SOLD – 1489 Coolspring Way


 

1489 Coolspring Way, Virginia Beach, VA | 3 Bedroom, 2½ Bath | Offered at $280,000

MLS Listing 10388252 – click here

Move-in Ready, meticulously maintained 2-story condo in The Commons, a community located in the Kempsville area of Virginia Beach. The Commons is a lovely, gated community with pool, clubhouse, and pond. The condo for sale is located in a very quiet section of the neighborhood; you can hear the sound of the water feature from the pond… so relaxing. Large Primary Bedroom on the first floor with large bath and walk-in closet. This home also has a beautiful eat-in-kitchen with new appliances and a separate dining area.

  • Primary Bedroom on First floor
  • Primary Bedroom has huge walk-in closet
  • 2 Pantries
  • All appliances convey
  • 1-car garage with ample storage
  • Beautiful clubhouse with pool.
  • Community pond providing tranquil setting.

SOLD – Eagle’s Nest at West Neck

3164 Coopers Arch

 

3164 Coopers Arch, Virginia Beach, VA | 5 Bedroom, 3½ Bath | Offered at $749,000

MLS Listing 52444518 – click here

This gorgeous home is located in desirable Eagle’s Nest at West Neck. From the moment you walk in, you know this home is special. The spacious foyer leads to a stunning dining area and home office. The family room features oversized windows showcasing the most beautiful view of mature trees. The huge kitchen includes upgraded finishes, loads of cabinetry, high-end appliances, and a custom designed bar area.

In addition to all the upgraded features in this home, there are also 2 large pantries, 2 fireplaces, and a butler’s pantry. An enormous primary bedroom & bath suite is on first floor. Plus, there are 4 more bedrooms upstairs. One bedroom is the FROG that can also be used as a media room. Another is a complete guest suite. There’s also a large laundry room and a huge floored attic.

Boost Your Home’s Value Ahead of the Appraisal

Whether you’re planning to sell or refinance, a home appraisal is a necessary step in determining the true value of your home. This means your home should be in the best possible condition, so it will be appraised at the highest potential value. While it may be tempting to swing for the fences with big-ticket renovations, there are smaller things you can do to efficiently raise the market value of your home.

  • Start Small with a Little Spackle
    If you’ve lived in your home for any length of time, you’ve probably hung things on the walls, put up shelves, or simply had accidents that resulted in minor damage. Now is the time to repair those blemishes. Filling these holes and crevices with a little spackle and painting over the area will leave your walls looking like new. While this may not boost the value of your home, it will keep the appraiser from deducting for the damage.
  • As Long as You’re Painting…
    After you’ve touched up your walls, you might want to consider freshening up the paint. Repainting worn trim and moldings around the home can give it a fresh look. Venture outside and touch up the trim around the windows and doors too. This will boost curb appeal and help you add value to the home. Any area where the paint is peeling, chipping, or simply has lost its luster should be retouched with a fresh coat.
  • Do a Deep Clean
    This is also the time to really clean your home from top to bottom. If you have young children and pets, there may be odors and damage that might not be noticeable to you, but strong odors and scuffed hardwood floors will be the first things your appraiser notices. Consider hiring professionals to wax the floors, shampoo the carpets, and conduct an intensive cleaning of the entire home.
  • Be the Buyer
    At some point, you should tour your home with the mindset of a home buyer. This will help you identify problems that you live with every day but just don’t notice anymore. Look for things that need to be repaired, such as a loose handrail, a leaky faucet, or a shorted electrical outlet. 

By taking the time to spruce up the home ahead of the appraisal, you may be able to increase the value by thousands of dollars. The suggestions offered here should give you a head start, but if you have additional questions on how to add more value to your home, don’t hesitate to reach out me.

SOLD – Battlewood Meadows

1221 Brigade Drive, Chesapeake, VA | 3 Bedroom, 2 Bath | Offered at $400,000

MLS Listing 10368616 – click here
Download Flyer – click here

A meticulously-maintained home in desirable Great Bridge! Features include a huge great room with a brick fireplace, formal dining room, hardwood floors, downstairs master bedroom, eat-in kitchen, pantry, stainless steel appliances, quartz counter tops, laundry room, two updated bathrooms, and a large room over the garage. Plus, there is a huge upstairs room that runs the length of the house and floored attic space.

The backyard and patio area are awesome, with a gorgeous in ground pool, custom designed patio, hammock area, shed, and mature trees. Truly a dream backyard, and did I mention a back up generator and extended driveway for your RV, boat, or trailer.

Highlighted Features

  • Inground pool and custom-designed patio
  • Hardwood Floors
  • Eat-in Kitchen with new stainless steel appliances
  • Huge great room with brick fireplace

SOLD – Foxgate Quarter

429 Butterfly Drive, Chesapeake, VA | 4 Bedroom, 3 Bath | Offered at $435,000

MLS Listing 10366679 – click here

Property Features List – click here

Located in desirable Foxgate Quarter neighborhood, this meticulously maintained home has loads of updates and is MOVE-IN-READY! Includes a complete in-law suite with separate entrance. Convenient to everything locally and all of Hampton Roads — less than 5 minutes to shopping, restaurants, and activities.

Highlighted Features

  • COMPLETE IN-LAW SUITE WITH SEPARATE ENTRANCE
  • Great Bridge Schools
  • HUGE kitchen and family room
  • 4 bedrooms & 3 full bathrooms
  • 2-car garage
  • Floored attic
  • Large laundry room
  • Beautiful deck with retractable awning
  • Backyard with dog run

Gear Up for Lawn and Garden Season

Let’s face it – it’s been a long winter, but brighter and warmer days are upon us. If you’re the type of person who likes to be prepared, it isn’t too early to gear up for lawn and garden season. Here are some tips to help you get started:
  • Test the content of your soil with a kit
    Soil test kits are designed to determine levels of PH, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous, and other micro/macronutrients in your soil. An accurate test will tell you how to amend your soil for optimum growing. 
     
