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Virginia Beach VA: Transportation Authority Unconstitutional

February 29th, 2008 by Dave Macklin

Virginia Beach VA: Transportation Authority Unconstitutional

The Virginia Supreme Court struck down the Hampton Roads Transportation Authority today when it ruled that the taxes and fees it was authorized to collect by the General Assembly are unconstitutional.

Read the details.

This is good news for Virginia Beach VA home buyers. Part of the proposed taxes would increase the grantors tax on property sales rom 10 cents per $100 of the sale price to 50 cents per $100. The tax on a house sold for $250,000 would $1,250, a $1,000 increase. 

 For more Virginia Beach VA real estate news, visit ButlerTeamHomes.com. Search Virginia Beach and Hampton Roads homes for sale.

Virginia Beach VA Fun Friday

February 29th, 2008 by Dave Macklin

Virginia Beach fun Friday.

No wonder it’s so hard to learn the English language!

 Can you read this right the first time?  

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish  furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

You lovers of the English language might enjoy this.  There is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that is ‘UP.’

It’s easy to understand UP , meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP ?  At a meeting, why does a topic come UP?  Why do we speak UP and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report ?

We call UP our friends.  And we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, we warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen.  We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car .   At other times the little word has real special meaning.  People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses. To be dressed is one thing, but to be dressed UP is special .

And this UP is confusing:  A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP . We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.  

We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP ! To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look the word UP in the dictionary.  In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes U
P
almost 1/4th of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions. If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used.  It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don’t give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more. When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP.  When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP

When it rains, it wets the earth and often messes things UP .  When it doesn’t rain for awhile, things dry UP.

One could go on and on, but I’ll wrap it UP , for now my time is  UP, so. . . it is time for me to shut UP …!

Have a fabulous weekend! And remember when interested in buying or selling Virginia Beach Va real estate, visit our website, ButlerTeamHomes.com or give us a call at 866-222-0158 #550.

Virginia Beach VA: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

February 28th, 2008 by Dave Macklin

Virginia Beach VA: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Being the large metropolitan area that we are, Virginia Beach and Hampton Roads seem to be on everyone’s comparison list. Some see us as the best and some see us as the worst, but if you are like us, you think this a a pretty neat place to live. Here’s how others rank us:

     1. Coalition for Excess Weight Risk Education named Norfolk the second-fattest area in the  country in 1997.

     2. Old Dominion University was on Men’s Fitness 2005 list of ‘fat’ universities.

     3. Men’s Fitness currently ranks Virginia Beach as the #6 most-fit city.

     4. Field & Stream, in 2005, ranked Virginia Beach the 20th best place to go fishing.

     5. Virginia Beach is #6 for the top 100 cities for walking in 2006, according to the American Podiatric Medical Association and Prevention magazine.

     6. Sperling’s Best Places ranks Norfolk #7 in the top 10 places for dating.

     7. Virginia Beach was the best place for women and families in the Ladies’ Home Jounral 2002 survey.

     8. Virginia Beach is currently Fit Pregnancy magazine’s #8 pick for having a baby.

     9. We are currently named the least-stressed metro area by BizJournals.com and the 8th least-stressed in 2004 by Sterlings Best Places.

     10. In 2001, Norfolk won honors for the ‘best breathing place’ for animals by Purina’s Healthy Pets 21 Consortium.

     11. Men’s Health put Hampton Roads in the top third of 100 for most work related stress.

     12. Beer Advocate named the Bier Garden in Portsmouth as one of the top 50 places to have beer in America (2005).

There you have it, some say we’re fit, some say we’re fat…we know we’re GREAT!!

You can visit ButlerTeamHomes.com for all your Virginia Beach VA real estate needs or start your complimentary MLS Search.

Suffolk Real Estate Market Report-Feb 2008

February 28th, 2008 by Dave Macklin

Suffolk Real Estate Market Report-Feb 2008

Suffolk experienced a decrease in sales of 32 percent this January.

Suffolk experienced a decrease in sales of 32 percent this January compared to January 2007. Market times increased 57 percent, 107 days vs 68 days. The average sales price decreased in Suffolk to $295,724 or 9 percent while the median price increased 4 percent.  

Suffolk

Sold
Listings

Median
Price

Average
Sale Price

Average Days
On Market

 Jan 2008

63

$269,900

$295,724

107

Jan 2007

92

$258,700

$325,388

68

Now is a GREAT time to be buying a home in Suffolk VA. To learn more about Suffolk real estate, please contact us at 866-222-0158 #550 or visit ButlerTeamHomes.com. To begin searching for Suffolk VA homes for sale, please use our complimentary MLS search

Also read Virginia Beach real estate market report.

Norfolk VA Guild House Demolished

February 27th, 2008 by Dave Macklin

Demolition of the century-old Guild House in Ghent.

Tuesday was a sad day for Norfolk VA preservationists when demolition of the century-old Guild House in Ghent began.

The demolition took place as the Norfolk City Council voted to explore ways to preserve the community’s historic offerings and before a Circuit Court judge could rule on an injunction sought by a neighbor. Five historic structures have been lost in the past year.

Read the full story.

Interested in buying a century old house in Ghent? Visit ButlerTeamHomes.com to learn about Norfolk Va real estate and start your complimentary MLS Search.

Portsmouth Real Estate Market Report-Feb 2008

February 27th, 2008 by Dave Macklin

Portsmouth Real Estate Market Report-Feb 2008

Portsmouth real estate home sales also decreased by 30 percent in January.

