ADAM GARRETT

Image courtesy Google Maps (See Nature & Parks Below) Whether you're renting or buying , if you're considering a move to the Central or Eastern VA area or planning on it already, there are a lot of great online resources to help smooth your transition so that you can be informed in advance before even visiting there. Below I focus on mapping resources. With any Google maps below, filter the sections based on what you're looking for on the top left. SE VA Highly Rated Things

Median Sales Price in the Virginia Beach Metro Area 2021-2024 per Redfin The market in Hampton Roads is in a relatively good place. Home...

Below is a list of resources from various locations for those who are homeless or who are facing the threat of homelessness: How to Avoid Becoming Homeless Non-Traditional Housing Homeless Shelters & Transitional Homes in SE VA Live Aboarding on a Boat (i.e. free sailboats anchored & where to find them) Living in a Van, RV, or Otherwise on Wheels Low or No Cost Camping Couch Surfing While Homeless While your first bet should be to reach out to friends and family, there are m

Identifying the best systemized rating scales for hospitals for the US and creating maps for Virginia & the surrounding area

Image by Adam at Langley AFB Resources for Kids Blue Star Kids Military Child Education Coalition Sesame Street for Military Families Our Military Kids "Receive free grants for kids of deployed soldiers!  Grants can be used for Sports, Fine Arts, Camps, Tutoring Programs, etc." (per Frugal Girls ) Tutor.com  ~ FREE Tutoring Services for Military Families! "U.S. military and their families receive FREE homework and tutoring help!" (per Frugal Girls ) Career Resources/Spousal S

Jamestown - Image by Adam While there are algorithm-based responses to the question of " What is the Best Area to Buy In? " there are currently severe limitations to those algorithms taking into account personal preferences, where a more in-depth dive below is highly beneficial. Area Free/Paid A menities /Things to Do Free Things to Do in & Around VA (1500+ Options worldwide, with likely >97% in VA or an adjacent state, and >90% in VA). Things to Do in Central & E VA Locatio

This guide forms an integral part of my area guide . Environmental Factors: FEMA's Composite Weather Risk Index FEMA has created a composite weather risk index of expected annual loss * social vulnerability/ community resilience. They have done that across a wide variety of potential weather-related hazards. There are areas of SE VA that range from the very low zone (i.e. Surry, Petersburg, & Williamsburg) to the relatively moderate zone (i.e. Newport News & Virginia Beach).

In this article, I share my map of over 1500 free things to do in & around Virginia, with a small % of those #s even around the globe....

Unmatched SE VA Area Guide with information on other locations in VA & some on surrounding states, with information also applicable throughout the US. Especially including Hampton, Newport News, York County, Williamsburg, James City County, Smithfield, Isle of Wight County, Suffolk, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Surry, Southampton County, Gloucester County, Mathews County, Middlesex County, Richmond, New Kent County, Charles City County, Petersburg, Henrico

Image Above Courtesy Tax.Virginia.gov VA has a tax rates by city/county publication every year from 1999-2022. This publication goes over...

In this article, I'll be sharing some specific options of things to consider doing in central & eastern VA as well as steps to find some additional options. Introduction Including Where to Find Things to Do Look Online - Places Like TripAdvisor & Google Maps will be some of the best places to look. TripAdvisor & Google Maps have different systems, and I like TripAdvisor's ranking system, though it doesn't have as friendly of a map as Google Maps for those things to do clos

Many properties in the Hampton Roads area & some other parts of SE VA are in hurricane evacuation zones even if their home is not...

Over 100 articles going step by step through the home-selling process, w/ info applicable in the US & some info specific to SE VA i.e. Hampton Roads & RVA

Most images including above courtesy Google Maps Traffic is a very important consideration in Hampton Roads. In this guide, I primarily...

While not fully comprehensive on all responsibilities, deadlines, & Inspector options, I've developed a resource to provide a brief...

The dominant Hampton Roads offer for residential real estate is the Real Estate Information Network Standard Purchase Agreement, dominant...

In my map above & my spreadsheet below, I go over which Multiple Listing Service (MLS) are needed for someone considering selling or buying land, a condo, a house, or a townhouse in Virginia as well as additional pertinent information. The spreadsheet focuses on Central & Eastern VA while the map covers Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, & beyond. Importance of the Right MLS One of the top marketing elements & one of the top elements for a buyer's agent creating s

I've created a master spreadsheet for government & other information on virginia localities . In case you're unfamiliar with Google Sheets , I've created an article on the subject as well. Some tabs cover all of Virginia while others cover exclusively Central & Eastern Virginia. I'm unaware of any publicly available spreadsheet that can come close to being as comprehensive as this one for the task of comparing potential cities/counties in Central & Eastern VA. While most of t

Buyers and sellers can both benefit greatly from access to more than 1 MLS, but that's especially true in areas of high crossover MLS,...

The Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is the main way that agents input real estate properties onto the market for sale, and in many cases,...

In this link to a Google Sheet, I've created a master spreadsheet for home purchase considerations for buyers. Since it's a Google...

Introduction My Central & Eastern VA utilities spreadsheet. When to Contact Utilities When Buying While there's no "right" answer to this question, since sometimes closings don't occur when they are supposed to, I generally recommend contacting all utility companies at least 6 business days prior to closing as long as you have been provided "clear to close" at that time and as long as there are no title issues to resolve. It's also good to have them transferring to you on th

Providing free & low-cost resources for kids & parents & resources for schools including a focus on school/school district selection via reviews.

Many seek to save and increase their income before buying a home, and many fail to realize that the most lucrative programs to reduce...

All images courtesy Freecycle Whether you're a 1st-time buyer looking to save money, moving here from another country and trying to cut...

Above: Me in high school casting in high winds with my dad in the background and hitting the photographer with the hook accidentally!...

Above: Image by Adam (not nearly how much money it looks to be, FYI) #s below are from 2024 Real Estate Tax Relief/Deferral Virginia...

While I've gone on cruises and slept in some of my dad's boats & other boats for short trips on the boat, I've never done live-aboarding,...

City-Data for Median Monthly Housing Cost, Median Value, & Many More Options This map on City Data has a state view, county view, zip...

Image by author Why this Question is Legally Tricky As I mention in my article Seemingly Harmless Questions With Major Consequences if...

In this article, I show a map at the bottom I've created of transportation options in & in some cases around VA, including train...

Locations to Shop in VA are most impacted by population density first and second by income levels of those areas. Locations in large...

Below I go over how to find the best zip codes for home purchases, highlighting resources from Niche, zip code visual maps, etc. I also share how some information on zipcodes is purchaseable and available in some cases to real estate agents like myself who purchase it (as well as those agents' clients) but not authorized by the merchants to be displayed publicly online. Image courtesy Niche Niche Rankings for Best Zip Codes to Buy a House I share the following in another arti

Image Courtesy DWR from a map that was since taken down & replaced by this In this article, I wanted to go over some hunting basics for...

Above - my dad & I in a basic duck blind Disclosures (i.e. verify with the most up-to-date government websites) It is best to always...

Toggle the Boat Ramps Option Above to Show Free Ramps; Do a Search for "Marina" To Show Marinas Image by Adam See embedded map below Free Boat Ramps & Launches When only "Free Boat Ramps & Launches" is selected above, it shows some of the many free boat ramps & other places to launch boats freely located in SE VA. Here's a 3rd party location to check options: Paid Marinas If you go to my map above, select "Paid Attractions & Amenities, type in "Marina", & (before hitting ente

Image Courtesy National Institute of Health When considering a move as well as considering activities in your current home & area, it's...

Above: Berkley Bridge Opening in Norfolk - Image by Adam Garrett There are some factors to keep in mind when considering what areas you...

Image courtesy Map of the Best Here are my top tips for finding restaurants, whether you're relocating to an unfamiliar location,...

Link to property Showings:

With many free options available for residents as well as paid options available, Denbigh Community Center is a significant asset to the...

A common buyer brokerage agreement used in VA that those at my firm, Garrett Realty Partners (GRP), used to use is the Virginia...

So you've chosen a real estate agent, prepared your real estate for sale, and are ready to sign the paperwork. Now what? A lot of the...

So you're under contract with a buyer! Now what? You may want to refer to the Responsibilities & Inspector Options Including Deadlines...

In this article, I'll be going over, in brief, the Virginia Association of Realtors (VAR) buyer brokerage agreements in chronological...

The below information was pulled directly from https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter21/section54.1-2132/ I'll simply be...

The top location where I've helped the highest number of owners to sell their land, houses, and townhouses is Hampton. Since I began...

When I am representing a seller I typically include a competing offer spreadsheet. I also like to show these to buyers before an offer so...

If you're considering school district ratings in your home purchase decision, what are some of the best resources for narrowing things down? Below I relate a few of those as well as some tips on using them effectively. I also share the above spreadsheet with some historic data, which is helpful when considering how consistently a school has kept high marks. School Resources : Public Schools Virginia Wide: Niche's Rankings for Best School Districts in Virginia Niche's Rankings

My coverage map is more expansive for sellers than for buyers. Below you'll find my coverage map for buyers , arranged by price of home,...