Everythingwilliamsburg's Weblog

Win Money, Have Fun & Only 30 Min from WILLIAMSBURG, VA

everythingwilliamsburg — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 05:22:27 +0000

LIKE HORSES?

LIKE TO RACE?

Try COLONIAL DOWNS!

Located in New Kent, VA, only 30 minutes from Williamsburg, VA

Father’s Day was my first visit to COLONIAL DOWNS. I’ve always seen it from the interstate, but never ventured off my route. I decided to take my husband for Father’s Day.

We’re not gambling folk, but we decided to take a chance on Magic Boots. Well, here she is…No she didn’t come in first, but a very strong LAST!! There’s a whole lot to betting, it was way over our heads. That was 2 bucks not well spent, but it sure was fun…hootin’ & hollerin’ for our horse to win!! But, nonetheless it was a great time.

They had a salute to military fathers, which I’m partial to since my husband is active duty ARMY, HOOOAH!! They gave free COLONIAL DOWNS baseball caps to all the fathers and had drawings for recliners (which we also did not win!). They had a clown (& his wife) doing tricks and face painting for the little ones.

There was food & my favorite Funnel Cake. We sat outside. It was a nice day, not too hot. The tables outside have umbrellas. You can also sit in the Box Seats section,VIP Grandstand seating, Jockey Club, or Turf Club.

This is definitely a great outing for the entire family while vacationing in WILLIAMSBURG, VA. Or, if you’re looking to relocate call, Yvette Smith, WILLIAMSBURG’S PREFERRED REALTOR® for information about homes for sale in WILLIAMBURG, VA.

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Yvette Smith, SRES® REALTOR®
www.AtHomeInWilliamsburg.com
757-753-7472 Direct line
757-645-2155 Office
757-240-5674 Fax
5350 Discovery Park Blvd
Williamsburg, VA 23188
YvetteSmith@lizmoore.com

DON’T FORGET…Get your tickets now for.. VIRGINIA DERBY!! 7/19/08

SUMMER CONCERTS @ the COLLEGE OF WILLIAM & MARY in WILLIAMSBURG!

everythingwilliamsburg — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 03:06:38 +0000

SUMMER FUN IN WILLIAMSBURG!!

Matoaka Summer Concerts 2008
at the College of William & Mary
Lake Matoaka Amphitheatre

Every Friday Night
June 13 throught August 22
6:30p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Mile Marker 24       June 13 Ray Pittman Project    July 25
The English Channel June 20 Bambu Station    August 1
Borderline Crazy    June 27 Ben Phelps Project    August 8
no concert       July 4 The Rhondels    August 15
Snackbar Jones      July 11 with Ammon Tharp
Butter/Bootylicious July 18 Slapwater       August 22

* Adults $6
* Kids 12 & under FREE
* All concerts are RAIN or SHINE
* Bring your own chairs, Blankets, food & picnics!
* Kids’ activity area
* No coolers, drinks, or pets
* Food & drinks available on site
* Tickets may be purchased on line or at the gate

These concerts are the best! It’s a great way to unwind, meet people & just have a good ole fashioned fun time! Come join the fun! I hope to see you there!

Yvette Smith, SRES® REALTOR®
757-753-7472
Williamsburg’s Preferred Realtor®

This year, Last year, The Housing Market in Williamsburg VA

everythingwilliamsburg — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 03:55:30 +0000

