I received an email from a buyer the other day.  He wanted information on properties of course.  I asked him if he was working with an agent and he said yes, he was waiting for a response for an offer he had made on a property.  I sent him an email and said I would be happy to help him and so on but did not want to step on the agents toes.  After that I didn't waste much time as he was already working with an agent.  He was back on my site a week later looking for properties so I touched base again. It seems the offer he had made on the property was a verbal offer and the agent never got back with him on it.  Never called, didn't respond to voice messages or return emails.  How strange.  The agent had talked to the buyer, the buyer had found the property and was already pre-approved an... 01/06/2009

The Virginia Symphony Orchestra (VSO) in Norfolk is having funding problems like most organizations nowadays.  The Norfolk Economic Development Authority has authorized a $500,000 loan to help with the rough times.  The VSO needs some help from you in the form of contributions.  The link to the site is  http://www.virginiasymphony.org/   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 01/03/2009

Marine Observation Tower - Pagoda and Oriental Garden The Marine Observation Tower, also known as The Pagoda, was built in 1989 and was a gift to the Commonwealth of Virginia and the City of Norfolk from the Taiwan Provincial Government. The two story octagonal structure was built on and around the pillars that had previously supported a 500,000 gallon molasses storage tank. Materials for the tower were manufactured in Taiwan and shipped to Norfolk for assembly by Taiwanese craftsmen. In 1989 the Pagoda was refurbished and an oriental garden was planted around the Pagoda. The Pagoda is home to a restaurant serving American and Pacific Rim Cuisine and an art gallery featuring Oriental brush painting and Chinese artifacts. It is a popular destination for weddings, receptions, celebrations... 01/01/2009

Wisconsin square is a small park on Norfolk's Elizabeth River waterfront. It was dedicated in May 2002 and is located next to the museum ship USS Wisconsin. The park features an exact replica of The Lone Sailor statue from the United States Navy Memorial in Washington, DC and also features a memorial to seamen lost while serving on Navy ships home-ported in Norfolk. The square is also home to the ship's bell from the USS Norfolk.   ©2008, 757RealEstateInfo.com and B. Payden Photography, LLC. All rights reserved, all uses prohibited without the express written permission of Sandra Payden and Bryant Payden. 01/01/2009

I have an earlier post about some pulley seals that I purchased for my old wood windows. My home was built in 1912 using balloon construction so drafts can really be significant in certain places - around the sliding pocket doors in my living rooms, around outlets and switches on exterior walls, and around the gap on the window frame where the rope pulley is. I have taken steps to seal up the house to make it more energy efficient, more comfortable, and to save money!  While doing some more research on insulating techniques, I found this video from This Old House... http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/video/0,,20051453,00.html Wow is this great!  It is a big project but at the very end there is a super simple tip for "wintering" your pulley in your sash -- it is a short video so check it ou... 12/30/2008

I was thinking about buyers in Norfolk recently and this article from our Realtor magazine caught my eye with a great article titled "Overcoming Buyer Reluctance." As we are constantly speaking with home buyers about their wants and needs for a new home, but many times especially now they are reluctant to actually go through with a transaction. This article hits the nail on the head in terms of explaining why buyers are feeling this way. A great illustration in the article to allow buyers to visualize the real estate market: A simple technique to prove to potential buyers, or even sellers, that they can't perfectly time the market is to do this easy demonstration: Take out a blank sheet of paper and pen. Now, starting at the top of the paper, draw a line going down and at the same time ... 12/29/2008

Norfolk Botanical Garden    Todays Norfolk Botanical Garden began in the mid 1930's with an idea by Frederic Heutte, a young horticulturist and Thomas P. Thompson, Norfolk City Manager from 1935-1938. Heutte had a fondness for Azaleas and believed Hampton Roads to have an ideal climate for growing this southern signature plant. Heutte and Thompson envisioned an azalea garden to rival those of Charleston, South Carolina. Their vision began to be realized when the city of Norfolk set aside 75 acres of wooded land and 75 acres of reservoir for a city garden.    Beginning in 1938, through a Works Progress Administration (WPA) grant more than 200 African-American women and 20 men began working to clear the site and their contribution to the garden is today wonderfully honored. In 1958 the Ol... 12/22/2008

As an accredited buyers representative (ABR), I receive a weekly email with useful information from Rebac, the association that manages the accreditation.  Here is something from the latest email. This taken from the National Association of Realtors annual survey of home sellers and buyers and was published in November 2008. The REBAC links was to a Realty Times article by Bob Hunt. "The most useful information for sellers and their agents is to be found in the section on the home search process. While the survey results are not significantly different from those of recent years, the trends continue. For example, this year 69 percent of buyers said that they used the Internet frequently during the search process, up from 60% last year. In 2003 that number was 42%. Thirty-three per cent ... 12/19/2008

Norfolk is an excellent place to find fantastic deals on homes and is a major hub in Hampton Roads, Virginia. With the new rate decrease, and the market correction in price, this may be the best time to take advantage of purchasing a new home in Norfolk. New interest rates today published in the 4% range, which is one of the most significant decreases we've seen in the last 5 decades. To view Norfolk homes for sale, or view market conditions. please visit my site at JoshSellsVirginia.com. 12/17/2008

