Sarahiously SpeakingFYI: There has been a rash of break-ins and vandalisms to cars in the downtown Fredericksburg area. I personally know three people who have been effected. Their cars were damaged on Kenmore Ave, Mortimer Ave, and Prince Edward Street. Be sure to remove valuables from your car, lock it, and set your alarm.
Fredericksburg City Council met yet again on August 12, 2008 to discuss the fate of 1200 Prince Edward Street. The apartment house at 1200 Prince Edward Street burned down during Hurricane Isabel in September 2003. The building has remained a burned out shell at the corner of Lewis Street and Prince Edward Street since the fire. City Council met in 2006 to discuss the structure and rejected a proposal for a four unit condominuim development presented by the land owner, Al Sharp. Since the last City Council meeting, where the counsel favored demolition of the building, Al Sharp has suffered a tramatic injury that has left him a quadriplegic and has put the 1200 Prince Edward Street project on the back burner in his life. The building/ land has also failed to sell at the current list price of roughly $600,000. (Current Listing information could not be found in MRIS). Last night’s meeting pitted neighbor against neighbor again with many voiceing their support for preserving the architectural significance of the building, while others had gathered 44 signatures on a petition to demolish the building. (I happen to live on Prince Edward Street - 2 blocks away, and was never asked to sign this petition).
So, what will City Council do next? In my heart, I would like to see the structure preserved, especially since it is located in the historic district and has deep roots in the community. However, I understand the immediate neighbors reservations about a multi-unit dwelling coming back to the neighborhood, although there are numerous multi-unit dwellings on this street. If City Council allows another preservation and rebuilding plan to be submitted for review, Al Sharp would have to be granted a special use permit in order to reconstruct the building. This is a pretty tall order considering the neighbors’ opposition. I really don’t see a single family home being built on this property unless it is a McMansion which is a whole other concern for downtown Fredericksburg. I hope that a decision can be reached quickly, and that what ever it is, this corner will be cleaned up soon!
I have been asked many times why I spend so much time cultivating my relationships on the internet. I’m not referring to internet dating or chat rooms, but rather social media like blogging and Twitter. Questions arise like, “How can you get to know people by reading blogs or reading mini-blogs?” Twitter, a mini-blog where you are limited to typing 140 characters at a time, is the most confusing for those who don’t participate. My husband is very curious as to how I can convey a worthwhile message in 140 characters. My answer is always that I have learned to get my meaning across in an efficient way. Many real estate professionals have not yet found the value in this type of networking. But, I am here today to tell you that the relationships you create through social media are real and lasting.
I woke up this morning to the news that one of ”the people that lives in my computer” has passed away. I am overcome with grief. In 140 characters or less we developed a friendship that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I learned about real estate, inner strength, and life from a person who I would have never known had I not taken the jump and joined the social media movement. I had the absolute pleasure of meeting this Twitter friend at the NAR Mid-Year Tweetup, which only added to the bond the internet had already created.
As I think about @Pinky379’s family and friends today, I am honored to be counted among them. I am also honored and lucky to be a part of such an incredible social media network. Being on Twitter will be very hard today as we remember how Pinky touched each of us with her words of wisdom and her incredible sense of humor. But, I am also seeing a celebration of a life lost too soon and one that will be missed by so many.
Are social media relationships meaningful? Without a doubt. How do I know? Because I am seeing an outpouring of support and emotion from a group of people who, for the most part, have never met and may never meet. But, we all believe we are better people for having followed @Pinky379.
Having been raised in North Carolina, of course, I’m partial. But, now I live in Virginia and according to North Carolina, this isn’t the south! I was always taught that the Mason-Dixon line was the North Carolina/ Virginia border, cause that’s where good bbq stops. My husband and I have truly loved living in VA, but at times we really miss living in the land of Dixie. It’s funny ’cause both our families are from up north. We recently went to South Carolina for our one year wedding anniversary. This trip brought back lot of memories. We also remembered 10 things we love about living down south!
1. Girls have 2 first names - Our waitress on our first night reminded us of this. Her name was Sarah Paige. One of my good friends from high school was Mary Beth. It goes on and on. Boys are not immune from this southern tradition either. Who can forget names like Billy Ray, John Thomas, and Carter Finley - and yes, I these people!
2. Cole Slaw is a veggie and served as a side item - And I mean, it is served at every meal! There are a few times when you can get sweet potatoe fries, but for the most part, you are getting cole slaw. You will also find cole slaw on your bbq sammiches and burgers, whether you like it or not.
3. Seer Sucker suits - My husband’s best freind actually wore one to his rehearsal dinner, along with an orange bow tie. True, they are comfortable and breezy, but you won’t catch a northerner in such a thing!
