ilovedeepcreeklakerealestate – Page 6

June 2012 Real Estate Market Update – Residential

33 properties sold in June 2012. That’s 8 more sales than last June, which is great! I had mentioned previously in other blog posts that this is the most active real estate market since 2008. Well, we are now on a better pace – best year-to-date since 2007. Lakefront prices are at their most affordable prices since 2004. All in all, it’s been a great year so far.

Let’s take a look at the rest of the stats:

There are 62 homes under contract right now (57 last month).

The average list vs. ORIGINAL sales price was 86.69% – (last month 84.91%).

The ADJUSTED list vs sale price was 92.58 (last month 88.33%).

The current # of active/for sale listings in MRIS (minus timeshares) is 685, up from last months 662. We have a 20.76 month supply of homes available (minus timeshares) based solely on the June sales numbers – that’s as low as i remember it for quite some time!

Random observations:

•6 ‘newer’ homes sold in June (5 years old or less)

•It appears that 20 or so of these sales were vacation homes

•18 homes sold at/under $300,000 (last month was 12)

•21 homes sold under $400,000 (last month 15)

•1 homes sold over $ 1 million (0 last month – 1931 Lake Shore Dr sold for $1.849)

•4 home(s) sold for higher than full price or at full price (last month was 2)

•One house sold for 57.58% of asking price – 8956 Oakland Sang Run Rd

•The oldest home that sold was 58 yrs old (72 Mels Rd)

•The average age of the homes that sold was 27 years (33 last month)

•4 condo/townhouse/fractional properties sold (3 last month)

Here are the statistical breakdowns:

Average Sale Price: $364,821 (last month $312,571)

Average Days on Market: 252/283 (last month 147/224) (days on market with current broker/total days on market)

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Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!

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Garrett County school board member resigns

Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News

OAKLAND — Garrett County commissioners are reviewing a list of potential candidates following the resignation of Board of Education vice president Rodney Durst. The reason behind the resignation was unclear Tuesday night.

“Rodney Durst has submitted his resignation effective now,” Monty Pagenhardt, county administrator, said during a Tuesday meeting of the Board of Commissioners. “Commissioners are taking the names of people who submitted interest back when Jim (Raley) resigned.” Raley resigned his seat as a member-at-large in 2010.

Durst’s seat will be filled by a resident from District 3. Pagenhardt and Carol Riley-Alexander, executive assistant to the commissioners, will contact potential candidates today to see if they are still interested. The term expires in December 2014.

“There have also been other people that have submitted their names and we will take those into consideration also,” said Pagenhardt. Anybody else who is interested should submit a letter of interest to the commissioners for that vacancy.”

The Board of Education made a decision in April to close Kitzmiller and Dennett Road elementary schools. During an April meeting, Durst indicated his opposition to closing the schools.

“… I’m afraid if we close the schools, even if they come through with twice the money, they won’t open back up,” he said. “I will not be able to vote to close schools tonight.”

Also during Tuesday’s meeting, the commissioners voted to hold a public hearing on their right to opt out of a law that requires sprinkler systems for townhouses and one- and two-family dwellings.

“Local governments can opt out until the next cycle of building codes come into play, which is in 2015,” said John Nelson, director of the Department of Planning and Land Development.

Nelson said the Department of Permits and Inspections Divisions was notified by the Maryland Codes of Administration of the modification to the residential sprinkler law. The public hearing will be held during the Aug. 21 commission meeting.

When the law had been discussed at a June commission meeting the department of planning was under the impression that all jurisdictions would have to adopt the law by Oct 1, according to Nelson.

Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com

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Back on the market! $149,900 282 Greenfield Ln GA

282 GREENFIELD LN
SWANTON, MD 21561

New roof! Updated 3BR/2BA home on nearly 2 acres of land with a small stream in the back yard, overlooking pasture land. 3 garage stalls – 1 attached & 2 stalls in a detached garage offer plenty of storage. Other features: cedar siding, native stone, fireplace, 2nd living room, several heating sources, newer kitchen cabinets & flooring. 3 parcels sold together. Deep Creek Lake is around the corner

Contact Jay Ferguson @ 301-501-0420 or DeepCreekLaker@Gmail.com for more information or to setup a private showing for this property.

Listing # GA7572396
$149,900

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A Very Involved Father

The male oriole is a busy sort, quite active in the life of his offspring. A male is shown above as he feeds grape jelly to his youngster. The orioles are active throughout the spring and early summer, but will soon be moving on.

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They are attracted to brightly colored, sweet foods, such as orange slices and jelly. In early spring, they gather bits of string to make their unusual hanging nests. Their song is a distinctive alto sound, with varying lengths. These birds were photographed in an Oakland yard by Lisa Rook, an active birder and photographer.

