Richmond Home Shopper

Agent Spotlight: Laura Williams

Laura Williams has been working in the real estate industry since 2004 and has been a Buyer’s Agent for Skye Bruce Properties since 2005. Her extensive experience working with buyers is demonstrated by her obtaining a Distinguished Achiever Award from the Richmond Association of Realtors in 2006.

Laura is a graduate from the University of Indiana and holds her Accredited Buyer Representative designation from the National Association of Realtors – a testament to her strong commitment to professionally representing buyers.

Beacuse of her strong dedication and service to her clients, Laura is a top choice of buyer’s all over the Richmond area. Even in the tough 2008 real estate market, Laura is the #5 REMAX Agent in Central Virginia and in the Top 20 statewide!

First Time Homebuyer Mortgage Myths

As first-time home buyer’s grow curious about the home-buying process, they often turn to friends and family for advice about purchasing a home. While these sources can provide useful tips and information, they also may perpetuate some common home-buying myths.

While family and friends may have the best intentions when sharing their purchase experiences, it is important to make sure that first-time homebuyers have accurate information.

There are many resources first-time buyers can use for learning about the home-financing process, including attending local mortgage seminars or researching online. Well-known mortgage lenders often have educational resources and mortgage tools on their Web sites.

So what are some common home-buying myths? Read the rest of this entry »

Richmond Strikers Youth Soccer

The Richmond Strikers Soccer Club is a non-profit corporation and has been providing soccer programs in Richmond for 26 years. Over the years, Strikers has grown to be the area’s largest non-profit club offering a variety of soccer programs for all ages. In March 2006, the Richmond Strikers merged with VA CASL creating one of the largest clubs in Virginia and the nation, and an organization that serves a broad geographic range covering the western and eastern parts of Richmond . Striker Park , located in the heart of Short Pump, is one of the country’s top youth soccer facilities and home to a state-of-the-art Nike turf field. Plans are underway to develop another soccer complex in the eastern part of Richmond on land that was donated to the Strikers. Strikers host several large annual tournaments including the prestigious Jefferson Cup which brings in over $8 million to the Richmond area. For all its accomplishments, the Richmond Strikers has been named one of 45 Nike Premier Clubs in America. For more information visit the Richmond Strikers website!

How to Buy a Pre-Foreclosure House

This article I recently found on HGTV.com and was re-published from RealtyTrac, an online foreclosure resource guide.  We see foreclosures in the news quite a bit and hear that there are some fantastic deals out there.  This article I thought provided great information on how to find a bargain and how to go about the process!

Six steps to finding a Foreclosure Bargain! By RealtyTrac | Published: 2/03/2008

The pre-foreclosure stage — the period from when a Notice of Default or LisPendens has been issued until the time the lender puts the property up for an auction — can last several months, so buying during this time requires a lot of patience and persistence. It typically offers the best bargains, but it’s also the most difficult stage to purchase a distressed home. Understand that the owner still has a chance to stop the foreclosure process by paying off what is owed or by selling the property. Here’s what to do: Read the rest of this entry »

Selling Your Home? Add Appeal with a Few Simple Touches!

A few simple touches can make a powerful impact in the eyes of potential buyers. But not to worry — these quick projects are easy — and affordable — to tackle before putting your home on the market.

#1 You Only Get One Chance to Make a First Impression

As soon as a potential buyer turns into your driveway, the selling process begins. Make sure your lawn is well-manicured and the entry to your home is clean and clutter-free. If paint is beginning to chip from shutters and siding, add a quick coat of paint — you’ll be surprised at what a difference it can make. Always check your gutters and also wash your windows — inside and out. To add a nice touch to your entryway, add a seasonal pot of flowers or plants near the front door — it will welcome guests right from the start. Read the rest of this entry »

Skye Bruce Properties chosen to represent Scandia USA Homes at Rocketts Landing

Skye Bruce Properties has been chosen to represent Scandia USA builders for their new Rocketts Landing town-homes. These luxury, energy efficient, green built town-homes offer incredible custom features such as granite counter tops, four piece crown molding, Kountry Kraft handmade cabinets, advance security systems, plus much more! Read the rest of this entry »

September New Home Sales Up

Nationwide sales of newly constructed homes rose in September, but the median selling price dropped.The September report from the US Census Bureau finds new home sales were up 2.7 percent from Aug. to an annualized rate of 464,000. Sales are down 33 percent from September 2007, and far below the pace during the boom years. Read the rest of this entry »

New Homes at New Kent Vinyards!

Exciting news in New Kent County!  Ryan Homes, the largest builder of new homes in Virginia has begun construction in The Arbors at New Kent Vineyards. Homes are slated to start around $270,000, be between 2000 and 5000 square feet and have up to six bedrooms. Read the rest of this entry »

Home Sales Up in Richmond!

A welcome headline this morning in the Richmond Times Dispatch! “RICHMOND-AREA HOME SALES RISE”. They reported that Richmond Area homes sales rose in the third quarter by 1.6% compared to the same quarter in 2007. Hanover and Henrico counties saw positive growth of about 2%.  The average price for a home remained flat in the Richmond area at around 239,000.

The Richmond area continues to out perform the rest of the country, most other metro areas and the state as a whole. Read the rest of this entry »

Richmond Foreclosures on the Rise!

Foreclosures in the Richmond Metro area are on the rise again.  Over 1100 homes received foreclosure filings almost triple year over year. Bank repo’s, auction sales and defaults are included in this total. In Virginia as a whole, foreclosure notices are up 185% year over year. Notices did fall in September versus August, one bright spot, but nothing you could call trend. The Richmond area ranked 88th among metro areas in the country for foreclosures.

Nationwide there was a 71 percent increase in the number of homes which received at least one foreclosure-related notice in the third quarter of 2008 compared with the same period in 2007. Read the rest of this entry »