Craig Jones Real Estate

10/12/2026

If you're a waterfront homeowner or considering buying on the water in Virginia Beach, dock access and marina quality directly impact your boating lifestyle and property value. Here are the top options for slip rentals and transient dockage in the area:

1. Lynnhaven Municipal Marina — Direct Lynnhaven Inlet access to Chesapeake Bay, stationary docks with finger piers, free freshwater and 30-amp electric hookup, secure police presence, and convenient fuel dock access. Annual slips available; transient dockage $30/day (first 3 days), then $15/day.

2. Marina Shores Marina — Over 200 slips accommodating boats up to 75 feet, newly renovated floating docks, saltwater swimming pool with waterfront views, and onsite Surf Rider restaurant. Transient slips available on first-come, first-serve basis.

3. Rudee Inlet Station Marina — Located at the mouth of Rudee Inlet with 24/7 fuel and ice, nightly/weekly/yearly dockage options, two award-winning restaurants on site, and walking distance to Virginia Beach boardwalk. Direct Chesapeake Bay access.

4. Bay Point Marina (Norfolk) — 300+ boat slips, full-service amenities, onsite seafood restaurant, transient and annual dockage available. Located on the Perrin River with fast Chesapeake Bay access and hurricane-hole protection.

5. Morningstar Marinas at Little Creek — State-of-the-art Bellingham dock system, onsite restaurant, swimming pool, and services. Direct access to Chesapeake Bay, Atlantic Ocean, ICW, and James River. Just 20 minutes from Virginia Beach.

Dock availability and slip size matter when evaluating waterfront neighborhoods. The right marina fit depends on your vessel size, boating frequency, and whether you prioritize transient flexibility or annual stability. Let me help you match your boating priorities to the right waterfront community and marina infrastructure.

📞 Craig Jones, Managing Broker - 757-348-5343
✉️ [email protected]
🔗 https://www.aweighre.com/agent-detail/Craig-Jones/387562
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CraigJonesRealEstate

Ready to explore waterfront neighborhoods with dock access that fits your boating lifestyle? Reach out to discuss marina proximity, slip availability, and how waterfront location impacts your investment.

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10/06/2026

An interesting study from Virginia Realtors Association. They looked at what percentage of properties are owned by investors, and more importantly, by institutional investors (entities that own more than 100 properties). Hampton Roads appears to be doing OK in this regard with only 0.3% owned by institutional investors. Northern Virginia has a 2.3% ownership rate by comparison!

Institutional investor activity is an increasingly discussed issue in the conversations about housing supply shortages. To understand its overall impact, we quantify the share of investor ownership of…

10/01/2026

The Virginia Forestry service is have a tree sale!

The Virginia Department of Forestry has been growing seedlings for Virginia landowners for more than 100 years. When you put your money in the ground in the form of seedlings, you need to start with the best stock available and that means stock suited for Virginia soils and climate. The cultural pra...

09/22/2026

Mortgage rates are hovering around 6.7% to 7.4%, inventory is stabilizing, and home prices are flat nationally — but what does that actually mean for you?

Suffolk's market reflects these broader trends. With 589 active listings in Suffolk, buyers are seeing more options than they did a year ago, and sellers are competing on condition and pricing rather than relying on bidding wars. This is a fundamentally different market than 2021-2022.

See the full Suffolk market report here:

https://www.aweighre.com/market-report/Suffolk/3009381

For buyers: Higher rates mean monthly payments are steeper, but less competition means you can be more selective. Inspection contingencies and appraisal protections matter more now — take time to understand what you're buying and what the bank will actually lend.

For sellers: Homes that are priced right and in good condition still move. Overpriced homes sit. The days of selling "as-is" to multiple bidders are over. Strategic pricing and honest condition disclosure are your competitive advantages.

The market isn't broken — it's just different. And different markets reward different strategies.

📞 Craig Jones, Managing Broker - 757-348-5343
✉️ [email protected]
🔗 https://www.aweighre.com/agent-detail/Craig-Jones/387562
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CraigJonesRealEstate

Ready to understand what this market means for your situation? Let's talk through your options and build a strategy that works in today's conditions.

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09/18/2026

Contingencies are your safety net in a competitive market—but only if you structure them strategically.

When you make an offer, three core contingencies protect your investment: inspection, appraisal, and financing. The inspection contingency typically gives you 7 to 14 days to hire a licensed home inspector and evaluate the property's condition. This is separate from the appraisal, which the lender orders to verify the property's value and check for minimum property requirements. Your financing contingency protects you if your loan falls through—though in a competitive market, waiving or shortening this window can make your offer more attractive.

The tension is real: stronger contingencies protect you, but they can weaken your offer competitively. In Virginia Beach's current market, the key is knowing which contingencies matter most for your situation. If you're a VA buyer, you cannot waive the appraisal contingency entirely—it's a federal requirement—but you can offer to cover any gap between appraised value and purchase price, which signals strength to sellers. If you're conventional or FHA, you have more flexibility, but waiving protections entirely exposes you to significant risk.

The right strategy depends on your financial position, the property's condition, and current market timing. I help buyers structure contingencies that balance competitiveness with protection—so you're not choosing between winning the offer and protecting your investment.

📞 Craig Jones, Managing Broker - 757-348-5343
✉️ [email protected]
🔗 https://www.aweighre.com/agent-detail/Craig-Jones/387562
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CraigJonesRealEstate

Let's talk through your contingency strategy and what makes sense for your offer. The right structure can be the difference between a strong negotiating position and a costly mistake.

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09/15/2026

Contingencies protect you. But they can also cost you the deal.

When you make an offer, contingencies are your safety net—inspection, appraisal, financing. But in a competitive market, too many contingencies or poorly structured timelines can signal weakness to sellers. The key is strategic protection: tight due diligence windows, clear inspection thresholds, and financing pre-approval that demonstrates real buying power.

Here's what works: A 7-10 day inspection period is standard and competitive. An appraisal contingency with a specific gap threshold (say, you'll cover up to $10K over appraised value) shows you're serious but protected. And financing contingency language matters—lenders need clarity on timeline, but sellers need confidence you're actually approved. The difference between "subject to financing" and "pre-approved for $X with clear underwriting" is the difference between a competitive offer and one that gets passed over.

The real strategy isn't removing contingencies—it's structuring them so they protect you without signaling doubt. Work with your lender and inspector upfront to understand timelines. Know your appraisal gap tolerance before you offer. And be clear about what triggers a renegotiation versus what you'll absorb.

Your contingencies should work for you, not against you.

📞 Craig Jones, Managing Broker - 757-348-5343
✉️ [email protected]
🔗 https://www.aweighre.com/agent-detail/Craig-Jones/387562
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CraigJonesRealEstate

Let's talk through your offer strategy and make sure your contingencies protect your interests while keeping you competitive. Reach out today—market timing and offer structure can make the difference between winning and walking away.

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09/11/2026

Early in my career, I realized that the best deals happen when agents have the right systems, training, and support behind them. As an agent, I could help individual clients navigate transactions. As a managing broker, I can build the infrastructure that helps dozens of agents succeed—and that multiplies the impact for hundreds of families.

Transitioning to managing broker wasn't about leaving real estate. It was about shifting focus from individual transactions to the systems that make transactions smoother. That means investing in agent training, building relationships with lenders and inspectors who understand our market, creating transaction management processes that catch problems early, and fostering a culture where agents feel supported, not just managed. It's about recognizing that when your team wins, your clients win. When your agents have confidence in their broker's systems, they can focus on what they do best: serving their clients with expertise and integrity.

If you're an agent looking for a broker who invests in your success, or a client seeking an agent backed by strong systems and market knowledge, let's talk about what that partnership looks like.

📞 Craig Jones, Managing Broker - 757-348-5343
✉️ [email protected]
🔗 https://www.aweighre.com/agent-detail/Craig-Jones/387562
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CraigJonesRealEstate

Reach out to discuss how strong broker support translates to better outcomes for you. The right systems make all the difference.

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09/08/2026

🍂💰 TOMORROW IS THE DAY! 💰🍂

Our Fall Financial Series kicks off TOMORROW! 🎉

Join us at 10 AM as Cody Hawkins with Peace Link shares valuable tips on Retirement Planning for 1099 Employees! 📈💼

Whether you’re just getting started or need to get your retirement plan back on track, you won’t want to miss this one!

☕️ Coffee
🥯 Bagels
🍾 Mimosas
📚 Valuable Financial Knowledge

📅 Tomorrow | 10 AM
📍 780 Lynnhaven Pkwy, Suite 160, Virginia Beach

Come early, grab some coffee (or a mimosa 😉), a bagel, and get ready to learn!

We can’t wait to see everyone there! 🍂💰🎉

09/04/2026

After years as an agent, I realized my biggest impact wasn't closing individual deals—it was building systems that help other agents and their clients succeed.

When you're an agent, you solve problems one transaction at a time. But as a managing broker, you get to solve them systematically. That means investing in training that helps agents understand market dynamics, building lender and inspector networks that clients can trust, creating transaction management systems that catch issues before they become problems, and fostering a culture where agents feel supported to do their best work. I've seen firsthand how good broker infrastructure changes outcomes—agents close more deals with fewer complications, clients navigate transactions with more confidence, and the whole market works better.

If you're thinking about your next move in real estate—whether that's as an agent looking for the right broker support or as a client wanting to work with an agent backed by solid systems—let's talk about what that looks like. Reach out and let's explore how the right team structure serves your goals.

📞 Craig Jones, Managing Broker - 757-348-5343
✉️ [email protected]
🔗 https://www.aweighre.com/agent-detail/Craig-Jones/387562
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CraigJonesRealEstate

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09/01/2026

🎉🏡 SOLD & CELEBRATING! 🏡🎉
A huge congratulations to Taylar Stice on another successful closing! 🔑✨
Another property across the finish line and another reason to celebrate! 🥂🙌
Way to make it happen, Taylar! 👏🏠