In the heart of the little coastal town of Cape Charles, VA lies its charming Commercial Historic District. The original buildings generally date back to the early 1900’s and most have been fully renovated, ready to do yeoman’s service for another 100 years… at least ! And on the prime western end of the Mason Avenue’s Commercial Historic District, Blue Heron Realty Co. has three beautifully designed commercial space condos for sale, ranging in size from 1100 to 1500 sq. ft. Absolutely perfect for a multitude of commercial uses, from virtually any type of office office to most retail uses, these three spaces are very attractively priced, ranging from $120,000 to $150,000. Each condo offers excellent street visibility and signage as well as one of the best locations in downtown Cape Charles, only 2 blocks to the beach.
If you already own a small business or are thinking of starting a business, you may wonder if owning your office or shop space instead of renting it offers many benefits. My personal opinion is a resounding Yes! The first and most important is that owning gives you greater control and stability for your business which results in better control over your own destiny. Assuming that you have confidence in your business, there is a great deal of security in owning rather than renting your business space. No more big rent hikes ! No need to worry about the possibility of an announcement that the landlord is selling the building and suddenly the terms or even the actual renewal of your lease is in question. And you are not paying off someone else’s mortgage, you are building up equity for yourself so at the end of the day if you sell, your money comes back to you instead of your landlord. Appreciation in value is important as is the ability to be able to also sell your physical premises should you decide to sell your business which might be very beneficial to the deal. And any renovations you do over time accrue fully to your benefit, not to the landlord’s.
All three of these commercial units are on the ground floor of an attractive three story mixed-use brick building constructed in 1901. The building’s second floor consists of 2 large residential condos, the 3rd floor boasts a 3000 + sq. ft. penthouse with a double veranda overlooking the town and its colorful harbor. All three commercial units are currently in use as office space. the 1100 sq. ft. units are professional offices– a dentist and a chiropractor, each of whom rotate between multiple offices, practicing one or two days per week in Cape Charles. Each unit is currently configured with a reception area, several office or treatment rooms and a bathroom so clearly easy to convert to other types of office use or even retail if desired.
And it would be hard to beat the small town ambiance of Cape Charles if you are looking to open a business in a friendly coastal area. In fact, the June, 2012 issue of Southern Living Magazine named Cape Charles as one of its “Best Little Beach Towns“, quite an honor. As it’s just a short walk to the beach from these condos, a quick stroll on the boardwalk would be great for keeping the waistline trim. Drop in at the beautiful Cape Charles Coffeehouse for a quick cup of coffee on the way to the office. ( The Coffeehouse also has a great lunch menu, with one of the best chicken salad sandwiches ever. And for dessert, don’t miss Roberta’s luscious coconut cake with cream cheese icing and lemon custard filling. Absolutely delectable, unbeatable this side of the moon ! ) Or walk just a half block to Kelly’s Pub for lunch, home of a lip-smacking good char- broiled burger accompanied by the best dill pickles, straight from New York City. Or try Rayfield’s Pharmacy’s honest-to-goodness old- fashioned soda fountain lunch counter featuring, among other items, a really delicious BLT, overstuffed with plenty of B and nice ripe T. And yes, of course, they do have milkshakes, sundaes, and ice cream sodas, chocolate’s the best ! Banking ? Walk to the credit union just two blocks away. Odds and ends ? If the hardware store doesn’t have it, just don’t you worry, they’ll order it. Need a bottle of wine for dinner ? Stop in at Gull Hammock on the way home, where by the way, each Friday they have a new shipment of Prize’s homemade bread, sinfully good, especially the cinnomon raisin sourdough. Want to take a client to a fine dinner ? Five minutes away you’ll find Aqua Restaurant overlooking the Chesapeake Bay, home to excellent food in a beautiful setting. Need some decor ideas ? Try your nearby neighbors at Best Nest, 209 Gallery or Stage Door Gallery. The point being that within Cape Charles’ quaint Historic District, instead of having to let your fingers do the walking, you can have the pleasure of getting out and about, among your friends, neighbors and fellow business owners, doing errands and business the old-fashioned way–person to person. For more information on buying your own business condo, call Blue Heron Realty Co., 757-678-5200 or 757-331-4885.
(Posted by Marlene Cree, licensed Virginia agent with Blue Heron Realty Co., 7134 Wilsonia Neck Dr., Machipongo, VA)