We would like to thank all those who visited our website this year. Hopefully this has been a valuable resource for you as you chose where to buy or build a home on the Northern Neck. Here are some of this year's happenings with Packett Properties:

1) Packett Properties completed Town Center Village: a 16-unit, multi-family building in Warsaw, VA. Town Center Village is comprised of two 16-unit buildings that provides affordable luxury housing nestled between Rappahannock Community College Warsaw Campus and downtown Warsaw. Providing residents, great location to all of Warsaw's ammenities. To find out more, visit PackettRentals.com.

2) A waterview home was completed on Lot 10 of The Landing at Totuskey Creek. This beautiful home boasts an open floor plan, large kitchen and living area, a main floor master bedroom (with walk-in closet), bonus room, and multiple upgrades. The owner built the house as a 'trial' home and is now looking to sell it to build a waterfront home on Lot 2. Apparently the trial is over... visit Century 21 to see the listing.

3) A waterfront home is nearing completion on Lot 7 of The Landing at Totuskey Creek. The proud owners of this home have been integral in the planing and design process. Working closely with Packett Builders, Inc. the owners have had the home built  to their exact specifications.

4) Packett Builders, Inc. freshly renovated a waterfront cottage on Piscataway Creek. This home (now on the market) offers gorgeous views, private boat ramp, fresh landscaped yard, oversized deck for entertaining, deep water and detached shed for all of your nautical storage needs. With two master bedrooms (three total) ALL bedrooms have a view of creek. For more information visit OakStone Properties.

5) Homes, additions, and renovations. Packett Properties had the opportunity to work with customers in all phases of home construtction. Thank you for all those who turn to us for your construction needs. It's been a great year!

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

-From Packett Properties

There are many advantages to building a home on a lot rather than buying a home on the northern neck. Why should you look for a Lot to build on in the northern neck rather than an buying an existing home? 

1) Your house is truly, your house. You can tailor the floor plan, kitchen layout, color themes, and window design to your specifications. All too often someone buys a home and says, "We really like this house except..." When you build your own house, you'll be able to say, "I love my house, no exceptions!" One example is the kitchen. Kitchens have been traditionally smaller in size, but as we now socialize more in the kitchen, you can talor the layout to your needs.

2) No need to renovate. The costs involved in renovating an existing home are already tied into your house. Rather than re-roofing, re-painting, putting in hardwood instead of carpet - tile instead of laminant, you work with your builder to build the home the way you want it, where you want it. 

3) Fewer 'bugs'... literally and figuratively! There are no hidden problems, mice, bugs, mold, etc. and the possibility of these future problems is reduced as well. Some homes have inconvenient Waterfront properties can be more prone to some of these problems that are very avoidable by building a new home. 

4) Efficiency. Homes today are built much more energy efficient than ever before. Your energy costs can be significantly reduced by building a new home. Also, there will be less repairs costs; the appliances, pump, well, HVAC, and roof won't need repairs for years. 

5) Security. Most builders of new homes will offer a one year warranty incase something isn't built to specifications or there is a malfunction. This significantly stabilizes your monthly costs for the extent of the warranty and in the next five to ten years.

Building a home can be a great experience that makes your dream home a reality. To find out more about building a home on the northern neck, or to check out what Packett Properties has to offer, visit The Landing At Totuskey Creek. 

Framing your new home is an exciting time as the home will seemingly rise from dust. Framing a house usually takes a couple weeks (depending on the size of the house and size of the crew). So each day, you'll see it grow. This is the first time you'll also get to 'see' the house actually come to fruition. 

Interestingly, framing hasn't changed very much over time. Old homes have many of the same framing concepts that we use today. While the materials (wood, sometimes metal) haven't changed, the tools have. You'll still see a hammer on the construction site but framing is much faster because of the development of nail-guns, air compressors, laser balances, and other technologically advanced tools.

 A good carpenter should not be over looked when building your home. After a house is built, it will shift, settle, and adjust; this adjustment will take 3 to 5 years to occur.  If you've used a good carpenter to frame the house, you'll save yourself a lot of headaches as cracks and splits in the walls and ceilings will be minimal, if non-existent. If you don't use a good carpenter, you'll spend thousands of dollars in repairs well after the home is finished. Do some research to find a good contractor that takes pride in their work.                                       

"The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining" - John F. Kennedy (1962)

If you make a good decision when you first build a home, then you won't have to repair the roof that often. There are many different roof options you should consider so we'll review a few.

1) Good 'ol Shingles:

'Regular' or 3-tab shingles have the least amount of cost when roofing. They're made of asphalt, light (in weight), and rectangular. They usually get the job done for 15-20 years. As with all types of roofs, if you live in a harsher climate, the longevity goes down. If you don't want to be on your roof very often, this isn't the option to consider.

Architectural shingles (above) are a higher grade asphalt shingle that includes some type of reinforcement (usually fiberglass). These shingles are rated to last 25 to 30 years. They are also thicker and have a 'textured' look that covers up minor imperfections. These shingles will cost you about 25% more than regular shingles.

2) Metal

Metal roofing is a major upgrade from shingles. A metal roof is rated at 50+ years. They are more wind/water resistant and save an owner in heating and cooling costs. Many roofs are also made of recycled metal. There is a signifcantly larger upfront cost but you probably won't re-roof your home during your life time with a metal roof.

3) Others

There are several other ways to roof your home: Clay, Tar and Gravel, Wood Shingles, etc. but because they are less common in residential real estate this post won't review these.

Happy Roofing!