Linda Staples Terry's (lstaples) Blog

wow!  it's been too long since I have updated my blog... been busy... lots of great activity going on... 5 successful auctions in a row allows me to breathe a sigh of relief and gives a glimmer of hope that more buyers are out and there is money out there to be spent. Turnout was excellent at all...

and from our Northern Virginia office -- more good news ! Our last 4 auctions have been great: 3/26 sold a bank owned luxury home in Northern VA for $2,073,500 Used our "hybrid" format, ended up just under reserve but bank confirmed sale during auction 3/31 sold a "handyman" in perfect Baltimore ...

Richmond's News headlines have been encouraging and local agents have been reporting upticks in offers, contracts and buyer traffic.  This is all great news.  I have heard of bidding wars and one broker I know got a full price offer the first day a property hit the market.  Priced right, yes-- bu...

Well... hmmmmm the Richmond area property transfers are VERY telling !  Saturday, April 4th's publication of area property transfers show that 44% of all transactions involved a bank as buyer or seller !!  YUP... that's right... FORTY-FOUR percent!  this is a whopping increase from the 19-24% ran...

We got two contracts today for properties that did not sell on auction day AND got an acceptable offer for a waterfront home in Virginia Beach that was due to hit the auction block this coming Tuesday!  The last property is over $1.5 million dollars, and one of the other two is close to half a mi...

Our auction firm has now sold two homes that were left to the Richmond SPCA... one was in Chesterfield County and sold at public auction in 2008 to a full audience for a big price.  The most recent one sold yesterday afternoon in Baltimore.  The auction was featured on a local newsclip and was an...

Well I have made many observations since my last blog and have been blogging in my head for days but just now getting the chance to put the fingers on the keyboard.... observations in / around Richmond VA Henrico Co, Verizon, Fort Lee and others have all announced they are hiring Foreclosure noti...

This week's property transfer records show another decline (2nd week in a row) of about 2%.  Transactions involving a bank as buyer or seller are 81 out of 392 total reported transactions for 20.66%, about 3.5% better than the high of 24% on Feb. 28th. This is good news for John and Jane Q. Publi...

Richmond area- example of how rough thing are and how gutsy buyers have gotten:  tax assessment of a house is $837,600.  Last list price $725,000.  Current list price $675,000.  Two offerors just engaged in a "competition"... $450,000 went to $510,000 $515,000 went to $535,000 went to $550,000 Se...

Summer rentals are the lifeblood of the Outer Banks barrier islands-- the success of the shops, restaurants, tax base, real estate sales, tourist destinations, historic sites and museums are all dependent on how many visitors come and rent beach houses between May and September. With the slump in...