  • Disinfect any tools that will touch vegetation
    This is to prevent the spread of bacteria, fungi, and soil pathogens. Soak lawnmower blades, shovels, trowels, rakes, and pruners for 30 minutes in a solution of 10% bleach and 90% water. 
     
  • Tune up your lawnmower
    If you didn’t already do it in the fall, drain your lawnmower of old fuel. Add fresh fuel, replace the spark plugs, clean/replace the air filter, change the oil, and sharpen the blades.
     
  • Don’t forget about other tools
    Service your leaf blower and trimmer according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. Stock up on trimmer line. Sharpen the edges on your pruners, clippers, and digging tools. Lubricate any hand tools that have moving metal parts, then lightly coat the metal with mineral oil to prevent rust. Sand any rough patches on wooden handles. Use linseed oil to seal the wood and prevent shrinking.   
     
  • Check fittings and filters on irrigation systems
    Check the rubber washers on your hoses, sprinklers, and nozzles for cracking and replace if necessary.
     
  • Clean pots and planters
    This is to remove mold, fungi, and tiny pests. Use a brush and mild soap to clean, then rinse and let dry. 
     
  • Inspect lawn furniture
    Check wood parts for splintering, pests, rot, and other damage. Sand and repaint/restain these parts if necessary. Inspect cushions and covers and wash if possible. 
     
  • Maintain fencing, gates, and other wood features
    Replace warped or rotting pieces and repaint/restain where needed.
Some of these tasks may seem over the top, but knocking them out now while the weather is still less-than-ideal will give you more time to relax during the warmer days ahead.

Buying Land? Look Before You Leap.

Sample of Zoning Restriction Considerations
 
Have you found yourself dreaming of your own Walden Pond lately? Whether you’re looking to build a luxury retreat or you just want a natural escape, the dream of scooping up an undervalued piece of land is an understandable one. But before you break out the flannel, it’s important to remember that buying land is different from buying property with a structure already on it. Here are some things to keep in mind when buying land:
  • If It’s an Investment, Consider It a Long-term Investment
    Land is not a quick flip. You should only plan to buy land if you’re going to hold on to it for at least 10 to 20 years. Landholding can protect you against inflation, but its value isn’t going to rise quickly.
     
  • Pay Cash if Possible
    If you aren’t going to build a home on your land right away, lenders will see you as a risk, and you’ll have to pay 30 to 50% upfront (if not full price). If you are going to build right away, you can get a construction-to-permanent loan, which is different from a normal home loan.Construction-to-permanent loans are a form of short-term financing that don’t have fixed rates. Your bank releases funds as construction stages are completed. Then, the loan rolls over into a traditional mortgage when construction is done. If you plan to build with a construction-to-permanent loan, and you don’t have collateral in the form of a preexisting home, you’ll need to have nearly perfect credit. Paying all cash is the best option to avoid these financial hurdles.
     
  • Review Deed Restrictions
    Before getting your heart set on land, it’s important to look at deed restrictions to determine what you can and can’t do with the property. You’ll also have to figure out how binding these restrictions are. Restrictions might include limits on the building styles or square footage. The more rural the property, the fewer deed restrictions there are likely to be, but that’s not always the case.
     
  • Research Zoning Restrictions
    Land may be zoned for commercial use, residential use, or both. You’ll have to figure out if the land is zoned for additional structures like detached garages or ADUs. Zoning restrictions can also determine the minimum structure size you can build.
     
  • Find Out About Easement Stipulations
    If there’s an easement on a property’s title, you’ll want to know the stipulations before buying. An easement gives another person or entity a legal right to someone else’s property for specific reasons, which may reduce privacy or cause other headaches.
     
  • Water and Septic Considerations
    If you’re looking at land that’s not on a city sewer system, you may have to dig a well for water. That can cost over $10,000, plus the costs of water filtration. Some properties even require adding lakes or hydrants, so firefighters have access to a rural water supply. If your land isn’t on a municipal sewer system, then any structure you build will probably need a septic tank. For that you’ll need a percolation test, which measures how absorbent the soil is to the liquid that comes out of the septic tank. If you can’t support a septic tank on your land, you probably won’t be able to build or get a mortgage.
Buying land can be a great opportunity, but a lot of research should go into the decision. Do your due diligence and consult with experts on real estate laws and local zoning guidelines. Like anything else, if a land deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Hiring a Realtor? 10 Questions to Ask.

Selling your home can be one of the most stressful events in your lifetime. No doubt, working with the right realtor can significantly alleviate that stress! The best realtors serve as advisors and advocates to help their clients navigate this complicated and multi-layered transaction.

To find that perfect agent to represent you throughout the entire process, it is wise to invest the time.  Here’s how: Narrow down your initial candidates by referral and research.  From there, set up interviews.  The interview process should help you identify the agent most apt to  meet your needs.  Aside from feeling a personal connection, the interview should give you a sense of how the entire listing process will be handled. What to ask? Here’s a suggested list of 10 key questions to guide you. 

1. Are you a full or part-time realtor?

This could reveal how much time an agent will be able to dedicate to your listing.  If a realtor is “part-time” and  has other clients, there’s a possibility you could be frustrated on many levels. Will you be able to quickly reach them if needed? How much time will they be able to dedicate to showings, Read more