
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, June 20, 1994                    TAG: 9406200212 
SECTION: BUSINESS WEEKLY                     PAGE: 23    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: BY GAGE HARTER, BUSINESS WEEKLY STAFF 
DATELINE: 940620                                 LENGTH: Short

REAL ESTATE: TAKING THAT FIRST-TIME BUYER'S STEP INTO OWNERSHIP

{LEAD} Anissa English ruled out one house: tacky wallpaper. She gave thumbs down to another because of the neighborhood.

But a townhouse in Virginia Beach's Rosemont Forest appealed to English's fancy. Brick. Blue shutters. Fenced yard. Central air. And, more important, an extra room - one to put a crib in.

{REST} ``We want a three-bedroom to build a family,'' says English, wife of a dispersing officer on the Norfolk-based guided-missile destroyer Scott.

First-time home buyers like the Englishes have helped fuel a rebound in the Hampton Roads real estate market for the past two years. Even with interest rates beginning to creep up, real estate agents are staying busy.

The Englishes, who live in Hampton, wanted to be closer to Dion's work at Norfolk Naval Base.

So they called Leatrice A. Bulls at Long & Foster Realtors. After an initial interview, it was time to hit the road. Three houses in a day made for an exhausting tour. Anissa poked through cupboards and closets. She checked for overall cleanliness.

In the end, the Rosemont Forest townhouse was leading as Anissa looked to another day of touring.

``I still want to look and weigh my options,'' she said. ``I'm kind of picky about these things.''

{KEYWORDS} ALMANAC

by CNB