Does your pre-listing package seem to be growing like the disclosures in your contract package? After a recent seminar by a local attorney I will be adding yet another list of questions to my collection. They are as follows: A. Are you deliquent on your payments? If so, how many months? B. Have you paid your real estate taxes? C. Do you have an escrow account? D. Are there any liens/judgements that may be attached to the home? E. Have you filed for bankruptcy to stop a foreclosure? If so, when?  Are you on a payment plan with the bankruptcy? F. How did you acquire the property? I've got a laundry list of questions I normally include, but obviously, this market has forced me to add a few more. Any additions that deal with short sales, foreclosures or bankruptcies?   08/28/2009

The City of Virginia Beach is about to start the Laskin Road Gateway.  This project will improve water and sewer services and create a more pedestrian-friendly environment at the Oceanfront. There will be a Public Open House on September 3rd from 6:30pm - 8:30pm at the Virginia Beach Convention Center on 19th Street to view details of the plan. Traffic will be rerouted and roads will be closed during the construction.  If you live and/or work near this area, you may want to learn what will be taking place. Phase 1 is scheduled to begin September 8, 2009.  While upgrading the water and sewer lines, the following closures will take place: Closed from September 8, 2009 - December 31, 2009 - Arctic Ave. - 32nd Street to Laskin Rd. - Arctic Ave. - 27th Street to 30th St. - 32nd Street - Holl... 08/27/2009

What this doesn't say is that these figures are not relative to Hampton Roads, the figures were based on three counties in Northern Virginia. So this leads me to the next question. Do you take stock in all the media coverage on the economy? Local or National? What's interesting is that in our market (Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk), only 5% of sales were actually foreclosures. Several months ago the figure was as high as 16%. Interesting, wouldn't you say? Did you review the inventory statistics for July? If not, you should click on my previous blog entry. Several cities are showing signs of stabilization. Remember, a normal market is a 5-6 month supply of homes. Virginia Beach, we're moving in that direction! The source of the statistics here was: First Americ... 08/26/2009

An August 19th, 2009 article in US News and World Report ranked Virginia Beach, VA as one of The Top 10 Places to Grow Up. The rankings take into account the crime rate, quality of school system, expansive green spaces, number of children in the area, family events and artistic and recreational activites. The article cites First Landing State Park, Back Bay Wildlife Refuge, the Virginia Aquarium and I-Max Theater and 35 miles of beaches as qualifying factors for Virginia Beach making the list. Virginia Beach made the top 10 list from a pool of over 2000 communities in the United States.       08/25/2009

Pricing your home correctly is more important now than ever. The common pricing strategy of "price it high to give me room to negotiate" can cost you far more than you realize.  A detailed Comparable Market Analysis should outline selling prices in the last 3 - 6 months and market times should give you a clear expectation of value. Additionally, you should be presented with a Seller Net Sheet, which outlines your estimated expenses and net profit at settlement. Once an offer is presented, I suggest you have another, more accurate Seller Net Sheet completed to reflect your position upon the acceptance or counter of an offer. Are you chasing the market? Per Realtor.com, approximately 84% of home buyers shop on the Internet first. When doing so, they are required to enter search criteria a... 08/24/2009

Well, last night I had a lesson in reality and a harsh reality at that. I have committed to jumping into the world of "social media" with both feet. I have to confess, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  I realized I have a lot of work to do, where do you fall? Social Networking - How many of these tools are you familiar with?  Bebo, Facebook, Fast Pitch, Friendster, Gather.com, KickApps, LinkedIn, MOLI, MySpace, Ning, Orkkut, Plaxo Publishing - Blogger.com, Constant Contact, Joomla, Knol, SlideShare, TypePad, Wikia, Wikipedia, Wordpress Photo Sharing - Flickr, Photobucket, Picasa, Radar.net, SmugMug, Twitxr, Zooomr Audio - iTunes, Podbean, Podcast.net, Rhapsody Video - Brightcove, Google Video, Hulu, Metacafe, Viddler, Youtube Microblogging  - Plurk, Twitter, Twitxr Livecast... 08/24/2009

We have recently received a number of complaints regarding an internet rental scam that has been taking place across the country and is now affecting our area as well.  Scammers are copying information from legitimate online rental ads and then posting that information on Craig's List for a reduced price with their contact information in place of the property managers.  The scammers are often operating outside the country but many cases have also involved local scammers who are able to meet potential tenants in person.  In international cases, the potential tenants are usually required to send the deposit and first month's rent through Western Union and are promised that the keys will then be over-nighted to them.  In one situation the unsuspecting tenant was actually able to move into ... 08/23/2009

Virginia Beach has been once again acknowledged as one of the country's Best Places to Buy!  Check out this article:  http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=8296067&page=1  written by Elisabeth Leamy and Sheila Evans and published on August 11, 2009.  As featured on ABC News and Good Morning America, Virginia Beach was identified in the TOP FIVE!!  The article credits the city's beautiful beach, three military bases, and steady employment all contributing to making this wonderful city by the sea a great place to buy a home.  As a Virginia Beach native, I can personally attest to the diverse cultural and historical heritage that makes calling this home a pleasure and honor. 08/20/2009

Here in Virginia Beach, Va.  one of my faviorite places to go is Garrison's Bar & Grill.   Small, quiet and excellent for business meetings or taking clients out.   Owners are Jeff and Natasha Chance, you'll find Natasha usually behind the bar serving excellent drinks, and Jeff always with a smile will welcome you to the place.   This place is dressed up enough to impress, but very casual attitude.  Everyone is welcome, and on a cool evening, they have an small outdoor patio that's a great place to have a drink and conversation.   I rate this place as excellent for networking.   See you there........ 08/17/2009

08/16/2009

Do you ever get so busy you forget there are fabulous places to see and things to do right in your own backyard? If you are like me, it takes a visit from friends or family to get you spurred on to see new things that are right next door. I had just that opportunity this weekend. The twist is that I have been to the oceanfront at VA Beach many times, just not this summer. I don't know where the days go but here it is, mid-August and I had my first beach trip!  Anyway I was just thrilled with the beach, the weather was great and the views lovely. If you are looking for a home, investment property, second home, vacation home, etc on the ocean, you have to consider Virginia Beach!  I am happy to help you find just the thing! Here is a picture taken with the Blackberry. It truly was this em... 08/16/2009

Not the title that I was looking for however, it seems appropriate.  More and more real estate companies are experiencing budget cuts and look to or at the Relocation Department to cut headcount. Often companies look at the most expensive person/role to cut, reduce or replace...typically the role of the Relocation Director.  Is this happening to you or your real estate company? I am a 2nd generation relocation professional of 22 years.  I am witnessing many, many...too many Relocation VP's and Relocation Directors leave the relocation industry due to cuts or forced retirement.  Unfortunately, poor timing for the industry as many of these roles are being replaced with people who have had little to no training.  It is a sad time for many within the industry to see all of that brain power ... 08/14/2009

A lot of people are sending me this information below that was on Good Morning America on 8/12/09 concerning the Virginia Beach, Va Area being the best place to buy a Home in this market. The interview was with a representative from Zillow, a national real estate organization. "The struggling housing market has buyers searching for the best regions to get a great deal. Nationwide, home values are down 12 percent, compared with the same time a year ago, according to real estate website Zillow.com. The Best Cities to Buy a Home When you go to buy a house, low-priced markets is not the only factor you should consider. "The No. 1 factor for a market holding its value over time has to do with what types of jobs are fueling the local economy," said Amy Bohuntinsky, of Zillow.com Look for comm... 08/12/2009

Great, will my property taxes rise again? I'm 2 days behind in reading the newspaper so this may not be new to some readers. WHAT? RAISE TAXES!!!!! That's what I was thinking when I read that the city is looking to build or improve some Bayside centers. Projects to be included are an animal shelter and a Bayside recreation center. I thought, "Wow, there is a really nice rec center on First Court Road. I wonder how full it is? I wonder if it's so full they need a new one?" I have to admit the animal shelter might be a needed project but with these new buildings comes additional expenses, staff, utilities. I don't think they are going raise the tax then lower the tax once the projects are completed. I wonder, can't they find the money somewhere within the system already? 08/10/2009

