First of all I know this is a contentious subject around town. Quite a few people feel the Williamsburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority has no business building or renovating houses at prices in the $400’s . With a mission of creating and managing affordable housing I would tend to agree.
The Williamsburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority was created by the state legislature of Virginia at the request of the City of Williamsburg. The Authority formed in 1970 is a political subdivision of the State of Virginia, a non-profit public agency. It is an autonomous body governed by a five member Board of Commissioners appointed by the city council of the City of Williamsburg, VA for a four-year term.
With that being said they have one home left for sale in the City of Williamsburg. It is now priced at $399,000. It is a new home with approximately 1600 square feet. The master bedroom is on the first floor. Three additional bedrooms all with large walk in closets are on the second floor. With hardwood floors throughout and ceramic tile in the bathrooms, a two car detached garage and over a third of an acre lot. The home is conveniently located within walking distance to the College of William and Mary and Colonial Williamsburg.
The proceeds of this sale help fund the Williamsburg Redevelopment Authority’s objective of providing affordable housing for residents of the area.
I would be happy to assist anyone who is interested in this home. Call 757 254 8136 or email John@MrWilliamsburg.com
Location map of home
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Here is a great video of the Colonial Williamsburg Farmers Market by the co-founders of the Culinary Media Network ( Jennifer and Chef Mark )
Jennifer and Chef Mark discover the great local produce, seafood, and local chefs giving demos at the Saturday Farmer’s Market in Williamsburg Virginia
Rather than spotlight the trendy, they are focusing on the roots of cuisine itself, and celebrating the art of experiencing food, wine and culture via the senses in cooking, in tasting — and in understanding. In short, they are food philosophers.
WordPress Tags: Williamsburg,Farmers,Market,Video,Here,Colonial,Culinary,Network,Jennifer,Chef,Mark,Farmer,Virginia,Rather,roots,cuisine,food,culture,senses,calendar,demos,philosophers
Mr Williamsburg :My wife and I are considering Williamsburg VA as a place to relocate to. We are looking for one floor living under $250k. What communities and homes would you recommend ?
Answer: First I would want to know a little more about what you are looking for . How many bedrooms ? How many square feet ? Is an attached home ok ? Where do you want to be ? Do you want a garage ? Close to the outlets ? Close to Golf ? Close to New Town ? It also depends on when you want to move. As of today here are a few choices to consider. Do you want to be in a 55+ active Adult community ? or a neighborhood with kids and neighbors of all ages ?
These are my favorites and everybody has their own likes and dislikes..
If you, want to be surrounded by a golf course and are ok with a brand new 1244 sq foot 2 bedroom first floor condo without a garage. I would suggest Braemar Creek. It’s only 2.5 miles from Monticello Marketplace with Grocery Stores, Restaurants, banks, Target and most other needs. New Town is approximate 3 miles away with it’s 19 places to eat, 12 screen movie theater, Barnes and Noble, many shops , Doctors , dentists and just about any business you would want including a Trader Joe’s.. The HOA at Braemar Creek is $148 a month. Taxes are approximate $1700 a year as of 2008. Braemar Creek as a very nice clubhouse with kitchen, big screen TV, fireplace, patio overlooking the pool, tennis courts, playground . Not sure if it’s allowed but my happy clients who have bought there ( I can put you in touch with them for first person recommendations ) walk the Williamsburg National Golf course which is adjacent to Braemar Creek.
Here are a few pictures and floor plans of the homes at Braemar Creek
#2 recommendations would be Fairway Villas within a 1/4 mile of Braemar Creek surrounded by woods, close to everything above. Resale @ $200k , pool, tennis. HOA is $145 monthly and includes all exterior maintenance of home and yard, use of pool, tennis, trash collection.
Click this link to go to Google Street Views and you can pretend you are driving around the community: You have to try it if you haven’t used it before !
Call me if you can’t it figure it out I can walk you thru how to use it.
Here are all the condo/ town homes available for sale in Fairway Villas
#3 would be Claiborne on Richmond Rd. By the way all of the communities were built by the same builder Fransicus Homes.( well respected quality builder in the area) So they all have similar floor plans. The main difference is the location and amenities. Claiborne has a clubhouse only, no pool or tennis. It’s a little closer to CW, very close to the Outback Restaurant on Richmond Rd. There is one resale there for $208k, 1429 sq feet, 2 bedroom, HOA is $165 monthly. This is the only one in The City of Williamsburg which has a lower tax rate than the others in James City County.. .54 per $100 versus .77 per $100
Taxes are only $1230 annually as of 2008.
