The second Clear the Shelters Day will take place August 15, 2015 nationwide. In the Winchester - Frederick - Warren County areas, two shelters will be participating. Both the Winchester SPCA and the Humane Society of Warren County will participate this year.NBC is sponsoring the event in an effort to reduce the numbers of shelter animals across the nation. Last year, approximately 2000 pets were adopted from shelters during the event. There were 38 shelters throughout the United States that participated in 2014. This year, it's estimated to be in the hundreds.The Warren County shelter estimates it will have 100 cats and 30 dogs, and the Winchester SPCA has 160 cats and 20 dogs. The adoption fees are waived for the day. So, drop by from 10 am to 4 pm in Warren County and 10 am to 5 pm i... 08/10/2015

Winchester, VA welcomes its latest winery with the opening of the James Charles Winery and Vineyard. Jim Bogaty is well know in the wine business in the north-western areas of Virginia. Jim is the owner of Veramar Vineyard in Berryville, VA and Bogati Bodega and Vineyard in Round Hill, VA. The new winery will open today, August 8, 2015 at noon. It will host a number European-style red and white wines. All of the wines sold at James Charles Winery will be from grapes grown at the site. They currently have 1.5 acres of grapes and plan on additional plantings in the Spring of 2016.Bogaty's new winery joins a growing list of other Shenandoah Vally wineries in and around the Winchester / Frederick County area. Valerie Hill Vineyard and Winery  is located just outside of Stephens City, VA on ... 08/08/2015

We are smack dab in the middle of home buying season, and while some properties are off the market before they're even on it, others haven't had such luck. A great way to boost your home's selling power is to make small and affordable updates throughout the home. These quick updates and fixes won't break the bank or a budget, and they will help make your home for sale more inviting to potential buyers and a potential sale.Spruce Up the Front DoorThe front door is one of the first things potential buyers see when viewing your home. Spruce up the front door by touching up paint (either paint over chipped or fading paint, or change the color completely), adding a kick plate, changing out the hardware, or you can replace the door completely. A new front door can add energy efficiency and ad... 08/03/2015

The Winchester, VA real estate market saw a pullback in July 2015, but it's more of a seasonal adjustment than a confirmed trend. The total sales in July were 161 compared to 233 in June 2015. That's a 30% decline in sales. In comparison, July 2014 had 117 sales while June 2014 had 187. That was a 37% decline in sales. July 2013 also saw a 7% decline in sales.The summer season is tricky for home sales. Families are vacationing, traveling and getting in all of the summer fun they can before schools begin again in August. The volume of buyers in the market declines temporarily while families spend their time doing summer activities.The 37% decline in July 2014 sales was aided by to a high volume of new homes entering the market. A strong market in the Winchester / Frederick County, VA are... 08/02/2015

As a licensed real estate professional, I've seen my share of FSBOs. Most of the time, they end up with a Realtor sign in the yard after months of languishing on the market with a "For Sale By Owner" sign. I just passed a former FSBO yesterday. As usual, I chuckled when I saw the Realtor sign in the front yard.Why do they fail at a higher rate than a professionally listed property? Homeowners seldom really know the current market. That leads to an overpriced home that savvy buyers would never buy. I showed one this past Monday that was 62% overpriced. I guess the seller assumes there is always a buyer with more money than brains out there. What you want, and what a home will sell for may be light years apart. Showing a FSBO can be challenging. When an agent sets up a dozen showings in o... 07/24/2015

The Winchester, VA real estate market has made a steady climb during the first six months of 2015. The lowest number of sales were during the months of January and February which had cold and messy conditions. The first sign of Spring brought buyers into the market with a 28% jump in real estate sales in March. April made a minor jump of less than 1%, but another substantial jump took place in May at 18%. The largest jump took place in June at 35%. That's the kind of change the Winchester, VA real estate market has been looking for. Distressed sales continued to average 9% throughout the first half of 2015. That's good news for sellers, but it is less exciting for bargain hunters. There are bargains still factored into the local market, but they are becoming less likely to be from distr... 07/24/2015

The June 2015 real estate market in Winchester, VA continued to show growth and stability. There was a 35% increase in homes sold in June over May 2015. That's substantial since May was 17% higher than April 2015. Distressed properties stayed at 9% for the month. The total value of original list prices for properties sold in June was $62,782,340. The value of sold properties was $60,158,1000. That's a 4% difference from list to sold. That number is slightly higher than May 2015. May was only 2% of original list to sold. That increase is not significant enough to warrant concern at this point. A significant decrease from original list price to sold price can hint of a coming buyer's market. Properties sit longer pushing prices down while attracting more buyers into the market. It can als... 07/23/2015

Buyers and sellers, trust your real estate agent. If you can't trust your agent, get a new one. I can't count how many times, in the past 60 days, I've had a caller say, "My agent said this," or "My agent said that," only to find out the agent was wrong. Of course, all agents are fallible. There is no doubt about that, but when an agent steers a client in the wrong direction multiple times it's time to have a come to Jesus meeting or move on. Buying or selling a home is a big deal. It can be a stressful time in any client's life. A client hires an Realtor because he/she expects a professional who will guide him/her through the legal maze of the current real estate market. If that agent is incapable of doing that, it's time to move on. No client should be left hanging in the wind because... 07/21/2015

  Not all real estate transactions turn sour. In fact, few do. But once in a while, a bad apple ends up either selling or buying a home, and can throw the entire transaction into chaos. From buyers allowing their children to run wild through a house they're viewing to sellers trying to hide home defects, the potential to behave badly in a real estate transaction is ever-present. Let's take a look at some of the ways homeowners sabotage the sale of their homes. Dirty Houses If you've ever sold a car instead of trading it in, you probably spent some time spiffing it up: cleaning the upholstery, vacuuming the interior, washing and waxing the exterior. Why? Because you know that to get top dollar for the vehicle, it needs to look like a car worth paying top dollar for. Yet so many homeowne... 07/20/2015

There are few things that will bring people out into the hot summer sun in Winchester, VA, but the annual Blues House Music Festival will do it every time. It's that time again, and the festival is gearing up for another great year. This year's beneficiary of the proceeds will be Habitat for Humanity. What a great organization and worthy cause. The local Blues House Music Festival has been going strong since 1999, and it never disappoints. Local businesses join together to sponsor the event and the Blues House provides top quality entertainment from 11:30 am to 7:00 pm. The venues opens at 11:00 am at the Eagle's Pavilion at 700 Baker Lane, Winchester, VA 22601. Set your alarm, and then set your GPS and then set your lawn chair for a great day of fun and music. Food and drink vendors ar... 07/15/2015

 Buying a home is an important decision that can make an enormous difference in your lifestyle. It is also the biggest financial transaction you may make. There are some specific things to consider about a home to buy. Be realistic: There are no perfect homes. Decide what is important to you, and make sure you find a home that has the features you require. Be prepared to compromise on some of the items on your wish list.  Decide on a price: Get pre-approved for a loan, not just prequalified. Consider not only the amount of the loan the lender will allow, but also what you feel comfortable spending every month. Take an honest look at your budget. Choose carefully: Buying a home is much more permanent than renting. Purchase a home that you are prepared to keep for a while. Select a home t... 07/08/2015

I've always been proud of my community, and it's nice to see others point to the benefits of living in Winchester, VA. The August 2015 copy of Kiplinger's magazine features Winchester, VA as one of the top 10 Great Places to Retire. Many of my clients are soon-to-be retirees who come to find a bargain home in Winchester. I just spend a few days with a couple from Massachusetts. Before them, a couple drove in from Chicago. A Tennessean couple preceded them. It's not just the low taxes that draw them in, but it's an array of things.Winchester, VA is 70 miles west of Washington, DC. It's a commuter's paradise, and for those who like to attend professional sporting events, we're right next door to the home of the Nationals, Orioles, Redskins, Caps, Wizards, Mystics and D.C. United. If you l... 07/06/2015

Cornerstone Business Group, Inc., is a unique real estate brokerage in the north-western top of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. It is a unique brokerage in a variety of ways. The company began in 1992 as an investment company with a property management division. The only properties in the company portfolio were placed there through the creative investment efforts of Mike and Elizabeth Cooper, the company president and vice-president. At that time, the company did not manage outside properties.In 2004, Mike became a licensed real estate salesperson for United Country Golden Rule Realty. The years that followed brought buyers who were also investors asking Cornerstone to manage their properties. That was the beginning of a widening of the Cornerstone management division. In 2011, Mike ... 06/23/2015

