October 2008 Newsletter - Return to Home Page
Welcome to October 2008. The temperatures are falling and leaves are changing across Nelson County and Wintergreen Resort. My Fall Foliage Guide, on www.ExperienceNelsonCounty.com and www.ExperienceWintergreen.com, is visited by hundreds of web readers a week.
Peak Fall Foliage & Halloween
Peak weekends for Fall foliage are predicted to be October 25-26, October 31-November 2 and November 8-9th. Check out my free daily blog for weekly updates on leaf color. With temperatures in the 40’s at night, the leaves will quickly change. Read the Fall Foliage Guide for a leaf color chart and a Virginia toll free number for leaf watchers.
The Wintergreen Nature Foundation will celebrate the beautiful Fall foliage all month with guided hikes on the weekends. Visit their web site at www.twnf.org for hike schedules and for information about their Fall Festival in October.
Wintergreen Resort will celebrate Halloween on both weekends of October 25-26 and October 31-November 2nd. Bring your costume for a lot of fun trick-or treating in the resort. There is even a teen party planned. Check out the special section on the resort’s web site, www.WintergreenResort.com
It is not too late to book lodging for these popular weekends. Check out www.VRBO.com and www.WintergreenResort.com for lodging details. My Blog Archive also has a library of information on lodging across Nelson County.
Since the temperatures are dropping, don’t forget to bring a sweatshirt, sweater or light jacket when visiting Nelson County. Remember, our temperatures are at least 10 degress cooler than many metro areas.
October is Virginia Wine Month
If you love Virginia wine, now is the time to visit Nelson County. October is Virginia Wine Month, and the many wineries across Nelson County are celebrating for the entire month.
Many of our wineries have beautiful views of mountains and valleys. All allow for you to bring a picnic and enjoy the views. Tastings are available at all the county’s wineries. The October calendar is packed with autumn wine events. (see the calendar on either of my web sites)
Here’s a list of the wineries in Nelson County:
Afton Mountain Vineyard www.AftonMountainVineyards.com
Cardinal Point Vineyard & Winery www.CardinalPointWinery.com
DelFosse Vineyards & Winery www.DelFosseWine.com
Flying Fox Vineyard www.FlyingFoxVineyard.com
Hill Top Berry Farm & Winery www.HillTopBerryWine.com
Lovingston Winery www.LovingstonWinery.com
Mountain Cove Vineyards www.MountainCoveVineyards.com
Veritas Vineyard & Winery www.VeritasWines.com
Wintergreen Vineyard & Winery www.WintergreenWinery.com
What’s Going On with Real Estate?
Since the economic crisis has become the lead story in America, I have received many questions about real estate in Nelson County and Wintergreen Resort. Many have asked for the foreclosure or short sale list for the county or resort. Thankfully, we do not have many foreclosures or short sales in either the county or Wintergreen Resort. We are not handing out a “Foreclosure List” in Wintergreen Resort—there have only been a few in the last three years. That said, it is a great time to purchase property in either Nelson County or Wintergreen Resort.
There are some value priced properties listed for sale. Here are a few examples from Wintergreen Resort:
Studio Condo for $115,000
One Bedroom Condo in the $120K's
Ski Out Condo in the low $300Ks
A Renovated 3BR home for less than $315K
Building Lots less than $100K
Both of my web sites, www.ExperienceNelsonCounty.com and www.ExperienceWintergreen.com have all of the county and resort listings—updated every morning.
Can I still get a loan for a property in Nelson County or Wintergreen Resort? Yes, loans are still available. I received many emails with this question in the past two weeks; so, I contacted Sun Trust to hear their response.
"The financial market has been on a roller coaster ride with the news of the $700 billion dollar rescue package. Mortgage rates have seesawed between 5.875% and 6.5% on the 30 year fixed rate mortgage for clients with great credit. While getting the best interest rate may be a matter of good timing getting the funds from SunTrust can be done at anytime. We are continuing to lend money to qualified buyers with Conventional, Jumbo and FHA loans. Please let you clients know if they are ready to purchase that perfect primary residence, second home or investment property we will be here to help them."
Call Ken Mextorf 434-984-7210 for additional information about mortgage loans. He is in the Charlottesville office of Sun Trust.
So, with low interest rates and value priced properties, now is the time to buy in Nelson County and Wintergreen Resort.
Preview of Ski Season 08/09
When will Ski Season 08/09 launch? The “official” word around the resort is December 12th. If you have not heard, the Farmers’ Almanac is predicting a very cold and snowy Winter, possibly even starting in November. So, if we do receive an early Winter, Ski Season could start early. Keep an eye on my daily blog as I will be posting all updates immediately. I will also be posting information about value-priced lodging options.
Yesterday, I picked up the 08/09 Guide to Ski Season. The arrival of the Winter Snow Sports Guide is always a sign that the season is near. If you would like to receive the guide by snail mail, send me an email at kim@ExperienceNelsonCounty.com This year’s guide includes Winter lodging rates, specials and packages, holiday celebrations, lift ticket and rental information and information on season passes.
Buy your Season Pass now before the prices go up. Right now, the price is $219. Visit www.WintergreenResort.com. Purchase on line and save money this month. Day ticket prices for adults are $65 on weekends and $47 mid-week. Rentals are $36 a day for adults.
NEW: Ridgely’s Fun Park opens for the 08/09 Ski Season! Families with small children will find all the excitement they need at this new park. Open on weekends and holidays with one-hour sessions. The new park will have snow forts, tubing and a carousel. One hour sessions are only $10.
Guaranteed Learn to Ski or Ride: Wintergreen brings back their popular program for another year. If you want to learn to ski or ride, this is a value-packed program. Find out details on the resort web site, www.WintergreenResort.com
Tubing: Wintergreen has Virginia’s largest tubing park. Tickets are sold for two-hour sessions. Pricing includes $18 for mid-week and $25 for weekends and holidays.
Kid’s Programs: Again this year, Wintergreen Resort will host a wide range of kid’s Winter activities for ages 2 ½ to teen. Request the guide by mail for full details and pricing.
Value Priced Rentals are Here…
If you are looking for a value priced rental for this Fall or Winter, here are two options through VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owner)
326 Dobie: Ski-Side 2BR condo with many extras in Wintergreen Resort. Visit www.IIMoose.com
Tye River Cabin near Appalachian Trail and Crabtree Falls. 1BR cabin for $99 a night! (plus tax and cleaning fee) Short drive to Wintergreen Resort and many Nelson County attractions.
Visit www.VRBO.com and enter rental number 200441
Wintergreen Resort is running a 20% off Fall special on lodging. Visit www.WintergreenResort.com for all of the details.
I hope to see you in beautiful Nelson County soon…
Kim Chappell is a graduate from the Realtor Institute and is an agent with Wintergreen Resort Premier Properties, the official real estate office of Wintergreen Resort. Kim also lists and sells property in beautiful Nelson County. Contact Kim Chappell at kim@ExperienceNelsonCounty.com or 434-238-2430. The Free Daily Blog is posted on both www.ExperienceNelsonCounty.com and www.ExperienceWintergreen.com