Blog • Communities • Events • March 1, 2018

This Weekend in Fredericksburg: March 3-4

by Jay Parrish

photo of frederickdburg train bridge blurred out with text overtop saying "this weekend"

SATURDAY

9am: 11th Annual Polar Bear Plunge

City Dock Park

Are you ready to brave the frigid temperatures of the Rappahannock River?? Register NOW for the annual Polar Bear Plunge benefiting the EOD Warrior Foundation. Check in opens at 9:00 AM and the plunge begins at 11:00 AM.

Early Registration (until 2/15): $25
Registration after 2/15: $35
Early registrants are guaranteed an event shirt.

Follow the link below to register today!
http://weblink.donorperfect.com/PBPRegistration

10:30am: Yoga and Beer

Strangeways Brewing

Join us for an invigorating, hourlong flow, accessible to all levels of yogis. After class, you’ll enjoy a tasty pour of your favorite Strangeways craft beer and great company. Ticket includes yoga and one beer. Namaste & Cheers! Register at www.eatyogadrink.com!

Yoga taught by Erin Sonn, RYT, owner of eat.YOGA.drink., LLC.

indoor beach party

3pm: 4th Annual Indoor Beach Party

Tim’s at Lake Anna

Wear your best Hawaiian shirt👕 and flip flops👡 to the indoor beach party🏝 ! Take a picture with the Tim’s mermaid 🏖, enjoy some great food 🍗and drink🍹 specials, dance in the limbo contest, win a prize for your beachy attire🏄‍♂️ and listen to 🎵 Island Gerry 🎶 from 7 til 1030 !

SUNDAY

historic half lucky road

7am: Lucky Road Historic Half Training Team

Lucky Road Run Shop

Join the Lucky Road Run Shop 2018 Historic Half Marathon Training Team, HHTT. A 12 week program to get you ready complete the MCM Historic Half with ease. Here’s what you’ll get:

* Group Runs Sunday morning starting and finishing at the Lucky Road Run Shop.
* Run along the Historic Half course as much as possible.
* Aide station for our long runs.
* HHTT technical shirt.
* Special Clinics with our local experts and Hoka One One.
* The best group of coaches… that money can’t buy. 🙂

All this, and a bag of chips, for only $60. There’s no better deal in town 😉

Registration will be available soon at the Lucky Road Run Shop.

bridal show under the stars

5-8pm: Bridal Show Under the Stars

Inn at the Old Silk Mill

Save the date for The Silk Mill’s Bridal Show Under the Stars! Runway show, music, food, raffle prizes, meet with local wedding vendors, check out some of our bed and breakfast rooms and view the Silk Mill and Chapel in it’s elegant evening atmosphere! Couples and vendors, register on our website www.innattheoldesilkmill.com. Click on Bridal Show Under the Stars. Can’t wait to see you there!

Blog • Downsizing • First-Time Home Sellers • Sellers • Selling Luxury Homes • Selling Your Rental • February 28, 2018

How To Make Your Home Look Like A Million Bucks

by Jay Parrish

Grey sofa with pink accent pillow and mirror in background

Everyone knows that first impressions are important but when it comes to selling your home, it makes even more of a difference! We’ll go into our top 3 tips for making your home look like a million bucks (without spending a ton!).

new home

Get Spiffy

It might be cliche but it’s true—buyers will appreciate (and pay more for) a clean and tidy house! For everyday showings, all surfaces and floors should be clean and any clutter picked up and put away. A subtle air freshener placed near the entryway can help set the mood. You may want to re-arrange the furniture in your home so that it’s easier for people to navigate during showings—this will probably be different from how you normally use your furniture but it’ll make a subconscious difference for the buyers!

When you’re getting your listing pictures done, you’ll want to go the extra mile. This may not be sustainable for everyday life but it’ll make a huge difference when people are searching for homes online. Completely clear off the counters—yes, completely. That means hide your toaster/decorative salt shaker collection/anything else you keep regularly on your counters in cabinets. A big clean empty countertop makes the kitchen or bathroom look bigger. The same goes for all types of visual clutter in the house—anything that can be hidden away in closets or cabinets, should be, at least for the pictures.

