How up to date is the local MLS database? (Norfolk: short sales, real estate)

[hcaleman]

I've been using the Hampton Roads MLS site to keep an eye on the rental market ahead of my relocation. I have noticed that over the past months many of the same properties continue to be shown.

Are these MLS listings typically pulled down after properties are leased or do they tend to linger waiting for someone to do a cleanup? Curious to see if houses are really just sitting for as long as it seems.

[Georgepl]

I don't think Major League Soccer is that popular in Tidewater.

[sassyfragger1]

Most are current (we're looking too) they sit for 120 days pretty average from what we've found thus far. Be careful on short sales here though bc many of the sellers agents are clueless how they really work (which means it's a big pain and unlikely to happen).

[rtandc]

There is an over abundance of rental properties across the Hampton Roads area right now so it is common for houses to be listed for long periods of time with no rental contracts offered.

So the bottom line is you will have your choice of rental properties and dont be shy about negotiating the cost of the monthly payments or rental terms.

But be aware of what property you choose and do your homework......make sure the homeowner is not behind on the taxes or payments, you dont want to get caught up in the middle of something nasty like a short sale or the property going foreclosure....

Also if the house is vacant make sure the house was winterized correctly as many homeowners are not local to check on the property and it is not uncommon to hear stories about the real estate companies that these houses are listed with not following up on vacant rental properties as they should in a timely period.

[hcaleman]

What would be the proper winterizing clues to look for? I saw in another thread there seems to be a mild rodent issue in the area as well (maybe I'm reading into it too much though). I'm generally looking around Larchmont and Ghent right now and something in that general area.

[rtandc]

Originally Posted by hcaleman

What would be the proper winterizing clues to look for? I saw in another thread there seems to be a mild rodent issue in the area as well (maybe I'm reading into it too much though). I'm generally looking around Larchmont and Ghent right now and something in that general area.

This area does not have the cold winters other parts of the country has but a house that has sat vacant during the winter without being properly winterize can have problems.....The big issue is water.....make sure the water was turned off and that is was drained properly....meaning if you check out the house while it is still winterized the hot water heater should be drained, all of the faucets should be in the open position, no water in the toilets etc....the big thing most people find problems with after the water is tuned back on is the dishwasher where it was not drained properly, so if it is against an outside wall in the kitchen make sure you check it well.

Larchmont and Ghent are two neighborhoods that host all different types of buildings from single family homes reaching that century mark old with full basements to new homes built on slabs to multi family apartments and condos so check everything....plumbing may be a mixture of copper and PVC, electrical could be state of the art or it could be old screw in type fuses that really cant handle todays electronics very well ( or in most cases not up to code and can be a fire hazzard)...animals?.... sure they can be a problem, especially if the house has a chimney, basement or open crawl foundation so check for signs of them also as Norfolk does have a very large squirrel, and cockroach population....mice and other small rodents not so much unless you are close to the water

[Mr Williamsburg]

From experience I have noted numerous rental homes that were pending credit / application approval that were still showing active. Aside from that they are kept current. ( you get fined if it's discovered that it's not )

[telemonster]

If all you see in the MLS is overpriced garbage, it's just a reflection of the area. Compared to Raleigh Durham, which has companies like Cisco, IBM, and RedHat. I didn't cherry pick these, I randomly threw them at a friend who was talking some nonsense about buying a house here.

From Raleigh Craigslist:
20:52 CHECK LIST READY? - All Brick, 1st Flr Master, 100% Financing (http://raleigh.craigslist.org/reb/1101465546.html - broken link)
20:52 Beautiful Home with Fenced in Backyard!! (http://raleigh.craigslist.org/reo/1101455626.html - broken link)
20:53 ON GOLF COURSE! 15 MIN TO DUKE, RTP & BRIER CREEK! (http://raleigh.craigslist.org/reb/1101366824.html - broken link)

$210, $225K ... that's totally legit. Not saying that the houses are the best thing in the world, but WAY better than the garbage you will find listed in this area for $200K. Hampton Roads has very little going for it. Make no mistake, people are leaving. If all the smart people leave, then the few good employers will get frustrated that they can't find good talent (I'm hearing this from people now, "You wouldn't believe ... we've been through so many interviewees and the skills just aren't there, it's ridiculous."

Those employers will leave, or discontinue expansion of operations in the region. Then again, our region has been known as a place to find cheap labor (I'm sure you all remember the Dave Addis article when the City of Chesapeake's Economic Development group got caught with this on their webpage?).

Oh yea. MLS. You must understand, the MLS is the only thing the Realtors have. It's the only reason they exist. As other alternatives come online, Realtors will go way of the Travel Agent.

[rtandc]

I dont share the doom and gloom that Telemonster does about Hampton Roads but I will agree that this area will never see top paying companies until at least 3 problems are solved...

Problem 1) Va Bch....get rid of Oceana, people will argue this point all day but face it Oceana is holding Va Bch down from bring in top companies.

Problem 2) Norfolk.....Get over it, Norfolk is land locked and will never be able to expand. All they have is downtown and the downtown area will never be more than what it is now until they tear down the housing projects.

Problem 3) Chesapeake....Could have a great future in housing top companies but first it has to get rid of the good old boy system it has been under for years

[bizman56]

Could anyone tell me where to find a link to the mls that shows rental listings also? We're looking for a rental home in williamsburg but the offerings on craigslist are sparse.