Betsy Spiker Holcomb real estate – Page 22

Greetings from Deep Creek Lake-July 4th-New Website

Betsy Spiker Holcomb Deep Creek Lakes Favorite Realtor

Greetings! Deep Creek Lake was not spared the Friday night storm. We were personally lucky to have avoided a power outage but some others were not so fortunate. The radio said there were roughly 4,000+ people without power after the storm. There are still a few isolated areas without power. We did, however, fare much better than areas to our East. Many of our clients and friends made an unscheduled visit to their vacation homes at Deep Creek Lake because they were without power in the DC and northern VA areas.

Greetings from Deep Creek Lake-July 4th-New Website

The DockDogs event that was held at Wisp this weekend was quite a site to see! I was out of town but my wife Betsy was fascinated by how far some of these dogs can jump, from Chihuahua’s to German Shepherd’s. It’s definitely an event that will go on my 2013 calendar. P.S. The dog is hard to spot in this photo; he’s flying through the air just to the left of the red ball!

Now, on to the beautiful weather and fun 4th of July week ahead of us. The fireworks display will take place at dusk on Wednesday evening from the tubing park at Wisp Resort. You can watch from your car along Garrett Highway, by boat in McHenry Cove or from the Independence Day Concert taking place under the tent at Garrett College (beginning at 7:30pm). This week, July 5-7, at Garrett College under the tent is “Chautauqua”. “Exploring the War of 1812 in Maryland” is the theme. The complete schedule is on the link below. http://www.artsandentertainment.org/pages/chautauqua.html

Looking ahead…The 91st Annual Western Maryland Tennis Championships are scheduled on the clay courts in Mountain Lake Park August 2-5th. Whether you are a tennis player or enjoy being a spectator, you can catch some great tennis! http://www.mlptc.org/

The Spiker Team’s featured listing of the week is a beautiful home within 5 minutes of Deep Creek Lake on 5 acres with its own pond, stream and barn. Convenient country living! http://vt.realbiz360.com/MLS-1041549.html

For up-to-date listings you can search our new website any time of day at www.DeepCreekLakeProperty.com. And, if you have any comments regarding the new design, layout & functionality we’d love to hear from you. Have a great week!

Blackwater Falls-West Virginia

Waterfalls near Deep Creek Lake

Blackwater Falls-West Virginia. Do you want to experience a fun day trip? This weekend I took a step off the everyday path and took a Sunday drive to Blackwater Falls, which is a stone’s throw from Thomas, West Virginia. The drive is about 45 minutes or so from the resort end of Deep Creek Lake. The drive alone is worth the price of admission, passing through beautiful rustic farm country and ascending & descending some of the highest mountains that Maryland and West Virginia have to offer. The reward at the end of the line is Blackwater Falls State Park, a fantastic place to experience with your family and friends. From the welcome center, it is only a short walk down the gorge until you are literally in the mist of this mighty waterfall. There are many tiers along the walkway so you can experience the falls from many different vantage points. This can be very therapeutic for those of you who live the busy city life and whose lives get caught up in a web of daily gridlock. Take the family on a little spin South of Deep Creek Lake and experience Garrett County and beyond.

Wisp Resort Closed For The Season 3/18/12

Wisp Resort Closed For The Season 3/18/12. Wisp Resort Closed For The Season 3/18/12 as the springtime temperatures have finally decided to consistently stay warm enough to make snowmaking impossible. It has been a very successful winter for Wisp even though Mother Nature made them work harder than normal to keep snow on the ground. Thankfully the temps dipped periodically throughout the season, and when they did, Wisp was ready on every occasion to maximize their snow making efforts to keep excellent ski conditions throughout a very mild winter season. I talked to a lot of folks who weren’t complaining about skiing groomed corduroy trails with temps in the 50’s-60’s. Thanks Wisp Resort for a great winter season!

