Here are a few notes about the new stimulus package that may help you get stimulated. Whether or not you agree with the spending included in the package, energy efficiency improvements are a good thing. On the smallest scale, they help homeowners save money every day!  Hopefully this will get you stimulated to make energy efficiency improvements in your office or home! $6.3 billion for energy efficiency in multifamily housing getting federal assistance, such as HUD-sponsored low-income housing $5 billion to weatherize more than 1 million homes owned by "modest-income" families. $4.5 billion to increase the energy efficiency of federal buildings $2 billion to increase the tax credit for hybrid cars to $7,500 $1.4 billion for bonds to carry out state and local renewable energy and conserv... 04/07/2009

Just a reminder for those who are interested in a little candlelight this weekend!  EARTH Hour will be held Saturday night at 8:30 pm.  Turn out the lights!  Save Energy!  Save Money!  At least one area restaurants is participating too - Croc's EcoBistro at the Oceanfront.  Check em out! They are certified by Virginia Green as a 'green destination!  Plus they have reallyl good food and drinks!  Also,  A BIG THANK YOU to my lovely clients who thanked me with a surprise!  Aa wonderful Parker pen -- to sign contracts in style in they say!  What a joy they were to work with even if the transaction was a struggle at times -- not their fault!  Just the challenges of the market, lender rules, etc. Anyway, whatever you do, think of me if you are considering real estate in Hampton Roads cities o... 03/27/2009

Thanks to John Cannata I was asked to do my picture meme.      My age at next birthday ( which is April 3rd)           The place I want to visit is my birthplace Pusan, Korea                    Favorite food : of course chocolate ice cream                My favorite color : Purple              Bad habit : I work way too much.  But is that really a bad habit?             My favorite thing: Of course the    Doriguzzi boys! I am the luckiest wife and mother around!                   So now that you know a little more about me.  Your turn! The lucky people that I am not tagging next: Debbie Malone - she is a good friend on active rain that I know I am gonna meet some day! Charlie Doriguzzi - my husband - what the heck?  His turn now! Tere Rottinik - a new local blogger that I have had the p... 03/26/2009

03/22/2009

Just a quick note that TODAY, Tuesday, March 10th, the City of Norfolk is voting for the interim commonweath attorney.  Two candidates are in the race. Use your regular polling station.  You may not think this is important, but all elections are a process that require participation from registered voters -- Do it!  It will only take a minute!  No long lines like November 4th!  Also, March 14th there will be an adoption day from Noon-4pm for Beagles to the Rescue. Our fabulous Foster, Maize will be in attendance!  She is a gorgeous lady of a certain age.  Absolutely the most lovable beagle dog. Her fur is so soft, I could run my fingers through it all day!  Her eyes speak volumes, asking to be loved and showing her appreciation for all attention received!  She enjoys walking with our two... 03/10/2009

This a perfect time to ask if you can get help selling your home -- especially if you are military personnel. As part of the new stimulus package, there is assitance for our military families who have purchase a home recently and are now trying to sell.  In this market, lets take all the help given!  Here is the excerpt from the Virginian-Pilot and a link to the full article. The assistanceUnder a provision in the stimulus package, military service members who are given orders and must sell their homes for less than market value could receive compensation of up to 95 percent of the loss in value, if the homes were purchased before July 1, 2006. Need additional information on home selling in Hampton Roads, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk?   I look forward to assi... 03/02/2009

Interested in greening your home? Come to the Hampton Roads Green Building Council's Monthly Learning Series meeting on March 3rd from 12pm - 1pm at the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News. The speakers will be presenting on how to green your home through energy efficient technologies and how to build LEED certified homes under the LEED for Homes rating system. Chuck Worley of Energy Efficient Heating and Cooling will be one of the speakers. The Virginia Living Museum is located at: 524 J. Clyde Morris Blvd., Newport News, VA 23601  For more information, go to www.hrgbc.org. There is a great energy efficient home for sale in Norfolk. This is a real sale property that has under gone renovation to improve energy efficiency.  Call me to see this home.  Better yet -- it is on the water! ... 02/25/2009

