Maryland Governor O’Malley’s PlanMaryland continues to bite the hand that feeds us.

Last week, Maryland Senate Bill 236 passed and with Governor Martin O’Malley’s signature it will soon become law. Otherwise known as the Septic Ban Boondoggle, the Sustainable Growth and Agricultural Preservation Act of 2012 is part of PlanMaryland, which MacRo Report has covered before.

This latest nifty piece of “anti-sprawl” legislation will supposedly cut way down on nitrogen pollution that seeps into the Chesapeake Bay from rural septic systems. This seems like a whole lot of trouble for nothing when you consider that according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, only 4-6% of nitrogen pollution is caused by Maryland septic system leaks. Such statistical information coming from this group is more than likely a real stretch in and of itself.

This so called six percent is a whole lot less than say, the millions of gallons of raw sewage that routinely spill into our streams, rivers, and bay when municipal water treatment plants fai, which they do far more often than the O’Malley administration cares to admit.

Remember when “enough raw sewage to fill 388 large gasoline tanker trucks” flowed into Frederick’s Carroll Creek just this past December?

According to State Senator David Brinkley in his newsletter on Friday, April 13, 2012: This “bill requires counties to divide their jurisdictions into ‘tiers’ of development and incorporate them into their comprehensive plans before any major subdivisions served by septic systems can be approved.”

To learn more do a Google search to find the approved “Maryland Senate Bill 236.”  The definitions for the four tiers start on page 46, and the (ahem) development “guidelines” for each tier can be found starting on page 13.

Brinkley served on the “Septic Task Force” that came about due to Mr. O’Malley’s failure to get a tougher septic ban approved during the 2011 legislative session. The group met 10 times last year and produced a 13 page report. Despite those efforts, Brinkley states that “the Governor ignored the recommendations of the task force and introduced a bill that was far more egregious than what eventually passed.”

This very objectionable part of the original draft was amended to take land planning veto powers out of the hands of the state and put them back into the hands of county governments.  However, the state has made it clear that counties who “don’t play by the rules” could pay the price in terms of losses in discretionary state funding and programs.

In what Brinkley calls a “one size fits all approach” to the perceived problem, the amended bill prohibits development on most, if not all, lands that have been zoned as agricultural; lands designated resource protection, preservation, or conservation; and “areas dominated by agricultural lands, forest lands, or other natural areas.”

It is the part about prohibiting future development on agriculturally zoned land that worries the farming community. Yes, a majority of those affected object to SB236!

Frederick County has a proud and strong heritage of agriculture and farming. It might seem counter-intuitive to state that prohibiting development on land that has been zoned agricultural will save our farmers, but it’s the truth.

Having spent a significant part of my youth growing up and working on the family farm and knowing the local agricultural community as well as I do, farming can be (and please pardon the pun) a feast and famine way of life.

There are good years, with cooperation from Mother Nature, high commodity values and healthy livestock. And then there are the bad years when extreme weather, insect infestation, rising fuel costs and vet bills devastate margins and then some.

Luck is not often a lady. Any farmer can tell you that.

Those who make a living working the land in Central and Western Maryland typically do not sit on a pile of excess cash. Land is the asset that enables farmers to finance replacement equipment, to improve farming practices, and to expand operations. In any business, if you aren’t moving forward, you’re falling behind.

In many cases, land values and development rights are the crutch that gets a farmer through the lean years. Without that leverage, it isn’t possible to borrow money when it doesn’t rain more than ½ inch during the entire growing season.

The “one size fits all” mentality that the O’Malley administration has crafted in this legislation makes the blatant assumption that all agricultural land is the same when it comes to yield per acre.

In the mid-western part of the United States, there are vast amounts of flat and very fertile lands as far as the eye can see. This is where one finds what is known as the much more profitable “Corporate Farms” consisting of thousands of acres under single control. Due to economies of scale and high crop yields, the value of farmland often far exceeds that of land development value.

In our little part of the world, the typical farm consists of one to three hundred acres at best. A rolling topography often contains a moderate productive acre factor of no more than 60% of the total real estate. With rural low density development being a long standing option for value enhancement, the removal of this right by our government effectively and dramatically “downzones” the value of farmland.  Stagnation and bankruptcy become a continually looming threat for many of the families who are putting food on our tables (not to mention supplying the delightful restaurants that bring so many tourists to our beloved downtown).

