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Blog on Real Estate
Kim Chappell is a graduate from
the Realtor Institute and is an agent with Wintergreen
Resort Premier Properties, the official real estate
office of Wintergreen Resort. Kim also lists and sells
property in beautiful Nelson County. Contact Kim
Chappell at
kim@ExperienceNelsonCounty.com or 434-238-2430. The
Free Daily Blog is posted on both
www.ExperienceNelsonCounty.com and
www.ExperienceWintergreen.com
Nelson County Photo Tours
Today’s post is actually a photo
tour of Nelson County. Below are links to two tours.
Sit back and watch the tours…
Nelson County Photo Tour:
Click on this link to watch a photo
tour of Nelson County:
http://www.ubuildtours.com/natour.php?id=14DD
Wintergreen Resort Real Estate Tour:
Click on
this link to see real estate listed for sale in
Wintergreen Resort:
http://www.ubuildtours.com/tour.php?id=16E2
What’s
Happening with Real Estate in 2009?
Lenders are still loaning money for
properties in Nelson County and Wintergreen Resort.
This week, I posted information from Sun Trust. See the
blog post, “Questions & Answers about the Economy”.
That said, it is true that buyers must have a credit
score in the 700’s and must have money to put down on
the sale. (10-20%)
If you qualify for a loan, or have
cash, this is a great time to find a value-priced
property in Nelson County, including Wintergreen
Resort. Here is a sample of options in Wintergreen:
Studio Condo for $115,000
One Bedroom Condo in the $120K’s
Ski Out Condo in the low $300Ks
A Renovated 3BR home for less than
$315K
Building Lots less than $100K
Homes in Nelson County have prices
that start in the low $100Ks.
NOW is a great time to find that
value-priced dream home. Interest rates are still
rather low, and there is a nice selection of lots,
homes, condos and townhouses available.
Wintergreen Resort Real
Estate
I have received many questions
about timeshares in Wintergreen Resort. Wintergreen
Resort, or Nelson County, does not have
timeshares. There are several neighborhoods within
Wintergreen Resort offering condos, townhomes and houses
for sale. To see current listings, visit my web site at
www.ExperienceNelsonCounty.com The web site is
divided for listings of building lots, condos, townhomes
and detached houses. The site has both properties
within Wintergreen Resort and also Nelson County.
Be sure to check out the Photo Tour
section on the web site and visit some Wintergreen
Resort homes by Virtual Tour.
Real Estate Today:
Try Before You Buy Rent a condo or
house while you are looking at real estate in
Wintergreen Resort. I have a few houses and condos that
you can rent before you decide to buy. The private
rentals have great rates for ski season and come with
many amenities.
712 Devil’s Knob Loop: Great views
and 5BRs, 5 ½ Baths, large gourmet kitchen and hot tub
24 Seasons: Stay in Wintergreen’s
new luxury community. 4BR, 51/2 baths, bonus media room
and great location.
202 Timbers: 1BR condo in the
popular Dobie Ski Area. First floor, end unit with
separate bedroom. (not a studio condo)
Send an email to
kim@ExperienceNelsonCounty.com and I will put you in
touch with the owner for rental information. Each of
these properties are listed for sale, and this is a
great way to “try before you buy”
The Seasons at Wintergreen
The Seasons at Wintergreen will
open later this Spring. It is a community of 24 luxury
townhouse in the heart of Wintergreen Resort. The
community was designed by Glenn German and is being
built by Central Virginia Builders. Each townhouse is
3670 square feet and each has its own private elevator.
Each townhouse has 4 large bedrooms
plus a first floor media room that can be a fifth
bedroom. There are two master suites, one on the second
floor and one on the third floor. The guest bedrooms
also have their own private, attached baths. Each home
boasts a lot of storage for all of your outdoor and
indoor gear.
The Seasons is designed to be
perfect for two or more families to share together. The
Wintergreen Property Owners Association allows up to
three families to be on the same title while purchasing
a property.
The top floor will include a Great
Room with dining area, a stacked stone fireplace and a
gourmet kitchen. The top floor has views that reach for
miles.
The community will include private
parking and mountain landscaping. The community is
close to many resort amenities, including only a short
walk to expert skiing. One of the main resort shuttle
stops is just outside of the community. One can easily
take a shuttle to any amenity in the resort.
Two models will open in late
Spring, each designed by well-known Virginia designers.
Stop by and check out the most unique community in
Wintergreen Resort. Keep an eye out for Open House
signs starting in early May 2008.
Real Estate Answers
I always like to use this blog as
an avenue to answer questions that I get via email. In
the past week, I have had a few people request a
foreclosure and short-sale list for Wintergreen Resort.
