got a question? post it here ~~ July '08
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Got a question? Need help finding something?
Post it here... and hopefully another PO with have an answer.
Got a question? Need help finding something?
Post it here... and hopefully another PO with have an answer.
Any word on the possible return on the WV Lottery Machines? It looked like they made a little bit of money each month. I know they got me for $20 to 40 a month and maybe a extra beer trying to win it back.
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I'm looking for someone to do foundation work for a crawlspace or basement does anyone recommend anyone?
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Hey Christopher~ check with ALPUC ( number is in phone book). Their new building has a local guy doing the block work. Hope this helps!
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Is anyone looking to sell a used jon boat for fishing on the lake?
(Would also be interested in pedal/paddle boats that anyone is looking to sell.)
Thanks.
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I saw the drawings of the purposed new lodge. What do they think that will cost? Should this be on the near future plans Id like to know what it will cost us in assessments. My hope is with all the new homes being built in Alpine that we can get by easy.
Gary Glanville
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Mr. Glanville, I don't know if an amount was given to go with those drawings. But I'd say a guess would be around 7-8 million.
With those drawings out for all to see, there should be an estimate to go along with them.
And I doubt we'll get by easy if we're still looking at buildings like that.
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I hope the BOD will hold the line on the assessments and fees. I've had several people in the past couple of weeks tell me that they can't handle any more increases, and may be forced to sell their property and leave Alpine. Is this what we want? We need our BOD to cut costs, develop a conservative business plan, and give our PO a return on their investment by privatizing Alpine Lake Resort... the golf course, the motel, and the restuarant being the exceptions. Our PO should be able to exclusively enjoy the amenities they are paying for with their assessments! It is not our job to provide parks and recreation for the people of Preston County. That's the government's job!
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Let me comment on the postings of Mr. Glanville, and Frugalalpinite regarding a new lodge. Simply stated...NO NEW MORTGAGE UNTIL THE PRESENT MORTGAGE IS PAID OFF! The greatest thing our present BOD could do is focus on getting us out of debt! We still owe about $900,000 on the old lodge!
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From old Bearwalker. I cant bear a 7 million dollar lodge. Its going to be back to the Maryland side of the mountains if we do something like this. Forget a lodge at this time. wait until we get out of debt. We will be Deep Creek lake Junior with all the cost to go with it. We do not need another OMalley land west of the Maryland border.Those assements gho any highter and I know of three bears that will will be l;ooking for a new cave in another area. Maybe down in the Smokies.I hope the board is listening. To the new board, we voted you in so make us proud and help us hold onto some money.
PS Thats a good word from Mike Trammell. Ill promise not to tear your birdfeeder down anymore.
Bearwalker and the cubs
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At first I was excited about a new lodge but seeing how the fees continue to go up for water and sewerage I have great reservations about a new lodge. We cannot afford one. We need to hold off. If it is true that the building will cost 7 million then I believe we need to come up with another plan for a smaller building. Hey we dont need another pool in my opinion.
I came to Alpine for alot of great reasons and I love it.Please to the board do nothing that will put us in a situation that will raise funds for anytime in the next several years.
PS I ate at the lodge over the 4th week and the food was great. Way to go Alpine!
To the new board , we are excited about your service.
Gary Glanville
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I don't know the answers, but sounds like a lot of misinformation here. The drawings in the lodge are "concept". Not being an engineer, if they are $7 mil, one could build one wing for $3 mil and later the other wing. If one takes the energy costs of the current lodge and puts them into an energy efficent building, much of the cost will be covered, I should think. What did they say at the candidates night? closing the pool has saved the budget $90K which can go to debt reduction. Let's let this BOD do the math and make a sound proposal. We elected them, let them do their job. These new members need time to get their feet wet.
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Something I had as a last thought. If one does want assessments to go up. Well, the budget passed at the annual meeting and there were less than 100 negative votes. If one wants lower assessments then one probably needs to get involved in the budget formation by giving direct input to the board (all the board does not read this blog.)
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Bob ~ the absentee votes on the budget question were quite close. The difference was less than 10 votes between passing and failing. This tells me that PO's not able to attend made their voices heard on this issue.
Also, for those in attendance, the question was asked orally. If it had been included on the written ballots, the result may have been different. There is an element of peer pressure to voting publicly on a hot button issue.
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I feel I need to clarify some of the issues around the approval process for the budget. Whereas many changes to the governing documents can be voted on and passes by a majority of property owners in attendance at the annual meeting, I learned before the June meeting that to defeat a proposed budget, which has already been acted on because of our fiscal year cycle, it would take a MAJORITY OF ALL PROPERTY OWNERS - at this time we have over 1800- to vote against it. So, that being an almost impossible task to accomplish, the budget approval vote at the annual meeting is basically just a rubber
stamp - it doesn't mean anything even if everyone in attendance at the meeting and those who sent in absentee votes voted against it.
