WVHomesBlog.com

We've moved to a new location!

Debbie Small, REALTOR® (Long & Foster Realtors) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 13:19:51 -0700

Well, as I am sure many of you will agree, moving is never an easy decision or endeavor. When we opened our satellite office several years ago, we knew that it would be temporary until we took off in the shadow of our well established sister office.

Thanks to our success and the support of our corporate office, we have been able to make a strategic move despite the current economic times.
This speaks volumes of Long & Foster's confidence in its agents.

For the record:

Founded 1968
Over 200 offices
13,700 Sales Associates
Largest independently owned brokerage firm in the Mid-Atlantic region
#1 Privately owned real estate company in the nation
Offers their sales associates a pertinent cutting edge education on changing trends

Need I say more as to why I have been with this company for over 15 years!
Location, location, location has long been the touted adage regarding real estate and now I'm pleased to say we have the best of all worlds. Stop by and see me for all your real estate needs.

It's All Brad's Fault

Debbie Small, REALTOR® (Long & Foster Realtors) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 07:08:33 -0800

I recently attended a class emphasizing blogging and social networking, so when Brad Andersohn posted "You're Social Media User Name - Is It Too Late?", I was really curious.

The website usernamecheck.com worked seamlessly in finding my web presence, but there were so many other services that made me curious, I had to do some further exploring. Hey, I've only just started using Twitter and now there's StumbleUpon. This is a great way to randomly discover sites that are informative, beautiful, weird, useless or just plain stupid.

Here's a few for starters:

Geeky Stuff:
25 Must-Have Thumb Drive Apps For Geeks
Send Voice and Text Reminders to Your Phone
Flock - The Social Web Browser
How Old is the Internet

Photography:
Photos that Changed the World
Kenneth Parker
Brent Stirton (some may find these images disturbing)
Andrej Belic, Undersea Photography
Ok, We all love our dogs

Extremely Clever:
Funnel Design Group
Nothing Something
Why do you stay up so late?

Worth Keeping:
Calendar Templates

Weird & Odd:
50 Strange Buildings of the World
Today in Rotten History
Chocolate Cake in 5 Minutes
Facts on Farts

And then there's just plain stupid:
The Evolution of Man and Woman
Only word that comes to mind is "ouch"
More PC vs. Apple
Futuristic & Crazy Computer Cases

Check it out and see what you StumbleUpon.

It's been a busy week so far, and it's only Tuesday!

Debbie Small, REALTOR® (Long & Foster Realtors) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 21:37:34 -0800

On the heels of Monday's announcement with Citigroup receiving an additional $20 billion through the Trouble Assets Relief Program, it's been yet another busy day.

The Federal Reserve announced today that it will purchase up to $600 billion in mortgage backed assets from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Ginnie Mae and the Federal Home Loan Banks. In an added effort to stabilize the economy, the central bank also announced the backing of consumer debt securities up to $200 billion that will include student, auto and credit card loans as well as loans backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Question: So how does this affect you?
Answer: Lower mortgage interest rates!

Shortly after today's news, I began receiving emails regarding the lowering of mortgage interest rates. I decided to be proactive and send emails requesting rates from my lender contacts. As of this post, the best deal received for a 30 year fixed conventional loan was 5.50% with zero points and origination fees.

The trickle down to the consumer was immediate today. The DOW closed at 8,479.47, +36.08 from yesterday. I hope Wall Street gets a little more excited tomorrow before stuffing their bird.

You're Invited to The Housing Forum

Debbie Small, REALTOR® (Long & Foster Realtors) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 22:27:53 -0800

Press Release: Housing Forum will be held Monday

The first of many anticipated public housing forums will be held tomorrow, November 24, between 6 and 8pm at The Living Room in Martinsburg.

The evening's event is sponsored by Marc Savitt, owner of The Mortgage Center. The guest speakers for the evening include David Hartley of the Eastern Panhandle Homebuilders Association, Stacy Lawing affiliated with Keller Williams Realty and yours truly.

The focus will be on the micro market of the Eastern Panhandle and our current economic state during these uncertain times. Is our housing market as bad as the national media portrays it? Come find out for yourself from local experts who really have a pulse on the local market.

When: Monday, November 24, 6-8pm

Where: 50 Monroe St, Martinsburg WV

Cost: It's FREE!

2009 FHA Loan Limits

Debbie Small, REALTOR® (Long & Foster Realtors) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:44:00 -0800

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development just released 2009 Federal Housing Administration loan limit guidelines for single-family residences. The new loan limits will take effect January 1, 2009.

Berkeley and Morgan County
Current loan limit $377,500 = $393,191 Sales price
2009 loan limit $271,050 = $280,880 Sales price
Jefferson County
Current loan limit $729,750 = $756,217 Sales price
2009 loan limit $625,500 = $648,186 Sales price

Click here for more information>

1017 West King Street, Martinsburg WV 25401

Debbie Small, REALTOR® (Long & Foster Realtors) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:28:29 -0800

Offered For $225,000

This grand four-square brick colonial, located in the desirable west-end historical district of Martinsburg, is graced with a large front porch leading into the formal foyer entry. Beautiful hardwood floors grace this vintage home throughout offering a formal living room with a wood burning fireplace and a formal dining room.

