Tonight I was a Hokie.
This afternoon we went to Virginia Tech to participate in the candlelight vigil organized by the students at VT. It was a beautiful experience of community healing, mourning and comfort. I’ve debated since yesterday, which seems an eternity ago, about whether I would post any comments or feelings about this tragedy. After tonight, I do feel like posting, not so much about the events of yesterday but the experiences of today.
After arriving in Blacksburg, we drove to Lane Stadium and parked in one of the overflow lots nearby. From there we walked toward the drill field. Neither my wife or I knew exactly where we were going and after a few minutes of walking we found ourselves beside the West A.J. dormitory. Allison had a very visceral reaction to being so close to this scene and my heart was troubled. We quickly moved away and found our way to the drill field well ahead of the candlelight vigil.
There was the constant reminder that this was a crime scene. Norris Hall is visible from the drill field with crime scene tape still intact and stuck in trees, placed there by the blustery winds. I counted 15 to 20 Virginia State Troopers around the drill field and we passed twice as many on our way to the drill field.
One thing that struck me was how quiet the campus was and how few people were around. Having been at the VT campus before I was expecting students to be out in the field, throwing the frisbee and socializing but there were probably less than 100 people out there. We found some candles and walked around the field. There was a minister playing guitar and singing songs of comfort, people were gathered around the impromptu memorial and gathered in small groups. It was a beautiful afternoon…brilliant blue skies and white clouds.
Shortly before the vigil began students and people began pouring out of dormitories and buildings, streaming in from the surrounding sidewalks. Estimates are around 20,000 to 40,000 people in attendance. What a privilege it was. Everyone was packed closely together holding the cold at bay and holding their candles of hope and comfort. The service was short but packed with good things. The media keeps playing the Hokie chant but the thing that struck me most was the playing of taps and the spontaneous singing of Amazing Grace by the large crowd.
Tonight, I was a Hokie.
In the top real estate blogs
Pittsburgh Homes Daily has ranked the 750 top national real estate blogs to watch and my real estate blog made the list! Thanks to Jeremy Hart for pointing out the compilation; I didn’t even know I was on the list until reading Jeremy’s post on his blog making the list too.
To give you an idea of how unique the recognition is, there are thousands of real estate agents in the region and I am one of only 17 real estate blogs in all of Virginia (and the only one in the Roanoke Valley) to make the cut!
Foreclosure closeout coming to Roanoke
If you didn’t already know, I sell a lot of foreclosed homes in Roanoke. Through relationships I have developed with lenders serving the Roanoke Valley, I am one of a few agents in the area who is consistently retained to service these real estate foreclosure opportunities.
I received word from one of my best asset managers today that they will be putting quite a few properties up for auction very soon. What does that mean for the opportunistic foreclosure investor? It means the REO (foreclosing) banks don’t want to have to go to auction, they’d rather sell quickly! I understand they will be accepting even lower offers than before in an attempt to avoid the auction process. The only bad part is the deadline for these deals is May 1st and only applies to properties on the market for a longer period of time!
If you’ve been thinking of investing to flip or rent a foreclosed home in Roanoke, now is the time to give me a call (397-0014) for a complete list of affected homes.
Roanoke real estate stats for March
March was a good real estate month for me personally and the Roanoke Valley MLS as a whole.
Here are the total statistics for residential sales in the Roanoke Valley for March-
- 450 homes sold ( 24% increase over February )
- $87,086,523 total dollar volume sold
- $156,000 median sales price
Floyd County farmhouse
SOLD!
This foreclosed farmhouse in Floyd County was sold to a buyer who relocated to the area from Virginia Beach. He found this real estate website and contacted me about a previous Floyd County home I had for sale. Unfortunately that home was already sold but I was able to find this great deal in Copper Hill.
Originally listed for $129,900, I was able to negotiate with the foreclosing bank on his behalf and secure the property for the unbelievable price of $95,000. This Floyd County farmhouse features 1.56 acres of real estate, a great farmhouse for country living and the peaceful surrounding that is Copper Hill.
Congratulations Jim!