Sold Market Analysis
for Williamsburg Virginia

This Year: 5/1/2008 to 6/10/2008
Last Year: 5/1/2007 to 6/10/2007

Residential
	Total Active			Days on Market			Number Sold			Sold Volume			Average Sale Price			Percent of List			Days on Market			Days to Close
Area	Last Year	This Year	PCT	Last Year	This Year	PCT	Last Year	This Year	PCT	Last Year	This Year	PCT	Last Year	This Year	PCT	Last Year	This Year	PCT	Last Year	This Year	PCT	Last Year	This Year	PCT
James City County	1219	1200	-1	256	173	-32	146	88	-39	53,187,138	33,908,967	-36	364,295	385,329	+5	98	98	-0	96	126	+31	137	199	+45
City of Williamsburg	135	141	+4	241	158	-34	14	14	0	5,325,799	4,548,899	-14	380,414	324,921	-14	98	97	-1	95	161	+69	127	196	+54
York	229	146	-36	175	111	-36	40	22	-45	14,218,576	7,019,800	-50	355,464	319,082	-10	98	98	-0	63	61	-3	132	97	-26
Residential Totals:	1583	1487	-6	1406	1533	+9	200	124	-38	72,731,513	45,477,666	-37	366,724	343,111	-6	98	98	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Grand Totals	1,583	1,487	-6	243	165	-32	200	124	-38	72,731,513	45,477,666	-37	363,657	366,755	+1	97	97	0	89	119	+33	135	181	+34

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

It is still a good time to make a home purchase in Williamsburg! At this time last year, there were 200 homes sold and this year, there have been 124 homes sold. That’s a 38% decrease in the number sold. If you compare that to the national average, Williamsburg is still holding strong.

Yvette Smith, SRES®REALTOR®
Williamsburg’s Preferred Realtor®
757-753-7472
Liz Moore and Associates
5350 Discovery Park BLVD
Williamsburg, Virginia 23188

Call me for a tour of homes that you qualify for.

Prepared by Williamsburg Multiple Listing Service on today Tuesday, June 10, 2008 10:03 AM

Behind in your Mortgage? Do Not Despair!

everythingwilliamsburg — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 21:22:37 +0000

Many people don’t realize that there are a number of alternatives to foreclosure. The most important thing to remember is that you should involve a knowledgeable Realtor as early as possible, because the more time that you have, the more options will most likely be available to you.

First, an agent will perform a “CMA” (competitive market analysis) on your home, to see what your property would sell for in today’s market, and how long it will take to get it sold. Next, the agent will prepare an estimate of your proceeds, to determine your equity position. Any unmade mortgage payments and late fees will need to be added to your outstanding balance, before determining the amount of equity (if any) that you have. The agent will also project any mortgage payments that will need to be made between now and when the home is expected to settle.

If you are several months or more behind in your payments, and/or have not lived in your house long, it is possible that you will find yourself in an “upside down” equity position, which means that you owe more on the house than you can net from its sale.

The last thing that the bank wants to do is foreclose on your property…it is a very expensive, time consuming process. Accordingly, there are systems within most banks and mortgage companies to help consumers avoid foreclosure…either by working out alternative payment schedules, or forgiving the amount needed to make a sale work. The type of mortgage that you have will determine the process for applying for “forgiveness” of the shortfall.

VA has a “compromise” program. Under certain circumstances (legitimate hardship, a sale at market value supported by an appraisal, etc.), the VA will forgive the amount you would need to bring to the table to complete a sale. HUD has a comparable short sale process, and many conventional loans can also be successfully negotiated through their loss mitigation departments to avoid foreclosure. Second mortgages, in particular, are inclined to negotiate a solution, because they risk losing their entire investment in the event of a foreclosure.

If you are facing financial challenges, involve a professional Realtor early. It’s always possible that demand may push the value of your property high enough that you can sell your home, pay off your mortgage(s), and even have some money left over. And if not, the right Realtor can successfully navigate you through the steps necessary to negotiate with your mortgage company to avoid foreclosure, and the negative impact that can have on your credit.

It would be my pleasure to assist you in your time of need. Call me today for all of your real estate needs.

Yvette Smith, Williamsburg’s Preferred Realtor®
757-753-7472

How old are the folks in Williamsburg VA?

everythingwilliamsburg — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:52:11 +0000

The following demographics are for Williamsburg VA. Williamsburg is comprised of the City of Williamsburg, James City County and Upper York County. These stats are for James City County and the City of Williamsburg (23188).

