Northern Neck Real Estate Blog

There’s something special about Virginia’s Northern Neck and surrounding counties. Maybe it’s the peaceful countryside, the miles of shoreline, the charm of our small towns, or simply the slower pace of life. Whatever draws people here, many discover that this region offers something increasingly difficult to find elsewhere — room to breathe, a sense of community, and a lifestyle that can be enjoyed for generations.

A Variety of Properties and Lifestyles

One of the greatest advantages of our region is the variety of properties available. Whether you’re looking for a waterfront retreat, a country home with a few acres, a home within walking distance of a small-town Main Street, or a historic property filled with character, there are opportunities to suit many different interests and lifestyles.

For those who dream of building, our area offers wooded parcels, open land, waterfront building lots, and larger acreage tracts. Farms and recreational properties provide opportunities for agriculture, hunting, outdoor recreation, or simply enjoying the privacy of owning land. And for those with an entrepreneurial spirit, small commercial properties offer opportunities to establish or expand a business in one of our communities.

Waterfront Living With Endless Possibilities

Our region is surrounded by some of Virginia’s most beautiful waterways, including the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers, the Chesapeake Bay, and numerous other rivers and creeks such as the Yeocomico, Coan, Great Wicomico, Little Wicomico, and Corrotoman.

Unlike living on a lake, where boating opportunities are generally confined to that particular body of water, many of our waterways connect to an extensive network of rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. Depending on the property’s location and water depth, owners can enjoy boating to waterfront restaurants, exploring neighboring communities, fishing, sailing, or simply cruising for miles.

And you don’t have to own waterfront property to enjoy the water. Public boat ramps, marinas, beaches, and other access points make boating, fishing, and outdoor recreation part of everyday life for many residents.

Small Towns, Open Spaces, and a Strong Sense of Community

Our towns and villages have a character all their own. Locally owned businesses, historic buildings, churches, community events, and familiar faces contribute to a way of life that many people appreciate.

Beyond our towns, you’ll find farmland, forests, quiet country roads, and beautiful natural scenery. Traffic congestion is generally less of a concern than in more populated areas, and there’s still plenty of room to enjoy the outdoors.

Our region also offers a rich history, with historic homes, museums, landmarks, and communities whose stories stretch back centuries. It’s a place where history isn’t just something you read about — it’s part of the landscape around you.

A Place for Every Stage of Life

Some buyers come here to raise a family, others to enjoy weekends away from the demands of city life, and many choose our area for retirement. Still others have lived here all their lives and wouldn’t consider living anywhere else.

While we enjoy a rural setting, residents also have access to local schools, healthcare providers, shops, restaurants, and essential services, with larger metropolitan areas within driving distance.

Perhaps the greatest appeal is having the freedom to choose how you want to live — whether that’s maintaining a few acres, spending an afternoon on the water, restoring an older home, operating a small business, or relaxing on the porch at the end of the day.

Discover What’s Available

At Bay River Realty, we believe one of the best things about our region is that there isn’t just one type of property or one way of life. From modest homes and building lots to waterfront estates, farms, historic properties, and commercial opportunities, there’s a wide variety to explore.

We invite you to visit www.BayRiverRealty.com to see the properties currently available for sale throughout Virginia’s Northern Neck and surrounding counties.

Whether you’re ready to make a move or simply curious about what’s available, we’d love to help you discover the possibilities.

Bay River Realty, Inc. — Connecting People and Properties in Virginia’s Bay River Region.

Photo Courtesy of Paul Welch

Jessica "Jessie" Bowis:  Coming Home and Paying It Forward

Sometimes the people who make the greatest difference in our lives are the ones who believe in us before we believe in ourselves.

For Jessica “Jessie” Bowis, that encouragement helped take her from working in the mailroom of a North Carolina law firm to becoming an attorney and eventually opening her own practice, Bowis Law, PLLC, in Burgess. Today, she is not only serving the community that raised her but also hoping to offer the same encouragement to the next generation of young attorneys.

Jessie grew up in the Village area of Northumberland County, attended Woodland Academy, and graduated from Northumberland High School in 2005. Her childhood was filled with sports, church, and the close-knit relationships that make growing up in a small town special. Coaches, neighbors, extended family, and members of Gibeon Baptist Church all played important roles in her life.

But like many young people raised in a rural community, Jessie was eager to experience something different.

“At 18, I knew I was going somewhere else,” she recalled.

She headed to Clemson University in South Carolina, initially studying architecture before earning a degree in management. After graduation, she eventually settled in North Carolina, where an opportunity to work at a law firm would change the direction of her life.

Jessie started in the mailroom, worked her way through reception and administration, and eventually became a paralegal. Over the next several years, she gained valuable experience in the legal field, but it was the encouragement of two attorneys who saw something in her that she had yet to recognize in herself that made all the difference.

Joe and Sharon Edwards, a husband-and-wife legal team in North Carolina, became two of Jessie's greatest mentors.

“They were incredible. Strong in their faith. Awesome people just all around, and they really pushed me to go for it,” Jessie shared.

When they encouraged her to pursue law school, Jessie initially doubted herself.

“I thought to myself, ‘I'm not capable. I've never done that. I don't think I'm smart enough.’”

But Joe and Sharon weren't convinced by her doubts. They encouraged her to take the LSAT and see where it led.

With their support, along with that of fellow paralegal Kathy Brock, Jessie took the leap and enrolled at Campbell University School of Law in Raleigh, nearly a decade after completing her undergraduate degree.

Law school was challenging, but Jessie never questioned whether she was where she was supposed to be.

“I knew that's what I wanted to do,” she said. “I had faith that it was all going to work out.”

She graduated in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, and passed the Virginia bar exam on her first attempt (after wearing a mask during the eight hour exam!).

