Williamsburg and Richmond VA Real Estate
Williamsburg and Richmond VA Homes for Sale Resource
Realtor serving Williamsburg and Richmond Virginia

Susan Oliver, Realtor ®, Your Williamsburg and Richmond Va Real Estate Agent
Williamsburg and Richmond Va Real Estate is what Williamsburg Premier Properties specializes in. We have MLS listings for you to search and we help buyers and sellers with their real estate needs in Williamsburg Richmond and surrounding areas. Susan Oliver is a Realtor® with RE/MAX Capital. We have a team of highly qualified real estate agents that deal with residential as well as commercial transactions. Williamsburg Premier Properties also specializes in Virginia Waterfront Properties from the Chickahominy River to the Rappahannock River.

Susan Oliver is a full time real estate agent serving Williamsburg and Richmond Va as well as surrounding areas. Williamsburg Premier Properties can help you with your home buying and selling needs! Susan Oliver is an Endorsed Local Provider of Real Estate Services by Dave Ramsey. Let Williamsburg Premier Properties serve all of your residential and commercial real estate needs in the Williamsburg and Richmond areas. If you would like to receive a free Neighborhood Report please contact Susan Oliver at Williamsburg Premier Properties.

SELLERS!
If you're planning to sell real estate (homes or land) in the Williamsburg or Richmond Va area in the next few months, this FREE service is designed to help establish your home's current market value. Simply choose Market Analysis and fill out the requested information. We will use comparable sold listings to help you calculate the fair market value of your property. As part of my extensive services for listing your home, I will pay for you to obtain a 2-10 Home Service Agreement(base price) that will protect you while your home is listed and then convey to the buyer at closing for 1 year. It is a great selling point!

BUYERS!
Williamsburg Premier Properties provides real estate services to buyers as well as sellers. If you are buying real estate you need someone representing you and looking out for your interests! Automatically receive personalized Williamsburg and Richmond VA MLS real estate listings by e-mail. We will set up a custom, automated search of your MLS system and find the Williamsburg and Richmond Va homes that match your criteria and notify you immediately with the latest listing information!! Simply choose Dream Home Finder and fill in
the requested information. Or, search for yourself at
Search MLS. If the home you are buying does not already have a home warranty included - Williamsburg Premier Properties will pay for a 2-10 Home Service Agreement for you(base price) that will protect your home for 1 year from closing.

MARKETING!
We market our Williamsburg and Richmond Va real estate listings to the major search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN and post them to over 30 other web sites for maximum internet exposure. 80% of home buyers start their search on the internet so we use our extensive marketing knowledge to gain maximum exposure. Contact Williamsburg Premier Properties so we can help you sell your home in the most efficient way possible.

We will give Exposure of your Williamsburg and Richmond VA area home to the Internet on these websites to name a few!



SPECIALIZATION
Williamsburg Premier Properties specializes in representing our clients in the purchases and sales of single-family residences, land and income properties within Williamsburg, Richmond and surrounding areas. Whether you are looking to buy or sell real estate - we can aid you with your relocation. Please remember that we can help anyone, anywhere buy or sell real estate through our incredible referral network. Williamsburg Premier Properties is your Williamsburg and Richmond Va Real Estate Resource.

Articles

First-Time Buyer Incentive Adds 'Bridge Loans'


A Realty Times Feature Article by Kenneth R. Harney

Home builders and Realtors cheered in Washington last week when HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan announced that FHA will allow lenders and government agencies to “monetize” the $8,000 federal homebuyer tax credit, providing purchasers with downpayment cash upfront, available at closing, rather than waiting for the IRS to mail them a tax credit check.

Speaking at the mid-year conference of the National Association of Realtors, Donovan said HUD supports “bridge loan” programs designed to help first-time buyers come up with needed cash.

Under the bridge loan concept, an FHA-approved private lender, a state or local housing agency, or an FHA-approved nonprofit organization could advance as much as $8,000 for downpayment and closing costs -- in anticipation of receipt of the $8,000 credit months or weeks down the road.

Sanctioning bridge loans could improve the effectiveness of the federal credit program significantly, said Joe Robson, president of the National Association of Home Builders.

Bill Riley, incoming president of the Washington State Realtors Association, estimates that half of all would-be first-time buyers lack the downpayment resources needed to complete a purchase, and therefore aren't making use of the credit.

Donovan said technical instructions to lenders for the bridge loan program would be provided by FHA shortly.

