Date Archives: September 2019

Moving to a new state is a great way to begin a new chapter of your life while experiencing the diversity our country has to offer. Our REALTORS® understand that many homeowners dream of one day moving to another state but aren't sure what steps to take first. With years of experience helping homeowners relocate across state lines, we've put together this helpful guide with steps to buy a home in a different state without hassle.

1. Organize & Prepare
   At very least you're buying a home which is a milestone purchase. At very most, you're conducting two substantial real estate transactions — buying a new home and selling your current home. The first step is to get organized and prepare to invest your time and energy into successfully closing on both transactions.
   
   

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Homeownership Matters to Families and Communities

No matter the generation, time and again it's proven that homeownership remains a key ingredient in the American Dream. Owning a home provides financial stability, makes it easier to build personal wealth, helps in establishing social stability, and gives you the freedom to plot your own course in life. The community also benefits from homeownership by gaining active, engaged residents who have a stake in the future of each neighborhood. Our REALTORS® know the benefits of homeownership for people, and why it's so important for communities to have a strong base of homeowners.

• The Perks of Owning Over Renting
  The initial investment required to own a home can be scary for first-time buyers, but there are many long-term financial benefits to owning over renting. Both rent rates and the value of homes tend to rise over time. When rent goes up, only the landlord benefits. When the value of a home that you own goes up, you're the one to benefit. With the variety of assistance programs available for people who want to own a home, the upfront investment isn't nearly as daunting as it seems. Over time, as you make your mortgage payments, your equity in the home and personal wealth build. Add it all up, and homeownership just makes more financial sense than renting.

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Micah Branson, REALTOR® and Associate Broker, talks about why she loves living in Virginia's western Rockingham County.

Fulks Run | Western Rockingham County | Mountain View Elementary School

We've asked our agents at Old Dominion Realty to share with you what they love best about the place they've chosen to call home.  

One of the things I love most about living in my community is my drive home at the end of the day. In the evening, the sun is setting over the mountains west of Harrisonburg, and I drive home right into the sunset. The colors, sunlight, and views are amazing. The four seasons are on full display as you drive west to where we live. The winter sunsets have the most beautiful array of colors, in the spring you see forsythia, daffodils, dogwoods, and redbuds blooming first, summer flowers, crops, and sun give way to fantastic fall foliage and shorter days to go home and spend time together in the evening. Our neighbors are friendly, helpful, and offer smiles and a hand regularly.

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If you needed another reason to be excited about the arrival of fall in wild, wonderful West Virginia, then you're in luck. September 28 is National Hunting and Fishing Day. Our REALTORS® are excited to share some of their favorite hunting and fishing spots in our corner of the Mountain State!

When you're checking out these hunting and fishing areas, be sure to get the necessary licenses. Visit West Virginia DNR to brush up on hunting and fishing regulations and seasons before you go!

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Old Dominion Realty Takes a Look at What Home Means to You

What does home mean to you? Is it the place where you grew up, or the place where you lay your head today? Is it a specific location, or a combination of people, places, memories, and your five senses? Home means something a little different to all of us, yet it's also something that we can recognize the moment we see it. Strong communities are built one home at a time and are defined by the memories built inside the walls of each home. Our REALTORS® know what it means to find a true home, so let's take a closer look at what home might mean to you.

• Home Is a Place and a Feeling
  While every home is a place, it's not just any place. Your home means more to you because it's your own. It's a place where you can be safe, comfortable, and surrounded by the people you care about, yet it's so much more than simply a dwelling. Home is also a feeling, which is part of the reason that people talk about "making a house into a home" after they move, and why everyone has their own way of accomplishing that goal.
  
  It's more than just walls, floors, and ceilings. It's about what happens inside the home, how you spend your time, and who you spend it with. It might mean baking cookies with the kids, inviting the whole neighborhood for a holiday party, or simply lounging around with your special someone. Ultimately, home is what you make it, and everyone has their own definition of what home means to them.
  
  

• The Sights, Sounds, and Smells of Home
  For many of us, familiarity is a big part of feeling at home. That's why the home where you grew up will always still feel like home when you visit, even if it's been many years since you lived there full-time. You know the familiar decorations, the sound of every creaky floorboard, and the aroma of your favorite childhood meals drifting through the air. The same is true of the place that you currently call home and the memories that you build there.
  
  

• How Good Company Makes a House Feel Like Home
  Home is different for everyone, even if there are many common threads. If you move frequently for work or other reasons, then the feeling of home may be tied less to a place than it is to the people around you. The memories that we make with friends, spouses, kids, and neighbors can make any location feel like home. Over time, the moments you create and the people you spend them with have so much influence on how you define home.

• The Psychology of Finding a True Home
  The desire to feel at home is not just a fleeting thing – it's something that's hard-wired into our psychology. While home means something different to everyone, there's no doubt that everyone wants to feel at home. Finding a home is so much bigger than simply having a shelter or a physical address. Home is safe, comfortable, and welcoming. It's a place we know we can count on to relax us after a rough day, and inspire us after a great one. Each home is a center of the community, where people gather, carry on old traditions, and create new ones.

No matter how you define home, our experienced, local real estate team is here to help you find the dwelling of your dreams. Contact us to buy and sell homes throughout the Central Shenandoah Valley and Eastern West Virginia.