Furious Fitness owners Sharon and Craig Collins held a grand opening celebration and ribbon cutting ceremony last Saturday to mark their transformation of the facility. Pictured, from left, are County Commissioner Bud Church, Mayor Gee Williams, Sharon and Craig Collins, Commissioner Louise Gulyas and Mayor’s Assistant JoAnn Unger. Submitted Photo
Report Finds Homes On Market Less Time
BERLIN – Single-family homes and condominiums in Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties are spending less days on the market, according to the latest figures from the Coastal Association of REALTORS® (CAR).
According to the association’s local housing market statistics, single family homes and condominiums sold in September had spent an average of 129 days on the market, compared to 191 days the same time last year.
Joni Martin Williamson, of ERA Martin Associates of Salisbury, said one “symptom” she’s noticed in connection to less days on the market is an influx in multiple offers on listings, particularly brand new listings, “which is good. It’s a trend of houses coming onto the market and quickly receiving two offers, then quickly moving to contract. This could be attributed to either better pricing from the sellers or more realistic offers from the buyers.”
“It is certainly encouraging to see that, thanks to the expertise and skills of our local REALTORS®, local homes are spending less time on the market,” said Sheila Dodson, executive director of CAR. “This indicates recognition of the value of these homes, situated on our beautiful Eastern Shore.”
Pending sales, or contracts, for all three counties totaled 2,261 in September, which is up 7.7 percent from the same time last year and continues a months-long trend.
Settlements of Worcester County condominiums, Wicomico County single family homes, and Somerset County single family homes continue to decrease, compared to September 2013. Single family homes in Worcester County saw a slight uptick in settlements and there was no change in condominium settlements in Wicomico and Somerset counties.
CAR has attributed the increase in contracts and decrease in settlements to financing delays through the USDA Rural Housing Loan Program. Once the contracts go to settlement, the local industry is expected to see a considerable boost in overall home sales.
Open House Weekend
BERLIN – Long & Foster Real Estate, the largest independent residential real estate company in the United States, will host a companywide open house weekend on Oct. 18-19. The special event will provide an opportunity for home buyers across the Mid-Atlantic region to explore the many properties that are available for sale in their communities.
“At Long & Foster, we are committed to making the home buying and selling experience the best possible for our customers,” said Gary Scott, president, Long & Foster Real Estate. “With the open house weekend, our real estate professionals do just that — helping sellers to showcase their homes and buyers to shop for a house while interest rates are low and home prices are affordable.”
To make the process even easier for potential buyers, loan officers with Prosperity Home Mortgage, LLC, will be on site at as many Long & Foster open house locations as possible to answer questions and pre-qualify interested individuals. Representatives from Long & Foster Settlement Services and Long & Foster Insurance will also be in attendance at many locations, highlighting the total homeownership experience that comes with working with a Long & Foster real estate professional.
“We’re seeing a lot of positive movement in the economy, including in the job market and consumer confidence, and those improvements are having a favorable impact on the growing real estate market,” said Jeffrey S. Detwiler, president and chief operating officer of The Long & Foster Companies. “With these welcome economic developments, as well as continued historically low mortgage rates, it’s really a great time for buyers and sellers to accomplish their homeownership dreams. Long & Foster’s open house weekend presents an amazing opportunity to see first-hand what’s happening in your market.”
Visit openhouses.longandfoster.com to preview some of the homes that will participate in Long & Foster’s open house weekend on Oct. 18 and 19.
ChamberFest Planned
SALISBURY — The Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting ChamberFest, a business-to-consumer showcase, on Saturday, Oct. 25 at the Centre at Salisbury. Sponsored by Matice and University of Maryland Eastern Shore, this event is a unique opportunity to meet businesses and organizations in the Salisbury area and learn more about their products and services.
ChamberFest provides the chance for chamber members to have a display booth at the Centre at Salisbury mall in order to directly connect with potential customers. With over six million visitors annually, the Centre at Salisbury is a regional shopping mall located in Salisbury but serves as the retail hub of our area. This event relies on the thousands of people who visit the mall during the weekend as potential customers. ChamberFest provides businesses the opportunity to showcase and demonstrate their products and services and build relationships with new clientele.
ChamberFest will feature over 50 exhibitors from a wide range of industries. Cost for a booth is only $225 for Chamber members.
To learn more visit www.salisburyarea.com to obtain a registration form or call the Chamber at 410-749-0144. Let the Chamber help you “Get Connected” today!
Dividend Declared
BERLIN – The Board of Directors of Calvin B. Taylor Bankshares, Inc. have declared an annual cash dividend of $0.95 per share. This dividend is payable on Dec. 31 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on Nov. 12.
Calvin B. Taylor Bankshares, Inc. is the holding company for Calvin B. Taylor Banking Company), a community banking organization that
focuses on lending and other banking services for businesses and consumers in its local market area.
Health Pavilion To Open
MILLSBORO — The 48,000-square-foot Delmarva Health Pavilion Millsboro on Route 113 is set for a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 4 p.m. The public is invited to tour the facility and its offices, participate in free screenings and meet the physicians, clinical leaders and staff of the practices moving in.
The Delmarva Health Pavilion Millsboro is a joint project of Gillis Gilkerson and Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC). It features specialty care practices including complete diagnostic imaging services provided by Peninsula Imaging, LLC; comprehensive orthopaedic services from Peninsula Orthopaedic Associates, PA; rehabilitation services by Peninsula NRH Regional Rehab; the full-service community pharmacy PRMC’s Home Scripts and PRMC laboratory services open to the general public.
According to Thompson Reuters, Claritas, Millsboro’s population is projected to grow by 8.2% over the next five years, which is just slightly below the expected 8.6% growth for Sussex County during the same time period. Currently, there are over 100,000 people within a 20-minute drive from the center of Millsboro. “The need for a wide range of healthcare services and chronic disease management is expected to significantly increase in the next half decade in Sussex County, and we’re honored to partner with the local community to provide those services now and well into the future,” said Dr. Peggy Naleppa, Peninsula Regional Medical Center’s President/CEO.
Anchoring the healthcare complex is Peninsula Regional Family Medicine Millsboro. The practice, which is currently accepting patients of all ages, relocated to the health pavilion from its previous location in Dagsboro in mid-September.