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Valley View cracks down on kids

The Roanoke Times is reporting that Valley View Mall has created a new underage policy, to go into effect on July 13, prohibiting “teenagers from hanging out at the mall without adult supervision on Friday and Saturday nights.”

The policy will require anyone under the age of eighteen to be escorted by a parent or guardian on Friday and Saturday evenings after 6:00pm.  Valley View Mall advises ID will be required at mall entrances.

You can read Valley View Mall’s announcement here.  I wonder how many extra security guards and Roanoke City Police officers that’s going to take?

The Bald Eagle

“I know he’d be a poorer man if he never saw an eagle fly“
John Denver from Rocky Mountain High

Although not a Smith Mountain Lake real estate story per se, I felt that writing about the delisting from the endangered species list today of the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) was definitely a topic worth writing about. The Bald Eagle has always held a special place in my heart as the symbol of our great country and also having earned the rank of Eagle Scout as a younger me in the Boy Scouts it holds even more significance (did you know only 5% of boys who enter Boy Scouts earn the Eagle Scout rank?).

Several news organizations wrote on the delisting today-

Washington Post – U.S. Declares Bald Eagles No Longer Threatened
CNN – Bald eagle soars off endangered list
New York Times – Bald Eagles, Thriving, Settle Into Suburban Life

Regional real estate MLS?

The Inman News Blog is reporting talks in California of creating a state-wide MLS to supplement (maybe replace?) local MLSs.

The idea makes sense and something I was just talking with Rob Lusk about today.  A regional or state MLS would be better for the public and better for agents.  As it stands now if I want to sell a house in Floyd County, I could list it in either the New River Valley or Roanoke Valley MLS (or both).  I think the real estate multiple listing service is headed down the road of change.  Between the class action lawsuits and new websites like Trulia and Homethinking it is bound to happen, and for the good I think.

Sold! Foreclosure plus one in Southwest Roanoke

SOLD!

My two most recent home sales in southwest Roanoke.

The first house is 609 Elm Avenue SW sold to an investor who plans to refurbish the home to either rent or possibly resale at a later date.

The second home is a foreclosure in southwest Roanoke. This investor picked up a solid deal on this home that, although it needs moderate repairs, will turn him a good profit when he decides to sell it.

Congrats George!

If you’re interested in foreclosed homes for sale in or around the Roanoke Valley, please feel free to contact me to be added to my list of investors and buyers. I regularly email my list with new and upcoming Roanoke and Smith Mountain Lake foreclosures.

Choosing the right home inspector

Choosing the right home inspector in the purchase of your new home is vital to ensuring the house you are purchasing is in an acceptable condition and free from major flaws. In Virginia, there is not a licensing authority to monitor the activities and competencies of home inspectors, so it’s even more important to do your research, check references and ask fact-finding questions of your prospective inspector. More often than not real estate agents also have home inspectors they know and trust to do a good, thorough job and are a good resource in finding a competent, trustworthy inspector.

The Washington Post recently had a great article on choosing a home inspector.

So what is it, then, that consumers should look for?

According to inspectors and real estate agents, inspectors should, ideally, belong to a nationally recognized association that calls for testing and a code of stringent standards and ethics, have a background in the building industry, have experience as an inspector, meet any licensing requirements, and come highly recommended by a friend or real estate agent.

What are some questions you as the consumer should ask of your potential home inspector? Below are a few suggestions. Your inspector should be able to answer most of these without any thought at all.

• How long have you been inspecting homes in the Roanoke Valley?
• How many homes do you inspect each week?
• What career experience in home inspections or a related field do you have?
• On average, how long do you spend on each home inspection? (A good answer would be 2 hours or more on larger homes)
• What are you looking for when you’re inspecting a home?
• Are you willing to provide references from 3 recent buyers you have completed inspections for? (Make sure to get the names and call!)
• Are you a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors?

It is also important to talk with your real estate agent about how the home inspection affects your purchase contract. Most real estate contracts limit the instances in which you can back out of a contract based on inspection results (typically limited to major home systems like plumbing, electrical, HVAC, etc.) and the monetary amount the seller is required to spend to fix any found flaws.

This is the second in an educational series of articles for home buyers and sellers in the Roanoke Valley.
Click here for all the articles.

Former Roanoke Postmaster runs for Botetourt Supervisor

My cousin, Billy Martin, former USPS Postmaster for Roanoke, local artist and mediator has been endorsed by the Botetourt County Republican Committee for a seat on the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors, Blue Ridge District.

You can read more from the Roanoke Times and this Botetourt County blog.

Roanoke MLS sales down significantly from 2006

The sales data for May 2007 is out for the Roanoke MLS.

Real estate agents sold 492 residential properties in an increase of 1.3% over May. However, that is a decrease of twenty-nine percent over 2006 sales from the same month.

The graph below shows the Roanoke MLS sales data from January 2006 through May 2007: