Sperling's Best Places recently analyzed America's cities for USAA.  They created a list that highlights the best places in the nation for veterans to find military skill-related jobs.  Number six on the list is Norfolk. Norfolk was selected because "The area boasts the largest number of federal jobs of any of our top 10 places. It also has the largest concentration of military bases and facilities of any metro in the United States, and is home to facilities for NASA and the Departments of Commerce, Veterans Affairs Transportation and Energy." 06/19/2014

To request more information CLICK HERE or call (757) 679-2132. To search more homes, enter your advanced Search Criteria HERE. 03/18/2013

To request more information CLICK HERE or call (757) 679-2132. To search more homes, enter your advanced Search Criteria HERE. 03/06/2013

To request more information CLICK HERE or call (757) 679-2132. To search more homes, enter your advanced Search Criteria HERE. 02/27/2013

To request more information CLICK HERE or call (757) 679-2132. To search more homes, enter your advanced Search Criteria HERE. 02/27/2013

Carpet Dyeing Norfolk Virginia We love this company, they have worked with many of our clients. Colorful Carpets of Richmond Virginia are partners and members of the Marcus Rice Team. They have saved me and our clients thousands of dollars. Give them a call today. Visit: www.ColorfulCarpetsRVA.com Finding your Richmond, VA. dream home has never been easier, use our links to get started. WWW.RICHMONDVAHOME.COM WWW.RICHMONDHOMESEARCH.NET The Marcus & Tonya Rice Team specializes in Richmond, Va, Henrico County, Chesterfield County, Powhatan County, Hanover County, Petersburg, Colonial Heights, and Fort Lee Homes and Real Estate for sale. We are tech savy realtors with over 11 years experience. Please join us on our Social Networking Network to stay up to date on Richmond Virgina real esta... 07/22/2012

The Greatest gift to military families is BAH Basic Allowance from Housing!  Use this money to buy a home and reward your self with added benefits such as tax deductions, interest write offs, and ownership.   Stop wasting your money by renting or using base housing.  Did you know: $1100-$1200 BAH would be the equivalent of a payment for a home priced between $155,000-$175,000 depending on an interest rate an area taxes. $1200-$1400 BAH would buy you a home priced between $170,000 - $200,000. depending on an interest rate and property taxes.  Payments - include principal, interest, taxes, and insurance. Consult with a lender to see if you can qualify for a VA loan.  Get the best of both worlds and with the assistance of a great agent like myself- negotiate for the seller to cover your cl... 07/14/2012

Be careful if you are using Craigslist to find rentals or homes to purchase.  The scam artist are back and they are praying on victims.  Remember if it sounds to good to be true. "Then It probably is."   There MO is usually listing a home for rent or for sale for a loss less than normal and stating they are just temporarily moving and are looking for someone to cover the payment etc...   They are trying to get the victim to give them personal info usually requested for in application form and in most cases they will try to get the victim to send a deposit check.... BE VERY CAREFUL.  They are very slick usually copying and pasting real ads into dummy ads and changing minor contact info.  I recommend you stick to legit listing sites for Hampton Roads Rentals and Homes for Sale such as Blu... 06/13/2012

It is a holiday weekend - Monday is Memorial Day.                                             This is a public service reminder to buckle up and watch your speed.  The cops, highway patrol, and sheriffs will  have an increased presence.  They all will be on alert looking for drunk drivers and speed demons.  The holiday traffic in Hampton Roads will be in full effect so leave early if traveling or consider alternative routes. Be Safe and when you return from the break contact me to go Home Shopping! If you are wanting to view homes- remember holiday courtesy is to give plenty of notice to occupied homes.  Maybe you will get lucky and show up just in time for the Sellers annual barbecue.   So if you want to view a home call me but remember to give me plenty of notice to schedule the appoi... 05/24/2012

Have a mortgage with Bank of America? Then Your bank is the first to step up.............. If you are one of the select few, you may receive a mailing soon from Bank of America offering a mortgage relief package.   As part of a recent settlement Bank of America is forced to offer to HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of their customers a mortgage forgiveness program. The details will be in the letter but in essence will forgive a part of the principal balance of their mortgage.  Over 200,000 candidates will be eligible half the letters are being mailed this week and many more will be mailed later this year. According to the Department of Justice:                               If you are not a B of A customer do not get upset, there are 5 banks total included in this $25 Billion dollar lawsuit so you... 05/08/2012

Can you believe its almost May 1st already?   If you are interested in moving by the summer the time to start looking for a home is NOW!!!! Remember lenders are tightning the mortgage criteria and it also makes the process of closing take a little longer. If you are buying a home using a FHA or VA loan allow 45 days to close one you have an excepted contract.  If you are using a Conventional loan alot 30 days and if paying cash alot 15-20 days for title search and property tax info to be properly prorated for closing. If you are reaady to get started contact me and Lets go Spring Home Shopping! 04/30/2012

