Kathleen "Kate" Elim LAKE ANNA, VA Real Estate

The Commonwealth of Virginia has a top-rated state park system. Without a doubt it is one of the best in the country. In 2001 the National Sporting Good Association's Sports Foundation Inc. it the ppresented it with their presigious gold medal and state park award as the #1 state park system.

However, the budget to support Virginia's state parks ranks low among the 50 states. It is amazing what can be done with the help of volunteers.

Lake Anna State Park has a very active group of volunteers that supplement the tremendous job the park staff is doing. In another post I will provide additional information on this group of volunteers called, Friends of Lake Anna State Park.

If you live within a comfortable driving distance from Lake Anna you may find this is the perfect opportunity to enjoy some time outdoors in a beautiful environment while benefiting one of Virginia's special parks. You will also get a chance to work along side some really special people.

From time to time I will share volunteer opportunities with you. This is one that is coming up shortly. If you or someone you know might be interested in helping out please get in touch with Cathy Corker, Kris Jarvis, (their contact information is below) or with me.

"Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience" Field Day Planning Workshop
Friday, April 3, 10: a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Lake Anna State Park - Visitor Center

This workshop is designed for environmental educators, teachers and volunteers who will be providing field based learning stations to intermediate and middle school audiences at state parks or similar venues. Participants will receive Project WET's "Healthy Water Healthy People" Educator's Guide. Sessions will include watershed mapping, water quality monitoring, riparian buffer survey, historical land use patterns, litter analysis and fish populations. Managing large groups and other field trip tips will be covered.

To register for this free program, provide full contact information to Cathy Corker, Chief Ranger at 540-854-6245 or cathy.corker@dcr.virginia.gov or Kris Jarvis at kdjarvis@deq.virginia.gov Participants should dress for field work and bring a bag lunch.

Anyone interested in volunteering is welcome to attend the training. Other volunteers are needed to assist with the day festivities --photographer, group hosts, station monitors / assistants or just have fun learning with the students. If interested please email Cathy at cathy.corker@dcr.virginia.gov Cathy is the Chief Ranger, Education Interpreter for the Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation. We are indeed fortunate to have Cathy assigned to Lake Anna State Park.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you or someone you know is thinking of buying or selling property at or near Lake Anna, Virginia please contact Kathleen "Kate" Elim, REALTOR®.

Kate lives at Lake Anna, knows Lake Anna, loves Lake Anna, and specializes in Lake Anna area real estate.

Contact Kate at 540-226-1964 or by e-mail at lakeanna.kate@gmail.com. Be sure to check Kate's Web site http://lakeannacountry.com/.

It is not every day that we are offered something Free that is actually Free, no strings attached.

We, who live in or near Louisa County, will be able to take advantage of this offer. It is for a Free (there's that word again) table at the next Louisa Beautification Festival provided you have some ideas on how to achieve a better way to take care of our county and to make it a better place to live.

Fortunately I have friends that e-mail me just in case I haven't gotten the word about different newsworthy evens.. Luckily I had received word from Nancy Lear along with the flyer.

This is what Gail Martin wrote to me and others: The Second Annual Beautification Festival is the kickoff to "Let's Shine, Louisa" month of April. The month is dedicated to litter clean up, recycling, general beautification of Louisa and going green. If you have any ideas for a booth or table for any purpose to further these goals, please contact me. It is all free. Stretch your imagination!!!!

Does your community have a similar event? If so, are there some things you can suggest to me that might make ours even better? This is only the second time this is being put on so there is probably much we can learn for others.

We would like to see this grown and in the process spread information on how to take better care of our neighborhoods and our larger commnunities.

Any ideas will be appreciated.

One of the attractions of Lake Anna is its rural setting. Lake Anna is surrounded by Spotsylvania, Louisa, and Orange counties although most of the lake is within the first two.

Located out in the country, public services are not available. Homeowners rely on well and septic fields in place of public sewage and public water. Most of the septic fields are gravity feed while others are pump up systems with holding tanks.

Site evaluation and soil assessment may determine that neither one of these systems is viable. At that point alternative septic systems are generally considered. I should add that some property owners elect to use an alternative system for ecological and/or aesthetic reasons. These systems generally require less space which can mean fewer trees destroyed on heavily wooded lots.