More Information >

Resizing Photos With 2 Clicks

Debbie Small, REALTOR® (Long & Foster Realtors) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 10:37:35 -0800

Are you looking for an easy way to resize photos? Try this on for size but before you get excited, it only works with Windows XP, sorry Vista users. Simply scroll down the page to download and install Image Resizer. This small 521kb gadget is a must have in my toolbox and easy to use without opening an editor program.

1. Right click on any photo or graphic file to bring up the Resize Pictures option.

2. Choose one of the defaulted options or use the advanced tab for customized resizing. When the resized photo is saved, the file name remains the same and is differentiated as (small) etc. in parenthesis.

Enjoy!

Is This The Right Time To Buy?

Debbie Small, REALTOR® (Long & Foster Realtors) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 21:51:28 -0800

We've all heard the old adage "What goes up, must come down", however the opposite is true in housing.

Home prices tend to rise with commodity prices over the long term. Currently, the Producer Price Index for construction is up 39 percent over the past five years, and prices for commodities like oil, copper, steel and cement are sky-high. Sooner or later the increasing costs of these raw materials will push home prices higher.

As the supreme commodity, every home is full of materials like steel, wood, and copper wiring. Presently, an oversupply of homes may be keeping prices low, but home prices are rooted in hard costs and will eventually adjust to reflect the price of production.

If you are sitting on the fence wondering if this really is the right time to buy, consider that many homes today are being sold for less than their replacement cost due to oversupply and deeply discounted foreclosures. As interest rates begin to creep upward, the 30-year fixed rate mortgage is forecast to rise gradually to 6.8 percent by the end of this year and hold at that level for most of 2009.

Please Welcome Charlotte Stewart

Debbie Small, REALTOR® (Long & Foster Realtors) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:44:20 -0700

Please join me in welcoming Charlotte Stewart to the Active Rain Network. I have had the pleasure of getting to know Charlotte through our affiliation with the West Virginia Association of REALTORS® and we have become close friends over the years. We enjoy working on the WVAR Membership and Bylaws committee together and love those roads trips.

She resides in Wellsburg West Virginia, operates her business in Weirton West Virginia and is affiliated with Howard Hanna Mortimer Realty. She is a member of the Weirton Area Board of REALTORS® and was honored as the "2007 REALTOR® of the Year" by her local association.

"5 Easy" Common Sense Tips

Debbie Small, REALTOR® (Long & Foster Realtors) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:20:17 -0700

With our convenient location to the Baltimore Maryland and Washington DC beltway areas, West Virginia's eastern panhandle has long been a popular destination for tourism and home ownership. Most are drawn by our beauty and slower pace of life as well as the economics of lower priced real estate and taxes.

Some folks decide to put their roots down while others are looking to escape the beltway bustle at the week's end and I have had the privilege to assist both mindsets.

Since marketing vacation homes has become one of my niches over the years, I would particularly like to address those second home owners about some of the pitfalls to avoid.

"5 Easy Tips" to Protect Your Investment:

1. First and foremost, always turn off your main water valve when you leave. Make it a habit to do this year round because Murphy never takes a vacation and anything can go wrong while you're away. I can't tell you how many disasters I've encountered over the years while marketing vacation homes due to water damage.

2. While staying on the topic of water since it is one of most damaging elements that you can control, hire a professional to winterize your home. Turning the main water supply off and draining through the open faucets may not cut it when the temperature drops below 20 degrees. If you are not planning to use your home over the winter, I highly recommend this investment for your peace of mind. Trust me when I say that a frosty coating of ice in your oven is undesirable.

3. Oh those trees, those beautiful trees! We are so fortunate to have an abundance of beautiful hardwoods and pines covering our mountains, but they could be your nemesis too. Look around the perimeter of your home for trees leaning toward the house and also look for nearby standing dead trees that could fall and cause damage. Trees are beautiful and a wonderful habitat for local wildlife, but sometimes they need to come down. If you are fortunate enough to have standing dead hardwood trees, save them for firewood.

4. Most likely your vacation home will have that "cozy fireplace" and of course you'll need wood to fuel that fire. Don't stack the wood against the house or on the deck just because it's convenient. In your absence, the termites move in. Leave your permanent wood stack at least 20 feet away from the house. As an added tip, burn hardwood such as oak and limit the use of pine for burning as creosote could build up in the flue and may cause a chimney fire. If you use your fireplace or wood stove regularly, you should have the chimney cleaned once a year.