4. Flip Flops - Yep, you can even pair flip flops with a seer sucker suit! From April - October you will find a good southerner in a pair of flip flops.
5. Men Wear Pastels - Now, there is a reason behind the madness. Wearing pastels helps keep you cooler. Why do you think southern houses are painted pastel? Same reason! There is nothing better than a burley construction worker walking down a southern street wearing a pastel pink shirt (and flip flops).
6. Shrimp = Breakfast Food - Southerners can actually pair shrimp with anything. This is a problem for people like me who are allergic to shellfish! I think my husband ate shrimp and grits every day while we were in SC.
7. Southern Accents are Cute! - I learned this rather quickly when I moved down south. Northerners aren’t known for their lilting voices and wonderful drawls. It’s amazing how much more you can get away with saying with a southern accent.
8. Debutante Balls - This is actually a french tradition that has survived in the South. If you are not familiar with Debutante Balls, they are a formal affair when the girls are presented to society. One of my best friends was actually dumped by a boy when he found out she was not a Deb! She was 26! It isn’t the actual particpation in te ball that I love, it is the celebration of history. In this day and age these balls are out of date, yet in southern society they continue. I love that retention of history!
9. Ice Tea - Let’s be honest, you can’t get good ice tea outside of the south! And while we’re being honest, I actually hate tea! I call it leaf sweat. This is a point of contention for me and other southerners. It is considered pretty rude to refuse someone’s tea. But I just don’t like it. However, given it’s prominence at the southern table, I have included it on my list.
10. Humidty! - Say What!?! Well, I have naturally curly hair. Humidty actually helps me style it. And I believe you haven’t lived until you’ve walked 6 miles in 95 degree weather with 100% humidity.
So, there you have it, 10 reasons I love the south! I am about to head to the mid-west on Thursday, Nebraska to be exact. I am hopeful I can find 10 things I love about the mid-west!
Well, it’s that time of year again, the Fredericksburg Fair is in town! This is my second year attending the fair, and I must say, there have been some big improvements!
First, there are more rides, including the re-introduction of the ferris wheel, a Fair staple. Rides range in price and are not included in your general admission. Lines seemed to move fairly fast.
Second, there are more food vendors offering a wide variety of Fair food. Now, I’ll be honest, this is my main reason for coming to the Fredericksburg Fair. When I hear turkey leg, I come running! Not since medieval times has it been appropriate to rip into a giant turkey leg with nothing but your teeth! This year’s turkey legs are far bigger than last year’s and more delicious! Other culinary delights are the Stafford Jaycees hand-dipped corn dogs, the gator sausage, funnel cake, homemade fudge, and hand-spun milkshakes. A welcome addition this year is the beer tent! They do have a limit to the number of beers you are served in a 2 hour time period. There were 5-6 beers to choose from and the price was reasonable for a Fair.
Of course, there are also animals at the Fredericksburg Fair. My party met a delightful gentleman in the Chicken Exhibition area that showed us a chicken that has blue skin, blue meat, and black bones. He also offered to let us purchase the chicken for our dinner, but we politely declined! We also saw sheep, cows, rabbits, pigs, emus, a wallaby, and a camel! There are several areas where you can pet and feed the animals and handwashing stations are close by.
All in all, this was a pretty good Fair for a small town and I highly recommend you attend this year! You can find more information at www.fredfair.net.
Admission: Age 4-54 - $7 and Age 55+ - $5 - this includes parking, but no rides.
This is by no means an in-depth explanation of these very complicated types of real estate sales. This is merely meant to offer a simple explanation. There are many pitfalls when trying to buy a Foreclosure and a Short Sale. It is very important that you hire a REALTOR who is familiar with the processes and that you close the transaction with an attorney who is familiar with the processes.
If you have any questions about short sales and foreclosures, please feel free to contact me! (I am not an attorney and can not give you legal advice.)
I went to my very first Bluemont Concert Series last night. My husband and I are always looking for fun new things to do and this seemed like it could be interesting. We were lucky enough to see Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands, a California bluegrass group. Laurie Lewis is considered one of the premier bluegrass and Americana artists of our time. I am now a big fan of bluegrass!
Bluemont is a non-profit regional arts organization that has been presenting events since 1976. Bluemont helps bring music programs to Virginia school systems, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and the region’s communities. The music programs are as diverse as the communities enjoying them.
Fredericksburg’s summer concerts take place every Saturday, June 28th - August 30th, at Maury Stadium in downtown (corner of Kenmore Ave and George Street/ Hanover Street). It is $5 for Adults and $2 for children under 12. You are encouraged to bring your own lawn chairs, blankets, outdoor toys, and refreshments. A community group usually has some refreshments for sale with the proceeds going entirely to the group to support their volunteer efforts.
