Virginia Beach Real Estate

New Construction in Virginia Beach is on the rise. Stick with me for all the details to become an expert in building your own home.  Without a doubt, if you are thinking seriously about building new home construction here in the Virginia Beach area, you will find it very rewarding. However don’t be surprised, as it will can also quickly become a daunting task.  But not to worry, I will be here to walk you through the procedure step by step.

Since it will be directly from you own plans, it will be more likely to help you achieve your dream home than to just go out and find a home to buy outright.  But remember this, it can result in many headaches as you proceed along the way. Not only is cost overruns possible, along with expensive construction mistakes, you could even end up in litigation.  However that is ok, because even during the purchase of a pre-owned home could lead to litigation as both methods can come across many problems.

Now keep in mind, as we do cost estimates, these are only starting points and only an estimate which we will adjust thru out the process as we go along. Its best to know from the start, just how much you can afford to spend on the construction of you new dream home.
Ok..lets do our estimate.

One of the most common methods used to estimate the cost of the home, is the cost per square foot method. Even though it is not too accurate, it can at least give you a good idea to start.  One of the first and most important items to consider first is the type of home that you will construct.  You will need to decide on whether it will be a ranch style, cottage, two story, one story and on and on.
You will early on need to determine the overall size of the home you intend to build as this of course will be a major factor in estimating the cost of the finished project. Additionally many other variables will be important such as the shape and size of the lot, number of rooms, as well as any amenities that you plan to add to it including any special flooring, lighting fixtures and appliances.

Many folks are surprised with the cost of the amenities and other items that they intend to add.
Many online calculators can help you determine an beginning estimate so that you can move on to the next step.
Now lets discuss location:

They always say that the three most important points about a new home is
1. Location
2. Location
3. Location
In other words we cannot overemphasize the importance of the location of your home.  If located in a poor or drug infested neighborhood, no matter how nice the home its value will be significantly reduced.  No one wants to live in a dangerous neighborhood.

Should you become a contractor, or Go it alone?
A very important factor is to early on decide whether you want to act as a contractor, or hire a contractor to follow your directions.  It’s not impossible to act as you own contractor, but it does add a lot of responsibility, work and study to the project.  Its very easy for you to get the cart before the horse and cause a lot of unnecessary work which can be very expensive for you.
If this is your first experience with new home construction, I strongly recommend you hire a contractor to oversee the construction of you home.
 If you go it alone, you will be dealing directly with subcontractors, which is a group of framers, masons, electricians, bricklayers, roofers and window and door installers and more.
 Without a doubt, the most important decision you will make in the home construction process will be that of selecting a contractor.  You will need to enter into a contract covering all the details of the new home.  Whether you hire a contractor or go it alone, one of the most expensive items will be that of labor. Be sure to interview a number of contractors before you make your final  choice and do not hesitate to walk away from anyone who doesn’t feel right to you and especially watch out for anyone who seems too good to be true as they usually are.

Keep in mind that you will have to pay building permits fees and inspection fees, plan changes and any cost overruns that may occurr.  For more information on homes that may be of interest to you, please visit other pages of my site at Chesapeake Foreclosures

20,000 super key phrases for you Google Pay Per Click Adwords Site.

IF you are in a hurry to find out how to get a full blown Adwords account for free filled with 20,000 super key phrases tailored just to your neighborhood… jump down to the paragraph that says “Good Stuff Here“.

NOTE:  If you are from Hampton Roads Area, or Richmond area, I already have accounts running there and will not be able to provide service to you… that applies to Real Estate only, I can set up in those areas in any other Niche.  SO DON’T EVEN ASK!.

It seems like everybody and their brother is getting into the ADWORDS (PPC) Business.
Not a day goes by that I don’t count another dozen or so real estate agents getting on the band wagon with the Google Adwords Pay Per Click Program.  The field just gets more and more competitive every day. 

I am sure most of you folks know what PPC (adwords) is.. but just in case some new folks out there have not yet been exposed. This is the google advertising source where you pay Google to place your ads on the top and right hand columns of the organic search results.. and when someone click on your ad you pay google for presenting your ad.. the cost can run from 10 cents to 3 or 4 bucks per click.

