Archives: November 2022

Santa is coming to Lake of the Woods Atop Engine 29!

As busy as this time of year gets, jolly Ol’ Saint Nick always remembers the good boys and girls in Locust Grove! He will be making his rounds atop LOW F&R Engine 29 through Lake of the Woods on December 16th, 17th, and 18th! Santa is so excited to see all the children in LOW and nearby Locust Grove areas! Santa and the LOW Fire Department have developed a route and tracker that is posted on their website and Facebook page, so please keep checking for further updates! Please note the schedule is tentative and may change based on weather and calls for service.

Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Fredericksburg, Stafford, Orange, Locust Grove, or Northern Virginia, we are your Real Estate team committed to finding the perfect home for you! Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by homeowners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar, and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, one of our area expert advisors will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contacting Pat Licata.

To see available properties, please visit our website licatagroup.com

314 Piedmont St, Orange Virginia 22960 UNDER CONTRACT by Licata Group EXP Realty LLC!

Welcome home to 314 Piedmont street. Located in the town of Orange county the home sits on a corner lot within walking distance of downtown restaurants and shopping. The home offers 3 bedrooms, and one bath on the main level, where the walk-out basement has a laundry room, workshop, den, and two large rooms that can be used for bedrooms/game/craft/storage whatever fits your needs. The driveway is large enough for multiple cars, a boat, or a camper. The yard offers plenty of space for kids/pets to play or for family gatherings.

Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Lake of the Woods VA or Waterfront property in Virginia we are your Real Estate Advisors for Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Locust Grove, Central Virginia, and Greater Virginia. Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by homeowners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, Pat will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contacting Pat Licata.

To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site.

culpeper downtown for season 2022

Check out Culpeper Downtown for the 2022 Holiday Season!

Culpeper Renaissance, Inc (CRI) and Culpeper Downtown merchants and restaurants invite you all to experience this holiday with them with the following events scheduled for November through December!

November 14th through 20th, enjoy season offerings and specials at various downtown shops for their Holiday Preview Week. The storefronts will also be participating in a Holiday Store Front Decorating contest so be sure to check them out and vote for your favorite decorated store!

November 18th is “Pink Friday!” the week before Black Friday and #supportsmallfirst and enjoy in-store and online specials at the local shops in downtown Culpeper.

November 20th is the Holiday Open House with in-store specials ALL DAY and a band performance at Grass Rootes Porch from 1pm – 3pm followed by Santa Rides around Culpeper from 3pm – 4pm and the Community Tree Lighting 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm. Join the festivities for a real treat including free face painting and various children’s activities and holiday refreshments will be available for purchase.

November 25th is Black Friday with in-store and online specials and discounts.

November 26th is Small Business Saturday and Santa will be strolling downtown Culpeper from 6pm – 8pm.

November 28th is Cyber Monday with online and in-store specials and discounts.

November 29th is Giving Tuesday, the one-day giving event. Consider donating to Culpeper Renaissance via their website here.

December 1st through 15th, participate in the WHO STOLE CULPEPER-VILLE? downtown Culpeper scavenger hunt challenge! Map and entry card available at the visitors center (the Depot) Monday – Sunday 10 am – 5 pm.

December 3rd, 10th, and 17th the Culpeper Downtown Winter Farmers Market will be from 9 am – 12pm at the East Davis Street Parking lot.

December 9th, visit Santa at Culpeper Center & Suites for a meet and greet and photo opportunity!

December 16th, visit Santa at the Culpeper Visitors Center for a meet and greet and photo opportunity at the Depot.

For more information about any of the above-mentioned events and to keep up to date on the latest Culpeper events visit culpeperdowntown.com!

Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Lake of the Woods VA or Waterfront property in Virginia we are your Real Estate Advisors for Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Locust Grove, Central Virginia, and Greater Virginia. Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by homeowners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, Pat will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contacting Pat Licata.

To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site.

christmas parade fredericksburg virginia

2022 Fredericksburg, Virginia Christmas Parade!

The annual, highly anticipated Fredericksburg Christmas Parade will be held Saturday, December 3rd at 5:30 PM. Viewing the parade, locations along the route are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Check out the route on the map below. It’s completely free for the public to attend, plan to come early (before 5pm) and stay late! While pets are permitted, they are discouraged due to the large crowds. This is a rain-or-shine event so dress warmly for any anticipated weather as the date quickly approaches. Streets will be closed to all traffic beginning at 3:30 PM, while parking restrictions will begin at 2pm along the parade route with towing enforced. Getting hungry?? Downtown restaurants will be open for food and drink before, during, and after the parade.

To participate in the parade, they are currently full but there is a waiting list you may join if your company would like to have a float or walk in the parade. More information on the parade including the waiting list for vendors can be found here.

Unsure where to park? Plan ahead. See the Parking in Downtown Fredericksburg, VA map below.

Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Lake of the Woods VA or Waterfront property in Virginia we are your Real Estate Advisors for Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Locust Grove, Central Virginia, and Greater Virginia. Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by homeowners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, Pat will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.

