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Housing InterpreteR CURRENT TRENDS IN REAL ESTATE AND THE RICHMOND REGION A PUBLICATION OF THE RICHMOND ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
JUNE 2016
2016 Homearama at Hallsley Features an Eclectic Mix of ‘Dream Homes’
IN THIS ISSUE: • THE CENTRAL VIRGINIA REGIONAL MLS RELEASES THREE NEW POSTERS PROMOTING THE LOCAL REGION AND REALTOR® EXPERTISE • THE HOME BUILDING ASSOCIATION OF RICHMOND PRESENTS HOMEARAMA 2016 • THE CITY OF RICHMOND CELEBRATES ITS 60th ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS • WATER INTRUSION: CAUSES AND PREVENTATIVE MEASURES
WeAreTheR.com
The Central Virginia Regional MLS Releases Three New Posters Promoting the Local Region and REALTOR® Expertise by Kate Landis, Marketing and Public Relations Manager, Richmond Association of REALTORS® and Central Virginia Regional MLS
As
part of an annual brand-strengthening marketing campaign to demonstrate the local expertise of Realtors®, the Central Virginia Regional Multiple Listing Service (CVR MLS) has teamed up with local creative agency Punch this year to develop a series of posters in a modernized vintage travel poster style, each highlighting a specific attraction or locality of the Richmond or Tri-Cities region. The tagline on each poster is: “Realtors® are the expert local guides.” Headlines of these posters encourage the public to establish residency in the region—mimicking retro airline posters which encouraged regional tourism. By completion of the campaign in November 2016, nine pieces of original artwork will be released to the public and made available to download free at the campaign website WeAreTheR.com. CVR MLS released a special addition holiday poster last December to unveil the 2016 campaign, capturing some of Richmond’s most cherished holiday traditions. CVR MLS released three new posters March 1, including: “Live a Well-Crafted Life in Richmond,” featuring the region’s craft beer industry; “Live Among Nature,” featuring the James River park system; and “Live Among the Arts,” featuring ‘Arts in the Park’ and ‘Festival of the Arts’ at Byrd Park and Dogwood Dell. The three posters released June 1 included: “Live Among the Foodies,” depicting GrowRVA’s
‘South of the James Farmers Market;’ “Live the Smooth-Sailing Life in Chesterfield,” capturing a scene by the Swift Creek Reservoir; and “Live, Work, and Play in Henrico,” depicting the ‘Innsbrook Afterhours’ concert series. “I love this concept!” said Karen Grisevich, Founder and Owner of GrowRVA “We are a neighborhood market and appreciate the positive comments we often see about South of the James in real estate listings. How cool is it to be able to walk or bike to the market?” she added. The Crossroads Art Center on Staples Mill Road. will feature the artwork released to-date in an exhibit in Gallery One from July 15th through September 3rd. An open house and artist reception will be held for the exhibit on Friday, July 15th, from 6pm to 9pm. “It is a very creative marketing campaign,” said Jennifer Kirby, Owner and Exhibitions Director for Crossroads Art Center. “And with Crossroads Art Center being the largest source for local art in RVA, it seemed like a natural partnership to feature the posters as an exhibit,” she added. To complete the series of nine, three final posters will be released to the public on September 1,
“It is a very creative marketing campaign,” said Jennifer Kirby, Owner and Exhibitions Director for Crossroads Art Center. “And with Crossroads Art Center being the largest source for local art in RVA, it seemed like a natural partnership to feature the posters as an exhibit,” she added. including two new posters and a re-release of the holiday poster. The campaign includes heavy use of social media to share the artwork and information on topics related to the region and home ownership, primarily through Pinterest and Facebook. The official hashtag is #RVAGuides. ■
Come see the posters displayed in Gallery One at Crossroads Art Center’s open house and artist reception Friday, July 15, 2016, 6pm-9pm.
FOLLOW THE CAMPAIGN:
#RVAGUIDES Click on one of the icons above.
