THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 17, 1994 TAG: 9409150340
SECTION: REAL ESTATE WEEKLY PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JANET DUNPHY, SPECIAL TO REAL ESTATE WEEKLY
LENGTH: Long : 114 lines
Great Neck Point in Virginia Beach is a classic mix of old and new with million-dollar contemporary homes tucked in between 25-year-old traditional ones.
In fact, the waterfront property is so desirable that buyers are razing old home and building new ones on the same lots. A new section is also being developed at the front of the neighborhood called Keelingwood at Great Neck Point.
Located off Great Neck Road, Great Neck Point boasts many coves that provide residents with easy access to waterways. Several homes, perched at the very western edge of the neighborhood facing the Lynnhaven River, are visible to motorists traveling east on Shore Drive. These dwellings also have water in their back yards.
``It's like being someplace else besides suburbia,'' says Laurie Badoyen, who moved into Great Neck Point six years ago with her family. They paid about $200,000 for their four-bedroom brick ranch.
``The neighborhood is in a transition now. A lot of older people are moving out and younger families are moving in,'' says Badoyen, referring to the sites where homes have been demolished and new ones built, as well as the new Keelingwood site.
Three top-rated public schools are within one mile of Great Neck Point: John B. Dye Elementary, Great Neck Middle and Cox High. ``It's like sending your kids to private schools without the cost,'' Badoyen says.
Great Neck Point is convenient to Shore Drive, with its restaurants and nightspots, and is just a short drive from Seashore State Park and Fort Story. Residents can also take advantage of the Great Neck Recreation Center a short distance away on Great Neck Road.
A strong civic organization and a 20-year-old garden club are also a plus for the neighborhood, residents say. The former has collected enough donations from homeowners to finance a new neighborhood entrance to be put in place by the garden club.
``I think it's a mainstay for meeting people,'' says Mary Geary, a longtime member of the garden club. And while she is sorry to see trees cut down, Geary is glad that the new construction on the old lots and in Keelingwood brings in more families with children. ``There's been a large influx of families with younger children,'' she notes. Geary also thinks Great Neck Point is in a key location. ``You can hit Great Neck Road and be right in the middle of the city,'' she says.
``It's a wonderful neighborhood, very secluded,'' says Sharon Lynch, who built her home with her husband seven years ago. The Lynches are moving from the neighborhood to the country so her daughters can pursue their horse interests.
``It's not quite as developed as some of the neighborhoods nearby. You actually have some distance between your neighbors,'' Lynch says. ``Probably the best thing is the neighborhood is still a rural setting.''
The newer Keelingwood is being built on about 35 acres originally owned by the Addington family, some of whom still reside on the adjacent 100 acres. The Addingtons formed Cedar Cove Associates to develop the land. The lots are sold only as building packages, according to site manager Bonnie MacLachlan, and the prices start at $400,000.
Keelingwood also has older houses nestled in among new ones, especially as it winds down South Woodside along the water to the cul-de-sac full of new construction. ILLUSTRATION: Photos by Gary C. Knapp
Great Neck Point is a classic mix of old and new. It has a strong
civic organization and a 20-year-old garden club. Shown here is the
living room of the Geary family.
The Geary children, Ryan, Bryna and Sean, play in the grass that
borders their lot on three sides. The water is part of the Lynnhaven
River.
Graphic
ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Public schools: John B. Dye Elementary, Great Neck Middle and Cox
High schools.
Recreation: Virginia Beach Recreation Center - Great Neck,
Virginia Beach Tennis and Country Club, Seashore State Park and Fort
Story. The Chesapeake Bay and its beaches are only a few minutes
away by car.
Shopping areas: Great Neck Village, Sea Shore Shoppes, Lynnhaven
Colony Shops and, farther south, Lynnhaven Mall.
Assessments: The range for homes in 1993 was $218,000 to
$403,000. The low for an inside vacant lot was $120,000 and the high
for a waterfront lot was $230,000, all according to the Virginia
Beach tax assessor's office.
FOR SALE
A sampling of current listings:
At 2960 Adam Keeling Road, with 3,179 square feet, a
four-bedroom, 3 1/2 bath two-story waterfront Colonial with an
in-ground pool is listed for $450,000.
At 2012 Ridge End Road, with 2,259 square feet, a four-bedroom, 2
1/2 bath waterfront brick ranch with an in-ground pool is listed for
$354,500.
At 2988 Adam Keeling Road with about 4,000 square feet, a
four-bedroom, 3 1/2 bath French Provincial waterfront house with a
mother-in-law suite is listed for $539,000.
Under contract at 3192 Adam Keeling Road, this waterfront
Contemporary with about 5,000 square feet, five bedrooms, office and
4 1/2 baths is listed for $715,000.
SOLD
A sampling of recent sales:
At 3164 Adam Keeling Road, with 2,012 square feet, a
three-bedroom, two-bath ranch sold in June for $240,000.
At 3180 Adam Keeling Road, with 2,707 square feet, a
four-bedroom, 2 1/2 bath waterfront ranch with a pool sold for
$390,000 in June.
At 1816 Addington Road with 3,253 square feet, a three-bedroom, 2
1/2 bath two-story sold for $385,000 in May.
by CNB