In the meantime, 10 state housing finance agencies already run credit monetization programs on their own. They include the states of Missouri, Colorado, Delaware, New Jersey, Tennessee, Idaho, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Mexico and Washington.

Most of the programs provide second liens with no interest charges for a period of months, with the expectation they'll be paid off immediately after the homebuyers receive their IRS credit checks.

In some cases the liens turn into second mortgages with 10 year terms and floating interest rates if the buyers choose not to repay the advance with the tax credit check.

In the wake of Donovan's announcement, major mortgage lenders are likely to gear up their own programs, bringing bridge loans for first time buyers to all 50 states, not just the ten that pioneered the idea.

However, anyone who wants to take advantage of all this needs to move fast. Under the federal tax credit rules set by Congress, purchasers must close no later than November 30 to be eligible. They must not have owned a principal residence at any time during the three years preceding their purchase. Buyers can claim the 2009 credit against their 2008 federal tax returns - they just need to file an amendment - or can wait and file next April.

For a detailed Q&A on the credit program, visit


www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com



Richmond is a Diverse Exciting City


Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and the Greater Richmond area. Surrounded by Henrico and Chesterfield counties, the city is located at the intersections of Interstate 95 and Interstate 64, and surrounded by Interstate 295 and Route 288 in central Virginia. The population was 197,790 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 1,194,008 for the Richmond Metropolitan Area — making it the third largest in Virginia.

The site of Richmond, at the fall line of the James River in the Piedmont region of Virginia, was briefly settled by English settlers from Jamestown in 1609, and in 1610-11, near the site of a significant native settlement. The present city of Richmond was founded in 1737. It became the capital of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia in 1780. During the Revolutionary War period, several notable events occurred in the city, including Patrick Henry's, "Give me liberty or give me death," speech in 1775 at St. John's Church, and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom in 1779; the latter of which was written by Thomas Jefferson in the city. During the American Civil War, Richmond served as the capital of the Confederate States of America, and many important American Civil War landmarks remain in the city today, including the Virginia State Capitol and the White House of the Confederacy, among others.

Richmond's economy is primarily driven by law, finance, and government with several notable legal and banking firms, as well as federal, state, and local governmental agencies, located in the downtown area. Richmond is one of twelve cities in the United States to be home to a Federal Reserve Bank. There are also nine Fortune 500, and thirteen Fortune 1000 companies in the city. Tourism is also important, as many historic sights are in or nearby the city.

The Richmond-Petersburg Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), the 43rd largest in the United States, includes the independent cities of Richmond, Colonial Heights, Hopewell, and Petersburg, as well as the counties of Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent, Powhatan, and Prince George. As of July 1, 2005, the total population of the Richmond—Petersburg MSA is 1,194,008.
Richmond's original street grid, laid out in 1737, included the area between what are now Broad, 17th, and 25th Streets and the James River. Modern Downtown Richmond is located slightly farther west, on the slopes of Shockoe Hill. Nearby neighborhoods include Shockoe Bottom, the historically significant and low-lying area between Shockoe Hill and Church Hill, and Monroe Ward, which contains the Jefferson Hotel. Richmond's East End includes neighborhoods like rapidly gentrifying Church Hill, home to St. John's Church, as well as poorer areas like Fulton, Union Hill, and Fairmont, and public housing projects like Mosby Court, Whitcomb Court, Fairfield Court, and Creighton Court closer to Interstate 64.

The area between Belvidere Street, Interstate 195, Interstate 95, and the river, which includes Virginia Commonwealth University, is socioeconomically and architecturally diverse. North of Broad Street, the Carver and Newtowne West neighborhoods are demographically similar to neighboring Jackson Ward, with Carver experiencing some gentrification due to its proximity to VCU. The affluent area between the Boulevard, Main Street, Broad Street, and VCU, known as the Fan, is home to Monument Avenue, an outstanding collection of Victorian architecture, and many students. West of the Boulevard is the Museum District, the location of the Virginia Historical Society and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. South of the Downtown Expressway are Byrd Park, Maymont, Hollywood Cemetery, the predominantly black working class Randolph neighborhood, and white working class Oregon Hill. Cary Street between Interstate 195 and the Boulevard is a popular commercial area called Carytown.

Further to the west is the affluent, suburban West End. The West End also includes middle to lower income neighborhoods, such as Farmington and the areas surrounding the once popular Regency Mall. The University of Richmond and the Country Club of Virginia can be found here.