I know don’t laugh… I am sure you will never get a real estate ad on the front page for 10 cents per click… more likely 90 cents to 3 bucks… and then some…. for DUI LAWYER try 35 bucks a click.

If anyone woud like to get their feet wet and be sure not to lose your behind, keep your ears peeled you are about to here somethng you will never believe.

I am working diligently toward my adwords certified license.. not that you need it,  but I want to get it anyway..I love a challenge… So here is what is required for that little bugger.. You sign up with Google and to certify they give you a 90 day period where they watch over you to make sure you know what you are doing. Now you can run an adwords account without any google supervision but if they are going to certify you they want to be sure you know what the heck you are doing. During that 90 day period you must pass a 120 question exam at 80% pass/fail.  This exam costs $50.00 each time you take it..

Additionally during the 90 day period you must set up a full blown adwords account that will spend a thousand bucks on advertising during that 90 day period.  A grand in ninety days equates to about 10 bucks per day. Actually it is not an extra charge, as the money is applied to what you pay google each month for leads they send you.  You can proceed at any budget you like, such as 1 buck a day or 5 bucks a day or etc, however to qualify for the certification, you must purchase a thousand bucks of clicks during the ninety day period.

Now of course what happens is folks click your advertisments and that immediately sends them to your website where you hope to dazzle the enough to signup your form or call you on the phone.. so what happen is if all goes well on the average you need maybe 20 clicks on your ad to get some turkey (I mean client) to fill out your form.

An average example which I see daily is something like this… on the average it may take 6 clicks at say 90 cents a click to get some one to fill out your form.(6 clicks means google sent six visitors to your site  Then on the average it might take 4 filled out forms before you get someone who buys from you so that means to get one form it costs you 6x.90=$5.40 and it on average takes 4 forms to get a sale..so 4x$5.40=$21.60  .. Now a flat $21.00 is for a lead is one hell of a lot better than paying some sucker 25% of your commission to some no load  (I mean co-broke).

Now every day the competition is getting more and more difficult to overcome.. so its dangeous for the neophyte to try to go this on their own.. its much better to have some hands on training.. but that runs a hundred dollars an hour plus.

So why the hell am I telling you all this crap?

First it is estimated that someone spending maybe 20 or 30 hours of intensive study could pass the written exam and I have had more than 3,000 hours of training.. so mine will be a simple pass..I am retired after 33 years USN and get a tidy little check each month even if I don’t get up in the mornng.  So what I am about to offer is free as I do it as a hobby. Till I die I am only going to do fun things and this is fun.

Good stuff here:

Absolutely Free to you I will set up a full blown Awords account for you with 20,000+ super tuned keyphrases along with negative keywords and walk you thru it by hand so that after I manage it for 90 days you will be able to take it over and run it easily by reviewing and tweeking it weekly.  At the end of 90 days you will be on your own., but I will be available if needed to occasionally review the site or answer reasonalble questions. If you don’t want to manage it then you could find someone to be trained by me to run it for you.

So what is your responsibility.. pay google the $10.00 per day for the clicks that you receive.. no clicks no pay. It will be paid direct to google same as if you were running the program so no middle man to take any of the kitty. All leads will go direct to your website. We do not have to spend ten each day, but we must spend 1 grand in 90 days.

Obligation; None since at any point the results are not as good as you expected. We immediately Pause the leads and google will instantly stop the leads and no further charges will apply.

Hopefully from the 10 bucks a day equates to 300 per month you will be receiving sufficient leads to be making ten times what you are paying….bottom line even if you had zero sales during the training period, the hands on traing would be worth $5,000.00 so its a Win Win.

Some rules: I cannot accept more than one person per area as not to allow competiton against each other for better results. Ideally I will try to get 1 person from each state in the USA.  I will set up a private forum so each new client can communicate with all the others to share ideas that we find as we go along. Only members of the group will have access and it will be free.

I am not saying that I am a know it all, but I have spent more than 3,000 hours studying this in the past 3 years and I am a programmer in any language you want to discuss and have written many programs that help you manage adwords accounts and save time.

