Although Real Estate in Virginia Beach and surrounding areas has slowed down, as it always does this time of year, home buyers are still taking a little time to look around. Some are looking around as they take a tour around neighborhoods known for decorating during the Holidays or to take a break from shopping they go on the internet and look around there.If your "looking around" on the internet for homes for sale in Virginia Beach and the surrounding areas of Va., why not try www.hrmls.com/jameswillis  where, I understand, all homes for sale in Virginia Beach and this entire area of Va are available. This site is updated 3 times daily so it has the latest status on homes for sale. Also, I understand, full details, addresses, photos and interactive mapping of all homes are right there.... 12/10/2007

If you were at First Landing State Park recently you could have watched Noodle Head swim out to sea yourself.  He is a six month old harbor seal pup and was released because he has recovered from lung congestion.  He was found washed up on Swan Beach in Currituck, N.C. and brought to our aquarium for a bit of rest and relaxation.  We wish him well. 12/09/2007

One of the last unsightly storm water runoffs at the Beach is about to go underground.  The runoff will still be there but it will be 1800 feet offshore.  The project is expected to cost $9.3 million and is the final phase of hurricane protection plan.  That plan included a wider beach, the new seawall and the underground outfall pipes.  The Beach will be a little cleaner when it is all done and a whole lot better looking.  The real estate along this area are in the million dollar plus price range.   12/07/2007

Don't look now but there is cotton in Virginia Beach.  No really.  There is at least one cotton farm left.  I have driven by it several times but didn't think much about it.  You can see it driving down Princess Anne Rd towards the Municipal Center.  The farm is about 7 acres, a far cry from the plantations that used to be around these parts.  For a recent history, the rest of the land was sold to R.G. Moore who wanted to turn it into a mini-city but that flopped and now we have a great golf course among other items to thank him for.  The family, the Sawyers, still own about 20 acres in the area and do a lot of farming down North Carolina way.  12/07/2007

From time to time I check out Real Estate search phrases, in Google and Yahoo primarily, ie Virginia Beach Real Estate, Virginia Beach Homes for Sale, etc, Virginia Beach Real Estate Blogs, etc and see what comes up tops in the organic results. (I must confess that I fall back on Pay Per Click from time to time.)I am, for the most part, frustrated with the number of national sites that rank high (top4-5), almost exclusively, At least in the Virgina Beach, Chesapeke, Suffolk, Norfolk and surrounding areas of Va.Realtor.com and Homegain are prevelent in the natural results in both Google and Yahoo; Google has a Google Base site that has a conglomeration of different Real Estate related information from The Real Estate Book, Homes.com, Harmon Homes, FSBO sites, and individual Real Estate C... 12/07/2007

The Area of SE Va, 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) consists of 5 Cities; Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Suffolk primarily---No Counties since the cities over time has absorbed what used to be a city/county arrangement. Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Suffolk all have a large land mass and a less dense population base. Norfolk and Portmouth has a more traditional city type population with less land mass and a more dense population. Virginia Beach has a population of app 425,000 with a land mass of 310 sq miles; Chesapeake has a population of app 210,000 with a land mass of 353 sq miles, and Suffolk a population of app 6... 12/05/2007

Don't look now but there is cotton in Virginia Beach.  No really.  There is at least one cotton farm left.  I have driven by it several times but didn't think much about it.  You can see it driving down Princess Anne Rd towards the Municipal Center.  The farm is about 7 acres, a far cry from the plantations that used to be around these parts.  For a recent history, the rest of the land was sold to R.G. Moore who wanted to turn it into a mini-city but that flopped and now we have a great golf course among other items to thank him for.  The family, the Sawyers, still own about 20 acres in the area and do a lot of farming down North Carolina way.  12/05/2007

Just thinking about all the events available for the public during the Holiday Season in the Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Norfolk and Portsmouth area of Va. I thought I would list a few for anyone who might want this information in one place.Winter Wonderland Coleman Collection Galleries--Portsmouth-Dec 1-31--for info call 757 393 5111McDonalds Holiday Lights Virginia Beach Boardwalk--Virginia Beach(Oceanfront)--Dec 1-31--for info call 1 800 822-3224Garden of Lights--Norfolk Botanical Gardens---Dec 1-31---for info call757 441 5830Christmas Concert Virginia Beach Chorale Sadler Center--Town Center Virginia Beach-- Dec 9--for info call 757 385 2787Holiday Trolley Tours Olde Town Portsmouth--Dec 9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30--for info call 757 393 5111Tony Bennett Sandler Center--Town Cen... 12/05/2007

Actually the not so good, not so bad Virginia Beach Real Estate Statistics includes the S Hampton Roads Area of Va ie Virginia Beach Real Estate, Chesapeake Real Estate, Norfolk Real Estate, Portsmouth Real Estate, Suffolk Real Estate and All Surrounding Areas of Va Real Estate.The not so good news: the number of Homes Sold YTD (January-November 2007) is  15,367---2006 ytd was 17,634; a decrease in home sales via percentage of app 14%. (In 2005 the total home sales was 19,403--the last year of the real estate "feeding frenzy").The not so bad news: The increase in sales price of Homes sold in Virginia Beach increased by 5.38% from 2006 and in the area overall by 2.47%--in a transitional year. The 5.38% increase in sales in Virginia Beach Real Estate is more reflective of the appreciation... 12/04/2007