The portion of the city south of the James River is known as the Southside. Neighborhoods in the city's Southside area range from affluent and middle class suburban neighborhoods like Westover Hills, Southampton, Stratford Hills, Oxford, Huguenot Hills, Hobby Hill, and Woodland Heights to the impoverished Manchester and Blackwell areas, the Hillside Court housing projects, and the ailing Jefferson Davis Highway commercial corridor. Other Southside neighborhoods include Fawnbrook, Broad Rock, Cherry Gardens, Cullenwood, and Beaufont Hills. Much of Southside developed a suburban character as part of Chesterfield County before being annexed by Richmond, most notably in 1970.

The other side of the city, the Northside, began to develop at the end of the 19th century when the new streetcar system made it possible for people to live on the outskirts of town and still commute to jobs downtown. Prominent Northside neighborhoods include Ginter Park, Bellevue, Barton Heights, Highland Park, Azalea, and Chamberlayne.

Recent Economic Developments

In recent years, Richmond has been attempting to revive its downtown. Recent downtown initiatives include the Canal Walk, a new Greater Richmond Convention Center, and expansion on both VCU campuses. Despite numerous controversies related to excessive employee salaries and wasteful spending of public tax money, a new performing arts center, Richmond CenterStage, will reportedly open in 2009. The complex will include a renovation of the Carpenter Center and construction of a new multipurpose hall, community playhouse, and arts education center in parts of the old Thalhimers department store. As planned by the Virginia Performing Arts Foundation (VAPAF), the publicly-funded arts center project now known as CenterStage has been mired in controversy, poor planning and questionable spending of money raised from a special citywide meals tax hike.

The center is set to receive $25 million in 'City of the Future' funds from Mayor Doug Wilder even though the current planners of CenterStage have yet to disclose annual administrative and operating expenses or initiate an artists endowment. There are also few representatives from the area's performing arts community in key positions of authority within the project, leading critics to speculate that CenterStage is more of a real estate deal designed to prop up a failing convention center expansion than a worthwhile arts venture. The city has entertained multiple proposals for a new baseball stadium for the AAA Class Richmond Braves in recent years, but none has yet advanced beyond initial planning. In January, 2008, the Braves announced that in 2009 they will be leaving Richmond for Gwinnett County, GA due to Richmond's continued inaction on an improved ballpark.

In February, 2006, MeadWestvaco announced that they would move from Stamford, Connecticut, to Richmond in 2008. The company is planning an 8-10 story office building downtown, near the Federal Reserve building.Richmond has a significant art community, and the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts is consistently ranked as one of the best in the nation. In addition to many art venues associated with the university, there are also several attractions nearby, including the Library of Virginia, the Valentine Richmond History Center, the Virginia Historical Society, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Richmond Symphony, and the Richmond Ballet. The Byrd Theatre in Carytown is a classical movie theater from the 1920s era that still features second-run movies on a regular basis, and is popular among the college student population, particularly because of its low ticket price of $1.99.

Museums and Historical Interests

The Science Museum of Virginia, is also located on Broad Street near the Fan district. It is housed in the neoclassical Union Station, designed by Beaux-Arts-trained John Russell Pope in 1919. Adjacent to the Science Museum is the Richmond Children's Museum, a fun-filled museum with many hands-on activities.

As the former Capital of the Confederate States of America, Richmond is home to many museums and battlefields of the American Civil War. The Museum of the Confederacy, located near the Virginia State Capitol and the MCV Campus of Virginia Commonwealth University, is in Court End along with the Davis Mansion, also known as the White House of the Confederacy; both today feature a wide variety of objects and material from the era. Near the riverfront is the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar and Civil War Battlefields National Park Visitors Center. There is a former slave trail along the river as well. The National Park Service's Richmond Civil War Visitor Center, in the Tredegar Iron Works, has three floors of exhibits and artifacts, films, a bookstore, picnic areas and more.

Other historical points of interest include St. John's Church, the site of Patrick Henry's famous, "Give me liberty or give me death" speech, and the Edgar Allan Poe Museum, features many of his writings and other artifacts of his life, particularly when he lived in the city as a child, a student, and a successful writer. The John Marshall House, the home of the former Chief Justice of the United States, is also located downtown and features many of his writings and objects from his life. Hollywood Cemetery is also the burial grounds of two U.S. Presidents as well as many other civil war officers and soldiers. The home of former Confederate General Robert E. Lee still stands on Franklin Street in downtown Richmond.

