I don’t know him personally, but Consumer Attorney Mitchell Goldstein is offering a free seminar in Ladysmith on a number of interesting issues.  The seminar is on January 26th from 7pm until 8pm  at the Ladysmith Professional Building.  The information below is from his website:

This 2011 Homeowner Tax Guides is a great resource…

All Market Statistics from RBIntel.com.

No Room In The Inn

Did Christmas Make You Feel Like A Horder?

Ok, so I admit that I have watched at least one episode of Horders and felt like my own (very clean and roomy) house was going to collapse in on me.  But I, like most people, watch that show and start to feel really good about ourselves – and then Christmas came.   More stuff..  We purged a lot of stuff before Christmas and then again after.  Some of it went to GoodWill, some to FreeCycle, etc…  Our girls outgrew stuff or we get upgraded stuff, and then we needed to find somewhere else for it.

Family Room

The Coldwell Banker video is pretty funny, but funny in a way that hits home for a lot of people.  For the first time, we had family that actually stayed somewhere other than our home because of space issues.  That wasn’t fun at all.  It changed a bit of our family dynamic and made me start to feel like we needed to review how we’re using our space.  It may even lead us to looking at finally finishing that unfinished basement.

Homes Over 200o Square Feet and Under $199,000

Don’t get me wrong…  We don’t think everyone should move in this market, but with interest rates and home prices so low, if you need to expand, now is the time to do it.

Here is a list of homes in Caroline that are larger than 2000 square feet and under $199,000:

Showing properties 1 - 10 of 107. See more city of Ruther Glen real estate.
(all data current as of 2/1/2012)

1. $189,900 : 23223 Triple Crown Dr, Ruther Glen
   
   4 beds, 4 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 4,106 sq ft

   Lot size: 8,000 sq ft

   Year built: 2005

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 98

   Walk Score®: 8
2. $120,000 : 602 Joy Dr, Ruther Glen
   
   5 beds, 3 full baths

   Home size: 3,200 sq ft

   Lot size: 1.08 ac

   Year built: 1980

   Parking spots: 1

   Days on market: 344

   Walk Score®: 9
3. $199,000 : 10457 Gallant Fox Way, Ruther Glen
   
   5 beds, 3 full baths

   Home size: 3,006 sq ft

   Lot size: 10,091 sq ft

   Year built: 2004

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 72

   Walk Score®: 11
4. $199,000 : 17288 Easter Lily Mews, Ruther Glen
   
   4 beds, 3 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 2,734 sq ft

   Lot size: 4,200 sq ft

   Year built: 2006

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 125

   Walk Score®: 35
5. $153,700 : 220 Kent Dr, Ruther Glen
   
   3 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 2,620 sq ft

   Year built: 2005

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 117

   Walk Score®: 2
6. $148,000 : 623 Cicero Dr, Ruther Glen
   
   3 beds, 3 full baths

   Home size: 2,392 sq ft

   Year built: 2005

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 100

   Walk Score®: 2
7. $154,900 : 403 Cooper Ln, Ruther Glen
   
   5 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 2,362 sq ft

   Year built: 1993

   Days on market: 72

   Walk Score®: 0
8. $159,900 : 17311 Easter Lily Dr, Ruther Glen
   
   3 beds, 2 full, 2 part baths

   Home size: 2,356 sq ft

   Lot size: 2,310 sq ft

   Year built: 2005

   Parking spots: 1

   Days on market: 26

   Walk Score®: 35
9. $115,000 : 23051 Sir Barton Ct, Ruther Glen
   
   3 beds, 2 full, 2 part baths

   Home size: 2,340 sq ft

   Lot size: 1,900 sq ft

   Year built: 2005

   Parking spots: 3

   Days on market: 83

   Walk Score®: 5
10. $115,800 : 627 Welsh Dr, Ruther Glen
    
    3 beds, 2 full baths

    Home size: 2,275 sq ft

    Year built: 2004

    Days on market: 7

    Walk Score®: 2

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

Showing properties 1 - 5 of 8. See more city of Bowling Green real estate.
(all data current as of 2/1/2012)

1. $59,900 : 124 Milford St, Bowling Green
   
   3 beds, 1 full bath

   Home size: 2,007 sq ft

   Lot size: 17,772 sq ft

   Year built: 1932

   Days on market: 8

   Walk Score®: 42
2. $139,000 : 128 Maury Ave, Bowling Green
   
   3 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 1,680 sq ft

   Year built: 1942

   Days on market: 126

   Walk Score®: 35
3. $119,900 : 101 Lee St, Bowling Green
   
   4 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 1,600 sq ft

   Year built: 1981

   Days on market: 107

   Walk Score®: 25
4. $119,900 : 214 Broaddus Ave, Bowling Green
   
   4 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 1,600 sq ft

   Lot size: 13,472 sq ft

   Year built: 1981

   Days on market: 107

   Walk Score®: 42
5. $143,900 : 17371 Chase St, Bowling Green
   
   3 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 1,243 sq ft

   Lot size: 8.65 ac

   Year built: 1961

   Days on market: 48

   Walk Score®: 37

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

I love this piece of furniture! I saw it at a listing a few months ago.  It’s a table! It’s a game! And it has two little cushioned tuffets! It something a little different with a touch of class and fun all at the same time!

