Smith Mountain Lake Flotilla for Toys

Fall is slipping away from the Blue Ridge Mountains, making way for winter and the Christmas season. That means one thing in Smith Mountain Lake; it is time for the Flotilla for Toys boat parade. This year’s event will be held on December 5th at 7pm.




The Flotilla for Toys is the annual holiday boat parade led by the Virginia Dare! The parade starts at the Virginia Dare marina and makes it way to the Bridgewater Plaza and Hales Ford Bridge. The boat parade will then circle down Roanoke Channel past the Smith Mountain Lake State Park. You can even participate aboard the Virginia Dare itself! You can call about reservations at 540-297-7100. Boarding starts at 6:30pm and a cash bar will be available.



Participants and spectators bring unwrapped toys to benefit Lake Christian Ministries to share with local children in need. There are also drop off points throughout the area. This is the 12th year for the boat parade. At last year’s event, over 1400 toys were collected and over 500 area children received Christmas bags filled with toys and clothing.



Don’t miss this spectacular boat parade! Many residents have said it is the highlight of the year. Some even have Holiday parties to coincide with the flotilla and ask guests to bring a toy to donate. It is just another way Smith Mountain Lake gives as a community.



Come for a visit and if you like it then move here! There is nothing quite like Christmas on the lake. If you are ready for a waterfront home of your own, call Vicki Millehan. She is a local real estate expert and resident of Smith Mountain Lake! Next year you could be watching the parade from your own back deck!

Happy Thanksgiving Smith Mountain Lake!

The big day is almost here! The time of year where you enjoy family, friends and lots of comfort foods! It also kicks off some of the best shopping of the season. It is also time for a certain jolly old man dressed in red to show up at Smith Mountain Lake. It is a well known fact he does some of his best Holiday shopping right here!




Santa will be arriving at the lake on November 28th, at 1pm. He will be coming via boat of course and docking at Bridgewater Plaza. He will be available to visit with the children in his workshop from 1-4pm. There will also be free mini golf at Harbortown Mini golf that day starting at noon and ending at four. If you don’t get a chance to catch Santa then, don’t worry! He will be in his workshop December 5th, 12th, and 19th. When he is not at his workshop, Santa will be shopping the Smith Mountain Lake hot spots!



It is rumored that the big guy is using the Smith Mountain Lake Holiday Gift Guide to help him find the perfect presents for those on the nice list! One of his first stops will be Emerson Creek Pottery. He has several patterns on his list like Cranberry and a winter favorite, Snowman. After he picks up the pottery, rumor has it he is headed to the Savoy-Lee winery to pick up a few bottles of Virginia wine to relax with after his deliveries are complete. You don’t have to be Santa to be able to enjoy the holidays at Smith Mountain Lake! There are so many unique gifts available through the local merchants.



As you sit down to enjoy your Thanksgiving meal and start planning the hustle and bustle of the weeks ahead, don’t forget the Flotilla for Toys boat parade on December 5th! More information to come! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours from Vicki Millehan and her team at Prudential Waterfront Homes. Don’t forget to visit Smith Mountain Lake this winter and if you like it then move here!

The Luray Caverns of Page County

Virginia is full of natural and manmade wonders! From the Natural Bridge to Smith Mountain Lake, there is no end to all the wonderful things to see and do in Virginia. Nestled in the Shenandoah National Park, north of Roanoke, is Luray Caverns. Discovered in 1878, the Luray Caverns are breathtaking! Rock formations "sing" and bridal veils, the formations are as amazing as the day they were discovered!

It all started with a sink hole. A gust of air from a limestone sinkhole blew out a candle held by Andrew Campbell as he and friends were looking for caves in the area. What they ended up discovering was the largest series of caverns on the East. Purchasing the land at public auction, the men began to prepare the cave for visitors. The rest is history!



In 1880 The Smithsonian Institution sent nine scientists to examine the cavern system. They were amazed at the stalactite and stalagmite formations they found. One of the most popular formations is the Stalacpipe Organ! Located in the Cathedral, you really can play music on these stalactites! Using a system of electronically controlled rubber mallets you can hear the rocks make music! It has even been featured on Ripley's Believe it or Not!

Giant Hall, Titania's Veil, Dream Lake, and Fried Eggs are just a few of the other amazing cave formations you can see when you visit Luray Caverns. It is about a 2 hour drive from Bedford, Virginia, but well worth the drive! There is so much to do in the area you may need to just plan your vacation to Bedford!