Virginia Credit Union A reliable partner for REALTORS® and their clients. Today’s REALTORS® operate in a fast-paced, competitive market. When an attractive property becomes available, a REALTOR® who moves swiftly and confidently is generally in the best position to help their clients make an offer and reach their goals. Virginia Credit Union is one of the largest locallybased financial institutions in the Richmond area. With a substantial and growing team of dedicated mortgage loan officers, Virginia Credit Union is working hard to meet the needs of Richmond area REALTORS®, helping you serve your clients effectively. In 2015, Virginia Credit Union closed more than 1,300 mortgage loans valued at nearly $215 million. The credit union now boasts 18 mortgage loan officers and is on track to grow to 25 over the next 12 months. Wide range of products Local area REALTORS® may not realize what a wide range of mortgage products Virginia Credit Union offers. In additional to conventional mortgages, the credit union offers attractive programs for first time home buyers; government options from FHA, VHDA, VA and USDA with reduced down payment requirements; and programs including jumbo loans and land-only loans for specific situations. That wide mix of products belies the stereotype that credit unions only underwrite the most basic mortgages or only serve one type of member. No matter who your clients are, chances are good that Virginia Credit Union will have a mortgage program to fit their particular situation. As they work to find homes to meet their clients needs, goals, desires and aspirations, Richmond area REALTORS® must take a huge number of factors into account. They are justifiably proud of their work as advocates on their client’s behalf. Virginia Credit Union shares that philosophy. As a member-owned cooperative, our purpose is to be a trusted provider of financial services and to help your clients gain confidence over every aspect of their financial lives. For more information on our loan process, programs and for a personal mortgage loan officer contact, visit us at www.vacu.org/realtor.
Benefits of working with Virginia Credit Union Proactive communications
Knowing how critical ongoing communication is throughout the mortgage process, Virginia Credit Union has put processes in place to keep applicants and REALTORS® informed. With regular updates, you and your clients will be informed every step of the way.
Work to your closing date “Mortgage loan officers take personal responsibility for the prompt closing of loans,” says Mortgage Sales Manager Alan Cannaday. “Diligent loan officers see to it that everyone who touches the loan file does so promptly and accurately as possible.”
One-stop shop In another benefit, Virginia Credit Union can provide a one-stop shop for your clients. By offering home buyer education, mortgage loans, title insurance, and homeowner’s insurance from a central point, lost time is reduced and a smoother process is assured. These varied steps can be handled directly from Virginia Credit Union or its affiliated partners.
vacu.org/realtor Federally insured by NCUA
If you have a message for Richmond REALTORS®, homebuyers, or homeowners, please contact kwhitlow@rarealtors.com
Annual Three-Month Festival Features Free Outdoor Music, Dance, and Theater Performances for Families
One of the many privileges that comes with being a local Richmonder is enjoying a three-month long multicultural ‘Festival of the Arts’ each summer at the Dogwood Dell outdoor amphitheater. This year, the City of Richmond will celebrate its 60th season of the event, bringing a wide variety of free performances for local families to enjoy together in the open air. Featured acts this year include jazz, salsa, pop, classic rock, gospel, folk, choral and opera musical acts; the classic theater production “Arsenic and Old Lace”; ballet; African dance; the musical theater comedy “Spamalot,” adapted from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail;” and a concert of popular opera and Broadway selections, performed by soloists and a chorus from the Virginia Opera, and accompanied by the Richmond Symphony Orchestra. The event kicked off with Memorial Day celebrations and two performances by the Richmond Ballet. Catch some of the many remaining performances at Dogwood Dell this summer:
JUNE 10 Latin Ballet 11 Kings of Swing
JULY 8:30p.m. 2 Elegba Folklore Society
4 4th of July Events
Big Band, Swing, Pop
8p.m.
Folk
8p.m. 5 4th of July Rain Date
12 Susan Greenbaum 17 Plunky and Oneness
AUGUST 8p.m. 5-6 “Spamalot” Musical Theater
8 City Dance Theater
8p.m. 9 Crooked Road
8:30p.m.
River City Party Band 12 8p.m. 20 Latin Jazz Festival 4p.m. 5:30p.m. 27 Opera in the Park 7:30p.m. 8:30p.m. 28 Opera in the Park
Bak N Da Day, Richmond Concert Band, Fireworks at Dark 5:30p.m.
Rain Date 7:30p.m. Appalachian, mountain, and roots At “Theater in the Pines” (Pine Camp): music/dance 8p.m. 40th Anniversary 8p.m. July 17 “An Afternoon of Native 10 Gospel Music Fest 19 David Esleck Trio American Culture” 4p.m. with The Belle 5p.m. July 22, 23 The On Air Special Guests Desiree Roots 15 East of Hollywood Centeio and Cathy Motley-Fitch Radio Players 8p.m. Rock Classics 8p.m. July 24 The On Air of The Richmond Divas 8p.m. 16 English Channel Radio Players 4p.m. 24-26 “Arsenic and Old Lace” British Pop 8p.m. July 17 “An Afternoon of Theater Production 8:30p.m. Inspirational Music” 29-31 “Spamalot” Cora Armstrong 4p.m. Musical Theater 8:30p.m. Jazz Fusion
18 One Voice Chorus
For more information on this event, visit Richmond.gov/parks. To download a free poster commemorating this event, visit WeAreTheR.com/rva-guides-posters.