By then, Jessie already knew where she wanted to practice law. She was coming home.

During law school, a summer internship with Circuit Court Judge McKenney, followed by another with attorney Will Hubbard of Hubbard, Terry and Britt, had opened her eyes to the opportunities and needs in the Northern Neck.

Jessie explained that the area is often considered a “legal desert,” with relatively few attorneys serving the community and many longtime practitioners approaching retirement.

Encouraged by Judge McKenney, Will Hubbard, and other local mentors, she recognized an opportunity to build a meaningful career while serving the community that had helped raise her.

In October 2020, Jessie began practicing law with Hubbard, Terry and Britt. Her practice initially included real estate, estate planning, and corporate matters, with real estate becoming a significant focus during the busy housing market of the following years.

In 2024, Judge McKenney appointed Jessie Commissioner of Accounts for Lancaster County. Earlier this year, Judge Martin appointed her to the same position in Northumberland County.

As Commissioner of Accounts, Jessie oversees financial accountings submitted by individuals responsible for managing estates and assets on behalf of others, helping ensure that beneficiaries, minors, and incapacitated adults are protected and that assets are properly handled.

In February 2026, Jessie took another significant step in her career when she opened her own law firm, Bowis Law, PLLC, in Burgess, just ten minutes from home.

For someone who once questioned whether she was capable of attending law school, owning her own practice is a remarkable full-circle moment.  Today, Jessie balances the responsibilities of running her firm with serving as Commissioner of Accounts for both Lancaster and Northumberland counties. Her practice also focuses on estate planning, estate administration, and real estate.

Fortunately, she has an invaluable partner in Jill Hartman, who retired after 35 years with the Supreme Court before moving to Burgess to be near family. Jessie persuaded Jill to come out of retirement, and the two have built a strong working partnership.

Of all the legal work Jessie does, estate planning holds a particularly meaningful place in her heart.  Growing up in the Northern Neck gives her a personal connection to the families she serves. Whether researching property deeds or helping clients prepare for the future, she often finds herself recognizing familiar names and family histories.

“You see a family you've known your whole life, and their legacy is on paper,” she explained.

When clients sit down to consider their children, grandchildren, and the generations that will follow, Jessie finds it especially rewarding to help them put those wishes into place.  And in a community where people often know one another's parents, grandparents, and family stories, that work becomes even more personal.

Outside the office, Jessie has another full-time role as wife and mother. She and her husband, Edward, whose family owns and operates Buzzard's Point Marina and Tangier Cruises, have a one-year-old son and twin 15-year-old daughters.

Their story began with a boat.

After moving home, Jessie decided that if she was going to live in the Northern Neck, she needed a boat of her own. Her future husband restored one for her, even adding a Clemson paw to the hatch.

As Jessie laughingly recalled, she ended up with more than a boat.

“I found my boat along with a captain, two teenagers, and a dog. It was a package deal.”

Today, their family life is filled with sports, time on the water, and the busy schedules that come with raising three children. Jessie is quick to acknowledge the invaluable support of her mother and mother-in-law, whom she affectionately describes as “saints” for the way they step in to help care for their son.

Having her own practice just ten minutes from home has given her greater flexibility to balance the demands of work and family.

And while Jessie once couldn't wait to leave the Northern Neck, returning as an adult has given her an entirely new appreciation for the place she grew up.

She remembers calling her mother shortly after moving back and saying, “I think I just heard a bird's wings flapping.”

After years surrounded by concrete, traffic, and parking garages, the quiet was almost startling.

“I did not appreciate it until I moved back,” she admitted.

Now, the peaceful surroundings, familiar faces at church, and conversations with neighbors at the grocery store are among the things she treasures most.  Even more meaningful is the opportunity to raise her son in the same kind of community that helped shape her own childhood.

“I know that it takes a village, and I trust my village,” Jessie said.

Looking toward the future, Jessie isn't necessarily planning to expand her law practice. Her plate, she readily admits, is already quite full.

But there is one opportunity she hopes never to turn away.

Last summer, two local female college students interested in pursuing law approached her about the possibility of eventually practicing in their hometown.  Jessie would love to offer them internships, opportunities to shadow her, or whatever encouragement she can provide to help bring young attorneys back to the Northern Neck.

“I'll do whatever I can to bring them back home,” she said.

As a first-generation college graduate, Jessie knows firsthand what it means to have mentors who recognize her potential, encourage her to take a chance, and help her find the courage to pursue something bigger.

Perhaps the most lasting legacy she will leave won't be found in the legal documents she prepares, but in the lives of those she encourages to believe that they, too, are capable of more than they ever imagined.

Marion James and Kristy Packett:  Better, Not Bigger: The Family Behind Poplar Ridge Nursery

It is hard to imagine that the more than 20 greenhouses now stretching across Poplar Ridge Nursery began with just one greenhouse, two customers, and a young couple willing to spend their evenings planting while their baby daughter sat nearby in her carrier.

“It was a very humble beginning,” the Packetts both said.

Those humble beginnings have grown into a thriving wholesale nursery in Montross that sends ornamental and native grasses, sedges, and other plant material to growers and landscapers throughout the East Coast and beyond. But ask Kristy and her husband, Marion James, what they are most proud of, and the answer has less to do with how much their business has grown and more to do with what they have been able to build around it — a life centered on family.

Both 1994 graduates of Virginia Tech, Kristy and Marion James knew one another through the university’s relatively small agricultural community, but their relationship began later. Kristy earned a degree in agricultural economics, while Marion James studied horticulture and later earned his master’s degree.