  I went to our local Norfolk WIRE ( women in real estate) last week and the meetings speaker was on 1031 Tax Exchange.  A 1031 Tax Exchange is when you exchange one investment property for another with tax-deferred benefits.  By doing a 1031 Tax Exchange you can receive tax benefits through deferred captial gains and accumulated depreciation recapture.  Your funds from the sale of the investment property are wired and held in a seperate account managed by a third party.  You then have 45 days to identify the property you wish to purchase and then have 180 days to close. Some key things to ask your 1031 Exchange : How is the money going to be held? Where is the money? **Make sure you contact a tax attorney/cpa regarding your particular situation. ** I would gladly refer you to Towne 103... 02/22/2009

Fannie and Freddie - Extended Moratorium Government-controlled mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac said Friday they have immediately suspended all foreclosure sales involving occupied single-family and 2-4 unit properties through March 6, to give troubled borrowers more time to work with loan servicers to avoid losing their homes.  Click here to read more from the Associated Press. Need to list your home for sale in Hampton Roads?  I am happy to assist.  Searching for a home?  Check  my website for home search!    http://www.bethanyphillips.com   02/15/2009

For those of you not following the gyrations of Congress and the President's Administration, there is a lot of discussion on how best to stimulate the economy.  Though Hampton Roads was one of the few metropolitan regions which did not lose any jobs in 2008, we are still seeing troubling signs in the housing arena including increasing numbers of foreclosures and bank short sales. The Senate voted this week to include a 10% tax credit for anyone (not just first-timers) who purchases a home (up to $15,000).  The full article is here.  What good news that would be!  So, to you folks out there who are considering a move-up, do you think this incentive would be enough to get you moving?  How about we throw in the lowest interest rates in decades, a huge number of homes to choose from, and se... 02/06/2009

With the changing lending criteria, banks and appraisers appear to be getting more strict about what 'passes' as acceptable condition of a home... That is, if my recent (current) experience is any indication.  Are you a buyer, seller, Realtor, lender who is also experiencing the ramifications of tighter policies?  Let us know what you are learning. Here are some examples of what I am dealing with: 1.  The appraiser indicates that windows need to be re-glazed where needed. Though this is done, we learn on re-inspection that not only is re-glazing required, but window sills and wood framing must also be scraped and painted.  Lesson: In any home built prior to 1978, ensure that all wood windows are in good condition prior to listing the home or having the inspection. (lead based paint issu... 02/04/2009

Everyone is focused on the $7500 tax credit but do you know about the other state and government programs and there impact on the economy. Foreclosure Relief- This will offer a refinance program that will help struggling homeowners stay in their homes. Yeah Less Foreclosures!!! FHA Modernization - maximum loan will increase to 115% of median home price in area up to $625,500.  This means will be seeing a lot of FHA buyers in 09. Mortgage Revenue Bonds-States will be given the authority to issue an additional $11 billion dollars to be used to refinance subprime loans and help more first time buyers obtain a mortgage. GSE Government Sponsored Enterprises-  will regulate the industry helping buyers secure financing for homes in high priced markets such as California and the North East. And... 02/03/2009

All of us have been hit hard by the economy but what can you do in Norfolk to make your life better and stay away from scammers?  One way is to keep track of your credit.  You can get a free report once a year from https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp  Put yourself on the Do Not Call list to block telemarketing here https://www.donotcall.gov  Check out the organizations that you want to contribute to at www.vdacs.virginia.gov/consumers/index.shtml  If you are worried about check scams and bogus lotteries, go to http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov   Make sure you get good representation in all your realestate needs by going here www.geneallen.com http://www.geneallen.com/  Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, as well as the rest of Hampton... 01/31/2009

Norfolk Botanical Garden    Todays Norfolk Botanical Garden began in the mid 1930's with an idea by Frederic Heutte, a young horticulturist and Thomas P. Thompson, Norfolk City Manager from 1935-1938. Heutte had a fondness for Azaleas and believed Hampton Roads to have an ideal climate for growing this southern signature plant. Heutte and Thompson envisioned an azalea garden to rival those of Charleston, South Carolina. Their vision began to be realized when the city of Norfolk set aside 75 acres of wooded land and 75 acres of reservoir for a city garden.    Beginning in 1938, through a Works Progress Administration (WPA) grant more than 200 African-American women and 20 men began working to clear the site and their contribution to the garden is today wonderfully honored. In 1958 the Ol... 01/29/2009