Shrubs, Flowers and Trees, Oh My

After you finish reading this paragraph, go outside and take a look at your house. Is the lawn mowed? Are the flowers and bushes blooming or struggling? Is there fresh mulch and does the yard look generally well-kept? If you’re lacking a green thumb, this might be a good time to hire outside help. The yard should look healthy and manicured and complement the home’s features.

Fake It

Nobody has to know that you don’t normally host extravagant soirees and you’re more likely to heat up a TV dinner than whip up gourmet fare. When you’re selling your home, buyers need your help to see its potential, not just what it’s being used for currently. Fresh flowers in the foyer, luxe throws across the sofa and beautiful place settings at the table allow buyers to imagine what their life could be like in this particular home. If you’ve already moved everything out of the home, it may be worth setting up some decor in the entryway or on the mantle—just to accent the home’s features.

Blog • Buyers • Buying Luxury Homes • First-Time Home Buyers • Need More Space • February 26, 2018

5 Things To Do Before You Buy A Home

by Jay Parrish

So you’re finally ready to buy your own home, congrats! It’s a big decision that can really impact your life and your finances. Here are our top five things to do before you take the leap to make sure you’re completely prepared!

Strengthen your credit score

Don’t know your credit score? If you’re thinking about buying a home in the near future—it’s time to find out! Try CreditKarma or any of the free credit reports to see what you may need to work on or if you’re in good shape! The better your credit score, the less you’ll need to pay for your home loan. The quickest way to improve your score is to pay down any credit card balances! You’ll also want to avoid applying for credit, for example, opening a new credit card or getting a car loan, until after you’ve closed on your new home!

Figure out what you can afford

Now’s the time to face the facts and be realistic. What’s your actual budget for purchasing a home? Conventional wisdom says that home expenses should only take up around 30-33% of your income each year. What will your monthly mortgage payment be, including interest, mortgage insurance and any HOA fees? An easy way to figure out what you can afford is by using Zillow’s Mortgage Calculator—easily adjust your purchase price vs down payment and see how it can affect your monthly payment. You’ll also want to set aside an emergency fund for unexpected repairs—especially during your first year! Once you’ve figured out what price range you can comfortably afford, stick to only looking at homes in that range.

Research different neighborhoods

You know your desired price range and what kind of home you’re looking for—now ’s the time to do your homework! Different areas and neighborhoods have their own character, benefits and drawbacks—consult your Realtor, websites like Niche, Crimemapping and Yelp, and if possible, drive through any neighborhoods you’re seriously considering at various times of day to really get a feel for them.

Save up

Keep in mind that the down payment is only one part of the costs you’ll need to pay upfront. Once you cough up that 10% down payment, you’ll still need to pay for any closing costs, necessary inspections, repairs or maintenance costs, the first few months of mortgage and insurance payments, and any moving costs. Closing costs can run anywhere from 2-5% of the asking price while typical home inspections are around $350-500. That’s on top of your down payment! With all that in mind, is your dream home still within your housing budget of 30-33% of your yearly income?

Connect with a lender

An experienced loan officer can be a huge help during your preparation period! They’ll help you figure out what loan product will be best for you and what you can do to improve your credit. Your CBE agent can recommend plenty of awesome loan officers and once you’ve got your pre-approval letter, you’re ready to tour homes and make an offer!

Buying a home (whether it’s your first or not!) is an exciting experience and can be immensely rewarding! All of us at CBE wish you the best of luck finding your dream home–don’t hesitate to reach out if you need help along the way!

Blog • Buyers • Buying Luxury Homes • First-Time Home Buyers • Need More Space • December 11, 2017

3 Signs You’re Not Ready to Buy A Home

by Jay Parrish

three signs you're not ready to buy a home

Scrolling through your Facebook timeline in your twenties and thirties can feel like a never-ending slideshow of #adulting milestones. Why is everyone engaged all of a sudden? When did so-and-so have a baby? Chances are, you’ve seen quite a few “We just bought a home!” posts, too. If you’re one of the 80% of millennials would like to purchase real estate, watching all your friends buy a home can trigger massive FOMO.

