We Survived Hurricane Irene in Virginia

After finally getting our power back on yesterday afternoon, I reflected on what had just transpired the last 72 hours. Man, I really miss my air conditioning and cable TV! In all seriousness, having survived another hurricane in the Tidewater area of Virginia, it makes me really appreciate our family and helps me realize what's most important in my life.

Hurricane Irene hit our neighborhood pretty hard all day Saturday and into the night. We were very lucky in our neighborhood of Gatling Pointe, located in Smithfield, VA. Yes, we had one large oak tree come down and alot of limbs, but our home was intact and we experienced no flooding (we are 20' above sea level here in Isle of Wight County). Others were not so fortunate.



Here's the picture of the western sky from the Gatling Pointe Yacht Club Friday night- the calm before the storm

We watched the storm surge hit our neighborhood Yacht Club on Saturday afternoon, and we survived the high tide at 8:30 pm, missing only a few dozen boards on the pier (we've lost the pier twice in past hurricanes). Many of us participated in a "Irene Prevention Party" from our yacht club covered porch to watch the full force of nature in the early stages of the surge. As the water came over the dock Satuday night, waves splashing high over the top, we prayed that we wouldn't have to watch it float down the river Sunday morning.



Here'a a short compilation of video that I shot Saturday afternoon from the Gatling Pointe Yacht Club. the view is looking eastward across the James River frrom our covered porch. My two kids in college kept texting for updates expressing their concern. Sunday, we awoke to a beautiful breezy morning, and my 15 year old helped me begin with the day long clean up (actually several days of cleanup)...feeling lucky and realizing that it could have been worse.



Late Sunday, we all took a break from the cleanup to survey the minimum damage to our marina and pier, and enjoy the beautiful "day after".

Havent you always wanted to live on the water? Now you can in Gatling Pointe in Smithfield, VA

One Acre Waterfront Lot Now Available in Gatling Pointe South in Smithfield, Virginia



Ever wanted to live on the water? This one acre, privately wooded homesite is now available in Gatling Pointe South- an ward winning waterfront community in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. Discover the best in waterfront living and resort style amenities. The Gatling Pointe Yacht Club offers a deep water marina with 68 boat slips, restaurant and club lounge, riverfront swimming pool, tennis and volleyball courts, playground, gazebo, and fishing pier. Gatling Pointe is nicely removed from the city, adjacent to the historic town of Smithfield, and convenient to all of the cities in the Hampton Roads area. Check out this video slideshow...



Lot 28 Southport Landing is over one acre of highly elevated land (23' above sea level) and offers long distance views across the tributaries and marsh surrounding Jones Creek. Five piers have already been added to neighboring lots in the last phase of Gatling Pointe South allowing deep water access. The privately wooded homesite has already a cleared building area and offers a level building site with panoramic views.

Enjoy waterfront living and the ultimate in privacy on this last waterfront lot in the award winning Gatling Pointe community. Just listed for sale at $399,900, it's an excellent opportunity to custom build the home of your dreams and discover a real sense of community in this beautiful, established neighborhood of 500 homes.



Gatling Pointe

Three times awarded "Community of the Year," Gatling Pointe features quality custom homes by the region's premier builders with amenities that rival most resorts. Nestled in Isle of Wight County, adjacent to historic Smithfield, you're only 15 minutes from Newport News and Hampton, and an easy commute to downtown Norfolk. Discover the best in waterfront living at Gatling Pointe, a centrally located waterfront community located in the heart of Hampton Roads. It offers unique waterfront living with resort-style amenities where dreams come true and a real sense of neighborhood is found.

Home values in Gatling Pointe range from the $300's to over $1,000,000.
Features and Amenities

• Gatling Pointe Yacht Club with 68-slip deepwater marina (20' to 50' slips) and a club with restaurant and lounge
• Club canoes available to explore the waterways
• Riverfront swimming pool and kiddie pool
• Tennis courts and playgrounds
• Beach volleyball court with summer-league play
• Protected natural environment
• Central Park recreation area
• Leisure trails lead to the riverfront club and marina
• Year-round programmed activities and social events.

