Pleasant Prospect Farm on the Market for $15.485M in Eastville, Virginia

Grand waterside historic estate on 170 acres with 1.5 miles of shoreline

Pleasant Prospect Farm, one of Virginia’s greatest historic estates, has come to market, offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a new owner. Built circa 1750, 26 years before the founding of our country and nearly 40 years before George Washington became president, this property, has been lovingly maintained and beautifully updated while retaining its fine architectural details and grandeur.

Located at 2186 Pleasant Prospect Lane in Eastville, Virginia, the 170-acre country estate, is on its own peninsula on an inlet of the Chesapeake Bay, less than 250 miles from Washington, D.C., 135 miles from Richmond and 50 miles from Virginia Beach. The property is listed by Melissa Dooley with Long & Foster’s Kitty Hawk-Outer Banks, North Carolina office and is being offered for $15.485 million.

The estate includes a nearly 3400 square foot manor home with an 800-bottle wine cellar, two guest houses -one with a pizza kitchen, two garages accommodating nine vehicles, a full woodworking shop, gym, sauna, massage room and a pool house featuring a luxurious Roman style bath with water views. Enjoy spectacular water views from several outdoor spaces including a large brick patio and firepit – ideal for family gatherings or large-scale events.

“This is a rare opportunity to own an historic waterfront estate with substantial acreage, offering the utmost in privacy, close to D.C., Richmond, and Virginia Beach,” said Dooley. “In addition to the incredible residence and setting, there is an extensive additional space for grand scale indoor and outdoor entertaining, which also has great potential for other uses.”

At the entrance to the estate, you’ll know ‘you’ve arrived’ as you’re met by a regal brick entrance marker with “Pleasant Prospect Farm” on it. Traveling down the long private driveway, you’ll be amazed by the property’s park-like setting with fields, woods, a variety of fruit trees, and gardens for cut flowers, herbs and vegetables. A first glimpse of the main home is breathtaking, set against the backdrop of the Cherrystone Inlet on the Chesapeake Bay.

Greet your guests in style in the grand foyer with its original molding and ceiling beams, which are found throughout many of the first-floor formal rooms. The foyer is open to the spacious dining room, where your dinner parties will be remembered. The living room is the perfect place to gather to watch the game or a movie with friends and family or to enjoy a good book.

It will be easy to prepare a family meal or cook for a crowd in the spacious kitchen with a Wolfe double oven, range and griddle, two sinks, two dishwashers and plenty of cabinetry for dishes and cookware. The kitchen is an architectural statement in itself with a wooden cathedral ceiling and a large arched window, bathing the room in natural sunlight.

On this level, you’ll also find the owner’s suite with outstanding water views. Open the door from the suite to enjoy morning coffee or yoga on the porch, while connecting with nature and listening to the many migrating songbirds on the property. The spa-like bathroom has double sinks, a large shower and beautiful tile craftmanship.

Upstairs, there are two comfortable bedrooms with beamed ceilings, original hardwood flooring and a bathroom with a blue nautical theme. There are also two second floor balconies on the front and back of the home, offering relaxing water views.

A few of the other features of this outstanding property include geo-thermal HVAC system in the main home, a generator in each house, a dock, several clam beds and a mile and a half of shoreline.

Learn more about 2186 Pleasant Prospect Lane by clicking here. For more information about Long & Foster, visit LongandFoster.com.

Rachel Foster Named Managing Broker of Long & Foster’s McLean, Great Falls and McLean Elm Sales Offices

Long & Foster Real Estate has announced Rachel Foster will become the managing broker of its McLean, Great Falls and McLean Elm sales offices. Foster most recently served as managing broker for the Charlottesville-Old Ivy, Charlottesville-West and Staunton/Waynesboro offices. Prior to joining the Charlottesville area leadership team, Foster served as sales manager for the McLean, Virginia sales office.

“I look forward to returning to Northern Virginia to lead the talented team of real estate professionals there to help them build their real estate careers, while they assist buyers and sellers to achieve their homeownership dreams,” said Foster.

