AT Collective

10/22/2026

AMY’S PCS PLAYBOOK

**DON’T SPEND YOUR WHOLE HOUSE-HUNTING TRIP LOOKING AT HOUSES.**

I know. That sounds completely backward.

You’ve got limited time.

A list of homes.

Appointments stacked back-to-back.

And the pressure of knowing you may need to make a decision before you leave.

So naturally, the instinct is:

**SEE. ALL. THE. HOUSES.**

But if you’re moving to an area you don’t know yet, I want you to leave some room in that schedule for something just as important:

**Go live there for a minute.**

Drive through the neighborhood when you’re *not* headed to a showing.

Find the grocery store.

Grab dinner nearby.

See where you’d get coffee.

Drive past the school, park, gym, daycare or whatever matters to your actual family.

Pay attention to what’s around you.

And ask yourself:

**Can I picture our regular Tuesday happening here?**

Because during a PCS, it’s really easy to choose a house based on bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage and how pretty the kitchen is.

But you’re not just choosing a house.

You’re choosing where your family is going to start building a life in a place that may still feel completely unfamiliar.

After decades of military moves, that’s something I think gets overlooked:

**The house matters.
But the life around the house matters too.**

So yes, let’s tour the homes.

Let’s see as many good possibilities as we reasonably can.

But somewhere between Showing #6 and Showing #7?

Go get lunch.

Drive around.

Look out the window.

And let yourself actually experience the place you’re considering calling home.

**A PCS house-hunting trip shouldn’t only answer, “Do I like this house?”**

It should also help answer:

**“Can I see us living here?”**

Amy Trahan
Associate Broker
Residential Property Manager
Sutton Tullio Realty LLC
(703) 785-7461

10/21/2026

WHAT LOCALS KNOW WEDNESDAY

THIS WEEKEND IS PEAK FALL-IN-HAMPTON-ROADS ENERGY. 🍂

If you’ve been waiting for a weekend that actually feels like fall around here…

October 24–25 understood the assignment. 😂

You’ve got pumpkin patches, harvest festivals, local markets, Halloween events, farms, live music, and plenty of reasons to get out of the house.

A few I’d put on the radar:
- Hunt Club Farm Harvest Fair – Virginia Beach: pumpkins, hayrides, petting farm, TreeWalk Adventure and all the classic fall-farm stuff. Virginia Beach, VA
- Rose Hill Heritage Farm Fall Festival – Suffolk: Saturday from 10–4 with a sunflower maze, pumpkins, family activities and Highland cows this weekend. Visit Suffolk Virginia
- Fall Market on the Farm – Suffolk: Saturday from 9–3 at Little Acre Farm with local artisans, animals, food and music. Visit Suffolk Virginia
- Halloween Harvest Festival at the Chrysler Museum – Norfolk: Sunday, 11–3, with performances, art-making, scavenger hunts and costumes — and it’s free. Visit Norwich
- Waterway Market at Great Bridge Village – Chesapeake: Sunday from 11–2 at Battlefield Park South, right along the Intracoastal Waterway. City of Chesapeake
And if you’re a military family, the Armed Services YMCA Military Family Fall Festival & Resource Fair is also Sunday at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. Virginia Beach, VA

This is one of my favorite things about fall in Hampton Roads:

You can do the farm-and-pumpkin thing in the morning…

hit a waterfront market in the afternoon…
and still be home before dark.

So if someone tells you there’s nothing to do here?

They’re doing Hampton Roads wrong.

What’s on YOUR weekend list? Share in comments!! 🍁

Amy Trahan
Associate Broker
Residential Property Manager
Sutton Tullio Realty LLC
(703) 785-7461

10/20/2026

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT PRO TIP TUESDAY

NOT EVERY REPAIR IS AUTOMATICALLY A LANDLORD EXPENSE.

This is one of the biggest misconceptions in rental property.

Something breaks, leaks, backs up, stops working…

and everyone immediately assumes:

“The landlord has to pay for it.”

Not necessarily.

The real question is:

What caused it?

If a pipe fails because it’s old?

That’s one thing.

If a system malfunctions through normal use?

