May 1, 2008
Condominium Unveiled
While searching for Chesapeake Bay real estate for our customers, we frequently hear the words “but we don’t want a condo.” Condo, is probably the most misused word in the real estate dictionary and buyers do not understand its true meaning probably because the majority of real estate agents also do not know what it means.
A condominium, or “condo,” is strictly a form ownership. Years ago, ski and vacat
ion resort developers constructed multiple dwelling units for purchase, and they devised the condominium concept to establish a means of managing and operating them independently, after completion. From the very beginning, this concept was misunderstood and the word condo came to mean any multiple unit residence, further reinforced later on, when condominiums were constructed as apartment style buildings in urban areas.
A condominium is the whole collection of individual home units along with the land upon which they sit. Individual home ownership is confined to the interior space of each unit. Anything outside this boundary is held in an undivided ownership interest by a homeowners association. Anything outside of this boundary is referred to as “common elements.”
All of the individual homeowners have shared rights to these common areas, such as the elevators, hallways, pools and clubhouses. Maintenance of common elements is the responsibility of the condominium association. Every owner owns a share of interest in the condominium association, plus an obligation to pay monthly dues for normal upkeep or special assessment fees for special needs.
In summary, a condominium may be a detached house, townho
use or villa, an apartment style unit, an office suite, a retail store, commercial space or even a boat dock (dockominium). The next time you want to find a Chesapeake Bay property, be sure and ask your real estate agent to inform you of any ownership regulations if the property is a condominium.
ed as:
s more than 27,000 acres of tidal wetlands in the form of marshes, ponds open water and swamps and it has been designated as “Wetlands of International Importance.” Blackwater is a prominent and vital part of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. 
atercraft.
The displays vividly bring to life the history of the famous wooden boats and their manufacturers. - Chris Craft, Hacker Craft, Gar Wood and Century. As you walk among the fascinating classic boats, see the beauty of their lines, the richness of the wood planking and the gleam of hardware, it is easy to understand how the antique boat show brings out the “Walter Mitty” fantasy dreams in all of us.
and lifestyle of a town that is right out of a picture history book. Founded in 1694, Oxford is situated on the Tred Avon River next to the Chesapeake Bay. It was an important seaport for British goods entering the Colonies up until 1780. After the American Revolution, it reverted to a fishing village through the middle of the 20th century. Oxford is relaxed and tranquil, and it looks like a typical village in the English countryside. Most of the town and the waterfront can be seen on foot by strolling on old brick walks under the canopies of stately trees.
that weekend enjoying the festivities in Oxford, starting with the dog walk, one of several benefit events which support Breast Cancer research. The rest of the day is filled with a parade, music, colorful displays and trying to keep from over-eating the pit beef, barbecue sandwiches and crab cakes. No one can resist the cake tables as each local church competes to produce the most delicious desserts in the area. At the end of the day you may find it hard to leave the quiet charm beside the broad expanse of the Tred Avon River and suddenly realize that Oxford is a dream and a reality.
You can garden in raised beds with any soil type, but if your soil is rocky, compacted or full of clay, raised beds may be the best option.
Raised beds are easy to build, or there are ready-made models available. We like to use cedar dimension lumber (untreated) 2 inches thick by 12 inches high and 10 or 12 feet long. A width of four feet is ample space to grow yet easy to maintain, otherwise known as the “lean-over factor.” If you are not handy, purchase a kit that includes all of the materials that you need to connect the boards. After you have laid out the bed location, turn over the native soil and lay a weed barrier down, so that you can sleep a little longer on Saturday mornings and dream about the delicious fresh foods only steps away from your home.
is an organic material and feeds only on inorganic material. Fungus and mildew need organic material to survive. So if you can reduce the algae on your roof, you will also reduce the growth of fungus and mildew. Keeping your roof free of twigs, leaves, and other
Do not let the solution dry. After it has soaked for 30 minutes, brush the solution with a stiff broom or brush. Always aim the rinsing hose down the roof, not up under the shingles. 
huge flocks of Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens). 
Palladianism, a philosophy of design based on the writings and work of Andreas Palladio, an Italian architect of the 16th century who tried to recreate the style and proportions of the buildings of ancient Rome. Georgian homes are refined and symmetrical with paired chimneys and a decorative crown over the front door. Doors and windows were aligned vertically and horizontally in strict symmetry and never paned. Most feature an orderly row of five windows across the second story. The front doors were usually paneled and surrounded by twin columns and capped with a decorative crown and glass transom. Later versions added dormers and decorative features. 
r near the major American seaports. Look for a more stylistic design, often with attached wings of dependencies, that were curved or polygonal projections two or more rooms deep. Federal homes sport symmetrical facades with central entranceways and foyers. Sitting rooms and bedrooms lead off from these halls. An equal number of windows flank each side of the door and the windows tend to have small panes, owing to the difficulty of making large glass sheets at the time. The windows are usually equipped with shutters. Federal roofs, sometimes shielded behind balustrades, are either hipped (sloped on all four sides) or central or side gabled (straight slope from ridge to eave). Facades are fairly smooth, only broken up by small porches. Cornices usually sport decorations, often tooth-like shapes called dentils. Notable features changes were fan lights over the door, more elaborate details around the doors and windows and Palladian windows.
notable feature was a large entry (portico) dominating the façade, usually an elaborate porch supported with columns. Early Classical Revival houses usually had one story wings on each side, in the style of the Italian Renaissance Palladium concept (three part plan).