I was lucky enough to spend the morning with my husband. It was our anniversary so we went to brunch at Freemason Abbey and spent time walking around Freemason District and Downtown Norfolk before heading to Prince Books to buy our anniversary gifts (romantic!) and then home to rake the last of the leaves (really romantic)! Here are some images from our tour!   Norfolk has selected Mermaids as their sculpture/symbol of choice. There are many throughout the city from Ocean View and Willoughby to Downtown and beyond. My favorite is at the Nauticus. Even though we walked that way today, I didn't take a photo.  This one is on Granby Street near Macarthur Center.             We walked through Selden Arcade which houses the D'art Center. It is decorated for the holidays with greenery, wreaths... 12/14/2008

What a great tour!  Congratulations to the organizers of this years holiday house tour. Though the weather was what one could certainly call 'blustery' outside, it was warm and welcoming inside the 10 homes and churches on the tour. Here are some photos that highlight the tour -- all from my cell phone so the quality is medium at best!     NOTE SANTA at the Front Door!                       This is the garden and waterview of the home above!  Just lovely!                         This is a church on the tour - Lovely inside and its on the water. They are thinking about starting a pre-school on the premise (there is a great education building attached!)                               This fireplace separates the dining room and the kitchen. You can see the fire from both sides.            ... 12/08/2008

Out of the hundreds of neighborhoods in Hampton Roads, most of its 1.7 million residents have heard of Ghent, which is one of the more popular historical districts of Norfolk, located near downtown.  Much of this large area was built in the early 1900's and is commonly known as Ghent, West Ghent, or East Ghent.  The architecture of most of the residences and businesses is amazing and has been, for the most part, left intact.  There's nothing like it in any of the surrounding cities.  For those who love historical landmarks, you'll love to just wander down the streets of Westover or Hampton Blvd. and take in the beauty of the grand homes that stand before you.  You can easily find yourself walking down a wide tree-lined street with historic mansions to your left and right.  Many of the o... 12/05/2008

Here are a few things I noticed in the paper today. I am not endorsing or recommending, just repeating! The Lafayette Winona Civic league in Norfolk is holding their Holiday House Tour this Sunday from 1pm-4pm. Lots of neighborhoods throughout Hampton Roads are having them, so check the Pilot Online! Old Norfolk Christmas Arts and Crafts Show is being held at the Fred Heutte Center on December 6th and 7th. The Lights are on in Portsmouth and Norfolk - the skylines are beautiful at night! Window World is offering 25% off on Energy Star Low-E and Argon windows - you must have the coupon from the paper to get the discount. Lowes is offering 10% off on Energy Star Appliances purchased through December 7th! Whatever you do - get out there, have fun, protect the environment, and enjoy the sea... 12/04/2008

I think I can get into this -- A first for me! Photography via Blackberry Curve - Bethany Phillips, Realtor, Prudential Decker Realty, Norfolk VA/Hampton Roads. 12/03/2008

Thanks to my friend for Michelle for suggesting a walk through the Norfolk Botanical Garden. As a member, I go to the gardens regularly but hadn't been in about a month. It was time to see something new -- that happens to me every time I go to the gardens. Either a new flower is blooming, I see a sculpture I hadn't noticed previously, or there is a new feature to see. Here are things I noticed this time!   The ticket booth at the Norfolk Botanical Garden is a Green Roof.  Designed to reduce runoff of rainwater and to naturally cool the interior, a green roof is an excellent addition to this structure. It is lovely to see, has interesting plants, is at a reasonable eye-level. This is something I would like to do on my kitchen roof. My home's kitchen was an addition. It has a flat roof an... 11/30/2008

I had a lovely walk around Ghent on Thursday. The houses, churchs, and street scenes were captured on camera! See below!  Lots of houses and condos for sale in this part of Norfolk.                                  Hampton Roads Real Estate 11/29/2008

Just a short note to say THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY CURRENT, PAST, and FUTURE clients during this thanksgiving weekend!  Enjoy your day, be safe whereever you are, and give thanks for all you have in life!  Norfolk and Hampton Roads Real Estate Blogs about Norfolk and Hampton Roads For something fun to do with family and friends on Thanksgiving... Try MacArthur on Ice!  Go Skating! 11/26/2008

In the spirit of giving this year, GVA Advantis, of Norfolk is passing on its annual holiday party this year.  The money they would have spent will be given to to the local food bank and ForKids.  This amounts to something like $1,500.  Maybe other companies that are cutting back on charity giving will follow suit and give up the parties to give to charity.  Keep up the good work. 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   11/24/2008

As the housing market and the economy as a whole tries to recover from the recent slump it has experienced, many cities in Hampton Roads have seen housing prices fall consistently for the past year they have been on the market. This is causing many home owners to open their homes up to the option of renting, preferring to get the house off of the market and producing some income to support costly mortgages. Old Dominion University recently released a study that determined renting may be a more financially responsible decision at the current time. With three-bedroom houses for sale in Virginia Beach at an average monthly mortgage payment of around $1,400, the study shows that comparable houses for rent in Virginia Beach average about $1,287 per month this year. While it is true that rent... 11/20/2008

I signed up to plant wetlands with grasses this morning. Yesterday I thought the organizers were crazy! It would be freezing!  And they wanted us at the waters edge putting plants in the ground??? It turned out to be a gorgeous morning. Yes there was a definite chill in the air -- about 40 degrees F. But the sun was shining and the people were friendly, and the coffee was hot at 8am!  Here is a similar group from a previous outing, but imagine our volunteers in winter coats, hats, and gloves. We spent a bit of time helping rescue boots from the mud too!  Thanks to National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for funding. Project partners include The Virginia Zoo, Bay Environmental, NOAA Restoration Center, The City of Norfolk Bureau of Environmental Services, Keep Norfolk Beautiful, Elizabeth ... 11/20/2008