Goodbye Sullivan’s, Hello Long & Foster
Out with the old, in with the new. (Composite photo)
CAPE CHARLES WAVE
October 6, 2014
Last week former mayor Dora Sullivan closed her office supply store at 109 Mason Avenue, which had been the informal “town hall” for eight years. She had announced her retirement concurrent with stepping down as mayor last July, but kept the shop open until it could be sold or rented.
Meanwhile, Realtors Lynn Gray and Melanie Brown had closed their Eastern Shore of Virginia real estate office just up the street and joined Long & Foster in Onancock. That’s when L&F listings started appearing on For Sale signs in Cape Charles.
Business must be good, because Long & Foster now has leased the Sullivan’s storefront. No more trips to Onancock will be necessary.
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Mason Avenue has somewhat of an incestuous working relationship. One of the principal agents at the new Long & Foster agency at 109 Mason is Betty Lou Charnock, fresh from Coldwell Banker Harbour Realty of 205 Mason — which, coincidently was formerly the address of Gray and Brown’s Eastern Shore realty office.
Meanwhile, a little further up the street at 225 Mason, Gray’s husband Chip Watson holds forth at Watson’s Realty and Watson’s Hardware. Right next door to him is Melanie Brown’s husband, Tim, who will “Hook U Up” with gourmet sandwiches and pizza.
The Long & Foster office will have a grand opening 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, October 16. Betty Lou Charnock and Betty Ann Latimer will both lead the new office, and it will be managed by Jeremy Caleb Johnson and Ann Randolph, office managers at the Long & Foster Great Neck office. Additional sales agents are Carla Jasper and Theresa Olivetto as well as the aforementioned Lynn Gray Watson and Melanie Brown.
“I’m thrilled to be launching this new Long & Foster office and working with Betty Ann to lead a team of agents who will receive the best in training, technology and tools available to them,” Charnock said in a press release.
“Long & Foster is committed to growing our presence in the Virginia Eastern Shore area, and the opening of the Cape Charles office allows us to increase our footprint and better serve home buyers and sellers throughout the area,” said Scott Shaheen, senior regional vice president of Long & Foster Real Estate. “Opening this new office aligns with Long & Foster’s plan to expand our ability to provide unparalleled customer service to our buyers and sellers, and our continued growth is one of the reasons we are the No. 1 firm throughout the mid-Atlantic,” boasted Gary Scott, president of Long & Foster Real Estate.
Just what this town needs — another real estate office! I remember when this town had 2 grocery stores, 5 places that sold gas, and 6 places that sold clothes. Now all it has is real estate offices, antique shops, and high-price shops that are geared towards tourists. [. . . ]
Could this be the real estate buzzards circling as they wait for the Northampton Supervisors to vote to destroy the county’s Zoning Ordinance? It won’t be long before the 10,000 condo balloon drops, and the race starts to turn farm land into Ocean City.
I think Mason Avenue should be renamed Real Estate Row. If the economy is not moving and property values are dropping and property isn’t selling, why do we need so many real estate offices?
Thanks for the compliments, folks! An attitude adjustment might be in order here. As a REALTOR for 41 years, the last 25 serving buyers and sellers here in Cape Charles, I am proud of the results of our work in revitalization. The Town’s finances have gone from red to black, there are an hundred or more restored historic homes for visitors to admire, many millions of dollars of public and private infrastructure investment have improved our quality of life, and the cultural arts are alive and well here. Real estate offices are an economic driver and the proliferation of agencies is a good sign that business is good. Residential sales in Cape Charles and Northampton County have grown almost 50% in the last few years, building permits are exceeding $15mm annually, and new housing starts are also up 50%. So, please, when you see a real estate office, stop in and thank the proprietor for making their best efforts at improving our community.