But if you are skeptical…. go to the web and read up on some random section of adwords and google analytics until you have a basic understanding of that one small random area.. then write down a couple of question about that area. Then when you call ask me about that area… your mind will be boggles…

Here is a better one yet.. do you have a friend who claims to be an adwords Wizard.. ask that person to call for you. I guarantee you his response will be… grab the offer now.. this guy has more knowledge than many adwords consultants that charge 200+ dollars per hour.

So how can you lose… check it out

My goal is to build one site in every state in the USA in the next 2 years… and have a busy Forum just for those members.

I am a Virginia Beach real estate agent and have adwords accounts running in the Hampton Roads area and in Richmond, Va so I cannot accept anyone in those areas. I do not want you folks competing against each other.

So how much better can it get.. a real estate agent setting up your Adwords account. Meaning I know both ends very well.

Oh.. by the way if someone is so poor they cannot afford ten bucks a day for leads, I would consider two or 3 agents getting together and each pay $3.33  per day… but not to me to google and only after they have delivered the leads in advance. Then the leads would be split between the three of you. Lots of potential. Hopefully enough leads will come out of this that you can’t handle them alone and need to refer some for 25%.  Not all bad huh?

Remember this is totally free… you only pay google for the leads that you purchase.. and I promise you google won’t give me a dime..

Check me out at http://www.realestatewebdesigns.biz

Skype jackrabbitsec or call Tom at 757-587-9856

REMINDER:  If you are from Hampton Roads Area, or Richmond area, I already have accounts running there and will not be able to provide service to you… that applies to Real Estate only, I can set up in those areas in any other Niche. SO DON’T EVEN ASK!.

Virginia Beach Condos
Are you looking for condo homes for sale in your city. Virginia Beach has recently been dubbed the Condo community of the Nation as they grow day by day in regard to the increasing level of condos and other similar properties being built for both ownership and for rental purposes.

Resh realty group has hundreds of condo listings along with new homes, town homes, foreclosures, and apartments for rent and for sale. You name it we got it and if we don’t have it we will go out and get it. If we don’t have the condo sale or rental that you are searching for, then you don’t need it.

If you find any listing or condo that attracts your interest, simply contact Tom Chambers at Resh Realty Group and we will get you the best possible deal and then work to get the most reasonable financing that you can imagine. Tom is one real estate agent that will scour the Virginia Beach Real Estate listings until he comes up with the very home you have been dreaming about.

Prices are down on Virginia Beach condos right at this moment, so now is the time jump on the home of your choice while the skillet is hot. If exactly what you want is not currently available, please keep checking back as prices continue to drop like a rock and new condos are coming on the market daily. Each and every day we receive new listing and if you have signed up with us to receive the free daily listings in your email, will keep you on top of the very latest happenings.

Do you have a condo and want to know what it is worth. That is one specialty that Tom Chambers really excells in. No matter whether its a short sale, foreclosure or regular home or condo, Tom can get you the most money possible for your home with the very least possible problems, That is what you want, isn’t it? Call Tom now you will be glad you did. Tom will have your condo market analysis in you hand before the sun goes down today. Never guess as to what your condo is worth, ask Tom and he will quickly provide you a complete and thorough market analysis..

Hey folks, here is some hot news condos in the Virginia Bech area have dropped in value since last year. It’s a Buyer’s Market, and many potential condo buyers are biding their time, waiting for prices to bottom out . . .

So wait no longer if you have a burning desire to be a condo owner call Tom right now and tell him to find your dream home in short order.
Visit Tom’s website at Virginia Beach Real Estate

IF you are attempting to sell your Virginia Beach real estate in a slow market you are in an extremely challenging situation.  There is no doubt that it will take longer to sell and you will run into more problems as buyers try to get the best possible deal for themselves.  I am not saying that you should let all the hype about the slow market stop you from making a  good  effort to sell, I am just trying to get you programmed to understand that you will run up against more road blocks than you would in a booming market.  However you can still sell your home and  in many cases near its market value.

Its more important than ever to do you homework, and be sure to separate the facts from the fiction.  You may not get exactly what you are looking for in price, but there is no reason to take a beating  either.  You should keep in mind, that your property is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.  As a matter of fact that is the same rule to be applied in a booming market.  You should begin with a thorough market analysis. This will give very specific details as to what  other buyers have recently paid for properties like yours in your neighboorhood.  Don’t expect much more than what recent buyers have paid and in some cases when you need to move quickly you might want to reduce the price slightly below that which other sellers have been able to achieve.