Father's Day is an interesting time for me.  My dad left the house one day when I was four, and I didn't see him again for 13 years.  We ended up being friends when I was young man, but he was never actually a father. I enjoyed his company, and he was very entertaining, but he was just another man in my life.  He dropped dead at age 56, a couple days after Christmas 25 years ago.  My sons were not born yet.  I was the last male in my family, and my dad passed thinking that I could be the end of the line.My mother remarried while I was in elementary school.  My step-dad was a hard worker who made sure we had everything we needed, but the role of step-parent is tough.  My step-dad's job kept him out my most of my life, but he made a good effort to be there when possible.As kids, we didn't... 06/20/2015

The Winchester/Frederick County, VA real estate market for May 2015 shows continued improvement. Improvements have been small and incremental overall, but all improvements are welcome. The total number of housing sales in May were 151 with only 9% distressed property sales.Surprisingly, the number for May 2015 are nearly the same as May 2014. May 2014 had 154 sales with 9% distressed property sales. The lack of difference year to year may not mean that much considering the overall market change month to month.The Winchester/Frederick County, VA real estate market bounded forward in May 2015 compared to April 2015. Total sales were up 17% from April with a 2% drop in distressed property sales. That's the first real sign of a market making a vertical move since the year began.From January... 06/15/2015

The Winchester, VA city real estate market continued to show improvement in May. The number of available properties was down 17% year to year and down 5% month to month. That is a positive sign for sellers. Less available properties equals better prices. The days on the market are also down 4% . The number of sold homes was down 21% year to year, but it was up 21% month to month. The market has moved horizontally up to May. These positive changes may be the first vertical movement for 2015. View Mike Cooper's Market Videos 06/05/2015

Nearly everyday, I drive by Mt Hebron Cemetary, but there is one day a year that I am touched beyond measure. I would like to share that moment with you.  June 6th is remembered for the D-Day invasion of western Europe, but in Virginia, and the other southern states, it has a second meaning. June 6th is the day that the southern war dead are remembered.Every year just before the 6th of June, the Daughters of the Confederacy, ancestors, community groups and history buffs line the Mt Hebron Cemetery with hundreds of Confederate flags. The union dead are buried across the street in their own cemetery, and their memorial day is associated with the national Memorial Day, but the Confederate dead are not included in that remembrance. I can hardly look down those long red rows without getting ... 06/05/2015

One of my favorite lines from the TV series "24" is, "I know this is difficult, but you've got to focus right now." That normally comes when someone is about to defuse a bomb, make a life or death decision or jump off of a roof, etc. It never comes when they are deciding on what to order for lunch.This advice could be useful when working with some buyers. I've had buyers who had trouble focusing. Today is no different. Our market actually has too many homes on it. The high volume of properties can give buyers a lot of options, maybe too many options, and that can cause buyers to have difficulty focusing. So, I have a list of questions I try to use with my buyers to help them focus. I kind of look at them as the "do I cut the blue wire or the red wire first" kind of questions. What is yo... 06/05/2015

 88 percent of homebuyers begin the process online, looking at pictures on the listing site. Good photos and real curb appeal help entice buyers to check out your house in person. You want to make a great first impression, so don't feel scared to make a statement -- you want buyers to fall in love with your house. The fixes below are minor and budget friendly enhancements that can be done in a day to help make your house in #WinchesterVA more inviting and appealing, and help get potential buyers to schedule a showing! Glam the Front Door The entry is a huge focal point for potential buyers, especially when it's one of the first things they see. Create appeal by cleaning the front door -- wipe it down, remove dirt, update the color with some paint. The front door should play off a home's... 06/01/2015

My annual advice to graduates.  It's graduation time, and students all over the United States will be walking the final leg of one of their greatest accomplishments.  But, it's really only the end of the beginning.  School, whether it is high school or college is really a time of incubation.  During that time, material, much like breakfast, lunch and dinner is fed to students.  They can choose to consume it, or they can skip a meal here and there, but regardless, the meals are on the table.  The amount of nutrition derived from those meals will be determined by the nutritional content of the offerings. Not all food is worthy to be consumed.  Our national obesity challenge is evidence that there is a lot of low quality nutrition out there.  Those who recognize that and choose to seek out... 05/29/2015