For Marion James, an interest in horticulture had taken root years earlier. His father kept a large garden, his grandfather had been a farmer, and a local Extension agent encouraged him to consider horticulture as a career. Summers spent working at Red Oak Nurseries while attending Virginia Tech gave him valuable hands-on experience and confirmed that production (growing plants rather than sitting behind a desk) was where he wanted to be.

After college, both found jobs in the nursery industry. Marion James worked in production at Ingleside Plantation Nurseries, while Kristy worked in sales and customer service, first at Historyland Nursery and later at Ingleside.

But by 2000, they were ready to try something of their own.

On family land in Montross, they erected their first greenhouse with help from both sides of their family. Marion James’s grandmother gave them $10,000, and his parents gave them another $10,000 — money that helped bring electricity to the property and purchase a generator.

Their families supplied plenty of sweat equity, too.

“We would spend Saturdays planting,” Kristy remembered. “Marion’s mother and grandmother would make us lunches. My parents would show up, and we’d plant all day long and break for lunch.”

Their first year, Poplar Ridge Nursery had two customers and approximately $18,000 in sales. Both Kristy and Marion James were still working their regular jobs, tending to their fledgling business during evenings and weekends.

By then, they were also parents.

“When Emma was a baby, we’d put her in her carrier, and we’d work in the evenings,” Kristy said. “She would just hang out in the carrier in the greenhouse, and she’d be happy because the dog would be running around her. That’s how we started with everything.”

The business grew steadily, with nearly everything they made going right back into it.

“We reinvested 90 percent of everything that was made just to keep growing,” Marion James said.

By 2005, sales had grown enough that Marion James felt it was time to leave his full-time job and devote himself to Poplar Ridge. For Kristy, whose parents had always received dependable paychecks as a teacher and an engineer, giving up that security was a much harder leap.

“I was petrified,” she admitted.

But the leap paid off.

There were challenges along the way — major snowstorms, equipment failures, hurricanes, and the 2008-09 recession, when sales dropped by more than 30 percent. Through each one, the Packetts adjusted, worked harder, and kept going.

Since that recession, they say sales have increased every year.

Today, Poplar Ridge specializes primarily in ornamental and native grasses and sedges, a niche Marion James recognized early in his career. The plants were popular but often difficult for nurseries to source, and their labor-intensive production made them a good fit for the hands-on operation he envisioned.

Their customers include wholesale growers who purchase young plants to grow into larger finished products, as well as landscape contractors using Poplar Ridge plants in projects throughout the region. Their plants have found their way into projects at places such as VCU, the University of Richmond, Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, and even the Lego manufacturing facility near Richmond.

Yet for all the growth, Kristy and Marion James have deliberately kept Poplar Ridge a close-knit operation.

Customers know who will answer the phone. Relationships matter. And unlike larger operations built around expansive sales teams, much of Poplar Ridge’s growth has come through reputation and repeat business.

“I think they value the small, close-knit business versus a big corporate business,” Kristy said. “When they call, they are always talking to the same people.”

The same philosophy has shaped the Packetts’ family life.

While Marion James spends his days at the nursery overseeing production, Kristy handles the financial and administrative side of the business from their home office. It is an arrangement that not only plays to each of their strengths, but also has given Kristy the flexibility to be present while they have raised their three daughters.

“I’ve been very blessed to say that,” she said. “Most people cannot say they have that opportunity.”

Being home meant she could be there when the girls returned from school, handle doctor’s appointments and illnesses, and get them where they needed to be. Owning a business did not mean there were fewer demands on their time (quite the opposite actually) but it gave them the ability to decide which demands mattered most.

There were YMCA activities, school events, travel sports, and countless volleyball games.  Through it all, family came first.  That family story has now come full circle.

The baby who once sat in a carrier in the greenhouse is now working there.

Their oldest daughter, Emma, followed her parents to Virginia Tech, graduating in 2024 with a degree in crop and soil environmental science. At her parents’ urging, she first spent nearly two years working at James River Nurseries before joining Poplar Ridge in February.

Already, she is bringing a new generation’s perspective to the business, building customer relationships and expanding Poplar Ridge’s presence on social media. Marion James is also teaching her the production side, from irrigation to machinery, so she understands not only how the business operates today, but what will be required to care for it in the future.

For Kristy and Marion James, having Emma join them is meaningful, but so is what they hope she inherits.

Marion James hopes Poplar Ridge will always retain the feel of a small, family-run business rather than someday becoming part of a large corporate operation.  That desire reflects a philosophy that has guided the Packetts throughout the past 25 years.

“You hear the phrase a lot of times, ‘If you’re not growing, you’re going backwards,’” Marion James said. “Well, I kind of agree to a point, but I think you can grow in making what you already have better.”

Better, he said, does not necessarily mean bigger.  It is a lesson that seems to describe more than their nursery.

From one greenhouse, two customers, and family members gathering on Saturdays to plant, Poplar Ridge has grown into something Kristy and Marion James could hardly have imagined when they began. Along the way, they have weathered storms, recessions, and the ordinary growing pains of building a business from scratch.

But perhaps their greatest success is that, while growing Poplar Ridge, they never lost sight of the life they wanted the business to make possible.

They built a successful nursery. They raised three daughters. They remained rooted in the Northern Neck community they love. And now, one of those daughters has come home to help tend what her parents planted more than two decades ago.

For the Packetts, it turns out that growing well has never simply meant growing bigger.

It has meant growing something worth passing down.

Ladell and Charlotte Pierson:  Rooted in Faith, Family, and Farming

An afternoon at Ladell and Charlotte Pierson’s kitchen table offers a glimpse into a life built over 71 years of marriage—through hard work, sacrifice, faith, and a deep devotion to family.

There is no pretense about them. No desire to impress. Ask Ladell about decades of building one of the Northern Neck’s most respected dairy operations, and he is much more likely to tell you about the people who helped him along the way. Ask him what he is most thankful for after 71 years of marriage, and his answer comes without hesitation.

