By: DebraSavage dsavage@railey.com 301-616-4085 May 4th, 2012 Category: Deep Creek Lake Real Estate, Fractional Ownership

Here’s a new and exciting concept in buying a second home; buy a million dollar luxuriously furnished lakefront home on beautiful Deep Creek Lake in Garrett Country, MD for one-eight the price, and get a new top of the line 24′ Bennington Lake Cruiser on your own private dock, thrown in?

Located on beautiful Deep Creek Lake in Garrett County - Maryland’s largest freshwater lake and four-season playground -  is a unique fractional real estate opportunity waiting for you. Now you can spend the upcoming summer weekends relaxing on the deck of an elegantly furnished home overlooking the lake, with the ‘Mercedes of Lake Cruiser’ on your private dock, waiting to be taken out for a spin.

The Creekside Club, a fractional private residence club, a growing trend for those looking for a carefree vacation home offers an exclusive ownership of a $1 million luxury Deep Creek lakefront home and a luxury 24′ decked-out lake cruiser, all for only a fraction of the cost.

This is no ordinary lakefront home, and no ordinary boat. It’s part of a growing trend in luxury vacation homes - where like-minded people share the costs of private home while reaping the benefits of the perfect family retreat.

What makes this second home real estate opportunity so extraordinary, aside from your totally carefree enjoyment is the added bonus of the boat ownership. It can be said that the best way to spend time on the water is to have a friend with a boat. Now the Creekside Club offers boat ownership with its private residence club home yet without the hassles or maintenance and a fraction of the upkeep cost; all the fun, none of the headaches. All you do is show up to your lakefront home, your groceries are in the fridge, the drinks are on the boat, and you are off enjoying the blue waters of Deep Creek Lake.

The inclusion of a $50,000+ top-of-the-line Bennington Cruiser comes just as Garrett County is gearing up for their busy summer season. But for owners of this vacation home, a boat comes privately docked right outside your back door. You no longer have to experience the hassle of boat rentals or the annoyance or costs of boat maintenance. Perfect for a leisurely cruise on the lake’s clear blue waters, you can also speed things up with waterskiing and wakeboarding. The Cruiser comes fully equipped with comfortable lounge seating, a great sound system and space enough for ten.

If you only plan to use your Deep Creek vacation home 6 or 7 times per year, this is the smarter way to own a luxury home on the lake. A one-eighth deeded share starts at only $139,000, giving you an impressive four-bedroom villa, your personal 24′ Inboard/Outboard Lake Cruiser, complete with a private dock, and the freedom to use this home as much as you want based only availability. Without any of the financial or maintenance headaches involved with most second homes, ownership at The Creekside Club allows owners to take full advantage of all the amenities the gorgeous villa and all that the Deep Creek Lake area has to offer, at a price you wouldn’t think possible.

For most Owners of a fractional private residence club, like The Creekside Club, the ease of ownership is just as appealing as the cost. A club staff cares for the property and provides boutique hotel-like services. Fair and equitable club reservation policies dictate use - which is unlimited, subject to use by other owners. So, instead of spending a small fortune on a home you’d only use two or three times a year, you’ll be spending a fraction of that price and be able to use it as much as Owners want. Residence Club Partners of Asheville, NC, has masterfully set an attainable goal for families who want to enjoy a vacation home that is affordable as well as indulgent.

If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a second homebuyer with The Creekside Club on Deep Creek Lake, visit www.creeksideclub.com.

By: Mike Kennedy mkennedy@railey.com 301-616-6106 April 25th, 2012 Category: Deep Creek Lake Real Estate, Garrett County News, Garrett County Real Estate, News

Good news for Deep Creek Lake and Garrett County property owners. The Garrett County Commissioners have decided to hold the current real estate property tax rate at $0.99. The result of leaving the rate unchanged means the county will receive - and property owners will pay - approximately $2,000,000 in less tax revenue due to reduced property assessments. Unlike previous years, the county plans to reduce expenditures in all Garrett County Government Departments, except for the school system, instead of raising the property tax rate to offset the decline in revenue.

Please feel free to contact us if you would like an opinion on the value of your property or if you have any questions about your property assessment.

By: Mike Kennedy mkennedy@railey.com 301-616-6106 March 30th, 2012 Category: Garrett County News, News

Last week, the Garrett County commissioners voted to take over ownership of the ASCI man made white water course that sits atop Wisp Ski Resort Mountain. As part of the deal, two local banks agreed to restructure debt that ultimately allowed the county to take ownership. The county plans on raising the accommodation tax from 5% to 6% to help pay for this acquisition. The accommodation tax is paid primarily by vacationers and tourists who stay at local hotels and Deep Creek Lake area vacation rental homes.