We’re here to help you figure out whether you’re ready to join the homeowner ranks! As fun as it looks on social media, buying a home before you’re ready or for the wrong reasons can be a huge mistake. Let’s go through the top 3 reasons you might not be ready to buy a home right now:

1. Not enough money saved

So you’ve saved enough to make a 10% down payment on your dream home, congrats! Unfortunately, the down payment is only one part of the costs you’ll need to pay upfront. Once you cough up that 10% down payment, you’ll still need to pay for any closing costs, necessary inspections, repairs or maintenance costs, the first few months of mortgage and insurance payments, and any moving costs. Closing costs can run anywhere from 2-5% of the asking price while typical home inspections are around $350-500. That’s on top of your down payment!

Keeping all that in mind, is your dream home still within your housing budget of 30-33% of your yearly income?

2. You’re on the move

Due to the high up-front costs of buying a home, real estate is not generally a good short-term investment. The days of flipping distressed properties for a profit are over so if you’re planning on making money on the sale of your home, you’ll need to stay put for at least five years. If your career or relationship status isn’t particularly stable or you’re considering exploring new areas in the next few years—buying may not be the smart choice right now.

3. You’re still working on your credit

A low credit score won’t make it impossible to buy a home, but it will make it more expensive. Check your credit score on free sites like Credit Karma—the higher your score, the better your interest rate on your mortgage will be! This can make a big difference in your monthly payments so if your credit score isn’t particularly healthy right now, you may want to wait to purchase a home. If you’re not sure where to start, a loan officer will be able to help you navigate the process of repairing your credit and getting ready to buy.

Still feeling like you’re ready to buy? Give any of our wonderful agents a call and start looking for your dream home today!

Blog • Coldwell Banker • Elite News • Welcome • November 17, 2017

Coldwell Banker Elite Welcomes Jay Parrish to the Marketing Team

by Matthew Rathbun

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JayParrish

Coldwell Banker Elite is proud to announce that Jay Parrish has joined the Marketing Team as our new Digital Platform Manager! In this role, Jay will be assisting in managing our lead generation platforms, answering consumers’ inquiries and helping to develop our company website. Jay will also be assisting Associates with their CRM systems and training new agents. He’s excited to work with other CBE agents to help grow their online presence.

Jay is an experienced marketer and educator, who prior to real estate, grew a local small business and taught high school marketing and business classes. Jay has a Bachelors in Business Administration from the University of Mary Washington and is known for his outstanding client service, creative website design, and staying current on social media marketing techniques. Jay has lived in Fredericksburg for over a decade and enjoys taking photos and traveling to new places with his wife and two daughters!

Jay’s passion for technology and education will be a fantastic addition to our staff at Coldwell Banker Elite and we’re incredibly honored to welcome him to the Marketing Team!

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Blog • Coldwell Banker • Elite News • November 8, 2017

Coldwell Banker Elite Promotions

by Matthew Rathbun

Pic of Dawn Josemans, Angel Piontek and Deb Ellis

vice president promotion

We are so excited to announce the promotion of three of our wonderful staff members to Vice President positions! These three staff members have been integral to our company’s success and we are thrilled that they will be continue to provide our agents and clients with exceptional support and service.

Dawn Josemans, Vice President of Property Management

Dawn Josemans, formerly the Director of the Property Management Division, is now our Vice President of Property Management! Dawn will continue to lead the bustling Property Management Team based out of our Massaponax office which manages several hundred units for Coldwell Banker Elite. Dawn has an incredible work ethic and her success speaks volumes about her integrity and commitment to her clients and co-workers. Dawn is dedicated to continually educating herself on the latest trends, market changes and new industry laws & regulations.

