Angling at Smith Mountain Lake

With warmer weather approaching us here in Smith Mountain Lake, more anglers are ready to hit the water as more docks and boat ramps are finally shedding their icy coats. The weather next week should start hitting the 50’s - at least during the day. As the water slowly begins to warm, the stripers will finally begin to be more active and start showing the aggression anglers enjoyed in December.


Spring will bring many opportunities for the anglers of Smith Mountain Lake! Adding to the fun of fishing itself, there is currently a raffle being held of two Marshall Positions for the BassMaster Elite Blue Ridge Brawl on Smith Mountain Lake! The Blue Ridge Brawl is April 15-18, 2010. A Marshall rides with an Elite angler during the tournament. This is your chance to be part of one of the biggest fishing tournaments in Virginia! Not to mention seeing how a pro does it!

The deadline for purchasing raffle tickets is the first week of March, so get your tickets now! You can purchase raffle tickets at Virginia Outdoorsman Sporting Goods, Bedford County, Franklin County and Smith Mountain Lake Visitor Centers. You can find out more information about the raffle and the current fishing conditions on the Virginia Outdoorsman fishing report!

There is nothing like living on the lake and being able to fish off your own dock! If you haven’t had a chance to see what life can be like living on Smith Mountain Lake, it is time to find out! Come for a visit if you like it then move here! Where else can you house hunt from the deck of the replica side wheeler? Call Vicki Millehan and start hunting for your perfect waterfront home!

Taste of Italy on Smith Mountain Lake

After the winter we have had, most of us would love to take a trip to warm and sunny Italy. But if you can’t make it there, you can still enjoy the flavors of that country right here at Smith Mountain Lake. Benjamin's at The Pointe at Mariner’s Landing will be having a “Taste of Italy” Wine dinner!


Chef McGehee will host the third in his popular wine dinner series, “A Taste of Italy”, from 6:30 to 9:30pm on February 27th. This five course meal will feature gourmet foods with wine pairings. There will also be an Italian dessert cooking demonstration that evening.

If you want to make a weekend out of it, the Mariner’s Landing is offering a couples weekend discount. If you make reservations for “A Taste of Italy” Wine dinner you can receive an overnight rate of $49! Add in a few treatments at the Pure Spa and you have a pretty amazing weekend planned!!

The Pure Spa offers much indulgency on its “menu”. Try out one of the many types of massages they offer to help you relax and relieve stress! With the unusually cold and wet winter we have had, the hot stone massage is sure to be a favorite! Or try a sea mud pedicure to get those toes ready for the flip flops of summer!

However you want to indulge yourself or your friends, you can find something to do Smith Mountain Lake! Come for a visit, and if you like it then move here! Beautiful waterfront properties and scenic mountain views make Franklin and Bedford Counties in Virginia a wonderful place to live! If you have questions about life on the lake or about buying your own lakefront home, call Vicki Millehan! She is your local real estate expert!

Picking Up Golf in Smith Mountain Lake!

There are many reasons why people love Smith Mountain Lake. For some it is the mountain and lake views, still others love having a waterfront property with a private boat dock. But the answers you will hear the most seem to be golf and fishing!


Weather permitting, both of these activities can be enjoyed all year around here at the lake, but with spring around the corner, you will start seeing more people venturing out on the greens with their clubs! If you are ready to pick up the game of golf this year, here are some of the reasons Smith Mountain Lake is the place to live!

One of the Mid-Atlantic's most popular golfing destinations, the lake boasts some great courses! Golfers can enjoy wooded fairways and vibrant greens running right up to the water’s edge! The area also has several courses to choose from! From beginner to expert golfer, you can find a course to meet your level of play.

The Water’s Edge is an 18 hole PGA Championship course. Designed by Robert F. Loving, Jr. and was featured in Golf Digest magazine. There are views of the Peaks of Otter and most of the course is within sight of the lake. This is a very challenging private course! The par-3 seventh hole is famous for being an island green surrounded by water!

For a semi-private course, you have to try Mariners Landing! This course is open to the public but also has private memberships available. The Mariners Landing was designed by famous golf architect Robert Trent Jones. The par 72 course offers a great game for any level of golfer. If you are up to the challenge, see if you can beat the signature 5th hole; a 156 yard par-3 shot!

Come for a golf vacation on Smith Mountain Lake, if you like it then move here! When you are ready to buy your waterfront home, call Vicki Millehan! She is your local real estate expert!

Family Fun in Roanoke VA!

If you have been looking for a way to shake off the winter doldrums, check out what's happening at the Roanoke Civic Center. It is worth the drive even if you are coming from Smith Mountain Lake, Bedford or beyond! Bring the whole family and enjoy a night out on the town in Roanoke.


If you have a young child then you have probably become familiar again with the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse gang. Well, the gang is ready for a musical adventure in Disney Live! Rockin' Road Show! Cool songs mark this crazy adventure with Mickey and the gang. This is a show both you and your children will enjoy! There will be two performances on Saturday February 27th at 12:30pm and 3:30pm. Tickets are already on sale!


You can also enjoy a little "March Madness" of your own! On their 84th consecutive season tour, the Harlem Globetrotters will be struttin' their stuff on Thursday March 4th at 7pm at the Civic Center! The 2010 Magical Memories tour will showcase the high flying stunts the Globetrotters are famous for. Definitely fun for the whole family!


Before or after the show, you can treat the family to a Hindenburg at Macados! You can feed the whole family on this trademark sandwich made with an entire loaf of French bread! Or you can enjoy an Annie Oakley, a Betty Boop or maybe a Cowpoke will hit the spot. This eclectic sandwich shop is a Roanoke original!!



There is always plenty to keep you busy no matter what the season. Come for a visit, if you like it then move here. When you ready to relocate to the area, call Vicki Millehan! Your local real estate expert and long time resident of Smith Mountain Lake!