Here is a Google Street View of Claiborne.
There are a few others that have a first floor configuration. Bristol Commons next to High Street. I only mentioned the top choices that have availability at present.
Lastly if you want a garage ( most of my clients do ) That’s another list altogether but prices will start at around $260k. If you increase your price range slightly to $275,000 that brings up a lot more possibilities. There area few home currently available in the 55+ active adult community of Colonial Heritage. All homes are almost maintenance free. All have first floor living. The community of Colonial Heritage in Williamsburg VA offers many different social clubs, indoor and outdoor pools, fitness centers a grand 26,000 square foot clubhouse with restaurant, meeting rooms, ballroom, library and much more. an 18 hole golf course is available. You don’t have to be a country club member to play. ( golf fees are optional and not required of home owners in Colonial Heritage) It is quickly becoming a very popular place to live in the Williamsburg VA ar
ea.
One other 55+ active adult community in Williamsburg VA that will not appear in the Williamsburg VA MLS/ home search above is the Villas at Five Forks.
You can click here to read information about Villas at Five Forks in Williamsburg VA prices start below $290,000
Note: Once you open any of the searches you can sort them by:
Price (high to low) Price (low to high) or Bedrooms (high to low) Bedrooms (low to high) or Sq. ft. (high to low) Sq. ft. (low to high) or Date Listed (new to old) Date Listed (old to new) All by clicking the icon that looks like this :
One point I would like to make. I would never try to sell someone a more expensive home. A common thread I have noticed with most people I work with is, They always start low. ( which I can understand) Quite a few will start in one range and then increase to a higher point to find what they like. Since they don’t know the price range of the area they will always start low.
By moving up in price from $250k to $270k and below you open up a lot more possibilities in communities and homes with garages and other features. Also remember the prices you are seeing on my website are typically negotiable and simply a starting point. ( note: no two sellers are alike)
If you would like/ appreciate Colonial Heritage there is a detached home in there for $269k list price. I would bet it can be bought for less. Interesting the lowest price sale in the last 12 months was $280K
It’s interesting there is always a 50/50 split on where the folks I work with want to live.
One group does not want to live with a bunch of old fogies…
The others do !
Hope this helps
Call me or email me for further information, a personal tour or to receive an updated list of all homes that fit your criteria.
Cheers,
John
The Williamsburg Land Conservancy’s Board of Directors recently voted to accept the donation of a conservation easement from the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation on 82 acres of land situated on Route 132. This parcel is located directly across from a 230-acre tract that the
conservancy already protects, thanks to an easement placed on the property by the foundation in 2006.
The permanent protection of these two parcels was a critical step to ensure that a major entryway into our region will forever remain the same. Take a ride along Route 132 between Route 60 Bypass Road and Route 143. What you will see is a landscape of some of Mother Nature’s finest work.
Tributaries to Queen’s Creek weave through the properties that are home to beautiful flora and fauna and wildlife. Wetlands, a mature deciduous forest, and historic sites all reside on this land. There are other landscapes within our community that will remain intact to enrich our lives thanks to the generosity of landowners who made the decision to preserve the conservation values of their land.
There’s Greenswamp Farm, 167 acres along Centerville Road. Those amber waves of grain will never become mortar and brick. Then there’s the Williamsburg Winery, with 270 acres of land that will forever stay in agriculture vs a residential subdivision.
Forge Road is host to protected parcels of land, and most recently the
190-acre easement placed on the River’s Bend at Uncle’s Neck property showcased how preservation and progress can work together, with the development of 35 residential lots and over 50% of the property being maintained for wildlife management .
We all benefit from a landowner’s decision to conserve land. So in this special season of giving and glad tidings, we should all say thank you to those who have had the vision and commitment to give this community a gift that will keep on giving into perpetuity.
Caren Schumacher, Executive Director
Williamsburg Land Conservancy
You can learn more about the Williamburg Land Conservancy Here
John Womeldorf is Mr. Williamsburg, sharing his thoughts, real estate expertise, and “all things Williamsburg” in an effort to spread the word that Williamsburg and Hampton Roads, Virginia is the greatest place on earth to live!
Contact me at John@MrWilliamsburg.com
Research the area at www.WilliamsburgsRealEstate.com
Or ask any questions about homes, neighborhoods, schools, amenities, recreation , shopping or anything else about the area.