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Redtail Hawk Hits The Courts

Jul. 12, 2012

“Tennis, anyone?” might be the question that was on the mind of this wayward redtail hawk that was perched on one of the benches at the Mountain Lake Park Tennis Club courts on Monday. The bird had apparently sustained some kind of injury to its wing and was having difficulty flying.

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MLP town secretary Judy Paugh contacted officials from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, who came to the courts, successfully corralled the bird, and have sent it to rehabilitation experts who will attempt to nurse it back to health before returning it to the wild. Photo courtesy
of Leon Cardiff.

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Panel hears testimony on septic system regulations

Written by
Brian Witte
Associated Press

ANNAPOLIS — Regulations requiring new Maryland construction to use the best technology in septic systems would help clean up the Chesapeake Bay, supporters told lawmakers Tuesday, but critics said the proposal by Gov. Martin O’Malley’s administration is a back-door effort to implement a plan already rejected by the Legislature.

Robert Summers, secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment, told members of the Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review that the regulations are part of an effort to reduce nitrogen released into the polluted bay by 11.6 million pounds by 2026. Summers said the septics law, combined with the regulation, will equal a reduction in nitrogen produced by about 31,000 households.

“So each year, this will reduce the equivalent of the discharge of nitrogen from the city of Cambridge,” Summers told the panel.

He noted the western half of Garrett County in western Maryland and a part of Cecil County will be exempt from the regulations.

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Inmate labor saves money, Garrett County sheriff reports

For the Cumberland Times-News Cumberland Times-News

OAKLAND — Garrett County Sheriff Rob Corley has reported more than $40,000 in savings to the county this year through the new Inmate Work Program that began in January.

Corley told the county commissioners at last week’s public meeting that inmates have provided 5,395 hours of labor valued at $7.50 an hour for a savings of $40,462 to the county, according to a county news release. “This is huge,” Corley said.

Commission chairman James Raley thanked Corley for putting the program together. The inmates have provided maintenance services in county communities and are assigned to 28 sites from garbage collection to water treatment facilities.

Corley said the program has provided unskilled labor without cost to 30 county properties, municipalities and nonprofit agencies. His office used St. Mary’s County Detention Center as a blueprint for Garrett County’s plan. The inmates perform their duties under supervision of one full-time sheriff’s office employee.

“There’s no question it’s a good program,” said Mountain Lake Park Mayor Leo Martin, whose town was one of the first municipalities to use the free labor. “Inmates have done a lit bit of everything, from mowing and trimming grass to building walls. The inmates we’ve had working have good attitudes with good work ethics. They like getting outdoors and we haven’t had any problems with anyone. We used to provide inmates lunch, but now the sheriff’s office even packs their lunch.”

Corley said a Mountain Lake Park employee picks up an inmate five days a week to work with town employees and that Grantsville recently picked up inmates for storm cleanup.

The inmates also have mowed and cleared debris from 1.7 miles of trails at Adventure Sports Center International and have worked at the Oakland Cemetery, Youth Little League fields at Broadford Park and the Garrett County Visitors Center in McHenry, according to the release.

“If an inmate signs up for the program and does a good job, they can earn up to five days a month off their sentence,” said Corley. The program does not include sex offenders or violent criminals and inmates have to be sentenced for a maximum of 18 months, according to Corley. The detention center currently houses 73 inmates. County purchases have included three mowers and gasoline. “Next year, I think we’ll be able to take care of all county mowing contracts, and in the winter, do snow removal,” Corley said.

Agencies interested in participating in the program may call 301-334-1917.

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Deep Creek vacation home is dream of a lifetime

By Marie Marciano Gullard, Special to The Baltimore Sun

10:18 a.m. EDT, July 13, 2012
Hanging on the wall of Mike and Jean Tumbarello’s new retreat at Deep Creek Lake is an old framed greeting card with a primitive drawing of a brown log cabin nestled among trees aglow with autumn colors. The scene is rendered in crayon with a sentiment that reads, in part: “Jean, here’s our cottage in the country. I wish I were in it with you right now. …”

“The card was sent before we married — probably 1974, when we were dating in college, when you actually had to use snail mail,” Jean Tumbarello recalled.

While her husband’s artwork hasn’t improved that much over the ensuing years, he was better at his promise of a place in the country. What the couple built together — after 34 years of marriage — is a 4,000-square-foot Arts & Crafts-style bungalow with an interior that could be described as a “mini lodge.”

“We got our house as an anchor for our dream life,” said Jean Tumbarello, who, together with her husband, will move out of their rented condo in Ellicott City and embark on their new life as full-time residents of Deep Creek Lake.