Come for a visit, if you like it, then move here! If you want to live in a land of natural and manmade beauty, call Vicki Millehan! A long time resident of Smith Mountain Lake and local real estate expert! From a winery to luxury waterfront homes, she can help you find your own piece of Virginia!

Retirement and Tax Breaks in Franklin County

As most of you know the Home Buyers Tax Credit program has been continued. You can read most of the details in the recent blog: Buy a Smith Mountain Lake Home, Get a Tax Break! With current homeowners now being eligible for a tax credit of up to $6,500, many are asking for details on the expanded program and what it means for them. It seems to be almost custom made for those who are ready to retire or downsize their home!


You can buy a lot of house for $800,000, but not everyone wants a lot of house to take care of! There is a whole generation of Baby Boomers who are just starting out on the road of retirement! On the top of their list is buying a retirement home. The new repeat buyer tax credit can be applied to a home that is smaller and even less expensive than your current home. There are many types of homes that qualify, if you want a condo or cottage on the lake, no problem! If you prefer to live on the lake in a houseboat, you are covered there as well! As long as it is a primary residence, you can buy the right sized home to fit your retirement plans!

Another benefit for retirees is the wider pool of buyers that will be looking for homes. Many of those ready to retire owned homes that were considered a few steps beyond what most first time homeowner would consider. These homes are now in demand for repeat buyers who are ready to take on the next level of home ownership! With the new program, you can sell your city home and buy a smaller home in the country and still qualify!

You can use the tax credit towards your home or you can use it as a down payment on that new sailboat! Whatever you choose to use it for, don’t miss out on this opportunity! You can take advantage of this program through April 30th, 2010 and will need to close by June 30th, 2010. Smith Mountain Lake is a wonderful place to retire! Golf courses, fishing, sailing, hiking; these are just a few of the things you can enjoy in Franklin County!

There is so much to do in Franklin County, Virginia; come for a visit, if you like it then move here!! If you want to see what kind of homes are available in the area call Vicki Millehan! She is your local real estate expert and long time resident of Smith Mountain Lake!!

Buy A Smith Mountain Lake Home, Get a Tax Break!

The deadline for the First Time Home Buyer Tax credit was fast approaching, but we have good news!! The $8000 Tax Credit program has been extended! Not only do first time buyers now have until April 2010 to choose a home, but those current home owners who are looking to buy a home may also qualify for a new $6,500 credit! There is a little something for most everyone in the extended program!


If you were worried about missing the November 30th deadline, you now have until April 30th, 2010 to be under contract to buy a Smith Mountain Lake home and get a tax break! You can schedule your closing anytime through June 30th, 2010! The extra two months to close will hopefully avoid the backlog of closings agents have seen as the original deadline approached.

If you are a first time home buyer, not much has changed in the extension. Any home that can be used as a primary residence is eligible under the program. Even houseboats qualify under the extension! You cannot purchase a home from a family member and qualify for the tax credit. Income guidelines are $125,000 for single tax payers and $225,000 for those who are filing jointly. To be considered a first time home buyer you still must not have owned a principal residential property in the last three years. But with the new extension, if you own a home, you may still qualify for a tax credit!

Repeat Buyers are now eligible for a tax credit up to $6,500 on the purchase of a home. To be considered a repeat buyer, you will need to have owned and resided in a home for five consecutive years out of the last eight years. The income guidelines are the same as a first time buyer: $125,000 for single filers and $225,000 for married couples filing jointly. You can purchase any primary residence up to $800,000 and earn a 10% tax credit up to $6,500. For the first time buyers the highest amount of the credit is $8,000!

You can’t find a better incentive for buying that waterfront home you have been thinking of! Come visit Smith Mountain Lake, if you like it then move here! If you have questions about the Home Buyers Tax Credit extension, call Vicki Millehan! She is your local real estate expert!

Smith Mountain Lake: Coffee and Art Blend Together

Coffee houses are becoming America’s front porch as neighbors and friends gather to share a cup of coffee or exotic teas while they catch up on the local news. At Smith Mountain Lake you can also enjoy some local art with that cup of joe! Just head over to the Westlake Towne Center and stop in at Solid Ground Coffee and Tea! They have begun displaying the work of local artists in their shop.