To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site.

Warm Welcomes and Happy Send-Offs for November 2022!

Licata Group would like to extend a warm welcome to all the new homeowners! We often have really fun events hosted throughout the year, do frequent giveaways (think lotto scratchers, pies, FredNats tickets, just to name a few!), and also provide real estate market updates as well as local upcoming community events. We would like to take this opportunity to invite you to join our newsletter so you can never be without it! Sign up here. Or call our office at 540-388-2541.

Lisa and Jake Turpin
Donald Clifford
Lisette Manchester
Shannon & Jordan Ruiz
Caleb Kammerling & Rebekah Nelson
India Meserve
Morgan & Maria Parker
Sara & Robert Kasper
Edward Brookover II
Eileen Wilson
Peter & Merill Simpson
Bryden Tutko
Rebecca Cross & Shawn Argabright
Beth & Mike Truitt
Sange & Thupa Tamang
Patrick & Christina Lacey

Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Lake of the Woods VA or Waterfront property in Virginia we are your Real Estate Advisors for Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Locust Grove, Central Virginia, and Greater Virginia. Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by homeowners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, Pat will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contacting Pat Licata.

To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site.

Top 5 Tips for Home Buying in Today’s Market

Key Takeaways:

  • There’s plenty of strategies to successfully buy in today’s market.
  • Lean in on the expertise of your local real estate—we’ve seen it all!
  • Our team is ready to help you achieve your goals, so contact us today.

Whether you’re shopping for your first home or relocating to a new area, purchasing a home in today’s real estate market can be daunting. However, the good news is that today’s housing market can actually be helpful if you’re a prospective homebuyer who knows how to play the game well. When it comes to making a winning offer on your dream home, you must know certain particulars of the homebuying process to be successful. 

So, let’s look at the top five tips that will help to play the real estate game more effectively and pave your path to home ownership. 

1. Determine and know your budget

Woman looking over finances to buy a home

Before you begin the house-hunting process and start picking your paint colors, potential homebuyers should receive pre-approval from one or more lenders to verify the amount of money they are qualified to borrow. Being pre-approved tells sellers you’re serious about buying and have the means to do so. It also helps narrow your search by allowing you to determine which neighborhoods are within your budget. 

Remember to consider the additional costs of homeownership, such as taxes, utilities, maintenance, and insurance. Finally, be realistic about how much you can comfortably afford in today’s tight real estate market. With availability at historic lows and rising mortgage rates, you’ll have to be able to move quickly when the right home presents itself. That means having your finances ready to go.  

2. Distinguish between your wants and your needs

Smiling Family Carrying Boxes Into New Home On Moving Day

To play the real estate game well, you need to know what it is, specifically, that you want from a home. Certain wants, such as stainless steel appliances, new cabinets, or hardwood floors, can always be obtained later. Therefore they shouldn’t be deal-breakers. 

However, if you want to be in a specific school district, need to live close to work, or have a decent-sized backyard to try your hand at homesteading, those cannot be addressed later and must factor in throughout the house-hunting process. As you contemplate a purchase, consider your other financial goals as well. It can be easy to get swept up in the frenzy of a tight housing market, so it’s essential to keep your financial goals top of mind during this process. 

3. Be prepared to act quickly

Couple buying home from real estate agent.

A well-priced property in good condition in a good neighborhood with plenty of nearby amenities will always draw many interested buyers during the first few days of being on the market. In a tight seller’s market like today, such homes rarely stay on the market for very long.   

So, when you find the right home that fits your budget and satisfies your wants and needs, you’ll want to sign an offer immediately and get it presented. Serious buyers should always be ready to submit an offer quickly, or they may risk missing out on the property altogether.

4. Bid competitively and stay flexible

Real estate agent holding house key to his client after signing contract.

Prepare to bid competitively to make your offer stand out, but remain pragmatic and know your limits. It may be tempting to submit a low offer as a starting bid, but in a tight seller’s market, buyers must put forward their highest offer from the very beginning to avoid losing out on the home. In multiple bidding situations, the highest offer is only sometimes accepted by the seller. In many instances, buyers with the fewest contingencies and who are flexible with things like their move-in date are the ones whose bid stands out to the seller.

5. Always work with a certified real estate agent

Smiling broker standing with documents, happy family hugging near their new home

What’s trending nationally is certainly different from the area where you’re looking to buy, sell, or relocate to. Work with us, your local real estate experts. Our team is certified, experienced, and familiar with the areas and neighborhoods you’re considering. As your local agents, we are the most trusted resource for accurate information that you have at your disposal. Our unparalleled knowledge of our local community will give you the competitive advantage you need in this housing market. 

You Deserve to Work With the Best

If you’re ready to make your move, we know the housing market trends. With decades of experience in the natural ups and downs of the market, we know how to help you best navigate what’s happening right now. Contact us today to get started exploring your options and crafting a winning strategy.