Editing Leisure World, Maryland (section)

===Slowdown on sales===
In early 1967, Leisure World changed its marketing focus from that of a retirement community to that of a country club community for adults.<ref name= suspends>Willman, Jack. "Rossmoor Suspends Housing Unit Sales: Rossmoor Suspends Housing Unit Sales". ''The Washington Post''. September 12, 1967. p. A1.</ref> Sales of units at Leisure World were suspended in September 1967 after a tight mortgage market significantly increased prices and lower than expected interest.<ref name= suspends/> Sales resumed on January 1, 1968.<ref>"Rossmoor Plans to Reopen Sales". ''The Washington Post''. December 30, 1967. p. C3.</ref> Sales were still slow, the developer's [[carrying cost]]s on the remaining vacant land were large, and the U.S. state of Maryland had prohibited further development in the area until a new sewage treatment plant was built, all of which temporarily prevented additional construction.<ref name= suit/> The developer said it would need to develop the remaining vacant land eventually, as the additional residents were needed in order to support the common facilities by way of monthly maintenance fees.<ref name= suit/> In October 1974, Leisure World canceled the sales contracts for 480 semidetached homes and low-rise apartments because inflation had increased construction costs and it was no longer certain when the units would actually be built.<ref>Levy, Claudia. "Rossmoor Cancels Buyers' Contracts". ''The Washington Post''. October 10, 1974. p. C1.</ref> Five months later, Leisure World offered the units for sale again at increased prices.<ref name= reoffered>Levy, Claudia. "Reoffered Contracts Costlier". ''The Washington Post''. March 9, 1975. p. 138.</ref> In September 1976, the developer agreed to build the 300,000-gallon wastewater treatment plant.<ref>"Rossmoor Plant Gets Formal Agreement". ''The Washington Post''. September 4, 1976. p. E3.</ref> Almost one year later, the developer sued the state of Maryland, saying [[Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission]] failed to complete a 1965 contract to provide water and sewer connections to the area because the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene had ordered a halt to sewer connections in 1973.<ref name= delays>Saperstein, Saundra. "Rossmoor Developers Sue County, Others Over Building Delays". ''The Washington Post''. September 7, 1978. p. MD3.</ref> The developer also said it was strong-armed into building a sewage treatment facility by the Montgomery County government in order to avoid significant financial losses.<ref name= delays/>

John E. Byrne, Jr., manager of Leisure World, agreed to buy Leisure World from Ross Coriese in August 1968,<ref name= newowner/> but the sale was not completed. In April 1969, Crane Company agreed to buy Leisure World from Coriese.<ref>Goodman, S. Oliver. "Crane Plans To Acquire Rossmoor". ''The Washington Post''. April 15, 1969. p. C7.</ref> That agreement was broken four months later by mutual consent.<ref>"Crane Co. Abandons Plan to Acquire Rossmoor". ''The Washington Post''. August 14, 1969. p. H14.</ref> In February 1970, Zero Manufacturing Company agreed to buy Rossmoor Corporation, the developer of Leisure World.<ref>"California Firm To Buy Rossmoor: Leisure World Communities". ''The Washington Post''. February 10, 1970. p. D6.</ref>