This acquisition will ensure that the ASCI white water rafting course continues to be a tourist destination in the Garrett County and Deep Creek Lake area.

By: Mike Kennedy mkennedy@railey.com 301-616-6106 March 29th, 2012 Category: Deep Creek Lake Buyer Info, Deep Creek Lake Market Update, Deep Creek Lake Real Estate, Garrett County Real Estate

Following a very positive start to 2012 based on total sales in the month of January, the upward trend of monthly sales in the Deep Creek Lake area market continued into the month of February. Monthly residential sales are a key indicator in the local real estate market. In Garrett County there were 17 residential sales in February 2012 totaling $4,522,000 in total dollar volume. Below is a summary of total sales in the month of February since 2007.

Feb 2012 / 17 residential closings / $4,522,000

Feb 2011 / 9 residential closings / $2,787,000

Feb 2010 / 6 residential closings / $1,860,000

Feb 2009 / 8 residential closings / $3,563,500

Feb 2008 / 18 residential closings / $6,171,475

Feb 2007 / 18 residential closings / $5,979,000

The total number of residential sales in February is almost double from one year ago and the total dollar volume was up 62%. If you are thinking of buying a vacation house at Deep Creek Lake, shopping now as opposed to later may be a good idea. Buyer interest seems to be much higher now that prices have softened and interest rates are low. There have even been a few multiple offer situations the past few weeks on two different lake access homes. Multiple offers have been extremely rare the past few years.

Give us a call for a free tour of homes for sale in the area or a free market analysis if you are considering selling. As the area’s largest and most experienced brokerage we have the largest selection of Deep Creek Lake and Wisp Ski Resort properties for sale. Please note we can show you any property listed for sale, even those listed with other real estate companies. Whether you plan on buying or selling, we look forward to helping you with all your real estate needs.

By: JonBell jbell@railey.com 301-501-0735 March 9th, 2012 Category: Deep Creek Lake Buyer Info, Deep Creek Lake Real Estate, Interest Rates and Loans

The Washington Post recently published an article titled “What Can You Buy For $300,000? Vacation Homes to Escape From the Beltway.” The article noted that mortgage interest rates are still at historical lows, real estate prices are still depressed and many people in the metro area are considering the idea of purchasing a vacation rental home. There are a lot of “Good Deals” out there these days and many of the resort area homes can be rented to vacationers to offset the expense. This is a good time to buy a second home at Deep Creek Lake.

The Post article examined three vacation destinations within driving distance of Washington DC and picked up on the property I have for sale at 1165 Harvey Peninsula Road. This house (pictured above) is a great 3 bedroom plus loft log home located within walking distance to the shoreline of Deep Creek Lake and just several miles from the Wisp Ski and Golf Resort. The house is situated on a half acre wooded lot with a large deck, hot tub, wood burning stove and pool table. The house is priced at $269,000 and has all of the amenities required for the perfect family retreat. Click here to view 28 pictures of the property and the full sales sheet.

The author, Katherine Reynolds Lewis, wrote “For a vacation home that you can use or rent almost year round, many Washingtonians flock to Deep Creek Lake.” She is absolutely correct. The majority of my customers come from the Washington DC, Baltimore and Northern Virginia areas but Deep Creek also attracts second home buyers from Pittsburgh, West Virginia, parts of Ohio and New York. I first visited Deep Creek Lake on a camping trip with my parents around the age of 13. We trailered our boat up from the Chesapeake Bay, launched at the state park and spent the night tied up to the docks at Johnny’s Bait house. We didn’t catch many fish but we had a great time. I moved to Deep Creek full time about 10 years later. The move was a great decision.

Click on the following link to read the full Washington Post article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/realestate/a-year-round-haven-at-deep-creek-lake/2012/02/20/gIQAvRlmTR_story.html

Why Buy at Deep Creek Lake? Click on the following link to read Ten Reasons to Buy a Home at Deep Creek Lake, MD.

What to know more? Click on the following link to read Deep Creek Lake’s Most Frequently Questions.

By: Mike Kennedy mkennedy@railey.com 301-616-6106 March 5th, 2012 Category: Deep Creek Lake Activities, Deep Creek Lake Area Things To Do, Garrett County News, News, Wisp Ski Resort

Wisp Ski Resort plans to remain open for winter ski and snowboard operations through April 8, 2012 despite an unusually warm winter. Rumors of the Wisp closing earlier than normal this ski season due to conditions are simply not true according to President, Karen Myers. With only about 70-80 inches of actual snowfall this year in Garrett County, the management and staff of Wisp has done a tremendous job keeping all trails and slopes open while delivering a fun experience to guests and vacationers. In fact, some skiers have even commented that the Wisp has delivered some of the best ski conditions ever this winter.

