Lake Anna Market Report – Waterfront Lots SOLD First Qtr. 2012

There are three counties bordering Lake Anna in Central Virginia.  They are Louisa, Spotsylvania, and Orange Counties.  Both Louisa and Spotsylvania encompass the majority of the countryside while Orange County covers a much smaller section in the northwest area of the lake.  This market report* lists the waterfront LOTS sold in all three counties surounding the lake from January 1, 2012 to March 31, 2012

Waterfront lots generally begin in the $100,000s and range as high as $750,000+.  Waterfront land at Lake Anna is currently used to describe land that either fronts on the lake or has unique access to the lake.  Categories include:

• Waterfront
• Shared Waterfront
• Park Waterfront
• Out Parcel

Pricing of waterfront lots depends on a number of factors most of which are included below:

• Amount of water frontage
• Depth of water
• Type of lake views
• Topography of the land
• Shoreline amenities (if any)
• Community amenities

If owning a waterfront lot with the thought of someday building at Lake Anna is something that YOU are considering please call or email me.  I will put every effort into helping you find the one that fits your needs and your budget.  If it’s available you’ll get to know about it.

* Information, obtained through MRIS (Metropolitan Regional Information System, Inc.) is believed to be accurate, but should not be relied upon. without verification.

Lake Anna Market Report – Waterfront Homes SOLD First Qtr. 2012

There are three counties bordering Lake Anna in Central Virginia.  They are Louisa, Spotsylvania, and Orange Counties.  Both Louisa and Spotsylvania encompass the majority of the countryside while Orange County covers a much smaller section in the northwest area of the lake. 

This market report* lists the waterfront homes sold in all three counties surounding the lake from January 1, 2012 to March 31, 2012.

Detached waterfront homes generally begin in the $400,000s and range as high as $2,000,000+ while townhomes generally run between $300,000 to below $400,000.  

The price of waterfront homes depends on a number of factors many of which are included below:

• Amount of water frontage
• Depth of water
• Type of lake views
• Topography of the land
• Shoreline amenities
• Size of home
• Style
• Upgrades both for the exterior and interior
• Curb appeal
• Condition

Lucky Me…Living at Lake Anna Next to a Beautiful Garden

Often when I give directions to our home I make reference to my neighbors garden next door.  They also live on the water and have chosen to garden up towards the road where the area is more open with less trees.  It apparently is the perfect spot for this purpose.  Ever since our neighbors moved down to Lake Anna to live here full time they have produced the most amazing display of flowers.

For a good part of the year I can tell folks that we are the driveway right after the property with the wonderful garden.  It doesn’t surprise me that many know exactly what place I’m referring to.

Although a good part of the garden is awash with masses of flowers, vegetables are not neglected.  Far from it.  They grow a variety of delicious vegetables and have been known to share them with others.

Fortunately for my husband and me, we get to see glimpses of these beautiful flowers every time we leave home or return.

If you are fond of gardening we can find you a spot for you to do that here at Lake Anna.  Just get in touch with me and we’ll start the search.  I know we’ll have success.

The entrance to The Waters is on Kentucky Springs Road (Route 652) and is recognizable by its white rail fence and signage.   With land encompassing both sides of Kentucky Springs Road, The Waters is one of the largest subdivisions on Lake Anna.  It has lots ranging from just under an acre to 10 acre parcels.  All of these have been sold by the developer with re-sales being the way to ownership.

ENTRANCE TO THE WATERS AT LAKE ANNA

Re-sale lots and re-sale homes are scattered throughout the community and range in price from a low of $26,000 for an off water lot to a high of $444,900 for one of the waterfront lots.

At the moment there are four access (off water) re-sale homes for sale.  The lowest is priced at $275,000 and the highest is $435,000.  There are three active waterfront re-sale homes ranging from $519,000 to $1,997,500. New listings come up fairly frequently.

 HOME CURRENTLY FOR SALE IN THAT WATERS AT LAKE ANNA

Given the various sizes of the lots in The Waters, it provides opportunities for even those that prefer a larger setting for their future home.  This community, like the others around Lake Anna, has managed to retain a country feel to it making it a welcoming change from the hustle and bustle of city and suburban life.

The swimming pool is a welcome place to relax in the summer months and an ideal spot to meet others in the community.  The club house is available for meetings of the property owners association and is a great place to congregate for weddings, graduation parties, and other types of gatherings.