“My wife.”

It is a fitting answer for a life they have built together—one that began with very little money, a great deal of responsibility, and an understanding that hard work was simply what you did.

When buyers tell us they’re looking for waterfront property, one of the first things we try to determine is what “waterfront” means to them.

Two properties can both have a home, a pier, and several hundred feet of shoreline and provide completely different waterfront experiences. Two of the biggest factors are the water view and navigability.

What Kind of Water View Are You Looking For?

For many waterfront buyers, the view is one of the most important reasons they’re buying waterfront in the first place. But not all water views are the same.

Some buyers dream of a wide, expansive view across the Potomac or Rappahannock River or out toward the Chesapeake Bay. They want to look out the window and see a large body of water stretching toward the horizon.

Others prefer a creek or cove setting. The view may not be as expansive, but it can feel more peaceful and protected, with less exposure to wind and waves. For some buyers, seeing the opposite shoreline, boats passing by, wildlife, and trees along the water is exactly what they want.

Even the location of the home on the property matters. Is there a great water view from the living room, kitchen, or primary bedroom? Can you see the water from the deck or screened porch? Or is the best view only available once you walk down to the shoreline?

Sunrise and sunset orientation, trees and vegetation, elevation, and the distance from the home to the water can all dramatically change the experience.

There isn’t one type of water view that’s best. The best view is the one that fits what you picture when you imagine living on the water.

Where Can the Water Take You?

The other major consideration is navigability.

A property can have a beautiful water view and plenty of shoreline but still not accommodate the type of boating a buyer has in mind. Water depth at the pier, depth through the creek or channel, tides, bridges, exposure to wind and waves, and access to deeper water can all matter.

A buyer with a larger powerboat or sailboat will have very different requirements from someone who plans to use kayaks, paddleboards, a skiff, or a small fishing boat. That’s why simply asking whether a property is “navigable” doesn’t always tell the whole story.

But there’s another aspect of navigability that makes waterfront property in our region particularly special.

Our creeks aren’t isolated bodies of water. Many flow into larger rivers such as the Rappahannock, Potomac, Great Wicomico, Little Wicomico, Coan and Yeocomico, which ultimately connect with theChesapeake Bay and beyond.

Unlike living on a lake where your boating may be confined to that particular body of water, navigable waterfront here can provide the opportunity to travel considerable distances by boat. Depending on where you’re located and your boat, you may be able to leave your pier, travel down a creek into a river, continue into the Chesapeake Bay, and from there access an enormous network of waterways and destinations.

For buyers who truly enjoy boating, where the water can take you may be just as important as the view.

Finding the Right Waterfront

Buying waterfront isn’t simply about finding a house you like that happens to sit beside the water. It’s about finding the right combination of home, land, shoreline, view, water depth, and navigability for the way you want to enjoy the property.

That’s why one of the conversations we like to have early with waterfront buyers is:

What do you want to see when you look out the window—and where do you want to be able to go when you leave the pier?

The answers can quickly help narrow the search and identify the type of waterfront property that’s right for you.

At Bay River Realty, we specialize in helping buyers and sellers understand the differences between waterfront properties throughout Virginia’s Bay River Region. Whether you’re looking for a wide river view, a protected creek, deep-water boating access, or simply a quiet place to launch a kayak, we’d be happy to help you find the waterfront that fits the way you want to live.

Bay River Realty — Connecting People and Properties in Virginia’s Bay River Region.

Jim and Amy Kelly: Finding Home in the Northern Neck

Long before the pandemic changed the rhythms of life across the country, Jim Kelly was sitting downstairs one evening scrolling through real estate listings when a house in Tappahannock caught his attention.

His father and stepmother had already discovered the Northern Neck, eventually making their home in Heathsville, and Jim had visited the area to fish with his father. But this was different.

Jim had grown up in Loudoun County when much of it still felt rural — when neighbors knew one another, children had room to roam, and a creek was simply a place to turn over rocks and catch crayfish.

Over the years, he watched that landscape change.

“I’m a little nostalgic,” Jim admits. “My grandmother always said I was born in the wrong decade.”

As Northern Virginia grew, Jim found himself longing for the kind of childhood he remembered; not only for himself, but for his and Amy’s four children.

One day, while driving through an area that had once been farmland, he stopped near a creek because he wanted to show his children how to catch a crayfish. When someone told them they were on private property and needed to leave, the seemingly insignificant encounter stayed with him.

“I was like, ‘I’ve got to get out of here,’” he remembers. “This is not the place where I grew up.”

Then he came to Tappahannock and saw that house.

“I just felt in my soul, like, this is it,” Jim says. “I really think God wants us to be here.”

Amy hadn’t even seen the house.

“I never thought we’d move,” she says. “The moment that I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re going to live there,’ was when Jim said, ‘I heard from the Lord, and our family is not supposed to be in Northern Virginia.’”

That got her attention.

“He doesn’t say anything like that lightly,” Amy says. “I knew something was coming. And I knew we were going to be obedient to it.”

The Kellys met in Northern Virginia in late 1999 while both were working at Worldgate Athletic Club. They went out with a group around New Year’s, were engaged two months later, and married in 2000. Northern Virginia was where they built their life and where all four of their children were born.

Leaving it behind was no small thing.

Friends questioned the decision. Family members struggled with it. Even their pastor wondered why they would leave.

Amy remembers the emotional weight of realizing they were actually going.

“It’s a big deal where you live,” she says. “It’s a big deal where you call home.”

And getting from conviction to reality was anything but simple.

The Kellys purchased their Tappahannock house in 2013, but financial setbacks, renovations, work, and schooling meant the move took years longer than they imagined. At one point, Amy, Jim, and their four children lived together in a friend’s basement for about a year while they worked toward the move.

Jim spent countless hours driving back and forth and working on the house himself.

“There was controversy. There was doubt. There were arguments. There was strife,” he says. “But if you’re committed to something, you can look back and say it was worth it.”

By early 2019, Jim and son Patrick had made the move, with the other two boys, Daniel and Samuel, following soon afterward. Amy and daughter Natalie remained temporarily in Northern Virginia while Natalie finished school and Amy completed professional obligations.

By early 2020, the entire Kelly family was finally together in the Northern Neck.

Then the world shut down.  The significance of that timing was not lost on their children.  Amy remembers them recognizing that their dad had told them, long before COVID, that he believed God was leading their family away from Northern Virginia.

“They were emboldened in their faith because of watching their dad say, ‘God said this. Now we’re going to do something about it,’” she says.

For Jim, that may be one of the most meaningful parts of the story. Obedience did not mean the road was easy. There were nights when he questioned himself and wondered what his decision was costing his family.

But he kept going.

And today, when Jim and Amy talk about what they wanted for their children, their answers are surprisingly simple.

“Togetherness, kindness, and a little slower pace,” Jim says. 

Then he adds something parents don’t always say out loud.

“And happy parents. Not that we weren’t happy before, but the tension and stress of Northern Virginia — it permeates everything.”

Moving didn’t magically remove the normal difficulties of raising a family. But Amy says it felt as though they had finally “hit pause” after years of living at a relentless pace.

“You just don’t get a chance to catch your breath,” she says of their former life.

Here, they did.  

They also discovered that becoming part of a small community takes time.  In time, the Kellys found their own ways to become part of the community they had come to love.

Jim found community through coaching, something that has always been central to his life. Throughout his career working with educational technology companies (today helping school districts implement digital instructional content), he intentionally sought work that allowed him to be present for his children.

“I want to feel like I’ve had a small impact on the kids that I coached, too,” he says.

Amy’s professional life reaches far beyond the Northern Neck. An author, speaker, business coach, and advisor, she works with executives and teams on organizational culture, leadership, mindset, and teamwork. Her longtime partnership with bestselling author Jon Gordon has included two books and more than a decade of shared work centered on creating more positive workplaces and communities.

Yet she says some of the most valuable lessons of her work have been reinforced right here — particularly the universal desire people have to be welcomed, valued, and given a place to contribute.

For the Kellys, that sense of belonging is now found in ordinary things: knowing the people at the grocery store, seeing familiar faces at the YMCA, walking to the post office, attending local parades, and watching an entire community line the road to welcome home a championship team.

They’ve also learned to treasure something that can be easy to overlook when you’ve always had it: a slower pace.

“When we take that exit off 95, you just decompress,” Jim says.

It is precisely what they came looking for.  They came here because they didn’t want life to keep moving so fast that they missed it.

And years after Jim first told his wife that he believed God was asking their family to leave the place they knew and move somewhere entirely different, the greatest confirmation may be remarkably ordinary: their children are happy. They have friends. They have community. And a place that once belonged to everyone else has become their home.

Amy calls it “the courage of community” — the willingness to know one another, support one another, and preserve the things that make a place worth belonging to.

Jim has another way of putting it.

“Norman Rockwell, it isn’t,” he says, “but it’s pretty close.”

“Connecting People and Properties in Virginia’s Bay River Region.”

At first glance, our slogan may sound pretty simple. We help buyers find properties and help sellers find buyers.

But to us, it means much more than that.

Real estate may be what we do, but people are really our business.

We help sellers prepare, market, negotiate, and work through the details involved in selling their homes and land. We help buyers find the right property, understand the process, negotiate the purchase, solve problems, and make informed decisions along the way.

And, of course, we connect buyers and sellers. Sometimes that happens through a property already on the market. Other times, it happens because we know someone who knows someone. That is especially true in a place like the Northern Neck.

But the connections don’t stop when a contract is signed or a property is sold.

Real estate involves a network of people — lenders, attorneys, home inspectors, surveyors, contractors, soil scientists, well and septic professionals, insurance agents, appraisers, landscapers, plumbers, electricians, and many others. We regularly connect buyers and sellers with the people they need before, during, and long after a transaction.

We also hear from past clients, friends, neighbors, and other local property owners who simply need help finding someone they can trust. Maybe they need a contractor, someone to cut a tree, repair a dock, survey a property, or answer a question. There may not be a real estate transaction involved at all, and that’s perfectly fine with us.

We refer. We connect. We give advice. We solve problems.

Sometimes connecting people is as simple as introducing them to one another.

That’s also part of the reason we created our weekly Faces & Places of the Northern Neck series. Each week, we introduce our readers to someone who is part of the fabric of this area — their story, their work, their family, their experiences, or the ways they contribute to our community. It may be a small thing, but it gives all of us an opportunity to know our neighbors a little better.

And sometimes we make connections simply because we enjoy doing it.

That’s part of living and working in a small community. You learn who does what, who might be able to help, and who ought to know one another. When an opportunity comes along to put two people together who may be able to help each other, we like making that introduction — whether there is anything in it for us or not.

Those connections also help support local businesses, strengthen relationships, and make our communities a little better.

So when we say “Connecting People and Properties in Virginia’s Bay River Region,” we’re not simply talking about matching buyers with homes or land.

We’re talking about connecting people with properties, people with resources, and most importantly, people with people.

We don’t just sell homes and land. We help connect the people who make buying, selling, owning, improving, enjoying, and living in this special part of Virginia possible.

That’s what connecting people and properties means to us.

New Chapter for Reedville Market

On the surface, Eric and Lara Chandler might seem like an unlikely pair to take over a waterfront restaurant.