John Womeldorf is Mr. Williamsburg, sharing his thoughts, real estate expertise, and “all things Williamsburg” in an effort to spread the word that Williamsburg and Hampton Roads, Virginia is the greatest place on earth to live!
Anybody want a free house in Colonial Williamsburg ? Anybody want to be paid to take away a free house ?
The Billups House in Colonial Williamsburg VA pre-Second World War home on Armistead Avenue is available FREE to anyone who wants to provide a piece of land to house it.
And the developers who received City Council permission on Thursday to knock it down for a mixed commercial-residential development will pay the amount of money they’re going to fork over for demolition to the proud new owners. Approximately $15,000
Since Thanksgiving two people have shown an interest in finding a new home for the 80-year-old home. But so far, no one has followed through.
If anybody is interested, call John Womeldorf 757 254 8136 or email John@MrWilliamsburg.com
The house at 203 Armistead Avenue was once the residence of Henry Billups, who rang the Wren Building bells at the College of William and Mary from the 1890s to the 1950s.
It and two commercial buildings on Prince George Street, including the former Mama Mia’s Pizza and Deli, will be demolished to make way for a 10,500-square-foot development.
The new project, designed by Magoon Architects for property owners Nick Saras and Steve Manos, will incorporate the architectural style of the block of Prince George Street closer to Colonial Williamsburg. It will have seven apartments on the second floor.
The hope is to create a strong corner, and that one day, the property in between (his planned development and North Boundary Street) will be remodeled and updated, in a mode consistent with the block.”
One after another, city council members lavished praise on the development in voting 5-0 to allow the project to 
proceed.”In our own community, projects have basically stopped,” said Council Member Paul Freiling. “Here we have a property owner willing to invest what I think is a large amount of money in this development.
“There aren’t a lot of places and people that would be doing that right now.”
No one even rose in the public comments portion of the meeting to offer a defense of the lonely white house.
But it will stand at least until mid-April. Because of its age, Billups House found itself on Williamsburg’s list of historic structures, forcing the developers to appear before the Architectural Review Board as part of its rezoning application process.
In searching for a lot for this home there is one on South Boundary listed for $250,000. There maybe be others available as well. Please contact me for further information. I would think if they can move the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse we should be able to save and move this house !
This informational update provided by Mr Williamsburg.com/ John Womeldorf . A local Realtor assisting home buyers and sellers in the Hampton Roads and Williamsburg areas of Virginia.
Contact me at John@MrWilliamsburg.com
Research the area at www.WilliamsburgsRealEstate.com
Or ask any questions about homes, neighborhoods, schools, amenities, recreation , shopping or anything else about the area.
Search Homes for Sale
John Womeldorf is Mr. Williamsburg, sharing his thoughts, real estate expertise, and “all things Williamsburg” in an effort to spread the word that Williamsburg and Hampton Roads, Virginia is the greatest place on earth to live!
Research the area at www.WilliamsburgsRealEstate.com
Or ask any questions about homes, neighborhoods, schools, amenities, recreation , shopping or anything else about the area.
The developers of The Village at Quarterpath ( Wermers Development) are seeking to increase the density of the project from what was initially approved.
In it’s initial approval by the City of Williamsburg The Village at Quarterpath was to have a total of 77 dwellings. The number of homes in the Village at Quarterpath would expand by 55% beyond what’s been long approved. To sweeten the deal, proffers will provide some affordable housing. This would have been comprised of 41 detached homes and 36 town homes. Since the downturn in the real estate market they are now requesting approval to build a total of 122 dwellings this being comprised of 6 detached homes, 36 duplexes and 77 town homes..
The developers are also seeking a zoning change from the RM-1 district, which allows eight units per acre, to RM-2, which allows 14.
“Due to uncontrollable economic and real estate market conditions, we now find it necessary to reposition this community,” wrote L&B Quarterpath LLC, the development company, in its application for the change.
Proffers proposed by Wermers Development would cap the rentals at 20% and stipulate that 10% of the units will be sold for less than $220,000. The city earlier exempted Quarterpath from affordables.
Prices being porposed by the developer are to average sale prices of a townhouse at $250,000 and their size from 1,350 to 1,710 square feet. The new plan calls for smaller front and side yards than are typically required in the RM-2 zoning district.
This informational update provided by Mr Williamsburg.com/ John Womeldorf . A local Realtor assisting home buyers and sellers in the Hampton Roads and Williamsburg areas of Virginia.