Home Inspection addendums are not always about repair request.  Some times it may be a call to get creative.  In lieu of repairs you may want to: Ask for a price reduction                                                               Ask for a sellers credit towards closing cost (if your loan will allow it) Ask for furniture Ask for the sellers car Ask for the sellers pet Ok now I am being silly but you get the idea....... The bottom line is to think outside the box.  sometimes there is not enough time for a repair before closing.  Sometimes you do not trust the seller to correctly fix an item.   It is times like these where thinking out side the box comes in handy......... This can also be beneficial to a seller who is strapped for cash and does not have the money to make repairs or gi... 04/21/2012

Did you know Hampton Roads is ranked number 3 worst places for TERMITES! It is termite swarm-er season and if you do not have a termite contract you may want to contact a company for a quote. If you are in the process of buying or selling most loans require a clear termite and moisture letter to close.  It can be negotiated for either the buyer or seller to be responsible but the letter is usually in order to get a clear to close from lender.  Because the problem with termites and moisture can be difficult from Virginia beach to Williamsburg our contracts have verbage that discuss this issue. Several local companies are running SPRING SPECIALS on treatments, letters, or annual contracts. Hug A Bug      http://hugabug.net   757-839-0001  Priority Pest Control    http://prioritypest.com  ... 04/13/2012

Sitting on the fence wondering if you should buy a home. Take the Leap of faith. With interest rates starting at 3.75% and up and the best inventory in years it would be ashame to let the opportunity slip by you.    First - Leap into getting pre-approved- through a reputable lender that will supply you with a copy of your tri-merge credit report.  Be sure to address any errors, problems, or discrepancies up front. Second - Decide on your needs vs wants and develop your search criteria (bedrooms, baths, amenities, etc...). This may include creating a reasonable well thought out budget for your new home payment (PITI- principal, interest, taxes, and insurance) and try paying yourself that payment for a few months to see if you can handle it. Do not forget to budget for maintenance and une... 02/29/2012

VA Realtors have a new tool they can use to check for FHA approved condo complexes.  VAREALTOR.com/condocheck  enter zip code or city state and get your answers      In May 2011 every condo complex was de certified and forced to reapply for FHA condo certification status. We are finding most became re-certified but a few have not.  What ever the reason according to the Virginia Association of Realtors, "the end result is that buyers who want a unit in the un-certified condos are ineligible for FHA financing-something many seller don't discover until late in the process when they learn that their pool of prospective buyers has shrunk considerably....and because the certification process can take months deals fall through. " Buyers if you are planning to use FHA financing have your agent ... 02/13/2012

Hampton Roads Southern VA Real Estate Market  2011 Sales Statistics-  Highlights from REIN MLS Listings-  Residential active listings decreased, 17.3% year-over-year, to 12,162 (November 2011) from 14,698 (November 2010). Under Contract (Pending) Residential Sales- Total residential under contract sales increased by 34.8% as compared to November 2010 (1,510 vs. 1,120). Sales Total property sales and total residential sales increased when compared to November 2010 showing increases of 9.4% and 9.3% respectively. Inventory There is currently 8.15 months’ inventory of residential homes on the market in the Hampton Roads area, a slight decrease from the previous month and down 20.95% from November last year. What does all this mean, Things are better since 2010 but we are not out of the woo... 12/29/2011

Qualities of a Short Sale Seller especially in Hampton Roads Areas   STOP MONKEY-ING AROUND AND GET THAT HOME SOLD ALREADY!!!   You Must be 110% Motivated! Dedicated to the process! Must be Cooperative and Compliant with banks demands! Must be ready to sell and redy to move! Willing to use Dee Dee Jones to list your home!   If your hanging on to your home by a limb.  Call me today and lets discuss a Short Sale!! 12/20/2011

5 Reasons To Be Thankful Today!   1. Low interest rates Nationally      2. Great inventory in Hampton Roads Cities 3. Low Sales Prices in Southern Virginia 4. Good deals from Virginia Beach to Williamsburg 5. I can help you Buy or Sell Contact Me!  In honor of Movember- Move in November! I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!     11/23/2011

Even with falling debt and fewer late payments the average credit score for Norfolk consumers by by one point.  It went from 741 to 740.  It may not sound like much but in Experians latest "State of Credit" Norfolk fell eight places.  This report is put out yearly by Experian a major credit reporting company.  Their credit score is called VantageScore and is similar to the more widely known FICO scoring system.  Your credit score is important because the higher it is the less banks will ask for additional documentation.  In addition you can qualify for better terms with some credit extending places, especially when purchasing a new or used car or even a new home for your family.  Several ways to increase your score are to make sure you make all your payments on time, every time.  Your u... 10/25/2011

Former Boxing Champ Muhammad Ali and his wife, Yolanda, are suing the couple who sold them their Louisville, Ky., mansion, according to multiple reports and Fox news.    Ali and his wife claim that the former homeowners, Patrick and Beverly Lancaster, lied to them about problems with the home. The problems were discovered after moving in. The lawsuit states that the Alis were not informed of roof and chimney leaks, poor insulation, improper ventilation and mold. Ali also says the Lancasters were well aware of these issues but still sold the home. The Alis purchased the home in 2007 In Southern Virginia, Hampton Roads 7 cities from Virginia Beach to Williamsburg buyers are given a property disclosure disclaimer that states it is the buyer who needs to perform all prudent inspections and ... 10/13/2011