Wisp Resort Closed For The Season 3/18/12

The American Chestnut Tree-Deep Creek History

The American Chestnut Tree

I had a fantastic morning before work snowboarding & skiing with local folk hero/historian, Ed King, who has 77 years of life lessons and life long memories & experiences that provide much more insight than a Google search! Ed is a colleague of mine here at Long and Foster who is respected immensely by the people of Garrett County. While on the chairlift the other morning, he shared his memories of the blight that destroyed the queen of timber in the Appalachians, The Chestnut Tree. Our fascinating and unique history here in the United States always revolved around perseverance and ingenuity when faced with disaster, and the chestnut tree has engrained itself in the fables. The chestnut tree has run a full circle of life going from a huge part of the economy, then being wiped out, reclaimed, recycled, reused, and eventually re-established for the future.

The lightweight American chestnut tree was of huge economic importance to the people of Garrett County for many reasons. It was an extremely important component because it could grow to 100’ tall with huge diameters around the base, equating to a large amount of lumber. The tree has a reddish-brown color characteristic that was lightweight, soft, easy to split, very resistant to decay and did not shrink or warp, which made it a goldmine for a developing country.

Unfortunately, a very deadly blight/fungus was introduced in 1904 from the Orient and after 40 years of contamination the Chestnut stands were completely demised throughout Garrett County and the Appalachians. Because of their natural resistance to rot, these dead trees stood for many years as ghosts in the vast forest. The fact that they were very dry was a serious concern for the National Parks, as they were considered fire hazards. Mr. King told me that back then you could go the National Forest and ask for a certain amount of trees and they would give you a paint color to use so you could paint the trees you wanted to cut at a later date. You can imagine that this cheap valuable resource became the go-to wood for locals here at the lake.

When looking for real estate here at the lake, you will often hear of homes where they have reclaimed wormy chestnut and used them in construction details. You probably wonder how the tree got their famous wormy characteristics. After the tree stood year-after-year, the worms started to bore through the lifeless trees so that after harvesting them it would give them the patented black wormy trails through the beautiful red-brown chestnut grain.

The next time you run into a home decked out in wormy chestnut while looking for real estate here at Deep Creek Lake, remember the interesting history associated to this special tree.

Snow Making Wisp Resort

Snow Making Wisp Resort. It is Friday, November 18, 2011 here at Deep Creek Lake, one week before Thanksgiving. Wisp Resort has fired up their state-of-the-art snow making system in preparation for the upcoming winter sports season. Temperatures are perfect for snow making at the moment, with humidity down to 50%, crucial for getting that coveted light champagne powder. Wisp Resort is always on the pulse of preparation year-after-year, enabling them to deliver some of the finest snow conditions on the East Coast.

The temperatures will fluctuate a bit warmer during the week, but that doesn’t mean that this is some vain fire drill and time wasted. After all, snow making is a very complex system that has miles and miles of pipe, valves, snow guns, and nozzles that have to be turned on and pressurized to assure that all the bugs are out of the system before the season starts. Wisp Resort is meticulous regarding every aspect & detail, to guarantee a problem-free experience for everyone that visits the mountain. We have closed the chapter on the summer season and the presence of active snow making machines is a signal to locals (like the leaves changing in the fall) that the snow season is about to begin.

Fall Foliage Deep Creek Lake

Fall Foliage

Fall Foliage Deep Creek Lake. I sit reflecting on the fall season looking across a still mirror lake that reflects off the water the last remaining leaves on the stubborn oak trees that seem determined not to give into old man winter. Looking back a few weeks ago we were fortunate to experience a stellar fall foliage spectacle here at Deep Creek Lake. This particular season seemed to hinge on perfection as every hue of nature’s color spectrum flexed magnificently around the lake and Garrett County. Fisherman out to capitalize on the fall bite witnessed a spectacle from their boats on God’s canvas here in the great mountains of Maryland. Leave the stress of life behind and join us next year for the brilliant fall foliage experience at Maryland’s favorite get away destination.

