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Richmond, VA Real Estate News

By Valorie L. Easter, Valorie Easter & Co, Charlottesville/Albemarle Rea
(eXp Realty)
This is something I have thought about many times before. Have you ever known someone that seemed brighter in high school than they do today? Is it possible for us to become dumber as we get older? Here is the answer to that question from 5 different experts on the topic! As all of the following information is directly quoted from the experts I can’t take any credit for writing it myself but I thought this was interesting enough to share.  Richard Nisbett, professor of psychology at the University of Michigan:Yes, your IQ can change over time. But [IQ] tests give you the same answer to a very substantial extent, even over a period of year. The older you are, the more stable your test score will be. The most volatility in IQ scores is in childhood, mostly in adolescence. Offhand I can't...
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By Marcus Rice, Richmond, NOVA, Virginia Beach Area Realtor/Broker
(Equity First Realty )
Here is list moving checklist for the move, you will find links and numbers at the bottom. Let me know if you need any other information. This came from a blog I wrote recently.Utilities and Services For Your MoveThere is a substantial moving checklist for any move, but its always good to be organized ahead of time before moving day. First, you need to prepare your house and your belongings before you move. The next step is to get all of your utilities and services transferred or in order in your new home. This is one of the most important parts of the move. The Marcus Rice Team want to make it as painless as possible. My team put together some tips related to moving into your next home. Here they are:1. Keep Track of Your Utility and Cable BillsIn the two months before your move, start...
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By Valorie L. Easter, Valorie Easter & Co, Charlottesville/Albemarle Rea
(eXp Realty)
The debate as to the best way to raise children has been around as long as we have. Some parents are strict disciplinarians while others seem completely oblivious to anything that their children may say or do. So what’s the best way to correct your child when his/her behavior is unacceptable? The first thing to remember is that a parent’s words can and will have a lasting effect on the child. What may seem nothing more than a simple reprimand to you may have a long lasting effect on your child. Can you remember something that your mom or dad said to you when you were young that still bothers you to this day? Just about everyone can and it doesn’t necessarily mean that your parents were “bad” parents! It does mean that there is a right way and a wrong way to discipline a child. Children ...
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By Marcus Rice, Richmond, NOVA, Virginia Beach Area Realtor/Broker
(Equity First Realty )
Over 90% of home buyers in Richmond Virginia do research on the internet before making their first home purchase. Many of these buyers find the home they want to buy online and then hire an agent who charges them full price. A real estate rebate is a great way for buyers to maximize their purchasing power. When you receive a real estate rebate, you effectively pay less (thousands less) for the property than a buyer who does not receive a home buyer rebate. The truth is, you don’t have to sacrifice service to get a great value.We offer a superior level of full service buyer representation:1. We are happy to show you homes Monday though Sunday.2. Helping you decide how much to offer on the home you want.3. Write and structure your offer to maximize the chances that it will be accepted.4. ...
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By Marcus Rice, Richmond, NOVA, Virginia Beach Area Realtor/Broker
(Equity First Realty )
Over 90% of home buyers in Chesterfield County Virginia do research on the internet before making their first home purchase. Many of these buyers find the home they want to buy online and then hire an agent who charges them full price. A real estate rebate is a great way for buyers to maximize their purchasing power. When you receive a real estate rebate, you effectively pay less (thousands less) for the property than a buyer who does not receive a home buyer rebate. The truth is, you don’t have to sacrifice service to get a great value.We offer a superior level of full service buyer representation:1. We are happy to show you homes Monday though Sunday.2. Helping you decide how much to offer on the home you want.3. Write and structure your offer to maximize the chances that it will be a...
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By Marcus Rice, Richmond, NOVA, Virginia Beach Area Realtor/Broker
(Equity First Realty )
 Over 90% of home buyers in Henrico County Virginia do research on the internet before making their first home purchase. Many of these buyers find the home they want to buy online and then hire an agent who charges them full price. A real estate rebate is a great way for buyers to maximize their purchasing power. When you receive a real estate rebate, you effectively pay less (thousands less) for the property than a buyer who does not receive a home buyer rebate. The truth is, you don’t have to sacrifice service to get a great value.We offer a superior level of full service buyer representation:1. We are happy to show you homes Monday though Sunday.2. Helping you decide how much to offer on the home you want.3. Write and structure your offer to maximize the chances that it will be accep...
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By Marcus Rice, Richmond, NOVA, Virginia Beach Area Realtor/Broker
(Equity First Realty )
 Over 90% of home buyers in Virginia do research on the internet before making their first home purchase. Many of these buyers find the home they want to buy online and then hire an agent who charges them full price. A real estate rebate is a great way for buyers to maximize their purchasing power. When you receive a real estate rebate, you effectively pay less (thousands less) for the property than a buyer who does not receive a home buyer rebate. The truth is, you don’t have to sacrifice service to get a great value.We offer a superior level of full service buyer representation:1. We are happy to show you homes Monday though Sunday.2. Helping you decide how much to offer on the home you want.3. Write and structure your offer to maximize the chances that it will be accepted.4. We use o...