Portsmouth real estate home sales also decreased by 30 percent in January, with market times increasing 67 percent compared to Jan 2007. The median price increased to $180,950 or 5 percent and the average sales prices remained relatively unchanged. 

Portsmouth

Sold
Listings

Median
Price

Average
Sale Price

Average Days
On Market

 Jan 2008

60

$180,950

$183,625

95

Jan 2007

86

$172,460

$183,098

57

Now is a GREAT time to be buying a home in Portsmouth. To learn more about Portsmouth real estate, please contact us at 866-222-0158 #550 or visit ButlerTeamHomes.com. To begin searching for Portsmouth VA homes for sale, please use our complimentary MLS search

Also read Virginia Beach real estate market report.

Virginia Beach Homes Sales Follow National Trend

February 26th, 2008 by Dave Macklin

Virginia Beach home sales in January followed the national trend.

virginia beach real estate - sales graphExisting-home sales – including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – slipped 0.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate(1) of 4.89 million units in January from an upwardly revised level of 4.91 million in December, and are 23.4 percent below the 6.44 million-unit pace in January 2007, according to the Natonal Association of Realtors®.

Virginia Beach home sales in January followed the national trend with a 9% drop in sales compared to January 2007.

See Virginia Beach real estate sales statistics.

Interested in buying or selling Virginia Beach real estate? Visit ButlerTeamHomes.com or give us a call for more personal service, 866-222-0158 #550.

Norfolk Real Estate Market Report-Feb 2008

February 26th, 2008 by Dave Macklin

Norfolk real estate experienced a 35 percent decline in sales this January compared to January 2007. Market times increased 73 percent. The median price declined 1 percent to $208,225 and the average sales price decreased 8 percent to $247,699.  

Norfolk

Sold
Listings

Median
Price

Average
Sale Price

Average Days
On Market

Jan 2008

130

$208,225

$247,699

107

Jan 2007

200

$210,125

$262,803

62

Now is a GREAT time to be buying a home in Norfolk VA. To learn more about Norfolk real estate, please contact us at 866-222-0158 #550 or visit ButlerTeamHomes.com. To begin searching for Norfolk VA homes for sale, please use our complimentary MLS search

Also read Virginia Beach real estate market report.

Chesapeake Real Estate Market Report-Feb 2008

February 25th, 2008 by Dave Macklin

Chesapeake residential home sales decreased in January, compared to January 2007, by 22 percent, with market times increasing 28 percent. The median price decreased 2 percent, as the average sales price decreased 4 percent to $289,581.  

Chesapeake

Sold
Listings

Median
Price

Average
Sale Price

Average Days
On Market

Jan 2008

171

$259,900

$289,581

82

Jan 2007

218

$266,500

$300,595

65

Now is a GREAT time to be buying a Chesapeake home. To learn more about Chesapeake VA real estate, please contact us at 866-222-0158 #550 or visit ButlerTeamHomes.com. To begin searching for Chesapeake homes for sale, please use our complimentary MLS search

Also read Virginia Beach market report and Chesapeake homes for sale.

Chesapeake Homes for Sale – 412 Peaceful Road

February 23rd, 2008 by Dave Macklin

Chesapeake Real Estate for Sale – 412 Peaceful Road

BEAUTIFUL AND RELAXING! Brick Georgian home on 3 acres, with attached apartment. Three acres, so you can have your horses right at home with you. Main house offers 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, Formal Living room (Parlor), Formal Dining room with plenty of room for entertaining. Family room is open to the kitchen so the Cook will never feel left out of conversations. The kitchen is huge with plenty of room to work, talk and create those great family meals or entertain your guests (”My guests always gather in the kitchen”). All appliances remain, There is a large Island so while working in the kitchen you can still see what is happening in the family room. Beautiful Italian Tile floors accent the Kitchen and family room. Plenty of Hardwood floors as well. Although the home was built in 1984 you won’t feel like you’ve gone back in time. The current owners have kept it updated and welcoming. There are solid wood doors, Beautiful wood details and fantastic crown moldings through-out. The kitchen cabinets were custom made. In an effort to stay fuel efficient the owners have replaced all (2 Zone) Heating and Cooling units in the last few years. Freshly painted inside and out in last three years. Driveway, new blacktop two years ago.

There is a large floored attic with permanent stairs leading up so you will have plenty of storage. The kitchen has 3 pantries and there are 3 linen closets in the home. Never a storage problem in this home. Every place you look, another closet! 3 phone lines, Cable and Internet hook-ups.

There is a great Civic League (Voluntary $50/year) that keeps the community connected with activities and friendliness! Living here will be home from the first day!

The Apartment has one Bedroom, Full Bath, Fully equipped kitchen, large living room. Plenty of storage. Private outside access or direct to primary home. The apartment has it’s own Heat & Cooling units to allow total control of it’s own environment. Both its Central Heating and Central Air were replaced in the last few years. If you have a relative who wants their privacy, yet wants to be close to the family this is it….. Independent living, yet direct access to the main house is readily available as well.

Not only is there room for horses here, there is already a nice barn with 3/4 stalls, tack room and huge loft the stall ceiling height is 10.5 feet! One of the stalls is a Brood Mare Addition. There is Electric, Water and a floor drain too. The pasture is fully fenced as well. Although there is currently not an electric wire around the pasture, the electric box is there should you wish to reinstall.

For more information about this home or other Chesapeake real estate, give us a call at 866-222-0158 #550 or visit our website, ButlerTeamHomes.com. Search all Chesapeake VA homes for sale.


To begin your search for the perfect home or to sell your home in the Virginia Beach area,
call Dave Macklin and The Butler Team at 866-222-0158 #550.