Hello, this is Aimee, and I am blogging on behalf of the company and agents for this staycation Tuesday!

On Tuesdays throughout the summer, the Kline May Realty blog will feature Shenandoah Valley staycation ideas. I may have said last week that our third entry would be an indoor adventure; however, I had too much fun this weekend on an outdoor adventure and just had to share!

This past Sunday, I went on a 12-mile kayak trip with Shenandoah River Outfitters in Luray, VA. Needless to say, I had a great time! Apparently, too, we snuck in the weekend before the busy season starts! Yay.

I'm definitely not the only person in this office who loves the river!

One of my favorite aspects of Shenandoah Valley living is close river access.

Kline May Realty agents love the river too!

When I asked Marsha Thomas

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My name is Aimee, and I've been the person behind the latest Kline May Realty blog posts minus the monthly market report. I'm Kline May Realty's new Agent Marketing and IT Support Specialist.

You see, I'm new to the real estate industry, and it seems like I started at just the right time. The agents and staff have embraced this bustling spring/soon-to-be summer market, and everyone is excited about the possibilities.

I sat down with Karl Waizecker for a meeting the other day to ask him about the company's new now campaign. There's a website, TV ads, and radio ads to spread the word that now is the time to buy or sell!

He said, "Urgency is back in the market, Aimee. Our agents are educated and ready to help."

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On Tuesdays throughout the summer, the Kline May Realty Blog will feature Shenandoah Valley staycation ideas. Our second entry is about hiking in Shenandoah National Park, which is yet another great way to spend a Shenandoah Valley staycation day!

Kline May real estate agents love Shenandoah National Park:

Yvonne Proctor said, "I love Shenandoah National Park because it represents what living in the Shenandoah Valley is really all about. It's where beautiful nature meets beautiful people. After all Shenandoah is an Indian word for 'Daughter of the Stars.'"

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Basil Hangemanole, an agent at Kline May Realty, is a bicyclist and bicycle philanthropist. Basil serves in an advisory capacity on the DR100 board, and he serves on the Rockingham County Bicycle Advisory committee. In past years, he has served on the Shenandoah Valley Bike Coalition Board.

Basil loves to ride his bike. In 2011, at seventy years old, he rode his bicycle from the Pacific Coast to the Atlantic Coast with three of his friends. They wrote a blog about the experience. Check it out here. Basil still rides his bicycle around the area. For National Bike Month, the month of May, Karl Waizecker, the principal broker at Kline May Realty, and Basil will bike to our Harrisonburg office from their homes in Massanutten.

Increasing the safety of bicyclists is a passion of Basil's

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Click here to download Market Update charts for April 2013.




The market is back! April, 2013 saw more residential sales in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County than any month in the past several years, with the exception of June, 2010 (the Homebuyer Tax Credit deadline). Short and long term sales trend are heading in the right direction and the continued low inventory is bringing down average Days on Market and the supply of homes relative to the pace of sales.

April's 97 sales represent a dramatic increase over prior months and the April totals of prior years. Similarly, the first 4 months of 2013 saw more homes sold than any similar time periods since 2007, with 277 sales. These sales (January – April) represent a 23% increase over 2012.

Equally encouraging are the number of properties for sale that went under contract during

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On Tuesdays throughout the summer, the Kline May Realty Blog will feature Shenandoah Valley staycation ideas. Our first entry is about horseback riding in Shenandoah National Park, which is a great way to spend a Shenandoah Valley staycation day!

I do not have a horse of my own, so, this past Saturday, I went with option A on the Shenandoah National Park website hyperlinked above: take a guided trail ride in Shenandoah National Park.

Who should try out this Shenandoah Valley staycation idea?

If you're outdoorsy, like horses, and measure over 4'10", this staycation option is for you! Children must be able to reach the stirrups in order to go on a trail ride; however, if you have a child who is not tall enough to ride, Skyland Stables offers pony rides for a reduced price.

Where is Skyland Stables?

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You couldn't find me at the office on Wednesday because I was on assignment at the 80th Annual Home and Garden Tour.

On April 24th, the Spotswood Garden Club sponsored the Valley Visions and Vistas tour, and the proceeds will benefit the Garden Club of Virginia's Historic Garden Restoration Program. Click this link to see pictures of some of the floral arrangements showcased at the featured homes

When I walked into the first home I toured, I saw a familiar face. Eva Ferrell, realtor with the LiveHB homes team, greeted me at the door. Eva has belonged to the garden club since 1996. She said, "I loved greeting people at the door and meeting those from all over the state that came to visit."

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This past Saturday, April 20, Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance hosted its third annual Rocktown Beer and Music Festivalat Turner Pavilion also known as the Farmers Market pavilion.

Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance (HDR) collaborated with Blue Mountain Brewery to put on the recent festival. HDR is a local nonprofit working to revitalize downtown Harrisonburg. HDR spotlights the stories of local citizens and encourages local business downtown. In fact, Kline May Realty will open a downtown location later this year. Stay tuned for more information on that this summer!

At the downtown Harrisonburg festival, over 75 breweries came to showcase their fare to the sounds of three great bands: The Steel Wheels, Love Canon, and Judy Chops.

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On April 24th from 10AM–5PM, the Spotswood Garden Club will host the Harrisonburg Home and Garden Tour, which is an affiliate of the Garden Club of Virginia's 80th Historic Garden Week.

The Harrisonburg tour is a part of a week-long state-wide event that features over 250 beautiful gardens, homes, and historic landmarks in Virginia as well as over 2,000 arrangements created by Virginia florists.

Advance tickets for the Harrisonburg Tour cost $20 and are available by calling (540) 828-2463.

The 80th Historic Garden Week website gives a great teaser for the four Harrisonburg homes that the Spotswood Garden Club will showcase next week:

"Nestled in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley are three impressive newer homes in a subdivision just east of Harrisonburg, which offer incredible views of the Massanutten Mountain range. The fourth home featured, Rabbit Run, started life as a log cabin. Highlights of these properties include: a home with black wood floors, a working artist's studio, heirloom antiques to salvaged architectural details, and a property owned by a Master Gardener. Tea will be served poolside in a private home from 1 to 4PM."

Such a tour is great for observing history! If only the heirloom antiques and salvaged architectural details could tell their story. I'm sure they'd have fascinating things to share. Also, I've never seen black wood floors before, but they sound absolutely magnificent. I'm going to have to grab a ticket before they sell out!

Kline May's very own Geri Barker is a member of the Spotswood Garden Club and has helped prepare for this event. For more information on local gardening or this tour in particular, please contact Geri at geri.barker@klinemay.com.