Age
	Male		Female		Both
	% of Males	% of All	% of Females	% of All	% of All
0-9 years:	13.4%	6.5%	11.5%	6%	12.4%
10-19 years:	13.8%	6.7%	12.2%	6.3%	13%
20-29 years:	10.6%	5.1%	10.8%	5.6%	10.7%
30-39 years:	14.4%	6.9%	15%	7.8%	14.7%
40-49 years:	15.3%	7.4%	16%	8.3%	15.7%
50-59 years:	13%	6.3%	13.6%	7.1%	13.3%
60-69 years:	10.3%	5%	10.1%	5.2%	10.2%
70-79 years:	7.3%	3.5%	7.5%	3.9%	7.4%
80+ years:	1.9%	0.9%	3.2%	1.7%	2.6%
All Ages:	Male:	48.3%	Female:	51.7%
Median Ages:	38.6 yrs.		40.3 yrs.		39.5 yrs.

The following demographics are forWilliamsburg, VA Upper York County (23185)

Age
	Male		Female		Both
	% of Males	% of All	% of Females	% of All	% of All
0-9 years:	10.8%	5.2%	10.3%	5.4%	10.5%
10-19 years:	13.9%	6.6%	12.6%	6.6%	13.2%
20-29 years:	13.1%	6.2%	12.3%	6.4%	12.7%
30-39 years:	12.9%	6.2%	12.3%	6.4%	12.6%
40-49 years:	15.1%	7.2%	14.8%	7.7%	14.9%
50-59 years:	12.6%	6%	12.6%	6.6%	12.6%
60-69 years:	10.6%	5%	10.6%	5.6%	10.6%
70-79 years:	7.5%	3.6%	8.7%	4.5%	8.1%
80+ years:	3.4%	1.6%	5.9%	3.1%	4.7%
All Ages:	Male:	47.6%	Female:	52.4%
Median Ages:	39.5 yrs.		41.5 yrs.		40.6 yrs.

In Williamsburg, in its entirety, it looks as though the 40-49 year age group is the largest of the Williamsburg population. Williamsburg is known for being a great place to retire, but it appears that it is quickly becoming a sweet spot for middle aged people as well.

Brought to you courtesy of Yvette Smith, Williamsburg’s Preferred Realtor®
For all of your Real Estate needs, call me! 757-753-7472

Everything Williamsburg’s 51 Reasons

everythingwilliamsburg — Wed, 28 May 2008 23:24:02 +0000

Trying to decide where you should buy your next home?

Well, Williamsburg, VA is a great choice! Why? Here, let me give you 51 Reasons (in no particular order):

Prime Outlets Great Wolf Lodge

Cardinals in abundance in the Spring
Yankle Candle Factory
Busch Gardens
Colonial Williamsburg                                                           Kimball Theater
R.F. Willkinson YMCA                                                            Colonial Parkway from Jamestown to Yorktown
Summer Breeze Concert Series                                              Williamsburg Winery

Water Country  USA                                                                                         Sno-To-Go
Newtown Cinema 12                                                                                 Kidsburg Park
Tavern Ghost Walks                                                                                  Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
Revolutionary City
4th of July Fireworks @ Busch Gardens & Colonial Williamsburg

Considered one of the top 5 places to retire in America                          Go-Karts Plus
LPGA Michelob Ultra Open
                                                             Phi Beta Kappa Hall-Performing Arts Series
First Night Williamsburg                                                 The Virginia Gazette – Last Word
      Dessert at the Trellis – “Death by Chocolate”
                                               Grand Illumination at Christmas             Newtown
Wonderful Golf Course communities – Kingsmill, Ford’s Colony, Stonehouse, Greensprings Plantation,
Governor Land, Colonial Heritage
                                                           The Fife & Drum Corps of Colonial Williamsburg

Dewey Decibel Concert Series at the Williamsburg Library Theatre
Virginia Shakespeare Festival @ William & Mary DeWill Wallace Decorative Arts Museum
The Williamsburg Antique Mall

                                                       CoCo Chocolatier          Farmer’s Market on Duke of Gloucester Street
        Waller Mill State Park        Williamsburg Pottery Factory                Jamestown Settlement
Historic Jamestown                                                     The Virginia Arts Festival presents performances
                                                   by the world’s top-flight artists in classical music, dance, theatre & jazz

The Williamsburg Symphony, Classical Music Series
                                         Busch Neck Farm – Pick-your-own strawberries, apples, blueberries, asparagus
                           sweet corn, peaches & pumpkins
Aromas Coffeehouse
                                                                                  GreenLeafe Cafe – Shrimp PoBoy Wrap

The Old Chickahominy House – Blueberry Pancakes Capital-to-Capital Bike Trail

The Christmas Mouse William & Mary Football/Tailgate Parties

Concerts on Duke of Gloucester Street Pumkinville at Halloween

Consider calling me, Williamsburg’s Preferred Realtor®, for your all of your Real Estate needs. I hope that I’ve enlightened & informed you!