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By Valorie L. Easter, Valorie Easter & Co, Charlottesville/Albemarle Rea
(eXp Realty)
Everyone knows that salt is associated with high blood pressure but do you know why? It is because an excess amount of salt in your body retains too much fluid thus resulting in higher blood pressure. The end result is that your heart will need to work harder and this is never a good thing. Too much salt will increase the risk of heart failure, stroke, osteoporosis, kidney disease and even stomach cancer.  Today in the U.S. between 50 and 70 million people suffer from hypertension and a lower salt intake would benefit them quite a bit. One of the problems is that we like salt. The right combination of fat, salt and sugar is something that all mammals enjoy although it is very bad for our health. The other problem is that just about everything we eat today is very high in salt even thou...
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By Valorie L. Easter, Valorie Easter & Co, Charlottesville/Albemarle Rea
(eXp Realty)
Many people refer to this time of the year as the “season of giving” and no one believes that more than pizza delivery man Jeff Louis. Jeff works for Gionino’s Pizza in Ohio and was asked to report to work earlier than usual the Sunday before thanksgiving. It seems that Life Point Church in Mentor, Ohio had decided to order a pizza but the pastor had a little surprise in store for Jeff. When he arrived he was led to the stage of the church and each congregation member, in turn began to hand Jeff a tip. When it was all over, he had received more than $700! Pastor Ken Wright had originally planned to give Jeff a $100 tip but when he arrived the congregation surprised even him when they began to hand Jeff additional tip money.  So touched was Mr. Louis that he posted a very emotional vlog ...
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By Valorie L. Easter, Valorie Easter & Co, Charlottesville/Albemarle Rea
(eXp Realty)
If you are a dog lover (as I am!) than you should be aware that the holiday season can bring with it some very unique risks for your 4 legged friend. In all the excitement of this busy season we don’t often think about the health and safety of our dog but there are some things that you should keep in mind during this special time of year. Few things can spoil the holidays more than an unexpected visit to the veterinary emergency clinic.  Keep in mind that some table scraps are not healthy for your dog and may even cause physical injury. A good example is chicken or turkey bones. While dogs loves them they can actually splinter and cause internal injuries that could even be lethal to your pet. Rich and fatty foods can actually be toxic to a dog. Beef bones, however are OK as a treat.  A...
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By Valorie L. Easter, Valorie Easter & Co, Charlottesville/Albemarle Rea
(eXp Realty)
One of the most difficult things to do in our lives is to find a healthy balance between work and our personal lives. Although this is something that we all strive for, many of us simply can’t seem to get it right. A big part of the problem may be the type of profession that you work in.   A recent study from Glassdoor suggests that jobs in the tech and marketing industry seem to offer the greatest flexibility in managing our work schedule to make more time for family and friends. Of the top 25 most “flexible” jobs in the survey, 15 of them are in fact part of one of those 2 specific work fields.  Overall however the study also reveals that an increasing number of workers are dissatisfied with their balance between work and the rest of their lives. On a scale of 1 -5 the average rating...
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By Valorie L. Easter, Valorie Easter & Co, Charlottesville/Albemarle Rea
(eXp Realty)
 The monthly mortgage payment on a home is determined by two elements: the price of the house and the interest rate you pay on your mortgage. Recently released reports are revealing that the experts expect both elements to increase in 2016. HOME PRICES CoreLogic has projected a nationwide 5.2% home value appreciation for the next twelve months. Here is their breakdown by state:   MORTGAGE INTEREST RATES All four of the entities that provide projections on mortgage interest rates agree: they’re going up in 2016. Here are the predictions over the next four quarters: Bottom LineWith both home values and interest rates projected to increase over the next twelve months, buying (or moving-up), sooner rather than later, makes sense. http://www.sellcvilleandrvahomes.com/
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By Valorie L. Easter, Valorie Easter & Co, Charlottesville/Albemarle Rea
(eXp Realty)
This is a number that most Americans simply don’t realize. There have been 352 shootings in America involving 4 or more victims since January 1st of this year. There have only been 336 days. Yes, we have had more mass shootings than days in this year. Did you ever think this could happen in our country? By now you are no doubt fully aware of the San Bernardino shooting that occurred yesterday afternoon. So far the casualty count is 14 dead, 17 wounded but that may change by the time you read this. So far this year we’ve had a single mass shooting incident on 208 days and 81 days with 2 or more such incidents. It was only 5 days ago that we were shocked by the shooting at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs. It seems that this level of violence is becoming “normal” in the U...