COMMUNITY SWIMMING POOL AND BOAT SLIPS

From The Waters, property owners have easy access to Lake Anna and are able to enjoy fishing, swimming, water skiing, jet skiing, tubing, kayaking, and all of the other water activities that have made Lake Anna such a desired location.

If you would like additional information about The Waters (formerly known at Lake Forest) please let me know and I will be happy to provide that for you.  Also, if you would like to look at any of the homes or lots here or elsewhere at Lake Anna I can do that too.

©Copyright Kate Elim 2011

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GET MOVING WITH KATE!

540-226-1964 cell

lakeanna.kate@gmail.com

lakeannacountry.com

lakeanna-realestate.com (Blog)

Louisa Arts Center
Sunday, December 11, 2011
2:00 PM

General Admission $10

Children admitted free when accompanied by an adult
with a General Admission ticket.

Buy your tickets for the performance at the Cooke-Haley Theater online at
www.louisaarts.org

©Copyright Kate Elim 2011

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IF IT’S ABOUT REAL ESTATE ASK KATE

540-226-1964 cell

lakeanna.kate@gmail.com

lakeannacountry.com

lakeanna-realestate.com (Blog)

It was really not that long ago that I shared the sad news about the loss of our beloved dog, Sam.  Now we are experiencing that sadness again.  Shortly after Sam died, two Cockapoo puppies entered our lives.  We were happy to have furry friends once again.

Rocky has been a fighter since birth, thus his name.  Boy did he live up to it.  As the runt in a litter of 10, weighing only 4 oz. it was touch and go from the beginning to the end.  Would you have ever known it?  Absolutely not!  Rocky was the happiest go-lucky guy I’ve ever seen.  He remained a puppy during all of his two and a half years.

During this time we knew that Rocky had numerous medical problems.  As long as he had no idea he was happy and so were we.  Busy trying to find out how we could help him we explored every avenue.  We thought we were having success until recently.  Last month Rocky began to eat a bit less and drank less water.  The later was especially strange as he had Franconi Syndrome which affected his kidneys and gave him an insatiable thirst.

Rocky

April 14, 2009 – October 25, 2011

One morning Rocky woke up with an eye infection.  We took him to his local vet and got medication for him.  The next morning he was unable to get up.  We immediately took him to Veterinary Referral and Critical Care (VRCCJ) near Richmond.  The care he received there was remarkable.

Unfortunately, to complicate things today a blood clot about an inch wide was found in Rocky’s left ventricle.  He was given Heparin and was to get three injections a day.  While we were on our way down to visit with Rocky we received another call from Dr. Lynn Harpold telling us that one of things that she had told us that could happen did.  A piece of the blot travelled to his legs and he was no longer able to stand.  This was after Rocky had been at VRCC for a full week at this point on IV’s all that time with no interest in eating or drinking.  We knew we had to make the painful decision to let him go.  We went down to see Rocky for one last time together.  We then brought him home to rest in our yard next to Sam down towards the lake.

Rocky’s was a short life but it was full of love.  We are full of memories, painful at the moment but they will bring us joy soon just as Rocky did.

Hearts break.  Fortunately hearts heal.

Many of us have heard stories of how off some of the “zestimates” are that proport to tell home owners the value of their homes. This is true especially in a place like Lake Anna where we take into consideration factors that go beyond the number of bedroom and baths, etc. Waterfront property especially has its own set of factors that need to be considered in determining market value.

Many other locations have their own set of criteria that has much to do with what people will pay for a property. Local Realtors® and appraisers understand this and base their pricing on this knowledge. National and international websites do not have that advantage.

My advice once again is work with your Local Expert!

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Via Myrl Jeffcoat (Real Living Great West Real Estate):

Occasionally, I will hear or read comments from homebuyers, homeowners, sellers and real estate professionals, about the value and use of online housing calculators that provide estimates of property value.

Earlier this week, I came across an interesting article in the Yahoo Finance section titled, “The Fuzzy Math of Home Values,” which delved deeply into this topic.