Contact Mark Edwards with East West Realty for more information about Gatling Pointe and the surrounding area. East West Communities has developed three award winning neighborhoods in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia - Gatling Pointe, Founders Pointe, and The Riverfront at Harbour View. Lot 28 Southport Landing (Owner/agent)

Graystone at Eagle Harbor

Graystone at Eagle Harbor- new homes from the $300's in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, near Smithfield. Graystone is a custom home neighborhood in the Eagle Harbor community. Discover privately wooded homesites, seven quality homebuilders, and a convenient planned community with a resort style lakefront swimming complex, clubhouse, playground, and leisure trails.

New homes from the mid $300's, Eagle Harbor is only 10 minutes to Newport News/Hampton and just 15 minutes to the Harbour View area and the I-664 interchange in northern Suffolk.

For more information visit www.eagleharborva.com or www.eastwestcommunities.com
www.eagleharborva.com

It's a Great Time to Build a New Home at Liberty Ridge in Williamsburg, VA

5 Reasons it's a great time to build a new home in liberty ridge, williamsburg, Virginia ~

1. timing and unique opportunity~ Imagine your dream home. Every detail is yours to choose. Every window. Every angle. Every texture. Now follow your dream to Liberty Ridge, where our remarkable real estate demands equally extraordinary estate homes. Here, you’ll not only have the chance to design your home from the ground up, but the freedom to truly make it your own. As you’d expect in a community of this stature, architectural standards have been carefully crafted to protect its image, integrity, and longevity. We’ve paid close attention to reflecting the heritage of the area. Yet we intentionally opened the door to individuality—allowing a statement of your personal style unparalleled by other nearby communities. Our select team of the region’s premier builders will guide you through every phase of the construction process, from conception through completion.
In May, we officially saw the Grand Opening for our first two Model Homes- the Breakwater and Liberty Ridge models. The front entrance is now completed and the first 25 homesites are now available for purchase. Its extremely rare to find a custom home community with estate-sized homesites this close to Colonial Williamsburg (just ten minutes). Homesites are a minium 3 acres with lot prices starting at $200,000. Homebuilders are offering early homeowners attractive pricing on new home plans and it's a great opportunity to get involved on the ground floor.

2. Location ~ Conveniently located on Centerville Road, just ten minutes from Colonial Williamsburg and Interstate 64, Liberty Ridge offers a retreat from the hustle and bustle, but yet is just minutes to all that Williamsburg has to offer.

Click map for larger version.

Liberty Ridge’s prestigious Williamsburg address not only provides residents with rich historical content, but also with convenience to shopping and professional services, quick access to Virginia’s Interstate 64, a diversity of cultural activities and a bounty of ways to have fun.
Education and fun are literally just minutes away from Liberty Ridge—from Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, and the College of William and Mary, to Busch Gardens and Water Country USA.

Williamsburg is located 150 miles south of Washington, D.C., between Richmond and Virginia Beach. With the mountains to the west and the ocean to the east, it’s the perfect place to live. To get directions to Liberty Ridge from where you are, click here.

Colonial Williamsburg 10 minutes

Newport News/Hampton 30 minutes

Norfolk/Chesapeake/Portsmouth 40 minutes

Richmond 60 minutes

Virginia Beach 70 minutes

Washington DC 150 minutes

3. Beautifully wooded and private Homesites ~ Liberty Ridge encompasses 550 acres of beautiful, rolling terrain, graced with a mature tree canopy, located on Centerville Road in James City County, adjacent to Freedom Park. This new community features 138 homesites, ranging from 3 to 9 acres in size.

4. resort style amenities planned ~

• Future amenites planned include a resort-style swimming pool with cottage-style clubhouse, outdoor fireplace, children’s play area and activity field

• Two additional large community parks with picnic tables and walking trails

• Jogging/biking paths throughout the community including paved pathways, mulched trails and timber bridge crossings

• Paved trail along the community’s frontage on Centerville Road with access to Freedom Park

5. Quality Homebuilders and architectural guidelines ~

Liberty Ridge will offer a Preferred Builders Program featuring some of the region’s finest custom homebuilders. Each home to be built will be submitted to the Architectural Review Board for approval, ensuring that the highest standards for quality design and construction will be maintained throughout the community. Michael C. Brown Builder, Charles Ross Homes, Ron Curtis Builder, LLC, and Sasser Construction are four of the custom builders available for prospective homebuyers. These companies possess a combined total of more than 65 years of experience and have created some of the finest custom homes in the area. The collective success of these builders is rooted in an ongoing commitment to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction. Their expertise in the industry, and attention to detail enables each of these builders to take what would be an ordinary custom home and turn it into something extraordinary.

