What has caused this optimism? Well, for starters, sellers are becoming more realistic about their prices. Rather then worrying themselves about what their property was worth in 2006, they are starting to realize the buying power they have on the other side once they move their property. I do believe prices have bottomed out. There is less inventory than there has been in a while which should cause prices to rise, although not with the extremes we have seen in the past. Rather, most experts are predicting a much slower, more healthy growth.

Buyers, on the other hand have never had more buying power! Low prices coupled with low interest rates still make this a buyers’ market. What sellers are finally starting to realize is that if they are reasonable with their prices, they will recognize their increased buying power 0n the other end. This is a win-win situation. If, as the press says, lenders start to loosen their lending requirements even just a little, this should shrink existing inventory even more.

I have been fortunate to have listed several very reasonably priced waterfront homes on Lake Anna. If you haven’t already checked them out, you owe it to yourself to explore the opportunities before it’s too late. This could be the year you enjoy your vacation at your own lakefront retreat!

In addition, while there are still short-sales and foreclosures in the pipeline I believe they are also getting more scarce as more distressed properties are gobbled up by investors. Homeowners are also seeking more loan modifications or other avenues of keeping their properties including renting them. Lake Anna hasn’t seen too many of these distressed type of properties but there are still a few in the surrounding area.

I currently have a couple of listings that have great investor potential. One is a foreclosure and the other could have great rental potential at the price of an unimproved  lot!

I would encourage anyone thinking about investing in real estate whether for personal use or for profit (or both) to jump off that fence with both feet while you still can. I will be happy to help you on either side of your real estate transactions at Lake Anna or the surrounding areas of Louisa, Spotsylvania and Orange counties. And don’t forget to “spring forward” rather than falling back. Set your clocks forward one hour this Sunday.

Some folks may think that things slow down around Lake Anna in the fall but owners and visitors alike have plenty to do in this, my favorite season. One of the best times to be had locally  is to experience the Montpelier Hunt Races, an annual event for over 75 years held on the first Saturday in November. If fall foliage, local wines and beautiful horses set in a historic venue complete with a presidential mansion appeal to you, then this is your event. In case you didn’t know, Montpelier was home to President James Madison and his wife, Dolly. Owned until fairly recently by the DuPont family, it has been painstakingly restored to the state it was in when the former president lived there with his amazing wife. There is also a thoroughbred retirement facility also located on the grounds. More information can be found at http://www.montpelierraces.org/ . Montpelier is located in the Somerset area of Orange County just minutes from the town of Orange and nearby Lake Anna and is a great day trip even when the races are not on.

Grab a group of friends and pick up your tickets locally or online and get your tailgate on! This Saturday was a cool, crisp day which started with rolling into our infield parking spot and setting up our table complete with cornucopia centerpiece and candelabra. While we would never win the tailgate display contest, we did enjoy the benefits! Local wines from nearby vineyards played nicely into our day. The attire is varied from Carhart to Vineyard Vines with hats optional and cigars prominent. There is a hat contest, as well.  If you are not walking around with a cup or better yet, wine glass you are not fully appreciating the experience.

There are vendors with everything from art to hats to pet attire to Irish woolens and more. There are seven races during the day on the flat and over jumps with purses up to $40,000 and wagers on the side. Early on there are a Jack Russell Terrier race and tours of the mansion available.  And then there are the horse races- color, action, suspense and excitement. The jockeys and horses flying around and over the grass track is a sight that cannot truly be described but must be experienced.

Needless to say, a great time was had by all and I look forward to seeing you all there next year. If you need help to establish your “home base” at Lake Anna, let me know!

Damage in ca. 1734 Fireplace

where southern Colorado had had a 5.3 earthquake. I couldn’t remember what you were supposed to do so I just “rode the wave” and then went downstairs to try to figure it out.
My phone rang and it was my sister in Colorado asking if we were OK. She said the news said we had just had a 5.8 earthquake. Well, that was news to me.
Suffice to say, the plant shut down as designed and no serious damage or injuries have been reported. Louisa schools closed until after Labor Day (they opened last week) and my understanding is that there is a clean-up needed in every aisle at the Louisa Food Lion!
All joking aside, the aftershocks have me a little on edge but I am so relieved that everyone is OK. We have some damage, primarily things that fell off our shelves and walls and one pretty substantial chimney crack but that’s about it,
I will be patrolling my out-of-town listings for damage this afternoon but don’t anticipate much. Thanks to all my clients, friend and family who called or emailed to check on us.

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  Fielding a Lowball Purchase Offer on Your Home

  Consider before you ignore or outright refuse a very low purchase offer for your home. A counteroffer and negotiation could turn that low purchase offer into a sale. Read

In future blogs, I will discuss pricing and buyers.

As a realtor, I am usually so busy that I don’t have the time to enjoy the many things there are to do and see  around Lake Anna. With my 9-month old grandson (and his parents) visiting , we planned some local activities. There are so many to choose from! Since my daughter-in-law Julie is Park Manager at Steamboat Lake and Pearl Lake State Parks in Colorado, I thought we would go to Lake Anna State Park and she could give me her “professional” opinion as to how it stacked up. I hadn’t been for some time.

Our $4.00 daily (weekdays) parking fee gave us access and since we didn’t bring our horses and the beach was closed- that was the extent of our expense!
Julie, Erik, Peter and I had a nice time taking a 1-2 mi. hike on the pretty trails. They are not suitable for the stroller (only because of tree roots) but easy with a backpack. It was a lovely fall walk along the lake shore. I kept thinking how great it would have been on horseback.

There were a few other visitors fishing, making use of the boat ramp and the picnic areas but we hardly ran into anyone. Julie thought there were a wide variety of activities and the park was well-maintained. She was jealous of the nice sandy beach. With all the new amenities, it’s a great place to go even for full or part-time area residents. I am thinking about getting a life-time pass.

 There are various passes available including discounted and free (for disabled residents). You can check out the pass prices as well as all the amenities on their website. @ http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/lak.shtml .  A free annual pass can be included with the purchase of either of the properties I have listed for sale directly across from the park at 6701 Lawyers Rd.  (manufactured home on 6.6 acres) and 6725 Lawyers Rd (log home on almost 7 acres already set-up for horses).

1. Thank you for showing my listing. Now why won’t you respond to requests for feedback? How else can I convince my clients to paint that front door, mow the lawn or lower the price? I ALWAYS  respond to requests for feedback and try to put a positive spin on it in a format that can be passed on to your clients.
2. Agents who price listings too high to begin with in order to get the listing so that it gets stale on the market I know it’s a hard balance and sometimes the clients just can’t price it where it should be (or won’t) but know your market (as crazy as it is) and PULL COMPS!  But that’s OK, overprice it and I’ll get it later at a lower price when your listing expires.
3. Agents who ignore the showing instructions on the listing,  or just don’t bother to check them and end up looking foolish in front of their clients, and mine.
4. Out-of-area  agents who expect you to show their clients property since they live in No Va or Richmond, don’t have the same lockboxes, yada-yada and then want to represent their client in the sale (and collect their commission). They also do their clients an injustice by not knowing the area and the neighborhoods. I recently found a piece of land for a buyer listed by an out-of-area agent. When I called the agent, they had no plat, no soil work and no idea if there were covenants or restrictions. He actually asked me if there is city water (there wasn’t)! I went to the courthouse and pulled the information but that is a service that I feel the listing agent should provide for their clients if they are going to take a listing. There’s much more to taking a listing than putting it in the MLS and putting up a sign.
5. Empty brochure boxes or no brochures, especially on houses. This is not to say mine haven’t been empty a time or two- but not for weeks on end! If you really don’t want my client to remember your property then don’t bother with a brochure at all.
6. Agents who don ‘t leave cards. See #1 above- it’s common courtesy, especially if it’s a combination lockbox that we can’t trace.
7. And the worst one of all- agents who talk poorly about other agents to get the listing. Not only is this against the Realtor Code of Ethics, it’s just not professional.