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By Valorie L. Easter, Valorie Easter & Co, Charlottesville/Albemarle Rea
(eXp Realty)
The recent debate as to whether Donald Trump actually saw American Muslims cheering on 9- 11 on CNN has stirred up a huge controversy. On one side people are saying it never happened while others insist they themselves saw it on that terrible day. But this is not what I am writing about today. There is a much bigger issue that needs to be addressed than this one alleged missing video. It is whether news agencies have the right to not show the facts regardless of that particular institution’s political views.  Let’s say just for a moment that this video did exist and was “buried” by the powers that be. I’m not saying that this is true but let’s assume that it is only for the sake of this blog. Do you realize what the implications of any news agency actually concealing the truth from the...
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By Valorie L. Easter, Valorie Easter & Co, Charlottesville/Albemarle Rea
(eXp Realty)
Every year at this time we all hear the various “horror” stories that occur on Black Friday but most of the time it’s nothing too terrible. Maybe there are a lot of stories dealing with just how rude and inconsiderate some people are towards others during this yearly shopping event but some stories are worse than others. Some of the stories circulating this year (and in the past) include the store associate that had to deal with a customer that had called 911 because this particular retailer was not able to “price match” an item with the same item being offered at Best Buy for a lower price. Not too terrible, right?  Then there is the story about the security guard that did nothing more horrendous than walk into the front door to report for duty when he was instantly punched in the face...
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By Valorie L. Easter, Valorie Easter & Co, Charlottesville/Albemarle Rea
(eXp Realty)
We all have fond memories of the holiday season from our childhood. For me, nothing says Christmas more than watching my favorite holiday shows from when I was young and eager for Santa to arrive! I’m sure that each of us has our favorites but I have always loved the old classics the most.  Each year it seems that advertisers want to begin the season just a little earlier than the year before and a big part of that is watching all of my favorite TV classics so I don’t mind it a bit! If you’re like me you have probably watched the same shows every year since the first time you saw them as a child and even today my youngsters watch many of the classics that were made years before they were born. I’d like to share my top 10 list of favorites with you but to be honest there are many more th...
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By Valorie L. Easter, Valorie Easter & Co, Charlottesville/Albemarle Rea
(eXp Realty)
Tomorrow is turkey day and I for one can’t wait! As we all know the tradition of Thanksgiving started more than 400 years ago at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts as a way to celebrate the good harvest. Yes, it was very different in those days wasn’t it? It wasn’t just a matter of popping over to the local Giants to pick up some groceries back then as it is today. A bad harvest meant too little food to last through the long cold winter so there was much reason to rejoice when the food was plentiful. Today we still carry on the tradition of being “thankful” at this time of year and it’s interesting to note that turkey was not a part of the first Thanksgiving celebration. There are plenty of interesting facts about turkey and Thanksgiving that you might not know. Maybe you could mention a fe...
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By Valorie L. Easter, Valorie Easter & Co, Charlottesville/Albemarle Rea
(eXp Realty)
Maybe you’ve heard of a Short Sale & Stay (often referred to as a Short Sale Buyback). Basically it is a way for a homeowner to remain in their home even though they will no longer be the owner. It also allows for the previous homeowner to buy back the property at some designated time in the future at an already agreed upon price. Naturally the buyback price will be more than what the home originally sold for.  Basically, this is a type of “Hail Mary” plan for someone that has no way to keep their home but would like to opportunity to own it again in the future. Usually a group of investors will purchase the home and make this type of arrangement with a financially distressed homeowner. The original homeowner will then agree to rent back the home for a specific period of time and then t...
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By Marcus Rice, Richmond, NOVA, Virginia Beach Area Realtor/Broker
(Equity First Realty )
Homebuyer Receives $9,750 Rebate CheckGet a cash back real estate rebate when buying your home. Recently Equity First Realty was proud to give another cash back rebate check to Ms. Bryan. This homebuyer took advantage of the Equity First Realty Cashback Rebate Program on a house she purchased in Glen Allen, VA. Since she was a corporate executive she qualified for our Corporate Cash Back Home Buying Program. Want more money in your pocket for closing? How about being able to afford a bigger/nicer Virginia home? You can with Equity First Realty! Now Equity First Realty Gives YOU Cash Back Buyer Rebates at Closing.Buyer rebates give you cash back at closing. If you have ever wondered how cash back rebates work for real estate? Here is the inside scoop…When real estate agents sell a proper...
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By Valorie L. Easter, Valorie Easter & Co, Charlottesville/Albemarle Rea
(eXp Realty)
Experiments in which scientists are able to stimulate the brains of mice using an implant are nothing new but recent developments in technology could lead to a better understanding of mental health issues in humans.  As you already know the human brain is the most complicated computer ever known and is actually composed of countless electrical circuits. It is believed that a better understanding of how these electrical impulses affect mood and behavior might lead to never before realized treatments of various disorders in people including depression, anxiety and more.   Advancements in wireless brain-stimulating devices now allow researchers to power these devices wirelessly using the animal’s body to collect energy. The mouse (or other small rodent) would then be able to roam more free...
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