Homeowner Resources in Central & Eastern Virginia
- Adam Garrett
- Oct 5, 2023
- 11 min read
Updated: Oct 14
In this article, I'll be sharing resources for new & existing homeowners that will be helpful whether you just closed or have been in your home for years.
At Your House:
Ongoing Property Maintenance
Should you outsource?
There are some items that are best for property owners to maintain themselves, while other items may not be worth the time for owners to learn about (if they're not already familiar) & do themselves. Consider outsourcing if paying someone else to do the job would be a low amount per hour, proper learning would take too much time that wouldn't be cost effective, there are certain valuable guarantees provided by that company in the event of issues, and/or the primary income of the owner is a higher amount per hour after taxes.
Regularly inspect the property:
Even if you hire out many service contracts & inspections, it's still a good idea to a check yourself throughout your home's interior & exterior once every Fall & once every Spring for issues. As time goes by, carefully inspect the interior and exterior of your home periodically, looking out for moisture issues that start small and grow. Do careful inspections on items soon before warranty expiration, whether for a home warranty, warranty on any new appliances, etc.
Related:
Avoid Fines
Condo associations & home owner's associations aren't the only fine sources out there. Here is information on avoiding fines & avoiding monetary penalties that can occur as a homeowner.
Cost-Effective Improvements
The kinds of repairs, updates, and other changes that are ideal for a forever home are different than those for a renovation to sell, and those are different than a renovation to rent out. If you'd like any advice on any ideas that you have for things that you'd like to do to the home, just let me know. There are also a number of articles on the subject like this one.
Here are some examples of items that former clients may borrow from Adam that could help you improve your property:
Basic tool box w/ hammer, screwdriver, allen wrenches, tape measure, small drill
Typical drill w/ set of options to attach to it
Ladders
Electric & propane space heaters
AllRoad Mole Scissor traps
Electric lanterns
30' Doca pole w/ various attachments (window cleaning, lightbulb replacement, dusting, manual saw, etc.)
Pole chainsaw
Related:
Budget Effectively
It is best to have a separate high-interest savings &/or checking account for home expenses, including maintenance, mortgage payment, outsourced cleaning, & upkeep. If you have a fixed income, it's best to have automatic transfers from your bank account to a separate account (ideally fee-free, which is true of many banks/credit unions) soon after your income comes in. For seriously big expenses (i.e. a new roof), you may want to create a separate account.
Budget for Maintenance:
Especially if transitioning to a more maintenance-prone home, larger home, or transitioning from renting, budget for repairs/upkeep/maintenance. For more details on how long to expect for items, go to my page titled "House Issues by Year", & check the decade of your home, the home inspection, & the section titled "Lifespan of Various Home Components." It's best to create a spreadsheet of when you will expect to have to replace something, and when budgeting for items, keep in mind inflation.
Related:
Finances That Relate Directly to Your Household Payments:
If You Have a Mortgage, Monitor Mortgage Interest Rates, Especially for Low Closing-Cost Promo Rates That Will Last the Life of the Refi
If you own your home but have associated loans, & especially if you have a mortgage that's in excess of 5%, be sure to keep track of mortgage interest rates & mortgage interest rate projections so that if you'll be in your home much longer, you're able to refinance to a lower rate. It also can help you time another purchase if using a mortgage.
In some cases, a refi is available that is even better than a new loan with that particular lender. Here's an example with Langley Federal as of 7/15/25 where the rate is much lower than Langley's typical rates and the overall market rates:
Remove PMI if Applicable from Conventional Loans Once Possible
In many cases, if you do nothing on a conventional loan toward removing PMI (if PMI is applicable for your loan), you'll pay much more than you need to completely unnecessarily. Be sure to reach out to your lender on the amount of equity that's needed and other details for you to remove PMI once possible. Whether you take a proactive approach or not can in some cases mean the difference of thousands of dollars that you'll never get back retroactively once PMI is removed.
If you have good credit, your car insurance & homeowners insurance rates can be much lower than if you have bad credit. If you ever refinance or decide to get another mortgage, that credit can mean a world of difference.
With promo refi APR's, the advertised promo rate mentioned above was around 1.5% below prevailing rates was only available for those with a 780 or higher credit score according to a rep I spoke to, with those with just one point less, a 779, having roughly .5% higher rate.