With such limited use options, who wants to spend their lives playing Russian Roulette with their future?

Is it reasonable for us to ask that of the very people who are feeding us?

Apparently, Martin O’Malley thinks so.

In the end despite the fact that our state offers a very limited and competitive source of land easement programs, such a move by our Governor will accelerate the pace of the loss of our family farm ownership into the hands of non-productive uses usually only affordable to the very wealthy.

So, to put it another way, could it be said that our Governor believes that returning the family farmers to a state of serfdom is the price that must paid for stopping so-called sprawl?

Rocky Mackintosh, President, MacRo, Ltd., a Land and Commercial Real Estate firm based in Frederick, Maryland. He is an appointed member of the Frederick County Charter Board. He also writes forTheTentacle.com and Want2Dish.com.

 “Potomac Gap” offers further proof that Maryland legislation is slowing our region’s economic recovery.

Well folks, spring is in full swing, which means that all eyes turn once again to the housing market with fervent hopes that 2012 will mark the beginning of a sustained recovery in real estate.

There is some good news.

Foreclosures continue to fall in Frederick County, down to 55 in February from 65 in December. More importantly, the difference between the average home sales prices and average foreclosed home prices declined significantly. In February the average difference was $27,677, versus $91,614 last March!

Unfortunately, the housing market soothsayers are pointing to another surge in foreclosures this year, and all indications are that the Maryland (and by extension Frederick County) real estate market is going to be caught in the cross hairs.

As one expert noted, “The pig is starting to move through the python.”

Bloomberg News published an article in February pointing out that the housing markets of Fairfax County, Virginia and Montgomery County, Maryland are heading in opposite directions.

Both of these counties serve the same job market and have a nearly identical population size and demographic. So why has this so-called “Potomac Gap” developed between the performance of their respective housing markets? According to housing economists, this has happened because Virginia doesn’t require court approval to foreclose on delinquent home buyers.

This trend is not unique to this region. Economists are noting that throughout the U.S., the housing market recovery of the 24 states that require court mediated foreclosure is significantly lagging behind those states that do not.

In 2008, and then again in 2010, Maryland lawmakers passed legislation that gave homeowners more time to stay in their homes and required a court mediation process. This resulted in significant delays to Maryland’s foreclosure process.

Add to that the voluntary halt in foreclosures by major lenders as the “robosigning” settlement was finalized, and Frederick now has a foreclosure backlog of approximately 575 homes (about 60% of these are “pre-foreclosure” and are not listed yet). That may not sound like a lot–until you realize there are only 850 active home listings total in the county right now!

Once again, Maryland’s economy feels the effects of too much government intervention.

Maryland’s housing market will recover much faster if our lawmakers roll back some of that foreclosure legislation.

Maryland’s foreclosure process was once known as “the rocket docket” because it was so streamlined (as little as 15 days from borrower default to foreclosure sale). Court involvement was required to protect the homeowner and insure no lender improprieties, but deadlines were much tighter to move the process along faster.

There is no good argument NOT to pursue re-streamlining Maryland’s foreclosure process.  In fact, studies show that the longer process does not result in borrowers finding ways to make their mortgage work. Instead, an increased number choose strategic defaults, live in their homes without making payments, and ultimately delay the housing recovery.

We’ve written in the MacRo Report about a terrific collaboration between Frederick County government and local Frederick nonprofits to utilize our foreclosure inventory for affordable housing. This is a brilliant idea that solves two problems at once with very little taxpayer funding required to make it happen.

We are in desperate need of that kind of smart thinking at the state level, and soon, or Maryland’s economy will lag for years.

Rocky Mackintosh, President, MacRo, Ltd., a Land and Commercial Real Estate firm based in Frederick, Maryland. He is an appointed member of the Frederick County Charter Board. He also writes for TheTentacle.com and Want2Dish.com.

This current issue of the MacRo Report is being distributed to more than 15,000 residents and others who are interested in Frederick County, Maryland land and commercial real estate news and information.

Reason for Optimism

The following MacRo Report entry is written by Rocky Mackintosh, President of MacRo, Ltd. regarding our current local real estate market
With this year’s early spring sunshine, the climate of the land and commercial real estate market in Frederick County, Maryland is also looking brighter.

As stated in our previous MacRo Report, it is the collective decision making of real estate buyers and sellers that ultimately creates economic swings. Part of the recovery process is a growing level of confidence by these participants that ignites a positive shift in the market.

