THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 29, 1995 TAG: 9507270318
SECTION: REAL ESTATE WEEKLY PAGE: 30 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: ON THE MOVE
LENGTH: Long : 101 lines
Aster Demissie, a former GSH agent, has opened Value/Max Real Estate at 1157 S. Military Highway, Chesapeake. ``I saw a need in the real estate market for the seller,'' she says. ``Some need full service; some need only consultant service or partial service.''
So when people come to her company to list their houses, they are given a menu of options.
Full service, whereby agents do the traditional service for the full 7 percent commission.
Partial service, where sellers rely on some of the traditional services, but also do things on their own, and consequently pay less than full commission.
Consulting service, the cheapest service, where sellers basically get advice and opinions. Her phone number is 424-7700.
Sales of previously owned homes in the United States totaled 6.5 percent in June as low mortgage rates continued to lure buyers into the market. Sales rose in each of the nation's four regions.
The National Association of Realtors said today that sales totaled 3.78 million at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, up from 3.55 million in May. It was the second straight monthly advance and pushed sales to the highest level since a 3.82 million rate in October 1994.
In Virginia, pending home sales were up 11.78 percent this June over June 1994, according to the Virginia Association of Realtors. Figures show that 6,223 new and existing dwellings were placed under contract last month; the June statistics for last year are 5,567.
The average sale price for June 1995 was $115,391 in the state; the price for June of last year was $103,081.
Real estate attorneys have formed a league of their own, reports Lawyers Weekly. The Virginia Real Estate Attorneys League, or VaREAL, aspires to perform a function similar to that of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association.
The 50 lawyers expressing interest in the organization are all from Hampton Roads. The directors are Robert C. Barclay IV of Portsmouth, Jeffrey C. Flax and Jeffrey B. Hammaker of Virginia Beach, Robert D. Jones of Chesapeake and Charles M. Lollar of Norfolk.
Dues are $125 per year. Those interested should write the league at 533 Newtown Road, Suite 101, Virginia Beach, Va. 23642, or phone Hammaker at 671-6028.
Columbia Commons, the downtown housing project sponsored by the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority, is 90 percent complete. Five houses have been sold and two others are under contract, according to the PRHA.
Goode Construction and BHS Development are the two contractors building the dwellings. Ultimately, 19 lots will have been developed off South Street between Washington and Effingham streets. The single-family homes and lots will sell from $89,000 to $154,000.
The Registered Apartment Managers Association has named its officers for 1995-96: Norman Hassell, president; Jo Hage, vice president; Melissa Walton, secretary; Leigh Parker, treasurer, and Cindy Kotcamp and Mickey Nall, members at large.
Top June agents: For Prudential Decker Realty, Nancy Koch and B.J. Basnight, top listing and top sales respectively at the Lynnhaven office; Ann Davis, listings, and Kathy Allen, sales, at the Beach office; C.J. Howell, listings, and Craig Baird, sales, at Great Neck, and Tom Seddon, listings, and Louise Perkins, sales, in Chesapeake.
For Womble Realty, Anna Sullivan of Great Bridge was the agency's top sales and listing agent. Others cited were Brenda Rawls, Vickie Carmean, Dell Barton, Jean Arsement, Judy Marsh, Pam Johnson, Carolyn Payne, Sandy Link and Sandy White, all in sales, and Vickie Carmean, Brian Okuley, Sandy Preiser and Gary Lundholm, all in listings.
For William E. Wood and Associates, top sellers were Norma Price, Churchland; Bob Albergotti, Hampton Boulevard; Cynthia Fields, Great Bridge; Anne Runaldue, Great Neck; Peggy Economidis, Haygood; Ann Edgell, Holland Road; Jan Johnston, Kempsville; Gail Garrington, Laskin Road; Frances Moore, Little Creek, and Mimi Kopassis, Lynnhaven. Top listers were Norma Price; Bobby Lawrence, Hampton Boulevard; Jeff Ratliff, Great Bridge, and Anne Runaldue.
Dave Higgins, a sales associate with Century 21 William R. Farmer Realtors, recently graduated from the Darryl Davis Power Program, a sales training course. A retired Navy senior chief petty officer, Higgins has been in real estate since 1990.
Rose & Krueth Realty has opened its newest office at 5907 West Norfolk Road in Portsmouth, increasing the firm's resale outlets to seven in Hampton Roads. Chris Wicker will be the managing broker at the Portsmouth office.
Olympia Development Corp., the Virginia Beach-based real estate company that manages more than $250 million in office buildings and apartments, has hired G. Michelle Anastasiou as director of accounting services. Anastasiou was formerly employed as senior accountant at Vector Microwave Research.
CompuServe customers can now shop for homes on their computers through the Home & Land real estate service on the World Wide Web. The datebase is provided by ERA Real Estate, a national franchise system.
The service can be reached on computers by keying in http://www.homes.com/Welcome. For further info, phone Mel Baker at ERA Atkinson Realty at 425-2500. Send the information to Real Estate Weekly, The Virginian-Pilot, 150 W. Brambleton Ave., Norfolk Va. 23510, or fax it to 446-2531. Please include a phone number. MEMO: On the Move reports management changes, awards, seminars and new
services offered by real estate firms, mortgage companies and builders.
Photos will be used as space permits and cannot be returned.
by CNB