Just look at the view is what people are saying when staying at the newly opened Westin in Towne Center.  YOur can get a bed on the 14th floor and enjoy some great views as well as a great hotel room.  I need to go stay and take some pictures for you.  I will put that on my Xmas list. 12/04/2007

Indigo Dunes just won't go away.  It's a shame city council wouldn't buy this wonderful property but it is what it is.  The developer has reduced the wetlands damage from 3.91 acres to 2.35 which is nothing to sneeze at.  There are still a lot of hurdles to overcome but L.M. Sandler & Sons maybe on the right track. 12/04/2007

I did a recent posting regarding a few of the many advantages of vacationing in Virginia Beach and the surrounding area of Va. area. I also mentioned that if any of you were thinking about purchasing a vacation home or second home, you might want to consider the Virginia Beach area. You can visit my site www.hrmls.com/jameswillis which has all Homes for sale in Virginia Beach and all surrounding areas of Va and it's updated 3 times daily. My site has full details, addresses, photos and interactive Mapping at each Home.Please call/email me anytime if you might be interested in a vacation home or a second home, and I'll be happy to fine tune the homes/condos that might fit your needs. Let me know what your looking for and I'll send you Virginia Beach Homes for sale via email, that meet yo... 12/03/2007

The Long & Foster Oceanfront office (Virginia Beach, VA) will be hosting Free pictures with Santa as part of their annual Toys for Tots Drive on December 5th.  Please stop by with a toy and get your picture taken with our wonderful Santa!  We will also have yummy food and beverages as part of our open house festivities for the day.  Afterward, take a drive on the Boardwalk and enjoy the Holiday Festival of Lights!!!!!Call our office for more information:  757-428-4600! 12/02/2007

Virginia Beach, Va is a great Vacation location for Beaches and relaxation (Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay...and so much more!!!  The occasional off day---no problem. Spend the day at the Virginia Aquarium, only 10 minutes from the Beach; Go Deep Sea Fishing, Dolphin Watching via Boat, 5 minutes away; Colonial Williamsburg, less then an hour away; Harbor Cruise at downtown Norfolk, 30 minutes; Seafood restaurants and all types of Eclectic eating places--and on and on---and on!Offseason, especially in the Fall, has it's advantages; off season rates and not really bad weather at all. Stroll the Beaches, visit surrounding areas---Relax.Who knows, you might want to consider a Vacation/2nd Home in the Virginia Beach area. For additional information about real estate in Va Beach and the su... 11/30/2007

Imagine 1.7 million tissue grafts since 1982.  That's how many grafts LifeNet has provided and with new headquarters off of Concert Dr there should be plenty more.  I was amazed at the amount of work and time it takes to get tissue to the correct people.  A heart valve can take 60 days waiting before it can be cleared for processing.  Then it has to be processed, rechecked and delivered-at a temperature of -385 degrees Fahrenheit.  My hats off to this dedicated group of people.    11/28/2007

Local churches and non-profits were spurred to action 25 years ago when in the Reagan ere they saw big budget cuts for the poor.  13 churches and 4 nonprofit agencies joined forces and today the budget is almost $1 million dollars.  The origination is called "Portsmouth Area Resource's Coalition and is holding its 25th annual meeting this Friday. They tried to make sure they did not duplicate services and decided that the poor needed long term housing more then short term aid.  They now have 8 shelters for the homeless and help an estimated 3,200 people a year.  11/27/2007

Columbus St at Towne Center has a new statue.  Not that anybody knew about it.  No ceremony, it was just installed.   The statue, called "The Kiss" started life as a private moment between Debby and Breck Wood in Currituck Count, N.C. when a picture of them in the tender embrace was taken.  Debbie Wood commissioned the statue as a suprise for her husband who was dying of cancer.  Breck Wood passed on last fall and the statue was now just an after thought.  Debbie Wood decided it would be nice to have the statue donated to the city.  Several places were looked at and the only green area in Towne Center was selected.  I think it will be a great addition to the area and thank the couple for the gift. 11/27/2007

Oh my goodness.  They want to build a 60 foot tall storage shed for 648 boats right where the old Capt. George's used to be and everyone thinks its a great idea.  This site used to be the place to go for food and swimming but since the resturant closed two years ago not much goes on.  Southeast Marine wants to buy the site and give it a face-lift.  They want to try and attract the snowbirds as they pass through.  I guess we'll wait and see what happens.  11/26/2007

The San Lorenzo Spiritual Center was recently rewarded the Galing Bayanihang Pilipino award (Spirit of Cooperation).  This is a national award and Rev. Leo Manalo will go to the Phillipines this week to compete for the international award.  We wish him luck.  The award is for helping to promote the support of the Filipino community.  11/24/2007

I recently wrote about Crackhead Fred, a loggerhead who had recently been re-released into the wild after an injury to his head.  Now it turns out that the entire species is endangered.  Two environmental groups are expected to ask the federal government today to declare the loggerhead sea turtle an endangered species.  This is a step up from the threatened species it is already classified.  Too many people, too much pollution.  It is the same old story with all our creatures.  11/23/2007