After nearly 5 years of retooling, business and development interests are seeing growth opportunities. With the support of our local governments, many obsolete regulatory hurdles are being removed as well.

As in past recoveries, industry leaders are cautiously coming out of the shade with a willingness to take risks that just one year ago would have been judged as crazy. It then becomes a case of “follow the leader” as others hear that the weather is fine.

Sometimes the economic comeback is equivalent to an avalanche, but that is unlikely this time. Big lessons were learned by some of the best in their fields this last downturn; so the cautiousness found in the market is healthy and should clear a steady and sustainable path for growth.

Part of the process involves real estate owners continuing to review their inventory, as many are still undertaking the often painful process of “deleveraging.” Optimistic investors and buyers are finding some incredible opportunities. From this alone, the recent transaction activity in our market has increased significantly.

As a buyer or seller, if you have been in the shade for a while, we invite you to step into the sun light.

Let us know how the MacRo, Ltd. team can be of assistance.

Frederick Properties Are Moving!

Frederick County saw steady improvements in sales volume and prices throughout all sectors of the commercial real estate market during 2011. Washington, D.C. is thankfully one of the strongest markets for jobs and for commercial real estate, and no doubt Frederick County will continue to see a trickle effect from that. As we head into spring, MacRo is definitely seeing a trend of increased interest from both buyers and sellers looking to get into the market, although financing is still the primary obstacle for many looking to buy.

Whether you are looking for retail, office or general commercial space, check out some of our new or current listings or give us a call at 301-698-9696.

Click here to download the complete PDF version of this spring’s MacRo Report!

Discover What Key Factors are Effecting Your Land Parcel Price

The following MacRo Report entry is written by Dave Wilkinson, Vice President of MacRo, Ltd. regarding the current factors that can influence the market price of land in Frederick, Maryland.

The land market in Frederick County is showing signs of increased activity this spring, as many land owners finally determine they are unwilling or unable to wait out the recession. Every potential seller who calls is interested in knowing “What’s the market value of my property?” On the most basic level, the answer is “whatever someone is willing to pay you for it,” but that generally isn’t a satisfactory response!

Here is a list of key influencers on land parcel prices:

• LOCATION: Valuations will differ dramatically for a lot located in a high-demand suburban area like Urbana versus rural lots in north and west areas of Frederick County.
• ZONING: Commercially zoned land fetches the highest price per acre, followed by residential and then agricultural.
• UTILITIES: Are electric, telephone, natural gas and/or internet service available to the property, or are extensions needed? Is water and sewer provided by public systems or private well and septic?
• IMPROVEMENTS: If there are existing buildings, are they functional or obsolete, and what is their condition?
• SIZE: “Price per acre” is an overly simplistic measure – as property size increases, price per acre declines.
• TERRAIN: Is the property flat, gently rolling, or steep? Is the land wooded, tillable or pasture?
• ACCESS: How much road frontage exists, and will access points meet governmental standards for road adequacy, separation from adjoining property entrances, and required site distance?
• AESTHETICS: Views, road or industrial noise, and condition of adjoining properties can enhance or detract value.

Interested in what the value of your property is? Call today!

Dave is a licensed Realtor and brokers many of MacRo’s real estate building lot listings, using his knowledge of zoning and subdivision regulations, real estate market conditions, and land development options to help MacRo’s clients achieve their goals. Contact Dave at 301-748-5670 or dave@macroltd.com

Click here to download the complete PDF version of this spring’s MacRo Report!

Here’s the latest news…

The Manor at Holly Hills Website has Launched

MacRo has developed an informational website for the Manor at Holly Hills, a future luxury residential community of 21 estate lots east of Frederick City. Visitors to the new site can learn more about this future community and follow along with each step of its development. The lots are scheduled to be recorded in July 2012.

Visit www.manorathollyhills.com for sitemaps, amenities, and frequent updates on the project status.

To arrange a personal tour of the lots and for additional information, contact Rocky Mackintosh at 301-698-9696 ext. 202 or rocky@macroltd.com.

MacRo Sells “Golden Mile” Commercial Building Lot to FAY

MacRo, Ltd. recently closed the sale of a commercial building lot off Hillcrest Drive to the nonprofit organization Frederick Alliance for Youth (FAY). FAY plans to build and operate a community center on the property that will provide much-needed support, encouragement and positive diversions for young people and families who live in the Hillcrest and Waverly areas. Within the next 30 months, the organization hopes to open the proposed 44,000 SF facility that will house a public charter school and will provide additional space for neighborhood before and after-school activities.

