Great local moving company for Roanoke, Salem, Vinton, Bedford, Botetourt, Franklin and Smith Mountain Lake! A lot of people have asked me lately why I bother to blog about a certain restaurant, a painter or a moving company....the answer is somewhat self serving and relatively simple.....I blog about people who make me look good! When I can recommend a restaurant like Awful Arthurs at Towers (tell them Damon sent you), a painter like Daniel Wimmer or a moving company like Heritage Moving, that takes care of my clients and customers the way that I want them taken care of, well, than I want to send them business!  They do what they do well, but what they also do, is make me look good by taking care of you!  There are a ton of moving companies out there.  Some moving companies hire tempor... 11/16/2009

I hear this in the Roanoke Virginia market every single week.  Buyers call up and say that they want to look at short sales.  I am assuming that this is because they have heard from a friend, family member, the news media or someone online that Short Sales are such a good deal! I would like to clarify some things about a Short Sale in the Roanoke area: A Short Sale in the Roanoke Area is when a seller owes more on his or her home than it is worth and is in a situation where they have to sell. The seller of a short sale is still responsible for the difference between the sales price and the amount owed plus the cost of the sale. A Short Sale is not a get out of jail free card for the seller.  The seller's credit score will be impacted, just not nearly as much as a foreclosure. A Short Sa... 11/12/2009

I would like to give the credit for this video to: Matt Stigliano San Antonio, TX RERockStar.com 11/10/2009

Two agents in my office in Roanoke VA have started a new listing system for  land for sale in Bedford County, Franklin County and Botetourt County VA.  This is an exciting and unique land for sale listing system that has never been used for land in Botetourt, Franklin or Bedford Counties.  A rough overview of the "M.A.P land for sale" listing system can be found on their website- www.valotsandland.com This is not a limited service listing idea but a revolutionary "land for sale" listing idea strictly for lots and land for sale in the Counties of Bedford County VA, Franklin County VA and Botetourt County VA. In today's tough economic times it seems that sellers are looking for more ways to offer their land for sale, expose it to the market in new and innovative ways without spending a to... 11/05/2009

Whether you are a fan of the 1st Time Home Buyer Tax Credits or not, (I am not) we all  have to admit that they directly impact the sales of homes.  The news media, REALTORS and lenders have all been spreading the word for the last week about Congress extending the tax credit till next April and expanding it to include people who were not 1st time home buyers.  The problem with everyone telling a story that has not become a reality is that they have effectively stalled the market until Congress makes a decision and writes it into law.  At this time, this has not happened.  Any rumor to the contrary is strictly that.....rumor.  I urge everyone to contact your Congressmen and urge them for a resolution.  Vote one way or another...at this point I really don't care which (although I am agai... 11/04/2009

I  have raised beagles most of my life up until this year.  I used to keep and train anywhere from 10-20 beagles depending on the year and what I had going on in my life. This year I realized that with my work obligations and lack of personal time I could not do the little hounds the justice they deserved.  I gave them to a friend to raise and train and I was dog-less for a couple of months.  It wasn't long before I realized that I missed the companionship of a dog.  I have had labs a couple of times in my life and I knew that as far as a pet is concerned they are much better pets than my beloved beagles.  A friend of mine, Scott Smith, who lives on Smith Farm on Smith View Lane at Smith Mountain Lake called me and told me that he had a litter of pups out of his male Junior.  Junior is ... 11/02/2009

WOW!  Twice in the past month "REALTORS" from a market an hour and a half from our market have called and asked for me to open a listing for them since they are not members of our MLS and do have have access to our lock boxes......what they fail to mention to their clients is that in addition to not having access to our lock boxes they also have NO KNOWLEDGE OF OUR MARKET OR ACCESS TO OUR COMPS!!! Hey, I want to help my seller sell their house but what chance does the buyer have of making an informed decision when they have a "REALTOR" (I have a hard time calling these people REALTORS) who is putting their commission above the clients best interest!  This is clearly not right! In Vriginia a Real Estate Sales License gives a Real Estate Agent the "LEGAL" right to sell real estate (Commer... 10/24/2009

