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Forbes has released its 2010 list of the best colleges in America –.

And the best college in America ?  not Harvard or Princeton, but tiny liberal arts school Williams.

Forbes based their rankings on research by the Center for College Affordability & Productivity. According to a report on their methodology, the Center used 11 factors to determine the rankings, and the largest being graduate success rate. They also looked at average graduate salary, student satisfaction and graduation rate, number of alumni who become corporate officers, student retention rates, average student debt, student evaluations of classes, and college quality vs. cost

 see their full list of 610 colleges here.

Three Virginia schools are among the top 50 colleges on the list: Washington & Lee University, No. 37; the University of Virginia, No. 44; and the College of William & Mary, No. 46.

Another three Virginia colleges were in the top 100: VMI, No. 60; the University of Richmond, No. 84; and Sweet Briar College, No. 87.

The other Virginia schools ranked as follows: Randolph-Macon College, 103; Virginia Tech, 156; James Madison University, 169; Hampden-Sydney College, 205; University of Mary Washington, 208; Hollins University, 267; Emory and Henry College, 278; George Mason University, 297; Roanoke College, 433; Longwood University, 462; Old Dominion University, 498; Virginia Commonwealth University, 531; Christopher Newport University, 533; Mary Baldwin College, 553; and Liberty University, 609.

What do you think?   Join the discussion below.

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Nearly four out of 10 Virginia schools failed to meet federal performance targets for the coming school year, the Virginia Department of Education announced this morning. In addition, 91 percent of school divisions missed targets.

Results were better last year, when 29 percent of schools missed targets and nearly half of the state’s school divisions met all targets.

Locally, 97 schools missed targets, up significantly from the 59 that fell short last year. Numbers by city:

Chesapeake: 19 out of 45 schools missed, up from 10 last year.

Norfolk: 28 of 49 schools fell short, up from 16 last year.

Portsmouth: Of the city’s 20 public schools, 10 failed to reach targets. Last year five missed the mark.

Suffolk: 14 of 21 schools missed benchmarks, compared with 12 last year.

Virginia Beach: 26 schools missed targets, up from 16 last year.

And none of the five city school divisions passed.
Each year since 2003, the state has been required to identify which of its schools and divisions are passing or failing to meet annual progress targets called “Adequate Yearly Progress.” Under the federal No Child Left Behind law, which is up for revisions this year, schools are expected to reach 100 percent proficiency by 2014, widely seen as an unrealistic goal.
While AYP has many critics, it remains the broadest measure of a school’s performance, incorporating test results in math and English, the specific performance of groups including low-income students, racial minorities and students with disabilities. and other measures including graduation rates, attendance and performance in subjects such as math, history and writing.
The schools are measured based on state Standards of Learning tests, which are also used to determine state accreditation, a Virginia-only measure.
Local school divisions recently announced preliminary accreditation results, which are separate from federal benchmarks.

Several of the federal goals have changed since last year, when 59 local schools failed to meet the annual standard, which is called Adequate Yearly Progress.

Although Virginia got the approval to hold its passing rates at 79 percent in math and 81 percent in English for a second year, schools were no longer allowed to round up scores. They will need to reach the target or reduce failure by 10 percent to pass.

At the same time, a tougher graduation rate of 80 percent – up from 61 percent – was put into place. That affected about a third of the region’s high schools.

Schools also could pass by showing they have met the new rate over time or reduced failure by 10 percent.

Also, the U.S. Department of Education told all states earlier this year that automatic bonus points added on to special-education scores will no longer be permitted.

Called "proxy percent," the rule had previously allowed schools where special-education students scored poorly to tack 15 percentage points onto Standards of Learning reading pass rates and 16 percentage points onto math pass rates.

Closing that loophole caused many area schools to fail for low pass rates for students with disabilities.

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United States Joint Forces Command better known as “JFCOM” has been  one of the hottest growth areas in Hampton Roads. Out of the blue the Pentagon has announced it will shut it down

The 11-year-old military command is based at Norfolk Naval Station, but its most visible public presence is in northern Suffolk, where its 640,000-square-foot complex has been the incubator for a thriving cluster of military contractors, retail businesses and homes.

State officials were “blindsided” by news of the planned closure, Terrie Suit, assistant to Gov. Bob McDonnell for commonwealth preparedness, said Tuesday.