The article was written by Alyssa Abkowitz, of Wall Street Journal’s SmartMoney. In one case vignette, Abkowitz showcased Jason Gonsalves, of our Greater Sacramento area. Gonsalves had invested hard work to turn his 6,500 square foot home in the Sacramento suburbs into an ultimate grown-up party pad. The home boasted a custom wine cellar, game room and a home theater. There was a wood-burning pizza oven, and searing station outside. An infinity-edge pool overlooked the lapping waters of Folsom Lake. BUT as Gonsalves was finishing up on his home improvements, and delved into refinancing his $750,000 mortgage, he became startled when according to one popular real estate website, his home value had dropped over $200,000 during a recent seven-month stretch.

The SmartMoney article went on to say, “Another on-line real estate estimating website valued Gonsalve’s home at a mere $640,500. Adding confusion to the picture – a real-life appraiser had valued the house at $1.5 million.”

According to SmartMoney Magazine, the calculations behind online estimates are adding confusion to an already tricky housing market.

As increasing numbers of consumers are groping for information in a cloudy housing arena, the home-value technology provided by Zillow, Homes.com, and Realtor.com have offered an alternative for consumers. In the past years real estate professionals generally held most of the real estate informational data pipeline. But with today’s fingertip technology, homebuyers, home sellers and owners can key up almost any home, in hopes of learning what a home is worth. But according to the SmartMoney article, “Variations in home valuation can vary 20, 30 or even 50 percent higher or lower than a property’s eventual sale price.”

The on-line companies, which provide their valuation estimators, rely on the use of algorithms. Because these algorithms often change, the values of homes often change. According to the SmartMoney article, “this summer Zillow made adjustments that affected all of the 100 million homes in its database, and some home value quotes swung by hundreds of thousands of dollars in as little as a month.”

The SmartMoney article also addressed a special Louisville, Kentucky home, “which according to legend, acted as inspiration for Daisy’s home in The Great Gatsby, and quadrupled in value over 30 days. While according to Zillow, a Brooklyn, N.Y. townhouse currently listed for $5 million, was valued at a jaw-dropping $31 million in the middle of the real estate crash.”

According to the SmartMoney article, “The former owners of the “Gatsby house,” watched Zillow put a $331,000 value on the house in May. In July it had climbed to $1.5 million. Zillow claimed the lower estimate reflected errors in its statistical model.” The sellers had to fend off a stream of lowball offers before they ultimately sold their dwelling this autumn.

Zillow, Trulia, Homes.com and all their competitors make clear their numbers are only guesstimates. They present disclaimers about information and material consumers garner from their websites. However, homeowners don’t always pay attention to the disclaimers.

In past years home evaluation has been an appraiser’s job. The process involves gathering data on recently sold properties in the vicinity, and comparing them with the home being appraised. Size, condition and characteristics, are components considered. Unique qualities and added amenities, such as a swimming pool can add value. The appraisal process is as much art as science.

The SmartMoney article written by Alyssa Abkowitz is really an in-depth piece that goes more deeply into the process of home appraisal and the use of on-line calculators. I recommend consumers and real estate pros read it in its entirety. It can be accessed via: “The Fuzzy Math of Home Values.”

Real Living Great West Real Estate
(916) 635-0420

http://www.myrljeffcoat.com

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GET MOVING WITH KATE!

540-226-1964 cell

lakeanna.kate@gmail.com

lakeannacountry.com

lakeanna-realestate.com (Blog)

BLOOD DRIVE

Sunday, September 11^th

10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Bloodmobile

Contact Chrissie Slater to signup, crslater76@yahoo.com

Walk-ins welcome too

Our goal is to collect 18 pints of blood

Someone’s Life Depends on YOU!

LAKE ANNA’S 9th ANNUAL QUILT & CRAFT LUNCHEON

One of the things that we have to look forward to each year is the annual luncheon put on by the Lake Anna Piecemakers.  This vibrant group of quilters has been meeting for a number of years and at one point decided that it would be a good idea to have a luncheon where quilts and crafts could be displayed and a guest  would speak on a topic of interest to the group.  It was such a success that it has carried over year after year.

The Piecemakers have been meeting at the LARI (Lake Anna Rescue) Building for years and another purpose of the luncheon is to raise money for the Rescue Squad.  As a group, the Piecemakers are very indebted to LARI for the use of the meeting room.  As residents at or near Lake Anna they are indebted to LARI for the wonderful service numerous volunteers have provided area folks for many years.

If you are looking for a pleasant way to spend a few hours consider attending this year’s luncheon.  You will be impressed by the array of gorgeous quilts and other items on display AND best of all you’ll enjoy delicious food and fun company.