Look Out for Tax Incentives, Relief, & Deferral
It's not unusual for tax incentives on things like energy-efficient improvements (i.e. the insulation tax credit that is available to many) to be available. Be on the lookout for them & use them or lose them before they expire. That said, see the section below titled "Prepare to Say No" in some circumstances when pitched things like solar panels by salesman, since solar panels are only good in the minority of cases in VA based on homeownership tenure & low electricity costs here compared to places with higher cost and more sun like Southern California.
Also, many cities & counties have options for tax relief & deferral. These can change over time, so just because you're not eligible for it at one time, doesn't mean that you won't be a year from then. These often require annual applications, and there's typically no automatic option nor any retroactive measures in place if you don't apply for it for years despite being eligible and then find out about it.
In this article I integrated a number of hyperlinked articles & resources of mine and of others like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau & HUD.
In it I go over:
I. What to Beware of
II. Options to Help You Retain Your Home No Matter Your Mortgage Type
III. Programs to Help You Retain Your Home for FHA Mortgages
IV. Programs to Help You Retain Your Home for VA Mortgages
V. Programs to Help You Retain Your Home for Conventional Mortgages
VI. Options for Increased Funds
VII. Options if You Need to Sell
See also "Prepare to Say No..." below.
Outside of Caring For Your House:
Get a Library Card & Free Streaming via Kanopy
To gain access to Kanopy, which offers some TV shows & movies free, first check to see if it's offered with any library cards that you already own that renew automatically. If you don't have any options with library cards you already have, check to see if the city/county you moved in offers Kanopy.
Image courtesy Kanopy
Even if you didn't move to a city/county with it, there are some cities/counties like Newport News where you don't need to be a resident of Newport News to get access to a library card if you can verify that you are a resident of the state of VA.
Connect with Others in Your Community
You might want to consider joining an online community for your neighborhood, such as on Nextdoor, local Facebook groups that do activities together, clubs, churches (Google Maps are a great place to look & I have some recommendations if you'd like), & via Meetup groups, especially if you're new in town.
Finding Things To Do
I created an article on how to find things to do no matter your location in the US as well as listing some of the top things to do according to TripAdvisor in SE VA divided by SE VA region & city/county.
See my maps of free things to do, with 9 different categories of free options as well as a paid options category, though keep in mind that I have covered some areas significantly more than others and it's not an exhaustive list of options. That page includes more maps with free options for kids, for pet owners, & for active-duty military.
If you're a former client & you'd like to borrow my like-new condition origami-style Oru Inlet Kayak for up to a week, feel free to let me know.
Capitalize on Your Commute
Especially if you'll be commuting further than you were before, but even if you're not, I recommend checking on my article on how to Capitalize On Your Commute.
Prepare to Say No to Those Who Send You Mail, Call You, & Come to Your Home Looking for Money or Looking for You To Sign Away on Something
It's very important to be able to say "no" to people, whether they show up at your doorstep, relentlessly send you mail, pound your phone with calls, or otherwise. There are people who don't care if you have a disability, don't care if you care for others with a disability, and simply want to take advantage of people no matter their situation. Once you purchase a home, that purchase is public record. Be wary that information like your name, your home address, other mailing address, your relatives, your number, etc. may be found online. People could call you posing as a police officer, a government entity trying to "help" you with your mortgage but actually seeking to swindle you (article from FTC), & otherwise. Sometimes it may appear as though it is someone you trust, like your lender, but in the fine print they may state that they have no affiliation to your lender. They may use language like "warning" with a deadline or may use an envelope type that may make it seem official when it's really not. If you're ever in doubt, and you're my current or former client, please reach out to me before making a potentially disastrous decision.
Below are a few examples:
If someone sends you something official-looking offering a copy of your recorded deed for a few hundred dollars, discard it. You get these for free from the closing company, in some cases by default without you requesting.
Should You Get Solar Panels for Your Home? For most, the answer is "no" in SE VA, due to factors like how long you'll be in your home (with those there the shortest losing the most), governmental subsidy/tax breaks, the low cost of electricity here, our climate including cloud coverage & rainy days. Also, you typically don't get a dollar-for-dollar increase in sales price from an addition like solar panels, and they can even be a liability if you have a solar lease or solar loan going. Solar panels are best in SE VA when purchasing a home that you plan to live in for 25+ years where you have a brand new roof, no trees causing shade over the house now or any time in the next 25+ years, and high electric utilities costs even after making energy efficient improvements to your home via things like insulation additions & identifying & rectifying areas of exterior air intrusion.
