It is no surprise to those of us who live here, that Virginia Beach is a great place to raise a family. Best Life Magazine agrees, ranking Virginia Beach #2 in its Best Place to Raise A Family survey.

Honolulu, HI took #1 place honors, while Clarksville, TN came in last. The survey considered schools with favorable student-teacher ratios, above-average test scores, and respectable budgets. Also looked at were the number of museums and parks, commute times, housing costs and number of divorced families.

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau, National Center for Education Statistics, FBI, American Association of Museums, National Center for Health Statistics, and American Bar Association was also used to evaluate 257 cities.

Other honors for Virginia Beach include:

• Top 10 Greenest Places to Retire by US News and World Report

• Sixth Best Big City by Money Magazine

• Best Place to Live in America by USA Weekend magazine

• #1 American City by Ladies Home Journal

• Most Stroller Friendly City by Fit Pregnancy magazine

Being recognized nationally not only reinforces what we locals already know, but is also a boom for Virginia Beach real estate. National attention puts Virginia Beach on peoples' radar for possible relocation, creating more demand for housing and keeping Virginia Beach real estate values up.

If you are considering relocating to Virginia Beach, you can search all Virginia Beach real estate for sale or get a list of new homes for sale as they hit the market...automatically and for FREE! For all other Virginia Beach real estate information, visit ButlerTeamHomes.com.

Also read:
Virginia Beach Best For Retirees
Virginia Beach Tops For Having A Baby

I am a newbie on Active Rain and have never participated in the blogging effort but I have posted 3 blogs since the beginning of my participation in this web site. All of my blogs have been centered around a relatively new mortgage product called The Home Ownership Accelerator.

I have been looking at this product for about a year and have studied all aspects of this loan. There are numeros benefits to this particular mortgage product. Should you refinance into this product your payment will most deifinitely drop unless of course you have an interest rate less than 3.5%. If you have a positive cash flow on a monthly basis, THERE IS NO FASTER WAY TO PAY OFF A MORTGAGE LOAN on your primary residence or 2nd home. Think about it! Let's say that you take out a mortgage of $300,000 and your payment is based on 6.5% for a 30 year fixed rate loan. You would have a payment of $1896.20 and about $271.00 would be going to principle. It will to take you 30 years to pay off that loan. It would normally take aobut $6000 per month to qualify for the loan outlined above. Applying that amount of money to the HOA here is what will happen.

Take the same $300,000 on The Home Ownership Accelerator and with a positive cash flow of just $400.00 per month you would be able to pay this loan off in 12 years, save $260,175 in interest and have an equivalent rate on a first mortgage of 2.1%. In addition you will have access to most of the credit line for the next 18 years which would allow you to invest in other real estate without having to get a new mortgage loan for that pruchase.

If you have the opportunity to reduce your gas bill or pay off your mortgage....... the mortgage is easier.

COMMUNITY DAY JUNE 11, 2008

KEMPSVILLE OFFICE VOLUNTEERED TIME TO THE LOCAL RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE.

THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE ASSIST FAMILIES WHO'S CHILDREN ARE UNDER THE CARE OF CHKD (CHILDRENS HOSPITAL OF THE KINGS DAUGHTERS) OUR LOCAL CHILDRENS HOSPITAL.

THANK YOU: TERESA HAVENS. BRIAN DUNCAN, CARLA DAVIS, LIN HASKINGS, CHRISTY MADRIAGE, MARY FOSTER, ANN CHANDLEY, JOHN SCOTT, HOBSON MCCAIN, TERRY MATTHEWS, MARGARET LONCHAR, ANGIE MITCHELL, GRETA MCCRAY, TAWNI WALKER, MIKE POULTER, CHRIS HOPKINS

Are you in a crunch and considering selling your Virginia Beach home by means of a short sale¦but have lots of questions? Below are the Top 10 Virginia Beach Short Sale Questions¦Answered

Number 10 I cant make my house payments, but I do have an ability to pay back all or part of the negative equity. Also, I want to preserve my credit score¦is a short sale right for me?

Probably, not. In cases where the seller can pay back all or part of the negative equity (usually to the 2nd lien holder), it makes sense for them to work out a repayment plan. The lender will then release the lien and allow the home to close.

Number 9 If I pay mortgage insurance and default on my loan, why wouldnt that cover the deficiency amount?

The mortgage insurance is not there for your protection, just the mortgage lenders.

Number 8 Do I have to have my home 'Approved' by the lender prior to offering it for sale as a short sale.