Now, I’m not saying that most real estate agents are guilty of these sins because they are not. It has been my pleasure to work with a majority of professional, courteous and competent agents over the years and I do believe that the ones who are will still be here when the others have changed professions (again). As a potential client, you have a right to expect a high level of service from your agent. If you don’t get it, come see me.

 I am talking about our second visit to the Barbeque Exchange in nearby Gordonsville- probably 30-45 minutes from Lake Anna. I love Gordonsville anyway, with it’s mix of quaint old houses and historic downtown and there are a couple of restaurants there but one of the newest is The Barbeque Exchange and well worth the trip! Very laid back and very reasonable with some of the best barbeque and “fixins” we have tried.

 Check out their web page at www.BBQEX.com with pictures, menus, and more! We highly recommend their pulled pork although my husband likes the Hog Fire sauce while I prefer the QX Sweet (and spicy). He swears by the beer-battered onion rings and we all like the mac and cheese (creamy and homemade). The cornbread is sweet and moist but don’t take our word for it- try it for yourselves!

 P.S They do serve beer and wine and the desserts look incredible. Let me know what you think!

Today I visited Lake Anna Island with a couple of other agents. I saw a few old friends, agents that have been at Lake Anna as long or longer than I have. As you may know, there is a lot of activity going on. A  large building (currently bright yellow from the insulation) is going up that will soon house a restaurant and other businesses. They are also building more townhomes and another large building along with more boat slips that can be bought or leased.

Just up the road, a new Food Lion is going in with more shops including, I have heard, a Chinese restaurant. Chicken Neckers is also in the process of opening a restaurant/takeout for their wonderful shrimp and crabs that we were spoiled with last year for the first time. On Zachary Taylor Highway, north of Dickinson’s Store yet another new building is going in at Stonewall that is purported to include another waterfront restaurant.

We talked about how much Lake Anna has changed over the years. One of the agents mentioned that public opinion on whether these changes are positive or negative is divided. On the one hand, the addition and variety of services and amenities are sorely needed. On the other hand, there is a concern that the nature of Lake Anna will change for the worse and we will begin to adapt a more suburban look and atmosphere. Wherever you stand on this issue, one thing is sure- change is inevitable.

It is hoped that all these changes are positive and that the new abundance of services and amenities will add to the wonderful quality of life that we already enjoy.

My own wish list would include a minor emergency facility, a bank or drive-through ATM, a veterinarian, a car wash and perhaps an ice cream store!

And, BTW, if anyone would like to grant my wishes there is a great 2 acre piece of commercial property for sale right on Courthouse Road before you get to the bridge for only $94,500 with a certification letter that could easily accommodate one or more of these businesses!

The same friend started sending us rental house listings all over the place- Fredericksburg, Lake Caroline, Lake Anna, Lake L’Andor and more.  We called a rental in Windwood Coves and rented it sight unseen. We arrived in the dark to our rental with 2 cars, 3 kids and a puking cat. Imagine our surprise the next morning when we got up and saw Lake Anna from our living room for the very first time! We loved the outdoor lifestyle with our kids but continued to look for houses to buy closer to Terry’s work in Fredericksburg. Back and forth we went- subdivisions with 1/4 AC lots (or smaller), barking dogs, loud music and a kinda “in your face” feel. In contrast, most of the houses at Lake Anna were on at least an acre, nestled in the woods with neighbors (mostly part-time) with interests similar to ours.

Long story short- guess where we bought? Yup, not only Lake Anna but in Windwood Coves. Great beach, 3 park areas, kid friendly, boat slip, nature and all for about the same price (or less at the time) than a split-level on a tiny lot. We christened our 1350 sq. ft. cottage- The Gingerbread House and lived there for several years until we moved onto the lake. But that’s another story.

Lake Anna has changed a lot since then but so have we. One of my pet peeves is  folks that move down here and love Lake Anna but don’t want to see any more growth or anyone else come here. It doesn’t work like that. Funnel that energy into making sure that the inevitable growth is handled responsibly without changing the nature of Lake Anna living. Then we can all continue to enjoy it!