Debbie Shickel, Realtor at Bishop Realty

Debbie Shickel, Realtor at Bishop Realty Debbie Shickel, GRI, e-Pro®, ABR®, C2EX Endorsed, AHWD, HFR®, PSA® Certified, REALTOR® SRES® Senior Real Estate Specialist.

I am Licensed to Sell Real Estate in the Commonwealth of Virginia. I am an Augusta County native who knows the area and market. I am a GRI, SRES® e-Pro, C2X Endorsed and At Home with Diversity (ATWD) and Pricing Strategy Advisor (PSA) Certified. I have the skills, knowledge and experience to help you with your real estate needs.

09/25/2026

Friday and Time for Debbie's Favorite Things to Do and Places to Go:
This weekend I will be going to one of my favorite spots--Sunset Park. I will be going to a wedding. This will be my first wedding at Sunset Park and it should be a really great view during the wedding, too.
She even named the wedding--the Beginning of Forever Bash. So Dustin and Micalah, I hope this is the beginning of your forever with one another.
I am so happy to come and celebrate this day with you, your family and your other guests.
I hope you have a long and fruitful marriage and that it does last forever.
CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST WISHES TO THE HAPPY COUPLE.

09/24/2026

Thursday and time for Debbie's Grab Bag:
I have just loved the rain for the past few days and the cooler temperatures so far this week, but it looks like it will warm up again starting on Friday and continuing into next week.
1. Do you realize September is nearly over? Soon it will be time for Halloween and then after that it seems like the holidays rush right at us.
2. Went to the Virginia REALTORS® Convention/Conference last week. Stayed at the Williamsburg Lodge and never left the hotel until Thursday night until I went out to dinner with Janey and Will Harris and Mary Beth Harris to celebrate MB winning the Good Neighbor Award from Virginia REALTORS®. We ate at the Aberdeen Barn. Had a really good filet mignon.
3. Took some really good classes. Several of them have given me new ideas for helping sellers get their homes sold quickly as the market shifts.
4. When you read this later today I will have gone to the REALTOR® Ruckus Fundraiser that raises money for local charities: Comfort Care Women’s Health and
Foster Love Ministries. Two good causes that help folks in our area.
5. My new mailbox was supposed to be installed this week, but it has rained every day so I can't show you a picture of it.
6. Went to an Ethics seminar on Monday at the Holiday Inn in Verona on Rt. 262.
7. This weekend is going to be busy for me as I attend 2 funeral/memorial services and a wedding all the same day.
8. Right now I need listings. Give me a call if you are looking for an experienced, knowledgeable and ethical REALTOR®.
Have a great weekend and don't forget that:
Event Name: Annual Dunkers' Day Fall Festival
Date & Time: Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM Venue Name & Address: Staunton Church of the Brethren, 1615 N. Coalter Avenue, Staunton, VA 24401
Admission Cost: Free admission (food, crafts, and items available for purchase)
They have really good food and the apple dumplings are some of the best around and the dumplings go really fast.

09/23/2026

Wednesday is Debbie's Financial Tip:
Fall is here and that means extra expenses for the holidays and for heating your home.
Now is the time to be planning for holiday meals and shopping sales for the holidays and for your gifts. Keep an eye out for sales. With the price increases we have been seeing for groceries and utilities--budgeting has been extremely hard for everyone.
Worst of all, will be heating costs as electric, natural gas, propane and heating oil prices are going through the roof especially oil.
FYI: I heat with oil.
Oil in particular has jumped the broom as has gas due to the situation in the Middle East. I need to get my tank filled but it is over 5 dollars a gallon so I am going to get a partial fill up and pray that the price comes down soon. Since I have a 550 gallon tank--filling my tank completely could cost in the range of +/- $2000 this fall. With prices this high, if you come to visit me wear a sweater, hoodie or coat because I will be keeping my heat down lower than normal.
I may also use a small electric space heater to keep the room I am using a little warmer for watching TV. Some folks have been telling me to convert to a heat pump (a heat pump does not keep you real warm due to the type of heat it is) which is also expensive with the electric going up due to Dominion Energy and Next Era Energy merging.
Also friends have suggested converting to propane but along with a heat pump that requires getting a new HVAC installed and that is really costly. I will be saving for a new HVAC but in the meantime, I am going to get oil put in my tank for winter and pay for it when delivered as they offer a discount for paying with cash/check at time of delivery. Natural gas is not an option where I live in the county and I wish it was as it is usually a little more economical.
I may also inquire about a budget plan, too.
One other thing is to have your heat serviced to make sure your furnace, heat pump or what you heat with is in good repair and working properly to keep the costs down.




Tuesday and Time for Debbie's Maintenance Tips:In my last post I talked about cleaning up those little piles that our fu...
09/22/2026

Tuesday and Time for Debbie's Maintenance Tips:
In my last post I talked about cleaning up those little piles that our furry friends leave behind in the yard, today it is leaves and debris.
In our area, we have been having lots of wind, some violent storms (which have yet to help the drought conditions and the normal part of fall--leaves in the yard.
One way to show you really care about the condition of your home is to keep the yard looking neat and clean especially if it is for sale. Leaves can be the bane of many homeowners because they don't come down all at once in the yard.
Leaves fall over a period of time and require you to rake often if your home is on the market. One reason to rake often is to keep folks looking at your home and of course your family and friends from tracking in leaves to your house. They often come in when they stick to your shoes when the ground is damp or it is raining.
Rake up all the leaves that you can, then do it again about every other week if they are not falling very fast.
Make sure your downspouts and gutters are cleared of leaves as that comes up in home inspections. If your gutters are clean and so are the downspouts it goes a long way to show you care about your home.
You really want those gutters/downspouts clean as we approach winter, because rain, snow and ice can cause lots of problems if your gutters and downspouts are clogged.
I really love the fall and I generally don't have leaves but I get a ton of pine cones from a tree in my yard and this year it looks like a bumper crop of pine cones. They have to be picked up too as do walnuts in my yard. I generally mow any leaves in the yard with my mower after picking up the cones and nuts.

Today is Monday and Time for Debbie's Real Estate Tip:Fall is a great time of the year to sell your home, but you need t...
09/21/2026

Today is Monday and Time for Debbie's Real Estate Tip:
Fall is a great time of the year to sell your home, but you need to remember a few things. When selling your home during September through December, you need to do a few things:
1. Curb appeal: Yes, you have to rake the leaves and sweep that sidewalk. Plus any debris in the yard from the wind and storms our area has been having.
2. Clean the gutters and downspouts. Once again, leaves.
3. If you have vinyl siding, power wash the siding before you list it so it looks good in the photos. Can also do the same with your sidewalk and the patio or deck so it will look good for the fall buyers.
No, you can't get up every leaf every day, but you can keep it looking good by raking or blowing the leaves once a week or so after the initial raking for pictures.
Buyers in the fall and winter are usually very serious about buying and you need to make it so the house is well lit for late afternoon or evening showings. Remember it gets dark quicker. Also, have the curtains or blinds open during the day for showings to let in that natural light.
Buyers, if you are looking during the Fall, you will have less competition but that does not mean you can offer way lower than asking price. Be sure and have your REALTOR® or agent run comps on the area you are looking in or even in the subdivision to see what the selling price to listing price percentage is and whether or not sellers are making concessions. Right now some houses are being reduced in price by sellers but that does not mean you can make a really low offer and get it. A really low offer will often feel truly insulting to the seller if they just reduced the price. Be sure and talk to the person representing you about the general market conditions plus the mini-market conditions where you are looking.

09/21/2026

Back from my seminar and just posted the market update!

09/21/2026

Good Morning, and it is time for my weekly update on the real estate market in Staunton, Waynesboro and Augusta County for residential properties.
As of 1 P.M. today: Staunton has 127 Active Listings, Waynesboro has 115 Active Listings and Augusta County has 177 Active Listings. So the Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro area has a total of 419 Active Residential Listings as of this morning.
As of 1 PM. today: Staunton has 65 Pending Listings, Waynesboro has 109 Pending Listings and Augusta County has 130 Pending Residential Listings. So Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro have a total of 304 Pending Listings.
*REMEMBER: Pending Listings are properties that are under contract and may have unresolved contingencies that may cause those properties to come back on market if the contingencies are not met in a timely fashion. All of these numbers can fluctuate as new listings come on, something gets sold, withdrawn from the market or goes pending. All of this information is from the GAAR MLS.
Inventory is still low in our area as you can see by the active and pending listings but starting to rise as some houses stay on the market longer. Even though interest rates are fluctuating, houses are still selling if properly priced for the condition and location.
Give us a call at Bishop Realty if you are interested in selling your home! Monday to Friday 9-5 Office number: 540-886-2313 or call me at 540-294-4700.

09/21/2026

Did you know as of 1 PM. today there are 17
Active Residential Listings under $200,000 in Staunton, Waynesboro and Augusta County?
Staunton has 4 and Augusta County has 9 and Waynesboro has 4 Active Residential listings under $200,000!
Call me if you want to sell your home.
Give Debbie Shickel, Realtor at Bishop Realty, a call at 540-886-2313 during normal business hours. Or give me a call at 540-337-4483 or 540-294-4700.

09/21/2026

Will have my market updates by 2 today. Have been in a class on the Code of Ethics. WATCH FOR IT!

Address

Bishop Realty 459 Lee Jackson Highway
Staunton, VA
24401

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 12pm

Telephone

+15408862313

Website

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