Working with congressional partners, McDonnell will work to keep the command and protect those whose livelihoods are connected to its operation, Suit said.

The plan to close JFCOM appears to have been as much of a surprise inside the command as it was among Virginia politicians.

In a brief statement, the JFCOM public affairs office said employees “will receive the best professional career advice and placement assistance available.” That process began with a visit Tuesday by Clifford Stanley, the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, to talk with JFCOM’s leadership.

Perhaps the biggest question mark is the fate of the 3,200 contract workers who account for more than half of the command’s work force.

A spokesman for Lockheed Martin Corp., which operates a 65,000-square-foot technology lab near JFCOM’s Suffolk campus, said it is “too soon to gauge the potential impact” of the planned closure.

Likewise, it’s unclear what lies ahead for Old Dominion University’s Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center, which has been a major recipient of JFCOM funding.

The center, located about a half-mile from JFCOM’s Suffolk complex in its own $12 million facility, has two contracts with JFCOM that could bring in $52 million over six years. It isn’t known yet if those contracts will be completed.

The question, however, is whether Hampton Roads will remain an epicenter of that technology.

James Koch, an economist at ODU, said it is unclear whether the local enterprises linked to JFCOM can survive and prosper without the military command providing funding and resources.

Of particular concern, he said, is that if the industry gravitates away from Hampton Roads, it will take a highly educated work force along with it.

Including the ripple effects of its operations on other businesses and services, Koch said, JFCOM contributes 10,000 jobs and about $1 billion annually to the regional economy. That’s just over 1 percent of Hampton Roads’ gross regional product.

If JFCOM closes, one of the first noticeable effects will be on the region’s housing market, Koch said, particularly in northern Suffolk.

Learn more about  USJFCOM and its mission here

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What is owner’s title insurance?  by Brian D. Lytle, ESQ., Lytle Law, PC
Title insurance is insurance, just like any other insurance, except that here it insures against defects in ownership. A policy of title insurance is like a pre‐paid legal agreement: the title insurer will provide legal defense against challenges to the buyer’s insured title (dependent, of course, upon the type of policy coverage) and will reimburse the buyer financially for losses due to covered defects in the buyer’s ownership rights. An owner’s policy insures buyers that the title to the real estate is free from all defects, liens and encumbrances except those that are listed as exceptions in the policy or are excluded from the policy’s coverage. It also covers losses and damages suffered if the title is unmarketable. The policy also provides coverage for loss if there is no right of access to the land. These are the basic coverages and an enhanced residential owner’s policy can be purchased that cover additional items of loss.

If I get owner’s title insurance am I protected?
About as protected as you can possibly get, particularly with an enhanced title insurance policy. I highly recommend it. If you ever have a loan officer or lender tell you that an owner’s policy is not needed (so you can save some money) you ought to ask them why then they require you to pay for a (lender’s) policy to protect them. If you ever have a real estate agent tell you an owner’s policy is not needed you ought to get that in writing so you can later sue them (does not need to be in writing, it’s just that the evidence of the bad advice is better).

Doesn’t the lender’s title insurance policy protect me?
No. It is called a lender’s policy because the lender is the insured, not the buyer, which means the buyer has no rights whatsoever under that policy. Many people think that if a lender’s policy pays the note will be paid and so the loss will not be that great and so they are somewhat protected. This is misguided and wrong for several reasons. First, an owner is not compensated for the equity in the property. Second, even if the lender’s policy “pays  off” what in effect happens is that the title insurance company will buy the note from the lender. So even then the buyer is not helped because the title insurance company steps into the shoes of the lender – who has an unpaid note from the buyer – and they can insist a buyer pay regardless whether the collateral for the loan has been lost or not. Besides, a lender’s policy only insures the deed of trust securing the note, not the fee simple title a buyer would be concerned about, and so there are many different coverage provisions. 

Think of title insurance like car insurance. And assume on our metaphorical car that you have borrowed money in order to buy it. If your car is stolen and if you do not have insurance to cover that loss then you still owe the loan to the bank regardless whether you have the car or not. Just like with the car, a real estate buyer executed a note to his bank: trust me that nowhere does that note say "but if you lose the house the loan is forgiven." So, if the proverbial defrauded-prodigal-wife-in-the-chain-of-title shows up on the new buyer’s doorstep and rightly says, "get out of my house" then the buyer still must pay the loan to the lender.