Currently, we do not have any foreclosures or short
sales listed for sale. (it has actually been over two
years since we have had a foreclosure listed for sale)
That said, we do have some condos and homes listed for
sale with very aggressive pricing. We also have lenders
available who are processing second home, vacation and
investment home loans. I have had a great real estate
Q1, 2008, and we all hope it continues. For more
information on real estate in Wintergreen or Nelson
County, check out my web site,
www.ExperienceNelsonCoiunty.com The listings on
this web site (all properties listed for sale in
Wintergreen and Nelson County) are updated every
morning.
Wintergreen Resort Rentals
I get questions about resort
rentals a few times a week. Many people are looking for
rentals for Summer vacations in Wintergreen Resort. All
condos and homes within the resort are privately owned,
but many owners do rent their property.
There are a few rental companies
covering Wintergreen Resort, but the most popular are
the following:
Wintergreen Resort Official
Program:
www.WintergreenResort.com
Vacation Rentals by Owner:
www.VRBO.com
Rentals are available in a wide
range of sizes and shapes…from a studio condo in The
Mountain Inn to 9 bedroom houses that are large enough
to entertain a crowd. Some real estate agents,
including myself, can help you find a long-term rental
if you are interested in staying in the resort for the
entire summer. All rentals have a kitchen that ranges
in size from a kitchenette to a large chef’s kitchen.
You can plan to cook at home or dine in any of our local
restaurants. Many of the rentals have large decks or
patios to enjoy the views of Wintergreen. There are
also rentals close to specific resort amenities such as
golf, tennis, hiking and the Wintergarden Spa. (There
are also slope-side rentals for ski season)
Many condo or home owners use a
rental to program to gain income to off-set the cost of
home ownership. Anyone who owns a property within the
resort may rent their property through any program for
which the property qualifies. I offer clients a “condo
worksheet” that reviews both possible costs of ownership
and possible rental income. I also offer home owner
references to anyone interested in purchasing in the
resort. Contact me at
kim@ExperienceNelsonCounty.com for the condo
worksheet or additional information about property
ownership or property renovations.
Condos and homes that have been
renovated usually produce a higher rental income.
Renovation projects have become popular in the resort
and include the following upgrades:
Interior paint and upgraded
flooring
New furniture
Upgraded kitchens and baths
In the past year, I have seen a
surge of condo renovations in the resort. These owners
have all seen an increase in their rental income. In
the Mountain Inn, condos that have been recently sold
and renovated included: 184, 186 and 194. All three of
these condos are rated Gold and are available through
www.WintergreenResort.com These condos include new
furniture and flat panel TVs. Condos 184 and 186 have a
door that can be unlocked to provide an interior access
through both condos. This is perfect for a family or
group that needs to share space.
A recently renovated VRBO.com condo
is 326 Dobie. You can view that condo at
www.IIMoose.com. This is an example of an owner
purchasing a condo, renovating it and then placing it on
VRBO as a private rental with its own web site. This
condo has some special summer rates. Ask the owner
about week-long rentals.
There are several local companies
that can assist in the renovation of your condo or
home. I am a member in the Lowes Real Estate Program
with HGTV, and offer the program to my clients. This
program includes a renovation discount program.
Rosewood Village at
Wintergreen
Rosewood Village at Wintergreen is
located in the Stoney Creek area of Wintergreen Resort.
This area is in Nellysford, in the Rockfish Valley of
Nelson County. Rosewood Village is an established 55+
and older community. The community has many retirement
features as well as all of the popular amenities of
Wintergreen Resort.
The communities official web site
can be found at
www.RosewoodVillage.com/wintergreen
Currently, the golf villas are
under construction and listed for sale. Several have
been sold and are already occupied. Future plans
include spacious condos with assisted living features.
The community will also have its own entertainment
center including a restaurant, salon, business center
and pub.
Owners pay a monthly association
fee that includes exterior maintenance plus yard care
and trash removal. Other services can be purchased a la
carte including interior cleaning, laundry service and
other assistance.
Residents of Rosewood Village may
also enjoy the amenities of Wintergreen Resort such as
golf, tennis, walking trails, mountain hiking, pools,
the lake and skiing.
For information on Rosewood
Village, including an information packet, send an email
to
kim@ExperienceNelsonCounty.com
Many Maps of Nelson County
and Wintergreen Resort
Maps can help you find your way
around Nelson County or Wintergreen Resort. They can
also be fun and educational. Here are some places to
find maps of our region:
Wintergreen Resort Premier
Properties: Located in the Mountain Inn of
Wintergreen Resort and the official real estate office
of the resort. This office is open 10AM-5PM, seven days
a week. FREE Maps available include:
- Wintergreen Resort driving map
including map of all of the condo neighborhoods
- Wintergreen Resort hiking map
including 30+ miles of marked hiking trails
- Ski Trail Map
- Map of all of the dwellings
and building lots on Wintergreen mountain or Stoney
Creek
- Map for day trip to
Charlottesville and surrounding areas: Ask for the
Discovery Map/Charlottesville
Maps Available On-Line:
Here is a great web site for maps of Nelson County:
www.nelsoncountyva.org/#maps . (Look in the upper
left corner of the web site) My favorite map shows
Points of Interest across the county and it can be
found at this web link. There are also driving maps
of Nelson County that can be printed from this site.