As a real estate leader, Foster leverages the expertise from her nearly 20-year education career, as well as her experiences selling, to craft invaluable business development and mentoring programs for Long & Foster sales associates.

Long & Foster Real Estate is the nation’s No. 1 real estate company as part of HomeServices of America, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate.

For more information, visit longandfoster.com.

Long & Foster Announces Leadership Changes in Charlottesville and Staunton/Waynesboro Offices

Long & Foster Real Estate has announced office leadership changes in their Charlottesville and Staunton/Waynesboro offices.

Rachel Foster will be transferring to Northern Virginia to become managing broker of Long & Foster’s McLean, Great Falls and McLean Elm Sales offices. Foster most recently served as managing broker for the Charlottesville-Old Ivy, Charlottesville-West and Staunton/Waynesboro offices. Prior to joining the Charlottesville area leadership team, Foster served as sales manager for the McLean, Virginia sales office.

Kevin Wilberger has been promoted to branch manager for Long & Foster’s Charlottesville Old Ivy, Charlottesville West and Staunton/Waynesboro offices. Most recently, Wilberger was the sales manager in those offices.

“I’m excited and looking forward to my new role as branch manager and am committed to continuing support to all of the agents in those offices for their success,” said Wilberger.

Wilberger is the recipient of several awards, including Long & Foster’s Rising Star Award and the 2020 Outstanding Service Award. A Charlottesville native, Wilberger and his wife, Suzanne, continue to live there and enjoy all the area has to offer. Wilberger is well respected in the Charlottesville real estate community and is involved in various philanthropic endeavors in Tanzania and Honduras.

“We congratulate Rachel and Kevin on their new opportunities,” said Dawn Bradley, Long & Foster’s senior regional vice president of the Richmond, Hampton Roads and Charlottesville regions. “Both of their positive and proactive approaches have benefitted our agents and will continue to do so.”

“Rachel and Kevin have a track record of successful leadership of three productive offices,” said Larry “Boomer” Foster, president of Long & Foster Real Estate. “They will both continue to leverage their leadership, mentoring skills and enthusiasm to serve the offices they’ll lead in their new roles.”

Long & Foster Real Estate is the nation’s No. 1 real estate company as part of HomeServices of America, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate.

For more information, visit longandfoster.com.

Remembering Soren Arn-Oelschlegel

Our Long & Foster family is devastated by the tragic loss of our beloved colleague and friend, Soren Arn-Oelschlegel. An accomplished Realtor in our Smithfield Suffolk office in the Hampton Roads region, Soren (41) fell victim to a terrible crime on Oct. 8, 2021.

‘Unusual Name, Uncommon Service’

Soren grew up in the industry—his father, a general contractor and home inspector for most of his life, and his mother, a Realtor—and that lifelong experience instilled in Soren a passion for real estate and for helping people.

In his business, Soren leveraged the tagline, “Unusual Name, Uncommon Service,” and he delivered on that promise by helping hundreds of clients achieve their homeownership dreams. His colleagues in Hampton Roads shared that Soren helped any, and every, one on their real estate journeys—no matter where they were in the process. His strong beliefs in family and home guided him, and he once said, “I remain devoted to those I serve because it is important people know that I am here for them.”

Soren truly exemplified Long & Foster’s values of trust, family and excellence in all aspects of his life. In fact, it was our culture of family that attracted Soren to Long & Foster. From the camaraderie in our local offices all the way up the corporate ladder, Long & Foster’s commitment to our people and communities echoed many of the principles Soren held in high regard.

His loss will be felt not only across our company, but also the greater real estate community and Hampton Roads region.

Long & Foster’s Chickahominy Office Moves to New Kent County

Long & Foster Real Estate’s Sandston, Virginia office has moved to New Kent County. This convenient location narrows the gap between the Williamsburg and Richmond markets while providing Long & Foster with high visibility to serve clients in communities like nearby Patriots Landing. The new office is located at 7410 Cooper Tavern Road #E in Quinton, Virginia.