5. Bugs will be bugs and they all have a job to do, but they shouldn't be confined within your four walls. The obvious pests are termites and ants, but during this time of the year there may be infestations of lady bugs, stink bugs and common flies looking for a place to winter away. Here again, hire a trusted professional to control those little pests. I recommend quarterly treatment to protect your investment and making sure that the company you hire is fulfilling their contractual agreement.

The above tips are a compilation of my many years of experience in dealing with second home properties. Although I may have injected a little bit of humor here, it's basically common sense when you think about it.

Photo courtesey zieak

Meet "Joe the Plumber"

Debbie Small, REALTOR® (Long & Foster Realtors) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 23:46:34 -0700

The 2008 Presidential Election could certainly go down in history as the most interesting race faced since the election of President Kennedy. The interest in this election is high and there was much said tonight about "Joe the Plumber" during the debate. Is this the "Real Joe"? Doe's it really matter?

Isn't it wonderful that we live in such a democratic country where we are able to individually have an opinion and cast our vote?

Just make sure you VOTE! It's you're RIGHT.

THINK ABOUT IT? DO IT!

191 Sapphire Drive, Hedgesville WV 25417

Debbie Small, REALTOR® (Long & Foster Realtors) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 22:10:01 -0700

PRICE IMPROVED $20,000 - BRING YOUR OFFER!

The Meadows at Sleepy Creek

OWNER SAYS TO BRING OFFERS - The perfect contemporary for all seasons situated on 5.5 private acres featuring an open floor plan and tiered decks perfect for entertaining or relaxing. Exterior sided with low maintenance hardi –plank board plus an additional panel box installed for generator hookup. Floor plan includes 2 bedrooms on main level and large master suite with private deck on the upper level. Fabulous sunny open kitchen/dining/great room with cathedral ceiling.

VIRTURAL TOUR

Contact Debbie Small
304-582-5788

What's "On the Go" in October?

Debbie Small, REALTOR® (Long & Foster Realtors) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:26:46 -0700

"On the Go" for October

10 - Identity Theft Seminar at the Martinsburg Library - for more info: call (304) 267-8933

11 & 12 - Berkeley Springs Apple Butter Festival

11 - Hedgesville Heritage Days in downtown Hedgesville

16 through 19 - Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival

17 - Feast for The Arts "A Taste of France" call 304-263-0224

18 - Maryland Symphony Orchestra MasterWorks season featuring violinist Rachel Barton Pine

24, 25, 26, 31 - Old Opera House Night Watch

25 - Adam Stephen House pumpkin carving contest 6-9pm - for more info: call (304) 267-4434

25 - Taste of Transylvania "Dinner with Dracula" fundraiser for WV Filmmaker's Guild

27 - Maryland Theatre Tribute to Benny Goodman and Peggy Lee

2008 REALTOR® of the Year

Debbie Small, REALTOR® (Long & Foster Realtors) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:26:50 -0700

Debbie Small was recently recognized as "2008 Realtor of the Year" by The Eastern Panhandle Board of REALTORS® at their annual awards banquet. This honor is awarded to a member recognized for their outstanding service and achievements. Short lists of accomplishments have included:

Service

West Virginia Association of REALTORS® Director (2nd term)

EPBR 2003 President

Beta Tester for MRIS

EPBR Committee Chairs:
      -Community Service
      -Education
      -Public Relations
      -Business Partners
      -Web Page

Awards

EPBR 2008 Quarter Silver Award

EPBR Top Producer's Club "Hall of Fame"

Long & Foster Executive's Club

West Virginia Association of REALTORS® "Mary Pauley Community Service Award"

CRS and GRI Designations

WVHDF Tightening funds brings more woes for borrowers

Debbie Small, REALTOR® (Long & Foster Realtors) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:09:35 -0700

I received the following via email today regarding the current state of the West Virginia Housing Development Fund. This comes as no surprise at this time, and as I think back on the history of this loan program, the same thing occurred in the early ninety's. The current bond offering of 5.79 % (APR 6.389%) could not possibly continue during this stormy credit climate.

I urge all those affected to attend the workshop hosted by WVHDF in Martinsburg on October 9, 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at the Holiday Inn on Foxcroft Avenue.

MEMORANDUM
TO: All Correspondent & Participating Lenders
FROM: David Rathbun, Senior Director
DATE: October 1, 2008
SUBJECT: Urgent-New Program Announcement

Temporary QMB Bond Program Pause

Those following the financial news recognize the mortgage industry is currently facing difficult times. WVHDF is not immune from the tightening of credit and the crisis on Wall Street. Given the current state of the financial markets, the WVHDF cannot successfully market bonds to support our QMB single family program at affordable rates for borrowers. As a result, we must temporarily pause our QMB Bond program once our current bond funds of approximately $4.5 million are depleted. Funds remaining will be updated on our daily rate sheet. Please rest assured that all borrowers currently registered are accounted for and will be fully funded as their loans are approved. Also, please know we are working diligently to reestablish our QMB Bond program with all the benefits you have known and relied upon.