About Franklin County, VA

Last post we started a House Hunting 101 refresher course for those who are in the hunt for the perfect home! Whether you are looking for a waterfront property on Smith Mountain Lake or a farm in the Virginia countryside, these are some basic tips to remember when you are out home shopping. Hopefully they will help you avoid some pitfalls along the way. Let's jump right back in!

Lesson#3: Wait for the home that you really want! No one will argue with you that house hunting can be a roller coaster of emotions. Sometimes those emotions get the best of you and you just want to buy a house, any house, and be done with it. STOP! Take a moment, take a deep breath and remind yourself, you will be living in this home for the foreseeable future. Isn't finding a home that fits your family's lifestyle the reason you are house hunting in the first place? Don't settle for a property that doesn't meet any of your criteria. There are some things you will have to give up, but overall the home should be what you are looking for!

Lesson #4: Don't procrastinate on making an offer! Now this may sound like it is a complete contradiction to Lesson #3, but it isn't! If you have found a home that meets most of your checklist of wants and needs, don't wait too long before making an offer! Unless you are building a custom home, most existing houses are not going to meet every need that you have. The key to being successful in this is having a firm idea of what you must have in a property!

When you started your hunt, your real estate agent more than likely asked you what you are looking for. Don't just brush the question off! Sit down and consider what you can and can't live without. What are you willing to compromise? What is an absolute necessity? Knowing these things before you start house hunting will be a time saver when trying to determine if you should make an offer on a specific home.

Hopefully these tips will help make looking for a home more exciting than frustrating! Having a clear idea of what you are looking for, what your price range is, and the amount of work you are willing to put into a home is the best way to find the right place for you!

If you have questions or are ready to start your Bedford County house hunting expedition, call Vicki Millehan! She is your local real estate expert! Smith Mountain Lake; come for a visit, if you like it then move here!

There are many reasons why now is a good time to buy a house. Just to mention a few; interest rates are still at historic lows and there is time left to take advantage of the Home Buyers Tax Credit on that new Smith Mountain Lake home. But as you are looking for a home, there are a few things you should remember amid the excitement of the hunt! If you are in need of a House Hunting 101 refresher course, take notes!

Lesson #1: Don't look at homes that are outside of your price range! This may seem like a no brainer, but from the current foreclosure rate, it would seem it bears repeating! When property values were high and mortgages easy to come by, there were many home owners who bought more house than they could really afford. This left many with no wiggle room in their budget for surprise expenses such as an increase in property taxes. Add to that a drop in property values and you begin to see why the housing bubble burst.

The simple way to avoid this pitfall is to not look at homes that are beyond your price range. You have to remember you are not just paying an extra $7000 on a home; you will also be paying interest on that $7000 for the next 30 years! A good real estate agent won't send you listings that are completely out of your price zone. If by some chance you do end up with such a listing, RESIST THE URGE TO CHECK IT OUT! It will only cause heartache, because the homes in your range may seem unsatisfying once you have seen what you can't have.

Lesson #2: Avoid thinking you are Ty Pennington when you are not! We all have talents. If your talent lies somewhere other than being a handyman, do not buy a "fixer upper" that needs major renovations. Well, that is unless you are going to pay someone else to do the work. It is very tempting to try and take on a home that is priced low and needs a lot of work.

Sometimes the issue is having time to do the repairs more than IF you can do them. Take a real inventory of what the home needs and consider the time, talent and cash it will take to make it the home you want it to be. Don't forget to factor in the expense of living somewhere else while the work is being completed.

We will share a more of House Hunting 101 Smith Mountain Lake in the next post. If you have questions about buying a home in Franklin County, Virginia call Vicki Millehan! Her team can help you find the right place to call home! And if you haven't had a chance to check out Smith Mountain Lake, come for a visit, if you like it then move here!

NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY!! 30-Yr Fixed 4.750% 15-Yr Fixed 4.125%

Thinking about BUYING or SELLING? Call Angie McGhee at (540)537-5918.

*** The rates above provided by Valley Team Mortgage in Salem, VA for informational purposes only. These rates may not fit every scenario. Please call to get pre-qualified to purchase today! (540)444-LOAN ***

Just a ways down the road from the Smith Mountain Lake Visitors Center on 122 South is the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum in Ferrum, VA. The museum is considered by many to be the center for Blue Ridge Mountain Folklore. The institute was created in 1970 by Ferrum College to preserve the folklore of the Blue Ridge region. They offer more than just exhibits and galleries, but also have a living history farm. The farm is a re-created 1800's Virginia-German farmstead.

The farm museum is like stepping back in time. You will be able to experience what life was like in the rural Blue Ridge Mountains. The farm's interpreters dress in period costume and live life as it was in 1800. A thirty mile trip took the whole day or more! As you watch them cook over an open hearth, tend heirloom gardens, and complete the never ending list of farm chores,you realize how fast things move in the modern day.

The exhibits like the Virginia Rocks: The History of Rockabilly in the Commonwealth and other galleries at the museum are free. The Heritage Archives held in the Blue Ridge Institute are a collection of photos and recordings of the area. They even have the Galax Old Time Fiddlers Convention tapes available to listen to. There are admission fees for the farm museum, but you can make reservations for a more "hands on" experience through the different programs they offer.

History runs richly throughout the area. From Jefferson's Poplar Forest home to the National D-Day Memorial, every generation will find something to interest them. Come for a visit and if you like it, then move here! Vicki Millehan, your local real estate expert, can help you find a place to call home in the Blue Ridge Mountains!

30-Yr Fixed 4.625% 15-Yr Fixed 4.125%

Thinking about BUYING or SELLING? Call Angie McGhee at (540)537-5918.

*** The rates above provided by Valley Team Mortgage in Salem, VA for informational purposes only. These rates may not fit every scenario. Please call to get pre-qualified to purchase today! (540)444-LOAN ***