Progress being made in Oakland at Dairy Queen
Not long ago, Greg Mortimer, the builder of the Dairy Queen Grill & Chill, informed me that they are expecting to open in mid-May. You can tell from the photo that there has been significant progress since that last photo I posted.
If you are thinking of 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! 877-563-5350
Consumer Protection Division Orders Garrett County Home Builder to Pay Over $500,000 in Restitution, Damages and Penalties
April 27, 2010
by Maryland RealEstateRama
Category: News || Housing & Development | BALTIMORE, MD – April 27, 2010 -(RealEstateRama) —
Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler announced today that his Consumer Protection Division has issued a final order requiring Deise Custom Homes, LLC and its principal to pay more than $480,000 to consumers and penalties of $34,000. The Division found that Richard E. Deise, Jr., and his company, Deise Custom Homes, violated Maryland’s Custom Home Protection Act and New Home Deposit Act by failing to place or maintain money paid by consumers into an escrow account or having a surety bond to cover the deposits and payments. The Division also found that Deise and his company violated the Home Builder Registration Act and the Consumer Protection Act by failing to build homes as promised.
The Division found that Deise and his company collected substantial deposits and payments from at least four families toward the construction of new homes in Garrett County, then failed to protect those payments as required by Maryland law, failed to complete construction of the homes, and failed to pay refunds to any of the consumers. The order bars Deise and Deise Custom Homes from acting as a home builder in the State of Maryland unless they meet requirements set by the Division, and requires payment of $384,835 in restitution, $99,903 in damages, $34,000 in civil penalties, and $7,926 in costs.
“Before paying any money towards the construction of a new home, consumers need to protect the biggest investment of their lifetime by ensuring that their home is being built by a registered home builder and that any deposits they make are protected by an escrow account, bond, or letter of credit,” said Attorney General Gansler.
Home builders are required to give consumers a pamphlet prepared by the Office of Attorney General that discusses consumers’ rights under the law and steps consumers can take to protect themselves. New home buyers are encouraged to check whether their builder is registered by contacting the Division’s Home Builder Registration Unit at (410) 576-6573 or toll-free at (877) 259-4525, or by visiting the Attorney General’s website at www.oag.state.md.us/homebuilder.
If you are thinking of 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! 877-563-5350
State parks ban on alcohol hurting tourism? - Baltimore Sun blog
Baltimore Sun Photo of Deep Creek State Park
Tourism officials in Allegany County, home of Dans Mountain and Rocky Gap state parks, are saying that Maryland’s recent ban on alcohol at state parks could be keeping tourists away from the area. As of last November, “the consumption, or possession of an open container, of an alcoholic beverage is prohibited” in all state park areas, including campgrounds. Ouch. Full-service cabins are exempt as are motor homes. However, park-goers can apply for a $35 alcohol permit from the park manager for special events. So, that’s that. And I’m guessing that could put a little damper on day trips to the park. Still, I can legally drink a beer at Assateague Island National Seashore, a national park, but if I go next door to the state park area, I’ll be in trouble. Hmmm. That’s…troubling.
If you are thinking of 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! 877-563-5350
Ten Oddly Named Small Town Travel Destinations - sawfnews.com
Accident, Maryland. Photo Credit: Garrett County Chamber of Commerce
Accident, Maryland
Accident is a town in Garrett County, Maryland, United States. The population was 353 at the 2000 census.
A person from Accident is called an “Accidental”.
The town of Accident is located near Deep Creek Lake in northern Garrett County, the westernmost county of Maryland.
The unusual name of the town has an interesting story.
In 1750 King George II of England paid off a debt to George Deakins by giving him 600 acres of land in western Maryland.
To make the best of the opportunity, Deakins dispatched two independent survey teams to scout for the most promising land in that section of Maryland. When the teams returned it was discovered that they had marked the exact same 600 acres, even starting with the same oak tree.
A delighted Mr. Deakins had the location patented as “The Accident Tract.”
The town is best known for The Drane House, which was constructed circa 1800 by James Drane, the first permanent settler in the Accident area.
Located on a high ground to the east of the town, approximately 150 yards from the Accident-Bittinger Road and one-half mile east of U.S. Route 219, it is believed to be the oldest standing structure in Garrett County.
The Drane House was purchased by the Town of Accident in 1987, reconstructed and preserved on the original site, and dedicated in 1994.
Recreational activities such as rafting and climbing programs from Adventure Sports Center International offer a more varied experience.
