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Road Trip: Deep Creek, Md.

By Chris Ramirez

Published: Saturday, February 23, 2013, 6:44 p.m.
Updated 15 hours ago

Tired of concrete? Need a nature fix?

Make a beeline to the Deep Creek area of Maryland.

There’s a ton of fun to be had in this wondrous spit of land, where rolling hills of greenery kiss up against shimmering sky-blue lake water.

And there’s plenty here to bring out the wilderness adventurer in you, even when the weather’s cold.

Garrett commissioners adopt watershed ordinance

Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News

OAKLAND —  Garrett County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a  Department of Planning and Land Development recommendation to rectify a conflict in the Deep Creek Watershed Zoning ordinance.

“Apparently, there have been over the years a course of hundreds of text amendments that have been made to the Deep Creek zoning ordinance,” said Commissioner Jim Raley during a public meeting held Tuesday. “I don’t want to see us be inconsistent with state law. I don’t want to see us doing things that are procedurally incorrect.”

The purpose of the amendments is to change two sections to make the ordinance consistent with Land Use Article 66B.

“I also want to make it perfectly clear that I want a full review, to the extent possible, of any text amendment that comes before us,” said Raley. “Obviously, I know there still has to be a public hearing.”

Raley asked the planning commission to review his comments and see if procedurally something could be put into place place to add a small hurdle to a text amendment.

“I don’t want to see the text amendment becoming a substitute for something more comprehensive,” said Raley. “… it can be easier to go with a text amendment change than it would be with a full zoning amendment. I do see some future text amendments on the horizon that I think can be very substantive.”

Both Chairman Robert Gatto and Commissioner Gregan Crawford echoed Raley’s sentiments.

“This doesn’t mean we are going to rubber-stamp every text change that comes through,” said Crawford.

The commission also voted, with Crawford abstaining, to adopt the Deep Creek Lake Shoreline Stabilization Projects Incentive Program. Crawford said the decision should have been tabled until the results of Phase II of the Deep Creek Lake sediment study are known.

“Without knowing the results … we’re looking at what we could do up front,” said Raley.

The program is similar to the sprinkler incentive that was adopted by the commission several months ago. The program will provide a $1,600 incentive payment for construction of a structure for shoreline stabilization, according to John Nelson, director of Planning and Land Development. The incentive will be paid with carryover funds from last year.

“I think the intent of the Board of Commissioners wasn’t necessarily to try to come up with incentive to cover the cost of the permit fee but actually the cost of that construction,” said Nelson.

“The incentive requires full construction and requires that the structure pass inspections by the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources,” said Raley.

The program is for the current fiscal year and, thus far, eight to 10 applications have been made for shoreline stabilization projects, according to Nelson. The program will encourage people to stabilize the shoreline to protect it from further erosion and sedimentation that is caused by the surface of the lake, said Nelson.

The commission also voted to give $500 to the Northern High School agriculture department to grow grass for the shoreline project and to allow Southern High School to be included, if interested.

Dennis Hannibal – Western Maryland Appraisals – Deep Creek Lake

I wanted to profile my good friend Dennis Hannibal, who is a local appraiser here in Garrett County & Deep Creek Lake. We had a great conversation about the real estate market the other day at my Railey Realty office. He is a wealth of information and I highly recommend him for all of your appraisal needs!

Dennis Hannibal
Western Maryland Appraisal Services
Mc Henry, Maryland (md)
301-387-7446

dehannibal@verizon.net

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 now at normal level

Cumberland Times-News

— Deep Creek Lake at normal level

MCHENRY — Deep Creek Hydropower is now operating within the rule band established by the Maryland Department of the Environment to retain Deep Creek Lake at its appropriate level.

Last month, MDE approved a request from Brookfield Renewable Power, the owner of Deep Creek Hydropower, to lower the water level to accommodate the winter’s record snow pack and subsequent melting.

Brookfield also brought in seven “ice eaters” to break up and remove ice and reduce ice pressure on the spillway. MDE and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources worked closely with Brookfield to monitor the situation.

The analysis of water content in the snow pack and the lower than expected rainfall has made spring flooding this year unlikely.

Lake levels are posted at www.deepcreekhydro.com.

Spring time at the Wisp Ski Resort

Wisp Ski Resort Deep Creek Lake
Wisp Ski Resort Deep Creek Lake

It’s that time of year…I’m starting to see some bare spots on the Wisp Ski Resort. Overall, it was a great ski season and a record winter for snowfall. Spring is here at Deep Creek Lake and the warmer weather (and rain) has led to some bare spots on the mountain. Virtually all of the snow that was here on the ground has melted now. It snowed yesterday, but there was no accumulation. Keep checking back for more info from the I Love Deep Creek blog!

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

Investors Are Buying Houses Again

March 23, 2010 by cloeffler

Good news for the second-home market.