For instance, a heading of my article on cash off-market offers below is, "Just How Much Less Will Sellers Sell For According to Drexel University Research Lab? "less than half the value they would by using traditional methods.""
For more of the scams & bad ideas that target homeowners, there are several articles on the subject, such as this one from GetCarefull.com
Keeping in Touch with Your Buyer's Agent
I like to keep in touch with my former clients, and there are a few ways that I like to do that.
Connect with me on social media!
1. I like to connect with others on social media, as I have enjoyed for decades.
Here are my personal profiles where I'd love to connect if you are a member of them:
A. Facebook (I am the most active here & I also use Facebook for event invitations for events that I host at times)
B. Instagram
C. Twitter
D. Linkedin
Join or follow a group(s) or page I lead.
If you would like to connect more regarding real estate, finance (focusing on points, debit cards, travel, & credit cards), & faith, each of those links is for a Facebook group or page I lead.
Participate in my Annual Christmas/New Year Giveaway
I host an annual giveaway around Christmas/New Year's. Everyone who participates gets a gift, and the top 3 winners get access to points for travel. Here's an example of the event and here are examples of the 3 top prizes, with the top prize being sufficient for round-trip flights for 2 to Northern Europe or travel for more in North, CentFree Acquisitions for Your Homeral, & South America.
I created an article on how to find things like furniture, rock, firewood, & much more for free, especially geared toward those with more time than $.
Familiarize Yourself with What the Area Has to Offer
Niche Resources
If living in Newport News, see: Denbigh Community Center of Newport News
If active duty military, see: Military Resources, Freebies & Discounts w/ SE VA PCS Integration
Transitioning Out of Your House:
Keep Track of the Market
Keep track of the market, especially if you are considering another purchase or sale, but even if you're not, it's a good idea to still be aware of how things are going with your home, which is often the most significant asset that people have if not 1 of the most significant.
Keep Track of Interest Rates if You Have a Mortgage
If you own your home but have associated loans, & especially if you have a mortgage that's in excess of 5%, be sure to keep track of mortgage interest rates & mortgage interest rate projections so that if you'll be in your home much longer, you're able to refinance to a lower rate. It also can help you time another purchase if using a mortgage.
Seasonally Sensitive Pictures If Thinking About Selling or Renting Out Your Property in the Future
Long before you are ready to rent out your property or sell, if thinking about selling or renting, it's best to time your photos (including on property & if applicable, area photos) according to the season, with some seasons being better than others for certain images. These include still photography from the ground, air, and your virtual tour since virtual tours (ideally Matterport, which I always use in my listings) best include exterior, not just interior like typical virtual tours.
If Thinking About Selling Your Property in the Future
I have many articles dedicated to sellers, and can personally help if you are looking to sell in the future. Here are some of those articles:
2. Sellers
4. Basic Elements of Preparing Your Home Before a Listing Appointment
6. How Keeping a Home You've Purchased Can Help Your Net Worth More than Bouncing to Another House
If Thinking About Renting Out Your Property in the Future
I have several related articles for owners looking to rent out their home:
2. Tips for Renting Out Your Home
While free for Adam's sellers listing with him, for Adam's real estate clients who have closed on a property with Adam & who wish to acquire virtual tours & aerials for property management (not for sale), Adam offers Matterport virtual tours for half of his typical competitive costs (Matterport, Aerials) for up to 3 properties per closing at that pricing (typical pricing if desiring more than 3 properties to be scanned per closing).
Related:
1. Adam's Area Photos For Listings
3. Adam's Matterport Virtual Tours
4. Why Matterport Virtual Tours for Real Estate Are Best, & How To Make Them Better
Related:
See the "Post Closing" section at the bottom of my Buyer's Guide
Zillow: What Is an ADU? What to Know Before Building This Popular Living Space on Your Property
Where to Find Equipment To Borrow/Lease/Purchase for Your Property Repairs/Reno/Cleaning
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