Hopefully, this clarifies this year's budget vote controversy.
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I have great faith in the new BOD to go onto a path of fiscal responsibility.
Anonymous pointed out that if the dues continue to rise people will be forced to sell their lots. I believe it will be much worse than that. NOTHING is selling! If people try to unload their lots, lot prices will initially plummet and then people will just start walking away. Alpine will be left with zero income from these lots which will be taken back over by the state for taxes.
First we need a comprehensive audit to determine the best places to save money. It makes sense to close the restaurant - but keep the bar only open and spruce up the menu. Do a little painting and redecorating and make it no smoking.
Start paying off our debt.
What a shame about the budget passing. I heard that not one person raised their hands when asked it they wanted to NOT pass the budget. Isn't that a bit scary? What is going on there that people are so intimidated? I don't believe for one minute that everyone in attendance was for the budget.
I hope the BOD looks at lowering the dues and getting rid of the additional fees imposed during the reign those previously in charge of the BOD.
Then we need to look at marketing and get someone in there who will be effective and innovative. We no longer will need anyone full time as we will be doing away with most of the commercial money losing activities.
I think we need to target Spring of 2009 for a new marketing and fiscal plan.
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Why not have the developers pay for the lodge. Thats what developers do in the real world.
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The previous BOD would not allow anyone to have developer status. Why would any developer do anything for us when Alpine would not cut them any breaks in dues.
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What have the developers done over the last TEN YEARS when there fees were low? I haven't seen them do anything to promote selling lot or promoting Alpine! It's time they pay the same assessments that everyone else pays!
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That is unfortunate and should not have been allowed to continue. Our bylaws do state that developers must develop or place the lots on the market - so I think we first need to look at the bylaws and make some changes.
Developers are our best bet to moving property and growing Alpine Lake. As much as many hate change and growth the bottom line is that communities either grow or die.
Lets become developer friendly and more importantly - developer savvy. Let's learn from the mistakes we made in the past. Developers bring in buyers and are a source of free advertisement.
But we need to have a system of checks and balances. We need to only allow quality builders with a proven track record. We don't want anyone buying lots and pulling modulars onto them. I would be up for hiring someone part time to monitor and investigate any developer applying for this status. They could even be paid on a per diem basis. All of the money wasted on commercial activities and "marketing" through the past few years - this would be a drop in the bucket and well spent.
I'm sure there are developers who are starving in the overpriced-overbuilt Deep Creek area who could come into Alpine and do quite a bit of good for this community.
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Dear Chris,
I like your thoughts. hopefuly our new board members are hearing us.Werll said.
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Then again there are those folks who are holding a large number of lots - maybe purchased sight unseen with no intention of ever building on them - who only want developer status so as to lower their carrying costs while waiting for the market to recover so they can be flipped. We need to watch out for folks like that.
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That mantra is getting old Alpine Guy.
May I remind you that while those greedy "folks" were buying these lots - Alpine Lake was jumping right on the greed wagon, imposing fees and increasing dues which netted hundreds of thousands of dollars for Alpine. These same greedy "folks" are the primary source of revenue for the community as well. Your right about one thing - we DO need to look out for folks like that. If they start walking away from their investments Alpine Lake is in big trouble.
Clearly - as I wrote - we need to put into place checks and balances and carefully evaluate any developer who is granted this status. There need to be time limits in place as well in which the status can be lifted if timelines are not met.
Time to move on and come up with positives and solutions instead of focusing on what is most likely a small number of "folks" who's dubious and dark intentions are easily derailed with the right safeguards in place.
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Well, at the risk of perpetuating another tired mantra...
What would qualify someone as a developer? I say it's anyone with a proven record of building and selling homes in the community and I would have no problem with them having developer status.
Sound fair?
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Absolutely! I have quite a few lots - but no desire to get developer status. I live too far away.
I don't think it needs to be someone who necessarily has a proven track record in Alpine Lake. But it does need to be a developer with a solid history of building.
One scenario would be for a builder to buy out the current "developers" who are holding large numbers of lots and doing nothing more than listing them on Clutter. That would take all of those lots off the market (which are the majority of lots listed).
I would love to see someone come in there and build quality homes at a reasonable price. It is a builders dream! The lots cost next to nothing and it is a fabulous community close to Deep Creek.
We would get the activity and free advertising. The increased home sales would generate more income and would also help with putting more people on the water and sewer which would help lower costs overall to everyone. It is a win-win situation.
In fact, if we were smart, we would "court" builders who would be the best match and try to work out a reasonable arrangement.
