A USDA Guaranteed Loan is Government insured 100% purchase loan. These Loans are only offered in rural areas and serviced by direct lenders that meet federal guidelines. This program ran out of money last Spring and has finally gotten funding again.  This is a great loan program if you are looking to buy a home in Amelia, Powhatan or Goochland counties in Virginia, but it is not only for homes there, homes in Western Chesterfield County may also work.  The loan is available to homes in a certain geographic area and in Chesterfield that starts at Ashbrook on Hull Street so even Hampton Park qualifies!  To be eligible, applicants must:Have an adequate and dependable income;Have an adjusted annual household income that does not exceed the moderate income limit established for the area. Hav... 08/25/2010

My husband Sean and I are building a modular home in Powhatan. This is the 7th article in this series and focuses on getting a Perc Test for a septic system. Soil testing should be a part of the inspection process before purchasing any property that doesn't have access to a public sewer. During the month when we had the test done on our land, I had two properties for sale that hadn't been tested and both didn't perc. The families trying to sell land hadn't had it tested when they bought it (I wasn't there agent!), now had acres of unbuildable land. If you are interested in buying land to build on, whether now or in the future, please make sure you get it tested before you buy or get a copy of the report if the owners say it "percs." A Perc test is a test to determine the ability of the ... 08/25/2010

My husband Sean and I are building a Modular Home on our lot in Powhatan Virginia.  This is part of a series I've written "Building a Home in Powhatan" on the building process. Sean and I loved our house plan but when we took it to Tyler, he showed us some ways that we could change it to save money.  Since I am all about getting a the most for my money, this was a great help to us. With traditional building methods, having a section of the home 14' x 20 instead of 16' x 18' wouldn't vary the costs much because they are very similar square footage's, but in Modular Homes, a 16' wide module costs more to transport so the cost of the home can increase by thousands of dollars. Tyler helped us to go through our plan and make cost saving adjustments like these to help us get the most bang for... 08/23/2010

                                        Fort Lee Military, VA Homeowners Can Avoid Foreclosure There are many reasons why a military member would want to sell a home in today's distressed housing market. A permanent change of station move as part of an overseas long tour is one reason some are motivated to sell, another is change in marital status requiring sale of the home. Whatever the reason, if you purchased a home using a VA loan when the market was strong, you might not have anticipated selling the home under today's conditions. Depending on the housing market in your area you could wind up taking a loss on the sale of the home you purchased with a VA loan.For homeowners struggling to make ends meet, that loss could be financially devastating.Fortunately, some VA mortgage holders... 08/22/2010

   Henrico County, Virginia Real Estate Market Report for Zip Code 23294 The following data is for single family residential homes located in zip code 23294. This market report consist of active, pending, leased and closed sales from 08/01/2010 to 08/21/2010 in the following subdivsions:  Andover Hills Heatherfield Huntington Mark Lawn Mimosa Park Mount Vernon Heights   Park West Pemberton Crossing Pine Grove Skipwith Heights Sweetbriar Park   Thousand Oaks Tuckahoe Park West End Manor West Wistar Whispering Pines Henr Williamsburg Park        Finding your Richmond, VA.  dream home has never been easier, use our links to get started. WWW.RICHMONDVAHOME.COM The Marcus & Tonya Rice Team specializes in Richmond, Va, Henrico County, Chesterfield County, Powhatan County, Hanover County, Pet... 08/22/2010

                                               Glen Allen, Virginia Real Estate Market Report for Zip Code 23060 The following data is for single family residential homes located in zip code 23060. This market report consist of active, pending and closed sales from 08/01/2010 to 08/21/2010 in the following subdivsions:  Berrymeade Biltmore Bretton Woods Bridgewood Brilland Brittany Broad Meadows Brookwood Glen Castle Point Cedars At Innsbrook Cole Run Country Meadows Courtney Crystal Creek Deer Springs Doubletree Dunncroft Forest Lodge Acres Francis Run Glen Allen Glen Allen Oaks Greendale Park Greensprings Greenwood Meadows Sec A Greenwood Park Haley's Hollow Hearthside Ridge Hungary Acres Hungary Ridge Hungary Woods Hunton Meadows Kennedy Station Kingston Laurel Glen Laurel Lakes Lau... 08/22/2010

