World Habitat Day: October 6, 2014   In 1985, the United Nations declared the first Monday in October to be World Habitat Day in recognition of the need for simple and decent shelter for people around the world. Habitat for Humanity knows that good housing and good housing policies are the key to creating safe and strong communities and that adequate shelter is a critical foundation for breaking the cycle of poverty. Now more than ever, we need sustainable solutions to housing problems. Habitat for Humanity’s tried and tested partnership approach helps families acquire simple, decent homes they can afford, as a hand up, not a hand out. On Oct. 6, World Habitat Day 2014, we invite individuals and organizations to join us in changing the reality of poverty housing and creating opportuni... 10/01/2014

Susan G. Komen West Virginia Race for the Cure - May 3, 2014   Another reminder about the Susan G. Komen West Virginia Race for the Cure -  May 3, 2014 the largest 5K race in the State bringing in people from 17 different states.   When:   May 3, 2014  Where:  WV State Capitol in Charleston, West Virginia  Time:     9:00 am   The Annual Race for the Cure is the largest fundraiser that helps to bring in much needed funds for breast cancer screening, treatment and education for uninsured and underinsured West Virginians. WV SGK has raised and distributed $2 million to non-profit organizations, health care providers, hospitals, educational institutions and breast health advocates who manage breast health programs in West Virginia.  WV SGK has also raised and invested over $500,000 in Susan... 05/02/2014

  Save the Date for the 2014 Susan G. Komen West Virginia Race for the Cure.    The West Virginia Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure (WV SGK) is happy to announce that the 2014 Race for the Cure website is now open for registrations!  The Annual Race for the Cure is the largest fundraiser that helps to bring in much needed funds for breast cancer screening, treatment and education for uninsured and underinsured West Virginians.  WV SGK has raised and distributed $2 million to non-profit organizations, health care providers, hospitals, educational institutions and breast health advocates who manage breast health programs in West Virginia.  WV SGK has also raised and invested over $500,000 in Susan G Komen research awards.  We are proud to say that we live in West Virginia.  We rais... 11/21/2013

Whether you are going to be buying a home for the first time or not, the following tips will help you to ensure that what you end up buying is what you need and want.  The whole process of buying a home can be a very scary one; by following the tips listed below you can make it more exciting! Step One – Know how much you can afford This is the most important factor, you do not want to be excited by a home and believe it to be the perfect home for you and your family, only to realize that it is quadruple the amount you can afford to spend!  Most sellers are negotiable on their price, but no one is going to negotiate lower than their base, which could be way higher than your ceiling!  For example, a home for $450,000 is not going to drop down to $200,000 just because you cannot afford mor... 12/21/2012

One Reason NOT to Buy Your Dream Home Buying a home for the first time can be very intimidating. So many possibilities. Whether on paper or mentally, lists are made of what you want in your first home. Since this is such a major purchase, and something you are going to be living in for at least a few years, you want to make sure you find that perfect house with all the features you have dreamed of. But there is one reason you shouldn't wait to buy your dream home. It may not exist! Often times, either the budget is too small for the features desired or the list is so long that finding everything in one house would be impossible for Sherlock Holmes. By holding out for the dream home, you could be passing up many houses for sale that would be a great fit for you, dragging your search on f... 11/24/2012

Avoid the Fine and register your rental property in Charleston, WVSince July 1, 2010 the City of Charleston, WV has required all landlords who offer houses, apartments, or rooms for rent to register with the city. This is an effort on part of the city government to maintain all available rental property is up to code and safe for potential tenants.Each individual unit has to be registered within 30 days of being made available to rent. Once you acquire the property, you only have to register once, and not once between each tenant.Registration is simple and can be done online by clicking here: https://rentalregistration.cityofcharleston.org/login.phpThere is no cost to register, and once completed they will send you a license each year per unit.If you do not register your property and yo... 11/22/2012