If you are thinking of 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! 877-563-5350
Community Action Awarded $50,000 "EmPower" Grant
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Apr. 22, 2010
Gov. Martin O’Malley announced last Wednesday that Garrett County Community Action was among the recipients for round one of the “EmPower Clean Energy Communities” grant program. The initiative helps local governments and nonprofits fund energy efficiency projects specifically for low to moderate income Marylanders.
Community Action will use its $50,000 grant to help purchase energy efficient appliances for a new 36 unit housing development currently being constructed in Oakland called Liberty Mews.
The EmPower grants, overseen by the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA), are providing a total of over $3 million this fiscal year, broken into two rounds, to local governments and nonprofits across Maryland. The first round of these funds will be used to perform energy makeovers to save money for at an estimated 1,000 low and moderate income Maryland families.
O’Malley also announced the start of round two for additional counties who did not exhaust their available funding for projects in round one.
“These grants are an example of exactly the type of efficiency projects we had intended for Maryland communities and families when we entered into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the nation’s first multi-state collaborative carbon cap-and-trade program,” said O’Malley. “These grants are another step forward in our goal to make Maryland’s future cleaner, greener, and more sustainable for all our citizens.”
Approximately $2 million in grants are being awarded in round one to a wide variety of projects that are expected to jumpstart energy savings and decrease monthly electricity bills. The MEA is providing a total of 24 grants to 13 Maryland counties in round one, with projects ranging from an energy efficiency retrofit of the Annapolis Boys and Girls Club building in the St. Ambrose Senior Community in Baltimore City, to supporting the efforts of the National Association of American Veterans to weatherize homes of low to moderate income veterans in Prince George’s County.
“The Maryland Energy Administration is thrilled to be able to help hundreds of Maryland families reduce their energy bills with investments in their homes that will save them money today and for years to come,” said MEA director Malcolm Woolf. “This marks yet another big step forward in meeting Governor O’Malley’s EmPower Maryland goal of 15 percent reduced energy consumption by 2015.”
Read the rest of the article here.
If you are thinking of 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! 877-563-5350
Ground Broken For Community Athletic Recreation Center
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Numerous officials were on hand Wednesday to celebrate the groundbreaking for the Garrett College Community Athletic and Recreation Center (CARC) on the McHenry campus. The $23 million complex will house two swimming pools and a physical therapy facility run by Garrett County Memorial Hospital, plus a gymnasium with event seating for 2,000 people. The first phase, which is the 32,000-square-foot aquatics center, is to be completed by the fall of 2011. The gymnasium will be in phase two. Senator George Edwards, one of yesterday’s guest speakers, was instrumental in securing $17 million from the state of Maryland for the project. The remaining funds are being provided by the county.
The county commissioners initially voted against the project, but reversed that decision after both an outcry from several thousand residents, and a reworking of the funding plan accomplished by college officials. Pictured at the event, from left, are Edwards; Jerry Zimmerman (who helped rework the funding plan); Commissioner Ernie Gregg; Josephine Gilman (who worked with Zimmerman); Dr. Jeanne Neff, interim president of Garrett College; Dusty Huxford, community partner, Manta Ray Swim League; Wendell Teets, superintendent of Garrett County schools; Linda Sherbin, chairperson of the Garrett College board of trustees; Don Battista, president/CEO of Garrett County Memorial Hospital; Catherine Patterson, GC student representative; David Whale, Grimm Parker Architects; Delegate Wendell Beitzel; Commissioner Fred Holliday; and Chuck Hess, CEO of Hess Construction. Click on the photo to see a conceptual drawing of the new facility, and to view a video of part of the ceremony. Photo by John McEwen.
See the video of the ceremony here (Video Glenn Tolbert).
If you are thinking of 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! 877-563-5350
County Commissioners Hold Constant Yield Hearing, Propose $.99 Tax Rate
The Garrett County commissioners held a constant yield hearing Tuesday morning in their public meeting room at the courthouse in Oakland. Eight members of the general public attended the event.
Garrett County Department of Financial Services director Wendy Yoder explained that the constant yield rate is calculated by the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation for each taxing authority in the state. It represents the real property tax rate for the coming fiscal year that will generate the same amount of tax revenue that was garnered during the current year.
“As assessments increase, the constant yield tax rate decreases,” Yoder said. “When a tax authority plans to impose a real property tax rate that is higher than the constant yield tax rate, that taxing authority must advertise the tax increase and hold a public hearing.”