That’s one thing.

But if a drain is clogged with grease, wipes, foreign objects, or something caused by tenant use or neglect?

That’s a very different conversation.

Good property management isn’t about automatically siding with the owner or automatically siding with the tenant.

It’s about:

Getting the right contractor out.

Finding the actual cause.

Documenting what they find.

Taking photos when appropriate.

And then applying the lease accordingly.

Because repair responsibility should be based on cause, not assumption.

And that matters for both sides.

Owners shouldn’t be paying for damage they didn’t cause.

Tenants also shouldn’t be charged for legitimate property failures that aren’t their responsibility.

The contractor’s diagnosis matters.

The documentation matters.

And most importantly?

The lease matters.

That’s why good property management is a whole lot more than sending somebody out with a wrench.

Amy Trahan
Associate Broker
Residential Property Manager
Sutton Tullio Realty LLC
(703) 785-7461

10/19/2026

10/19/2026

BUYER TIP: Don't Pass Up a Great House Just Because It Needs a Little Love!

Ever walked into a house and thought, “I love the layout and location, but that kitchen has GOT to go!” 😂

Here's something a lot of buyers don't realize...

You may be able to purchase a home AND finance renovations with one mortgage!

Programs like the FHA 203(k) Renovation Loan can help qualified buyers turn an outdated house into a home they truly love.

Think kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, and other eligible improvements!

Sometimes the home with the most potential isn't the prettiest one on the market. 😉

Before you cross that fixer-upper off your list, let's talk about what's possible!

📲 Amy Trahan | Associate Broker
Sutton Tullio Realty LLC

10/15/2026

AMY’S PCS PLAYBOOK

DON’T JUDGE THE NEW DUTY STATION IN THE FIRST 30 DAYS.

I wish somebody had told me this years ago.
Because the first few weeks after a PCS can make a perfectly good place feel absolutely awful.
You’re tired.
You’re surrounded by boxes.
You don’t know the roads.
You don’t know where anything is.
Your favorite grocery store is gone.
Your hair person is gone.
Your doctor is gone.
Your routine is gone.
And every single errand takes twice as long because you’re still figuring out where the heck you are.
So naturally, your brain starts going:
“I hate it here.”
Maybe you do.
But maybe you’re just exhausted and everything is unfamiliar.
There’s a difference.
Every duty station takes a little time to become yours.
First you find the grocery store you like.
Then the coffee shop.
Then the shortcut.
Then the neighborhood you love driving through.
Then somebody recommends a good restaurant.
Then you meet a person.
Then another.
And eventually, somewhere along the way, the place that felt completely foreign starts feeling… normal.
Maybe even like home.
That doesn’t mean every duty station becomes your favorite.
Some absolutely won’t.
But after more than 30 years of military life, this is one thing I know for sure:
The first few weeks are not the whole story.
So if you just arrived in Hampton Roads and you’re wondering whether you made a terrible mistake?
Give yourself a minute.
You’re not supposed to know your way around yet.
You’re still arriving.

Amy Trahan
Associate Broker
Residential Property Manager
Sutton Tullio Realty LLC
(703) 785-7461

10/14/2026

WHAT LOCALS KNOW WEDNESDAY

“HAMPTON ROADS” ISN’T ABOUT ROADS.

One of the funniest things about moving here is realizing that Hampton Roads is not a city…
and the “roads” part doesn’t mean streets.

The name comes from Hampton Roads harbor — the huge natural harbor where several major rivers meet the Chesapeake Bay. That geography is a big reason this area became so important for shipping, military operations, and settlement in the first place.

So when locals say:

“I live in Hampton Roads…”

We could mean Chesapeake.

Virginia Beach.

Norfolk.

Portsmouth.

Suffolk.

Hampton.

Newport News.

Seven different cities. One region.

Which is also why someone moving here can get VERY confused very quickly.

Because two homes may both be “in Hampton Roads” and offer completely different lifestyles, commutes, neighborhoods, housing styles and surroundings.

And that’s the part newcomers don’t always realize:

Hampton Roads isn’t one place.