No. Technically speaking there is no such thing as being 'Short Sale Approved.' The actual approval only happens with an accepted offer.

Number 7 I just missed a payment and I know I will miss more¦how long does the foreclosure process take and is there time to do a short sale?

The foreclosure process takes differing times depending on your state. In the Midwest a foreclosure can take over a year. In California its taking 6+ months. Generally speaking a well priced short sale being processed by an educated Virginia Beach short sale listing agent will sell and close in less than 120 days.

Number 6 Will I still have to pay property taxes if I do a short sale?

Property taxes will always have to be paid as part of any accepted short sale. Whether its you or the lender, it depends on their policies and the specific agreement you reach while negotiating the short sale.

Number 5 I owe more than my home is worth and I cant make the payment. Do I have to somehow qualify for a short sale?

The simple answer is NO. If someone cant make their payment and they are otherwise insolvent, they qualify for a short sale. Note: insolvent simply means their total debts are greater than their assets.

Number 4 Do I have to pay income taxes¦I have heard that I will get a 1099. Will the loss the bank takes be treated as a taxable gain to me¦the seller¦is this true?

It WAS true, now its not. Consult your Tax Attorney or Qualified CPA. Very recently the tax law was modified and now most people who do a short sale will have no taxes due.

Number 3 How do you, my listing agent get paid¦who pays your commission?

The bank will pay the commission along with all the other usual closing costs.

Number 2 Do I have to miss a payment to do a Short Sale?

No. Late last year most major lenders started accepting short sale offers from sellers who have never missed a payment.

Number 1 I want to do a short sale and have a 2nd mortgage, does this make me ineligible?

No. Both of your lenders will need to be satisfied in some way to complete the short sale. If your first lender will be paid off by the sale, then you just negotiate the terms with the second lender. Most short sales do involve 1st and 2nd lien holders.

Article courtesy of: Tim and Julie Harris, www.AgentShortSaleSecrets.com

If you would like more information about short sales or Virginia Beach real estate, visit our website, ButlerTeamHomes.com or give us a call at 866-222-0158 #550 for more personalized service. Interested in the current market value of your home? Visit VirginiaBeachHomeSellers.com. Your home valuation will be emailed to you. Also read our blog: AllVirginiaBeachRealEstate.

This Friday - Yes it is Friday the 13th...

A great family activity at Mt Trashmore Park in Virginia Beach is Movie Night At The Park. They are going to be playing "Surfs Up" at around 7:30 PM. So, bring your lawnchairs and blankets to cuddle with the family and watch a cute movie about penguins in a surfing competition. They will have food concessions for sale and childrens activities before the movie starts.

Mt Trashmore is located off of Independece Blvd and the Edwin Dr. They Virginia Beach Parks And Recreation will be playing a different movie each month of summer.

BEST OF ALL IT IS A FREE FAMILY ACTIVITY TO ENJOY!!!

I just wanted to congratulate my husband Charlie Doriguzzi for his 1st week with Bank of America. I know what you are all thinking but we make a great team! I work for Wachovia Mortgage and he works for Bank of America - we are competitors at work and at home.

It is a good thing because as you all know before he was a mortgage broker that didn't offer the government loans that everyone is turning to right now and is actually able to offer his clients a wider range of mortgage products and services.

VS.

Both are excellent banks with many products to offer besides just a mortgage. Feel free to contact either one of us for a free mortgage proposal.

All it takes is 30 seconds to make a difference in someone's day. Here is what I mean...

I had to make a quick stop at Walmart this afternoon and pick up a few items. While I was there I figured I might as well stock up on some bottled water as it is still in the 100 degree range here. Unfortunately, so did everyone else but luckily there was an employee near by who put in 2 cases of water in my cart for me. It is difficult for me to lift while being 37 weeks pregnant right now.

Well, on my way to my car a young man - couldn't be older than 16 or 17 yrs old came over and said "here let me get those bottled waters into your car for you." I didn't even have to ask him and he was actually alone and wasn't told by some adult to assist me.

All I could think of was how thoughtful that young man was to help me out of the goodness of his heart on an extremely hot afternoon.

I just wanted to thank that young man and his mother and father who have obviously raised him well. I know I will never see him again but he has definitely made my day by just 30 seconds of his time to assist an overheated pregnant lady this afternoon.

So, I challenge everyone - "What can you do to make a difference in someone's day today?"

