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Winchester, VA Real Estate News

By Mike Cooper, Broker VA,WV, Your Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Pro
(Cornerstone Business Group Inc)
And, there off!  The annual Relay for Life has started at James Wood High School in Winchester, VA.  The annual events draws teams from the area and beyond to support the American Cancer Society.  This year's event includes 1141 participants, 72 teams and has raised $217,078 dollars.  The team, W.I.N.G.S., came in first with their fund-raising at $30,492.00.  This team is a real estate client of mine, and they have passion for this event.  The Relay for Life is a overnight event where teams camp out and around a track.  Teams members take turns walking the track.  There is entertainment throughout the night.  Food is provided throughout the night.  The event begins with the Survivors Lap.  During that lap, cancer survivors join other survivors to walk that first lap together.  It's an i...
Comments 11
By Mike Cooper, Broker VA,WV, Your Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Pro
(Cornerstone Business Group Inc)
The Winchester, VA, real estate market is slowly turning from a buyer's market to a seller's market.  You can see the writing on the wall.  A good, well priced ready to sell property will not sit more than a week, and many don't last 24 hours.  The day of the causal buyer is coming to end very quickly.  Two years ago, I had two buyers who each looked at 60 houses.  That will not happen today if buyers are actually looking to purchase a home.  A home that is ready to sell - will sell. There are a few simple things a buyer can do to make sure he's the one who gets the house. Hire an agent you can trust and give her everything she needs to find the right house. Use your first agent meeting to set the parameters of your search; where, what style, how big, how small, how many bedrooms, how m...
Comments 14
By Mike Cooper, Broker VA,WV, Your Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Pro
(Cornerstone Business Group Inc)
If you're ever in the Winchester, VA, in time for lunch or dinner, let me offer a suggestion.  Umberto's Pasta and Pizza is a great place to get some of the best pizza in the world, but it's far more than that.  Umberto creates some of the best pasta dishes you will ever eat, and I can promise that because I'm a big fan of his meals.  Umberto Capuano is a real estate client of mine, but long before we ever met I would frequent his restaurant because he makes the best arrabbiata sauce anywhere in the area.  I love spicy pasta sauces.  Arrabbiata sauce is designed to be spicy, but many restaurants just can't get it right.  That is never a problem at Umberto's.  I have a basic philosophy about spicy sauces.  If you don't break out in a sweat while eating your meal, it's not spicy enough.  ...
Comments 6
By Mike Cooper, Broker VA,WV, Your Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Pro
(Cornerstone Business Group Inc)
Virginia foster students have an ally in Lord Fairfax Community College, in Middletown, VA.  The college just finished its first year of the Great Expectations foster care program.  LFCC is one of 15 other Virginia community colleges.  The program was designed to provide a support system for foster care students as they transition from high school to college.  A lot of the initial work begins while students are still in high school. A lot of the students in foster care don't have anyone to set expectations for them, so the program is there to be that partner.  Each student is assigned a dedicated Great Expectations coach to serve as a point person.  The coach will help the student maneuver through the mechanics of setting up a program of study to get the student where he/she needs to be...
Comments 2
By Mike Cooper, Broker VA,WV, Your Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Pro
(Cornerstone Business Group Inc)
There was great sadness in the Cooper house when Borders Books & Music closed in Winchester, VA.  We're all veracious readers, and Borders was one of our favorites suppliers for our addiction.  But, the Internet has come to our rescue and everyone continues to indulge in the addition. The Border's building sat empty since early 2011, but that's about to end.  Two retailers have decided to split the space and open in Winchester.  Five Below, is a retailer that caters to teenagers with low-cost items is taking up part of the space. Their own description is, "Five Below is the leading retailer of trend-right, extreme-value merchandise to the teen and pre-teen market – all for $1.00 to $5.00." Five Below was the brainchild of former Zany Brainy CEO, Tom Vellios.  Five Below has 205 stores i...
Comments 22
By Mike Cooper, Broker VA,WV, Your Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Pro
(Cornerstone Business Group Inc)
People love dependability.  If you are dependable and talented, you will always have plenty of business.  Our contracting company just took over a project from another contractor.  Why?  He wasn't dependable.  He could do the work, but they never knew if he was going to show up or not.  They need to get the work done, and they need to know that it's going to get done on schedule.  That's a guarantee we can make. I have an unusual group of friends who visit my house every year.  They are like clockwork.  One day, I walk outside and there they are.  They hang around for about a week, and then they are gone for a year.  I have no idea what they're doing or why they're there, but they are dependable.  I guess it has been a decade or so since they first showed up, and they haven't missed a y...
Comments 5
By Mike Cooper, Broker VA,WV, Your Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Pro
(Cornerstone Business Group Inc)
Many years ago, I was working on a graduate psychology degree, and I had a mentor that I dearly loved.  He was one of the smartest men I have ever met, and he gave me so many nuggets of wisdom that I have been a wiser person for being around him.  One of the comments he made was, "People remember those who go through a crisis with them."  That's not always 100%, but it's close.  I've watched that play out in my life over and over. This morning, one of my electrical clients called in a panic.  They were having all of the owners visit to do a major inspection of the new management team's upgrades.  They were so nervous.  In the midst of it all, their electrical system wasn't working.  None of the new equipment worked.  This was their moment to shine, and they were dead in the water. They ...
Comments 15
By Mike Cooper, Broker VA,WV, Your Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Pro
(Cornerstone Business Group Inc)
The local real estate market has followed the normal pattern of a beauty contest and a price war.  Sellers are having to put more effort into their properties to get them sold quickly, but even a beautiful property will sit if not priced well.  When curb appeal and price align with the planets, it is can be a quick turn around. My last three sales only took two weeks.  Two of those sold in less than 24 hours total.  The properties were priced well.  Each one was priced with two things in mind.  The property had to be priced according to current comps, but it also had to be priced based upon its current condition.  If a property is run down or in need of repair, it doesn't matter what the the recent comps say, it will sit. Of the three recent sold properties, two were REOs in need of rep...
Comments 36
By Mike Cooper, Broker VA,WV, Your Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Pro
(Cornerstone Business Group Inc)
It was a perfect day for a bike ride.  The 5th Annual Shenandoah Valley Boys and Girls Club Heritage Ride came off without a hitch.  The weather was perfect for long distance riding.  The temperatures hovered in the low to mid-60s throughout most of the morning.  Light winds kept cyclists cool on the tougher portions of the course, and overall it was perfect. The event has become an annual fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club in the Winchester / Frederick County area.  The ride attracts hundreds of riders each year.  The students involved in the Boys and Girls Club also participate in numerous ways.  Some club members man the registration tables, snack tables and rest stops throughout the ride, but others actually get out on the cycling course with the rest of us.  The local Shenandoa...
Comments 11
By Mike Cooper, Broker VA,WV, Your Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Pro
(Cornerstone Business Group Inc)
Alright, Cheryl Thomson, I think I just found the perfect client. We all get great clients from time to time.  Most are average, and some are well . . . you know.  I met up with a couple yesterday who had found me on the Internet.  Insert shameless plug for blogging, personal website, WordpPress site and Active Rain here.   This couple is moving soon and need to sell fast.  That's not all that unusual, but when I looked up their house I realized they bought it last year at a premium price and then made numerous high dollar upgrades.  It's a beautiful home in a highly desired neighborhood where houses rarely ever come up for sale. Here's the perfect part.  When I sat down with them, I showed them the range of houses that have sold that had similar amenities, size and lot size.  Then I of...
Comments 23
By Mike Cooper, Broker VA,WV, Your Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Pro
(Cornerstone Business Group Inc)
Alright, I know you've been thinking about getting back into exercise and cycling.  I hear you, and I am with you.  Better yet, I'm going to help you.  This Sunday, June 3rd, at 9:00 am, the annual Boys and Girls Club will be hosting their annual Shenandoah Valley Heritage Ride bicycle event.  The ride consists of a 10, 30, 50 and 70 mile bicycle ride through the Frederick County countryside.  The ride starts at the Medical Center Wellness and Fitness Center on Campus Blvd.  You can sign up at the Wellness Center prior to the ride. All proceeds go to the Boys and Girls Club of the Shenandoah Valley.  The Boys and Girls Club provides after school programs for children in the Shenandoah Valley.  The "mission of the Club is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need ...
Comments 12
By Mike Cooper, Broker VA,WV, Your Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Pro
(Cornerstone Business Group Inc)
I had one of those surreal experiences today.  I took my youngest son out looking for a rental.  Like all parents, I knew the day would come when the boys would move out, but in the busyness that is my life, I ignored the impending change in his life and in my life. Like a dad looking at a son or daughter's first car, looking for that first rental is personal with me.  I want to be there looking over every inch of the place to make sure it's up to my standards so my son will not have to compromise on quality and comfort.  But, at the end of the day, it will be his choice.  That made me think about the other clients I have.  Do I take the extra effort to make sure my clients get the best house at the best price possible?  I can say a resounding, "YES!"  I tend to protect my client's like...
Comments 25
By Mike Cooper, Broker VA,WV, Your Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Pro
(Cornerstone Business Group Inc)
Oakdale Crossing in Winchester, VA, is starting to see more market activity after a fairly slow 2011.  The total sales for 2011 were 4 properties.  The trend in this neighborhood has been slowing since the collapse of the real estate market in 2008.  Just prior to the run up in home prices in 2004, Oakdale Crossing had 20 closings.  The trend has been continually dropping; first because of a run up in prices that priced many interested buyers out of the market, and secondly, because of the collapse of the local real estate market. This 18 year old neighborhood has been a highly desirable location because of the quality of the homes, the beauty of the landscaping around most of the homes and because of the close access to schools, shopping and multiple highways.  It's a great place to li...