Contact me at John@MrWilliamsburg.com
Research the area at www.WilliamsburgsRealEstate.com
Or ask any questions about homes, neighborhoods, schools, amenities, recreation , shopping or anything else about the area.
Search Homes for Sale
EXPERIENCE 18th-CENTURY CULINARY CHOICES IN
FOUR COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG TAVERNS
Eighteenth-century patriots savored their meals and hoisted pints of ale as they contemplated
revolution at taverns in Virginia’s colonial capital. Today, Colonial Williamsburg serves select
favorites from the period at four unique historic dining taverns with distinctive menus and authentic
colonial atmosphere. Staff in 18th-century dress serve guests and enhance the dining experience
with explanations of colonial dining habits and food preferences, lively exchanges with character
interpreters and music of the era played on period instruments. At King’s Arms, Shields, Christiana
Campbell’s and Chowning’s taverns, guests enjoy dining experiences similar to those of patrons
who frequented these establishments in the years leading up to the American Revolution. Colonial Williamsburg’s taverns are located in the heart of the Historic Area and are open to the public.
King’s Arms Tavern recalls an 18th-century chop house and continues the tradition of
fine tavern dining as guests feast on such colonial delicacies as roast prime rib of beef,
collops of pork, roast young duckling, game pie and traditional King’s Arms favorites of
peanut soup and the grand mushroom. Lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., and
dinner is served from 5 p.m. until closing. Reservations are recommended for dinner.
Guests may order à la carte or try a complete meal of colonial favorites—Mrs.
Vobe’s Tavern Dinner, named after the tavern’s 18th-century proprietress Jane Vobe. This
fixed-price sampler starts with the tavern’s trademark peanut soup followed by a main
course of boneless breast of chicken with ham accompanied by potatoes, meadow
mushrooms and tarragon sauce. Dinner includes Sally Lunn bread and finishes with a
choice of Southern favorites, rice pudding or Williamsburg pecan pie.
In conjunction with Revolutionary City® programming, King’s Arms Tavern offers
Breakfast with Citizens of the Revolution. Guests enjoy a hot breakfast buffet while
engaging in conversation with revolutionaries who helped shape the future of our country.
The breakfast is offered seasonally Friday through Monday, with seatings at 8:45 and 9
a.m.
King’s Arms Tavern originally catered to Virginia’s gentry and the politically
influential before, during and after the Revolution. Today, Queen Anne-style tables, paired
with Sarah Richardson (a colonial resident) chairs, are set with yard-square linen napkins,
brass candlesticks and china stamped with the king’s coat of arms. Original and
reproduction colonial prints and paintings adorn the walls and windows are hung with
hand-woven English linens. In the Purdie House annex, a section of the tavern that
originally existed as the neighboring home of 18th-century Virginia Gazette publisher
Alexander Purdie, the furniture and elegant décor represent a level of wealth and style
associated with a prosperous gentry-class Williamsburg home. The home features not only
the fine carpeting, wallpaper and wall hangings of a wealthy merchant, but also artifacts
that tell the story of the Purdie family – including Purdie’s tobacco pipe on the mantel in
the former study and three small tricorn hats on pegs in his sons’ former bedroom.
Waitstaff are glad to share the story of the family, gleaned from ongoing Colonial
Williamsburg historical research.
King’s Arms Tavern is located on the south side of Duke of Gloucester Street
between Botetourt and Blair streets, near the Capitol. Free parking is available for tavern
patrons across Frances Street. Wheelchair accessible restrooms are located in the newly
remodeled Purdie Kitchen behind the tavern.
Shields Tavern® The restored 18th-century capital of Virginia has brewed a unique flavor at its
successful Shields Tavern and transformed the establishment into an 18th-century
coffeehouse. Remember, tea was out of fashion in the pre-Revolutionary colonies, and
coffee was quite the rage in Europe and Great Britain. The first English “coffee house”
opened in Oxford in 1650. Fifty years later, there were 2,000 coffeehouses in London
alone. Williamsburg’s historical records reveal that when tavernkeeper Daniel Fisher took
over Shields Tavern in 1751, he recorded in his journal that the locals called the building
“the English Coffee House.” By 1767, the exotic, dark brew was being sipped at Richard
Charlton’s popular Coffee House located next to the Capitol in the area of Williamsburg
called the Exchange, “where all money business (was) transacted” and the governor and his
council were frequent patrons. Today the Charlton site is an archaeological dig across the
street from Shields Tavern.