New Addition to the MacRo Team

Kathy Krach joined the MacRo, Ltd. team as Strategic Marketing Analyst in November 2011. Her strong analytical talents help develop cutting edge marketing programs designed to deliver the best results for MacRo clients. She will also handle editing, research, and some writing for the MacRo Report blog. Kathy has significant experience in writing and marketing, including 7 years spent working for publicly-traded real estate companies including the Ryland Group and Resource Mortgage Capital (now Dynex Capital Inc.), where she held positions in marketing, corporate communications, and investor relations. She graduated McDaniel College with a  B.A. in Economics and Business Administration. Kathy lives in Frederick County with her husband and three children.

Click here to download the complete PDF version of this spring’s MacRo Report!

Using state teachers’ union dollars to preserve a long history of YES votes.

For the first time in his career as President of the Frederick County Teachers Association, Gary Brennan is feeling threatened that he may lose his coveted cabal of allies on the Frederick County Board of Education.

The panic that has set in throughout Mister Brennan’s Neighborhood, where union members have generally been able to get their way, was revealed this past week.

It started with a quarter page color ad in the Frederick News Post listing the FCTA’s four choices of would be YES votes for union requests.  Then this past weekend the oversized post card arrived in the mail repeating the message.

Oh, and then there was the personalized robo-call from Gary himself which appears to be so intimate that it may have very likely violated Federal campaign election laws.

The red letter day message was found in Saturday’s FNP.  Along with a spelling error, Brennan laid the cards on the table, stating that his Union wants voters to believe that the evil Young brothers (Brad, former President of the Frederick County Board of Education and Blaine, President of the Frederick County Board of County Commissioners) need to be held “accountable” being too budget conscientious in their efforts to wring in the excessive spending habits of Frederick County Public Schools.

Of course this comes from a Teacher’s Union that refused to participate in a state level teacher accountability program a few years back.

Being familiar with “get out the vote” campaigns, I estimate that this effort by Brennan is an investment of over $25,000 to preserve his YES vote majority on the BOE.

Such spending by an organization is not unusual for those vying to win votes in county commissioner, state delegate or senate races, but unprecedented in a Frederick County Board of Education race.

The good news is that it is clear there more people taking the workings of the BOE seriously with a large crop of candidates who seek the three seats up for grabs this November.

The sad news is that the FCTA has more than likely had to beg for financial aid from PAC moneys of the Maryland State Teachers’ Association.

This act of desperation clearly comes from the candidacy of a few BOE hopefuls.  In particular, the words of Colleen Cusimano and Pam Ward demanding more accountability in the halls of the Taj Mahal have shaken the very foundation of FCTA and FCPS security.

In addition to Cusimano and Ward, there are three other hopefuls who are considered threats:  Cindy Rose, Tony Chmelik and Jim Hoover.

So with this week’s launch of early voting, think who you want to truly hold accountable.

There is no question that the vast majority of teachers in our cherished county school system are dedicated, hardworking and underpaid compared to counties to our east, but for the first time in the short history of an elected Board of Education in Frederick County, there is an opportunity to introduce a healthy structure to Mister Brennan’s Neighborhood.

Please make your BOE vote count in this primary.

The author: Rocky Mackintosh, President, MacRo, Ltd., a Land and Commercial Real Estate firm based in Frederick, Maryland. He also writes for TheTentacle.com and Want2Dish.com

MacRo, Ltd. Real Estate Brokerage Services assists buyer in purchasing Frederick, Maryland general industrial lot.

Legal Description: Lot 1B, Dudrow Business Park, Tax Map 86, Grid 21, Parcel 239

Sale Price:  $1,500,000

Zoning: GI- General Industrial

Closing Date:  March 27, 2012

This property is 11.50 acres of general industrial land off Buckeystown Pike in Frederick, Maryland.

MacRo, Ltd. is pleased to have represented L/B Water Service, Inc in purchasing this parcel. This property is a vacant parcel located in the rear of the BlueLinx building products distribution facility, which was formerly a division of Georgia-Pacific Corporation.  Construction is scheduled to begin in June of this year. LB anticipates moving their regional organization from their current location on the Frederick Brick Works property upon completion in spring 2013.