The city is also home to many monuments, most notably several along Monument Avenue in the Fan District. Other monuments of interest in the city include the A.P. Hill monument, the Bill "Bojangles" Robinson monument, the Christopher Columbus monument, and the Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument.

Dedicated in 1956, the Virginia War Memorial is also located on Belvedere near the riverfront, and is a monument to Virginians who died in battle in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the War in Afghanistan, and the Iraq War. Located near Byrd Park is the famous World War I Memorial Carillon, a 56 bell carillon tower.

Colleges and universities

The Richmond area has many major institutions of higher education, including the University of Richmond (private), Virginia Commonwealth University (public), Virginia Union University (private), and the Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education (private). Several community colleges are found in the metro area, including J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College and John Tyler Community College (Chesterfield County). In addition, there are several Technical Colleges in Richmond including, ITT Technical Institute, ECPI College of Technology and Beta Tech.

Virginia State University is located about 20 miles south of Richmond, in the suburb of Ettrick, just outside of Petersburg, and Randolph-Macon College is located about 15 miles north of Richmond, in the incorporated town of Ashland


Williamsburg, Virginia: A Mecca for Retirement
By Elaine VonCannon, ABR, SRES, REALTOR

Williamsburg Virginia is a familiar name for many because it is steeped in colonial history. In the 1920s, Rockefeller sunk millions into the renovation of historic homes, pubs, and properties. Today, Williamsburg is an early American gem, as well as a mecca for retirement.

A Temperate Climate
The greater Williamsburg area includes James City and York Counties, and these areas are also steeped in early American history. Many retirees prefer this part of Southeastern Virginia because it has a temperate climate and an excellent mid point location on the Eastern seaboard. The temperature in winter months rarely dips below 40 or 30 degrees, and snow is a rarity. For six to eight months out of the year, temperatures range from 55-90 degrees.

Gardening
For the plant lover, this area of Virginia represents the northernmost tip of a sub-tropical zone, so the variety of plants, flowers, shrubs, and trees are vast. Outdoor gardening can be done 9-10 months out of the year. Near coastal or tidal areas a good deal of the soil is mixed with sand, which makes for fertile gardening.

Birding
Bird lovers will find it an excellent place for birding, because it's a flyover zone for many species of migrating birds heading south for the winter. From November through March, there are an abundance of flocks of feathered visitors to the area.

Golfing in Williamsburg
The golfing enthusiast will find much to love in Williamsburg. There are 10 major golf courses in and around the Wiliamsburg area. Three highly regarded courses are located at Kingsmill, Fords Colony, and the Golden Horsehoe , James City County and York County. Williamsburg is known for its highly coveted signature golf courses.

Low Property Taxes
Many retirees relocate to the Williamsburg area because the property taxes are much lower than other regions. In the City of Williamsburg property tax is .57 cents per hundred dollars (as of 2005.) Bordering James City County is currently .87 per hundred and York County is .86 per hundred.

Williamsburg's Proximity to Norfolk and Richmond
Williamsburg is situated between Norfolk and Richmond, each approximately 45 minutes away. Both cities have international airports, and larger cultural and sports venues to choose from. Norfolk is home to the largest Naval Base on the East Coast, and Richmond has preserved some of the olde southern charm that once made it capital of the South.

Continuing Education
The Christopher Wren Association for Lifelong Learning is part of the prestigious College of William and Mary. Continuing Education courses are offered for adults interested in such areas as historical, cultural, and technological education. Other topic areas are included in Lifelong Learning and are geared towards the mature adult audience.

Cultural Events in Williamsburg
Diverse and interesting cultural events are available regularly in the city of Williamsburg. A sampling of this includes, Williamsburg Symphony, Shakespeare Festival at the College of William & Mary, Williamsburg Library performances, Colonial Williamsburg Early American Theater and Colonial Williamsburg Living History Performances. There are other historical and local seasonal diversions.

If you do not like your relatives and friends visiting you frequently, don't move to Southeastern Virginia or Williamsburg. The Tidewater area and Williamsburg is a premiere tourist destination. You'll find your home filled with long lost acquaintances, family members, and friends with plenty of activities to choose from to keep everyone interested and happy!

Susan Oliver of Williamsburg Premier Properties is a life long resident of Richmond and currently resides right outside of Richmond -between Williamsburg and Richmond. If you would like any more information on Virginia real estate, please contact Susan today at 757-903-5268 or email her at susanoliver@remax.net.


LINKS
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