Virginia Real Estate Blog: July 2008

I just wanted to say that I have had a really good week!  I had closings on 2 homes I listed for sale in Norfolk. I was able to bring lunch to the sellers and 'crew' of my home for sale in Colonial Place and wish them good luck with their move to New Hampshire.

(Do you know Colonial Place?  A really fun neighborhood with a very active civic league. There are great opportunities to meet people - vegetarian club, book club, etc. If you want to know more, give me a call! And check the website too -http://www.cprv.org)

Also, I enjoyed a terrific lunch at Enricos.  This restaurant is on Colley Ave in Colonial Place area. There are a couple of other restaurants worth trying to - Fellini's and O'Sullivans Wharf - to name two.

By the way, it is restaurant week in Norfolk - They have dubbed it the FORK of July celebration!  Check the website for participating restaurants and specials...

http://www.downtownnorfolk.org/enjoy/events/restaurant_week

Hope to see you out there!

For all the homes for sale in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, and the rest of Hampton Roads, go to www.bethanyphillips.com. A great site for searching Hampton Roads Real Estate and Homes for sale!

Just a quick blog. I was sitting here for a few minutes tonight before fixing dinner... The TV is on and I saw a commercial for LOWE's Home Improvement.  Though I am not advocating LOWEs over any other home improvement store, I do want to tell you that they are currently offering 10% off ENERGY STAR pruducts. 

Energy Star certifies appliances, windows and doors, lighting, and other products and these are all part of the 10% off discount. 

Since these products will save you money through reduced energy usage it is just a bonus that LOWEs is offering 10% off the purchase price...

Check Energystar.gov for great information on saving energy, saving money, and doing a small part for the environment.  http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product

PS - Home Depot now accepts Compact Flourescent Lightbulbs (CFLs) for recycling!  As does Green Alternatives in Norfolk.

I am a Certified Ecobroker. If you are thinking about buying or selling a home, I can help you with the improvements or modifications that will save you money (and energy).  I look forward to helping!  Search for homes for sale in Norfolk, Virginia, Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk at www.bethanyphillips.com your home for real estate in Hampton Roads.

There are 2 things I love about summer (Well  I love more than 2 but these 2 in particular), Steamed Crabs and the beach. I say with much disappointment that I have not had crabs yet and it is already July 19TH! 

I did, however, go to the beach this week. Just for a picnic dinner but it was great!  I love Willoughby beach.  I was disappointed that there were no recycling bins on the beach. And on this busy summer Sunday night, they were much needed.  The trash cans were full and a lot of the trash included cans and bottles that could have been recycled.  I have been known to dumpster dive on occasion, but this wasn't one of them!  HOW ABOUT RECYCLING on the beach in Norfolk??

Here are some photos of the beach

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And just for fun... A picture from LAST SUMMER of my other favorite thing!

You can find all Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk and other Hampton Roads homes for sale on my website at www.bethanyphillips.com or on www.buyanorfolkhome.com

So our refrigerator has been on the fritz... Instead of trying to find food to make lunch we decided to hop to a local's eatery which we have been wanting to try. It is the Willoughby Inn Seafood Restaurant at the end of Willoughby just before heading over the bridge tunnel to Hampton (or it is the first place you see on your way TO Norfolk from Hampton -- you choose).

Anyway, This is one of the places that looks like it has been there forever... and according to the history on the menu, forever is quite a while! The current owners have been in charge for 30 years and are Willoughby locals. There wasn't a smoking section because the whole restaurant was a 'smoking' section. Being a firm believer in NO SMOKING NEAR FOOD I was a bit disappointed in that, but on this sleepy Tuesday afternoon the 2 men at the bar, and the sole diner were accommodating with their lack of cigarettes...

The food was a notch above average. Nice fried fish sandwich, crabcake, fries, cole slaw AND your choice of sweet or unsweet tea! =)

What we liked alot were the prices - two teas, two sandwiches with fries and taxes in this city and we were out only about $20. 