The Home Building Association of Richmond Presents Homearama 2016 Local Home Show Draws About 10,000 Visitors Annually
Each year, the Home Building Association of
Richmond showcases several new construction homes within a selected community at Homearama, a local home show displaying builders’ skill and craftsmanship, as well as current trends in residential architecture and design. This year, the home show will be held in Hallsley, located in Northwestern Chesterfield County. The homes generally tend to include some extraordinary features; but this year, with nine featured homes spanning a $950,000 to $1.3 million price range and no fewer than 4,000 square feet, participating builders have created over the top interior and exterior spaces that will no doubt spark visitors’ curiosity and fuel ‘dream home’ fantasies.
“This year’s show is an eclectic combination of your wildest dream homes,” said Connie Pollard, Senior Vice President of Marketing for East West Communities, the developer for Hallsley.
Builders featured this year include:
• Bel Arbor Builders • Biringer Builders • Falcone Custom Homes • Homeplaces, Ltd. • Homesmith Construction • Perkinson Homes • Ray Williams Custom Homes • Southern Traditions • TimberCreek Building & Design While last year’s model homes heavily featured the trending craftsman style architecture, this year’s homes are a mixture of traditional styles, with a mixture of traditional and modern interior designs. A tudor-style home by Biringer Builders was inspired by the historic Richmond tudor mansion Agecroft Hall. It is described as ‘an architecturally perfect tudor on the outside and modern on the inside.’ The landscape outside the home features the first putting green ever seen in Homearama. Another marvel of this home is a glass floor inside a ‘pocket library,’ which overlooks a wine cellar on the story below. A ‘coastal cottage’ style home by Homesmith Construction features a glamorous entry with a double staircase; ‘his and hers’ adjoining master bathrooms with a large, multiple-headed shower connecting the two in the middle with entries on each side; inset
kitchen cabinetry; and a two-story, winding blue slide, which can be accessed from a game room on the second floor. TimberCreek Building & Design’s home features two ‘secret rooms’—a ‘gentlemen’s cigar parlor’ behind a bookcase on the first floor, and a playroom with a rock climbing wall behind bookcases in two upstairs bedrooms.
One of the show’s model homes features a hidden room with a climbing wall.
The Pennsylvania farmhouse style home by Perkinson Homes, with a hand-placed stone facade, includes two cast stone gas fireplaces in the dining and sitting rooms, to the left and right of the foyer; a first floor guest suite; and a ‘sit-in book nook,’ halfway up the staircase.
Common trends in the show’s homes include ample outdoor living and entertaining space; ‘dog washing stations,’ typically located in mudrooms; elaborate ceiling features; exposed bullb lighting; brushed gold and chrome hardware and light fixtures; and Moroccan tiled bathrooms.
The show is open daily 11:00a.m.-6:00p.m., June 4-19, 2016, (plus special event hours). The following special events will be held during the show:
June 7, 5:30 pm –8:30 pm Taste of Richmond:
Favorite local restaurants will serve tastings in each home.
June 9, 5:30 pm–8:30 pm Thursday Night Concert Series: live music, gourmet food trucks, and beer and wine for sale
June 11 & 12, 12:00 pm–4:00 pm Beer & Bluegrass:
local craft beer with live bluegrass music, featuring East of Afton on Saturday and The Slack Family on Sunday.
June 14 Green Front Appreciation Day:
Select pieces of Green Front furniture featured in the show will be for sale throughout the show; so ask a hostess for more information during tours.
June 16, 5:30 pm–8:30 pm Thursday Night Concert Series, featuring The Flat Elvis Band: live music, gourmet food trucks, and beer and wine for sale
June 18 & 19, 12:00 pm–4:00 pm Wine & Jazz:
Enjoy smooth jazz paired with local wines, featuring Eclipse Jazz Quartet Saturday and Richmond Jazz West on Sunday. ■
WATER INTRUSION:
CAUSES AND PREVENTATIVE MEASURES Submitted by Viridiant (formerly known as EarthCraft Virginia)
W ater intrusion is the most common cause of building and building material failure, as well as indoor air quality issues associated with organic growth. As moisture will inevitably enter buildings, they should be designed and built to shed water away and allow evaporation, should moisture infiltrate. There are a number of strategies to minimize water intrusion in buildings. This article will review water movement basics, best practices, and mitigation strategies.
There are four ways in which water is driven into buildings: bulk water1, capillary action2, infiltration3, and inward solar vapor drive4 (interior-generated moisture excluded). See diagram on opposite page.
Image source: BuildingGreen, Inc.
Bulk Water
A conditioned crawlspace has a vapor barrier on the floor, insulation on the foundation walls, no vents to the outside and a slight supply of conditioned air. This strategy offers moisture control for significant improvement in energy efficiency and warm floors.
