Charity of the Month: FeedMore Central Virginia Food Bank

My team and I really enjoyed volunteering with FeedMore Central Virginia Foodbank, our Charity of the Month for June.  In addition, a portion of each commission that we get during that month goes towards our COTM - every month - and we couldn't think of a better cause than helping friends, neighbors and families in the fight against hunger.  We don't just want to sell homes, we want to better our community through service!

 

Open Houses This Saturday!

Come out on this beautiful Saturday in RVA and check out these amazing open houses!


Saturday June 25th from 1 pm - 3 pm

13512 Corapeake Place
Chesterfield, VA 23838
5 Bedrooms
4.5 Baths
$549,000

Take a gander at this beautiful transitional style home in the sought after Chesdin Landing subdivision. This home encompasses the good life and is a hop skip and a jump away from the golf course & sits on over one & a half acres of paradise. Entering into your new home you will notice 9ft ceilings that lead you into the family room. Sit and enjoy the surround sound Bose system and enjoy the stone fireplace that will keep you cozy during those cold winter months. From the family room you flow right on into the kitchen with granite counter tops and gorgeous dark cabinetry. The first floor master is a retreat in its self. You have a magnificent view out of your bay window and a large master bath with a jetted tub and separate shower. Upstairs you have 4 other bedrooms w/a bonus room to let your imagination run wild. Outside on the deck, enjoy a large area to grill, entertain, or just sit and bask in the beautiful picturesque setting. Just to the left of the backyard is a play area and then just a short walk through the trees you can be putting away and spending the day playing golf. Too many features to have them all listed, so stop imagining, and come see this property today!

For more information on this property and the surrounding area click here!


Saturday June 25th from 2 pm - 4 pm

3620 Tanby Rd 
Richmond, VA 23235
4 bedrooms
2.5 baths
$329,900

Looking for a home that has a GREAT location & the ability to get anywhere in minutes? You have found it right here. This spacious home is located on a cul-de-sac & has 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths WITH ROOM TO GROW. Walking into the home you gaze upon the formal living room, with elegant columns. Keeping straight you land in the family room that has been wired for surround sound & has an open floor plan on into the kitchen w/new granite counter tops and back splash. There is a nice bay window to sit and enjoy the views outside from the eat-in kitchen. From the kitchen you have an office or sun room space that has access to the basement. Upstairs you have 4 bedrooms. The master has two closets, one being a walk-in closet, talk about space! The master bathroom has a double vanity, garden tub, and stand up shower. The basement has been framed and has electric and water. It's framed out for two bedrooms, a full bath, and a living room/den space. You can walk out onto the two level deck in the rear and enjoy the privacy of your fully fenced rear yard. Let your creativity flow and come finish this untapped potential in this great home! Make an appointment to see this home before its too late! For more detail on this house and the area, click here!

The 10 Commandments of Flipping A House

From Real Estate writer and investor Ethan Roberts is advice for investors to follow when choosing a home they'd like to flip.  While every investor needs to take into consideration their local real estate market including trends, prices, etc., it is great general advice to follow. We will absolutely work with you to find the best investment, the best way to make a profit and see you through the whole process!

The 10 Commandments of Choosing a Profitable House to Flip

By: Ethan Roberts

These days a large number of real estate investors, both new and experienced, are looking for good homes to flip (re-sell quickly at an increase in price).  But not every home, even if it’s a foreclosure, is going to be profitable as a flipper.

Buying the right kind of home on a flip can mean the difference between making a lucrative profit versus barely breaking even or enacting only a small gain.  Why toil for weeks on a property unless we can realize a substantial profit?  The objective should be to maximize our profit potential from the start, while reducing overall risk.  To that end, I have created the following 10 commandments to help you achieve that goal:

1. Thou shall choose a home with a good location.  Location is still the most important aspect of real estate investing.  Homes that are close to major thoroughfares, good schools, nice restaurants, shopping venues, and other desirables will sell the quickest and for the best price.  Other good locations include homes on or near the ocean or other large bodies of water, and homes near popular parts of town or nightlife.