By: Mike Kennedy mkennedy@railey.com 301-616-6106 February 23rd, 2012 Category: News

Below are a few new regulations being implemented by DNR this year that deal with noise limits and underwater plant growth on Deep Creek Lake.

The new decibel limit for boats on Deep Creek Lake is now 88 decibels. The previous limit was 90 decibels. Natural Resources Police will check loud boats for compliance.

Fabric mats called Benthic mats are now allowed by special permit to be placed on the bottom of Deep Creek Lake underneath and around docks. These mats can suppress the growth of underwater plants also known as submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). It is the responsibility of the homeowner to purchase the mats, install them, and remove them from the lake.

These changes should help some of the complaints heard on these issues the past few years.

By: Mike Kennedy mkennedy@railey.com 301-616-6106 February 13th, 2012 Category: Deep Creek Lake Buyer Info, Deep Creek Lake Market Update, Deep Creek Lake Real Estate, Garrett County Real Estate, Wisp Real Estate

Monthly residential sales, which are a key indicator in the local Deep Creek Lake and Garrett County real estate market, experienced its highest number of January sales since 2007. In Garrett County there were 27 residential sales in the first month of 2012 totaling $9,016,297. Below is a summary of total January sales since 2007.

27 residential closings in Jan 2012/ $9,016,297.00

18 residential closings in Jan 2011/ $7,178,025.00

12 residential closings in Jan 2010/ $4,043,000.00

10 residential closings in Jan 2009/ $3,987,000.00

14 residential closings in Jan 2008/ $8,107,750.00

29 residential closings in Jan 2007/ $10,258,100.00

The trends and statistics are starting to confirm that our local real estate market started experiencing it’s slow down in 2008, bottomed out in 2009, and then has experienced slow, steady growth since that point. Even though sales are trending upward and improving, property values have continued to soften the past few years but have recently started to stabilize in most of our various market segments. Now is a great time to think about purchasing a second home at Deep Creek Lake. Prices are down from their peak a few years ago and interest rates are at, or near, their lowest point ever.

Give us a call for a free tour of homes for sale in the area. As the area’s largest and most experienced brokerage we have the largest selection of Deep Creek Lake and Wisp Ski Resort properties for sale. Please note we can show you any property listed for sale, even those listed with other real estate companies. We look forward to helping you with all your real estate needs.

By: Mike Kennedy mkennedy@railey.com 301-616-6106 February 7th, 2012 Category: Deep Creek Lake Activities, Deep Creek Lake Area Things To Do, Garrett County News, News, Wisp Ski Resort

Former Deep Creek Winter Sports Team member Tom Wallisch recently won his first Gold medal at the Winter X Games held in Aspen Colorado in the freestyle skiing event. Tom was also recently named to the 2014 Olympic team.

Tom is from the Pittsburgh area and grew up learning to ski at Wisp Ski Resort. Tom’s parents have a vacation town home at Deep Creek Village which is within walking distance to Wisp. When Tom was younger he was a member of the Deep Creek Winter Sports team and advanced his freestyle skiing and jumping skills while on the team and at Wisp on the weekends.

If you are considering purchasing or already own a second home at Deep Creek, the Winter Sports Team is another great program and amenity. The team’s training program is designed to teach and advance children of all ages in skiing and snowboarding at Wisp. Practices for the team are held mostly on weekends to accommodate vacation homeowners who visit the area on the weekends. The team also has a training camp the week between Christmas and New Year’s when most kids are on school break. The team also hosts competitions and ski races at Wisp for those members that wish to compete.

Click here for Wisp Ski Properties for sale including houses, building lots, and town homes.

Contact us if you would like a free tour of homes for sale in the Deep Creek and Wisp Ski Resort area.

By: Mike Kennedy mkennedy@railey.com 301-616-6106 February 6th, 2012 Category: Garrett County News, News

Deep Creek Title Group (DCTG) has recently announced that Karen Niner has joined their firm as Managing Settlement Agent. Karen worked at the Oakland, Maryland law firm of Eiswert, Janes & Kepple for over 34 years where she was in charge of all title and settlement services. She now joins local attorney Jonathan Robeson who is the managing member of Deep Creek Title Group. Jonathan remarked that “Karen brings over 34 years of real estate settlement and loan closing services in the Deep Creek Lake and Garrett County area. She has developed a deeply loyal following in the local community by providing quality, professional service while maintaining the highest level of accuracy, integrity, and ethics. We are very excited that she has decided to accept a position in our firm.” Deep Creek Title is a locally owned title and settlement company providing all services related to closings and settlements involving real estate purchases, mortgages, refinancing and home equity loans, construction and commercial loans. Deep Creek Title is located at 113 South Third Street in Oakland, Maryland. Their phone number is (301) 334-1001.