Suppose in our example the buyer then called the title insurance company and said I have lost my house, please pay the loan. The title insurance company would rightly say that the buyer is not its insured, the lender has made no claim on the policy, and it is not its problem. It would only be when the purchaser failed to make payments, thus driving the property into foreclosure, that the lender’s security interest would be impaired (it would be unable to foreclose without clear title). But it would be the one making the claim, not the buyer, and it alone would receive payment. Note that since there is no collateral upon which to foreclose, there are no sale proceeds available to satisfy the loan.

At that point the title insurance company would indeed pay the loan off pursuant to the policy. In doing so they are "subrogated" to the lender’s rights. Think of "subrogation" as the title insurance company legally stepping into the bank’s shoes. And standing in the bank’s shoes the title insurance company can turn to the buyer and say: you agreed to pay this loan, now pay. If the buyer does not pay then the title insurance company can sue the purchaser on the note. In other words, the title insurance company has purchased the note from the buyer and is entitled to those payments.

Therefore, the only mechanism by which a buyer is protected by title insurance is through a policy issued in the buyer’s name, for the buyer’s benefit.

I’m so confused, what do I do?

Call me at 757.595.5655 or email me at bdlytle@lytlelaw.com where I may or may not provide with an FAQB ‐‐ Frequently Asked Question Bill

Main Office
(Oyster Point)
Lytle Title & Escrow, LLC
11801 Canon Blvd.
Suite 101
Newport News, VA 23601

Williamsburg Office
Lytle Title & Escrow, LLC
5350 Discovery Park Boulevard
Williamsburg, VA 23188

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A Place For Golf Clubs And A Boat

Intertwined among the rolling greens of an 18-hole golf course and the peaceful shores of Broad Bay are 274 manicured yards accenting a neighborhood of prestigious Virginia Beach Homes.

With the ambiance of an exquisite resort and all the advantages of suburbia, Broad Bay Point Greens offers its residents a relaxing setting only minutes away from three major shopping areas, the Great Neck Community Center, Virginia Beach General Hospital, and major highways.

After joining the Broad Bay Country Club to play golf on the 6,135-yard course, Dr. Dwayne Wombolt was so impressed with the community that he and his wife, Edie, moved to the area a number of years ago, settling into a traditional-style home on Ferebee Cove.

According to Edie Wombolt, past president of the local garden club, “This development is confined and off the beaten path. While we are in a convenient location, we can’t hear the noise from Great Neck Road.

Both Womblots have hectic jobs in Norfolk and enjoy the serene atmosphere of the neighborhood. “It is nice to come home to have some downtime,” Edie Wombolt says.

Ray Payne’s love of water and golf motivated him to buy his home on Broad Bay two years ago. “We have deep water access, but we are not subject to the tides,” he says. Payne also enjoys fishing near his back door. The brackish inlet contains a menu-perfect selection of croaker, crab, and flounder.

The peaceful summertime aura along the greens is enhanced by begonias, petunias and crape myrtles in full –bloom. The same piece of land in the early 1900s, however would have nourished spinach, kale and beans as John B. Dey worked his farm and distributed part of his crop through the wharf he created on Broad Bay.

Chet and Barbara Ehrenzeller moved into the brick Dey manor in 1975. Broad Bay Point Greens formed around their 10-acre estate in 1984 when R.G. Moore began developing the community.

The Ehrenzeller property originally was home to the English Trader Thomas Allen in 1636 when Governor West granted him 550 acres. In the early 1700s, Lemual Cornick purchased the property and built his “Great House.”

The manor home adds a sense of stability to the upscale area filled with contemporary dwellings. The average house in the area costs $835,000, but home prices range from $475k to $%1,850,000 .

Marcia and Steven Waranch were one of the first families to buy in Broad Bay Point Greens. After many years in the community, they say that safety is one of the key reasons they remain.

“It is a good place for kids to grow up,”  said resident Steven Waranch ,“It’s quiet, and we enjoy being close to the beach.”

The Waranch family likes to socializing with other residents. “Our neighbors are very interesting,” Waranch says. “They have diversified professions and interesting jobs.”

Wombolt also enjoys getting to know her neighbors. “The community is made up of diverse people. Some are retired, some have small children and others are middle age. The people here are interesting and friendly.”

A golf course, waterfront property and beautifully landscaped lawns would normally make for a great vacation resort. But in Broad Bay Point Greens these elements are combined to give residents permanent tranquility without ever having to leave town.  It’s like being on vacation in your own home !

