Kathryn Maguire (The Real Estate Group)

The 2012 Shamrock Marathon is Almost Here!

If you are looking for an active way to celebrate St Patrick's Day, this year you will find no better alternative than the 40th Annual Shamrock Marathon and 8K Run in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The marathon is a qualifying race for those interested in the Boston Marathon.

This event is not just for the hard core runners but also offers events like a children's run, a half marathon and plenty of live entertainment.

Dates: March 16 through 18, 2012

Location: Registration packets can be picked up between 1:00-9:00 pm on March 16 or between 10 am and 5 pm on March 17 at the Virginia Beach Convention Center located at 1000 19th Street in Virginia Beach.

Registration and the schedule of events can be found at ShamrockMarathon.com. This website contains course maps and can answer any questions prospective runners (or walkers) might have.

The Hurrah Players Present Willy Wonka!

On March 9, 10, and 11, 2012, Virginia's premier family theater company, The Hurrah Players, will bring Roald Dahl's beloved story to life at TCC Roper Performing Arts Center in Norfolk, Virginia. A scrumpdidilyumptious time is sure to be had by kids aged from 2 to 92! Hurrah Players' own artistic director, Hugh Copeland, will be reprising his performance as Willy Wonka with a cast comprised of Hurrah Players from across the Hampton Roads area.

This version of Willy Wonka more closely resembles the orginial "Gene Wilder" movie, with the addition of several large musical numbers, choreographed by Hurrah's own Lisa Wallace.

Times and Location

Friday, March 9: 7 pm

Saturday, March 10: 3 pm

Sunday, March 11: 3 pm

TCC Roper Performing Arts Center

340 Granby Street, Norfolk, Virginia

Tickets

Children $15-20, Adults $20-25

Call 757-627-5437 or log on to www.HurrahPlayers.com to order your tickets today!

When Buying Distressed Homes, Prepare for a Marathon, Not a Sprint

The headlines proclaim on a daily basis that the presence of short sales and foreclosures continues to comprise a substantial portion of the real estate market. That is certainly the case in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia where distressed sales make up just under one third of all real estate sales. For the week of April 18 -24 2011, 26.3% of the ratified contracts were for bank-owned homes, and 4.7% were for homes being sold as a short sale.

These homes are seen as a "deal" by most home buyers. It is true that these homes do list at prices below those of non-distressed homes in a particular area. However, if you are considering targetting distressed homes in your home search, be aware that the process can require more time and resources than a "normal", non-distressed home purchase.

1. There is increased competition for distressed homes and you likely will be making a purchase offer along with several other buyers. You may be asked to submit your "highest and best" offer and the buyer offering the most money will be awarded the purchase, This competitive environment reduces the amount of the discount for the distressed home.
2. Banks are notorious for taking an incredibly long time to determine whether or not they will accept your short sale offer. Or they may foreclose on the property. If you have a specific timeframe for moving to your next home, a short sale is not a good option due to the uncertainty of bank acceptance.
3. Foreclosed properties, and some short sales, frequently exhibit signs of neglect or even damage from the previous owners or banks that do not properly maintain them. These homes could require substantial sums in order to bring them up to suitable living standards.
4. If the properties are not in good condition, they may not qualify for VA or FHA financing unless repairs are made. Distressed homes are typically sold in "as-is" condition and the seller will not take financial responsibility for making these repairs. I have frequently been able to get banks to do some repairs on the REO properties, however, this is not guaranteed.
5. Bank-owned homes that represent a particularly good value can disappear from the market very quickly. Therefore, your agent should be closely monitoring new entrants on the market so that if the right property does emerge, you can act quickly.

Distressed sales can be a good option, given the right set of circumstances. However, be prepared that you may need to write several purchase offers before succeeding in your pursuit of a real deal in real estate.

The Hurrah Players Presents Hurrah for Broadway, May 13-15, 2011

The Hurrah Players has created another spectacular stage production that will delight your family. On May 13 - 15, the Perry Theater in Norfolk, Virginia (485 St. Paul’s Blvd) will host this latest musical theater extravaganza. The production is a review of songs from some of the most well-loved Broadway productions both old and new. To see a teaser of this production, click on the image below!

Showtimes:

Friday, May 13 at 7 pm

Saturday, May 14 at 3 pm and 7 pm

Sunday, May 15 at 3 pm and 7 pm

Tickets are selling fast and can be purchased by calling the Hurrah Players' box office. You can purchase your tickets by credit card and pick them up at will call prior to the performance. Some shows have already sold out so please do not show up on the day of the performance to purchase your ticket at the door. You may be sorely disappointed.

Hurrah Players was recently once again named as "Norfolk's Best Family Entertainment" in the Virginia Pilot's Readers' Choice Awards.

Make Sure Your Chesapeake Virginia Real Estate Agent Understands the Power of the Web

When marketing your Chesapeake Virginia home, it is imperative that your agent believes in and utilizes the power of the internet. The statistics speak for themselves:

• According to the National Association of Realtors, in 2010, 89% of prospective home buyers used the internet to search for homes.
• Realtor.com states that 78% of these buyers will not look at a listing unless it has multiple photos.
• Additionally, 50% of these buyers will not consider a listing unless it has a virtual tour.

These numbers are powerful and should be heeded by any real estate professional.

However, in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, according to the Real Estate Information Network, only 30% of the listings contain 16 photos,the maximum number allowed by the MLS. In addition, 83% of the listings do not include a virtual tour.

Even if a home is small, a sharp agent can use photos of the surrounding area to highlight the benefits of living in that neighborhood. There are many options for the creative agent to use when trying to maximize the photos available to them.

If you are considering hiring an agent to help you sell your Chesapeake, Virginia home,make sure that you look at their current listings on the market. Do they maximize the number of photos? Do they hire a professional to create a virtual tour? Do they add additional photos to websites such as Zillow which allow you to supplement the photos that are received from the MLS? If they are not using these basic marketing tools, they are ignoring some very basic market realities.

Whenever I list a home in Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Norfolk or Portsmouth, Virginia, I hire a professional to create a virtual tour. I use the maximum number of photos allowed by the local MLS. I upload additional photos to Zillow.

Buyers have expectations when searching for homes. I ensure that the homes I market are positioned to meet these expectations!