1884 Oakland Train Station-Deep Creek History

1884 Oakland Train Station

History Buffs, have I got something to share with you that is a mere 15 minutes up the road from Deep Creek Lake. Next time you are here at the lake get on 219 south and head to Oakland; you will be rewarded for your efforts once you get to the 1884 Oakland Train Station! This beautifully architected building is actually the 3^rd building to occupy this location through the years. The first was a small two-story wooden building that was constructed after the railroad arrival in 1851. Unfortunately, a fire from the nearby Glades Hotel consumed the railway structure in 1874. During the interim, a one-story building was erected to serve as the train station until the current masterpiece was built in 1884. Original architect E. Francis Baldwin described his creation by using the term “Queen Anne Style”, which is highlighted by the rounded telegraph tower and roof that really gives the building its signature personality

The town of Oakland purchased the entire train station property in 1998. It has since become the center piece of Oakland’s “revitalization work” that was finished in 2000. There was a time in history when steam locomotives were the norm, and a 250,000 gallon water tank that stood 50’ tall occupied the East side of the station. It remained in tact until the 1920’s when it was de-constructed.

Oakland was once a very busy hub for transportation greeting 8 long distance express passenger trains a day in the 1940’s and 1950’s. During this time you could hail a train in St. Louisand be in Washingtonin in almost 24 hours. What a remarkable trip that must have been winding and carving through this amazing land at a wonderful time in history. Take your own trip back in time and try to put yourself back where the roar of the train whistle echoed through the foothills of beautiful Garrett Countyand the roots of train travel were paving the way to the industrial revolution.

Ten Steps To A Successful Settlement- Deep Creek Lake Real Estate

I have spent my career making sure my clients are educated on all the complexities that arise during the purchase of a home. After my team of buyer agents find the perfect home for their clients, our work toward a successful settlement really begins. As a selling agent for over the last 12 years, I have prepared and taught my team the necessary steps to ensure a smooth home buying experience. Here are some basic guidelines to ensure a successful settlement.

Ten Steps To A Successful Settlement

1.) Get pre-approved by a reputable lender.

2.)Compare your housing desires with what you can afford to begin the process of locating a home that meets your needs and means.

3.)Consider the state of the market your shopping in and decide when the right time to buy is.

4.) Once you have identified the best property to buy and you are ready to move forward with the bid/contract process, ask your experienced buyer specialist to walk you through your responsibilities and your potential need for expert tax & legal advice.

5.)Contact your lender immediately after the contract is fully executed. A reasonable commitment date is 30 days from contract acceptance.

6.) Be sure to follow-up with your lender to make sure they are providing all necessary paperwork required to render a final loan. Ascertain that an appraisal has been ordered and the date scheduled.

7.)Check with your real estate agent to make sure they are providing the appraiser current comps to validate the price of the property.

8.) A good real estate agent will communicate with your lender every couple of days to ensure all elements of the loan process are in order and proceeding in accordance with the contract commitment date.

9.) After receiving formal loan commitment, coordinate with the lender or real estate agent to make certain any and all underwriting conditions have been satisfied and nothing further is needed from you.

10.) When you receive final loan commitment from your lender, select your title company and schedule the settlement date. Remember that you must have a home owner’s insurance policy prior to settlement.

The Ohiopyle BikeTrail

The Ohiopyle BikeTrail

Normally I do not encourage folks to stray too far away from our utopian vacation heaven here at Deep Creek Lake because of the wealth of activities we have here. But, I have discovered a superb place just twenty-five minutes North of Garrett County in Pennsylvania that is a bike peddlers dream in the fall (or anytime for that matter). The ride is a great way to experience the legendary fall foliage that is not too far away from firing.Choose your starting point either at Confluence, PA or at Ohiopyle National Park, which are separated by eleven miles. The kicker is that the bike path between the towns runs parallel with the beautiful Youghiogheny River with gentle, consistent elevation changes, making for pleasant peddling. There is only a 2% grade running downstream from Confluence towards Ohiopyle that makes this 22 mile round trip perfect for those of us who don’t have the legs and lungs of Lance Armstrong. The trip allows many opportunities to stop and take in the relaxing peaceful calm that the Yough River is famous for. You will see many kayak and raft tours cruising down this easy flowing section of the river. Bring the family and a backpack with a nice lunch and a few ice cold Powerade’s and spend a special afternoon enjoying another chapter of God’s country.