Nancy Steinke, who has served as managing broker at the Chickahominy office for two years, and Shannon Prosser-Wall, who has been sales manager for two years, will continue to lead the team of 14 sales associates. The Chickahominy office provides agents with the latest technology and facilities – a great benefit to both Long & Foster agents and their clients.

“Our agents are thrilled to move into our new office in beautiful New Kent County, located just off the I-64 Bottoms Bridge exit,” said Steinke. “We are ready to offer our clients with continued Long & Foster services in this Richmond-Williamsburg corridor.”

In addition to the new office’s central location, Long & Foster will continue to serve the Sandston, Virginia area.

“In relocating the office, Long & Foster will achieve a broader reach in the area,” said Dawn Bradley, senior regional vice president of Long & Foster Real Estate. “We are proud to expand our footprint into New Kent County as we serve our clients across the region.”

Long & Foster Real Estate is the nation’s No. 1 real estate company as part of HomeServices of America. For more information, visit www.LongandFoster.com.

Long & Foster’s Terrie Owens, Cynthia Bailey, Brenda Payne Elected to Greater Piedmont Realtors 2022 Board of Directors

Long & Foster Real Estate congratulates Terrie Owens, Cynthia Bailey and Brenda Payne of the Warrenton office for being elected to the Greater Piedmont Realtors (GPR) 2022 Board of Directors.

GPR provides outstanding services and leadership to help its members be successful and profitable in real estate.

Owens was elected to GPR as President of the Board of Directors. She transferred to Long & Foster from a competing broker two years ago. Since joining Long & Foster, she has doubled her business. Deeply involved in the community, Owens is knowledgeable in the real estate market and is an active real estate investor in the community.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the giving nature and loyalty of these three agents and all they do for the realtor community as well as the entire Fauquier community,” said Dave Wills, managing broker of Long & Foster’s Warrenton office.

Bailey has a banking background and joined Long & Foster as a new agent three years ago. Her willingness to be the first one in the office to volunteer to show a home, cover at an open house or show a rental property, has paid off – her real estate career has truly flourished. Her election to the board is a true testament to her commitment to the real estate business.

Payne has worked in the real estate business for over 30 years, in various capacities. She worked for a title company for several years, selling real estate on a part-time basis, later transitioning to a full-time agent, growing her business exponentially with Long & Foster. Known as a ‘true giver’, Payne is very involved in the local Fauquier County community. She volunteers for the fire department, the county fair, Christmas parade, and is a mentor to agents in the Warrenton office.

Long & Foster Real Estate is the nation’s No. 1 real estate company as part of HomeServices of America. For more information, visit LongandFoster.com.

Fall In Love with These Decorating Tips

Today marks the official start of fall. As temperatures begin to drop and the days get shorter, the desire to decorate your home for the season will grow.

To help you decorate this year, the team at Long & Foster came up with a few ideas to help give your usual decorations a new look. These changes are meant to be simple and inexpensive but provide maximum impact to your home’s aesthetic appearance.

Our ideas pull from the latest decorating trends that can be quickly adapted to up your design game. Here are a few suggestions to add a touch of fabulous to your already incredible fall deco plan.

Break the color palette. Fall is known for its rich orange, yellow, red, and brown hues. While these colors remain the standard, experiment with cool colors such as blue and green. When used as accents, these tones can make the traditional warmer colors of fall appear brighter and more vibrant. For example, put a collection of colorful fall leaves in a blue glass vase.

A different play on pumpkins. Pumpkins are an essential part of fall decorating and can be painted white for a crisp, modern look. Place them on shelves and bookcases around the house. Dip gourds in brightly colored paint (gold and silver work great) so half is white while the other half remains natural. Display these on a living room table or a mantle to accent other decorations.