Yvette Smith
757-753-7472

Everthing Williamsburg

everythingwilliamsburg — Tue, 27 May 2008 03:21:06 +0000

WILLIAMSBURG

POPULATION: 12,434

AREA: 9.05 square miles

FOUNDED: As Middle Plantation in 1633; established as Williamsburg in 1699

MEDIAN AGE: 24.2

LANDMARKS: Wren Building, Governor’s Palace, Colonial Capitol, Courthouse of 1770, Bruton Parish Church

MAYOR: JEANNE ZEIDLER

Don’t be surprised to see men in breeches waiting in line at the bank and women in mob caps picking out food at the supermarket in Williamsburg!

The historic flavor or Colonial Williamsburg blends with the daily life of city locals and students at the College of William and Mary (the second oldest university in the country). It’s a common scene for costumed Colonial interpreters to mingle with the packs of students in downtown eateries and shops!

CW, as it’s nicknamed, has more than 500 original and reconstructed 18th century buildings. The recent addition of a program called Revolutionary City, which allows guests to watch real-life scenes in the former Colonial capitol, has been popular.

Why, just last summer, British Queen Elizabeth II stopped in to celebrate Jametown’s 400th.

I hope that I have enlightened and informed you about Everything Williamsburg! Stay tuned for my next blog where I will give you 51 reasons to live in Williamsburg!

Yvette Smith
Williamsburg’s Preferred Realtor®
757-753-7472

Everythingwilliamsburg's Weblog

Win Money, Have Fun & Only 30 Min from WILLIAMSBURG, VA

SUMMER CONCERTS @ the COLLEGE OF WILLIAM & MARY in WILLIAMSBURG!

SUMMER FUN IN WILLIAMSBURG!! Matoaka Summer Concerts 2008at the College of William & Mary Lake Matoaka Amphitheatre

Every Friday NightJune 13 throught August 226:30p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Yvette Smith, SRES® REALTOR® 757-753-7472 Williamsburg’s Preferred Realtor®

This year, Last year, The Housing Market in Williamsburg VA

Sold Market Analysis for Williamsburg Virginia This Year: 5/1/2008 to 6/10/2008 Last Year: 5/1/2007 to 6/10/2007

Behind in your Mortgage? Do Not Despair!

How old are the folks in Williamsburg VA?

Age

Male

Female

Both

% of Males

% of All

% of Females

% of All

% of All

0-9 years:

13.4%

6.5%

11.5%

6%

12.4%

10-19 years:

13.8%

6.7%

12.2%

6.3%

13%

20-29 years:

10.6%

5.1%

10.8%

5.6%

10.7%

30-39 years:

14.4%

6.9%

15%

7.8%

14.7%

40-49 years:

15.3%

7.4%

16%

8.3%

15.7%

50-59 years:

13%

6.3%

13.6%

7.1%

13.3%

60-69 years:

10.3%

5%

10.1%

5.2%

10.2%

70-79 years:

7.3%

3.5%

7.5%

3.9%

7.4%

80+ years:

1.9%

0.9%

3.2%

1.7%

2.6%

All Ages:

Male:

48.3%

Female:

51.7%

Median Ages:

38.6 yrs.

SUMMER FUN IN WILLIAMSBURG!!

Matoaka Summer Concerts 2008
at the College of William & Mary
Lake Matoaka Amphitheatre

Every Friday Night
June 13 throught August 22
6:30p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Yvette Smith, SRES® REALTOR®
757-753-7472
Williamsburg’s Preferred Realtor®

Sold Market Analysis
for Williamsburg Virginia

This Year: 5/1/2008 to 6/10/2008
Last Year: 5/1/2007 to 6/10/2007