Getting Your Home Ready for Market in Bedford VA

The town of Bedford in Virginia is well known for all the history that can be found on almost every corner. But one place where history may not be quite as celebrated is in the clutter that has accumulated over the winter months. Even though there are plenty of thing to keep you busy during any season; the piles of novels, Sudoku puzzles and extra blankets are a history of how you spent your time while indoors. If you are thinking of putting your house on the market, or if you are just getting a jump start on spring cleaning, here are a few tips to get your home “show ready”.

If you ask a real estate agent what the number one suggestion is to clients they will tell you: “Get rid of the clutter”. This doesn’t mean that everything needs to end up on the curb. It is a great time to give away the things you really don’t have space for any more. Your local Goodwill , Salvation Army, or other local charities can get the things you don’t need into the hands of those that do. Some even offer pick up services and can be used as a tax donation.

Ok, the truck just drove off with your charitable donation; now let’s clean and organize! As you are organizing and storing your prized possessions, you should take the time to dust and clean those nooks and crannies that have collected dust over the winter. Don’t forget to dust the objects on the shelves too! Those attentions to details mean a lot to potential buyers.

For storage, you can’t beat buying a few inexpensive baskets! The ones with lids are even better. You can hide your magazines and extra blankets inside while adding texture and visual interest in the room. If you read a lot, you can turn those hard-backed books into pedestals by stacking them and placing a plant or pottery on top. This can add a decorative touch to the room without having to put your favorite reads into storage.

Whether you are readying your home for sell or just getting your home organized, taking the time to get deal with clutter now means more time spent outdoors come spring! You can have a Bedford or Smith Mountain Lake yard of your own to plant your flowers in this spring. Call Vicki Millehan, your local real estate expert! She can help find the right waterfront property for you!

House Hunting 101 In Smith Mountain Lake: Part 2

Last post we started a House Hunting 101 refresher course for those who are in the hunt for the perfect home! Whether you are looking for a waterfront property on Smith Mountain Lake or a farm in the Virginia countryside, these are some basic tips to remember when you are out home shopping. Hopefully they will help you avoid some pitfalls along the way. Let’s jump right back in!


Lesson#3: Wait for the home that you really want! No one will argue with you that house hunting can be a roller coaster of emotions. Sometimes those emotions get the best of you and you just want to buy a house, any house, and be done with it. STOP! Take a moment, take a deep breath and remind yourself, you will be living in this home for the foreseeable future. Isn’t finding a home that fits your family’s lifestyle the reason you are house hunting in the first place? Don’t settle for a property that doesn’t meet any of your criteria. There are some things you will have to give up, but overall the home should be what you are looking for!

Lesson #4: Don’t procrastinate on making an offer! Now this may sound like it is a complete contradiction to Lesson #3, but it isn’t! If you have found a home that meets most of your checklist of wants and needs, don’t wait too long before making an offer! Unless you are building a custom home, most existing houses are not going to meet every need that you have. The key to being successful in this is having a firm idea of what you must have in a property!

When you started your hunt, your real estate agent more than likely asked you what you are looking for. Don’t just brush the question off! Sit down and consider what you can and can’t live without. What are you willing to compromise? What is an absolute necessity? Knowing these things before you start house hunting will be a time saver when trying to determine if you should make an offer on a specific home.

Hopefully these tips will help make looking for a home more exciting than frustrating! Having a clear idea of what you are looking for, what your price range is, and the amount of work you are willing to put into a home is the best way to find the right place for you!

If you have questions or are ready to start your Bedford County house hunting expedition, call Vicki Millehan! She is your local real estate expert! Smith Mountain Lake; come for a visit, if you like it then move here!

Virginia House Hunting 101 in Smith Mountain Lake Part 1

There are many reasons why now is a good time to buy a house. Just to mention a few; interest rates are still at historic lows and there is time left to take advantage of the Home Buyers Tax Credit on that new Smith Mountain Lake home. But as you are looking for a home, there are a few things you should remember amid the excitement of the hunt! If you are in need of a House Hunting 101 refresher course, take notes!

Lesson #1: Don’t look at homes that are outside of your price range! This may seem like a no brainer, but from the current foreclosure rate, it would seem it bears repeating! When property values were high and mortgages easy to come by, there were many home owners who bought more house than they could really afford. This left many with no wiggle room in their budget for surprise expenses such as an increase in property taxes. Add to that a drop in property values and you begin to see why the housing bubble burst.

The simple way to avoid this pitfall is to not look at homes that are beyond your price range. You have to remember you are not just paying an extra $7000 on a home; you will also be paying interest on that $7000 for the next 30 years! A good real estate agent won’t send you listings that are completely out of your price zone. If by some chance you do end up with such a listing, RESIST THE URGE TO CHECK IT OUT! It will only cause heartache, because the homes in your range may seem unsatisfying once you have seen what you can’t have.

Lesson #2: Avoid thinking you are Ty Pennington when you are not! We all have talents. If your talent lies somewhere other than being a handyman, do not buy a “fixer upper” that needs major renovations. Well, that is unless you are going to pay someone else to do the work. It is very tempting to try and take on a home that is priced low and needs a lot of work.

Sometimes the issue is having time to do the repairs more than IF you can do them. Take a real inventory of what the home needs and consider the time, talent and cash it will take to make it the home you want it to be. Don’t forget to factor in the expense of living somewhere else while the work is being completed.

We will share a more of House Hunting 101 Smith Mountain Lake in the next post. If you have questions about buying a home in Franklin County, Virginia call Vicki Millehan! Her team can help you find the right place to call home! And if you haven’t had a chance to check out Smith Mountain Lake, come for a visit, if you like it then move here!