2. Thou shall choose a home in a decent neighborhood.   No matter how inexpensive the home may be, very few buyers want a home in a high-crime area.  Check the local crime statistics to avoid buying in a bad location.

3. Thou shall choose a home that is not super unique.  While there are many beautiful homes that are unique in design or features, many potential buyers are easily scared off by homes that are too different from other surrounding homes, or so unique that they offer challenges to normal living routines.  Cookie cutter homes may appear to be boring, but they sell more quickly and for more money.

4. Thou shall choose a home that is surrounded by other nice homes with no eyesores.  Few buyers want to live next door to a house with garbage in the yard, cars parked on the lawn, or a humongous boat in the driveway.  You can turn a home into a palace, but if any of the homes surrounding it look awful, it’s going to be a tough sell and garner a lower price.  So when you are viewing homes, look carefully at the surrounding homes as well.

5. Thou shall choose a home built in 1978 or after.  Homes built prior to 1978 may contain lead based paint, and as such will require that you adhere to the Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) laws of the Environmental Protection Agency when rehabbing.  The law makes working on these homes much more time-consuming and expensive.  You have to document every single renovation in case of an audit.

Failure to follow the laws may subject you to fines up to $30,000 or more per offense!  However, by flipping homes built in 1978 or later, you do not have to adhere to these guidelines because lead-based paint was no longer produced.

But even without lead-based paint issues, newer homes are just easier to sell because they have more of the features that today’s buyer wants.  The closets are larger, and so are the bathrooms and master bedrooms.

6. Thou shall choose a home with a good floor plan.   A good floor plan is one which flows easily from room to room.  Many people prefer the newer and more open floor plans, in which the kitchen is open to the family room, formal rooms are smaller, and the master and other bedrooms are often on opposite sides of the home.  Other features I look for are homes which have a foyer, a master bedroom in the rear of the home, large closets, inside laundry area, and the garage near the kitchen for easy carrying of groceries into the home.

7. Thou shall choose a home where the purchase price plus ALL expenses will give you a comfortable margin of profit on the re-sell.  In order to make a profit, you must know the total cost of sales price, rehabbing, carrying costs (taxes, insurance, utilities, maintenance), and closing costs for both buying and selling BEFORE making an offer.  Your realtor can help with the estimates.

8. Thou shall buy a home that targets the largest number of potential buyers by Affordability.  If you buy an expensive home with the idea of re-selling for a huge profit, that may work, but it could also take a lot longer to re-sell.  If only a few people can afford to buy your home, be prepared to have it on the market for several months, while other less expensive homes sell in weeks or even days in a strong market.

Conversely, if you buy a dirt-cheap home with the belief that anyone can afford to buy it on the flip, you may be fooling yourself.  The likely buyers may have poor credit or too much debt to qualify for a mortgage.  Your best buyer could be an investor looking for a turnkey rental home, and then you will have to settle for a much lower price than what you expected.

9. Thou shall choose a home with a good lot.  Many people prefer a rectangular lot with equilateral sides.  Pie-shaped or other irregularly sized lots may be a more difficult sell, and should be avoided.  It is also important to make sure that the gradation of the land is such that water will flow away from the home when it rains, so there are no potential problems with flooding.

10. Thou shall choose a home that can be rehabbed within a relatively short period of time.  When it comes to flipping a home,TIME IS MONEY.  Every day the home remains unsold reduces your potential profit on the flip.  Carrying costs include homeowner taxes, insurance, utilities, maintenance, and interest if you’re funding the flip with any kind of loan.  So the golden rule is to get in and out of the home as quickly as you can.  For that reason, I prefer to flip homes that are less than 2,000 square feet.

By following these 10 commandments, you will be more likely to minimize your risks and make a big profit on your next home flip.  Good luck!

To read the original article, click here.

Open Houses #ThisWeekend!

We have 3 open houses this weekend!  Come check out these great properties and enjoy the sunny weather all weekend long.  While you're at it, you can treat dad to a round of golf at Lake Chesdin Golf Course, next to our gorgeous Corapeake Place listing in Chesterfield!



SATURDAY, June 18th 2 pm - 4 pm


13512 Corapeake Place
Chesterfield, VA 23838
5 bedrooms
4.5 baths
$549,000

Take a gander at this beautiful transitional style home in the sought after Chesdin Landing subdivision. This home encompasses the good life and is a hop skip and a jump away from the golf course & sits on over one & a half acres of paradise. Entering into your new home you will notice 9ft ceilings that lead you into the family room. Sit and enjoy the surround sound Bose system and enjoy the stone fireplace that will keep you cozy during those cold winter months. From the family room you flow right on into the kitchen with granite counter tops and gorgeous dark cabinetry. The first floor master is a retreat in its self. You have a magnificent view out of your bay window and a large master bath with a jetted tub and separate shower. Upstairs you have 4 other bedrooms w/a bonus room to let your imagination run wild. Outside on the deck, enjoy a large area to grill, entertain, or just sit and bask in the beautiful picturesque setting. Just to the left of the backyard is a play area and then just a short walk through the trees you can be putting away and spending the day playing golf. Too many features to have them all listed, so stop imagining, and come see this property today!

6653 Mount Olive Cohoke Road

King William, VA 23086

4 bedrooms

2.5 baths

$299,900

Welcome to 6653 Mt Olive Cohoke Rd, where your new home awaits. This home sits on over 10 acres, talk about possibilities! On the first level of this wonderful home, you have the formal living room w/hardwood floors, an office w/carpet just installed, dining room w/hardwood floors, a family room, a freshly painted kitchen w/an island & ceramic tile & cherry finished cabinets, stainless steel appliances, eat-in space, and a HUGE pantry for additional storage. The master bedroom upstairs has been newly painted & it has a large front sitting room that could double as an office, large walk-in closet, & a master bath w/ceramic tile, double vanity, jetted tub, linen closet, & a separate shower. Upstairs you will find 3 newly painted bedrooms, an utility room w/washer & dryer hookups, & storage space.

SUNDAY June 19th 1 pm - 3 pm

9011 Old Holly Road
Richmond, VA 23235
3 bedrooms
2 baths
$250,000

Great home in Nottingham subdivision by the river. This home has beautiful landscaping with new mulch and shrubbery. Walking into the home you have newly sanded and remodeled hardwood floors throughout. The living room greets you with a brick wood burning fireplace to keep you cozy in the winter months. The kitchen has granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances. The master bedroom has a full bathroom with marble top and a beautiful one of a kind hand painted sink from Mexico. The other full bathroom in the hallway has a marble top and also another beautifully hand painted masterpiece as the sink. Roof is only 1 year old, new light fixtures, new heat pump, and floor vents. Outside, enjoy your rear deck that wraps around to the side. Enjoy the peaceful setting and the privacy of having no one behind you and your backyard backs right up to Lewis G. Larus Park. Come see this nice ranch home in it's serene setting before its too late!

A Beautiful Home & A Great Location!

3620 Tanby Road

Richmond, VA 23235

This 4 bedroom 2 and a half bath is in a beautiful AND convenient location.  Just off of Chippenham Parkway by Huguenot Road, it’s easy to get to any part of Richmond you desire in minutes!  Jot over to Carytown, enjoy the calm waters of Huguenot Flatwater Park, or spice it up at Pony Pasture Rapids - there’s no shortage of activities in this location!  Nearby is Stony Point Fashion Park where you can enjoy upscale dining and take in a movie, or you can explore the hiking trails on the 106.5 acres of Larus Park or fish at Cherokee Lake!  This area really is rich with activities and nature!

This home is so spacious, has some amazing features and there's room to grow.  There are gorgeous columns framing the formal living room and a family room that’s up to be a full entertainment center and wired for surround sound! 

 

The open floor plan gives this already spacious home a nice airy feel as well as letting in lots of natural light from the bay window!  The kitchen has brand new granite countertops with stunning cabinetry and tiled backsplash.  Just off the kitchen is the perfect office or sunroom with access to the basement.