 Perhaps my favorite Richmond Virginia architect is William Lawrence Bottomley, although Richmond was not his true home. Bottomley designed numerous meaningful and historically significant homes in Richmond, but it is perhaps a lesser known fact that he contributed to what many might consider a modest detail of importance at Virginia House.   One of Richmond Virginia's most interesting and historic homes sits overlooking the James River at the back of the exclusive Windsor Farms neighborhood. Virginia House completed construction only months prior to the stock market crash of 1929, and is a tale of romance and interest on its own.   It was the dream of Virginia & Alexander Weddell to construct a home from the materials of a sixteenth century English manor house. They engaged architect H... 08/20/2010

While growing up in Charlottesville, VA, I was a day-student at a private school (St.Anne's now St.Anne's Belfield).  We did not wear uniforms; however, we had to wear saddle oxford type shoes * I wore women's Spaulding golf shoes with the flap over the laces and I had painted them BLUE. Because our footwear was restricted during the school day, other girls in my class were eager for different shoes to wear while not in school. My mother drove a school mate and myself to the Charlottesville bus station and we rode to Richmond and went to Montaldo's across from the Miller & Rhoads store.  I bought a pair of RED Pappagallo flats for $14.  After visiting the Tea Room at Miller & Rhoads, we boarded a return bus to Charlottesville with our purchases. I am glad to see that this area will be r... 08/19/2010

My husband Sean and I are building a Modular Home on our lot in Powhatan Virginia.  This is part of a series I've written "Building a Home in Powhatan" on the building process. I love houses and love to look at house plans, house magazines, house books etc,  perfect hobby for a Realtor/Stager, and also great when you are looking to build a home.  I had a vision of how I wanted us to live and what were some of the most important things to us and started looking at plans.  Sean and I especially love old Farm Houses and the idea of having an old home and restoring it.  Because we were given the gift of land by Sean's parent's, that wasn't an option, but we still wanted our home to have those classic lines and wonderful architectural details.  We also wanted a plan that was modern and livab... 08/18/2010

$7,500 Home Buying Grant Program for Henrico County, Va $7,500 Home Buying Grant Program for Henrico County, Virginia. The Marcus & Tonya Rice Team has just received word from a approved lender for this program just released on April 19, 2010, there are funds still availible. This southern bank participates with approved lenders to offer First Time Home Buyer Grants to purchase properties. This money can be used for down payment and closing costs. Here are some of the highlights of the program: 1.       Available to first time home buyers only (have not owned a home for 3 years) 2.       Owner occupied properties only 3.       Income restrictions- 80% of Area Median Income 4.       Homebuyer counseling required ( No fee to buyer) 5.       Buyer must have $500 into the transaction 6.   ... 08/14/2010

$7,500 Grant Program for Richmond, Va $7,500 Grant Program for Richmond, Virginia. The Marcus & Tonya Rice Team has just received word from a approved lender for this program just released on April 19, 2010, there are funds still availible. This southern bank participates with approved lenders to offer First Time Home Buyer Grants to purchase properties. This money can be used for down payment and closing costs. Here are some of the highlights of the program: 1.       Available to first time home buyers only (have not owned a home for 3 years) 2.       Owner occupied properties only 3.       Income restrictions- 80% of Area Median Income 4.       Homebuyer counseling required ( No fee to buyer) 5.       Buyer must have $500 into the transaction 6.       The funds available are a 5:1 ma... 08/13/2010

The annual Richmond Jazz Festival at Maymont is this weekend August 14 to 15th, featuring some of the biggest names in local, national and international jazz. The festival will be held on the grounds of the 100-acre Maymont park in Richmond, Virginia.The two-day, multi-stage event will feature more than 20 artists, representing mostly jazz, as well as other diverse music genres. An undisclosed portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit the Maymont Foundation, the Richmond Jazz Society and Educational Learning Opportunities. Some of the artists scheduled to perform include Chaka Khan, Boney James, Poncho Sanchez, Norman Brown, Stanley Clarke, Chuck Mangione, Rick Braun and Richard Elliott,  Alex Bugnon, and many more.The festival gates open at noon and close down at 10 p.m on Au... 08/12/2010

RE/MAX BRAVO | REMAX BRAVO | (540) 891-8888 2118 MIMOSA ST, Richmond, VA 2BR/1BA Single Family House offered at $39,900 Year Built 1976 Sq Footage 1,152 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms 1 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking Unspecified Lot Size 6,673 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month see additional photos below PROPERTY FEATURES - Central heat - Family room - Balcony, Deck, or Patio - Yard ADDITIONAL PHOTOS Photo 1Photo 2Photo 3Photo 4 Contact info: RE/MAX BRAVO REMAX BRAVO (540) 891-8888 For sale by agent/broker Equal Opportunity Housing Posted: Aug 2, 2010, 3:39am PDT 08/02/2010

