David Bruce

January 20th, 2010

Remodeling To Sell Your Richmond Home

No doubt about it, remodeling is expensive. A bathroom remodel can quickly reach $10,000 and that’s about where the most basic kitchen remodels start. In short, remodeling is an investment and you want to make sure you get the best return on your dollars. Ever wonder if it’s worth it when it come to re-selling your Richmond area home?  If you spend the money will you get it back?  Check out this link to the 2010 COST versus VALUE calculator.   It’s a great resource as you make important decisions.

What are the most effective areas to remodel when getting ready to sell your Richmond area home?  Contact Skye Bruce Properties for great advice when preparing your home for sale.  Skye Bruce Properties has a team of listing experts to help you make those important decisions to get your home sold as fast as possible at an optimum price.

January 7th, 2010

Most Expensive Homes Sold in 2009

This time of year it’s always interesting to look back and review the most expensive homes sold in the Richmond area. According to data reported by the Central Virginia Multiple Listing Service there were 39 single family homes which sold for $1,000,000 or more in the Richmond area. Goochland County had the most with 16, followed by the City of Richmond (11), Henrico (6), Chesterfield (5) and Hanover (1).

The most expensive was a Read the rest of this entry »

December 19th, 2009

Buying A Richmond House in the Snow

Okay, we are in the midst of the blizzard of 2009 and a week before Christmas, who is really shopping for a home? Well if you’ve been thinking about buying a new home December, January and February are great months to buy a home in the Richmond area.  Why? There are usually fewer homes on the market in these months and sellers tend to be very serious about selling this time of the year.  This can often translate into a better deal for a Richmond area homebuyer. Read the rest of this entry »

December 16th, 2009

Neighborhood Spotlight: Twin Hickory

Twin Hickory is a master planned community of about 1400 homes just off I-295 and Nuckols Road in western Henrico County. Twin Hickory is made up of unique neighborhoods and includes single-family homes, townhomes, and condominium homes. The community was developed by HHHunt, the same developer of master planned communities Wellsley and Wyndham.

Numerous amenities make living in Twin Hickory an incredible experience. The development includes Twin Hickory Town Center with shops, restaurants, a grocery store and is close to Downtown Short Pump, Short Pump Town Center and the newly developed West Broad Village. There is a beautiful community pool and tennis courts, a Henrico County Public Library, the Shady Grove YMCA, Twin Hickory Elementary School, Deep Run High School and other amenities which are accessible from a a network of sidewalks and paths. Twin Hickory offers a lot to its residents and is a great place to raise a family! Read the rest of this entry »

December 3rd, 2009

Tacky Lights and Richmond Real Estate

It’s that time of the year!  Santa Claus’ outside Walmart ringing the bell, tree’s being sold about every 1/2 mile on Broad Street, even stop lights flash a bright red and green.  Wasn’t that in a song?  Seriously though the holidays are upon us and are a time for family, celebration, good cheer and yes, decorating.

 The decorating part can be a challenge if you are trying to sell your home.  While holiday decorating is fun and festive, too much can leave buyers unable to picture themselves at home in your house.  Not really the feedback you want to hear from prospective buyers. Also not everyone has the same beliefs and customs that you do. Remember when you are trying to sell a home you want to appeal to the masses, including homebuyers that do not observe Christmas. Read the rest of this entry »

December 1st, 2009

Richmond Short Sales Will Get Easier!

The U.S. Treasury Department on Monday released a plan to speed up and encourage Short Sales as a means to help families avoid foreclosure. We’ve been offering Short Sale proposals to public officials for over a year, and although the new guidelines aren’t everything we were hoping for, they do represent a significant improvement over the current situation.

Short Sales have been difficult to close, and these new measures are a huge step in the right direction. One major highlight: A lender must give a yes or no answer to an offer within 10 days. Also included: a moving allowance, incentives for sellers and lenders, commission rules, and a stipulation that releases sellers from debt liabilities.  Here’s an initial Reuters news story outlining the new policies. Read the rest of this entry »

November 24th, 2009

Richmond, U.S. Home Sales Rising!

Good news for the Richmond area real estate market!  Sales rose more than 32% in October, year over year.  992 homes were sold in October in Central Virginia compared to 749 homes in October of 2008.

Nationwide home sales surged for the second month in a row in October, climbing to the highest level in 2 1/2 years as first-time buyers rushed to take advantage of an expiring tax credit. Home sales nationwide are now up nearly 36 percent from their bottom in January, data Monday showed, though they are still 16 percent below the peak in autumn 2005.  At the current sales pace, there is only a 7-month supply of homes on the market. Read the rest of this entry »

November 22nd, 2009

Trading Up To A Larger Richmond Home

How in the world are we going to do this, you’re asking. It’s time to move up, finding a bigger home in the Richmond area is something that’s a necessity now and you’re not quite sure where to start. Your home, when you bought it was the right place and had all that you needed at the time. It was economical, was in a great location, had good schools and carried a low cost, all of which you needed as a new family just starting out.

Your needs, like your family, have undergone a many changes. The family is larger now, the business has grown and you need more space to grow and evolve. Your feeling of cozy has gone to the need for more space, a room for that home office and probably a larger space for entertaining, along with more room for the children to spread out and have their own work space in their rooms. There just is not enough room to go around and you absolutely all agree that its time to move up. Finding a bigger home isn’t always an easy task and certainly moving isn’t any picnic, but you have decided it’s time to do it and take advantage of the current buyer’s market. Read the rest of this entry »

November 16th, 2009

Golf Course Living in Richmond

Golf course living in Richmond is all about peaceful life in the luxury of lush greens. Buying a home in a golf course community is really special and exclusive. Golf communities provide enjoyment of your favorite past-time along with security and comfort.

Golf communities offer the best variety of amenities, including golf courses, swimming pools, tennis courts, and more. A well constructed luxurious golf community is a dream come true for many new home buyers, seeking a peaceful environment away from the commotions of the city. You don’t have to even play golf to live in this type of a community, if all that appeals to you is the beautiful surroundings of a golf course.

A wide range of Richmond area homebuyers show interest in golf course communities. Many young families move into a golf community because they seek a peaceful atmosphere and a beautiful home to enjoy while away from work, while many older couples choose golf course community living for retirement. Read the rest of this entry »

November 10th, 2009

$6,500 Move-Up and Repeat Homebuyer Tax Credit at a Glance

New Tax Credits Provide Outstanding Opportunities for Repeat Homebuyers Looking To Move Up!

The Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 has extended the tax credit of up to $6,500 for qualified repeat home buyers purchasing a principal residence. Here are the details for the $6,500 Move-Up & Repeat Home Buyer Tax Credit at a Glance… Read the rest of this entry »