Real Estate
MAY 2017
THE COASTAL REAL ESTATE RESOURCE Coastal Association of Realtors/Ocean City Today
Snow Hill student wins fair housing art contest again Among 13 honored last month at Annapolis event
Lindsay Birckhead-Morton, a seventh grader at Snow Hill Middle School, receives her certificate of recognition from Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford at the Maryland State House in Annapolis on April 25. Birckhead-Morton is the state winner for the Lower Eastern Shore in the Maryland Association of Realtors Fair Housing Calendar Contest.
Realtors elsewhere see no wind turbine trouble Offshore in Rhode Island, ashore in Hawaii, windmills have no impact on sales
By Brian Gilliland Associate Editor (Ocean City) Though there little evidence to whether wind energy turbines affect housing demand, real estate agents from Block Island, Rhode Island, home to the only offshore wind operation in the country, and in Maui, Hawaii, which has a landbased operation, aren’t concerned with the intrusiveness of such devices. Locally, the Coastal Association of Realtors acknowledges this lack of evidence, but also declines to take a position on the turbines, favoring a wait-and-see approach. “It’s very difficult to predict how offshore wind would impact property values in Ocean City. We’ve not found
any studies that show the impact that an offshore wind farm would have on a resort town in the U.S. However, although there is no direct evidence that this could negatively impact property values, our members are well aware that one of the most important aspects of value in Ocean City is the view,” Joe Wilson, OC real estate agent and member of the association’s board, said. There is one study, released about a year ago by the University of North Carolina State University, which concluded offshore wind farms would have a substantial impact on tourism there, but also drew some positive conclusions. The study concluded that no one was willing to pay a premium over what is currently charged for a vacation rental with a view of a wind farm, and tourists were likely to choose a Contined on page 6
Proposals by two companies concern local officials and some property owners, but turbine placement in other states turned out to be a non-issue.
(Annapolis) Lindsay BirckheadMorton, a seventh grader at Snow Hill Middle School, traveled to Annapolis with board members and staff from the Coastal Association of Realtors (CAR) on Tuesday, April 25, for a recognition ceremony with Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford. The ceremony, held in the Maryland State House, honored 13 students from across the state who were chosen by the Maryland Association of Realtors (MAR) as finalists in this year’s Fair Housing Calendar Contest. Birckhead-Morton was the finalist from the lower Eastern Shore. This is the second time she has won this contest. Birckhead-Morton received a certificate of recognition and a gift from MAR, and her drawing, which depicts fair housing, will be featured in the 2018 statewide calendar. Birckhead-Morton previously received a certificate and gift from CAR for being one of three local finalists that were forwarded to MAR for consideration of inclusion in the calendar. The other two local finalists were Tashira Ballard, a third grader at Greenwood Elementary School, and Lyric Campbell, a fifth grader from North Salisbury Elementary School. “We’re very proud of Lindsay for winning this contest twice,” said CAR President Don Bailey. “She’s a wonderful artist and she does a great job of capturing the true meaning of fair housing through her drawings.” The annual contest is sponsored by CAR and MAR. “Fair Housing” pertains to the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in the sale and rental of housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or handicap. The contest aims to teach children that discrimination is not only wrong, but illegal. Artwork submitted by students had to illustrate this year’s theme, “I ♥ Fair Housing.” CAR will begin accepting submissions for next year’s contest in the beginning of 2018. *** Coastal Association of Realtors is the leading local advocacy group in the real estate industry on the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland. CAR works to promote home ownership and preserve, protect, and advocate private property rights. CAR supports 1,000 Realtors from Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties.