22nd Annual Big Brothers Big Sisters Duck Race

Saturday, July 30th, 2011 on Brown's Island starting at 11am.

This is a completely free, family event with inflatables, characters, rock walls, vendors, free snow cones provided by Captain D's. Get your “ducks” for the BIG SPLASH of up to 20,000 ducks swimming their way down the Canal and competing for prizes. There are 12 prizes this year with the top prize being a 2011 Nissan Versa courtesy of Sheehy Nissan Mechanicsville.

All proceeds go to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Richmond & Tri-Cities.

Homebuyers Make Lifestyle Options Priority

The adage when it comes to real estate has been "location, location, location." A recent survey, though, shows that lifestyle options are a priority. These include health and safety, access to cultural activities, and family-friendly neighborhoods.
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Source: realtytimes.com

Commercial/Multifamily Real Estate Markets Show the Turn of the Real Estate Cycle

RISMEDIA, July 15, 2011—The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) released its Commercial Real Estate/Multifamily Finance Quarterly Data Book for the first quarter of 2011. First quarter data on the commercial real estate markets show the natural effects of the turn of the real estate cycle. Broader economic indicators were positive in the first quarter, but provided less of a tail wind to commercial real estate markets than they might have. Despite this softness, real estate fundamentals have stabilized and are beginning to show signs of mending. Transaction volumes are picking up, and pricing and loan performance are showing initial signs—inconsistent though they are—of improvement. Any pick-up in economic growth will speed the healing; any slowdown will draw out the cycle.
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Seven Out of 10 Renters Say Owning a Home Is a Top Priority

RISMEDIA, July 8, 2011—Most Americans still believe that owning a home is a solid financial decision, and a majority of renters aspire to homeownership as a long-term goal. According to the 2011 National Housing Pulse Survey released recently by the National Association of REALTORS®, 72 percent of renters surveyed said owning a home is a top priority for their future, up from 63 percent in 2010.
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Source: rismedia.com