I highly recommend locals and visitors attend these events. There was a great sense of wholesome community. We really enjoyed watching some area children dance and play in the field while listening to amazing live music. We have decided we will definitely be taking a picnic dinner the next time we go!
If you would like some more information, please visit: http://www.bluemont.org/Concerts/Fredericksburg.html
(Okay, well technically Carl’s sells custard, but it’s close enough!)
July 18 marks National Ice Cream Day, according to the Bizarre Food Holidays website. So, in honor of this fantastic holiday, I recommend that you head to Carl’s at 2200 Princess Anne Street. Carl’s has been a treasured Fredericksburg landmark for over 50 years. What’s the difference between custard and ice cream? Custard contains more eggs than ice cream. Carl’s serves three flavors of frozen custard - chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry, but that doesn’t mean your taste buds will be disappointed! You can also choose from a selection of sundaes, floats, cones, milkshakes, and malts. Don’t worry about the long line wrapped around the building when you arrive; the average wait time is between 10-15 min. It is well worth the wait!
Open 7 days a week!
(mid February- mid November)
Sun-Thurs 11 am - 11 pm
Fri. & Sat 11 am - 11:30 pm
Yesterday was a huge milestone for my husband and me. It was the one year anniversary of buying our dream home. July 16 will forever be ingrained in our heads as the day we bought our money pit. Don’t get me wrong, we love our house! But, let’s call a spade a spade, it’s a money pit. It is very fitting that the traditional gift for a one year anniversary is paper, ie money.
The Dream
Like many home buyers, we had a dream when we bought ths house. We drew up a To Do List the day after we had our home inspection and vowed we would have these items completed by July 16, 2008. Let’s see how we did.
The List
1. Re-wire House - During our home inspection we were informed that this home had the most active knob and tube wiring the inspector had ever seen! On top of that, the previous owners had installed a central a/c unit in the attic and had decided to upgrade the insulation at the same time. (Thanks for the central a/c, not so much on the new insulation). The new blown insulation was laying on top of the exposed knob and tube wiring. Can you say fire-hazard? So how far did we get?…
Not too shabby. After creating a trunk to run all the new wires, we are on our way to being a house with modern electricity! We are also now wired for phone, cable, and ethernet in every room. We have a ways to go, including setting the new electric panel, upgrading to 200 amp service, and patching the holes; but we are almost there.
2. Paint - This was not supposed to have been done until after we were done re-wiring, but we soon realized that we needed to multi-task. So…
I invited friends over and we painted 6 rooms in 6 days. (P.S. We are still friends after this and hubby and I are going to their new house in 2 weeks to help them paint!)
3. Fix Random Hole in Dining Room Floor - Yep, there’s a random hole in the Dining Room Floor.
Here’s the fix - a small area rug over the hole. This helps prevent the cats from running thru the Dining Room and accidently falling into the hole or one of our dinner guests putting their chair leg in the hole. Eventually we’ll get that hole patched. I promise!
4. Yeah, the “Basement That Never Leaks,” LEAKS!!!!!
We have a FAIL on this item. This has been moved to the Will Handle When We Put Up That Addition List.
5. The Chimney Allows Carbon Monoxide to Come Billowing Back Into the Living Room - Eeeek! This was a must get done before winter sets in item.
The old chimney came down and the new, safe chimney went up! This took about 3 days to complete.
The Verdict
All in all, I don’t think we did that bad getting items checked off our To Do List. Most of the safety items have been taken care of, some of the cosmetic items have been postponed for that addition and my husband has learned when it is just easier to hire someone else to do the work. If I had to do this all over again, I would still purchase this house. By the time we finished, in say 5 more years, it will truly be our dream home. It’s amazing what you learn to live with in the interim!
I make sure to send all of my clients market statistics on the 10th of every month. But, sometimes this information is hard to interpret. So, I’ve decided to put it all in graphs to make things a little easier. I will be updating these graphs every month. I will concentrate on my three biggest markets: Fredericksburg City, Stafford County, and Spotsylvania County, and the three biggest influences on marketing a property: Days on Market, Sales Price vs. List Price, and Months Inventory. Please feel free to email me any suggestions or ideas for additional information you would like me to provide.
Days On Market - these graphs show the average days on market for the first half of 2008
Sales Price vs. List Price - this graph demonstrates the difference between the advertised list price and the price the home actually sold for
Months Inventory - this is also known as the absorption rate. This is calculated by dividing the total number of homes on the market by the number of homes that sold the previous month.