Charleston WV October 2012 Home Sales Report October 2012 Real Estate Report Homes Sold: 8 Average Sales Price: $182,325 Homes Currently on the Market: 70 Homes Currently Under Contract: 12 Average Days On the Market: 133   The East End and areas surrounding the Downtown of Charleston saw some improvement in sales over last year same period, but lingered on the market for longer. The average sales price in 2011 was $164,833 but only took 83 days to sale. The East End is a historic district with stately homes and great amenities like the Charleston Town Center, downtown Charleston, the State Capitol Complex and Haddad Riverfront Park. 11/19/2012

North Charleston WV October 2012 Home Sales Report October 2012 Real Estate Report Homes Sold: 7 Average Sales Price: $133414 Homes Currently on the Market: 47 Homes Currently Under Contract: 7 Average Days On the Market: 80   North Charleston showed some sluggishness compared to other markets, but did show improvement over same period in 2011. Only 4 homes for an average price of over $67,000 were sold, staying on the market for 60 days. 11/15/2012

Charleston South Hills October 2012 Home Sales Report October 2012 Real Estate Report Homes Sold: 18 Average Sales Price: $281,237 Homes Currently on the Market: 102 Homes Currently Under Contract: 32 Average Days On the Market: 62   Charleston's South Hills neighborhood showed a great improvement over same period last year. The sales price did not differ much, $238,240 in 2011, but the days on the market was almost double at 103. All in all, only 10 homes sold in October 2011. The South Hills community offers beautiful views overlooking downtown Charleston and is home to George Washington High School, a National School of Excellence. 11/14/2012

West Side of Charleston October 2012 Home Sales Report October 2012 Real Estate Report Homes Sold: 12 Average Sales Price: $96,608 Homes Currently on the Market: 94 Homes Currently Under Contract: 20 Average Days On the Market: 109   The historic West Side of Charleston is a good community for first time home buyers, or buyers who need more affordable housing. The average sales price was $96,608 in October, while for the same period last year the average price was $70,160. Located across the Elk River from downtown Charleston, the West Side is convenient to all of Charleston's amenities.   11/13/2012

Kanawha City WV October 2012 Home Sales Report October 2012 Real Estate Report Homes Sold: 4 Average Sales Price: $193,750 Homes Currently on the Market: 52 Homes Currently Under Contract: 7 Average Days On the Market: 102   Kanawha City is a planned neighborhood in Charleston. As recently as the 1930's it was largely undeveloped, even though it was located just across the river from downtown Charleston. For last year, same period, Kanawha City market had 4 homes sold, but at a price of $290,750 and only 63 days on the market.   11/12/2012

Santa Claus is coming to Charleston Town Center Mall. November, 2012.   It's that time of the year again! Jolly ol' Saint Nick will be coming to the Charleston Town Center Mall on November 8, 2012. This year he will be joined by Bob The Builder to help kick off the fun. Events start at 5:45PM in Center Court and ends at Santa's Frosty Forest located outside Sears. If you can't make it for the kick-off, you can visit and take photos with Santa in the frosty forest each day.   If you don't have a chimney for Santa Claus to come down this year, there is still time! Contact Dale Samples, REALTOR to assist you in your home buying process. 11/04/2012

Moved! 2012 Trick or Treat Times in Charleston WV Area With Hurricane Sandy bearing down on the east coast, the county commissions for Kanawha and Putnam have moved the Trick or Treat time to Thursday, November 1 from 6pm until 8pm. This includes the following communities: Dunbar Cross Lanes Charleston Saint Albans South Charleston Institute Nitro Teays Valley Hurricane Winfield Scott Depot All unincorporated areas of Kanawha & Putnam Counties. The weather for Thursday looks to be a big improvement from Tuesday evening. The current forecast from The Weather Channel shows it as a high of 45 and a low of 34 with only a 30% chance of rain.     image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net 10/29/2012

A Field of Screams and other Charleston WV area Haunted Houses Check out these haunted houses in the Charleston area for some frightful fun: Crawl through a barn with ghouls, goblins, and criminally insane chasing you? Yes, Please! Make your way to The Haunted Barn located on the East End of Charleston. Tickets are only $10 per person. The Haunted Barn is open from 7pm until Midnight October 13, 20, 27 and November 3. This field of dreams turns into a field of screams October 19, 20, 26, & 27 at the Corn Maze located a short drive from Charleston to Milton, WV.  Ghoul's in at Scareview Grave School. Each Friday & Saturday until October 27 from 7pm until Midnight and is located in the former Fariview Grade School in St. Albans.   For a un-frightful home buying or selling process in Charl... 10/10/2012