 

Click here for home listings currently for sale in Broad bay Point Greens in Virginia Beach

Schools

Elementary: John B. Dey

Middle: Great Neck Middle

High: Cox

Click here for Virginia Beach school rankings.

Shopping

Hilltop area, Great Neck Square and Great Neck Village are a five-minute drive away. La Promenade is a little further.

Recreation

Broad Bay Country Club, with a swimming pool, tennis courts and golf course, is in the center of the neighborhood, and Great Neck Community Recreation Center is across Great Neck Road. First Landing State Park is 10 minutes away.

 

Broad bay Point Sales Stats- August 2010 – Last 12 months 8 Active Listings priced from $1,850,000 to $599,000 2 Pending Listings  $715,000, $474,900 5 Sold Listings price range  $1,250,000- $475,000 Average Sales Price  $835,380 Average Sold price per Square foot $203.93 Average Days on Market for Sold Homes: 65 Broads Bay Point Sold Homes Click Here

View homes currently for sale in Broad Bay Point Greens below

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Virginia Beach again ranks high in an annual report that rates the water quality at 200 of America’s most popular beaches.

Four Virginia Beach testing sites received a rating of four stars out of five from the Natural Resources Defense Council, which released its 2009 report Wednesday.

Only beaches in Alabama, California, Minnesota and New Hampshire were ranked higher.

Each of the 200 beaches was judged on 2009 water quality, water quality over the past three years, water quality testing frequency, promptness of issuing advisories and methods of notifying the public.

Regular water-quality testing is federally mandated. States are required to monitor beachwater for the presence of bacteria found in human and animal waste.

Of the samples taken in 2009, according to the report, 0 percent taken off the coast of Virginia Beach violated standards.

But the report did not have such great news for beaches on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

The lowest was the one-star rating given to a South Nags Head beach near the 7500 block of Virginia Dare Trail.

Other one-star ratings were given to beaches in Florida, Maine, Mississippi, New York, Rhode Island and South Carolina.

At the risk of raining on your beach party, and in the hopes of eventually improving it, the Natural Resources Defense Council issued its latest report on water quality at U.S. beaches. The good news: a 10 percent decrease in closing or advisory days last year compared to 2007. The bad: pollution remains serious, leading to 20,341 days on which ocean, bay and Great Lakes beaches were closed or were the subject of health advisories. How’s your beach? See the list below!

How 200 Beaches Stack Up
Before going any further, check out how many stars your nearest beach received from the NRDC at its map of 200 popular U.S. beaches, with ratings for cleanliness and how well they are monitored, or at its list of 200 beaches and their ratings.

Environmental Protection Agency’s Beach Watch is also full of useful information, including a database of testing and beach closures and advisories. The agency’s Beachgoer’s Guide also offers tips about how you can help to improve water quality at the beach.

Although the EPA’s standards determine when a beach should be closed due to pollution, measurements are not often read until the next day, meaning that beachgoers are swimming unawares. What’s more, measurements cannot always determine the source of the pollution.

The Best and Worst Beaches in the US
Delaware, New Hampshire and Virginia tend to boast pristine, nearly pollution-free shores. .

Ocean City, Maryland, is one of the country’s perennially clean beaches, due to its clean water and strict water quality monitoring. In nearby Delaware, Dewey and Bethany beaches were also relatively clean.

On the West Coast, California’s Newport Beach and Laguna Beach are two five-star beaches; Doheny Beach and Avalon Beach, which both failed more than 25 percent of their water quality tests in 2008, are not.

The Great Lakes region is not an ideal beach destination. From 2005 to 2008, the Great Lakes consistently tested the dirtiest, and in 2008, 13 percent of beach water samples violated public health standards.

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Settled sales in the Hampton Roads real estate market experienced its largest year-over-year increase for the year in May. Many other statistical categories ended the month with positive movement including the months’ supply of inventory, under contract sales, and the number of active residential listings for sale. Each of these improvements point towards a solid local real estate market in the coming months.

The local months’ supply of inventory dropped on both a year-over-year and a month-to-month basis. Comparing May 2010 to May 2009, the months’ supply of inventory declined by 8.6% while the drop from April 2010 was relatively smaller at 2.2%. The declines were due in large part to the decrease in the number of newly listed residential properties for the month of May, which dropped 3.4% from May 2009 to May 2010. This discrepancy was a drastic change from the two previous months that saw an increase of 21% in April and 31% in March. The slight month-to-month decrease, about 60, in active homes for sale also contributed to the drop in the months’ supply inventory.