The sad thing is that if you purchased your home when the market was booming, you most likely will have paid more for the home than you can sell it for now in the slow market.  You may have to take a loss if you go thru with the sale at this time.  Hopefully, you are not in a situation where you must move quickly, as in many cases you may want to wait for a better time if possible.  It is not unheard of, to make a profit in a slow market, especially if you have made significant improvements in the property.  You will quickly find that if your home is correctly prepared for sale, and it is priced based on a  valid market analysis, you can often  sell in a reasonable period of time.

During slow sale times, many buyers look toward foreclosures and short sales as they feel that the stressed buyers may offer them a better deal.. sometimes yes, sometimes no.  Foreclosures and short sales prices are attractive, but are more difficult to close and in some  cases the short sales are near impossible to close.

Due to the extensive time delays, you could come out better by paying slightly more for the traditional sale since they can save you time and stress.  Selling your Virginia Beach real estate in a slow market isn’t easy, but it can be done.  I can complete a thorough market analysis and come up with a marketing plan to sell your home in the shortest possible time with the least amount of problems.  For additional information, please contact Tom Chambers at Resh Realty Group for all your Virginia Beach  Real Estate or call 757-587-9856.

Once again, the Home ownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009 has implemented an extension to the first time home buyer tax credit to a maximum of $8,000. This particular part of the act applies only to first time home buyers, and they must be purchasing a principal residence. Vacation homes will not be qualified under this program. There is a program for repeat home buyers, which is up to a maximum of $6,500 which I will discuss later in this article.

To be qualified, the first time home must be purchased after January 1, 2009 and before the first of May 2010. If a binding contract is in hand by April 30, 2010 then the home owner has until June 30, 2010 to close the deal. With this new program, the Act has set the maximum income limit at $125,000 for a single person and up to $225,000 for a married person if they are filing a joint return.

The first time home buyer may purchase new construction or a resale home, as either one of them will qualify for the tax credit. The purchase date has been carefully described as the actual closing date. At closing, the title of the property will transfer to the first time home buyer. Young folks beware, as you may not qualify for the tax credit program if your parents are claiming you as a dependent.

I have referred to first time home buyer several times in this paragraph, and that means that the buyer has not owned a principal residence in the last three years prior to the purchase of this property. Be careful with this, as it also applies to your spouse, both you and your spouse must meet the first time home buyer qualification to take the tax credit.

The IRS is watching this rule very carefully, as last year more than 500 under age folks took the deduction and one was only 4 years old. Needless to say they will vigorously prosecute all violations.

The method of determination of the amount of the tax credit is determined by taking 10% of the purchase price of the home. For example if you purchase a home with a sale price of $70,000 then your tax credit will be equal to $7,000 and not the full amount of $8,000. If the sale price is $100,000 then you qualify for the full $8,000 tax credit and no more.

Even though the above examples are very simple, be sure to consult you tax advisor for specific details before you make any final decision as your specific circumstances may be different. Keep in mind that you cannot claim the tax credit for a future intended purchase, you must have actually closed and taken title to the property by June 30, 2010 to qualify.

The tax credit will be taken at the end of the year when you file your income taxes. To get an earlier benefit, you can change the number of dependents that you claim to increase your take home pay each month by the full amount of the tax credit that you will receive. I strongly recommend that you do not change your dependents without first consulting a tax advisor to make sure it is calculated correctly. An error in your dependent status could cause a large unexpected tax bill at years end.

An additional restriction in the new home purchase is that the home cannot be purchased from family members, or any of your ancestors such as parents or grandparents. This rule also extends to your lineal descendents such as grandchildren and children.

Now here is a really good deal. For example, assume that you only owed $5,000 on you income tax for the current year. So in that case how can you take an $8,000 tax deduction when you only paid $5,000. Its easy, just file the $8,000 deduction and you will actually get a cash payment of your original $5,000 plus an additional refund from Uncle Sam for $3,000. Now how can you beat that, huh?

