Real Estate
MARCH 2017
THE COASTAL REAL ESTATE RESOURCE Coastal Association of Realtors/Ocean City Today
Nicholl achieves Realtor Emeritus status for service
Warm weather boost activity on lower shore Lower Eastern Shore, Md. – Unseasonably warm temperatures have increased foot traffic on the lower Eastern Shore and boosted contract activity, according to the latest figures from the Coastal Association of Realtors (CAR). February 2017 saw a 46 percent increase in new-single family home and condominium contract starts as compared to the same time last year in Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties. Individually, Somerset singlefamily home contracts increased by 53.8 percent, Worcester by 30.2 percent, and Wicomico by 26 percent. Somerset condominium contracts remained the same, but increased by 75.3 percent in Worcester and by 42.9 percent in Wicomico. Settlements in all three counties were down overall by 7 percent. Single-family home settlements remained the same in Worcester and Wicomico counties and decreased by 7.1 percent in Somerset. Condominium settlements were down by 8.5 percent in Worcester, by 14.3 percent in Wicomico, and by 100 percent in Somerset. Listings remain down in all three counties with the exception of a 3.2 percent bump in Worcester condominium listings and a 14.3 percent bump in Wicomico single-family homes listings. Overall, listings were down by 3.6 percent. Days on market were down overall by 16 percent. Listing prices were down by 10.8 percent and sales prices were down by 8.6 percent. “When the weather gets warmer, people like to start going out to look at houses,” said CAR President Don Bailey. “If this mild winter continues, we expect that the next few months will be very busy.” CAR’s monthly local housing statistics are pulled from the association’s Multiple Listing Service, which represents the activity of over 1,000 local Realtors in Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties. Visit www.coastalrealtors.org for more information. (See chart on page 7).
Frederick Nicholl, left, a Realtor with Frederick Nicholl & Associates in Ocean City, displays his Emeritus Realtor certificate. With him is Coastal Association of Realtors President Don Bailey.
Berlin, Md. – Frederick Nicholl, a Realtor with Frederick Nicholl & Associates in Ocean City and a member of the Coastal Association of Realtors (CAR), recently achieved Realtor Emeritus status. A Realtor is eligible for emeritus status after holding membership in the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and CAR for 40 years. Emeritus members must also complete at least one year of volunteer service for an NAR committee. However, through 2019, the one-year service requirement may also be met through service at a local or state association. Realtor Emeritus members are no longer required to pay dues to NAR or CAR, and are exempt from NAR’s Code of Ethics Training requirement. Other Emeritus Realtor members of CAR include Randall Bendler of Bendler Realty Corp in Ocean City, James “Bud” Church of Coldwell Banker/Bud Church Realty in Ocean City, Paul Faulstich of Century 21 New Horizon in Berlin, and Dean Richardson of Richardson Enterprises in Ocean City. “It takes a lot of dedication and a true passion for this industry to be a Realtor for 40 consecutive years,” said CAR President Don Bailey. “We congratulate Mr. Nicholl and all of our Emeritus Realtor members on this impressive achievement.”
CAR backs ‘Chefs for Habitat’ for Humanity Bailey hits pledge number, as association raises more than $2K for organization Salisbury, Md. – To support President Don Bailey’s “Celebrity Builder Campaign,” the Coastal Association of Realtors (CAR) raised more than $2,000 to benefit Habitat for Humanity of Wicomico Count at its annual Chefs for Habitat fundraising event. Bailey signed up as a “Celebrity Builder” late last year and pledged to raise $2,000 for Habitat by racing against other builders to accurately and quickly build a Lowe’s Build and Grow kit during Chefs for Habitat event, which will be held Saturday, Feb. 25 at Reign Restaurant in Salisbury. To support Bailey’s campaign, CAR launched a brick-decorating contest by inviting members to buy and decorate bricks that went on to be judged during the association’s
January Business Card Exchange at Hopper’s Tap House in Salisbury. The winner was Realtor Tracy Jones of Long & Foster in Salisbury, who received a complimentary twonight stay at the Holiday Inn oceanfront in Ocean City. Charlie Jones of ERA Martin & Associates won the 50/50 drawing at the event and donated his proceeds of $100 back to Habitat for Humanity. The business card exchange and brick-decorating contest were sponsored by Mid-Atlantic Settlement Services, Paradise Energy Solutions, and Universal Mortgage & Finance. Hopper’s Tap House donated a $50 gift card as a door prize for the event, and all bricks were donated by Salisbury Brick Company. The grand prize of a two-night stay in Ocean City was donated by the Holiday Inn. To reach Bailey’s $2,000 goal, CAR encouraged its members and the public to donate to Bailey’s online fundraising campaign.
The organization also entered anyone who donated at least $25 into a drawing for a free ticket to Chefs for Habitat. The winner of the drawing was Chuck Scott of TD Digital Printers in Salisbury. In addition, the association sold paper “hard hats” for $5 each. Purchasers were able to write their names on the hard hats, which were displayed in the association’s Berlin Training Room. The fundraising efforts pushed Bailey past his $2,000 goal and made him the him the first celebrity builder to meet and exceed his goal. “I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to this campaign over the past few months,” Bailey said. “The association is focusing its fundraising efforts this year on Habitat for Humanity of Wicomico and Worcester counties and we will continue to support this worthy organization in its goal to build strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter.”