Do you have a special piece of furniture in your home that is multifunctional? Or do you have a creative use of space that would be mentioned in Better Homes and Gardens if they know about it? Today I saw a bookshelf that was shaped like a wooden row boat! I’d love to hear your favorites. Just comment below…

Another year has gone and I’m left wondering if it’s just me or was it only a few weeks ago that we started saying 2011?

As I’m reflecting back on 2011, I’m trying to remember all that we did. Did we make a difference? What lessons did we learn that we can apply to 2012? How can we remember all the good times?

A quick look back at the calendar and I was amazed to see all that we had done…

In January, after ringing in the New Year at the Riverside Dinner Theatre, the neighbors took the girls ice-skating in Richmond. If you miss the rink in Fredericksburg, you might want to check it out. I hear the season is SUPER SHORT this year! And don’t forget hit the Starbucks inside the Marriott when you’re finished!

We participated in the Chili Cook-Off at our local REALTOR® Association in Fredericksburg. We didn’t win with our kid-friendly chili, but we had a good time for a great cause!

In February, Matthew turned 36 (the first time he actually “felt” his age). A highlight for him was attended a father/daughter dessert night in which the kids were stuffed with sweets and they listened to a message on family relationships.  

In March we went to the Coldwell Banker Convention in Las Vegas. Matthew stayed busy with Coldwell Banker training and information. I took lots of classes and spent half a day getting a new phone after my Blackberry died! I was introduced to the wonderful world of iPhone!

March also had the girls attending a tea party where the girls made cookies for a church family-member that was stationed in Afghanistan at the time.

April was our Easter Vacation to the beach. It was a little cool, but a wonderful chance to relax by the ocean!

May was the annual National Association of REALTORS® Conference in DC. That gave us more training, more legislation, more mingling with representatives. I also rode the public bus for the first time ever – and by myself – and did not get lost!

Another memorable experience was the long weekend at my parents’ home cleaning out the attic and around the yard. Note to our clients: do not wait 20 years before cleaning out that shed or attic! We had to order 2 HUGE dumpsters to get rid of the items. Needless to say, it was a great stroll down memory lane.

Or you might try when it’s time to de-clutter is to have a FREE yard sale! Tell everyone on Freecycle what day and time, and tell them to come and take anything they want from the front yard!

June was the annual Homeschool Convention in Richmond, which is one of my favorite times of the year! I love buying new curriculum and literature! We get to catch up with friends, get away to talk about the kids, and hear wonderful teachings. June was also the beginning of a two-month break from teaching.

Little did I know how important that break would be with the coming school year and our oldest entering high school! Even though she is homeschooled, there is still the need to keep up with information for college transcripts, grading reports, and shuttling them off to extra-curricular activities – which will also go on those transcripts!

My baby turned 9 and we took her to the Riverside Dinner Theatre to see Sally Struthers in Hello Dolly. Talk about funny!

We went to the Family Fun Day in Ladysmith where Matthew volunteered to sit in the dunking booth to earn money to build a new local YMCA.

The girls started school the week of August 22nd and we jumped into a crazy year of co-op classes and guitar classes as well as our regularly scheduled lessons. It took some time to tweak the schedule to get everything to fit. I’m still amazed that there are families more active than ours that do so much more – like sports and Cub Scouts! A once-a-month youth group is hard to squeeze in at times.

After school started, our middle child turned 12 – boy, I’m feeling old! Where’s that treadmill and caffeine??? The girls and I tried our hand at the driving range, but found we went through a large bucket too quickly to make it worth our while.

Our church had a week of prayer and fasting for our community – the same week I had scheduled to take the girls to the Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg! Yep, give me a pat on the back, I took 5 girls for 3 days/2 nights to Williamsburg. We spent one day in Colonial Williamsburg and a day and a half at the Lodge.

October was the state REALTOR® conference – yes, we have a lot of conferences and lots of training! We returned to Virginia Beach this year and the weather was wonderful! Matthew and I took more than one walk on the Boardwalk! We always have a great time together, but this was a great opportunity to develop some more memories together.

November brought the Coldwell Banker Elite annual trip to the Montpelier Hunt Races where I can’t seem to get a good photos of the horses no matter what I try! After that was a field trip to the American Girl store in Tyson’s Corner for lunch.

November also brought the Thanksgiving holiday with family and a trip to the emergency room for stitches for our middle daughter. Never a dull moment in the Rathbun Home…

And here we are again in December. I’ve become a master at ordering online, which keeps me from impulse buying when I shop and also saves on gas. Almost everything was free shipping this year too! We made several gingerbread homes – none of which stood the test of time (time being defined as 10 minutes).

