October 2010 – Page 3 – Jay's Real Estate Blog

Governor O'Malley Announces Dual Certification Plans For State Forests

Support the Republican Newspaper! It’s only $9.95/year for the online edition!

Oct. 14, 2010

Gov. Martin O’Malley announced on Monday that the Maryland Department of Natural Resources is seeking dual certification for all three western Maryland state forests. According to the governor’s office, this move will protect forest industry jobs and garner national recognition of the state’s commitment to sustainable forestry management.

O’Malley made the announcement at Potomac-Garrett State Forest, on the donated tract of land upon which Maryland’s extensive public lands system was founded.

“Dual certification of these forests will protect important jobs in western Maryland by providing certified ‘green’ products to businesses like NewPage that will allow them to meet increasing customer demand,” said O’Malley. “It will also publicly validate the great work our state foresters are doing in managing our working lands for sustainability. Once again, by relying on sound science, Maryland is proving we can protect our environment and our economy to the benefit of our citizens and our planet.”

According to the governor’s office, the western Maryland forest products industry has a $950 million total economic impact in the region, contributes $35 million in state and local tax revenues, and employs 9,200 people. Dual certification will directly benefit these employees, including nearly 1,000 Marylanders who work at NewPage, by providing the forestry industry the tools it needs to compete in the global market and meet the demand for certified wood.

Read the rest 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

Deep Creek Do It All specializes in cleaning services in Garrett County & @ Deep Creek Lake. Give them a call (301-501-0217) or visit the website – competitive rates and quality results from a locally owned & operated company!

MSDE Releases HSA, AYP Results For Garrett County

Support the Republican Newspaper! It’s only $9.95/year for the online edition!

Oct. 14, 2010

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) recently released system level results regarding High School Assessment (HSA) and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). MSDE released Maryland School Assessment (MSA) and AYP results concerning elementary and middle schools in July.

Combining MSA and HSA, the Garrett County school system met AYP requirements by meeting the Annual Measurable Objective (AMO) in all subgroups. In order to meet the federal guidelines of No Child Left Behind, students in specified subgroups, including racial/ethnic classifications, students eligible for free or reduced price meals, and students with special needs must also meet the AYP goals. Of the 15 schools in Garrett County, 14 schools made AYP for the 2009-10 school year.

With the release of the high school data, one of two high schools made AYP status. Northern High School made AYP, indicating that a significant number of students scored at the proficient and/or advanced levels in all nine subgroups in the reading and mathematics areas, including graduation rate, on the High School Assessments and Alternate Maryland School Assessment. Southern High School did not make AYP status, but met success in eight of nine categories, including graduation rate. SHS did not attain proficiency in English/reading for students in the special education area. Thus, Southern High School will be on a “local alert” status for improvement in the 2010-11 school year, but will not appear on the MSDE’s list of schools needing improvement.

For the graduating class of 2010, 100% of the students met the HSA high school graduation requirement throughout the county by either passing all four subject tests reaching a combined score of 1602 on all four tests or by completing bridge plan projects in the various subjects. Other data concerning High School Assessments are as follows:

•94.7% of the students met the HSA algebra requirement by passing the assessment or completing bridge plan projects,

•97.2% of the students met the HSA biology requirement,

•87.9% of the students met the HSA English requirement,

•93.2% of the students met the HSA government requirement.

Read the rest 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

Body Of Lawyer Discovered At Local State Park

Support the Republican Newspaper! It’s only $9.95/year for the online edition!

Oct. 14, 2010

Detectives with the Garrett County Sheriff’s Office investigated the death of a Pennsylvania man that occurred at Herrington Manor State Park.

The body of James David Caruthers, 52, North Huntingdon, was discovered Monday by a hiker who was walking on the
5½-mile trail that runs between Herrington Manor and Swallow Falls state parks. Detectives with the sheriff’s office and the Department of Natural Resources, and a forensic investigator with the Medical Examiner’s Office responded to the scene.

Caruthers was a Westmoreland County assistant public defender. Preliminary results of the investigation revealed that he apparently died of natural causes while bicycling the trail. The body was sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.

