Hampton Roads Virginia Real Estate: Virginia: Virginia Beach

This information was forwarded to me by the Laurel Cove Civic League.  It also includes information from the VA Rush soccer league and some families in the area.  The 2nd police precinct is looking into this information.  Please inform your children to be on alert!

 

"Dear Parents and Coaches - Below is a trail of emails that were forwarded to
 us by another soccer club in the area regarding an important issue - This is
 not to cause any panic but we want to make you aware of these incidents and
 make sure that you are on the lookout.
 
 
Hello Denise, 
I am the manager for XXXTEAM and several emails of people I know have come
 across my email today about a child predator. There is a man in a small blue
 pick up truck stalking and approaching children in our local neighborhoods.
 One incident yesterday was down the street from Brill field. The other
 incident happened near Great Neck Rec Center. Both incidents sent the
 children running for help. The police were notified on the incident near
 Brill field( 2 boys ages 12, 13). The other incident is just now being
 brought to the authorities attention-again 2 children (1 boy age 10 , 1 girl
 age 12). With the season beginning this weekend , I thought this is very
 important to get out. Please remind Parents to be on the lookout for this
 truck and to remind children to not to go up to a strangers car. If you
 need the names of these people I will give them to you. 
thanks for any help you can give to get the word out !
 I will include most of the body of the 2 emails I received just for your
 eyes only please:
 
Hi everyone,
 I just wanted to put a quick email out to people to let them know what
 happened to XXX and a friend tonight. XXXXwas at a friends house tonight
 playing basketball in the street. A royal blue truck stopped by and told
 the boys he was watching their 'plays'. The man sat in the road for a
 time. He then proceeded to ask the boys to come and see something he had in
 his truck. According to the boys, he took off his seat belt and was reaching
 for something. Fortunately, they both avoided going close to the truck and
 reported the incidence. The man did speed backwards down the street and
 then went forward before speeding out of the neighborhood. He had a mexican
 accent, shaved head, and a little goatee on his chin. XXXX thought he was
 about 40, but I'm not sure how reliable that is since I tell him I'm 29!!
 Anyways, it is an older blue small truck and the kids did not get the
 license plate. The police feel it could be more of an exposure incident
 than an abduction, but at this point I wouldn't take a chance. Please
 report any incidences to the police and they promised to put the word out to
 the schools. Please pass on as needed
 
 
2nd email:
 I live behind Cox High School in the Shorehaven area. I was shocked as I
 read this e-mail. Several weeks back, my two children were outside playing
 in our neighborhood and they also were approached by a man in a small pickup
 truck. They indicated that the man just watched them, but followed them as
 they moved throughout the neighborhood. They became increasingly uneasy and
 ran into the home of one of their teachers who also lives in the
 neighborhood. The man actually followed them down the drive. Luckily,
 their teacher's husband was home. She is a teacher at Great Neck Area
 Elementary School and is the individual who forwarded this e-mail to me.
 
The report sent to me after sending out the info:
 
Denise-
 This seems much more relevent based on the descriptions/circumstances of the
 previous reports.
 We live in the King's Grant neighborhood, very close to King's Grant Elem.
 My 9 year old son was walking to a friends house about a block away during
 one of the snow days earlier this year. Along the way a man in a yellow
 (not blue as the others described) pickup with a cab/cover over the bed,
 started following him, driving slowly. My son ran up to a house and the man
 sped away. My son described him as having tan skin, a long goatee and he
 was wearing a hat. The man didn't say anything to him, just stared and
 followed.
 In describing this incident to neighbors, another boy claimed to have had a
 similar incident with a man of the same description, also with a yellow
 truck. The man did motion that boy to the truck. The boy ran away to a
 house.
 I thought this information might be helpful, especially since it seems that
 there is more than one vehicle to be on the lookout for."

 

Tina's House Selling Tips

 

1.  Trash cans out of site - all of them.  You never see a trash can in a model home.

2.  Toilet seats down at all times (except when in use of course!)

3.  Buyers want to see your house, not your deodorant.  ALL toiletries go under the sink - get a bucket or tupperware container to store your daily essentials to make morning get-ready-time easy.