Our oldest was in the Co-op choir and a play about how the birth of Jesus might have been if it had happened during the wild west. She also turned 14. Sigh…

We had our first instrumental performance. They played the first four-line melody of “Ode to Joy” and the harmony (if I have my terminology correct) of a Taylor Swift song. All the girls were in Guitar 1 with Fredericksburg Area Young Musicians. We survived our first semester and look forward to more progress in the 2nd semester!

Christmas and New Year’s will be an exciting time and we’ll enjoy relaxing and laughing with family and friends and taking a few days off.

Hmmm… Anything else???

Well, I started recycling this year when our previous trash contract ended. I still know very little how the process works, but I’m hoping that we are creating more American jobs with recycling and the need for more water to rinse off the cans and bottles.

We had several community parties, baby and bridal showers, weddings, date nights, etc… Along with helping our sellers and wrapping up our closings for our buyers, Matthew’s national speaking requests and working for Coldwell Banker Elite, it’s no wonder it seems like the year just started!

If that’s not enough information, feel free to keep up with us on facebook – either on our personal pages (MattRathbun or JennRathbun) or our business page. Or you can subscribe to the RSS feed for our blog. We’d love to hear about what’s going on in YOUR lives!

We wish you the Merriest Christmas and Happiest of New Years!

Jennifer and Matthew Rathbun

Here are some home my kids have helped with this holiday season thus far. I thought of some great headlines for selling these properties:

A Fortress for your Princess

A Cottage that says “Welcome”

A truly “Green” Home for 2012

Fit for a King

Fun for the Whole Family!

And from left to right:

How Many people have a Triangle-Shaped Home? This could be Yours!

Free Sun Room Included

Looks Great in the Snow!

And then a collage of our nativity scenes from all around our house. Our newest edition is the Peanuts version.

Merry Christmas!

Matthew and Jennifer

When I was touring homes, I saw this library!  I was in 7th Heaven. Just think of all the “happily ever after” stories one could place in this room!

I recently came across a list of questions that buyers should ask their Home Inspectors.  You can find the list on the HUD website, but I thought I’d repost it here for you to review as well.  We have a list of qualified Home Inspectors that we can recommend to clients, but it’s always good for our clients to make sure they are comfortable with anyone that they hire.

1. What does your inspection cover?

The inspector should ensure that their inspection and inspection report will meet all applicable requirements in your state if applicable and will comply with a well-recognized standard of practice and code of ethics. You should be able to request and see a copy of these items ahead of time and ask any questions you may have. If there are any areas you want to make sure are inspected, be sure to identify them upfront.

2. How long have you been practicing in the home inspection profession and how many inspections have you completed?

The inspector should be able to provide his or her history in the profession and perhaps even a few names as referrals. Newer inspectors can be very qualified, and many work with a partner or have access to more experienced inspectors to assist them in the inspection.

3. Are you specifically experienced in residential inspection?

Related experience in construction or engineering is helpful, but is no substitute for training and experience in the unique discipline of home inspection. If the inspection is for a commercial property, then this should be asked about as well.

4. Do you offer to do repairs or improvements based on the inspection?

Some inspector associations and state regulations allow the inspector to perform repair work on problems uncovered in the inspection. Other associations and regulations strictly forbid this as a conflict of interest.

5. How long will the inspection take?

The average on-site inspection time for a single inspector is two to three hours for a typical single-family house; anything significantly less may not be enough time to perform a thorough inspection. Additional inspectors may be brought in for very large properties and buildings.

6. How much will it cost?

Costs vary dramatically, depending on the region, size and age of the house, scope of services and other factors. A typical range might be $300-$500, but consider the value of the home inspection in terms of the investment being made. Cost does not necessarily reflect quality. HUD Does not regulate home inspection fees.

7. What type of inspection report do you provide and how long will it take to receive the report?

Ask to see samples and determine whether or not you can understand the inspector’s reporting style and if the time parameters fulfill your needs. Most inspectors provide their full report within 24 hours of the inspection.

8. Will I be able to attend the inspection?

This is a valuable educational opportunity, and an inspector’s refusal to allow this should raise a red flag. Never pass up this opportunity to see your prospective home through the eyes of an expert.

9. Do you maintain membership in a professional home inspector association?

There are many state and national associations for home inspectors. Request to see their membership ID, and perform whatever due diligence you deem appropriate.

10. Do you participate in continuing education programs to keep your expertise up to date?

One can never know it all, and the inspector’s commitment to continuing education is a good measure of his or her professionalism and service to the consumer. This is especially important in cases where the home is much older or includes unique elements requiring additional or updated training.

From RBIntel… for Caroline County, Spotsylvania County, Fredericksburg City and more.