Eric owns Chandler’s Firearms Estates, a gun shop on Main Street in Kilmarnock. Lara is an artist and co-owner of Rappahannock Hang Ups, the framing shop and gallery just down the street. Neither had ever run a restaurant. In fact, neither was particularly looking to run one.

But when an opportunity arose to breathe new life into one of Reedville’s longtime gathering places, the newlyweds found themselves doing exactly that.

“We were just at the right place at the right time,” Eric said.

Their introduction to Reedville Market happened almost by accident. Last fall, the couple was looking at a house directly across the river from the Market. A neighbor offered to show them around, and before long, Eric was considering not just the house but the restaurant property as an investment.

The house eventually sold to someone else, and their first offer on the Market did not work out either. Eric and Lara moved on, purchasing waterfront property in Fairport instead.

But Reedville Market remained on Eric’s mind.

By then, the restaurant had closed, and as the months passed, no buyer emerged. Eric and Lara began noticing something else: Reedville was missing a place where people could gather for dinner, meet friends for a drink, or simply spend an evening together.

Local residents noticed it, too.

“So many people were saying, ‘Somebody needs to buy it,’” Lara said.

Eventually, Eric decided perhaps they should be that somebody.

“The only reason we bought it was because the community needed it,” he said. “Neither one of us had any idea how to run a restaurant. In fact, we had no inclination or desire to run a restaurant.”

Lara laughs when Eric says “we” decided to buy it.

“He decided,” she said. “Then he talked to me and tried to influence me for months that this was a good idea.”

His best selling point may have been that it would give the couple, who married in June, a business they could share. They closed on Reedville Market in July, and six weeks later, they held a soft opening. The speed with which it all came together still surprises them.

General manager Andrea Wiles, who previously managed the Black Duck for four years, assembled a staff in a matter of weeks. Several employees had worked at Reedville Market previously or at other area restaurants, and many live remarkably close by.

In a region where finding employees can be one of the greatest challenges facing a business owner, Lara said the way the staff came together felt almost providential.

“It feels like divine intervention to me, that it was meant to be,” she said.

The community’s response has been just as remarkable.

Eric had experienced strong local support when he opened his Kilmarnock firearms store, but he said the response to Reedville Market has been on another level.

“I thought I got a lot of support when I opened up the gun shop,” he said, “but this is like 100 times more than that.”

For Lara, it is not simply the number of people coming through the doors but the way the community has embraced the new owners.

“The loyalty is unbelievable,” she said. “They’re just really generous at heart.”

Customers have offered suggestions and feedback, much of which Eric and Lara have incorporated as they learn the restaurant business. The couple welcomes it.

“We want it to be good for everybody,” Lara said. 

They have been careful, however, not to change what already worked.  The center portion of Reedville Market is more than 130 years old, with additions made by previous owners over the years. Eric and Lara appreciated the character of the building and wanted their changes to feel like another layer in its history rather than a reinvention.

They created a lounge where guests can enjoy a quieter drink or date night away from the activity of the bar. Outside, sailcloth shades replaced umbrellas that once had to be taken up and down with changing weather.

And there are small pieces of the couple themselves tucked throughout the building. Several of Lara’s paintings hang on the walls, including a crab painting behind the hostess station titled “Dinner in a Pinch.” Eric added antique firearms to the décor.

“There are pieces of every owner that has had this place,” Lara said. “We’ve not changed it too much, but we’re making it ours.”

The property itself was a large part of what convinced Eric that Reedville Market was worth taking on.

Sitting on Cockrell’s Creek in the heart of Reedville, the restaurant offers waterfront dining, ample parking, and 10 boat slips available for customers arriving by water. Golf carts are a familiar sight as well, fitting naturally into the rhythm of the Reedville community.

“It was everything,” Eric said of the location.

The couple also sees possibilities beyond the dining room. A large outdoor area offers space for music and community events, while the size of the building makes it well suited for private parties, business gatherings, and holiday events. Several have already been booked.

They hope eventually to expand the restaurant’s hours as well, beginning with Sunday brunch and potentially adding more daytime offerings in the future.

For two people who entered the restaurant business with no restaurant experience, Eric and Lara have quickly discovered that their very different strengths work surprisingly well together.

Eric is the big-picture thinker.

“He sees what this could possibly be,” Lara said.

He is also the people person. Lara jokes that walking into the restaurant with her husband can mean waiting 20 or 30 minutes before they ever reach their table because he stops to talk with so many people along the way.

Lara, meanwhile, gravitates toward the details. She designed the menus and lounge, handled much of the point-of-sale programming and technology, and took on decorating projects throughout the restaurant.

“She can concentrate on the details,” Eric said. “while I’m a big-picture person.”

He is handy; she is technical. He casts the vision; she figures out what has to happen next.

That partnership extends beyond Reedville Market.

Lara grew up in the Northern Neck after her family moved from Annapolis when she was seven. She attended Northumberland High School and later studied communication art and design at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her love of art eventually became part of her career through Rappahannock Hang Ups, where she has her own gallery in addition to the framing business.

Eric grew up in Chesterfield but had been drawn to the Northern Neck and its waterways for years. As a child, he remembers coming to Dividing Creek to crab, and later he spent decades watching local real estate before eventually purchasing a home in Deltaville.

After retiring from Verizon, he moved his firearms business into a storefront in Kilmarnock. The business grew rapidly, eventually leading him to purchase and renovate the building at the corner of Main and Church Streets.

But what Eric found here went beyond business opportunity. He found the community he had been looking for.

That desire to be part of a community eventually brought Eric and Lara into the same orbit through their neighboring Kilmarnock businesses. The two married in June, then quickly embarked on what would become their first major business venture together.