Dominion's Strategy To be a leading provider of electricity, natural gas and related services to clients in the energy intensive Midwest, Mid Atlantic and Northeast regions in the US that are potential markets of 50 million houses and businesses consuming over 40 % of the nation's energy. Having their corporate headquarters in Richmond Virginia, Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy having 27,500 megawatts of generation, 12,000 miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipelines and 6,000 miles of electric transmission lines. With 942 billion cubic feet of storage capacity and serving retail energy clients in 12 states, Dominion is certainly the nation's largest gas storage system. Dominion employees have been sincerely active in the... 07/30/2010

We are well into our summer and it has been a little warm to say the least, and everyone is looking for ways to stay cool.  I wanted to share a few simple thoughts and maintaining comfort, while maintaining a comfortable budget.   Proper Insulation:  Check the spots that tend the leak air the most such as doorways, windows, and attic space.  Insulating these areas properly are key as it help keep the cool air inside, as well as keeping you from throwing the money out of the window.  In addition, with so many tax credits for becoming energy efficient, now is the time for these smaller projects you may have been holding back on Install Curtains:  This is one fantastic idea that is so simple and best of all, CHEAP!  By having curtains put up, and keeping closed during the day will help in ... 07/27/2010

RE/MAX BRAVO | REMAX BRAVO | (540) 891-8888 613 Ratcliffe Ave, Richmond, VA 3BR/1BA Single Family House offered at $39,900 Year Built 1954 Sq Footage 1,254 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 1 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking Unspecified Lot Size 8,197 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month see additional photos below PROPERTY FEATURES - Hardwood floor - Family room - Dining room ADDITIONAL PHOTOS Photo 1Photo 2Photo 3Photo 4Photo 5 Contact info: RE/MAX BRAVO REMAX BRAVO (540) 891-8888 For sale by agent/broker Equal Opportunity Housing Posted: Jul 18, 2010, 4:21pm PDT 07/18/2010

RE/MAX BRAVO | REMAX BRAVO | (540) 891-8888 4702 Lindlaw Ave, Richmond, VA 2BR/1BA Single Family House offered at $32,500 Year Built 1952 Sq Footage 896 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms 1 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking Unspecified Lot Size 7,650 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month see additional photos below ADDITIONAL PHOTOS Photo 1 Contact info: RE/MAX BRAVO REMAX BRAVO (540) 891-8888 For sale by agent/broker Equal Opportunity Housing Posted: Jul 2, 2010, 9:45am PDT 07/08/2010

It is that time of year again where we all are looking forward to the summer vacation or family getaway. There is a lot of preparation that goes into getting ready for the vacation such as, directions, reservations, financial planning, and that is just the beginning. When you finally take some time off for vacation, the last thing you want to worry about is what might go wrong at home while you're away. But the reality is that your home could be a sitting target for burglars when it's empty. The good news? With this simple checklist, you can head for the sunshine knowing your house is safe and secured. The key to deterring intruders from your house? Make sure your home looks lived-in, even if you'll be away a couple weeks. Here's how. 1. Arrange for mail to be held while you're away. Ma... 06/27/2010

It is that time of year again where we all are looking forward to the summer vacation or family getaway. There is a lot of preparation that goes into getting ready for the vacation such as, directions, reservations, financial planning, and that is just the beginning. When you finally take some time off for vacation, the last thing you want to worry about is what might go wrong at home while you're away. But the reality is that your home could be a sitting target for burglars when it's empty. The good news? With this simple checklist, you can head for the sunshine knowing your house is safe and secured. The key to deterring intruders from your house? Make sure your home looks lived-in, even if you'll be away a couple weeks. Here's how. 1. Arrange for mail to be held while you're away. Ma... 06/27/2010

This 1132 SF home has 2 to 3 bedrooms and 1 bath, and is located on a quiet block in South Richmond. Also on this block are multiple rehabbed houses and other homes that were constructed in the last 10 to 15 years. This home was updated just a few years ago. It includes a full front porch, oil radiator heat, new light fixtures, pine cabinets, and aluminum siding. You may be able to turn the den into another bedroom and increase the potential rent to $775 per month. It is in good enough condition as-is to rent immediately. No need to do repairs.  Sold Comps: 24 East 32nd Street 1188 SF 10/06/2009 $76,500 3050 Lawson Street 1266 SF 9/15/2009 $59,000 Don’t miss this opportunity to acquire a big cash flow property for dirt cheap price!   Contact Greg at (804) 565-9723 Visit EagleHouseDeals.... 05/20/2010