Mr. B’s becomes Miss B’s.

The Victoria Station Restaurant at 1501 Main St. was recently purchased by Dawn Belanger.

Dawn, a native of Deleware, purchased property and moved to Lunenburg 8 years ago. She has over 30 years experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry.

In taking over what has become a popular eatery for the town of Victoria and surrounding area, she says that she plans to build on Mr. B’s tradition of quality food, good pricing and a friendly atmosphere. She is very excited about becoming part of the community and keeping a business going on Main St.

Pictured is Dawn (Miss B), Mr. Beiler (Mr. B) and Sid Smyth of Long and Foster Real Estate, who brokered the deal.

I'm Back!!!

After a six week absence from my blog, I am finally returning to give my readers postings on real estate matters that are important to you. I am really excited about my decision to join Long and Foster, but honestly, the transition has been a bit overwhelming. Even for a seasoned veteran like myself.

In addition to setting up the office, I had to attend 2 weeks of training, I called it Long and Foster boot camp. Really, it was very informative and beneficial. I am now back in the office all the time and encourage you to stop by. You can't miss me, look for the red door next to Uptown Cafe and the Long and Foster sign over the door. I plan to have a grand opening this coming Monday, December 7 at 10:30 so if you are in the area, please stop by and meet some of the great people from Richmond that will be attending the event.

Also, be sure to check out this Sunday's Richmond Times for a write up on the office.

I have posted 2 blogs tonight so check the other one out. Things are looking up an as I wrote in October of 2008, 2010 is the year that brings back the recovery in the real estate market.

One final note. As you all know, December 5 is tax day for all us property owners in the area.
If you live in Kenbridge and have looked at your tax bill, you can't help but notice that the town taxes are higher than the county taxes. The citizens if Kenbridge hold the distinct honor of being the only town in Va. where the town taxes are greater than the county. I made a presentation on this issue to the Kenbridge Town Council back in October, 2008. Stay tune to my blog. IN a few days I plan to print this report in my blog for you to see. The timing is so appropriate.

LONG & FOSTER® REAL ESTATE REPORTS OVERALL SALES INCREASES IN MID-ATLANTIC HOUSING MARKET
Launches New "Market Conditions Report"

Chantilly, VA — Long & Foster®Real Estate, Inc. released a third quarter company report today, "The Long & Foster® Market Conditions Report", which demonstrates that average home sales prices throughout the company’s primary markets—Washington, D.C., Baltimore/Towson, Md., Philadelphia, Pa., and Richmond, Va.—are trending upward from the second quarter of the year. Virginia Beach/Norfolk/Newport News shows slight decline of 1.3% suggesting prices are stabilizing in that market as well.

"As the largest privately held residential real estate company in the U.S. and the industry leader in the Mid-Atlantic, we thought that it would be important to release our quarterly reports to the general public," stated Jeffrey S. Detwiler, president and chief operating officer of The Long & Foster Companies. The reports have been developed as part of Long & Foster Real Estate’s dedication to its sales associates and their customers. "This is one tool, of many, that we provide to our sales associates so that they can help homebuyers and sellers make informed decisions." The reports compare current quarter to past quarter and current quarter to the same quarter of the prior year.

While the Washington, D.C. region dominates with sales of 18,882 residential units (up 3.9 percent from last quarter), Philadelphia, Pa. shows the greatest percentile improvement (up 14.2 percent over last quarter) with a total of 10,514 units. The average sales price has also increased in Philadelphia by 3.1 percent while Washington, D.C. held onto the highest average sales price in the Mid-Atlantic of $364,982, up just 1.6 percent over last quarter.
The Baltimore/Towson Md. region saw a 7.5 percent uptick in residential sales over last quarter and an increase of 3.3 percent in average sales price, which rose to $289,155. The Virginia Beach/Norfolk/Newport News region reported housing sales up 5 percent while average sales price dipped slightly by 1.3 percent to $250,388.

"We realized that our data provides meaningful insight into the housing market in our primary regions," explained Barry S. Redler, chief marketing officer for The Long & Foster Companies. Of particular note are the regional differences. "Now perhaps more than ever, it’s important that buyers and sellers have their agent interpret this type of information for them and fully explain the trends in their immediate marketplace. Local markets could differ from the trends identified in the larger Metropolitan Statistical Areas identified in the report," Redler added.

The Long & Foster Market Conditions Report demonstrates that most market conditions are trending upward. "This is a positive sign for recovery," stated Redler.

I've Made a Change

My New Affiliation:

I am pleased to share with you some exciting news!

Long& Foster Realtors has invited me to join their team of real estate professionals. While not aggressively searching for a different affiliate, upon receiving the invitation, I was anxious to explore what advantages this company would provide for my real estate clients.

After an extensive fact-finding mission and several meetings with key leaders of Long & Foster, I am confident that this move benefits not only me, but also the future of marketing real estate in south central Virginia.

