"Follow That Trash", a new Indie film was released recently.  No it didn't get to the film festival in Cannes but it is here.  The film was put out by the people at Keep Norfolk Beautiful and should be a keeper for civic groups and science classes.  The writers Holly Carson and Nicole Dutil wrote a pure chronologcal narrative in this 8-minute DVD starting with a a woman wheeling a green garbage bin to the curb.  It ends at the regional landfill in Suffolk complete with thousands of seagulls.  It is a very straight forward but interesting film.  For your viewing pleasure contact Keep Norfolk Beautiful at 757-441-1347. http://www.deniseallen.com/ Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, as well as the rest of Hampton Roads. This site is updated daily wit... 07/24/2008

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 t... 07/24/2008

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 Co... 07/20/2008

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 .      And just for fun... A picture from LAST SUMMER of my other favorite thi... 07/19/2008

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 07/10/2008

Deborah Bunn is THE assessor for Norfolk.  She worked in the assessor's office 22 years as a clerk stenographer.  Now she is running the place.  My how times have changed.  She has a staff of 26, 73,000 properties to assess and a problem.  It seems that while the tax rate for the average homeowner rose 40 percent in the last three years, business rates only went up 4 percent.  One of her jobs is bring balance back to the tax base without getting fired like her good friend, Maria Kattman, did in Suffolk.  So far she has the backing of the council.  http://www.geneallen.com/  Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, as well as the rest of Hampton Roads.  This site is updated daily with new real estate listings, pictures and other information vital to you... 07/04/2008

Imagine if you just sold a house and get a call from your buyer who says that he went to bed with the window open and woke to the roar of a lion outside his window or the noise of an elephant that can't sleep.  That is exactly what happens to residents in the Riverview section of Norfolk.  You see they live right outside the zoo.  I don't know if you have ever heard three elephants yelling at the same time but it can cause quite a racket.   We have disclosures for everything but not for zoos.  Do we need one?  What about the occasional animal that gets out and prowls the area?  It could be dangerous.  This didn't happen to me but I was out in the area and was thinking about just such a case.  Anybody have any experience? http://www.deniseallen.com/  Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale i... 06/13/2008

Vinings Marine Group LLC has bought a 60% interest in Taylors Landing Marine Center.  This will be the fourth marina to be owned by the company which is based out of Atlanta.  The company also owns Little Creek, Bay Point and Willough Harbor marinas.  This gives them a total of 711 "wet boatslips"   http://www.geneallen.com/  Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, as well as the rest of Hampton Roads.  This site is updated daily with new real estate listings, pictures and other information vital to your home search. Google gene allen 06/07/2008

A forgotten cost of the the new real estate market consisting of vacant short sales and foreclosures is the cost to the city in terms of caring for the property.  The city of Norfolk says the number of properties it cares for is up to 325 from 160 a year ago.  There are three full time employees who do nothing but care for the private property.  The city does assess a fee for the mowing but it can be difficult to get payment.  Norfolk charges $40.00 a house and Portsmouth charges $250 a house.  Portsmouth officials feel if they charge more the owners are more likely to do the work themselves.  They can and do put liens on the homes but sometimes there is never a sale.  If the bill gets large enough the city can sieze the property and sell it.  That sometimes doesn't net enough to cover ... 05/31/2008

Chirs Kimmons is leaving his job as the leader of UAW Local 919.  After the Ford plant in Norfolk shut down there is not much need to lead.  The plant is shut down, the workers are gone and his work is done.  The building which housed Local 919 will remain open for a while allowing retirees to contiue to meet there on a regular basis.  Maybe he will have more time for skiing.  We wish him well. http://www.geneallen.com/  Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, as well as the rest of Hampton Roads.  This site is updated daily with new real estate listings, pictures and other information vital to your home search. Google gene allen 05/31/2008

Do you know what is for sale in the city of Norfolk besides residential real estate?  How about the World Trade Center.  The assessed value is $37.5 million  and its biggest tenant is gone in 2010.  No wonder they want to sell it.  How about Town Point Center which has a $9.76 million assessment.  It is over 97% leased.  These buildings are both rated class A or top of the line for office space.  So if you have any buyers in your back pocket, now is the time to bring them out.  Do you know what big buildings are for sale in your town?   http://www.deniseallen.com/  Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, as well as the rest of Hampton Roads.  This site is updated daily with new real estate listings, pictures and other information vital to your home se... 05/26/2008

Another contract was awarded recently for light rail track in Norfolk.  This was for the section going from Harbor Park to the Eastern Virginia Medical Center.  The bid was for $42.4 million which was $15 million more than what is should have been.  Hopefully this isn't a harbinger of things to come as Norfolk as to make up the cost overuns. http://www.geneallen.com/  Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, as well as the rest of Hampton Roads.  This site is updated daily with new real estate listings, pictures and other information vital to your home search. Google gene allen   05/24/2008