Accentuate the fireplace. As the days get shorter and colder, the living room becomes a key focus with the fireplace at the center. Decorate the fireplace with natural and fall-colored accessories, such as a vase of pampas grass. You can also weave warm white microlights around the fireplace to make it feel cozier.

Swap out pillows and blankets. We all have our favorite blanket, but leave it on the easy chair in the basement. While it is challenging to change furniture, adding seasonally themed blankets and pillows can instantly update the feel of a living room or other common areas.

Use soft lighting inside and out. Orange and yellow lighting can add to that cozy feel of fall. Place lamps with yellow or softer shades in your living room. For your porch or backyard, orange paper lanterns can add a fun, yet classy look.

An upscale Halloween. The spookiness of Halloween can quickly turn campy in the wrong hands. Instead, think of understated ways to celebrate the holiday. For instance, place a bunch of old books on the mantle with orange pumpkins, and cover them with fake cobwebs. This design can give that Halloween feeling without the need for a giant green cartoon witch.

Less is more. Fall decorations can be understated and simple. The bright colors of the changing leaves always inspire creativity. Find some beautiful leaves and tie them together with twine to make a classic yet simple household design that adds color and hominess without going overboard. The same can be done with a table centerpiece. Go outside and clip a few tree branches that showcase the brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows of fall and showcase them in a large vase filled with water.

What ideas do you have? Reach out to us on social media (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) to share your favorite fall decorating tips with pictures showing your creativity.

Long & Foster’s Karen Kidwell Featured in DC Modern Luxury Magazine

Congratulations to Karen Kidwell, Long & Foster Real Estate’s Senior Vice President/Regional Manager who has been featured in the September 2021 issue of DC Modern Luxury Magazine in their ‘dynamic women’ section.

The popular luxury magazine annually showcases entrepreneurial women in the Greater Washington, D.C. metro area who shape the city’s landscape with their knowledge, dedication and leadership skills.

Kidwell has been in sales and marketing for more than 25 years and chose real estate as her second career after many years of working in commercial and government contracting. She employed many of the skills she learned in those positions to her real estate career and has earned numerous awards from the industry and Long & Foster.

In 2004, Kidwell joined Long & Foster as an agent and has risen to become the Regional Manager for Northern Virginia and West Virginia. As her story in the magazine explains, Kidwell has a deep passion for serving people, including helping them achieve the American Dream of homeownership.

“I have always felt that if our vocations can be spent in a way that is in service to others, we will continue to find joy each and every day,” Kidwell said.

Today, Kidwell focuses on her leadership role at Long & Foster and hopes to inspire her team to see their potential. These qualities became even more critical during the Covid-19 pandemic, where the value of solid leadership stood out during an uncertain time.

“While empathy is one of my stronger traits, more recently, I had to find the courage and confidence to be even more vulnerable in terms of not having all the answers and to listen, be open and empathetic to what we all were feeling and experiencing,” she said. “During the past year and a half, I hope that my confidence and empathic leadership brought people together and showed that not only were we there for one another, but together we are stronger.”

As a company and community leader, Kidwell makes a point to share her knowledge and skills with her colleagues. “I try to find ways to mentor, coach, and encourage others to have the confidence to grow professionally and to seek out and understand what they are passionate about in their career, that also brings them joy and work/life balance,” she said. “Don’t just show up – stand up, reach out, mentor, share, and believe in one another.”

Kidwell can serve as a resource for those looking to begin an exciting career in real estate. She also has expertise in helping experienced agents and teams create a strategic partnership to grow their business.

Contact her today to see how she can help you launch a successful real estate career or connect you with one of Long & Foster’s professional agents to help sell a property or find your dream home. She can be reached at karen.kidwell@longandfoster.com

To view the full article, click here.

Kathleen Wilks Joins The Long & Foster Companies as Chief Marketing Officer

Kathleen Wilks, a marketing executive with real estate and independent agency expertise, has joined The Long & Foster Companies as its Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). Wilks will head marketing, branding, communications and advertising programs across the Long & Foster enterprise, including its real estate brokerage and other business lines. She will support the companies to drive their integrated services strategy with a focus on adding ongoing value for the firms’ agents and customers.