Looking for real estate in the Hampton Roads cities of Norfolk and Virginia Beach? Potential homebuyers take note!  There is money available from the city if you quality. Per the article in the Virginian-Pilot this morning, fewer applicants means the cities are looking for buyers who qualify!  You could be the next to take part and thus, get up to $20,000 in assistance!  For the full article click on this link. The city of Norfolk's information is available HERE For Virginia Beach, this is the link that includes contact information for someone in the city.  Here is an example of the type of home that might be available for first time homebuyers... Why rent!!???   To search for a home, use my website or call me!  I look forward to helping you purchase a home! 01/22/2009

Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim said during a recent City Council meeting that a 2 acre park will be built near City Hall.  The park will honor those who fought to end Massive Resistance and integrate the schools 50 years ago.  The park is at least four years away as it will sit where the current Circuit Court buiding is located.  Massive Resistance was the state's reaction to orders from federal courts to integrate public schools.  At least 10,000 white students were barred from school and refer to themselves as the "lost class".  The resistance consisted of serveral groups including the lost class, the Norfolk 17 and many others.  http://www.geneallen.com/  Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, as well as the rest of Hampton Roads.  This site is updated ... 01/21/2009

About an hour ago I called Tina Merritt, a fellow member of Active Rain.  I needed help. Tina came to mind because I know she knows her area. Reading her posts taught me that. I contacted Tina because I had a call from my brother-in-law in Connecticut.  Bill  is trying to find someone that was flying to Haiti and had a medical emergency in flight.  The plane landed in Norfolk, VA and the passanger was taken to a hospital. Bill is a pastor of a church in Wallingford, CT and has done extensive work in Haiti.  The passenger taken sick is someone that was going down to Haiti as a volunteer. Bill thought I might be able to help him locate the hospital where the passenger was taken.  When you Google hospitals in Norfolk you will find several.  I knew immediately that Tina would be able to giv... 01/19/2009

In case you didn't hear about it, the Prudential Decker Realty organization has merged with 2 other realty firms in the area. This became effective today, Monday January 19th 2009. I personally think it is a great opportunity to leverage resources of these firms along with the resources of the primary owner, Towne Bank! Prudential Towne Realty will be managed by Barbara Wolcott (the current CEO of Prudential Decker Realty) along with others from the Prudential McCardle organization and the GSH company. The press release is available on the Towne Bank website or by clicking here. From a selfish perspective, I am excited to have access to offices on the Peninsula. As a realtor who has worked throughout Hampton Roads including the peninsula, I will appreciate the convenience of the York Co... 01/19/2009

The Virginian Pilothad an article today about the city of Virginia Beach and its likely purchase of a 10 mile tract of railroad paralleling I264. I am so excited!   This is a great step (in my opinion) of bringing region rail service to the area. I would love to be able to hop on the TIDE and head from Norfolk to the Oceanfront or Pembroke and not have to drive -save gas and carbon emissions!  Just avoiding the intersection of I264 and Independence is enough for me to shout - Yeah!  I am sure there will be more to this story so stay tuned. In the meantime, here is a link to the article Beach to spend $10M for likely light-rail right of way If you want to look for homes or real estate in Hampton Roads, please use my website! Or search by map! 01/16/2009

Campaign Earth Hour 2009 has been launched. Earth Hour 2009 is a global climate event for which 74 cities in 62 countries have already committed to switch off their lights at 8:30 p.m. on March 28. U.S. cities already committed to this "huge call for climate action" include Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Chicago. Also going dark will be the tallest towers in the Americas, the CN tower in Toronto. James Leape, Director General of WWF International (the global conservation organization) says, "Earth Hour provides an opportunity for the public to send a powerful signal that they are watching and that they expect action." Read about other committed cities and which prominent buildings will be dark. Need a home that is energy efficiency to save you money?  Ask me about finding one!  01/07/2009