VIRGINIA HOMEOWNERS BEWARE...THINK TWICE BEFORE WALKING AWAY.  Unfortunately there are a number of borrowers finding themselves underwater and may be thinking of doing just that..  If you are one of them, give it some very serious thought before you make the decision to walk away.  The penalty may very well not be worth it.

There is a possibility that Fannie Mae will come after homeowners that walk away.  You might well find yourself on the losing side of a lawsuit.  Beyond that is the distinct possibility that Fannie Mae will refuse to back mortgages for these homeowners for at least seven years, especially if these borrowers have not been diligent about looking for other alternatives with the help of their lender.

Walking away, even from a property that is underwater, may not be the smart move in the long run even if it looks tempting right now.  This choice may have dire consequences.  If you, as a REALTOR®, are working with someone thinging of walking away, please be sure to share this with them.

Whether this may hold true for other states as well, I do not know.  However, it may be a good idea to watch for news about this.

This is very important information for not only potential buyers but for anyone that may ever need to borrow money or cosign for someone else.

It is very thorough and yet straight to the point. 

Lake Anna Winery Sponsors a Fun Fundraiser.  Louisa County's Adult Community Education (ACE),along with the winery, will host its Second Annual Blues and Barbecue Fundraiser.  ACE provides adult literacy programs including GED preparation, basic literacy tutoring, and English language classes for adults throughout the county. 

The menu will be barbecue fixings prepared by a local restaurant, Anna Cabana, while a local band, BlueRock, will provide the entertainment.  Lake Anna Winery will make sure there is plenty of vintage wine available for tasting and there will be door prizes, a silent auction, along with games and much more.

Admission is $30.00 and will inlcude a souvenir wineglass, complimentary wine tasting, dinner, and entertainment.  It's not to late to make your reservation for Saturday night, August 28 from 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM.

For reservations, Telephone: Lake Anna Winery: (540) 895-5085,  Kenna Ashley: (540) 894-1157  or Email: info@lakeannawinery.com.  Join the fun.  Children Welcome.

The "future" is getting closer at Lake Anna, Virginia.  We have some massive equipment moving dirt and creating mountains.  What is going on?  A new Food Lion is being built, that's what.

Yes, Lake Anna will be having its first supermarket before you know it.  This is a long awaited amenity for many although Jim and I have lived here full time for 18 years and we have never had a hungry day in all that time.

Often when taking out prospective buyers one of the first question asked as we drive around our rural countryside is, Where do you go grocery shopping?  Now we can show them the beginnings of a good size supermarket right here at the lake. One of the best things is that this one will have a pharmacy as well.  Between the supermarket and the pharmacy we will have many of the necessities of life close at hand.

Along with Food Lion, there will be 10 shops, five on each side of the anchor store.  One will be a major sub chain, plus a Chinese restaurant, a pizza place, and other businesses. 

If you haven't visited Lake Anna as yet, come and take a look.  If you would like some help getting your bearings (it's a big lake, over 13,000 acres of surface water and approximately 270 miles of shoreline) let me know and I will be happy to show you around or provide a map for you to go solo.

LAKE ANNA AREA ACTIVITY SCHEDULED TO BENEFIT LAKE ANNA RESCUE SQUAD

I am a member* of the Piecemakers that meets monthly at the Lake Anna Rescue Squad Building.  The squad allows us to use their great facility for NO charge.  Our quilting group sponsors a luncheon annually and profits are donated to the squad.  We have invited four speakers to share a variety of topics.  We furnish the food, door prizes, etc. and invite the public to join us for a great day of food, fun and fellowship.

Quilts and Crafts will be displayed and we invite you to come and also participate in the Show & Tell if you wish.

Please make note of the information below and make your reservation to attend.  Also, remember to invite your family and friends.

 
8th ANNUAL PIECEMAKERS
QUILT & CRAFT LUNCHEON

Date: Sat., September 25th
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
 
Where: Lake Anna Rescue Squad Building
 
Cost: $12  Delicious buffet luncheon with beverages
 
Reservations: call 540-872-3345
or email gmspectrum@hughes.net
 
Presenters:  Speakers on Four Different topics!
 
Door Prizes galore
 
Show and Tell time for guests wishing to share a quilt or craft
 
All Proceeds to benefit
Lake Anna Rescue Squad

*OK, I must make a confession, as a non-quilter I rarely attend the weekly meetings but am a member and I believe I have only missed one of these great luncheons.  Believe me, they are a treat.  You'll see some lovely handiwork and you will have a chance to meet somQe super folks. 

Contact me if you are interested in learning more about the Piecemeakers.  If you haven't even begun to quilt or if you are an eperienced quilter you will find this to be a great group to join.

Right back where I started from...Dockside Realty.  When I was recently preparing to move from one real estate office to another, a friend gave a gift to me.  It was so appropriate. I happen to have made the decision to return to Dockside Realty where I had been almost nine years ago. What was also nice to know was that I could go back.

How important it is to maintain good, positive relationships with others. As REALTORS® it is important that we cultivate our relationships with a variety of people; clients (past and present), fellow agents, neighbors, our community, others in real estate related businesses, our sphere of influence...in fact everyone and anyone.

Our business will continue to flourish and our lives will be richer.

Berkeley Elementary School, in Spotyslvania County,VA has SOME GREAT NEWS.  With the help of the school and the PTA an effort is underway to raise funds for new playground equipment.  Currently children in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades do not have equipment to help them make the most of their daily recess period. 

