Kline May Realty Blog

Take a Hike! in Shenandoah National Park

Tue, 14 May 2013 16:33:00 -0400

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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Kline May Realtor Helps Get Bikes in County School Classrooms

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:00:00 -0400

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 [More]

Harrisonburg Real Estate Market Report - April, 2013

Thu, 09 May 2013 14:39:00 -0400

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 [More]

Guided Trail Rides in Shenandoah National Park

Tue, 07 May 2013 18:19:00 -0400

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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Valley Visions and Vistas

Wed, 01 May 2013 12:06:00 -0400

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."

[More]

Rocktown Recap

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:55:00 -0400

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.

[More]

The Spotswood Garden Club's Harrisonburg-Rockingham County Tour

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:12:00 -0400

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.

Harrisonburg Real Estate Market Report - March, 2013

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 19:29:00 -0400

Click here to download Market Update charts for March 2013.

March brought more encouraging news for the 2013 Harrisonburg / Rockingham County real estate market. 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.

In March, 67 residential units sold in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, according to the Harrisonburg Rockingham Association of REALTORS Multiple Listing Service (HRAR MLS), the highest March total since 2008. Similarly, the first quarter of 2013 saw more homes sold than any first quarter since 2008, with 180 sales. These first quarter sales represent a 19% increase of the first quarter of 2012. [More]

Hope Distributed in Harrisonburg, VA

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 18:47:00 -0400

Each member of the Kline May Realty community has a cause that they're passionate about, and Ann Marie Wenger of the Shenandoah Valley Real Estate Team is no exception. Her cause is fighting hunger, and right now she is doing her part to help a local charity win a $20,000 grant from Walmart.

According to an article on Walmart.com, "1 in 6 Americans don't know where their next meal will come from, and one-third of those people are children. By collaborating with nonprofit partners, communities, associates, suppliers and our customers, Walmart is fighting to end hunger."

The nation's #1 retailer will be awarding $3 million in grants to 100 of the most innovative and effective programs that help alleviate child hunger, and Hope Distributed in Harrisonburg, VA is one of 310 organizations competing for one of those grants. [More]

Need something to do this Saturday? Check out the Harrisonburg Farmers Market!

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 19:31:00 -0400

Spring is here! Disregard the thermometer. It's the calendar that makes a difference when it comes to the Harrisonburg Farmers Market.

Though the spring-like 70-degree temperatures are a week away, extended hours at the market have already started. From April until Thanksgiving, the market is open from 7AM to 1PM on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Did you know that 2013 is the third year in a row that the Harrisonburg Farmers Market was voted by the Daily News-Record as the "Best Place to Be on a Saturday Morning?" Though I can't quite call myself a "market regular" yet, I would have to agree! The Farmers Market atmosphere is second to none! [More]

Montevideo Middle School Needs Our Help

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 18:21:00 -0400

Smash, NBC's hit Broadway drama, has teamed up with Lowe's to build brighter tomorrows for students in the performing arts, and the benefits may be seen in Kline May's backyard.

In a fight to the last curtain call, thirty schools are battling for your vote. The five schools receiving the most votes win $3,000 to improve their performing arts venue. Lowe's, in partnership with Smash, is donating this money so schools can buy lumber, steel, hardware, paint, tools, and various other materials.

Montevideo Middle School, which is located in eastern Rockingham County, has been selected as a candidate to win the grant. Their fifty-year-old stage is in need of some serious tender love and care.

It's splintered. It's worn, and you can help fix it with the click of a button.

Ready to vote? It's easy, and you can make a difference every day. [More]

Harrisonburg Real Estate Market Report - February, 2013

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:27:00 -0400

Click here to download Market Update charts for February 2013..

February continued the very encouraging trend in our local real estate market. The Harrisonburg-Rockingham Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service (HRAR MLS) reports significantly higher sales and contract numbers than have been seen at this time of year in the recent past. During February, 65 residential properties sold in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, far above the prior four February's average of 46. The year to date total as of February 28 is also the highest since 2007 at 112 units, compared to 78 in each of the past 2 years – a 43% increase! [More]

Harrisonburg Real Estate Market Report - January, 2013

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 10:06:00 -0400

Click here to download Market Update charts for January 2013..

The positive trends in the Harrisonburg and Rockingham County real estate market continued in January with strong sales, new contracts and buyer activity. The Harrisonburg-Rockingham Association of REALTORS reported 47 residential sales in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County in January, the highest January total since January, 2008. In addition, buyers placed contracts on 76 residential properties – the highest January total since January, 2007.

This strong buyer activity in our market is a clear indicator of returning consumer confidence in real estate and the unleashing of the demand for homes which has been pent up for the past several years due to economic conditions. Leading indicators tell us there is a wave of buyers becoming very active in their search for homes. Our company website, www.KlineMay.com , has tallied more pageviews over the past four weeks than during any four weeks in our history, averaging over 50,000 per week. This kind of activity bodes very well for the 2013 market! [More]

Harrisonburg Real Estate Market Report - December, 2012

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 13:56:00 -0400

Click here to download Market Update charts for December 2012..

While closed residential sales slipped to 56 in the month of December, 2012 finished with 864 sales representing an 8.8% increase over 2011's total of 794 sales and a higher total than 2010 (758 units) and 2009 (818 units) as well. In addition to an increasing pace of sales, it appears the long, slow decline in home prices is over. The average and median sales prices remained essentially flat in 2012. The average sales price was $193,484, a 0.81% decline from the 2011 average of $195,068. The median sales price, however, rose slightly to $175,000, a 0.58% increase over the 2011 median price of $174,000. However, it is important to note there was a transaction involving 22 condominiums which sold for a very low price to a single buyer. While this was truly a commercial transaction between investors, the condos were on the market individually as residential properties, so they are included in this report. If we eliminate this transaction from the year's sales figures, the average sales price would have risen 1.3 % to $197,676! We believe this is the true residential trend and it is likely home prices will continue to increase in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County in 2013. [More]

Preston Lake Development - Sold!

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 15:35:29 -0400

According to records in the Rockingham County courthouse, the Preston Lake Development located just east of Harrisonburg on Massenetta Springs Rd. was sold on December 11, 2012 to MLK Preston Lake LLC. The man behind MLK Preston Lake LLC is Maryland developer Kenneth Michael, Chairman of the Board of the Michael Companies. Mr. Michael has been successful in commercial and residential real estate development for over 40 years and is a real estate broker in Maryland, Washington D.C. and Virginia.

This purchase should be good news for current Preston Lake residents and for our community. With the potential for over 400 additional homes to be built at Preston Lake, as well as several amenities and a vibrant pedestrian mall (according to the original site plan) Preston Lake continues to hold great promise. The involvement of an experienced developer in Mr. Michael should help restore confidence in the project and the overall concept. As our local real estate market strengthens, it is exciting to see an experienced developer invest in our community!