More home buyers are snapping up properties with cash, a trend driven in large part by investors returning to the market after four years of falling prices around the country.
The share of home sales involving all-cash transactions was 26% in January, up from 18% a year earlier, according to the National Association of Realtors. The figures come from a survey of members about their most recent transactions. Many home buyers also are paying cash, but investors are largely using cash so they can avoid paying interest charges on loans and get a larger return on their investment.

Other NAR data also show a pickup in investment activity.

Home purchases made by buyers identified as investors climbed to 17% in January, up from 15% in December and 12% in November.

“We bottomed out in 2008, and in late 2009, prices stabilized and investors have returned,” says Mark Fleming, chief economist at First American CoreLogic. “It’s a different type of investor going after foreclosed properties and expecting to hold on for longer time frames.”

Many investors say they’re financing their purchases with cash on hand, rather than borrowing.

Evan Spinrod of San Francisco bought three rental properties in November and February and now owns 21 in four states. The rent he collects gives him an 8.5% annual return on his investment. Some of his homes are worth about $165,000. “I’m still looking,” Spinrod says. “You can’t build these houses for the prices they’re selling them. I’ve always seen that the real wealth was in real estate. People have been sitting on cash, and there’s no interest from the bank (to pay).”

Leonard Baron, a real estate professor at San Diego State University, has bought three homes with cash in the

San Diego area in the past eight months, ranging in price from $100,000 to $130,000. He rents the properties.

Baron says now is an ideal time to make such purchases. “It’s because prices have dropped so much and rents really haven’t,” he says. “The deals were unbelievable.”

Some Realtors also say they’re seeing increased investor activity.

“Flippers, rehabbers, investors … are, in fact, buying,” says Lisa Johnson, with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Haverhill, Mass. “I’m getting builders who have stopped building and are instead buying up condos and single-family homes to fix them up and sell them. It’s a neat change I haven’t seen in four years.”

All-cash purchases also reflect a growing number of investors buying higher-end properties without credit, says NAR spokesman Walter Molony. That’s a sign that some investors see real estate prices as having nowhere to

go but up. All-cash offers give buyers a competitive edge on rival offers – even higher ones – that are dependent on financing. Cash deals can close faster and are less likely to fall through.

“You have to have cash to be able to close quickly and have negotiating power. Cash is king,” says Tanya Marchiol, president of Phoenix-based Team Investments, which buys about 70 properties a month with cash it raises from investors. “We do want to flip it or generate cash flow (through renting it out). Now is the time to buy for cash flow. We know the market is going to rebound.”

Some investors say the current real estate market is an ideal time to buy because homes are so low priced, they are bound to hold their value.

That’s the philosophy of Jim McClelland of Tinley Park, 111.

He is buying about 120 to 150 entrylevel homes in the Chicago area this year and owns a total of about 300 properties.

He says now is a good time to buy because properties going into foreclosure are no longer just one-bedroom, fixer-uppers but nicer, split-level brick homes with more bedrooms that will probably appreciate to a higher value.

That’s because so many prime-rate borrowers who bought more expensive homes have gone into foreclosure.

He puts about $60,000 into upgrading a property, then rents it out.

“Do I think this year will be a better time to invest than in 2009? Yes,” McClelland says. “There have always been foreclosures. The difference now is you get a better home for the same kind of money. You’re sitting on better inventory. People get into real estate for financial independence. It’s not a quick fix. It appreciates. It doesn’t happen overnight.”

By Stephanie Armour USA TODAY

New Long & Foster Personal Website

Just finished working on our new ‘web friendly’ portal websites with Long & Foster. Awesome accessibility and I really like the larger photos – they make a huge difference with searching.

http://jayferguson.lnf.com/

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Long & Foster Real Estate for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350

New Lot-Land listings – 1-13-10 – Buyer Client Update

Only one new lot/land listing in the last 24 hours. You can see the .pdf here, contact me for more info, plats, permits or details.

GA7235541 0.86 AC RT 219 $50,000 Oakland 37,462 .860 RES

(source: MRIS January 13, 2010, other brokers listings may be included. This market update posting is intended solely for buyer clients of Jay Ferguson & Long & Foster Real Estate)

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Long & Foster Real Estate for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350

New Home Listings – 1-13-10 – Buyer Client Update

A few new residential listings were added over the last 24 hours. For more information, feel free to check out this .pdf file or contact me directly.

GA7235955 952 HIGH ST E $189,000 Oakland Rancher 3BR 1BA

GA7235773 257 MARSH HILL RD #3 $289,900 Mc Henry DEEP CREEK VILLAGE 2BR 3BA

GA7235557 228 STILWATER DR $1,690,000 Swanton STILWATER 6BR 5BA

(source: MRIS January 13, 2010, other brokers listings may be included. This market update posting is intended solely for buyer clients of Jay Ferguson & Long & Foster Real Estate)

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Long & Foster Real Estate for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350