Under contract sales maintained its recent year-over-year trend of gains, but the magnitude of those gains was the smallest since February of this year. The under contract sales for residential listings increased 12% when compared to May 2009. The magnitude of this increase was much smaller than the previous two months due in large part to the ending of the federal tax credit that was offered for first-time and select repeat home buyers. The cities with the largest rise in units measured year-over-year for under contract sales were Portsmouth and Norfolk at 33% and 22%, respectively.

The largest highlight for May 2010, was the 22% increase in settled sales when compared to May 2009. All seven major cities experienced a year-over-year increase with Portsmouth leading the way with a 49% leap. Most surprising was the 1% increase in median sales price of homes sold in Virginia Beach from May 2009. Though overall, the median sales price continued to show lower readings when compared to last year, down 2.3% for the month, and seems to be stabilizing for the region.

Distressed sales, homes that are either short sales or bank owned, continued to be a significant factor in the local market, yet not to the level they have played over the previous five months. The number of distressed sales dropped from around 25% of all residential sales each of the first three months this year to 23% in April, and down to 21% in May. Meanwhile, distressed properties maintained nearly 17% of all the active homes for sale. The drop in the percentage of home sales that distressed homes comprised, coupled with the flat level of homes for sale in the distressed category point towards a decline in the overall impact distressed sales will maintain in the coming months.

May 2010 Highlights

Listings

Residential active listings increased, 6.4% year-over-year, to 15,315 (May 2010) from 14,401 (May 2009). On a month-to-month basis, there was a slight 0.4% decrease from April 2010.

Under Contract (Pending) Residential Sales

Total residential under contract sales increased by 12% as compared to May 2009 (1,926 vs. 1,717).

Sales

Total property sales and total residential sales experienced solid growth when compared to May 2009 showing rises of 23% and 22% respectively.

Inventory

There is currently 9.5 months’ inventory of residential homes on the market in the Hampton Roads area, slightly lower from the previous month, and down 8.6% from May last year.

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The Associated Press
© June 4, 2010

By Michael Felberbaum

An insurance company doesn’t have to pay for damage at a Virginia Beach home ruined by Chinese-made, sulfur-emitting drywall, a federal judge ruled Thursday. The decision could affect how lawsuits by thousands of U.S. home-owners are settled.

Judge Robert G. Doumar in U.S. District Court in Norfolk said in the ruling that no coverage was owed under a homeowner’s policy issued by TravCo Insurance Co. to Larry Ward of Virginia Beach, VA.

The judge said the policy does not cover removing or replacing the drywall, or any damage stemming from the material. That’s because the policy excluded damage caused by latent defect, faulty materials, corrosion and pollution.

The ruling does not preclude further claims that could be covered under the policy.

According to court documents, Ward made claims under his homeowner’s policy after the drywall began to release sulfuric gases into the home and damaged his air conditioning, garage door and flat-screen televisions.

Attorneys representing both parties did not immediately return messages seeking comment. Ward also filed a lawsuit against several development and supply companies.

"This is one case out of many, many Chinese-drywall cases," said Randy Maniloff, a Philadelphia-based lawyer who has closely followed Chinese-drywall insurance litigation.

"This is the first one that’s going to get everybody’s attention. This will become sort of the benchmark – rightly or wrongly."

Thousands of homeowners – mostly in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Virginia – have reported problems with the drywall, which was imported in large quantities during the housing boom and after a string of Gulf Coast hurricanes.

The drywall has been linked to corrosion of wiring and some household items, along with possible health effects.

 

Read more about Chinese Drywall issues in Hampton Roads and Williamsburg VA here

 

This article was posted by local resident and REALTOR, John Womeldorf.  John is known around town as Mr. Williamsburg, for both his extensive knowledge of Hampton Roads and the historic triangle, and his expertise in the local real estate market.  His websites, www.WilliamsburgsRealEstate.com  and   www.MrWilliamsburg.com, were created as a comprehensive resource about living in Williamsburg and Hampton Roads, with the hopes of selling a house now and again.   You can reach him at 757.254.8136 or John@MrWilliamsburg.com.

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