As the sixth East West Partners' community in the Hampton Roads area, Liberty Ridge will offer distinctive custom homes and innovative amenities reflective of the award-winning communities that have become the company's trademark. East West has developed 35 communities across seven states, including five award-winning Hampton Roads communities: Founders Pointe, Eagle Harbor, The Riverfront at Harbor View, Gatling Pointe and Gatling Pointe South. Since 1972, the developer has been known for innovative land planning, an unwavering commitment to the environment, and communities offering year-round, resort-style living.

The HOMEARAMA is coming to The Riverfront at Harbour View this fall.

The Tidewater Builders Association's HOMEARAMA comes to The Riverfront at HARBOUR VIEW. In October, The Riverfront will open the doors of nine exquisite custom homes for the Tidewater Builder Association’s Fall Homearama. Two of the homes have sold already — so only seven lucky families still have the opportunity to purchase these designer homes before the show opens. Contact us to schedule your tour today!  Stay tuned for more detailed information on the 2011 Fall Homearama coming soon.

Participating Builders:

Clark Whitehill Enterprises

ABT Custom Homes

Joey Corp

Sasser Construction

Stephen Alexander Homes

 Ore Builders, L.L.C.

Charlie Anderson Builder, Inc.

Featured renderings are designs by Frank Betz Associates, Inc.

Homearama Announcement

Suffolk News Herald – June 25, 2011
Even as participating builders get geared up for construction on the homes that will be featured in the fall Homearama at The Riverfront in North Suffolk, the Tidewater Builders Association is looking for more contractors to take part in the event. The fall Homearama will feature 9 homes, ranging in size and style, and will include the latest trends in the home industry in the event’s third visit to Suffolk in 10 years. So far, seven builders are constructing the homes, located in The Riverfront at Harbour View, for the event that will take place Oct. 15-30.

Select Homearama sites, which are priced from $135,000 to $152,500 and average half an acre in size, are still available, according to TBA officials, who have turned their attention to the fall event with the recent conclusion of the spring Homearama. The homes built at The Riverfront will range in size from 2,800 to 4,000 square feet and face a central park courtyard.

Mark Edwards, a representative for East West Communities, the developer of the Harbour View community, said the home styles that will be featured are craftsman cottage, European cottage and Southern traditional.

One of the Southern traditional homes, the Bucknell Place, is a “Southern Living” house plan and will feature a two-story front porch. Edwards said most of the houses will be brick and will have interesting detail work on the exterior.

Also, several of the models will have first-floor master bedrooms, which is a popular trend in new homes, Edwards said. “Every house will offer something unique,” he said. Edwards said some of the houses will have themed designs. For example, one home, the Designer House, will feature work from several designers throughout its interior. Prices for the Homearama houses are expected to start in the low $550,000s.

“This event serves as our industry’s ‘buy now’ campaign,” said Bill Halprin, the president of the Tidewater Builders Association, which sponsors Homearama. “It’s designed to stimulate people to take advantage of one of the best homebuyers’ markets that we’ve seen in years.”

Edwards added buyers get more from a Homearama home than other houses on the market.
“You can get a great value in these Homearama homes, because you are getting things you wouldn’t normally get in a home for sale,” he said. But you don’t have to be looking for a new house to attend the event. Edwards said there are several reasons people decide to attend Homearama. He said coming to the event can be a great way for Suffolk residents to familiarize themselves with The Riverfront and Harbour View communities if they haven’t already. People come to get ideas to spruce up their own homes.

“People can come and get great ideas,” he said. “It’s a great event to go to.” This is the second time The Riverfront has hosted Homearama; the community last hosted the event in 2001.