Angel Piontek, Vice President of Marketing

Angel Piontek, formerly the Creative Director, is now the Vice President of Marketing! Angel will continue to manage the Marketing Team and design the company’s future marketing campaigns. Angel’s degree in Communications and prior experience with an advertising firm give our agents and sellers the ability to truly tell a home’s story and market each unique property to the best of their abilities. As Vice President of Marketing, her primary focus is to foster a structured, yet flexible environment that attracts the best talent and creates an environment of collaboration, productivity and profitability.

Deb Ellis, Vice President of Residential Services

Deb Ellis, formerly the Managing Broker of our Massaponax office, is now our Vice President of Residential Services! Deb will be supporting our managing brokers and spearheading our agent education and coaching programs! Deb’s commitment to exceptional service and professionalism has fueled her coaching and mentoring of agents to find their highest possible success. Her relentless optimism and advocacy on behalf of her agents and peers make her a joy to work with and will continue to bolster the strength of our team of managing brokers!

Fall • Halloween • Holiday • Seasons • October 26, 2017

Halloween Happenings 2017

by Jay Parrish

It’s the spookiest time of year in the Burg! Grab your favorite ghouls and gals and plan your Halloween with our comprehensive list of Halloween parties, festivals and events! We’ve sorted them out into: “Super Scary” which are best for adults and teens, “Not-So-Scary” for kids and families and “Running Scared” which are 5Ks and running events!

Super Scary

Meet the Ghosts- Oct 27-29 and 30-31

From its Colonial past to the horrors of four major Civil War battles, Fredericksburg is one of the MOST haunted cities in America! Let the costumed guide navigate you through the paranormal combining the past with stories and folklore of the still lurking dead! Call 540-226-8378 to schedule a tour.

Fredericksburg Visitor Center Parking Lot, 706 Caroline St.

www.fredericksburghauntings.com

Belle Grove Plantation Paranormal Spooktacular- Oct 28

Paranormal Investigation with a paranormal team. Special All Hallows Eve Investigation on Halloween.

Belle Grove Plantation. 9221 Belle Grove Drive, King George, Virginia 22485. 540-621-7340. www.bellegroveplantation.com

Carriage Ghost Tour- Nightly in October

Fredericksburg, “America’s Most Historic City,” is also considered to be one of the most haunted cities in the country. Join us to see if you can find any undead on one of our 60 minute carriage Ghost Tours through historic downtown Fredericksburg. This tour is appropriate for all ages, so bring the entire family to search for those who still walk the streets after death!

Fredericksburg Visitor Center. www.oldetownecarriages.com

Halloween Haunt at KD- through Oct 29, starting at 7pm

Features ghastly creatures emerging from the darkness, highly-intense and bone-chilling attractions and some of the most hair-raising rides on the planet like the Intimidator 305 and Dominator roller coasters! NEW attractions this year! This event is not recommended for kids.

www.kingsdominion.com/play/haunt

Not-So-Scary

Fright Night in the Burg- Oct 26 5-7pm

Celebrate Halloween w/ a fun filled carnival and costume contests at the Dorothy Hart Community Ctr. Ages 3 – 5 will compete for most original and cutest while ages 6 – 8 and 9 – 11 will compete for most original and funniest! A family costume contest will take place and only one will be crowned “Best in the ‘Burg!” Judging will start at 6:15 pm, so be on time! Pre-registration recommended. Cost: $6. One adult is free w/ each paying child. $2 for each additional adult. www.fredericksburgva.gov/parksandrec

Belvedere Plantation Fall Harvest Festival–Oct 28-29

Get lost in the Maize Maze or just take pictures at the Pumpkin Patch! There’s plenty of fun and barnyard games to keep everyone in the family occupied! There’s also wagon rides and roaring campfires to wind the day down! Open Weekends Sep-Nov 4 and Tues-Fri during the week!

http://belvedereplantation.com/fall-fun/

Treats in the Streets Downtown Fredericksburg-Oct 28 11-2pm

Trick-or-treating at downtown shops, and lots of fun at Riverfront Park! Learn safety tips for trick-or-treating and enjoy fun activities! Free!