“I am thrilled to return to The Long & Foster Companies – where I started my real estate marketing career and will now lead their enterprise branding, communications and marketing efforts. After being immersed in the industry for the past decade, I understand and value the importance of connecting with both the consumer and agent audience,” Wilks said. “I can’t wait to start working with this incredibly talented group of people, and share the company’s impressive history and values to drive brand loyalty, market presence and growth.”

As part of Long & Foster’s leadership team, Wilks will lead its enterprise marketing in supporting the brokerage’s over 9,000 real estate agents. With her guidance, the company will ensure Long & Foster’s agents continue to have the best resources available to grow their businesses and support area homebuyers, sellers, renters and owners. Additionally, Wilks will collaborate across the Long & Foster enterprise on the launch of LF1, the companies’ all-inclusive customer experience that brings together everything and everyone an individual may need on their home-buying or selling journey.

“Kathleen’s passion for marketing and branding shines through in every interaction she has and combined with her enthusiasm for the real estate industry, she’ll provide immeasurable value and vision for Long & Foster and our long-term strategic direction and success,” said Jeff Detwiler, president and CEO of The Long & Foster Companies.

Wilks comes to Long & Foster from Washington Fine Properties, where she oversaw the brokerage’s marketing and communications. In that role, Wilks developed marketing strategies to make the brand more approachable and its agents more successful. Those initiatives included overhauling the company’s social media presence, expanding its advertising programs into the digital arena and increasing its earned media exposure.

Before working at Washington Fine Properties, Wilks led Wydler Brothers Real Estate as its president and CMO. While there, Wilks developed and implemented a major rebranding effort, from a new website launch to the debut of comprehensive advertising and public relations campaigns. Wilks also spent much of her career running The Dan Rosenthal Co., a creative agency, as SVP and Director of Account Management. Her accounts included a division of Marriott, Sigma Tau Pharmaceuticals and CoStar. She also had a brief stint at CNN.

Wilks has a degree in marketing from Georgetown University. She has lived in the D.C. area for over 30 years and currently resides in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with her husband and three children.

Fannie Mae Survey Shows Some Optimism Among Homebuyers

This blog post is based on an article written by Matt Carter for Inman. To read the full article, click here.

Americans who think it’s a good time to buy a home increased by 7% in August, which was its first increase since March, according to Fannie Mae’s National Housing Survey.

The tick upward comes after the metric, which measures the net share of those who think it’s a good time to buy a home, hit a historic low in July at negative 38%. August’s 7% increase in favorable homebuying consumer sentiment is a step in the right direction after many months of heated competition for homes, although the delta between the July and August numbers remains at a survey low of negative 31%.

Many factors, including high home prices and a lack of housing supply, contribute to consumer sentiment. Despite daily news of inflation and the highly contagious Delta variant, it’s believed this incline in the ‘good time to buy’ category is due to the continued low interest rate environment and expectations that soaring home prices will moderate over the next year.

Long & Foster Real Estate’s President Larry “Boomer” Foster said that inventory remains low in the Mid-Atlantic. Northern Virginia saw a brief uptick for several weeks in August, before buyers swept up the available homes.

“The good news is that interest rates remain near all-time lows,” said Foster. “Although median sale prices have increased by an average of 20% over the last year in our market, 30-year fixed rates are still under 3%. Even with this appreciation, consumers can buy homes with these low interest rates, since they buy payment, rather than price.”

About a third of respondents to the Fannie Mae survey believe interest rates will stay flat over the next 12 months. While only 6% of those surveyed believe rates will drop, 53% expect them to rise – a number that dropped from 57% in July.

Real estate is hyper-local. To learn what is happening in your real estate market, visit Long & Foster’s Market Minute and Market Conditions reports.

If you have questions about the real estate market or are interested in buying or selling a home, visit longandfoster.com to locate a professional agent in your area.