They are finally getting the chance to enjoy what they created, and, more importantly, to see the community enjoy it. On any given evening, the restaurant may be filled with fishermen unwinding after getting off their boats, friends meeting for drinks, couples having dinner, or groups simply enjoying one another’s company.

That, Eric and Lara say, is exactly what they hoped Reedville Market could once again provide.

“It gives people a place to go,” Eric said.

That matters in a community like Reedville, where gathering places are fewer and therefore perhaps more precious. It also reflects what both have come to value most about life and business in the Northern Neck: relationships.

“Treat them like family,” Eric said of his philosophy toward customers. “Be sincere, honest, and treat your customers like family.”

Lara believes people here recognize and appreciate the effort local business owners put into their communities — and return that investment with loyalty of their own.

It is something she understands perhaps even more deeply after spending much of her life here.

Her father used to call the Northern Neck “the Garden of the East Coast.” As a child, Lara did not fully understand what he meant. It took traveling and seeing other places to appreciate the history, rivers, Chesapeake Bay, and quiet beauty she had grown up around.

They may not have set out to become restaurateurs. But on a waterfront corner in Reedville, in a building that has welcomed generations through its doors, Eric and Lara are discovering that sometimes the best opportunities are the ones you never planned for.

And sometimes preserving a community gathering place begins with two people simply willing to say yes.

Many sellers interview several real estate agents before deciding who will represent them. Yet buyers often spend little or no time interviewing the agent who will help guide them through one of the largest and most important purchases they may ever make.

Whether you’re connected with an agent online, referred by a friend, or already know someone in real estate, it’s worth asking about their experience, local knowledge, availability, and how they will represent you throughout the buying process.

Choosing the right agent matters. These eight questions are a good place to start before deciding who will represent you in your next purchase.

1.   Are you a full-time real estate agent, and what is your availability?

Real estate doesn’t always happen between 9 and 5. New properties come on the market, questions arise, showing opportunities become available, and sometimes decisions need to be made quickly.

Ask whether the agent works in real estate full-time and how available they typically are for calls, questions and showings. If they aren’t available, find out whether someone else in their company can assist you. You should have a clear understanding from the beginning of what kind of availability and responsiveness you can expect.

2.   What areas do you specialize in, and how well do you know the area where I want to buy?

Local knowledge can be particularly important when buying real estate. Ask where the agent normally works, what types of properties they regularly sell, and how far they are willing to travel to help you find the right property.

In the Northern Neck and surrounding areas, buyers may encounter waterfront property, acreage, private roads, septic systems, wells, flood zones, Chesapeake Bay regulations, docks, shoreline issues and other considerations that aren’t always obvious during a showing. An agent familiar with the area can help you know what questions to ask and what deserves a closer look.

3.   What does the buying process look like from beginning to end?

For most buyers, the process begins with discussing what you’re looking for, establishing a comfortable budget and arranging financing if needed. From there comes the property search, showings, evaluating properties, preparing and negotiating an offer, inspections and other due diligence, financing and appraisal when applicable, title and settlement preparation, and finally closing.

The exact process can vary depending on the buyer and property, but an experienced agent should be able to explain each step, help you prepare for what comes next and guide you through the transaction from the initial search through closing.

4.   How do I get pre-approved for financing?

If you plan to finance your purchase, getting pre-approved early in the process is important. A lender can review your financial information, discuss available loan programs and help establish a price range and monthly payment that are comfortable for you.

Your real estate agent isn’t your lender, but they should be able to connect you with experienced lenders if you don’t already have one. Having financing lined up before finding the right property also puts you in a better position to act when you’re ready to make an offer.

5.   How does buyer representation work, and how is my agent compensated?

Before working with a buyer, your agent should clearly explain the relationship, what services they will provide, and the terms of the buyer representation agreement. This agreement establishes the agent’s responsibilities to you as well as how the agent will be compensated.

Agent compensation is negotiable and can be handled in different ways depending on the transaction. In some cases, the seller may offer or agree to pay some or all of the buyer agent’s compensation; in others, the buyer may be responsible for some or all of it. Your agent should explain this clearly before you sign an agreement or make an offer so you understand your options and any potential financial obligation.

6.   Who is responsible for finding the right property—the buyer or the agent?

The best property searches are a team effort. Your agent should help identify properties that meet your needs and can set up an automated search so you’re notified when new properties matching your criteria become available.

Buyers should also be proactive. Today’s real estate websites make it easy to browse properties at any time, and you may spot something that catches your attention. Share those properties with your agent so they can research them further. An experienced local agent may also know about properties that aren’t currently being actively marketed and can sometimes reach out to owners or other agents when appropriate. The more both parties participate in the search, the better.

7.   What costs should I expect when purchasing a property?

The purchase price and down payment aren’t the only expenses to consider. Depending on the transaction, buyers may have loan costs, appraisal fees, inspections, settlement expenses, title insurance, recording costs, taxes, insurance and other expenses associated with the purchase.

Some expenses depend on the type of property and financing being used. Your agent and lender should help you understand the likely costs early in the process so you can budget appropriately and avoid surprises. Any buyer-agent compensation that may be your responsibility should also be clearly explained before you enter into a representation agreement.

8.   What happens if my agent isn’t available when I need help?

Even the most responsive agent can’t be available every minute of every day. That’s why it’s worth asking whether the agent works independently or has the support of other experienced agents and staff.

If your agent is unavailable and a property needs to be shown or an issue needs immediate attention, you should know who you can contact and how it will be handled. Working with a company that has other knowledgeable professionals available can provide valuable backup while still allowing your primary agent to remain responsible for guiding you through the overall process.

Start With a Conversation

These eight questions can tell you a lot about the agent and company you’re considering, but they’re only the beginning of the conversation.