Comments 6
By Mike Cooper, Broker VA,WV, Your Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Pro
(Cornerstone Business Group Inc)
Texas is coming to Winchester, VA.  Well, at least the Texas Roadhouse is coming to Winchester, VA.  Texas Roadhouse has taken one of the last two spaces at Rutherford Crossing on the north end of Winchester. The restaurant is best known for it's affordable meals which highlight their hand-cut steaks.  Their side dished are made from scratch daily.  Texas Roadhouse is a causal dining restaurant with a lively atmosphere.  The Winchester location was picked because of the high volume of traffic that passes through the I81 corridor.  Interstate 81 passes through he eastern side of Winchester, VA.  It is a highly traveled interstate for north/south travelers.  The restaurant is scheduled to be opened at the end of October 2012, and it will hire around 170 positions.  There will be approxima...
Comments 27
By Mike Cooper, Broker VA,WV, Your Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Pro
(Cornerstone Business Group Inc)
Today, we celebrate Memorial Day.  I never come upon this day without thinking about the great cost of our freedom.  When you travel abroad, you soon learn that the United States is unique in so many ways.  Our uniqueness is the result of the great freedom we enjoy.  Our freedom gives us the ability to create, to invent, to do and to dream, to write and to speak, to debate and to disagree.  It gives us the choice to live where we chose, to work in a job we seek after and to spend our money on things we determine and desire.  It is a freedom with few restrictions, but it carries great responsibility.  This freedom, that is so freely given to everyone born on our shores, is not free.  It has costs many of our brave sons and daughters the ultimate price.  They willingly sacrificed their al...
Comments 5
By Mike Cooper, Broker VA,WV, Your Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Pro
(Cornerstone Business Group Inc)
Today, I drove from the bottom of Virginia to the top.  It's always a great drive.  As I pass the exit signs along the way, I'm always reminded of people I've met and the great things I've learned from them.  There are a lot of brilliant, clever and fun people in Virginia.  Let me give you an example. The game warden pulled up on Buck one morning and said, "I've got you.  I told you not to fish in this pond.  See that sign over there.  NO FISHING!" Buck, "I wasn't fishin' officer.  I was training my pet fish." "Now Buck, you know you don't have any trained fish.  Hand 'em over.  You're going to jail this time." "Seriously, officer.  I bring 'em out here a couple times a week so they can get a little exercise and work on their tricks."   "Alright, let me see their tricks.  I'm not buying...
Comments 12
By Mike Cooper, Broker VA,WV, Your Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Pro
(Cornerstone Business Group Inc)
I have never been one of those who could live in a box.  My life has always been a mixture of family, faith, work and service.  There are so many people I meet who would love to do some beyond theirselves, but they don't know how to get started.  This little pink princess gives you all you need to know.  The sign hanging on her carraige is a great start.  It says, "Faith, courage and strength."  If you're going to help others, you've got to have faith.  You might be a great tutor.  There are a lot of kids who need a good tutor.  There is also an adult population who need tutors.  Years ago, a friend of mine taught adults to read, and yes, there are plenty of adults who can't read. You may be good at finances, or helping others lose weight and get fit or some other need people may have. ...
Comments 13
By Mike Cooper, Broker VA,WV, Your Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Pro
(Cornerstone Business Group Inc)
Working some REOs is like riding a mechanical bull.  For the last few weeks, I've been working an REO with a major bank.  It has been one of the most complicated REOs I've ever done.  Is that because of a complicated contract?  Nope.  Is the property entangled in title problems?  No.  Is it not attracting buyers?  No, I had three contracts on it.  Every contract has been cash.  They were all close to each other in price.  They all said "No Inspections."  They all offered a quick closing.  Some were almost at list.  So what's the problem?  The bank addendum.  I always have bank addenda with every short sale and REO.  That's not the issue.  It's how the buyers are signing the addenda.  The buyers are in one state.  The buyer's agent is in another state, and I'm in a third state.  At this ...
Comments 6
By Mike Cooper, Broker VA,WV, Your Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Pro
(Cornerstone Business Group Inc)
OK, I get a call while on the beach today.  (Yes, I had my Iphone with me.)  An older gentleman says, "Hello, is this Quality Electric?"  In my best "I'm not really on the beach voice," I said, "Yes it is, how may I help you?" He said, "I have some ceiling fans I want to install in my house, and I didn't like the other guy who gave me an estimate."  Translated:  The estimate was too high. Me: "I'd be glad to look at that next week, but I'm sitting on the beach in Daytona, FL.  When my office phone rings three times without someone answering it gets transferred to me.  I'll be back next week.  Does that work for you?" Him: "How about if I come to Daytona and get the estimate in person?"  We had a chuckle, and then talked about his electrical needs.  At the end of that part of our convers...
Comments 18
By Mike Cooper, Broker VA,WV, Your Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Pro
(Cornerstone Business Group Inc)
I'm more convinced than ever that I need to take more vacations.  So far, a week and four days into a two week vacation, I have received and ratified two contracts, placed an offer on another property and accepted a listing opportunity.  It must be the magic of the ocean outside my window.  I wonder if it works as well from St Thomas? The listing opportunity started when the homeowner did a web search.  One of his first comments was that he found me over and over as he searched Google.  That brings me to my point - KEEP BLOGGING!  I would not have known the power of blogging prior to my relationship with Active Rain, but this is the second client in a row that made a similar comment.  So, Active Rain, thank you! I have no idea what either client used as a search parameter, but both clie...
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