Many people ask me what moving companies to use when moving to, from, in and around Roanoke, Botetourt, Franklin County, Vinton, Bedford VA, Salem VA, and Smith Mountain Lake..  There are several choices for moving companies in Roanoke, Botetourt, Franklin County and Smith Mountain Lake areas of VA for and the one I recommend to all of my clients is Heritage Moving.  Heritage Moving is a local Roanoke, Virginia moving company, owned and operated by Mike and Leslie Burzynski.  Heritage Moving Company moves people for many of the top REALTORS in the Roanoke Valley and of course they are licensed and insured. Heritage Moving does local moves in the Roanoke Valley as well as moves to as far south as Florida, north to Michigan and all up and down the east coast. Mike and Leslie know and care... 10/24/2009

With banks and conventional lenders tightening the belt on lending this year there are many people who could have bought in the last couple of years who find themselves on the outside looking in!  There is hope though!  If you are dedicated to buying a home and have some money to put into the deal there are houses that can be bought.  There is some owner financing going on in the Roanoke Virginia real estate market at this time.  There are several opportunities that I know of right now with lease to own homes.  I even know of one that you can buy and the owner will apply your payment to the mortgage and let you buy it for the mortgage payoff in a year, two years or three years whenever you can arrange financing.  There are deals to be had for people with the will to buy.....you just nee... 10/13/2009

Perfect home for first time Home Buyer!  This lovely home is located on a peaceful Roanoke City over-sized fenced lot.  The home owner recently added central air conditioning.  This home has 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths and has an over sized 2 car garage.  Super deep, level, fenced lot with room to roam.  For more information give me a call or visit www.RoanokeHomeTeam.com  Happy house hunting,   Damon 09/30/2009

After a slow first half of the year, Roanoke Real Estate is on the move and that move is UP!  The first half of 2009 has not seen a lot of action for Roanoke Virginia Listings that is for sure.   Roanoke Virginia Buyers Agents have seen a strong surge in listings going into the pending status in Roanoke in the past month or so.  (Pending is the status that listings go into when a buyer and a seller reach an agreement to contract terms and before closing). A lot of this activity has been helped by the $8,000 tax credit that will be expiring November 30, 2009. Consumer confidence seems to be on the rise and we are churning through some of the foreclosure inventory.  So far prices are holding steady with a little bit of an increase in Raleigh Court and the Botetourt areas. There is still 1... 08/28/2009

As of late, I've been running into altercations with real estate agents who have a conflict with having a home staging sign posted in the yard along with their for sale sign.  What is interesting is that they all have varied reasons why they don't want the sign out front....and in all honesty, their reasons just don't make sense.  The latest reason was this:  "I want people to focus on the home itself, not give a false impression that the home always looks like this."  What?? Home Staging is designed to help the buyer see the entire home at its best.  I spend time with my clients helping them understand that touching up paint here, cleaning areas there, and removing signs of build up, spider webs, pets and odors are simple things they can do that are extremely advantageous for them.  TH... 08/23/2009

There are many considerations when you are thinking of buying or selling a home.  In this first post I will address the listing side of the transaction. Not every agent is a match for every seller.  It is in everyone's best interest for the agent and the seller to be honest with each other from the onset to avoid any harsh feelings during the listing period. There are many thoughts and emotions that go into selling your home.  Sometimes it can be difficult to separate the emotions from the business.  On the business side it is important to consider the following: Is the agent a full time agent? How long have they been an agent? Do they have a website? (surprisingly many do not) Is there website on the first page of Google? (78% of buyers look on the Internet first, this is where you wan... 08/22/2009

How do you pick your home inspector in Roanoke VA?  Many people use the inspector that the REALTOR suggests.  Sometimes this is good and sometimes it isn't.  I have heard various different descriptions of home inspectors over the years but the one that sticks in my mind more than any is, "I use him all the time, don't worry....he never finds anything".  This is what an agent said to me about the inspector who was doing the inspection on one of my listings! You are the consumer, generally you are the one paying for the inspection.  Usually this will be your last time to have anything to say about the condition of the house prior to moving in. I would ask for at least three inspectors. I would highly suggest that you call and interview the home inspector prior to picking one to do the job... 08/11/2009

