See the hope, joy, and appreciation in their smiles as they open their HOPE boxes.

Local small business owners, Ellen Aders of State Farm and Jennifer Avery of Jenspiration LLC & NextHome Realty Select prepare for a second trip to the mountains of our neighboring state, Kentucky. In 2012, HOPE for Appalachia launched its first adventure to bring HOPE to children in our most distressed region of America with just one team visiting 3 schools. This year there will be over 200 people on 7 teams visiting 30 school in 7 counties.

Watch this video to see part of the journey to Appalachia and meet some of the children (and a few seniors) who took part in the 2018 HOPE for Appalachia trip. See the hope, joy, and appreciation in their smiles as they open their HOPE boxes.

Learn about the children and families in the Appalachia region:

In February 2009, Diane Sawyer recorded an ABC News documentary titled: A Hidden America – Children of the Mountains. In this documentary, Diane interviews numerous children and families who have remained hidden in the hills of Appalachia. These families struggle with drug abuse, depression, early death, cancer, toothlessness, and alcoholism. Poverty we can’t imagine. In ways, they have been left behind.

Help stuff HOPE boxes:

This year 100 boxes will be stuffed and sent on the trip to Appalachia from Front Royal. If you are interested in donating items for HOPE boxes, please reference the attached list of items. All items are welcome and appreciated, highlighted indicate greatest need. Girls in 6th-8th grade. All items are requested by April 6th.

Drop off site: Aders Insurance, Ellen Aders
23 Church St, Front Royal, VA 22630
Office number: 540-635-3336

OR Call Jen Avery at 540-683-0790 to help make other arrangements.
*HOPE for Appalachia is a 5013C Non-Profit organization

Pam Waters, Special Education Teacher at Skyline Middle School. Photos/Jennifer Avery

Pam Waters, Special Education Teacher at Skyline Middle School, recently found special-edition die-cast Hot Wheels toy cars in the form of wheelchairs! This picture was taken as she prepared to visit with one of her students to whom she provides in-home instruction.

What a unique find! The replica is of a true wheelchair athlete, Aaron Wheelz Fotheringham. Waters confesses she purchased every wheelchair Hot Wheels model on the shelf to give as gifts to other young people she knows who have disabilities. She said three high school students who received the Hot Wheels model car sent heartfelt thank-you notes in response!

Learn more about Aaron: www.aaronfotheringham.com

Watch this video for a quick summary of Warren County real estate for February 2019. Charts demonstrate the changes in the market, so be sure to click play!

In general summary:

1. Closed sales (28 units) is significantly down by -37%.
2. Average Median Sold $209,950. This number is up from February 2018 but down from last month January 2019 ($224K).
3. Average Days on Market 110. January 2019 we were only at 69 DOM.

Looking forward to the spring market, we anticipate closed sales to improve. It is not clear why closed sales decreased so much. Reports indicate the available homes on the market has not dipped compared to last year. Could the government “shutdown” have created delayed closings?

To help answer this question, let’s ask a few local industry experts.

Tim Fusaro of Commonwealth Home Lending confirmed, “The government shutdown affected several of my USDA loan closings pushing them back into a March close date.” Fusaro continued, “We saw low purchase volume in January and February because USDA loans are utilized by a large percentage of home buyers in Warren County. USDA loans require RD approval prior to closing and those employees were furloughed. Even those purchasing homes with loans that don’t require any direct federal involvement prior to closing seemed to be discouraged and hesitant to move forward with purchasing homes. Rates began dropping in December of 2018 and we didn’t start to see the effect of that until mid February.”

Bill Tribus of Clear Title and Escrow challenged we research back additional years to determine the closed sales trend through 2016. Here is what was found:

• Closed sales 2016: 40
• Closed sales 2017: 42
• Closed sales 2018: 45
• Closed sales 2019: 28

Tribus commented, “Considering the number of government funded loans that are currently popular in our area, and the lengthy government shutdown, these factors could definitely be contributors for this significant drop.”

Loan Officer, Molly Llewellyn of CBM Mortgage confirmed she experienced a USDA loan delay this month. NextHome Realty Select broker, Curtis Siever concluded this brief investigation by adding, “Our local brokerage had two USDA loans scheduled to close in February pushed to March.”

*If you would like a copy of this report emailed to you, please just send your request to Jennifer@nexthomerealtyselect.com.

