Homes by Malissa

There is still good news if you are in t

Malissa Carpenter — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 02:05:33 +0000

There is still good news if you are in the market to purchase a new home. Based on current market statistics as of July 31, 2010, the market on the peninsula still overwhelmingly favors buyers. This means that negotiating terms with sellers can help you come out on top. Things like a home warranty, closing cost assistance, negotiating a lower price, and fixing additional items in the home are things that many sellers are willing to do inorder to get their home sold. In addition to these items, interest rates are still incredibly low and you have a HUGE selection (there are over 14,000 homes for sale in Hampton Roads) !!!!! If you have been considering purchasing a home but haven’t jumped in yet, now is a fantastic time!

OPEN HOUSE

Malissa Carpenter — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:56:28 +0000

105 Foundry Court, York County, VA

OPEN HOUSE

Sunday August 1st

1:00 – 4:00 PM

$204,850

3 bedrooms

2 & 1/2 bathrooms

Approx Sq Ft. 1,430

2 car assigned/reserved parking

Patio

Storage Shed

New Granite Counter Tops in Kitchen

MLS # 1023432

Fort Eustis Spray Park

Malissa Carpenter — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:43:57 +0000

The Fort Eustis Spray Park is a great place to take the kids on a hot summer day. My kids could play for hours in the water and on the new play equipment. There is a nice gazebo with picnic tables there too for those who don’t want to catch the rays. It is a great FREE activity to do with the kiddos. Non military can go to the park too. All you need is your dirver’s license and your vehicle registration.

Fort Eustis Spray Park

City Center at Oyster Point, Newport News

Malissa Carpenter — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:43:22 +0000

Marriott hotel - City Center

This new downtown area has so much going on. Depending on what corner you are at, your nose detects oriental cuisine from the Hayashi Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar (if you plan to go on the weekend and want to sit in the hibachi section, you’ll want to have a reservation – we have tried to walk-in

Talbots City Center

a couple of times and were unsuccessful – the food smells fantastic!) Mexican food from Salsa’s, or a sizzling steak from Red Star Tavern (they have the best carrot cake.. it is HUGE and can easily feed 2-3 people). To satisfy your sweet tooth, Maggie Moos offers up custom mix-in icecreams, and if you have a hankering for some java Aroma’s Coffee House & Bake Shop serves up food and treats as well as your favorite cup o’joe. My kids love to have their Smores for Two which comes complete with graham crackers, chocolate, marshmallows, skewers, and a flame right at your table… happy roasting!

Several banks, offices of Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield, and the Marriott Hotel are anchored around the huge City Center Fountain. Some of the shopping at City Center includes Coldwater Creek, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor Loft, Hi-Ho Silver, Jos. A. Bank, Richey & Co. Sunglass Hut, Talbots, and Hauser’s Jewlers. If dancing is your game, or you wish it were…Amy’s Dance Studio offers a veriety of styles for children and adults. If you think you would enjoy urban living in this mini-city there are the Parkplace Apartments with 300+ units for rent, and the Point at City Center luxury condominiums available for purchase. There are many events held by the fountain throughout the year (click here to see the listing). In the spring you can celebrate St. Patricks Day at the fountain. In the summer, every Friday evening there is a free concert by local musicians and later in the summer, family movie nights are offered once a week. The Virginia Symphony caps off the summer with a free concert in September. Oysters abound with the oyster roast in October which will lead up to the highlight of the City Center events calendar….Hollydazzle. Hollydazzle brings thousands to City Center. There are food vendors, kids activities and games, music, dance performances, and the finale is a spactacular fireworks display over the fountain.

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Property Tax Records VS. Fair Listing Price

Malissa Carpenter — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 18:44:35 +0000

As most of us know, the real estate market has been up and down (mostly down) for the past few years. If you are a buyer or seller, this makes it a challenge to put a fair price on a home. Many in the real estate profession would give more weight to the tax record of the property in years past for determining a price range when listing a home. However, in today’s market the tax record has had to take a lesser weight as we deal with the unfortunate truth of foreclosures and short sales. In Newport News, tax records can be 2 years old which can make them almost obsolete in determining a fair listing price in some neighborhoods. As we know the market has changed tremendously, and is still changing every day. In my opinion, it will be at least a few years and stability in the market until we can give as much weight to tax assessment records in determining a fair list/sale price.

Blackbeard Pirate Festival follow-up

Malissa Carpenter — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 17:54:32 +0000

We had a great time at the festival yesterday. The kids loved the children’s area which had inflatables, a beautiful indoor carousel, digging for treasure in a pile of sand, puppet shows and music, bumper boats and all of the real boats docked for the special event. Boat owners really got in the spirit and decorated their masts with flags and some even had dressed up pirates onboard with treasure chests. We ate lunch at Goodfellas on Queen Street – the burgers were excellent! Hampton has so much to offer. We would have loved to go through the Air and Space Museum, but we didn’t have time. Maybe next time…

Tips – Care and Maintenance of Your Deck | HouseLogic

Malissa Carpenter — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 02:25:28 +0000

Care and Maintenance of Your Deck | HouseLogic

via Care and Maintenance of Your Deck | HouseLogic.

Yorktown 4th of July Follow-up

Malissa Carpenter — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 02:10:58 +0000

My family and I had a great time at the Yorktown 4th of July celebration. We followed the advise on their website (to arrive before 5:30pm) and arrived there about 4:30. We brought a picnic dinner and tailgated of sorts as we ate it in the parkinglot. Then we headed off to the parade to cheer the fifes and drum performers, and our various military representatives. They had a grand stand and various musicians and speakers to entertain the crowd as we waited for it to get dark. There was an area for kids to jump in the blow-up bounce and slide toys. The only drag was that it was for kids 5 -? so my 3 year old couldn’t play on them. That was a bit hard to explain when our 5 year old was able to play. Anyway, the firework display was spactacular and lasted much longer than I was expecting. When the show was over, there was only one road out, so if you go in the future, prepare for a long ride home. We didn’t get home until midnight. All in all, it was a fantastic event and one we will definately go to again.

Blackbeard Pirate Festival July 9-11

Malissa Carpenter — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 01:52:34 +0000

We are going to check out the Blackbeard Pirate Festival in Hampton this Saturday. I have heard good things about it and there are plenty of things going on for our kids to enjoy too. There are waterfront skirmishes between the pirates and the Royal Navy, music, puppet shows, and much more. Here is a link to the event website http://www.blackbeardpiratefestival.com/ so you can find the detailed schedule.

Congress Passes Tax Credit Closing Extension and Flood Insurance Extension

Malissa Carpenter — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 02:47:38 +0000

Tax Credit Closing Extension

After a close brush with the deadline, Congress has passed an extension of the Homebuyer Tax Credit closing deadline, the Homebuyer Assistance and Improvement Act (H.R. 5623). The extension applies only to transactions that have ratified contracts in place as of April 30, 2010 that have not yet closed. The legislation is designed to create a seamless extension the new closing deadline for eligible transactions is now September 30, 2010. There will be no gap between June 30 and the date the President signs the bill into law.

NAR worked closely with Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle to enact this important legislation. Extending the Tax Credit Closing deadline will help provide additional stability to real estate markets across the nation.

For additional information on the extension visit www.realtor.org/government_affairs

Flood Insurance Extension

Additionally, the United States Senate has passed the National Flood Insurance Program Extension Act of 2010 (H.R. 5569) an extension of the National Flood Insurance Program until September 30, 2010. This will allow transactions to move forward. The bill is retroactive and covers the lapse period from June 1, 2010 to the date of enactment of the extension.

For more information on the flood insurance program visit www.realtor.org/government_affairs