Boy, has this Real Estate market in the Virginia Beach Area of Va been "interesting"?! I've written in past months about the Housing market here and when are we going to hit bottom? In March of '09 I said, in effect, I don't know but maybe; in July of '09 I said I don't know but probably. It's August of '09, and I'm saying now we're closer to hitting bottom then ever before in this cycle. All the statistical indicators continue to show that the days of large inventories of Homes, low pricing (really low), and 5% range mortgage interest rates are going to be short lived. The Volume of Homes sold have increased and continue to do so in the last several months as well as the Median Prices of Homes sold have also increased and continue to do so over the past several months. Less inventory o... 08/07/2009

How about a little bit of information about this areas current population, land mass and, of course, where to find real estate ie all the Homes for sale in the cities of Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth! (Hint www.googlejim.com)This Area of Southeast Virginia is sometimes called S Hampton Roads, although no matter how much our Chamber of Commerce promotes the name, hardly anyone out of the area knows what S Hampton Roads is or where it is. Now, "South Hampton Roads" consists of 5 Cities; Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Suffolk. No Counties because the Cities over time have absorbed what used to be city/county governments. Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Suffolk all have a large land mass and a less dense population base. Norfolk and Portmouth... 08/07/2009

  Health Foods, Holistic Center, Bookstore and Gifts "The Heritage Store" In Virginia Beach                          40 years ago Tom Johnson started a small heath store selling just the health and beauty formulas recommended by "Edgar Cayce."  It now occupies a 22,000 square foot  facility.  I have been a customer of the "Heritage Health Foods Store" for over 10 years.  The store is located one block from the beach, and although it takes me 30 minutes to get there, the trip is always worth the time.  A fun store with thousands of products good for you, The Heritage is another Local Must-check out  place in Hampton Roads. If you are looking for a healthy lifestyle in Hampton Roads you must check out  "The Heritage Store" in Virginia Beach  Health Foods, Holistic Center, Bookstore and Gi... 08/03/2009

Did you know?  If you are using FHA loans, you better be sure the home you have been eyeballing has been in the current owner's possession for at least 90 days. With all these short sales, investors are snapping them up and selling them within 30 days. When you walk into a vacant, updated home, always ask, "IS THIS A FLIP??!!!!" The last thing you want is to find out is that you cannot get your loan.  Here are some red flags to keep an eye for: RED FLAG 1. The home is vacant and totally updatedRED FLAG 2. The seller is an LLCRED FLAG 3. The name on the tax record and the person selling it are different. ASK! Currently, you cannot even contract on the home within the 90 days of a new owner purchasing the home. The best you can do is on the 91st day, WRITE THE OFFER!You can still do a loa... 08/03/2009

MLS #0918656 $275,000 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2286 Square feet. NEW HVAC, HOT WATER HEATER, WINDOWS. FRESHLY PAINTED, NEW CARPET IN BR. POOL LINER IS 1YR OLD. ALL APPLIANCES ARE LESS THAN 3 YEARS OLD. You can view more photos and the virtual tour at www.220CoventryRoad.com.  For more information on this or any other properties, call me at 757-754-5544.  You can view this or any other homes for sale in Hampton Roads at http://www.MovingFamilies.net.   07/31/2009

804 Foxmoore Ct Virginia Beach, VA Click For Listing Website Click For Interactive e-Tour This home is better than new construction without the price tag. It has been completely remodeled from top to bottom. The kitchen is gorgeous with tile countertops and floors. There is upgraded lighting and fixtures throughout the home. Crown molding is in every room. There two master bedrooms have remodeled bathrooms with a fresh modern touch. There family room is prewired for surround sound. One can access shopping and restaurants in minutes. Hurry this one will not last long!! MLS# 0924410 $183,900 2 Bed, 2.5 Bath 804 Foxmoore CtVirginia Beach VA, 23462 Robin Gauthier EXIT REALTY SPECIALISTS 757-739-7754 RobinSellsHomes@cox.net 07/30/2009