Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Sunday, June 07, 2015

‘Rent-To-Buy’ Community In Berlin Celebrated As Eastern Shore’s First

BERLIN – Local leaders celebrated the start of a first-of-its-kind project for the Eastern Shore as work at Cannery Village got underway last week.

Town leaders, officials from Osprey Property Company and representatives from Habitat for Humanity attended a groundbreaking ceremony for Cannery Village, the rent-to-own community to be built on Flower Street on May 28.

“This rent-to-buy concept has worked successfully on the western side of the bay,” Berlin Mayor Gee Williams said. “Berlin is the first community on the Eastern Shore to offer it. We’re extremely excited.”

Williams said the idea of a Cannery Village affordable housing project was first put forth by local businessman Frank Gunion 10 years ago. The concept changed through the years but will now come to fruition as a rent-to-own community to be developed by Osprey Property Company.

“It’s been well worth the wait,” Williams said.

More

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Let's hope they do proper credit, job, and background checks - or this will end up being another low-rent-district!

Anonymous said...

It's Flower Street in Berlin. Low-rent and no-rent.

Jobs? Credit checks? Background checks?

Hardly.

Anonymous said...

berlins new slums.

Anonymous said...

more of the town dumb thinking---keep on adding on tasks to the police, trash people, and EMT folks get ready for that BIG tax increase---I see they are going to the bond market to borrow more money to line Gee and Troy pockets with money to buy the Tyson plant and Gee's house and parents house on Old Ocean City Rd.

Anonymous said...

Sure there will be jobs. More customers means more drug mules will be needed.

Anonymous said...

Everybody hates poor people?

Anonymous said...

Not me. How else would the strip clubs get dancers....

Anonymous said...

I read this and wonder who is going to get screwed, the city or the "buyers." Could be both, but at least one of them is gonna get screwed.

Anonymous said...

Everybody deserves a chance. Not everybody has what it takes to make it work.

Anonymous said...

15 years of $900/mo is $162k in rent.

So after that period in time, the residents can pay for the house another 30 years to own it at $900/mo, to keep the payment the same? That's about a $200k purchase price.

Total amount paid for the home, made from donated materials and labor - $486k and all the land taxes.

What are the chances it's even livable as a low income rental after even 15 years? Let alone 45?

Anonymous said...

I'd be willing to bet nobody is suggesting dropping one of those insta-slums alongside their own neighborhood.

Anonymous said...

If you don't understand the program, shut up!

Anonymous said...

Berlin seems to do things better than Salisbury on just about everything. Let's see how this works out for them.

Anonymous said...

Let's hope there is some type of HOA that will make them keep their properties decent. They should inspect the homes each year and the outside must be maintained at all times.

Anonymous said...

8:03
When do you drop off your application?

Anonymous said...

Flower street? I'll pass.