No Money Down Loans Available Still For Roanoke VA Real Estate Listings! There is a lot of mis-information out right now concerning loan programs or the lack thereof.  I want to take a couple of minutes to identify the No Money Down Loans that are sill available for Roanoke VA Listings. VHDA- This is a loan program that is a blend of a FHA loan and a Virgina initiative.  VHDA is the ONLY loan program currently available that will allow you to use the $8,000 tax credit on the front end rather than waiting till tax time next year to take advantage of it. USDA- This is a rural housing loan that is widely available in the Roanoke Valley.  This is a true NO MONEY DOWN LOAN with NO PMI!  The only two areas that really don't qualify are the Citys of Salem and Roanoke.  Roanoke County, Bedford ... 08/11/2009

People who know me, know that I am a little bit of a technology freak!  I mean, in this business we are somewhat blessed that we can actually use the newest gadgets and be legitimate about it.  Well, last week I was on the phone with Verizon for over an hour getting my Blackberry straight.  Anyway, while I was on the phone with the customer service representative (who was awesome) she mentioned a new device that Verizon had out called a “MiFi”, a personal WiFi point.  (This MiFi card will allow up to 5 different users to access the internet through your card, as long as they are within 20-30 feet of your card)  As soon as I was off the phone I was in my car headed to my local Verizon Store at Valley View Mall in Roanoke VA!  You see, I have used wireless cards for years as my primary i... 08/07/2009

Roanoke VA Property is on the move again....upward bound! Hello there!  This has been a pretty good week for Roanoke Real Estate!  We have seen a lot of activity over the last week or so.  Housing prices are remainging stable throughout the region.  Many Roanoke residents are using the $8000 tax credit to their advantage.  Housing prices in Raleigh Court seems to be up a little this year while South West County and North County have settled just a little.  The Williamson Road area, NW and SE have seen a slight adjustment to the market.  This is a great time for 1st time buyers to go ahead and make the plunge into the market.  The Tax Credit runs out November 30th and I would expect a slight buyer frenzy in late September and October so I would not put things off too long.  If you or any... 08/07/2009

Why should you visit Awful Arthur's and Big Daddy Brewery?  If the fact that they RE/MAX 1st REALTY's next door neighbor is not enough reason for you.....how about the fact that we live in an era of large national chains, and this small chain is locally owned and operated? Still not enough?  How about the fact that all of the draft beer is brewed right next door at Big Daddy Brewery? Not only is Awful Arthur's locally owned and operated but it is one of the few restaurants in town where you can walk in and be greeted by management that has been there since the doors were opened!  Barry Caldwell, general manager, runs a restaurant that succeeds in satisfying his customers culinary desires as well as their entertainment needs. Big Daddy started brewing their own beer last September.  The... 08/06/2009

Good evening friends, Thanks for visiting my blog!  In the coming weeks you will see additional topics added weekly if not daily.  We will be adding pictures of interest for the Roanoke Valley along with links to businesses of interest to those of you living in, visiting, or relocating to the Roanoke Valley.  Roanoke has a lot to offer and we will be trying to showcase a little of it week by week. I want to make this something fun and interesting for everyone.  I look forward to seeing how this progresses! Thanks, and welcome! Damon www.RoanokeHomeStore.com  08/01/2009

Hi All!  We have seen a definite jump in the real estate market this week.  I think that a lot of people realize that Congress is not extending the $8000.00 tax credit past November 30, 2009.  Please remember that you must be a first time home buyer (if you have not owned a home in the past three years you are considered a first time home buyer) to qulify and the loan MJST close by November 30, 2009.  If you meet those two simple criteria than you qualify for $8000.00 back on your taxes next year.  It really is that simple!  Visit www.RoanokeHomeStore.com to see the area inventory! If you have any questions please call 540-314-1199.   Thanks for reading,   Damon 07/31/2009