Riverfront Park & Downtown Fredericksburg

4th Annual Fall Festival and Halloween Golf Cart Parade- Oct 28-29. 10 am – 5

The Colonial Beach Fall Festival includes craft and food vendors, pony and hay rides, games, inflatables, crafts, fire pit and ends with the Halloween Golf Cart Parade. Free!

Town Hill, Colonial Beach

F’burg Fall Family Festival- Oct 29 3 – 6 pm.

From hay rides to inflatables and carnival games, it’s fun for the entire family!

Spotsy Towne Centre. Free!

Spooky Stories- Oct 30 7pm

Listen if you dare to tales that will chill and thrill you, appropriate for grades K-6.

Porter Branch Library. librarypoint.org

Great Pumpkin Fest at Kings Dominion- through Oct 29

Kings Dominion is not all scary in the fall. It’s all fun and no fear. Our daytime Halloween-themed events on select Saturdays and Sundays are geared towards children and families. Your favorite rides are also open during the day in Planet Snoopy. Kids Costumes are encouraged!

www.kingsdominion.com/play/great-pumpkin-fest

Creepy Crawly Carnival at Massad YMCA

Halloween festivities will once again be at the Massad Y! Games, haunted house, wicked fairy tales haunted trail ride, obstacle course, hay maze, pumpkin carving & more! Carnival area with crafts, games, treats and dancing.

212 Butler Rd, F’burg, 22405. www.family-ymca.org/about-us/news-events

Trick or Treat Mt Vernon- Oct 27-28 3:30-6:30pm

Participate in a special scavenger hunt, take a wagon ride on the 12-acre field, and create a boo-tiful Halloween craft in this unforgettable evening. A children’s costume parade around the Mansion will begin at 5 p.m. and prizes will be awarded for most fang-tastic “George” and “Martha” costumes! Cost: $12/Adult & $6/Child. Buy tickets at www.mountvernon.org

Running Scared

Scare Away Dravet 5K -Oct 28 9a-noon

Let’s find a cure for this catastrophic form of Epilpesy and put Dravet Syndrome to rest. Dress up for trick or treating as there will be a costume contest and many other family friendly Halloween activities to be announced soon.

Old Mill Park. Register at https://dravetfoundation.rallybound.org/5k-for-dravet-virginia

One Eyed Zombie Terror Trail 5K -Oct 28 4-6pm

Grab your running gear, and prepare to run for your life. Chose to either be a survivor or a zombie as you navigate 5 kilometers of forest trails and roads, while negotiating obstacles. Zombies and survivors run on separate clocks, as the survivors get a 30 second head start and try to out run the living dead. Each runner will have a life belt, and the zombies will try to take flags from it. Each flag taken adds 5 seconds to the survivors time, and takes 5 seconds from the zombies time. Registration is $25 for both survivors and zombies. All proceeds benefiting Special Olympics. For more information contact Caledon State Park, or Justyn Cox the race director at 540-205-5300 or howlincoyote10k@hotmail.com

Caledon State Park, 11617 Caledon Rd, King George

Halloween 5K & Monster Mile- Oct 28. 7:30 – 10 am. Get EXCITED because the most spooktacular race in the Stafford area is back with a new course this year! Prizes for the top finishers and best costumes! Put on your favorite costume, lace up your running shoes, and join us for our 2nd Annual Halloween 5K and Monster Mile!

Jeff Rouse Swim and Sport Center. Sign up at racetimingunlimited.com

Blog • Buyers • Buying Luxury Homes • Downsizing • First-Time Home Buyers • First-Time Home Sellers • Need More Space • Sellers • Selling Luxury Homes • October 10, 2017

Top 5 Best Apps and Sites for Moving

by Jay Parrish

1. ThredUp/ Letgo

Moving, while stressful, is actually one of the best times to evaluate your wardrobe and all your possessions—if you’re dreading moving it to your new home, it’s probably time to let it go. ThredUp and Letgo are both awesome for paring down your closet and letting your old unwanted items have a new life. Not only will you have less stuff to move, you’ll be able to make some cash!

