VACATION PLANS in place? Check. Pet sitter lined up? Check. Newspaper delivery scheduled to hold? Check. House secured? Better check again. According to the Virginia Crime Prevention Association, Virginia had about 400 burglaries per 100,000 persons heading into 2007, the latest statistics available.

Located on 325 acres in the Carrollton section of Isle of Wight County, 125 of the development's 320 homes have been built, lining peaceful lanes, private cul-de-sacs and curving, landscaped streets with marsh, creek, river and woodland views. Prices range from $490,000 to more than $1 million.

The furniture restorer was 15 when she was kissed for the first time. She and her date were on the rooftop. The developer met her best friend 40 years ago at the indoor pool. Ask people who've lived around here a while and they probably have a story about the Chamberlin Hotel. None, though, is likely to top Harriette Eubank.

"When you walk in, you don't feel like you're in an apartment," said Amy Thompson, property manager with Lawson Realty Corp.

Just minutes away from Interstate 664, Orchard Cove will feature a total of 20 single-family homes upon completion. Residents drive on Apple Street and dead-end into a cul-de-sac or turn left onto Orchard Cove Court, another cul-de-sac in this quaint neighborhood. Once an empty field tucked back behind an older, established neighborhood, Orchard Cove is being built by Ashdon Builders.

Sandie Point Condominiums is a boat lover's delight tucked off Portsmouth Boulevard. The horseshoe-shaped, secluded waterfront community with 45 units overlooks the Western Branch of the Elizabeth River. "It's a hidden gem; unless you go down there, you don't know it's back there," said Mariann Lambert, a real estate agent with Rose & Womble.

WHAT’S NEW IN new homes this spring? For starters, more homes priced at around $200,000. Some of South Hampton Roads biggest builders are expanding their portfolios with modestly priced condominiums that range in design from apartment-style flats to threestory townhomes to detached single-family units.

Green was easily the favored "color" during this year's International Builders' Show in Orlando, Fla., with manufacturers and distributors across the board introducing products that are kind to Mother Earth for the long haul but not necessarily to your wallet for the short term.

A small, unassuming white wooden sign with hand-painted black lettering reveals the community of Wise Beach to passers-by. Situated at the intersection of Hatton Point Road and Riveredge Drive off Cedar Lane in Portsmouth, Wise Beach is an isolated half-mile stretch of neighborhood between a patch of trees and the western branch of the Elizabeth River.

In the master suite of Ben and Grace Moskowitz's home, pillowing is a daily obsession. Their ritual begins soon after waking. She leads, he follows. They plump, fluff and chase away wrinkles from the marital bed. It's been that way for many of their 62 years together. The shared time has helped keep their bond strong.