Repeat Home Buyer Tax Credit (Move Up)

The Home ownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 has provide a tax credit in the amount of $6,500 for repeat home buyers (a repeat home buyer is defined as an existing home owner) purchasing a principal residence during the period November 6, 2009 through April 30, 2010.

The period can be extended until June 30, 2010 if a binding contract of sale is signed and ratified by April 30, 2010. The repeat home buyer may purchase any type of home to claim the lower tax credit up to $6,500.

A move-up buyer is defined as a long-time-resident when he/she has owned and resided in his home a minimum of the last 5 of the last 8 years prior to buying this new home. For married folks, both must meet the qualification as above. It is not mandatory that the new home be more than the old, therefore some buyers may be referred to as move-down buyers vice move-up buyers. It is expected that most will be move-up buyers.

Whether moving up or down, the tax credit will remain at 10% of the purchase price which is the same for the first time buyer. The main difference is that the max tax credit will be $6,500. You must remember, that the home purchased must not exceed $800,000. Homes in excess of $800,000 will not qualify for any tax credit.

The income limit for move-up buyers is $125,000 for single buyers, and $225,000 for couples that are filing a joint return. The same rule in regard to purchasing from family members applies here also.

James has been writing articles and publishing commentary for several years covering mainly topics of Virginia Beach Real Estate interest. Since his retirement from a very busy 33 year Naval Office experience, he specializes in Virginia Beach Foreclosures and has been called an expert in that field.

It’s official! What we have all been waiting for. It has been passed by both house and senate. It’s even been signed by the President. The Home Buyer Tax Credit has just been extended.

Here is what it amounts to:

1. The first time buyer for homes credit of $8,000 will remain. Currently it is extended for any contract that is completedd not later than April 30, 2010 and it must close not later than June 30, 2010.

2. Not only that, but it is no longer restricted to first time home buyers. If you have owned your primary residence for the past 5 consecutive years, you will receive a tax credit of $6.500 as long as the contract is ratified not later than April 30, 2010. However remember it also must close not later than June 30, 2010.

3. Good newws, the income limit has increased to $125,000 for a single person and couples will have a maximum limit of $225.00.

4. Even more good news, the tax credits for homebuyers who are qualified and are buying a principal residence up to the price of $800,000.

5. They tell us that the tax credit will not be exended any time in the future.

6. So if you want to find that perfect home now is the time, please visit my website at http://www.vahud.com/mls-homes/

IF you are thinking about Selling a home in Virginia Beach then you have come to the right place. Selling homes in Chesapeake, Norfolk and Virginia Beach is my specialty. Following is some very important information that every seller of Virginia Beach properties should be very aware of.

We all hope when it comes time to sell our home, that the transaction can be completed in short order. However in only rare instances will a quick sale will actually occur. In most cases, and especially with this terrible economy, the sale will be a long drawn out procedure full of pitfalls and disappointment.

However in Virginia Beach and with the right realtor on your side, much of the aggravation can be lessened and in some cases completely eliminated from the process. This may then allow a sale can be made in a more reasonable period of time even if it is not a quick sale that is hoped for. For this reason, be sure to choose your realtor carefully and ask a lot of questions to make sure that he will be looking out for your interest over his. Believe it or not, some realtors actually do put the buyer first and that is as it should be.

In addition to making sure that the home owner stays out of trouble, its very important that the one of your agents main goals, is to accomplish whatever it requires to attract as many customers to your home in the shortest amount of time.

Be careful with this as attracting tons of customers does not simply mean parading a long line of folks thru you home day after day. It is crucial that these customers be qualified to buy your home. Generally a realtor will not waste time bringing a client to your home if the client is not qualified to purchase since that would simply be a waste of both the agent and his clients time. If the buyer is not qualified, he certaninly cannot buy the home.

In my opinion, one of the most effective ways to get qualified buyers into home with OOOh’s and Ahhh’s is to make sure you stage the home as beautifully as possible. The home must be presented in such a way that it is so very pleasing to any potential buyers that are visiting your home. Without very careful staging, the home will be slow to sell or may not sell at all.