Of course, timing is everything and right now the housing market stinks. But, as any investor knows, when the market improves the prices will go up.
This is the time to buy.
There is a wonderful quote from Warren Buffett, "Be greedy when others are fearful and fearful when others are greedy".
This is the time to work out a deal with a developer.
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While reviewing this blog under "Featured Comments", "What people are saying", I found a note from 12/27/07 10:39AM, Diana wrote: "Bob - The issue isn't about hunting, its about legal right of way. Thanks for your input." Can you tell me how to see Bob's comments or what the issue is here? Just curious? Thanks.
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That comment came up during a discussion last fall that has been archived. The discussion was about hunters using alpine roads to access their hunting land.
The discussion wasn't about whether folks should hunt, but who actually had a legal right-of-way to their land. And if there's no legal right-of-way, why does alpine let them use our roads?
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Any resolution to the discussion?
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Im aginst all hunting ! Thats my friends and family you know. Hunt People not bears.They taste like chicken.
Bearwalker
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Don't think proper action has been taken to resolve the issues. As PO's, we still don't know who can or can not use our roads to access hunting land. Again, this isn't about hunting... but who has a legal right-of-way to use our property. Seems like everyone, and their brother, drives through alpine to get to a hunting spot. Surely there can't be hundreds with a legal right-of-way.
This is a topic I have brought up many times the past years, even when I was on the board, but there seems to be a 'you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours attitude'. Or better yet, 'you can use our roads... if some of us can hunt on your land'.
I don't like it!
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I got my Preston County tax bill today for my Alpine home and noticed it went up a $100.00 Im not complaining. Does anyone know why or does anyone know if the county raised taxes this year. It still beats Carroll County Maryland where they went up $500.00. Just wondering.
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First off, thank you for having this site. It has provided much information for someone who has been looking to buy at Alpine. We are closing on a property at Alpine after 10 years of having our vacation home at the Yough lake. One major reason we are changing locations is that property across the stream from us was purchased and someone moved in with 5 dogs that barked incessantly. Much to our concern after we signed the papers to buy our place at Alpine we spent 30 minutes at the property only to hear the next door dog which was locked inside with the windows open barking the entire time. The owners were not home. Are there any rules in place as it relates to pet management?
We are not difficult people and have pets of our own, just looking forward to a relaxing retreat.
Thanks and we are looking forward to joining the community.
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Welcome to the blog New owner and to alpine! The barking dog question is a good one. While I was on the board a few years ago, the same issue came up. We felt that all home owners have a right to peaceful enjoyment of their own property. The suggestion was made to report the barking dog to security every time it was a nuisance.This created a paper trail and made it easy to alleviate the problem. A pleasure of alpine is to keep the windows open all summer long and enjoy the mountain air. I hope this helps!
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Thanks for the good information Diana. Hopefully it is just a one time thing. I will probably talk to the owners first it it looks like a habit. We are excited about Alpine. There is so much to look forward to. Great secret, maybe not for long. We found it almost by accident.
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At the annual meeting, drawings for a new lodge were unveiled. Several months ago, the former board passed a motion to spend $14,000 for a series of lodge plans. It was explained that several versions would be created, at varying price points. We would know what we could afford for $1 million, $2 million and so on.
The plan presented at the annual meeting showed only one rendering, no price attached. Those drawings were moved into the meeting room for several weeks, generating much discussion from PO's and visitors alike. Po's have expressed a desire to have those drawings posted on the official site since they are no longer in the meeting room.
Looks like we're a little in front of our own headlights. We can't afford a new lodge, yet spend 14K on drawings of a lodge we can't afford. I wonder what 14K could have done around here... maybe pay for a full audit?
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I haven't seen what we got for $14K, but when they announced @ a board meeting this spring that the money was spent, it sure seemed like a waste.
It seems that the decision to spend millions has already been made.
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Dear Shadowcatcher,
I can assure you that no decision has been made about spending millions. The Board, to a person, is aware and sensitive to the financial situation in our community and in the country at large. We will be very financially responsible. Promise. Promise. Promise.
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Thanks Marvin,
We have already seen a much more open Board with the opening of the financials online.
We have a long way to go, but clearly with this change in leadership we are heading in the right direction.
There is still much bitterness and anger and I know that personally I need to let it go and look forward to a new and improved Alpine Lake.
Just please-please keep listening to us!
We may have our disagreements on these forums but all of our voices matter and everyone seems to have a common interest at heart - a financially sound and thriving community.
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Does anybody know the procedure to get a spot down by the lake to leave your canoe?
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You can buy a pass at the lodge for $25. IIRC they don't guarantee a spot after May 1st.
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Thanks for the info. I didn't realize I ripped off your name there. Sorry about that...now known as New one.
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I was just joking in my previous post, no worries.
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