgage, and the “Big Package Band” of Dave Iliff, a Patterson Schwartz agent.