The fundamentals of buying real estate are fairly consistent: understand your budget, establish representation, identify the right property, investigate it carefully, negotiate appropriate terms, complete your due diligence and manage the details through closing.

What changes is the buyer—their needs, budget, timeframe, priorities and the type of property they’re looking for.

That’s why we believe a one-on-one buyer consultation is so important. It gives us an opportunity to understand what you’re looking for, explain how we work, discuss financing and representation, establish a plan for the property search, and answer the questions that are important to you.

If you’re considering buying, we’d welcome the opportunity to have that conversation.

Greg White: A Life of Service, Leadership, and Love

For most of Greg White’s career, service meant helping keep the lights on.

As an electrical engineer, cooperative executive, and eventually president and CEO of Northern Neck Electric Cooperative, White spent decades working in an industry built around providing one of life’s basic necessities. Along the way, he also served on boards, led community organizations, and gave countless hours to the place he came to call home.

These days, however, service looks very different.

It looks like caring for his wife, Carolyn, as dementia continues to take away pieces of the life they once knew. It is a role White never expected to have, but one he embraces with the same steady commitment that has marked so much of his life.

And if he could go back knowing how their story would unfold, he says he would still choose every bit of it.

“We had a lot of joy, and if somebody were to tell me, ‘Look, this is what your life is gonna be like, but this is the way it’s gonna be at the end,’ I would take it every time.”

White grew up in Mathews County and graduated from Mathews High School. Athletics played a large role in his younger years, and he once imagined becoming a high school football coach.

His older brother, already studying engineering at Virginia Tech, had other ideas.

“He said, ‘Come on, come to Tech and get an engineering degree.’”

White listened, graduating from Virginia Tech in 1974 with a degree in electrical engineering.  From there, he headed to Florida, where he worked for Florida Power & Light. Having grown up around the water, the idea of enjoying it year-round appealed to him, but after three years, he began thinking about raising a family and coming home to Virginia.

In 1977, White accepted an engineering position with Virginia Electric Cooperative in Bowling Green, which later became part of Rappahannock Electric Cooperative. He remained there until 1990 before moving to Richmond to work for Old Dominion Electric Cooperative.

During those years, White’s career expanded beyond engineering. He spent several years leading the statewide cooperative trade association, an experience that pushed him into the “people side” of the business and helped prepare him for leadership.

It was also during those years that his relationship with Carolyn grew. The two had known each other through Rappahannock Electric Cooperative and began dating after both of their previous marriages ended. They dated for eight years before marrying, and Carolyn became an important part of the lives of White’s two sons, whom he had raised as a single father.

In 2005, Northern Neck Electric Cooperative CEO, Charles Rice, approached White about succeeding him.  Initially, White and Carolyn decided against it. They had lived in Richmond for 15 years and were comfortable there. But circumstances at work soon caused White to reconsider, something he now sees as one of the “Godwinks” that redirected his path.

“I think I was supposed to come here,” he said.

White became president and CEO of Northern Neck Electric Cooperative in 2005 and remained there until his retirement in 2020.

For White, the cooperative model was always about much more than electricity.

“It’s not just a job,” he said. “You know that you’re helping people with something that is a basic necessity of life.”

When asked what he is most proud of from his 15 years at Northern Neck Electric, White does not point to a particular project or accomplishment. Instead, he points to the people.

“Just watching the employees excel there and serving the membership,” he said.

He describes his own leadership philosophy just as simply.

“A good CEO, I think, is just there to help coordinate and facilitate people making good decisions.”

That commitment to service extended well beyond Northern Neck Electric. White served six years on the Richmond County Family YMCA board, including several years as chairman, and continued helping with fundraising for the YMCA expansion even after leaving the board.

He has also been a longtime member of the Rotary Club of Warsaw, serving twice as president. During his second tenure, he helped the club rebuild after it had temporarily become a satellite of the Tappahannock club, eventually regaining its independent charter.

For White, community involvement has always been part of leadership.

“That’s one of the responsibilities of a leader of any organization,” he said.

When White retired in August 2020, he and Carolyn imagined having more time to travel and enjoy life together.  Within months, however, Carolyn was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was caught early and successfully treated, but she later faced a heart valve replacement. At the same time, White was beginning to notice changes in her memory.

She repeated herself. Things appeared in unusual places around the kitchen. She kept multiple calendars and wrote things down to help herself remember.

Eventually came the diagnosis of dementia.

There were still adventures together. They cruised around Iceland and traveled to Hawaii with family and friends, but as Carolyn’s disease progressed, those around them quietly stepped in to help.

White remembers being struck by the kindness of people, including complete strangers.

“The one thing when I was able to get her out, the thing that was heartwarming to see is people wanted to help,” he said. “There’s always people that want to step up.”

Today, Carolyn remains at home, where White hopes to continue caring for her as long as he is able.  He is quick to dismiss any suggestion that what he is doing is extraordinary. Carolyn, he says, would have done exactly the same thing for him.

“Except she would do it better.”

White and Carolyn dated for eight years and have now been married for more than 28. For much of that time, they were, as White puts it, “pretty much inseparable.”

And he is grateful they never waited for retirement to enjoy their life together. They traveled, spent time together, and made memories along the way.

“We had a lot of joy,” he said.

It is a statement that seems to capture not only his marriage, but much of White’s life — a life spent caring about the people placed in front of him.

For years, those people were cooperative members, employees, fellow Rotarians, YMCA supporters, and neighbors throughout the Northern Neck. Today, the person who needs him most is the woman beside him.

When asked what he hopes people remember about the way he has lived and served, White’s answer is simple.

“I just hope they remember someone who cared about people in the community.”

And after a lifetime of doing just that, there is little doubt they will.