For more information on how MacRo, Ltd. Real Estate Brokerage Services may be able to assist you in the sale or leasing of your commercial or industrial property, contact Rocky Mackintosh at 301-748-5655 or rocky@macroltd.com

A potential mega hit to Frederick County’s business and commercial real estate recovery?

I did a double take when I read Monday’s issue of The Kiplinger Letter.

On page three of the March 16, 2012 issue there is a small article about new military base closings.

The first base Kiplinger listed as among “top candidates for closure?” Ft. Detrick!

In case you haven’t been following the White House budget news, in February President Obama requested that Congress authorize two more rounds of military base closings and realignments (BRAC) to fulfill a mission of realigning the military to create a “leaner, more agile and flexible force.”

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is calling for the next round to begin as soon as next year, two full years earlier than military officials recommend.

The closure of Ft. Detrick would have a profound negative ripple effect on Frederick County’s economy, one that would most certainly be felt in the commercial real estate market as well.   In a previous MacRo Report Blog post stating our region is too heavily dependent on federal jobs, we sure did not imagine that Ft. Detrick was in any immediate peril!

We placed a call to Kiplinger and spoke with Richard Sammon, the editor who wrote the base closing article. He stated that Kiplinger doesn’t expect the next BRAC round to begin until 2014 or 2015 because “2013 will not be the right political or economic atmosphere” to get it passed.

According to Sammon, “To develop the list of candidates for closure, we had conversations with military and defense experts at think tanks, and with people we trust within the military itself. It is NOT intended as a death knell for Ft. Detrick.”

Sources at Ft. Detrick tell us that the base has fielded numerous calls as a result of the brief article. “We contacted Congressman Roscoe Bartlett’s office and were told on no uncertain terms that there is no validity to Ft. Detrick having been discussed as a candidate for closing,” our source reported.

A professional staff member of the House Armed Services Committee sent the following email:

“We will be seeing a number of these types of prognostications of potential closures. This occurred prior to BRAC 2005 as well. There is no way the Department is at this level in BRAC planning. We are very aware of the DoD plans for another round, but there are no locations or planning at this level yet and lots of opposition on the House Armed Services Committee.”

Fortunately for Frederick, any new round of BRAC closings is not going to be popular politically. The long-term cost savings of the most recent BRAC effort came in dramatically under prior estimates, mainly due to high environmental clean-up costs.

Government Accounting Office (GAO) testimony on March 8, 2012 confirms this. The 20-year net savings from the 2005 BRAC implementation will only be $9.9 billion, 73% less than estimated by the 2005 BRAC commission. The last bases closed in 2011, but the DoD will not recoup upfront costs of the 2005 BRAC until 2018!

There has of course been an outcry from Congress over this, and many are predicting a bloody battle to prevent further military base closures. Rep. Mac Thornberry, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) vice chairman, declared the new BRAC proposal “dead on arrival.”

Ft. Detrick has powerful allies, including Frederick’s own Congressman Bartlett, who is Chairman of the Tactical Air & Land Forces Subcommittee of the HASC. Also, state and local officials are optimistic that the research and development at Ft. Detrick is in line with the growing importance of the military’s “missions of the future.”

The biggest unknown seems to be how the mission of a new round of BRAC (cost savings) versus the mission of the 2005 BRAC (Donald Rumsfeld’s “transformation” of the military) will impact decision makers. According to Daniel Sernovitz of the Washington Business Journal, a new BRAC commission “might look more closely at the military’s assets and could determine this time there are no sacred cows.” Anthony Principi, chairman of the 2005 BRAC Commission, agrees.

What do you think?

Are the 11,000 jobs at Ft. Detrick truly at risk? Or is this just a political ploy by the White House to stir up emotions and distract lawmakers from the budgets cuts President Obama really wants to pass?

Either way, one thing is for sure: Controlling Federal spending will be a high voter priority in the upcoming November election. How that all shakes out in the end is something the Frederick community should not take lightly.

The author: Rocky Mackintosh, President, MacRo, Ltd., a Land and Commercial Real Estate firm based in Frederick, Maryland. He also writes for TheTentacle.com and Want2Dish.com

The mixing of land development processing with local politics… a must see drama?

In the age before voice mail, mobile phones and emails, those pink memo pads used to be an important staple for an efficiently run business. In those days, the office was a hub for making and receiving calls.

