Real estate firm, motel celebrate new facilities here

November 22, 1998|By JULIE E. GREENE

Long & Foster Realtors and Comfort Suites motel held grand openings in Hagerstown on Friday.

The new $4.5 million motel, part of the Choice Hotels International chain, opened July 1 at 1801 Dual Highway, motel officials said.

Sam Patel, president of Jalaram Inc. in Martinsburg, W.Va., said he chose to open the Comfort Suites in Hagerstown because there wasn't a similar motel offering suites in the area.

Each of the motel's 75 suites includes a bedroom, small living area, refrigerator and microwave oven, Patel said. The motel also has an indoor pool, spa and meeting rooms.

The motel has 13 full- and part-time employees, officials said.

Long & Foster Realtors celebrated the grand opening of their new office at the former Finley's American Restaurant, which closed in November 1997.

The firm bought the former restaurant building at 1100 Dual Highway after renting 1750 Dual Highway for about 10 years, said George Burgtorf, branch manager.

The almost $1 million purchase and renovation allows the firm to expand, Burgtorf said.

Besides serving as an office for 32 real estate agents, the firm offers Realtor classes and training in their new building, he said.

Long & Foster opened for business in the renovated building in September, he said. The branch office has real estate agents licensed in Washington County, and in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Founded in 1968, the firm has more than 6,000 agents and more than 115 offices in Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Delaware, he said.

The Fairfax, Va.-based firm is tops in sales in the mid-Atlantic region, with $10 billion in sales in 1997, he said.

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