Maps Available at the Visitor’s
Center: Visit the Nelson County Visitor’s Center in
Lovingston to pick up not only maps but brochures and
information about Nelson County. The Visitor’s Center
is located in the same building as the library. At the
Visitor’s Center yo can also pick up guides to Nelson
County’s wineries and micro brewery.
Appalachian Trail Maps can
be purchased at Blue Ridge Sports in the Mountain Inn in
Wintergreen Resort.
Moving to Nelson County or
Wintergreen Resort
I often receive questions about
living in Nelson County or Wintergreen Resort full time
or seasonally. My husband and I moved to Nelson County
almost four years ago from the Washington DC area. It
has been a wonderful change of life. We find the
atmosphere, the people and the pace of life refreshing.
Key to the move was that my husband was able to keep his
DC job. Read below about telecommuting from Nelson
County.
There is a wide selection of real
estate available in Nelson County and Wintergreen
Resort. Nelson County has several diverse regions, from
the mountains to the James River. Wintergreen Resort
has condos, detached homes, townhouses and building
lots. To browse real estate listings, visit my web site
at
www.ExperienceNelsonCounty.com or for Wintergreen
properties,
www.ExperienceWintergreen.com
Not everyone can bring their jobs
with them to Nelson County. If you need to include a
new job with your re-location, stop by the Nelson County
Visitor’s Center, check out
www.NelsonCounty.com and also
www.WintergreenResort.com. Wintergreen Resort is a
major employer in the county. (look at the bottom of
the web site for the jobs link)
Here’s some information about
telecommuting from Nelson County to a job in a city or
metro area. My husband is providing this information
about his telecommuting experience.
Bill’s Telecommuting Experience:
I've been telecommuting from Nelson
County for several years. The area has some challenges
but it can be done. The challenges that I faced were:
Convincing my company to let me telecommute
Purchasing a BlackBerry handheld.
Internet Connection.
The first was challenge was the greatest one. I worked
in the Washington DC market before I came here. I asked
my company if I could telecommute and received an
immediate and unequivocal "no". I had to prove that
telecommuting from Nelson County would not impact my job
or the company where I work. It took the company a few
months to realize that not only was I fulfilling all the
needed tasks, but they could save money by not providing
me a workspace in the office. The company could receive
tax credits for promoting telecommuting. I have now
been telecommuting from Nelson County for three years.
The first step was to purchase a BlackBerry handheld. I
have an Alltel BlackBerry, and it works well in most
regions of Nelson County. I used the BlackBerry to
immediately answer all emails from my co-workers. Some
of my co-workers didn’t even realize that I wasn’t
sitting in my corporate office.
Once I moved to Nelson County I was faced with the
second problem, finding a high speed Internet
connection. I live in a little old farmhouse off the
beaten path. I called the phone and cable companies to
find when service would be available. They told me
never. I ended up with WildBlue satellite service and it
was adequate. I understand that CEVA will be providing
service over power lines soon. I've never tried it but
I'm curious to see how good it is. I've now moved to
Alltel wireless broadband. It works reasonably well.
I also use the free WiFi spots that
are now all over Nelson County. WiFi spots are
everywhere from McDonalds to Wintergreen Resort. If my
Alltel wireless broadband is not fast enough for some of
my work, I head to a WiFi spot.
Let us know if you have questions
about living in Nelson County full time.
Changes in Beech Grove, VA
Where is Beech Grove? Many of you
drive through the community of Beech Grove on your way
to the entrance to Wintergreen Resort. If you drive by
the Ski Barn, with the bright blue roof, then you drive
through Beech Grove.
I have seen many changes in Beech
Grove, just in the past four years. So, I asked my Dad
about the changes that he has seen in his lifetime. He
told me that my grandfather was paid 10 cents an hour to
do road work in Beech Grove as one of his first jobs.
Just in the last year, we have seen
the addition of the Sparrow Café. It is located in the
Glen Mary area in the old Arrington Train Station that
was re-located to Beech Grove. They are open for
breakfast, starting at 7:30AM each morning and lunch
until around 2PM.
The Wintergreen Winery has been
around for several years, but they are expanding. The
winery is adding an events center that will bring larger
gatherings to the area. Be sure to stop by their winery
store for holiday gifts and ideas. |