Resource: 2019 Market Stats by ShowingTime
MRIS: Statistics calculated March 6, 2019

Jennifer Avery, Realtor for NextHome Realty Select
BPOR, SRS, CNE, E-Pro Certified | Licensed in VA
jennifer@nexthomerealtyselect.com | 540-683-0790
210 E Main Street, Front Royal VA
www.jenaveryrealtor.com 

One of many Inman Otis Kibler paintings.

Small town Front Royal is, and has been, home for some big time talent. The natural beauty of the mountains, flow of the river, and wonderment of our sunsets and rainbows are obvious marvels, but the true magnificence is our people.

As a Realtor, one tends to have many adventures when listing a home. Once in a while, you walk into a listing appointment and know that this one is different; different because as you entered through the door, you know this house is a HOME. The life that was lived inside the home is still buzzing in the air. As I looked around the McFall home last month, this is how I felt.

In 1986, the McFall home had its debut in the Garden Club of Warren County’s Annual House and Garden Tour. The property featured lovely furniture, decor, and oil paintings throughout the home. These very paintings remained on the walls until just recently. Are you curious to learn more about these oil paintings? I sure was after noticing each was signed I.O. Kibler!

Inman Otis Kibler, founder of Kibler Furniture in Front Royal, was indeed the artist who had crafted the paintings. After quizzing his grandson, Gary McFall, I learned that I.O. Kibler had taken up painting in the 50’s or 60’s. He had been mentored by top DC artists. I.O. Kibler painted a variety of subjects, from portraits to landscapes to everything in between. For a slide show of the artwork, click here, or check out the following video:

Historic Garden Week 1986 brochure cover.

Garden tour description from 1986 brochure:

The McFall home on Salem Avenue will be listed for sale this spring. If you are looking for a beautiful home built with love, keep this home in mind! Please don’t hesitate to call with questions.

Jennifer Avery, REALTOR
NextHome Realty Select
210 E Main Street, Front Royal VA  22630
540-683-0790 | jennifer@nexthomerealtyselect.com
www.jenaveryrealtor.com

McFall House description within the Historic Garden Week 1986 brochure.

Michael, Landon, and Kaitlyn, MORE Program students at Skyline Middle School

To kick off our featured students of the month, we will be hearing from Landon, Michael, and Kaitlyn. Learn a few things about these students that make them special! The students who will be participating in this feature are part of the MORE Program hosted at Skyline Middle School through Warren County Public Schools.

Tina and Rodnay Culbreath, founders of the I’m Just Me Movement, have launched a confidence boosting, anti-bullying, keep on smiling, campaign called PROJECT POSITIVE with the MORE students. Tina and Rodnay work with the students on a weekly basis as mentors, teaching them mindful habits, meditation, and bring awareness to many important youth topics.

*The meaning of our meditation: Students sit quietly and pay attention to their breathing. This helps them to calm down and focus attention.

Learn more about I’m Just Me Movement: http://www.imjustmemovement.org

WomanGatherings are informational and inspirational evenings intended to nurture the woman-spirit in each of us. THIS IS A FREE EVENT. Please join us and other women looking to be inspired!

• Guest Speaker: Laura Corebello of Blue Mountain Studio
• Topic: Art & Paint Parties
• FB LIVE: 6:15 PM with hostess Eka Kapiotis

About Laura Corebello

Laura is a retired art teacher who taught in the public and private schools in New Jersey and Virginia for 30 years. She moved to this area 17 years ago and fell in love with the picturesque Front Royal area, and it has been the inspiration for her oil paintings and photography. She stays involved with the public schools as a substitute teacher, teaches art classes to children at Art in the Valley in Front Royal, and also teaches adult painting in her home/studio.

Laura will discuss the importance of art in our culture and the similarities and differences of how adults and children approach their own artwork. This includes how children benefit from art in school to express themselves, and how she has used this experience to teach adults who have little or no experience in painting. In addition, the newest craze of paint parties came about just as Laura had retired, and she switched over from children to adults by forming a paint club that not only served as a social outlet but gave adults an opportunity to express themselves artistically.

Her mission is to have adult students gain confidence and self-satisfaction in doing something they thought they could never accomplish. This is a life lesson that branches out to other aspects of our lives. When teaching art to either children or adults, the importance is the process and not the result. As Pablo Picasso put it, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”

Blue Mountain Studios 
Visit on Facebook to see upcoming events.

About the Front Royal Women’s Resource Center

A non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1996 to provide a support network for women in Warren County. Through monthly networking meetings, yearly grant presentations, special events, email connections and program activities, we have forged a link between women in our community.

Visit our Website, or visit our Facebook to see upcoming events.