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MSA test scores: Reading goes down, math goes up

From Staff Reports Cumberland Times-News

CUMBERLAND — Allegany County middle school students scored slightly lower in reading on this year’s Maryland School Assessments, but math scores for the same students were up, according to statistics released this week by the Maryland State Department of Education.

Elementary schools here met all the targets recently established as part of Maryland’s new “School Progress” plan — which is less rigid than the former “Adequate Yearly Progress” of the federal No Child Left Behind law.

Almost without exception, Allegany County elementary school students increased scores in reading and math over last year, the report shows. And middle school students have shown “steady improvement” on both fronts over the past several years, school officials said.

“I am very proud of the fact that our students’ performance has continued to increase since 2009,” said Superintendent David Cox. “This is due in large part to the hard work and dedication of our teachers, principals, and central office staff.”

In Garrett County, school officials report that a “significant number” of elementary and middle school students achieved scores at the proficient and advanced levels in reading and math.

Students in grades four, six and eight, for example, improved reading scores, and students in grades six and eight improved math scores, compared to 2011, statistics show.

But reading scores for students in grades three and five dipped slightly compared to last year, and math scores for students in grades three, four, five, and seven dropped by 2 to 3 percentage points.

Overall, 90.6 percent of elementary school students in Garrett County scored proficient/advanced in reading, while 87.7 percent of middle school students achieved that level, according to a press release from the Garrett County Board of Education.

“We are proud of our students, teachers and administrative staff for the work they do every day to ensure that our students perform well in all aspects of their schooling, including this state assessment,” said Superintendent Janet Wilson.

“We look forward to learning more about the new assessments as we are transitioning to the new Maryland State Common Core Framework.”

Under the state’s new “School Progress” plan, each school is measured against its own targets and must work to strengthen achievement across all subgroups. This year’s data starts a new baseline for school test results over the next six years. By 2017, schools and systems will endeavor to cut in half the percentage of students not scoring at proficient levels on the assessments.

In Allegany County, 88.9 percent of students met the targets for achievement under the new “School Progress” plan.

“I am pleased that Maryland has been granted a waiver from the NCLB Adequate Yearly Progress requirements that were unrealistic,” Cox said. “Our commitment is to continuously improve what we do each and every day for all children.”

For more information about the MSAs, go to the Maryland Report Card site at www.mdreportcard.org.

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ASCI Guides Play Key Role

Jul. 12, 2012

For the 62 seasonal guide staff, employment at the Adventure Sports Center International (ASCI) can represent significant income, a thrilling experience, and a physically active lifestyle, according to Mike Logsdon, ASCI acting executive director.

“The ASCI guide team, made up of mostly high school and college age young men and women, is a critical element in the delivery of a high-quality product to
ASCI’s 11,000-plus summertime rafting guests,” said Logsdon.

“I really enjoy getting to know my guests, helping them understand the sport of rafting, and giving suggestions on places to visit while in the area,” said Kurt Gangler, a standout athlete at Southern Garrett High School and second-year ASCI guide.

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“Guiding has given me a chance to practice public speaking,” said Cara Stough, a standout athlete from Northern High School and second-year ASCI guide. “Guides have to be sort of like a teacher. We have to clearly explain instructions to our guests. Their safety is in our hands, and we feel responsible for them having a great time and not getting injured.”

ASCI guides begin their training by successfully completing a multi-day course that emphasizes proper whitewater guiding technique, customer relations, and care and maintenance of rafting equipment. Each ASCI guide must also complete a first aid and CPR certification course.

“All the training and certifications come at no cost to the trainees,” said Joe Schroyer, director of ASCI operations and the administrator responsible for organizing guide training through the Adventuresports Institute at Garrett College. “This year, we seem to have an exceptional group of guides and support staff. We measure our success, to some degree, by the smiles on the faces of our guests, and we’re seeing plenty of smiles.”

An additional 18 seasonal employees work behind the scenes to take guest reservations, answer questions, match-up and schedule guides with their guests, photograph the action, and monitor the whitewater course for safety.

“It’s like a giant jigsaw puzzle,” said Meredith Pagenhardt, an Oakland resident and Frostburg State University student completing her fifth summer at ASCI. “We have to balance all aspects of scheduling the guides, river guards, the conveyor operator, the photographer, and the reservationist.”

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Author: ilovedeepcreeklakerealestate

June 2012 Real Estate Market Update – Residential

Garrett County school board member resigns

Back on the market! $149,900 282 Greenfield Ln GA

A Very Involved Father

Redtail Hawk Hits The Courts

Panel hears testimony on septic system regulations

Inmate labor saves money, Garrett County sheriff reports

Deep Creek vacation home is dream of a lifetime

MSA test scores: Reading goes down, math goes up

ASCI Guides Play Key Role

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