2. Unpakt

Schedule and organize your movers all online with Unpakt! If ever a moving website could be fun to use, this one would be! They help you figure out how many boxes you’ll need based on what kind of items you have and the size of your home and then let you compare moving companies’ prices! You can book them online for your move and the price is guaranteed—not an estimate—which is great for budgeting ahead of time!

3. Sortly

Sortly is an awesome way to keep track of everything you own! Snap a picture of each of your belongings (or maybe just the ones most important to you!) and categorize them by room, box or any way you want. You can create searchable notes and tags to help you find things quickly and even mark boxes with QR labels to see what’s inside without digging through it! After your move, Sortly can be helpful when you’re figuring out how much you need to insure your home for—if you add the value of each of your items, it’ll total them up for you!

4. MagicPlan

Let’s face it, once all your contingencies are satisfied, there’s not a whole lot for you to do besides pack until closing day. Use that hurrry-up-and-wait time to sketch out where your furniture will go, what decor should go where and what will make your new house flow as best as possible. Bonus: now you know exactly where certain boxes (and the super heavy furniture!) should go and you can label them for the movers so you’re not having to rearrange on the day of!

5. Updater

One of our favorite sites EVER! Updater makes transferring your mail, utilities and subscriptions to your new address a snap! Your CBE agent will put in your old and new addresses and voila! You’ll get a link to easily transfer over all of your mail and make sure your utilities are in order before the big day! A couple clicks and you’re done! Why isn’t everything this easy?

Moving soon and need an awesome checklist to make sure you’ve remembered everything? Check out our Ultimate Moving Checklist and download the room-by-room guide!

Blog • Elite News • Events • Fall • Seasons • September 21, 2017

Habitat for Humanity Fundraising 2017

by Matthew Rathbun

Habitat for Humanity Fredericksburg

Habitat Build

For over a decade, Coldwell Banker Elite has been a proud supporter of the Greater Fredericksburg Habitat for Humanity. Every year, Coldwell Banker Elite hosts a number of events to raise money for the Greater Fredericksburg Habitat for Humanity. Below you will find a list of events that Coldwell Banker Elite will be hosting for our Habitat for Humanity efforts. Join us at these fun events to raise funds for this wonderful program! To find out more details on each event, click the event graphic.

Coldwell Banker Elite will be holding a wine tasting event for the Greater Fredericksburg Habitat for Humanity featuring General’s Ridge Vineyard wines and live music performed by the “Hard to Tell Band.”

When: September 21, 2017

Time: 6-8 PM

Where: Dockside Restaurant and Tiki Bar. 1787 Castlewood Dr. Colonial Beach, VA 22443

Price: $20

Blog • September 21, 2017

Home of the Week: 84 E River Bend Drive

by Matthew Rathbun

84 E River Bend Dr

After a long week of emails and meetings, feel the stress of modern life melt away as you pull up to your rustic retreat. Crickets sweetly chirping and the soft sighing of swaying trees around 84 E River Bend Dr is a welcome respite from the incessant dings and beeps of everyday life.

84 E River Bend Dr

While away a quiet evening with a glass of wine on the generous front porch or host a fabulous dinner on the beautiful back deck— 84 E River Bend is made for al fresco entertaining. The property’s ample 3 acres affords your guests all the peace and serenity of the deep woods, even though you’re just minutes from Central Park and Cannon Ridge Golf Club.

84 E River Bend Dr

Re-connect with nature before heading back out into the hubbub of city life—natural woodwork elements and hardwood floors throughout the home keep you grounded and light, while airy spaces help the home feel spacious and open.

84 E River Bend Dr

Curl up on chilly nights in front of the wood-burning fireplace with a mug of hot cocoa or move down to the large basement with a playroom for family movie night. This truly unique home has plenty of space to relax with family and friends.

84 E River Bend Dr

When it’s time to settle in for the night, there are four bedrooms to choose from, including one cupboard-room that kids will love! Listed for only $380,000, this rustic retreat is a hidden gem! If you’d like more information about this home or to schedule a showing, please contact Charlotte Rouse or any of our wonderful agents!

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