I want to point this out because, eating out in Norfolk is expensive! With ~12% in restaurant taxes and overpriced food, it is rare for 2 people to eat and drink something other than water for less than $20. Just compare to Sunset Grill. They are also located at the end of Willoughby in the Willoughby Marina. They win with outdoor seating and a killer sunset view, but the prices!  Egads!  (We end up here quite a bit though - it is where we keep our sailboat, FINE)

Here is the  website for the restaurant and don't forget to click on the link to the PHOTOS of old Willoughby!  http://members.aol.com/MLebby3514/

Good AFternoon!
Just a quick update on City of Norfolk VA real estate market. The following chart reflects those single family (detached) Attached properties listed for sale in the city as of July 10, 2008.   Additional properties are available if you are looking for information on duplexes, multi-family or commercial.

I didnt do a lot of analysis but here are the points that strike me

1.  NORFOLK is a resonably priced location to live with fully HALF of the homes on the market listed at $250,000 or less.

2.  If you want water, we have it! More than 25% of homes have access to a pool or some type of waterfront

3. Our rate of short sale and bank owned properties is still low compared to national averages.

Let me know what you see!!

All Data taken from REIN on July 10, 2008

Hey everybody!  Guess what?  Fresh peaches are now available in Virginia and Knotts Island!  In addition to peaches, fresh berries (blues and blacks), corn and more are in season. Where to get it?  GO LOCAL! 

Five Points Farm Market - Has a new location in Norfolk at the corner of Church Street and 26th Street. This is a hop from downtown and the Virginia Zoo.  They carry local produce, meats, flowers, have a bakery and deli and more!  www.5ptsfarmmarket.org

Virginia Beach Farmers Market - At the corner of Dam Neck Road and Princess Anne Road it is more than just a farm market with other shops as well. www.vbgov.org

The Pungo Area is a great for fresh produce!  Henleys, Pungo, Cullipher Farm, and more.  Check out the links on the www.Vbgov.org website or follow this link http://www.vbgov.com/file_source/dept/agriculture/Document/Fruit%20&%20Vegetable%20Guide%20-%20%2007.pdf

I would love to see more organic produce out there so if anyone wants to recommend organic producers give us a shout here.  Certainly some of the produce at 5 Points in Norfolk is organic - just be sure to ask! That way the proprietors know you care!

I was on my way home from showing my listing in Suffolk last night. I was, as usual, listening to WHRV and Paul Shugrue with 'out of the box'.  They aired a public service reminder I want to paraphrase for you...

Most animals don't like fireworks!  To protect your animals

1. Dont leave pets unattended out doors during fireworks - they may hurt themselves trying to jump over fences or crawl under them. If your pet succeeds in getting away, you may not be lucky enough to be reunited with them.

2. Don't take your pet to fireworks displays. They may hurt themselves straining against the lead to try to get away.

3. Leave your pet at home, indoors, and with some background noise (like public radio!) playing to drown out the sound of fireworks.

Many shelters report increased lost animals and found animals during the 4th of July holiday.

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY!

There was an article in today's local paper, the Virginian-Pilot regarding the city of Virginia Beach making strides in energy efficiency improvements. It is this news that gives me hope that our officials are waking up to the positive impacts they can have on our environment.

If you are interested in these things, you will often see stats that suggest up to 40% of overall energy consumption is used on commercial buildings including schools and other public buildings. This gives a great place to start when city or county officials start thinking about where to SAVE money...

As the article states... sometimes you have to spend money to earn (save) money. That is the case with energy efficiency improvements. But homeowners...don't let the government do all the work. You too can make changes that will LOWER YOUR ENERGY BILLS and reduce consumption!

This becomes really important when the Virginian-Pilot is also reporting that Dominion Virginia Power received approval for an 18% increase in rates, Columbia Gas is increasing rates by 6%, and Virginia Natural Gas will raise rates by 35%...

Start with a professional home energy audit or go the do it yourself route. www.energystar.gov has great information on this... Check it out... and act!  =)

I am looking at numbers again but combining them with one of my favorite things about living in this area... WATER!  It is everywhere (but in a good way!)  =)

So anyway, back to numbers... Focusing on the southside of Hampton Roads, there are 9922 residential properties currently for sale with just over 1,300 having some type of waterfront. Of these 1,300, only 326 are priced more than $1M (the most expensive is $16M with more than 21,000 square feet, 6 bedrooms, with a private beach...).

For a waterfront home under $300k, look no further. There are 317 for sale in that price range with 23 of these listed as having deep water. A total of 244 have deep water access across all price ranges with 48 of these having a boat lift.

An additional 491 homes (attached and detached) are listed as having water views including the bay, ocean, river, or beach.

So again... looking for waterfront property... Look here first!