James Shields Tavern operates in the spirit of an 18th-century coffeehouse, providing
a venue for interaction between guests, costumed historic character interpreters and
research staff. Served all day, the tavern’s light fare menu offers recipes representative of
the 18th-century food similar to that served by proprietor James Shields in the 1740s for the
lesser gentry and upper middling ranks of locals and travelers.
Over a cold beverage, hot chocolate or coffee and good eats, guests might discuss
18th-century “events of the day” and other topics with the interpreters or simply enjoy a
quiet drink and snack in one of the dining rooms or in the outdoor garden behind the
tavern.
In the evening, a portion of the warm, rustic and historically accurate tavern will
operate as a lounge, where guests may enjoy a quiet beverage before or after dining in one of
Colonial Williamsburg’s others taverns—or any time. Costumed servers continue in the
tradition of interpreting the 18th-century tavern experience amidst period tavern furnishings
and decoration.
Shields Tavern is open daily from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Mr. Shields is pleased to offer
a seasonal feast on Friday and Saturday evenings with seatings at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Costumed servers continue in the tradition of interpreting the 18th-century tavern experience
amidst period tavern furnishings and decoration while guests savor a three-course colonial
meal.
The lower level tavern room is available for banquets for up to 100, and the covered
garden area behind the tavern offers an ideal outdoor space for group functions with 18thcentury
entertainment, weather permitting. Shields Tavern is located on Duke of Gloucester
Street just east of King’s Arms Tavern, near the Capitol.
Christiana Campbell’s Tavern tempts guests with traditional seafood from the rest of
the British colonies of North America. Christiana Campbell’s Tavern serves dinner from
Tuesday through Saturday (reservations are recommended), providing guests with ample
opportunity to savor Mrs. Campbell’s favorite dishes of sherried shrimp, scallops and
lobster, as well as the Waterman’s Supper and lump crab cakes, the tavern’s signature dish.
The entrées are complemented by long-time tavern favorites of Campbell’s cabbage slaw,
spoon bread and sweet potato muffins.
Every Tuesday and Thursday, the tavern hosts tea with Mrs. Campbell. Guests are
welcome to experience 18th-century hospitality while their hostess regales them with
accounts of her contemporaries and the quaint customs of the period.
Christiana Campbell’s Tavern was a favorite of well-known colonial Virginians such
as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Servers of the tavern are on hand to recount
stories of George Washington’s favorable diary entries about Mrs. Campbell’s
establishment and other noteworthy tales about the colonial tavern. Free parking is
available behind the
tavern, located today on the east side of Waller Street across from the
Capitol.
Chowning’s (pronounced “chewnings”) Tavern, located near Market Square on Duke
of Gloucester Street, offers guests a popular menu—traditional pit barbecue. References to
“barbecued hog” date back to the late 1700s. The Chowning’s menu features sumptuous
entrées such as beef brisket, pulled pork barbecue, turkey legs and grilled chicken
sandwiches.
Chowning’s offers casual quick fare from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily in the tavern
garden. Guests may enjoy their meal at tables set under grape arbors or inside the tavern.
From 5 to 8 p.m., Chowning’s caters to families with the music, magic and colonial
games of gambols while serving light fare. Beginning at 8 p.m., gambols takes on the
rollicking atmosphere of an 18th-century ale house featuring beverages such as stout rum
drinks, a variety of hearty ales and wine by the glass. The same light fare is offered along
with baskets of fresh-roasted Virginia peanuts on every table.
Mary Randolph, reputed to be the best cook in Richmond by the 1790s, published
“The Virginia House-Wife” in 1824. She included recipes for fried chicken, Spanish
gazpacho, Italian polenta and East Indian curry. The tradition of this cookbook continues
at Colonial Williamsburg taverns with special themed dinners held throughout the year.
Guests have the opportunity to engage in unique tavern programming such as the 18thcentury
Chocolate Dinner, Colonial Chef’s Table, dinner with George Washington and
Thomas Jefferson wine dinners.
Colonial Williamsburg’s historic tavern guests experience the hearty and distinctive fare that
sustained the Founding Fathers, served with Southern hospitality in authentic surroundings.
From the Daily Press 
Attracting interest .
McCullough’s book “1776,” about the days when Washington was leading the troops — and losing battles — has also been optioned by Playtone. Kirk Ellis, the screenwriter and co-executive producer of “John Adams,” said “1776″ is a great companion piece to John Adams and would be an “epic war movie.” He said shooting it in Virginia is “very much in everyone’s mind.”"I think all of that we could do here,” said Cooper.