• A smile
• A helping hand
• A compliment
• Holding the door open for someone
• A Thank You
  

Making a move to Virginia Beach, or any other Hampton Roads locale, can be overwhelming. It doesn't seem to matter if your are moving across country or across town the details are endless. It pays to be oprganized and have your ducks in a row, so nothing falls through the cracks. Below are suggestions to help make your Virginia Beach move more manageable...

Subscribe to Virginia Beach's local newspaper, The Virginian Pilot, in advance of your move. It usually contains a large real estate section, which can be very helpful in giving you some idea of the type of housing available in the new city, as well as other useful information. Arrange for a house-hunting trip to your new city. When looking for a new home, take along a tape measure and a list of the exact dimensions of each of your major appliances and other large pieces of furniture. Measure the areas provided for them to be sure your appliances and furniture will fit. Establish credit in the new city. Ask your banker for a referral to a correspondent bank and to act as a credit reference.

Preplanning Your Move

Plan your move to Virginia Beach as early as possible. If you are able to move at any time of the year, don't wait until summer, the peak-moving season. Consider also that the first and last few days of the month are extra busy. If you plan to sell your house, get it on the market as soon as possible. If renting, give your landlord timely notice of your moving date. Keep a record of all expenses related to the move, some of which may be tax deductible. Fill out the Personal Household Inventory for each room. This is important for establishing the amount of declared valuation for the shipment and as a permanent inventory for insurance purposes. List, as nearly as possible, the year of purchase and original cost of each item. Attach any invoices or records of purchase to the completed inventory. Prepare a separate high-value inventory if the shipment will contain articles of "extraordinary" value. The following list includes items that might fall into this category:

* Antiques
* Art Collections
* Cameras
* China Collections
* Computer Equipment
* Crystal
* Figurines
* Firearms
* Jewelry
* Manuscripts
* Oriental Rugs
* Silver
* Stones Or Gems
* Tapestries
* TVs Or Stereos

Estimate of Virginia Beach Moving Costs

Unless you have been given a binding estimate where a firm cost is established in advance, the exact cost of a move cannot be determined until after the shipment has been loaded on the van and weighed. The weight on which charges are based is calculated by weighing the van before and after loading. The total cost of the move will include transportation charges, any charges for declared valuation, plus charges for any extra services performed at your request. All of these charges are based on tariff rate schedules.

Owner's Responsibility

It is the owner's responsibility to see that your mechanical, electrical equipment and appliances are properly serviced for shipping prior to the arrival of the moving van. For safe moving, have these items prepared by a licensed or properly trained technician. This service may be performed by a technician of your choice or by qualified personnel of the moving company. If the owner has failed to have an item serviced, the van operator may load and haul it, but will mark the inventory sheet, "Not Serviced-Loaded at Owner's Risk."

Tomorrow read: Six to Eight Weeks Before Your Move to Virginia Beach.

Start your move by searching Virignia Beach homes for sale. Or have new homes for sale emailed to your Inbox as they hit the market with our New Listing Alerts. Visit our blog, AllVirginiaBeachRealEstate.com.

I was preparing for a Brokers Luncheon at my new home site in Chesapeake at Westchester Estates when I tripped over the threshold going outside. I heard something pop but didn't know what it was. I fell very hard and it seemed quite fast. None of that slow motion stuff. The next thing I knew I was trying to pick myself up off the ground. The only thing I could think of was to finish getting ready for the luncheon. Thinking I only twisted the ankle I went back to preparing. Five minutes later I realized I couldn't go on and off to the Dr. I went. I can't work for next two weeks and will be in cast most of the summer. I broke the small bone in my ankle. We talked about putting a pin in it but with my medical conditions I opted out of a surgery. Hopefully it will be the right decision.

http://www.deniseallen.com/ Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, as well as the rest of Hampton Roads. This site is updated daily with new real estate listings, pictures and other information vital to your home search.

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I am a bit slow on getting this out..but better late than never. My newest invitee is Carla Knapp from Reliant Title in Virginia Beach, VA.

Carla Knapp

She has already written 2 blogs and off to a great start. So check her out and make sure you welcome her. I know she will be a great addition to the Active Rain Family and think she will be able to contribute quite a bit. Feel free to contact her as she is an underwriter for Reliant Title.

Virginia Beach Title Company Goes Green

Active Rain Newbie Here

3300 Building South - Suite 200
397 Little Neck Road
Virginia Beach, VA 23452
Phone: (757)493-7600
Fax: (757) 493-7633