Am I Buying A Meth House? What is Meth? Short for methamphetamine, it is an illegal home cooked psycho-stimulant drug with ingredients that may include paint thinner, Freon, starter fluid, lye, Drano, and battery acid to name a few. Once the highly addictive drug is cooked and smoked or inhaled, a euphoric feeling is provided to the user. Explosions that can level an entire home are possible due to the volatile elements. If caught the residence must be remediated to remove all hazardous substances that may have been dumped into the plumbing or absorbed into the ventilation system and walls during the creation process. What is the Danger of Meth Residue? If only soft goods, such as furniture and drapes, are destroyed while leaving the rest of the home unabated, a danger still exsists to... 07/29/2012

THIS is why you have a home inspection! It is tempting to save money when buying a house by skipping inspections. This is a perfect example of why you should have a home inspection. I had a showing today at a cute little home that had some nice upgrades and a nice deck off the kitchen. This is a picture of the support system under the deck. It was only view able if you looked between the boards. I don't believe the homeowner was trying to deceive anyone. This deck project was most likely a do-it-yourself job. Which sometimes means that it isn't up to proper safety code. I'm not a home inspector, but I believe after a few years of rain pouring downhill coupled with movement of the deck associated with regular use and this could lead to a potential disaster. A home inspector will go over ... 04/30/2012

Erasing History. They Just Don't Make Them Like That Anymore The Central United Methodist Church was built on the West Side of Charleston, WV in 1912. The church closed in 2008. The building will be torn down to make way for a new retail store. The pictures were taken after the church was stripped of all of it's stain glass windows during a recent auction. I know it is a sign of progress. We can't hold onto everything, but it sure does tug at my heart that the beautiful and historic building couldn't be converted to some other use. 04/29/2012

Save $350.12 per sq ft and live here! Where is that you ask? Charleston, WV! A recent REALTOR.org article listed the Top 5 most affordable markets in the U.S. The per square foot cost for each of these Top 5 markets ranged from $62.45 up to $69.04. While Charleston, WV real estate did make the Top 5, isn't far off. Using data from homes that SOLD from January 1 to March 31st, 2012, the median square footage was $70.87. The median cost for a home during this same period was $126,550. In addition to affordable real estate for sale, Charleston, WV also has a great family atmosphere and low crime rate. By the way, San Francisco came in at the most expensive real estate for sale at $420.99 per square foot.   *Picture taken by Dale Samples.   04/24/2012

Much press has been devoted to the housing market and it’s seemingly bottomless free fall. Truth of the matter is, if you are financially able and considering buying a home, this market is ideal.  Let’s explore three reasons why.   Interest Rates Mortgage rates have plummeted to lows not seen in over 50 years.  A Freddie Mac survey reports that a 15 year fixed mortgage is now 3.14%. If you were to obtain a mortgage for $150,000 four years ago, the payment would have been $1277.16. That same mortgage today would save you $231.16 a month. Over the life of the loan, the savings would total $41,608.80!   Affordability Scan the Charleston WV real estate listings for sale and you will notice that there are numerous homes of good quality that are surprisingly affordable for someone of even a m... 02/09/2012

UNDER CONTRACT: Investment Property in Charleston, WV SOLD: May 30, 2012 Vacant after several years, this home situated on the corner of Joseph Street in downtown Charleston, WV, has finally found a new owner. Featuring a beautiful stone fireplace, lovely tin ceiling in the kitchen and a stunning wood ceiling in the living room, this home is also conveniently located two blocks from the Town Center Mall and Charleston Civic Center Arena.  Dale Samples, REALTOR serving the Teays Valley, Cross Lanes, and Charleston area found a new buyer in a little over 90 days.   01/27/2012