Capillary Action
Capillary action is what allows trees to pull water out of the ground. In buildings, it can contribute to some serious moisture movement. Water will move up through porous building materials, from wet to dry. Brick, a durable, and often maintenance-free building material, is also very absorbent. Through capillary action, water can move from the damp ground up through the foundation and wall assemblies of a building. Proper site grade of 5% and capillary breaks will prevent the ‘roots’ of the building, the foundation, from pulling water out of the often saturated ground. Enclosing or sealing up vents in traditional vented crawls and slightly pressurizing the space is another moisture mitigation strategy – these are often referred to as ‘conditioned crawlspaces.’ A slightly positive pressure will drive out water vapor and even radon, in some cases. If HVAC equipment is present, a small duct register can be added to provide pressurization. Alternatively, a small in-line fan can be utilized to either supply conditioned air from the home or expel it out of the crawlspace. In addition to sealing the space, a vapor barrier should be properly sealed to the foundation wall and piers with taped or sealed overlapping seams, to prevent ground moisture from entering the conditioned space.
Infiltration
Infiltration is the movement of water into buildings through air movement. Water vapor and air are not stopped by insulation; so we need air sealing strategies. The building envelope needs a defined air barrier and vapor barrier, and these barriers should be continuous (no breaks) and contiguous (touching). Moisture tends to move from areas of higher relative humidity to areas of lower relative humidity. Wall assemblies in mixed-humid climates will ideally have the ability to dry both ways; but, at minimum, they should be able to dry the occupied interior by passively (and sometimes actively) dehumidifying.
Inward Solar Vapor Drive
Inward solar vapor drive means that the heat from the sun on a wet building will multiply the water’s movement into the building. Water moves from wet to dry and heat moves from hot to cold; so, on a rainy, sunny spring day, both forces can potentially be at work, driving water into buildings.
Ventilation
Ventilation within a home can help prevent moisture issues. Humid climates should consider a balanced or positive ventilation strategy. There are many products on the market that can achieve either, and more are added every day. A negative, or exhaust only strategy, should be avoided in Richmond’s climate zone. Putting a building under constant negative pressure encourages uncontrolled, moisture-laden air infiltration through building assemblies and holes in the building envelope. This makes air sealing in your home very important. As well as we seal homes today, they are not air tight and gaps the thickness of a business card will allow large amounts of unfiltered raw air to enter the building envelope. Not only will this contribute to high interior relative humidity, it can also affect comfort and indoor air quality for the occupant.
Dehumidification
Sometimes active, dedicated dehumidification is necessary. Condensation and water vapor movement will occur within buildings that have high interior relative humidity and cold surfaces. Metal surfaces made of material with little thermal resistance and often directly attached to cooling systems, such as duct registers and range hoods, will tend to show signs of condensation first. Dehumidification is an investment to help protect building materials and indoor air quality. Moisture has been a concern in buildings throughout history. We continue to learn better ways to build, with special consideration to how water will move around and through the building system.
Viridiant is here to help.
Viridiant, formerly EarthCraft Virginia, helps homeowners and builders create structures that are more affordable, more livable and more durable. We highlight the undeniably positive benefits of energy efficiency through education, consultation and certification (EarthCraft, Viridiant Net-Zero, and more). The new name recognizes our expansion into Washington, D.C. and Maryland, and our intention to serve a broader range of goals. While Viridiant will continue to serve hundreds of professionals and thousands of homeowners with the EarthCraft family of programs, our goal is to do even more, focusing on our “Three Pillars of Sustainability”: environmental sustainability, economic sustainability and structural sustainability. The EarthCraft family of green building programs, Viridiant’s flagship offering, provides builders third party verification and compliance, with both HERS Index Score and EarthCraft certification. Comprehensive verification and testing ensures that all EarthCraft homes are top quality and a cut above the norm. By incorporating energy and resource efficient designs and systems, all EarthCraft homes demonstrate lowered energy costs—directly translating to monthly utility savings for the homeowners, while lessening the home’s impact on the environment. With energy efficiency at its core, Viridiant’s average HERS is 65 and can get down to single digits on some homes. This means that EarthCraft certified homes are often 35%+ more energy efficient than a standard new home on the market today. Coupling the HERS Index Score with high quality, sustainable construction, EarthCraft builders are bringing the next generation of housing to homeowners. You can expect more from your home with EarthCraft. You’ll notice the difference with these benefits: • • • •
Significant savings on operating and maintenance costs Conservation of energy, water, and natural resources A healthier living environment, with improved air quality A quieter home, with increased comfort and enhanced durability
For more information on Viridiant and the EarthCraft family of programs, green appraisals and their application on high performance housing, or Realtor® training opportunities, contact Viridiant at admin@viridiant.org. ■