The master suite boasts two closets, one of them a walk-in!  The master bath features a double vanity, with a large garden style tub and separate standing shower.

The dual-level deck is perfect for entertaining and the fenced in back yard is safe for your furry family members.

The unfinished basement is an untapped gold mine!  Framed for two bedrooms and another bathroom with full electrical and plumbing.  It would be a perfect in-law suite, a good college-age kid cove, guest rooms, or even just a great return when looking to sell.  The possibilities are endless!

FeedMore Volunteer Day!

Yesterday, my team and I volunteered at the Feedmore Food Bank, an amazing organization that provides nearly 51,000 meals a day to Central Virginians that struggle with hunger.  So many more neighbors, friends, and families are struggling with this issue than you know!  Help your fellow Virginians by donating or volunteering with FeedMore today!  

Open House Sunday!

Sunday from 2 pm - 4 pm we are holding open two beautiful properties in great locations!

8801 Hungary Rd.

Henrico, VA 23294

5 bedrooms

2.5 baths

$250,000

Welcome to this beautifully renovated home in Henrico. This property encompasses not only the main home but another separate studio-style home behind it! YOU GET TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!! The homes sit on over 1 acre that has been freshly landscaped. The main home has new gutters, new siding, newer windows, all new hardwoods on first floor, fresh paint, and new fixtures. The kitchen is like new with new cabinets, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and island. Upstairs you will find two bedrooms with refinished hardwood floors and a full bath with new tile in the shower, new vanity, and new tile floor. The studio would be a great in-law suite or guest house. It includes hardwood floors, new windows, fresh paint throughout, new hot water heater, and more. The downstairs has a wet bar with granite, new cabinets, new sink and fixtures. Full bathroom downstairs with new vanity, new tile in shower, and new fixtures. Upstairs has two additional rooms with newly refinished hardwoods. Come check them out before they are gone!

10298 Jamestown Rd.

Ashland, VA 23005

4 bedrooms

2.5 baths

$250,000

Welcome to the new and improved 10298 Jamestown Rd. Walking into the hardwood foyer of the home, you will notice brand new everything. From new energy star LED fixtures, carpet, hardwood floors, windows, doors, ductwork, the heat pump, the hot water heater, to the siding and front country porch and the large rear deck outside. The list of what is new could go on and on, but a nice feature this home has to offer, is the open kitchen w/granite counter tops and island. Also another nice feature is, the master bedroom has a nice walk-in closet and the private master bath has a HUGE tile sit-in shower. The home is wired for a generator and outside the home is equipped with flood lights on the front & back controlled by photo cell & motion sensors, which there is a separate control in the master bedroom. Also, the home sits on an acre of land so you have privacy when sitting on your LARGE new rear deck. If these features alone do not make you want to see this home, I do not know what will!! Come check it out before its gone!

Real Estate Investment Basics

We love working with investors! We have lots of experience with both guiding first-time investors and alerting well-seasoned investors when an ideal property comes to market!  If you've been thinking about dipping your toes in Real Estate Investment here's some great basic tips to follow to make sure you're getting the best return!

Making More Money: Real Estate Investment Tips and Tricks

More and more people have been turning to real estate investments nowadays. While this can be a great way to make some money, it can also be disastrous. Failure is more likely to occur if you’re not educated on the subject. Get all the real estate investment information you need here.

Liston more than talking when negotiating. By dominating the negotiations with your own talking, you might miss out on a great opportunity. When you listen, you can catch the right moments to position yourself at the price which you desire.

Hire a professional inspector to come out and see the property you’re thinking of putting your money into. You may think that you can just look over the property on your own to find problems, but if you’re not trained you may miss some things. When problems are found, you should make sure to get some money off of the property or have the owner fix it for you.

Do not purchase properties in poor areas. This is tempting because of the price but is not a good investment. Buy something a bit more expensive to ensure it is off the market quickly.

Choose wisely who you allow to live in your rental property. They should pay a deposit and the first month’s rent early on. If they cannot meet these basic monetary requirements, there is a great likelihood that they will be poor tenants, as well. You must then seek out a different person for the rental agreement.