4.  Everything off the kitchen counters.  Acceptable exceptions:  vase of flowers, 1 coffee maker (spotless), microwave.

5.  Now is not the time to save on heating and electric bills.  If buyers are uncomfortable when they walk into your home, they will remember that.  Keep the windows closed during showings as well to keep outside noises to a minimum.

6.  Fireplace - clean/spotless with a few neatly stacked logs inside.  Make sure moulding/tile around fireplace is clean and polished.

7.  Things to keep on hand:  Mr. Clean eraser (for quick wall touch-ups) and Clorox/windex wipes.  Keep them under each sink so they are easy to access for morning cleanups before leaving for the day.

8.  Lights on!  Make sure bulbs all work and fan blades are dust-free

9.  Front mat - get a new one.  Keep a pot of seasonal flowers next to the front door.  Door glass should be clean, front door in excellent condition and front door lock in good repair.  Your front entrance is your first impression - make it a good one.

10.  No coats, shoes hats in the foyer.

11.  Start thinning out and packing.  A good rule of thumb is 1 item per display shelf (exception is books).  Keep personal photos and mementos to a minimum - you want buyers looking at your house, not at your stuff.

12.  Sniff test.  Ask an honest friend if there is any kind of funky smell in your house.  If there is, this can usually be rectified by washing all curtains, towels and linens and using liquid fabric softener in the laundry.  Also, a quick spray around the house of Febreeze every morning does wonders.

13.  Now is not the time to try to become a gourmet chef.  Your kitchen is one of the most important rooms to a buyer and needs to be pristine.  Scrub the appliances inside and out so they look brand new.  Buyers will look inside cabinets and even the dishwasher!  Consider eating off of paper plates while your house is on the market.  

14.  Liquid Gold - one of my favorite products for making a home sparkle.  You can find it in the grocery store with the furniture polish.  Use it on your cabinet doors, slate, wood...almost everything except the bathroom fixtures.

15.  Yard - mowed and edged.  Trim around mailbox.  Throw a layer of fresh mulch in mulch beds.  No dead plants - throw them away (they're bad Feng Shui too).

16.  Have carpets cleaned.  Professionally.

17.  Pressure wash any mold/mildew on siding, decks, porches and fences. 

18.  If you have a decent stereo or TV with music on demand channels, put on a smooth jazz station at a low volume.

19.  Make sure all prescription medications, mail, sensitive papers and valuables are out of sight. Buyers are nosy and so are their agents.  This includes your listing papers!

20.  Refrigerator.  No magnets.  No pictures.  Nothing....nada on the refrigerator.

21.  Try to keep your car(s) out of the driveway.  An empty driveway is welcoming.  An empty driveway allows buyers to walk up to your home and envision it as their own.

22.  If you have company come for a stay, don't feel well and don't want showings or just need a "break" from showings one day, please let me know.  I understand that having your home on the market is hard work.

23.  Keep curtains open and blinds down and open unless they look out to something unsightly.  Make all doors easy to open and remove and bars/wood sticks from patio doors during showings. Put WD40 on sliding door runners so they open and close smoothly.

24.  Keep home computers shut down.  They can get loud and hot and also, it's a security issue.

25.  Make sure your address/house numbers are readily visible.  Buyers and their agents need to be able to find your home in order to view it.

26.  If you happen to be home during a showing, keep your lips sealed!  Buyer agents are pros at pulling info out of unsuspecting sellers.  Be VERY careful about offering up too much information and never, ever follow buyers around.  Take a walk around the block and give them their space.

27.  Remember, this isn't your home anymore.  It's someone else's...we just need to find them.                                                                                                                                                                                                     Tina

 

According to Zillow's Real Estate Market Reports for December 2009, Virginia Beach home values were up 0.1% compared to November 2009 and up 0.1% compared to December 2008.

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".