Second Homes 411

Second Homes at Deep Creek Lake offers unique way to vacation; business first of its kind in Md.

by: Sarah Moses Cumberland Times-News
Though people may be familiar with the idea of a time share, a new type of second/vacation home available at Deep Creek Lake allows a person to own a percentage of a property rather than paying for its use.

“With a time share, you are getting time,” Pam Scott, owner of Second Homes at Deep Creek Lake, said. “With this, you get a deed. This is upscale, though it could be called time share’s distant cousin. Each of the six owners has a deeded interest. It’s very much legally owned by each of them.”

Scott said she was the first in the state to institute the sale of fractional homes, where six property owners split the cost and use of a single home. She said the practice already existed all over the country at places like Lake Tahoe and other resort areas, and with rising housing costs, she felt it was a natural fit for the lake area.

As a former second home owner, she found that much of the time that could be spent enjoying a second home is usually done in the upkeep of the home. That is why the property is maintained and cleaned by a property management company.

Scott said quarterly, the owners pay a maintenance fee for the house, covering the home’s bills and taxes.

She manages two of these homes, one lakeside property off Glendale Road and the other near Wisp Resort, both in McHenry. However, since the Overlook was built near Wisp, other similar projects have begun in the area.