Having entered the world of real estate sales right out of college in 1972, my world was all about two critical tools: a rubber band bound stack of index cards filled with the names of prospects and a paper clipped pile of “While You Were Out” telephone message slips.

Leave town for a week or so, and that inbox on your desk would be full of pink notes.

Fast forward to today, and it seems that it really doesn’t matter what part of the world one travels to, staying in contact is literally a cell phone or iPad “touch” of the screen away.

However, there are still some places where the ease of communication is not possible. Earlier this month I escaped with a good friend to the southern reaches of South America in Patagonia, Chile to brave the challenges of yet another whitewater rafting adventure.

Happily for me there was no cellular, internet or telephone service.  It’s good to purposely lose touch with the world on occasion… much better than what is likely facing me in later years as my mind disintegrates with age.

Upon my return there were plenty of email messages to keep me busy for several hours, but it was the local news that I always find the most fun to catch up with. It’s like catching up on several episodes of your favorite television drama or reality show all at one time.

Seems about the time I headed south, the Frederick County Board of County Commissioners, under the guidance of its president Blaine Young, chose to take over some authority from the Frederick County Planning Commission. Young and his majority apparently believe that the current member make up of the Planning Commission is more of a hindrance to his business friendly theme for the county.

Specifically, with proposed land development applications, the board will now determine if a project meets the growth-control standards included in the county’s Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO).  The shift will not change any of the requirements of a land developer to comply with the ordinance. It is a means of “simplifying the process, but not easing the requirements,” according to a statement in the Gazette made by Steve Oder of Cavalier Development Consulting.

Cries of foul play and outright anger roared from Planning Commission members Bob White and Richard Floyd, both former unsuccessful County Commissioners candidates.

The Planning Commission will still be required to review, comment and make recommendations on any land development site plan, but White claims that without his body’s ability to address the APFO issues, there will be a loss of the necessary checks and balances in the process.

Two other County Commissioner candidates who were defeated in the last election have chimed in as well.  Kai Hagen ranted that, “Just because they [Young, Shreve, Delauter and Smith] won an election doesn’t give them a mandate,” and Frederick’s own Chicken Little, Janice Wiles, stated that only, “the planning commission has the expertise,” to address matters concerning adequate public facilities. She claims that while the Young board has crafted and approved recent changes to the related ordinance, “this board” does not have the expertise to cast judgment on such… “it’s just bad government.” Huh?

Young and his majority have defended their actions as a means of streamlining approvals for business and development. Enforcement of the county’s growth control standards will remain in the hands of the Community Development Division of County Government. It’s director, Eric Soter, stated that the shift will not change the fact that land development projects will still have to meet all the same tests as before.

While the board’s actions have won praise from most in the business community, including Chamber of Commerce President, Rick Adams, the lone dissenter on the board, as always, remains David Gray. His rage reached another boiling point this past week when he blurted out in a public session that he was tired of President Young’s “show-off garbage,” calling him “a damned liar” and a bully.

These outbursts of frustration are not unique for Gray, as he generally disagrees with nearly everything there is about his adversary Blaine Young, and his three comrades.

In future episodes of Frederick County’s one and only political reality show, it will be very interesting to see what the board does with its new APFO authority once it appoints new members to the Planning Commission this summer!

Change is hard for those who have lost control of the situation, and that seems to almost always be the case after every election. The worries over who is now in charge really overshadows the bigger issue of the structure of our county government. Is all this noise signaling that it is a time to seriously consider Charter Home Rule as a more effective way for our community to be governed?

So, upon return from the wilderness, what would have been the message be on my “While You Were Out” pad?

Nothing new… same old drama.

The author: Rocky Mackintosh, President, MacRo, Ltd., a Land and Commercial Real Estate firm based in Frederick, Maryland. He also writes for TheTentacle.com and Want2Dish.com

This visual collection of valuable local information is a treasure trove of highlights from 2011.

These fantastic images from 2011 were used throughout our blog to capture valuable local information!

From political articles to education reform, and from summaries of closed deals to local market updates, this visual array of topics demonstrate not only our expertise in commercial real estate, but also our investment in the local community.

Click to read great articles on commercial real estate, land and local Frederick, Maryland government that are worth another look.

Click here to see them all!

The author: Rocky Mackintosh, President, MacRo, Ltd., a Land and Commercial Real Estate firm based in Frederick, Maryland. He also writes for TheTentacle.com and Want2Dish.com