In our area we can enjoy the outdoors for the majority of the year.  Nothing is more enjoyable than an ice cold beverage hanging out with family and friends in the backyard.  Here are some tips to achieve the perfect outdoor experience.

Lighting - Lighting doesn't need to be expensive or elaborate.  A cheap set of string lights from Amazon will do the trick.  To create a defined space use lights to surround an area where you will be putting furniture.  You can even get creative on how you install them.  Install poles or posts in planters with concrete so that you have something for the lights to attach to.  For a small investment you can create an amazing nighttime outdoor experience

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Furniture:  A comfortable sitting area is a must.  You

If you are a buyer right now you are likely ready to pull your hair out.  Interest rates are low making it the perfect time to buy but there is nothing on the market.  In a balanced market there is plenty of inventory to meet the demand and the buyers have a good amount of options to choose from.  In today's market homes that are in desirable neighborhoods and are in good condition get offers within a matter of hours.  How are buyers supposed to compete in this kind of environment?  

We have been through markets like this before.  It is definitely frustrating for buyers and for us as well but real estate is an ever evolving animal.  We have to be able to adjust in order to meet the needs of our clients.  I am here to tell you that most agents do not

Good Listing Agents vs. Bad Listing Agents

Here is a scenario that we see all to often.  Please read this and understand how important it is that you hire the right agent.

The Scenario:

Your House:  You have a beautifully renovated home that is in the most prestigious area of the neighborhood.  Every buyer out there looking in this neighborhood would love to buy this home but not every buyer can afford the location of the home. There is a premium to buy a home in this section.  This premium ranges from $100-150,000.  With the increased value there is a smaller pool of buyers that can afford it.  There are also some buyers that can afford it but don't see the value in it so they aren't willing to pay for it.

Agent A:    There haven't been many

 Whether you think that a global pandemic like the coronavirus are a real physical threat to us in Hampton Roads or not, there are definitely economic impacts that we are feeling on a local level. 

Stock Market Trouble:  The most noticeable economic impact is the drastic decline in the stock market.  Stock market investors are always trying to time the market and predict what is going to happen in the future.  In this case there is a risk that global productivity and growth will stall or go down if too many people are sick.  This caused investors to start pulling their money out of the stock market and putting it into bonds and other "safe" investments.  This sell off decreased the overall value of the stock market.  Some would say the stock market

Tales of a Renovation Junkie

Some people think we are crazy for buying the homes we buy that need renovations.  We are self professed renovation addicts though.  Jennifer is at her happiest when she is either designing remodeling projects for us or for our clients.  It all started in 2004 when we bought our first fixer upper.  It was a real dump but we saw a beautiful diamond that needed to be polished.  Ok, it was a piece of coal that needed a lot of blood, sweat and tears to turn it into something that kind of looked like a diamond.  Boy have a we come a long way since then.  Each house, gets a little bit more polished. 

Our Current Home

We are now on our 4th home in 15 years.  We bought our current home 5 years ago with the intention of

We are big music lovers and this years Neptune Festival has some amazing artists ready to rock the beach.  Here is 2019's line up starting on Friday and ending on Sunday.  Go check it out if you get a chance.  

LIVE MUSIC:
Boardwalk Weekend fills 3 musical stages with great local and national talents.
Stages are located at 17th, 24th, and 31st Streets on the Boardwalk, and all shows are FREE!

Friday, September 27

31st STREET STAGE

6:00-8:30pm
The Chong Band

9:00-11:00pm
UB40

24TH STREET STAGE

6:00-8:30pm
BJ Griffin & the Galaxy Groove

9:00-11:00pm
Tidewater Drive Band

17TH STREET STAGE

6:00-8:30pm
Little Country

9:00-11:00pm
Tailgate Down

Saturday, September 28

31st STREET STAGE

1:00-2:30pm
Alec

Baycliff is one of our favorite neighborhoods in Virginia Beach.  The streets are lined with established trees and the neighbors take great pride in the appearance of their homes.  The neighborhood features the Alanton Baycliff Pool Club which is home to the summer swim team the Bolts.  Whether you are a young family or empty-nesters, you will feel right at home in this amazing community. 

One of the often times overlooked features of this neighborhood is the fact that it has a boat ramp for the sole use of the Baycliff Civic League members.  At the entrance to the neighborhood there is a large parking area and a newly paved boat ramp.  This allows boat owners to keep their boats at their Baycliff home on a trailer and easily launch the boat to

The Hampton Roads area is filled with amazing communities for families.  As a family of 5, we know how important it is for our kids enjoyment and for our sanity to have other families around to walk through life together with.  We are very social people so we value relationship more than most other things in life.  If you are the same as us then here are some tips to help you find the perfect spot for your family.

1. Look for a neighborhood with an elementary School in the community- Many of the elementary schools in the area were built right in the middle of neighborhoods.  This creates a real sense of pride for the school from the parents and kids as well as the teachers and staff.  

2. Look for a neighborhood with a community pool - The community

The coastal Virginia area was once referred to as the Tidewater region.  If you have ever flown in or out of Norfolk, you have seen first hand the amount of waterways we have been blessed with.  One of our favorite pastimes is taking the family to dinner and being able enjoy the beauty of the water.  Here are some of our favorite waterfront restaurants.

Surf Rider - Tucked behind what used to be Marina Shores is the Surf Rider.  It sits on the Lynnhaven River a stones throw from the Chesapeake Bay off of Great Neck Rd.  Home to what some say is the best Crab Cake in the city and the famous Rum Runner frozen libation.

Dockside - If you are looking for traditional seafood with an amazing view, look no further than Dockside.  With both indoor and

Top 5 Swim Clubs in Virginia Beach

Summer in Virginia Beach is what we all live for here in our coastal town.  There is no better memory a child has than their days spent swimming at the local pool with their friends.  Adults have a great time at the neighborhood pool too.  Pools bring together a community.  Here is a list of our top 5 favorite community pools.  

If you would like our help finding the perfect house near one of these swim clubs, give us a call!

1.  Alanton Baycliff Recreation Center - 

Surrounded on three sides by beautiful mature trees and on the other side by breathtaking wetlands, this pool gives you a great sense of being in the middle of nature.    Homes for Sale 

 2.  Little Neck Swim and Racquet Club -