I suggest if you do not bike a lot to begin by starting at Ohiopyle, which makes the first eleven miles 2% uphill all the way to Confluence, that way if you get too tired you can cruise with less effort on the slightly downhill run back to Ohiopyle. Expect rubbery legs the next day, and the urge to make biking a new part of your life. I know the summer season has ended, but take some time as fall approaches to step away from work, load up your bikes and bring the family to enjoy a memorable day just a stone’s throw from Deep Creek Lake.

The State of Wisp Resort, Deep Creek Lake, MD

The State of Wisp Resort, Deep Creek Lake, MD

The State of Wisp Resort, Deep Creek Lake, MD. I’d like to try to clarify the state of Wisp Resort and the surrounding real estate on the mountain. There have been rumors and sensationalism in some of the headlines and I would like to try to state the facts as I know them.

First of all, Wisp Resort, which is owned by Recreational Industries, owns the ski resort and Wisp’s public golf course. Wisp Resort itself is a healthy, vibrant, profitable business and is poised to begin snowmaking for the 2011/12 season in less than 90 days. The first scheduled date for ski area operations is Friday, November 25 and Wisp is about to complete a positive record-breaking summer operation. To get an idea of the degree of success, gross revenues at Wisp have risen from $9 million to $16 million over a 5-year period with profitability increased more than three-fold.

The Lodestone Golf Course and surrounding home sites were developed by Wisp Resort Development (WRD). The decline in the economy couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Lodestone golf course and the surrounding homesites, putting a strain on WRD’s ability to meet their new obligations. Just 20 of the 60 developed sites in Lodestone have been sold and the remaining 137 sites are still in the development stage. Having spent the last 24 years of my life building golf courses that support the surrounding real estate development, I can testify that typically these developments sold out in a very short time. The good news is that the Lodestone course has been ranked as #3 best play in Maryland and #7 best new course in the country; however, even with an extremely high quality golf course, the homesite market is still quite slow. WRD reports that it is attempting to work with BB&T in an attempt to restructure its loan; meanwhile, there will be no interruption in activities at Wisp Resort.

Since its founding in 1955, Wisp has made Maryland’s westernmost county a year-round tourist destination. Vacation homes, some worth millions, ring the 3,600-acre lake. The ski resort is the county’s sixth largest employer with a workforce that swells from 225 in the summer to 650 in the winter. I spoke to Karen Myers, who has ownership interest in both Wisp and Lodestone, who said with her familiar, optimistic smile, “We operate a successful, thriving recreation business at Wisp Resort and we will do everything in our power to turn around the real estate development side of the business as well. Of course, we cannot control the national economy but we can make sure that our Wisp and Lodestone communities have the very best amenities and are offered to consumers at reasonable and affordable prices. Being a 10th generation Garrett Countian, I feel certain that the tenacity that has been passed down through the generations will see us through this economic crisis as well.”

Tag: Betsy Spiker Holcomb real estate

Greetings from Deep Creek Lake-July 4th-New Website

Blackwater Falls-West Virginia

Wisp Resort Closed For The Season 3/18/12

The American Chestnut Tree-Deep Creek History

Snow Making Wisp Resort

Fall Foliage Deep Creek Lake

1884 Oakland Train Station-Deep Creek History

Ten Steps To A Successful Settlement- Deep Creek Lake Real Estate

The Ohiopyle BikeTrail

The State of Wisp Resort, Deep Creek Lake, MD

My Location

Deep Creek Media

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