Some local governments have taken action to ban alternative septic systems. This has created problems for property owners. The Virginia Association of REALTORS® (VAR) was contacted by a number of local REALTOR® associatons regarding this action by some local governments. VAR, working with the Office of the Attorney General has made it known that while the Code of Virginia allows local governments to regulate alternative septic systems, it does not give them the authority to ban them.

Currently there is a bill before the legislature, Senate Bill 1276 / House Bill 1788
Alternative Septic Systems (Martin / Hull). The bill clarifies that the General Assembly must expressly approve the ban. Local governments may not do this without that authorization.

Passage is anticipated later this week. Meanwhile VAR lobbyists and local governments are still negotiating the legislation.

2008 - During the past year we saw a slow down in the real estate market across the board. There were 50 Lake Anna waterfront homes sold between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008.

The least expensive home was located at 200 Lakeview in Aspen Hill Subdivision. This home was initially priced at $444,900. Then it was reduced to $424,900 and finally to $174,900. It sold after 356 days on the market for $179,900. The remarks in the listing state that the home was priced according to the apparent condition and was being sold as is. Buyers were advised to obtain requirements from the county on prior permits. The house had 115' of waterfront and 1800 sq. ft. of interior living space. (See least expensive home sold in 2007.)

The most expensive waterfront home sold last year sold for $1,300,000. Located in Bear Castle, this home had 5500 sq. ft. and approximately 700' of waterfront. Originally listed at $1,700,000 it was subsequently reduced to $1,395,000. It was on the market for 187 days.

Avg. List Price $734,347 Avg. Sold Price $684,859

Med. List Price $659,450 Med. Sold Price $632,500

Low List Price $174,900 Low Sold Price $179,900

High List Price $1,500,000 High Sold Price $1,300,000

Avg. Days on Market 178

Med. Days on Market 139

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

2007 - There were 69 waterfront homes sold at Lake Anna between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2007.

The least expensive home sold was the same one, 200 Lakeview in Aspen Hill, which sold again in 2008. It was listed at $329,000 and sold for $300,000 in 127 days. At that time it was 1000 sq. ft.

The highest price paid was for a home located at Bear Castle Drive in Bear Castle Subdivision. Listed initially at $1,750,000 it was reduced to $1,375,000 and sold for that price. It was on the market for a total of 67 days. This home had 5136 square feet and 250' of waterfront.

Avg. List Price $691,828 Avg. Sold Price $654,993

Med. List Price $675,000 Med. Sold Price $625,000

Low List Price $329,000 Low Sold Price $300,000

High List Price $1,499,000 High Sold Price $1, 375,000

Avg. Days on Market 142

Med. Days on Market 90

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you or someone you know is thinking of buying or selling property at or near Lake Anna, Virginia please contact Kathleen "Kate" Elim, REALTOR®.

Kate lives at Lake Anna, knows Lake Anna, loves Lake Anna, and specializes in Lake Anna area real estate.

Contact Kate at 540-226-1964 or lakeanna.kate@gmail.com. Be sure to check Kate's Web site http://lakeannacountry.com/.

Copyright © 2008 By Kathleen "Kate" Elim, All Rights Reserved. *Lake Anna Waterfront Homes Sold in 2008 vs. 2007*.

About an hour ago I called Tina Merritt, a fellow member of Active Rain. I needed help. Tina came to mind because I know she knows her area. Reading her posts taught me that.

I contacted Tina because I had a call from my brother-in-law in Connecticut. Bill is trying to find someone that was flying to Haiti and had a medical emergency in flight. The plane landed in Norfolk, VA and the passanger was taken to a hospital.

Bill is a pastor of a church in Wallingford, CT and has done extensive work in Haiti. The passenger taken sick is someone that was going down to Haiti as a volunteer.

Bill thought I might be able to help him locate the hospital where the passenger was taken. When you Google hospitals in Norfolk you will find several. I knew immediately that Tina would be able to give me the name of the closests ones. Sure enough that is exactly what happened.

It felt good to know that I had a resource that knew Norfolk. Once I realized that, I also realized that I have resources across the country including the special ones in Alaska and Hawaii. That is what Active Rain has given me and each of you.

REALTORS® know their area like few others. Think about it. They become our combination Yellow Pages and Google maps.

REALTORS® are the local experts...and you can call them when all the government and Chamber of Commerce offices are closed up tight for the night or week-end.

I also knew I could call Tina because I know that REALTORS® are helpers. That is what we do. We provide information and services. We problem-solve. There was no doubt in my mind that Tina would do what she could for me.

I was right.