It is imperative that any required maintenance be done before the home is placed on the market. The more attractive and carefully maintained the home, the faster it will sell. The house must be cleaned to a tee and must be organized so that it attracts even the casual buyer. IF the home has a crowded look due to excessive furniture and boxes, its very important to move some of the items to storage. A home that has too much furniture will give a cluttered look and makes it actually appear smaller than it truly is.

When we spruce up a home it take on a clean and orderly look and in the real estate world we refer to this as staging the home. Careful staging will be very effective in drawing attention to the finer points of the home, and making the unattractive and poor features less noticable to the visitors.

I cannot over emphasize the importance of a thoroughly clean home with a pine sol oder with soft music playing in the background. Additionally make sure that shades and lights are positioned to make sure the home is very well lit and no dark corners are left anywhere in the home.

When staging is done properly, it automatically attracts even casual buyers eyes at every turn and in almost every case ensures a higher sale price for the property.

This staging process is done especially in vacant homes as it is easier to accomplish than with a lived in home. However when the home is vacant it is important that all the furniture is not removed form the premisis, as the empty look will hurt the sale. It makes it harder for the new home owner to imagine it as their home. The have more difficulty placing the furniture in their mind and they will not feel as good about the home as when it looks all cozy with nice furnishings through the home.

It has been proven by experiment that when a vacant home has nice furnishing placed in the home it sells faster than other homes that are completely empty of any furniture.

In many cases, real estate agents have rented furniture and set the home up to look comfortable and homey, giving it a more orderly look. Additionally when a home has been over crowded with too much furniture the home has in most cases sold quicker when some of the furniture has been removed to storage.

Bringing in furniture to a vacant house, at one time was viewed as an extra and unnecessary expense, but has since been embraced as a great way to go and an effective way to spend money. Generally the higher sale price far exceeds any cost of doing the necessary staging of the home.

A recent addition to almost any interior decorating class, now includes the preparation of a home for sale.

Tom Chambers is a Top agent with a real estate company that specializes in staging homes in the best possible light to get the very highest sale price and they have been very successful with this process. IF you have an interest in selling your Virginia Beach Home, be sure to contact Tom Chambers at Resh Realty Group or stop by my website at vahud.com and sign up to receive thousands of color photos in your email on a daily basis.

Warning its almost too late to use the $8,000 TAX CREDIT ABOUT TO EXPIRE!

As we flipped the page on the calendar this morning to October 2009, the reality of the expiration of the $8,000 first-time homebuyer credit looms large.

Hey! Early this morning my Outlook reminder popped up a note telling me that the First time homebuyer $8,000 tax break is about to expire. I grabbed my cellular and called all of my first time buyers and got them all in a tizzy. But time is rapidly running out and it does take time to close as we all know. At this point its all but impossible to get a new contract closed at this late date. Hope you are in bed with your lender or it just won’t happen at all.

November 30 is looming in front of us.. We can all pray that the extension will come into effect soon.
As we know Congress is considering several option for our legendary first-time homebuyers out there who are all depending on some sort of tax credit.

Be sure to remind your buyers not to pull and fraudlent stuff, as many have already been caught taking the tax credit when they did not deserve it. Even one 4 year old got the tax credit. Now that is ridiculous, and I hope the parents get fried as those kind of people make a bad name for us all, and could get the tax credit cancelled. Hell even 500 under 18 took the credit and we know that no one under 18 can sign a contract at all much less buy a house.

One of the options being considered is a 12 month extension for military personnel. Bless our military boys and girls heart, the deserve every break they can get. I like the option being considered to expand the credit to all buyers and increasing the credit to $15,000. Boy woundn’t that be a boon to the housing market.

While the mortgage rate is around 5%, there has never been a better time to purchase a new home. It allows so many more folks to enjoy the elusive american dream.

Some of the rules for the $8,000 Tax Credit is as follows:

Buyer may not have owned a primary home in the past 3 years.
This may not be a home purchased from a parent, spouse, or child.
AGI (Adjusted gross income) for the family must be less than $95,000 for single and less than $170,000 if joint.

Most first time home buyers, but not all will be qualified will get the full $8,000.

If you need any assistance in finding your new home, call Tom at a757-587-9856 or stop by my website at MLS HOMES