The newest addition to Norfolks library system will be the Seaboard building downtown and it will also be the main library.  The building is on the corner of Plume and Atlantic and was built in 1900.  Originally the building was for the federal courts and the U.S. Post Office.  It was also the city hall for a number of years.  It is a beautiful building and Norfolk should be proud. http://www.geneallen.com/  Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, as well as the rest of Hampton Roads.  This site is updated daily with new real estate listings, pictures and other information vital to your home search. Google gene allen   05/22/2008

The residents of Grandy Village in Norfolk had a view of the Elizabeth River NOT!!.  The usually prime real estate was hidden from view by tall reeds and weeds.  Now the city is bulldozing and weed eating the debris away along with the usual rats and snakes that hide in that of habitat.  I will post some pictures when they are done. http://www.deniseallen.com/  Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, as well as the rest of Hampton Roads.  This site is updated daily with new real estate listings, pictures and other information vital to your home search. Google denise allen 05/14/2008

I want to start by saying I LOVE MY NEIGHBORHOOD! I am fortunate to live in the neighborhood for the last 11 years where I was raised. I have fond memories of just going outside to play in my neighborhood, that's what we did back then. As a child I was safe in my little cocoon of a neighborhood, riding my bike, skating with those old metal skates that you needed a skate key to adjust them to fit, that's right a skate key. North Camellia Acres is a older little area in Norfolk very middle class built in the fifties, but oh what a little jewel. My house is on a small subsidiary of the Chesapeake Bay, like many of the streets in this neighborhood. I spent most of my life on this water. My parents lived here on the water as well as my grandparents when they were alive. We fished & crabbed w... 05/08/2008

That is what they are called.  Mummichogs are th canarys of the fish world.  Scientists use them as an indicator of the overall environmental health in a specific waterway.  In our case, the Elizabeth River.  The fish are small, don't go very far and eat worms and algae.  They in turn are fish food for bigger fish.  There are several toxic spots in the river and they were tested recently.  At one hot spot, next to an old creosote plant, 90% of the tested fish had tumors.  Along the river that weren't known hot spots, the fish came up pretty normal  The state and cities know about the hot spots and there are plans to help some of them become better eating grounds for the mummichog.  http://www.deniseallen.com/  Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, a... 05/03/2008

How do the the sailors from Naval Operation Base (NOB) spend their evenings?  On the Spirit of Norfolk of course.  The Spirit boats are a dining and entertainment attraction for both locals and tourists.  If you have not tried it yet please do as it is a super way to spend your evenings in Norfolk. To keep the sailors happy, the Spirit of Norfolk recently undewent a $350k facelift.  The money was spent on the ship to make it look all new again.  The owners didn't mess with a good thing but made changes that were worth the money such as replacing the carpets, bars, furniture and such.  http://www.deniseallen.com/  Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, as well as the rest of Hampton Roads.  This site is updated daily with new real estate listings, pic... 05/03/2008

What do the service members at Norfolk NOB do in their spare time?  They go to the Norfolk Botanical Garden and check out the nesting eagles.  Well this week they are in for a surprise as the eagles aren new parents.  The egg they so carefully tended to for 37 days has hatched.  The eagles need to "brood" and sit on the eaglet while it grows its own insulation.  That should take several weeks.  This little eagle is from the 5th egg that has been laid in the nest.  The first two eggs were kept from being incubated by a female eagle intruder.  The 2nd set of eggs were eaten by the mother and finally this one which hatched.  You can see video at http://www.norfolkbotanicalsgarden.org/http://www.genesellsvirginiabeach.com/  Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, ... 04/30/2008

Statistics for Norfolk Real Estate Homes and Condos for the month of March 2008 are available below. Also, the Norfolk real estate statistics are compared to year ago, March 2007. This allows you to view changes in Norfolk Real Estate Units on the market, Median List Price, Average List Price, percent change in Units, and percent change in average list price. Statistics for Norfolk, VA March 2007 and March 2008 2007 March 2008 March Units Median List Avg List Units Median List Avg List % change % change Avg Price Price Price Price 2007/08 LP 2007/2008 1502 $284,450 $359,554 1838 $257,900 $329,273 22.37% -8.42% Condos 22 $239,950 $274,041 25 $233,000 $238,795 13.64% -12.86% January Norfolk Real Estate Statistics Here Virginia Beach Real Estate January Statistics Here Virginia Beach Real... 04/30/2008

Apparently they can.  A new lab opened at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base is the first of its kind in the Navy and it is here in Norfolk.  Of course the goal is to minimize SEAL's injuries and maximize their time in uniform.  The lab comes by way of the Univesrity of Pittsburg.  The process can be as simple as a better way to do a squat to measuring body fat in a space age pod.  Hopefully the partnership will pay off in a buffer, fitter SEAL.http://www.genesellsvirginiabeach.com/  Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, as well as the rest of Hampton Roads.  This site is updated daily with new real estate listings, pictures and other information vital to your home search.Google gene allen 04/26/2008