Be wary of any prospective tenant who tries to negotiate the rent. While he or she may just be a savvy businessperson, they could also be in a financial bind. Ask a few more questions and be careful about signing a contract with them. You may find yourself constantly fighting to get your monthly payment on time.

If you are looking to buy a rental property from a seller, ask to see his Schedule E tax form. That particular document will honestly tell you what kind of cash flow you can expect from the property in question. Crunching the numbers tells you all you need to know about whether or not to buy.

As this article has proven to you, some knowledge can mean all the difference in whether or not you are successful with investing in real estate. The tips you have just read will more than likely help you get the outcome you desire. Be sure to make use of these tips.

You can find the original article on News Go.

Sunday Open Houses!

We are hosting 3 Open Houses this Sunday, June 5th! Come out and see these great homes in Richmond and Henrico before they're gone!

3620 Tanby Rd 2 pm - 4 pm
Richmond, VA 23235
4 bedroom
2.5 bath
$349,900

Looking for a home that has a GREAT location & the ability to get anywhere in minutes? You have found it right here. This spacious home is located on a cul-de-sac & has 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths WITH ROOM TO GROW. Walking into the home you gaze upon the formal living room, with elegant columns. Keeping straight you land in the family room that has been wired for surround sound & has an open floor plan on into the kitchen w/new granite counter tops and back splash. There is a nice bay window to sit and enjoy the views outside from the eat-in kitchen. From the kitchen you have an office or sun room space that has access to the basement. Upstairs you have 4 bedrooms. The master has two closets, one being a walk-in closet, talk about space! The master bathroom has a double vanity, garden tub, and stand up shower. The basement has been framed and has electric and water. It's framed out for two bedrooms, a full bath, and a living room/den space. You can walk out onto the two level deck in the rear and enjoy the privacy of your fully fenced rear yard. Let your creativity flow and come finish this untapped potential in this great home! Make an appointment to see this home before its too late!

9011 Old Holly Rd  2 pm - 4 pm
Richmond, VA 23235
3 bedroom
2 bathroom
$250,000

Great home in Nottingham subdivision by the river. This home has beautiful landscaping with new mulch and shrubbery. Walking into the home you have newly sanded and remodeled hardwood floors throughout. The living room greets you with a brick wood burning fireplace to keep you cozy in the winter months. The kitchen has granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances. The master bedroom has a full bathroom with marble top and a beautiful one of a kind hand painted sink from Mexico. The other full bathroom in the hallway has a marble top and also another beautiful, hand-painted masterpiece as the sink. The roof is only 1 year old, new light fixtures, new heat pump, and floor vents. Outside, enjoy your rear deck that wraps around to the side. Enjoy the peaceful setting and the privacy of having no one behind you and your backyard backs right up to Lewis G. Larus Park. Come see this nice ranch home in its serene setting before its too late!

8801 Hungary Rd 1 pm - 3 pm
Henrico, VA 23294
5 bedroom
2.5 bath
$250,000

Welcome to this beautifully renovated home in Henrico. This property encompasses not only the main home but another separate studio-style home behind it! YOU GET TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!! The homes sit on over 1 acre that has been freshly landscaped. The main home has new gutters, new siding, newer windows, all new hardwoods on the first floor, fresh paint, and new fixtures. The kitchen is like new with new cabinets, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and island. Upstairs you will find two bedrooms with refinished hardwood floors and a full bath with new tile in the shower, new vanity, and new tile floor. The studio would be a great in-law suite or guest house. It includes hardwood floors, new windows, fresh paint throughout, new hot water heater, and more. The downstairs has a wet bar with granite, new cabinets, new sink and fixtures. Full bathroom downstairs with new vanity, new tile in shower, and new fixtures. Upstairs has two additional rooms with newly refinished hardwoods. Come check them out before they are gone!

Welcome to Our Newest Team Members!

We just had a great team meeting at Plaza Azteca to welcome a couple of the newest members of our team; Kendall and Chris! We are excited to have them aboard for all the new and exciting changes we are looking forward to this coming year!