Hampton Roads Virginia Real Estate

After passing both chambers, the last hurdle for the proposed speed limit increase appears to be the Governor's signature.  

The speed limit increase would raise the limit on some roads in the Commonwealth from 65 to 70 mph.  Once the legislation passes, transportation officials will determine which roadways will be effected after conducting traffic safety studies.

The proposed increase follow the lead of 33 other states which have raised their speed limits to 70 mph.

Trip Advisor came out today with their popular Dirtiest Hotels list for 2010.  I'm always curious to see who makes this list so I can be sure to avoid them.  Often, the hotels are in large cities San Francisco, New York, Chicago and the like.  Unfortunately, this year, 2 hotels in the Top 10 (actually, in the Top 5!) were right in my real estate market!

Here is the list:

1. Heritage Marina Hotel, San Francisco, California

2. Days Inn Eureka/Six Flags, Eureka, Missouri

3. Tropicana Resort Hotel, Virginia Beach, Virginia

4. Super 8 Virginia Beach/At the Ocean, Virginia Beach, Virginia

5. Quality Inn, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

6. New York Inn, New York City, New York

7. Parisian Hotel & Suites, Miami Beach, Florida

8. Capistrano Seaside Inn, Capistrano Beach, California

9. Desert Lodge, Palm Springs, California

10. Continental Oceanfront Hotel South Beach, Miami Beach, Florida

Hopefully, these hotels will clean up their act and get this big black spot off of the Virginia Beach resort area.  As one of my favorite clients said, "You don't have to have money to be clean".  

I was reading an article this past weekend which highlighted a self-employed couple who owned a small restaurant in southern Virginia.  They were quoted as saying they pay over $2000/month for health insurance.  The couple is "stuck" in the age of being too young to retire, but too old to be easily employable since both have manufacturing backgrounds.

That got me to thinking about other options.  First off, there's the option of going to work for a large employer (such as Walmart) that offers a good, low cost health care plan for all employees.  I suppose the ugly blue vest is a small price to pay for great health insurance.

There's also the option of going back to school.  Almost all colleges offer an affordable, a group health insurance plan.  In addition, many colleges have their own health care clinic open to students which is paid for through tuition and fees.  Yes, college can be expensive, but many state schools are pretty affordable and you only need enroll in one course to qualify for the health insurance.  Keep in mind that many students qualify for the federal student loan program and older students may qualify for other financial benefits.  In addition, most colleges also have other benefits included in the student fees such as use of the workout facilities, gym classes and the like.

For an example of the health insurance benefits, here is a link to GM-Southwest, which provides coverage for many colleges.

The Art Institute recently opened a campus in Virginia Beach and will officially hold it's first day of classes there on January 11, 2010.

Located at 2 Columbus Center, the campus is conveniently located in the Virginia Beach Town Center.

"The Art Institutes schools have earned a strong, national reputation for excellence in creative arts education, and we look forward to bringing our signature culinary, fashion, design, and media arts programs to Virginia Beach," says John Mazzoni, president of The Art Institutes.  “We see our expansion in the Virginia Beach community as a great opportunity to provide an inspiring environment to a new, creative class of students, while preparing them well to enter the workforce.”

The Art Institute of Virginia Beach will offer the following programs:

• Advertising
• Culinary Arts Management
• Fashion and Retail Management
• Graphic Design
• Interior Design
• Media Arts and Animation
• Photographic Imaging
• Web Design and Interactive Media

For more information, call the Art Institute of Virginia Beach at:  877-437-4428 or click here to visit their website.

The little country high school that could.....

Once remotely removed from the hustle and bustle of Virginia Beach development, Kellam High School stood solid as the "Green Line" approached and neighborhoods sprouted all around it in the past 25 years.  Built in 1962, Kellam High School, one of the City's most popular schools, became overcrowded and outdated.

In the beginning of this month, a new, 108 acre site was chosen for the new Kellam High School.  Located at the corner of West Neck Rd. and North Landing Rd., the new site will allow for a larger school, more parking and spacious athletic fields.  This new location is more than three times the size of the current site.

The land already has utilities present so development should move forward once the sale is closed and the design is formalized.

Rising high school students going to Kellam beware...the Municipal Center area is speeding ticket central and with the increased traffic from the new school, will probably become even more so.  Also, the question arises regarding the need to expand North Landing and Princess Anne Roads...will this ever happen?