You can find the works of new artists as well as professional art work adorning the walls of the coffee shop. They will be rotating the art every 6 weeks or so and some piece are definitely for sale! The owners; Robert Carkin and Christopher Spoon, wanted to give Smith Mountain Lake’s local talent a place to display their work. But they are not stopping with art work. Live music is in the works as well!



They are planning open mike nights for Friday and Saturday nights. If you play an instrument or sing, the stage can be yours! You can even play your own original music! Overall they just want to celebrate the diversity of Smith Mountain Lake! Speaking of diverse, you have to try the different flavors of tea and coffee they have! Snow Plum Monkey and Khan’s delight are just a few of the flavors to be had! You can enjoy a heavenly pastry made by Chef Carkin too!



You can find a real sense of community here on the Lake. Virginia is definitely a place where art, community and history all come together! Come for a visit, if you like it then move here! Just give Vicki Millehan a call and she will help you find a place to call your own!

“Good Wine Makes for Good Cheer” in Huddleston, VA!

"I find friendship to be like wine, raw when new, ripened with



old age, the true old man's milk and restorative cordial."



Thomas Jefferson to Dr. Benjamin Rush


Poplar Forest, 1811



According to an old Italian proverb, good wine makes for good cheer, and this will be the case November 21st at the first ever Thomas Jefferson Wine Festival. The festival will take place at Poplar Forest, Jefferson’s Virginia retreat. Thomas Jefferson was a big advocate of the benefits of wine. He was pivotal in the import of wines from such countries as Italy and France.



At the festival you can enjoy, food, wine, crafts and live music! You must be 21 years old to enjoy the wine tastings, so be sure and bring your ID! You can enjoy wines from around the region! All of the wineries of the Bedford Wine trail will be there with some of their award winning wines to sample! Some of the wineries in the area, like the Savoy-Lee, actually use both red and white European and French American grapevines. It is these lovingly tended vines that produce the quality wine Virginia is becoming known for.



Located in Huddleston, the Savoy-Lee is a family run winery located at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. If you have considered the life of a wine maker, you may want to check out this vineyard that is currently for sale! The beautiful surrounding area includes Smith Mountain Lake, Bedford and Roanoke! This is a turnkey operation that is already producing award winning wines. Many of the wines produced here are lovingly barrel fermented before being moved to the more modern stainless steel vats. This allows the wines to have a complexity that may be missing in some other wines.



You can sample the wines from this and other vineyards along the Bedford wine trail at the Festival. Come for a visit and if you like it then move here!! From wineries to luxury waterfront homes, call Vicki Millehan for all your real estate needs in the Smith Mountain Lake area!

Smith Mountain Lake Weddings

It may sound strange to talk about weddings in November, but when it comes to booking you want to make sure you have your venue in plenty of time. If you are considering a summer or fall wedding at Smith Mountain Lake, now is the time to consider what you want to do for your wedding by the water!


Just about every weekend from Spring through late fall, there is someone getting married somewhere at Smith Mountain Lake! With the variety of places to get married, it is no wonder. How about tying a “sailor’s knot” and getting married on the Lake!! The Virginia Dare side wheeler offers full blown wedding packages to exchange vows. Their wedding packages vary from rehearsal dinner to the wedding ceremony. The menu choices are fantastic! You can have anything from hors d'oeuvres to a full meal chosen from the menu, from open bar to cash bar, pretty much anything you need for a wedding or reception can be created in a package for you!

If you prefer a wedding overlooking the water, rather than on it, the Mariner’s Landing may be what you are looking for! Their wedding packages can be simple and intimate starting at around $1500 or you can go all the way up to Elegant and Extravagant at around $24,000. They even offer a wedding coordinator to help you plan all the details! Whether it is a weekday wedding or a weekend long celebration, they can help you create your dream wedding!

There are many breath taking places in Franklin and Bedford County to help you celebrate your Big Day! From the wineries to the natural beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, there are many ways to relax before you walk down the aisle! From beginning to end you won’t find a better place to tie the knot!

If you are still wondering why Smith Mountain Lake is such a popular place for these big events, then you need to plan at trip to the area! Come for a visit and if you like it, then move here! There are many places to enjoy whether it is for your Big Day or just a family vacation! If you are ready to make a commitment to a new home on Smith Mountain Lake, call Vicki Millehan! She is your local real estate expert!