Because the school is small and almost 50% of the school's families are economically disadvantaged, the school and the PTA continually have problems raising enough money through their fundraisers to buy the equipment.

Now for SOME GREAT NEWS...although the PTA has only been able to raise a small amount over the years for the equipment, DORIS BUFFET's SUNSHINE LADY FOUNDATION has now provided a $25,000 "CHALLENGE GRANT" if they can raise the rest of the money needed, approximately $16,000. This challenge grant should be an incentive for the community to meet Ms. Buffett's challenge.  Let's do all we can to make that possible.

Below is an example of activity equipment proposed for the children. 

 
Mr. Michael Brown is the principal at Berkeley Elementary.  If you would like to contact Mr. Brown you may reach him at (540) 582-5141 or e-mail him at kmbrown@es.spotsylvania.k12.va.us.

If anyone would like to contribute to the Berkeley Elementary School's Playground Improvement Project, it is tax deductible (ID # 52-1361694) and donations can be sent to:

Berkeley Elementary School
5979 Partlow Road
Spotsylvania, VA 22551 
Phone: (540) 582-5141 
Attention:  Mr. Michael Brown, Principal

Helping the children of Berkeley Elementary is good for the kids and good for the community.  Please do what you can to help with this project.  It will be greatly appreciated.

Decision making can be tough...make it and feel better!  For some time I have tossed around the idea of changing offices.  Oh, I thought of the pros and I thought of the cons and then I thought of the pros again and then I thought of the cons again.  Around and around I went.  It was tough. 

You, or at least I, found myself entrenched in the office where I was.  I like my fellow agents and the support staff.  I liked the physical space I had (private offices are rare in this business), and I certainly liked the name recognition, national and international, that went with the company where I hung my license for almost nine years.  Not only that, I had had a very successful career there.

However, something was telling me I was ready for a change and so I left.

There was no question where I would go.  I would return to Dockside Realty where I first began helping buyers and sellers at Lake Anna.  I was there for six and a half years and was gone almost nine.  A week ago I made my first appearance at the office.  I was there for a sales meeting.  The wonderful thing is, I felt right at home.  At Lake Anna we are very fortunate.  We have a relatively small community.  The whole lake is our neighborhood...at least that is the way it has been for me since shortly after moving here.

Many of our real estate transactions are made with fellow agents around the lake.  We socialize and volunteer with one another.  We run into each other in the grocery store.  We know and are comfortable together.

The transition back to Dockside Realty has been made easy by my broker/owner, Gary Griffith, and the managing broker, Dave Moberly.  The two of them, along with the other agents and staff, have been welcoming and helpful. 

Although it took me far too long to make my decision I am happy that I made the right one.  Once made I felt so much better.  If any prospective buyers or sellers are reading this my suggestion to you is to give your decisions sufficient thought but do not agonize too long.  What a relief when the decision is made and you can move forward.

Lake Anna sparkles for the Fourth of July.  However, we like to get a head start so we're having them the evening before, on Saturday July 3rd.  If you are planning on viewing them head towards Dike #2 by boat and make sure you are there before 9:00.  The fun will begin shortly after.

Be sure to allow plenty of time to get there as we will have plenty of folks out on the water seeking a great spot to watch the fireworks.  There is absolutely nothing like being on the lake and seeing the fireworks up in that great, big, dark, dark sky.  The lights from all of the boats and the homes along the shores simply adds to the wonder of the evening.

Pack up some snacks and you'll be all set to sit back and relax while you enjoy another spectacular exhibit.  We are extremely fortunate to have a world class display right here in our own backyard (as one of my granddaughters said one day, "I want a lake in my backyard when I grow up."  Oh, how I hope she has just that.).

If I take special pleasure from seeing the fireworks year after year it is because I have a vested interest in them.  In 1997 I organized a celebration for Lake Anna's 25th Anniversary.  It was held up at Lake Anna State Park and of course we had to have fireworks. 

Simply putting an article in the local newspapers mentioning all of the things I planned (hoped!!!) to have brought forward many volunteers.  One was Richard Cooley, a retired program director for Zambelli Internationale, a world-reknowned company out of Pittsburgh.   Lake Anna had it's very first fireworks display.  We loved it so much there was no doubt that it needed to be an annual event.

The treat continues and here we are in 2010 enjoying a tradition that has become a big part of our Independence Day celebration. 

Please join us in honoring this very special holiday at a very special place...Lake Anna, VA. 

Lake Anna State Park is offering you the chance to go Nordic Walking in a beautiful setting.  In case you have not tried it, it is provides a great fitness workout for people looking for a fun physical activity.  What's great is that you receive maximum health benefits combined with convenience.

For anyone preferring not to take the steady pounding of running or jogging this exercise gives them the same health benefit as a full workout.

Nordic walking is a low-stress, total body workout that has an added benefit...it is good for weight-loss.  Plus, it has proven to be a stress reliever for many.  Another advantage is that almost anyone can do it regardless of gender, age, or weight.

Walking poles are a great assist reducing the exertion considerably.  Be sure to check with your physician to make sure this is a recommended exercise for you.

The schedule for the Nordic Walking program at Lake Anna State Park is as follows:

• June 17th
  
  
• July 22nd
  
  
• August 12

Participants will meet at the park's Visitor Center.  The program goes from 10-11:30 a.m.