It’s a whole collection of places tied together by the water, the military, the history, the bridges, the tunnels… and occasionally our shared frustration with all of the above.

So if you’re relocating here and wondering why everybody keeps calling seven cities one name?

Now you know.

The “Roads” are water.

Welcome to Hampton Roads. ❤️

Amy Trahan
Associate Broker
Residential Property Manager
Sutton Tullio Realty LLC
(703) 785-7461

10/13/2026

🏡 COMING SOON | COLEMAN FARMS | CHESAPEAKE, VA

**Modern Living. Beautiful Design. Built-In Investment Potential.**
Something special is coming to the Chesapeake real estate market!
Welcome to 2416 Fieldsway Drive, a beautifully appointed, newer-construction condo offering contemporary finishes, an inviting open floor plan, and the convenience of low-maintenance living.

✨ 3 Bedrooms | 2.5 Bathrooms
✨ Approximately 1,750 Sq. Ft.
✨ Built in 2021
✨ Gorgeous Kitchen with Granite Countertops & Center Island
✨ Spacious Primary Suite
✨ Private Patio
✨ Community Pool, Clubhouse & Fitness Center

**Offered at $390,000**

An exciting opportunity for investors! The property is currently tenant-occupied, with an existing lease through August 31, 2027, generating $2,700 in monthly rental income.
Enjoy the benefits of an established rental property today, with the potential for personal occupancy in the future.

📍 2416 Fieldsway Drive | Chesapeake, VA 23320

Hitting market 10/19/2026

Amy Trahan
Associate Broker | Sutton Tullio Realty LLC
703-785-7461

10/13/2026

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT PRO TIP TUESDAY

DON’T WAIT UNTIL THE LEASE IS ALMOST OVER TO DECIDE WHAT’S NEXT.

One of the easiest ways for a landlord to create unnecessary stress?
Waiting until the last minute to think about renewal.
A lease ending in 30 days is not the time to suddenly start asking:
Are we renewing?
Are we raising the rent?
Does the owner want to sell?
Does the property need work before the next tenant?
Has the tenant been a good fit?
Because every one of those answers affects the next step.
A smart renewal conversation starts well before the lease expiration date.
That gives everyone time to make an actual plan instead of reacting.
Maybe the tenant wants to stay.
Maybe the rent needs to be adjusted.
Maybe the owner wants the property back.
Maybe there are maintenance items that should be addressed before another term.
Maybe it’s time to sell.

The point is:
The end of a lease should never sneak up on anybody.
Good property management is partly about handling what’s happening today…
But a big part of it is also knowing what’s coming next.
And when you start that conversation early?
You usually get better decisions, less scrambling, and a smoother transition for everyone involved.

Amy Trahan
Associate Broker
Residential Property Manager
Sutton Tullio Realty LLC
(703) 785-7461

10/12/2026

BUYER MYTH MONDAY

“I SHOULD JUST WAIT UNTIL SPRING.”

Maybe.

But not simply because it’s spring.

Every year, buyers convince themselves that the “real” housing market starts when the flowers come back out.

More listings.

Better weather.

More choices.

Sounds great, right?

Except there’s another side to that equation:

More buyers tend to come out too.

And suddenly that house you would have had time to think about in October has three other people standing in the kitchen with you in April. 😂

Fall and winter buyers may find something they don’t always get during the busier seasons:

breathing room.

Sellers who are on the market now often have a reason they want to move.

A job change.

A military transfer.

A home they’ve already purchased.

A timeline they’re trying to meet.

And when a seller has a motivation beyond “let’s throw it on the market and see what happens,” there may be opportunities to negotiate things that matter to you.

Price.

Closing costs.

Repairs.

Closing date.

Possession.

Or other terms that make the deal work.

Does that mean every fall listing is a bargain?

Absolutely not.

And I would never tell someone to buy a house simply because the calendar says October.

But I also wouldn’t automatically spend the next five months sitting on the sidelines waiting for some magical “better market” to arrive.

Because the best time to buy isn’t necessarily spring.

It’s when your finances are ready, your life is ready, and the right house shows up.

And if that happens in November?

Buy the damn house. 😂🏡