The commissioners are proposing to maintain the current property tax rate of $.99 per $100 of assessment in Fiscal Year 2011. At that rate, the county expects to realize a 5 percent increase, or about $2.2 million, in additional revenue in FY ’11.
If the county wanted to maintain the same amount of revenue in FY ’11 as it did in FY ’10, the property tax rate/constant yield rate would be $.9433.
Yoder noted that the county’s assessable base is expected to increase by about $211,416,000 in the coming fiscal year. Local property owner Charles Mills asked if this included new home construction. Yoder said it did not.
Mills noted, therefore, that the county probably will see more than a 5 percent increase in revenue next year. He also noted that taxes for his Deep Creek Lake property have gone up 300 percent in the last 10 years alone.
Mills acknowledged that the property probably has increased in value, but questioned the dramatic increase in taxes.
“That’s a very large percentage per year over a 10-year period,” he said. “I have no idea where the money went.”
Mills said he was having a tough time figuring out where the 30 percent increase a year in revenue is going.
If you are thinking of 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! 877-563-5350
Karen Myers offers Wisp Resort & Lodestone Update @ Railey Realty
Karen Myers was one of our guests at this week’s Railey Realty sales meeting. I worked with Karen when I first got into the real estate business in 2000. She is a WEALTH of information and one of the most creative entrepreneurs that I have met. In case you did not know, she is one of the owners of Wisp Ski & Golf Resort, Mountaineer Log & Siding, and is a partner in DC Development, which is developing Marsh Mountain & the Lodestone Golf Course.
She shared a multitude of information with us, and here are some bullet points:
- Wisp Ski Resort was profitable in July & August of 2009 – it’s very difficult for a ski season to remain profitable in the summer months. She also mentioned that Wisp is the 6th largest employer in all of Garrett County, with approx. 125 full time employees. During the winter months, that number swells to a staggering 750 employees!
- The Lakeside Club is operational on Deep Creek Drive. ‘Re-callable’ memberships are available for $37,500. This basically gets you a ‘country club style’ setting on the lake, offering lake access, kids play area, showers & mens/womens locker rooms, swimming, dining & drinks.
- The Lodestone golf course will be opening in June. All 18 holes will be playable. Hale Irwin will be here July 10, 2010, for a sort of grand opening. The course is intended to be private, but they are offering ‘trial use’ memberships starting at $2,000 for the season. (Check with them for specific rates/packages). She also mentioned that the large amount of snow that we got this year helped the golf course grass to grow in much better than they expected.
- Customers interested in real estate at Wisp Resort, or vacation rental guests are permitted to play the course for $125, and Wisp Golf Club members are offered a chance to play M-Th for $100.
- Plans still exist for a ‘Mountain Top Village’ surrounding the ASCI whitewater course on top of Marsh Mountain. The plan is to have commercial shops and more dining options for vacationers, locals and skiers.
- She also mentioned an exciting new addition to the Wisp Outdoor Center, but swore me to secrecy – stay tuned, it sounds exciting!
Some interesting trivia that she shared with us: DC Development has developed a total of 540 lots since 1994. Exactly 1/3 of those are built on. Imagine the total tax base that number has added to the county coffers?
If you are thinking of 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! 877-563-5350
Deep Creek Lake Maryland Real Estate Sales, Homes For Sale, Water Front, Ski-in / Ski-Out – Jay Ferguson - Railey Realty – Garrett County
EASIEST real estate search engine to use, and the best listings in Garrett County & Deep Creek Lake, courtesy of Railey Realty:
If you are thinking of 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! 877-563-5350
New home sales in March rocket past expectations - Washington Post
New homes sales in March shot up 27 percent from their record lows in the previous month, as home buyers rushed to take advantage of the government’s purchase credit before it expires at the end of this month.
Sales rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 411,000, the biggest monthly jump in 47 years and the strongest month since July, the Commerce Department said this morning.
The sales figure blew past forecasters’ estimates, which expected an annual sales rate of 330,000.
The other good news is that the median sales price of a new home rose slightly compared with last year, up 4 percent to $214,000.
The downside to this good news is that the housing market remains in distortion, thanks to the continued government incentives. We won’t get a clean number on home sales until June, because May will be the first month when homes are sold without any sort of government incentives (assuming that Congress does not extend the credit again).
Read the rest here:
Economy Watch – New home sales in March rocket past expectations
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