I could write at length about what the Long & Foster advantages will bring to our area, but fortunately, this is summarized in their mission statement:

“Founded on the bedrock of integrity and innovation, honesty and good old-fashioned customer service, Long & Foster has as its corporate mission to provide the most professional residential and commercial real estate services and related financial services, available through one convenient and financially stable source.

Long & Foster honors its Sales Associates and enhances their professionalism and commitment to excellence with superior training, sophisticated marketing, and state-of-the-art technology, resulting in both unsurpassed service to the customer and a true feeling of family within the company.”

Integrity, Honesty, Innovation, Customer Service. I think this says it all.

Currently I serve the areas of Lunenburg, Nottoway, Charlotte, Mecklenburg, Brunswick, Prince Edward and Dinwiddie – this will NOT change. My new office is located at 1810-A Main Street in Victoria, next to the Uptown Café. We will open on or before November 1.

With sales of over $61 billion, Long and Foster Real Estate, Inc. is America's #1 privately-owned real estate company. Long and Foster sells thousands more homes each year than its nearest competitor. And unlike most real estate offices, my office is not a franchise, but a branch of Long and Foster. They will bring to this area the financial strength, marketing power and 15,000 agents promoting my listings to the Country.

For more information on Long and Foster Realtors, go to: http://www.longandfoster.com/ and keep following my blog for upcoming real estate news that impacts YOU.

Before you Sell or Purchase.

A DREAM HOME ESTATE FOR YOU:

Just listed, this magnificent home on 80 acres in South Brunswick near Lake Gaston is a must see. Over 3,000 sq. ft. above grade and a finished basement, this house is set up for the family who likes to entertain guest. It is an open floor design built in 2004. Forty acres is open fields and 40 is wooded. Email me for a special showing or to get more information.

Thinking of Purchasing A Property?

Did you know that approximately 85% of people looking for land or a home use a Realtor? In spite of the fact that the majority of home buyers start their search on the internet, they still choose to work with a real estate professional once they are committed to a serious home search.

Realtors don't control housing information the way they did 20 years ago, before the MLS and computer based systems began sharing information freely across cyber space. What they do provide is an in-depth knowledge of homes and property values that only comes from daily interaction with other professionals, buyers and sellers. This constant commodity awareness is the same reason we chose to work with professionals in other parts of our lives. Why should buying a home be any different?

So start looking for your next property the same way 87% of buyers do, on the internet. But don't hesitate to get your most trusted real estate professional involved in the process early; they provide information not accessible online, along with the advice and guidance you will need to begin a serious search, and to fine the property, whether it be land or a home, that best suits you.

FHA Loans Update from Realtor.org

FEATURE PROPERTY:This 17.5 acre "piece of heaven" located on Reservoir Road near Victoria offers peace and quiet for the outdoors man or lady looking for a camping and recreation spot or the location for that country get-away or retirement home. Long creek frontage along Modest Creek and only 300 yards on a private lane to some great fishing at the undeveloped Modest Creek reservoir. Check out my United Country website for this and more.

FHA LENDING UPDATE:
With the lending industry still trying to find sure footing, FHA loans are filling the gap for those home buyers looking for alternatives to get their loan approved. More and more consumers are looking to these type loans to get their dream home. And not just the underprivileged have moved in this direction as an alternative to traditional financing.

The National Assoc. of Realtors (NAR) is working hard to keep FHA lending a priority with Congress, and also working to expand its scope of lending. Take a few minutes and check out the following video at: www.realtor.org/home/realtortv.

News from the Federal Reserve on Financing

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FEATURE PROPERTY:

Located just on the edge of the village of Kenbridge in Southern Virginia, this 3 B/R, 2 Bath ranch is a move-in ready, comfortable, spacious, and quiet neighborhood property that is ideal for the starter family or a retired couple looking to downsize. Close to town and a 1.3 mile walking trail. For more details, go to my United Country website by clicking on the tab on my blog front page. or email me at sms@embarqmail.com .


A CONSUMERS GUIDE TO MORTGAGE FINANCING:


Have interest rates fallen? Or do you expect them to go up? Has your credit score improved enough so that you might be eligible for a lower-rate mortgage? Would you like to switch into a different type of mortgage?

The answers to these questions will influence your decision to refinance your mortgage. But before deciding, you need to understand all that refinancing involves. Your home may be your most valuable financial asset, so you want to be careful when choosing a lender or broker and specific mortgage terms. Remember that, along with the potential benefits to refinancing, there are also costs.

When you refinance, you pay off your existing mortgage and create a new one. You may even decide to combine both a primary mortgage and a second mortgage into a new loan. Refinancing may remind you of what you went through in obtaining your original mortgage, since you may encounter many of the same procedures--and the same types of costs--the second time around.

For more information log on to:

http://federalreserve.gov/pubs/refinancings/default.htm