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

Allegheny Power Watt Watchers

Schedule an energy audit:

Three Home Performance Programs
Maryland Residential Customers

Allegheny Power is offering three Home Performance Programs to help you identify the best ways to make your home as energy-efficient as possible. For detailed information and requirements about all programs and rebates, download a rebate booklet here.

For more information,
call 1.877.928.8928
Mon.-Fri., 7am-6pm

Online Analyzer
This web-based self-service option presents you with home efficiency and conservation recommendations for managing your energy costs. Upon completion, you have the option of receiving a reward of four CFLs. This free option is available to you right now by clicking here.

Check-Up
This program provides an in-home walk-thru consultation and report. An Allegheny Power approved auditor will survey your home’s insulation, duct work, water heating, cooling and heating systems and overall efficiency. Participation is as simple. Your share of the cost is $40, which can be waived with the acceptance of a free energy efficiency kit. The standard kit includes items such as CFLs, low-flow showerhead, and faucet aerators. Electric heating customers also qualify for a 15% rebate, up to $1,000, on additional ceiling insulation costs. To enroll, please call 1-877-928-8928 to schedule an auditor.

Comprehensive
In addition to the items in the check-up, the comprehensive audit includes a blower door test. A blower door enables the auditor to detect actual air leakage in your home. To participate, your share of the cost is $180, $40 of which can be waived with the acceptance of a free energy efficiency kit. The average retail value of a comprehensive audit is approximately $500. The standard kit includes items such as CFLs, low-flow showerhead, and faucet aerators. Electric heating customers also qualify for a 15% rebate, up to $1,000, on additional ceiling insulation and air sealing costs. For more ways to save and to schedule a BPI (Building Performance Institute) certified auditor, call 1-877-928-8928.

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

U.S. urges lenders to vet foreclosures but keep process moving

From the Washington Post:
Zachary A. Goldfarb and Ariana Eunjung Cha
Wednesday, October 13, 2010; 4:35 PM

Federal regulators on Wednesday urged the nation’s lenders to verify that paperwork filed as part of the foreclosure process was properly reviewed and to file new documents if problems are found.

But regulators also said that lenders should continue as quickly as possible with foreclosures when no problems are found. Their comments, fashioned in close consultation with the Obama administration, demonstrate how federal officials and the White House are at odds with Democratic leaders in Congress, who favor a national freeze on foreclosures.

The framework outlined by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, is the most elaborate federal response so far to the foreclosure debacle buffetting the housing and financial markets.

Read the rest 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

Autumn Glory Photo Gallery – Karlo Photography

My good pal Karlo has his Autumn Glory photo gallery posted on his website. AMAZING PICS, I’m sure you will agree. It seems like he was EVERYWHERE taking photos!

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

September Home Sales – Market Update – Deep Creek Lake

I am a little late in publishing these numbers this month, but I have a good reason…Autumn Glory kept me sidetracked for much of the weekend and even in to this week. What a great time of the year – the leaves peaked from Saturday afternoon until about mid-day Monday. Keep an eye on this blog for links to the photo galleries from all of the county – I got some great photos!

We had 39 home sales in the month of September 2010 (versus 26 sales in September 2009). Another sizable increase from last month (32 total sales), as well as being the most productive month of the year, I believe.

There are 50 homes under contract (sale-pending), down from last month (67). This number should continue to drop steadily until we enter the next ‘season’ for tourists and visitors to return to the county for extended stays.

The average list vs. ORIGINAL sales price was 82.63%, down from last month (87.31%).

The ADJUSTED list vs sale price is 89.63% down 2% from last month (91.80%).

The current number of active/for sale residential listings (minus timeshares) is 751 as of today, down from last month (775). I expect this number to drop in the coming months, as most sellers remove their home from the market in the late fall/winter months, but even at this pace, it’s a 19 month supply of homes (last months pace was 24 month supply).

Random Observations:

There were 9 ‘newer’ homes that sold this month.
There was a lakefront home that sold for $399,900
24 of the 39 homes sold for less than $300,000.
Highest sale was $1.150 million on Marsh Hill Rd.
3 houses sold for full price.
1 home sold for 50% of asking price – next lowest, 79%
19 of these sales were lake area or vacation homes.
The rest (20) are primary residential homes scattered around Garrett County.
Average age of the home sold was 23 years old
2 sales at Wisp Resort – one at Kendall Camp & the other at North Camp
5 condo’s/townhouse properties sold
2 sales above $1 million, both lakefront homes

Here are the statistical breakdowns:

Average Sale Price: $317,014 (last month $367,780)

Average Days on Market: 187/226 (last month 163/182) (days on market with current broker/total days on market).

I’ll update this later this week with how Railey Realty fared in the sales numbers.

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

Naylor Trust Makes Major Donation To Garrett College

Support the Republican Newspaper! It’s only $9.95/year for the online edition!

The Garrett College Foundation recently received a major gift from the Howard and Audrey Naylor Trust through the Community Trust Foundation to establish the Audrey Naylor Scholarship Endowment. The endowment will provide scholarships primarily for adult students. Presenting a check for $200,000 to Dr. Jeanne Neff, chairperson of the GC Foundation board, in the above photo is Shane Grady, chair of the Community Trust Foundation which is the agency that dispenses the funds of the Naylor Trust, among others. Also in the photo is Fred Learey, executive director of the GC Foundation. See story.

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

Pam Trickett Honored At Autumn Glory Festival Kickoff

Support the Republican Newspaper! It’s only $9.95/year for the online edition!

PAM TRICKETT HONORED AT KICKOFF – The Honorary Golden Ambassador for the 2010 Autumn Glory Festival is Pam Trickett, who was so designated last night at the festival kickoff reception, held at the Wisp Resort in McHenry. Trickett is currently in her third term as a member of the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce board of directors and has been on the Autumn Glory Committee for nine years, for which she currently serves as chairman. She has also chaired the festival’s banjo and fiddle contests and is the founder of the county’s newest festival, the Festival of Trees, held over Thanksgiving. A native of Garrett County, she has been employed by WKHJ Radio for the past 11 years. Pictured above with Trickett are past Honorary Golden Ambassadors who assisted with the presentation. From left are: Jerry Geisler, Ruth Beitzel, Asa McCain, Trickett, Judy Devlin, Karen Myers, Ernie Gregg, Bob Rudy, Randy Rodeheaver, and Jeff McCauley. Photo by Katie Tasker, Garrett County Chamber of Commerce.

Read the full 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 New Dove Center

Support the Republican Newspaper! It’s only $9.95/year for the online edition!

Oct. 7, 2010

Dove Center staff and board members, supporters, and local officials broke ground last Friday for the construction of a new facility off Memorial Drive in Oakland. The center’s executive director, Heather Hanline, called the event a huge accomplishment. “I can’t think of a better way to kick off National Domestic Violence Awareness Month than to be breaking ground on our new facility, which is the product of years of time and effort, creativity, generosity, and community support,” Hanline said. The center was spearheaded 20 years ago by a small grassroots effort to address the needs of domestic violence and sexual assault victims.

Hanline noted the facility had a “humble beginning,” with just two staff members in a small office in downtown Oakland. Since then, the center has grown in an effort to meet an increasing need for its services. About two years ago, a capital campaign was launched to construct a new facility, which will include storage space, offices, and safe, secure shelter for victims. The campaign has raised nearly $300,000 in donations and garnered a $800,000 Community Development Block Grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. Hanline said she hopes be able to move into the new center by this time next year.

Read the rest 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

Month: October 2010

Governor O'Malley Announces Dual Certification Plans For State Forests

MSDE Releases HSA, AYP Results For Garrett County

Body Of Lawyer Discovered At Local State Park

Allegheny Power Watt Watchers

U.S. urges lenders to vet foreclosures but keep process moving

Autumn Glory Photo Gallery – Karlo Photography

September Home Sales – Market Update – Deep Creek Lake

Naylor Trust Makes Major Donation To Garrett College

Pam Trickett Honored At Autumn Glory Festival Kickoff

Ground Broken For New Dove Center

My Location

Deep Creek Media

Stay Connected