By Larry McKinney, Realtor, Hogge Real Estate Inc.

If you've been waiting for the Middle Peninsula housing market to "get back to normal," the second quarter of 2026 might be the closest thing we've seen in years. The Chesapeake Bay & Rivers Association of Realtors just released its Q2 report, and the headline is simple: more homes sold, more homes for sale, and prices that are behaving differently in every county. Here's what it means for you.

The big picture: busiest first half since 2022

Across the CBRAR footprint — Gloucester, Mathews, Middlesex, King & Queen, and King William — 380 homes closed in the second quarter, up 12 percent from a year ago. That makes this the strongest first half of the year for sales since 2022, back when rates were still in the threes. Pending sales climbed 13 percent to 402, so the pipeline heading into fall is full.

Just as important, sellers are finally showing up. Active listings hit 455 at the end of June, up 12 percent from last year and nearly double what we had in mid-2023. Months of supply now sits at 4.4 — still shy of the 5 to 6 months traditionally considered a balanced market, but a world away from the frenzy of a few years back. Homes took a median 26 days to sell, about five days longer than last summer, and the average home sold for 98.9 percent of asking. Translation: buyers can breathe, but well-priced homes still move.

County by county

Gloucester remains the workhorse of the region: 146 sales (up 8 percent), a median price of $379,900 (up 7 percent), and homes going under contract in a median of just 17 days. Inventory is up 14 percent to 181 listings, but demand is keeping pace — sellers here averaged 99.2 percent of asking.

Middlesex was the price leader. The median jumped 9 percent to $429,450, sales rose 12 percent, and pending sales surged 26 percent — the strongest forward signal in the region. Homes are taking longer to sell (46 days median), which tells me buyers are being selective even as they keep buying.

Mathews is the outlier, and it deserves an honest read. The median price fell 18 percent to $349,000, sales dipped 10 percent, days on market stretched from 16 to 47, and months of supply hit 6.1 — technically a buyer's market. But here's the caveat I give every client: Mathews sells only a few dozen homes a quarter. A handful of high-end waterfront closings last year and a more modest mix this year can swing the median dramatically without your individual home losing a dime of value. What the Mathews numbers do say clearly: pricing correctly matters more there than anywhere else in the region right now, with sellers averaging just 95.8 percent of asking.

Why this is happening

Two forces are doing most of the work. First, mortgage rates have settled. Freddie Mac's 30-year fixed averaged 6.58 percent in late July, down from 6.74 percent a year ago. That's not cheap money, but it's stable money — and stability is what coaxes buyers and sellers off the sidelines. Homeowners who felt locked into their pandemic-era rates are increasingly deciding that life can't wait for 5 percent.

Second, the inventory rebuild is feeding on itself. Every new listing gives a move-up buyer somewhere to go, which puts their house on the market, and so on. The report's own outlook says it plainly: pent-up demand is absorbing the surge in listings, and if listing growth continues, more sales likely follow.

What it means for you

If you're selling: this is a genuinely good market — but it's a pricing market, not a fever market. Buyers have 455 alternatives regionwide. Homes priced to recent comparable sales are selling near asking in Gloucester in under three weeks; overpriced homes are sitting 45+ days and negotiating down, especially in Mathews and Middlesex.

If you're buying: you have more choices than any summer since 2020, sellers are more negotiable than the headlines suggest, and a rate in the mid-sixes today can always be refinanced if rates drift lower. Waiting for the perfect rate often costs more in price than it saves in interest.

Every one of these numbers is a regional average, and no average ever bought or sold a house. If you'd like to know what the Q2 data means for your specific property or your search — in Gloucester, Mathews, Middlesex, or anywhere on the Middle Peninsula — call or email me anytime. I'm always glad to talk local real estate.

Larry McKinney is a Realtor with Hogge Real Estate Inc. Data: Chesapeake Bay & Rivers Association of Realtors Q2-2026 Housing Market Report (Virginia REALTORS®) and Freddie Mac PMMS. 757-503-2544 | larryourrealtor@gmail.com

Starting July 1, 2026, a new Virginia law changes where manufactured homes can be placed across the Commonwealth — including right here in Gloucester County. If you own land, you're thinking about an affordable path to homeownership, or you're simply wondering what it means for property values in your neighborhood, here's a clear, no-spin breakdown of what the law actually does and what's still being worked out locally.

I reached out directly to Gloucester County's Planning & Zoning Department to confirm how this applies to us, and I'll share exactly what they told me below.

A quick note: I'm a REALTOR®, not an attorney, and this article is general information — not legal advice. Laws and local zoning rules can and do change, and Gloucester County's ordinance is still being finalized as of this writing. Always confirm the current rules for a specific property with Gloucester County Planning & Zoning or a licensed attorney before making decisions.

What the law (HB 655) actually changes

For years, Virginia localities were only required to permit manufactured homes in agriculturally zoned areas. Most counties — Gloucester included — never went further than that, which kept these homes out of most residential neighborhoods.

HB 655, signed by Governor Spanberger and effective July 1, 2026, changes that. In plain terms, the law:

•     Expands the requirement so that manufactured homes must be allowed in all zoning districts where site-built single-family housing is already permitted — not just agricultural zones.

•     Prohibits localities from treating manufactured homes more restrictively than a comparable site-built single-family home in the same zoning district.

•     Requires that development standards applied to manufactured homes be equivalent to those for site-built homes — and those standards can't be written in a way that effectively excludes manufactured housing.

This is real zoning reform, and it's part of a broader state push to address Virginia's affordable housing shortage.

One common misunderstanding, cleared up

This law does not force manufactured homes into every zone. It also isn't limited to one district labeled “single-family residential.” The real test is simpler than that:

Can you build a regular site-built single-family house on that lot today? If yes, a qualifying manufactured home now has to be allowed there too, on equivalent terms. If no — say it's a commercial-only, industrial, or strictly multi-family district where single-family homes aren't permitted in the first place — the law doesn't reach it.

So the trigger is whether site-built single-family housing is already allowed, not the name of the zone. In Gloucester that generally means agricultural districts (already required before this law) plus the residential districts that permit single-family detached homes.

The detail most headlines leave out

Here's the part you won't see in the celebratory press releases — and it matters.

The law's protections apply to “qualifying” manufactured homes: ones that are placed on a permanent foundation, on an individual lot, and converted to real property (titled as real estate rather than as personal property, the way a vehicle is titled).

Gloucester County's Planning & Zoning Director confirmed this directly to me: the law requires the manufactured home to be converted to real property. That single requirement is significant, because a large share of manufactured homes nationally are financed and titled as personal property (chattel) — often in land-lease communities. Those homes are not covered by the core protections of this law.

So the accurate way to understand HB 655 is this: it creates zoning parity for manufactured homes that are set up like permanent, real-property residences — not a blanket “manufactured homes can go anywhere” rule. If you're planning around this law, the real-property conversion is the hinge everything turns on. It affects how the home is financed, titled, and taxed.

Does this include single-wides?

This was one of the first questions I had, so I asked. Under the county's current definition, a manufactured home is a HUD-code structure “transportable in one or more sections” that is “eight feet or more in width.” A single-wide is a single section, typically wider than eight feet — so by definition, single-wides are not excluded.

The practical caveat: a single-wide still has to meet the same real-property conversion and development standards as any other qualifying manufactured home — permanent foundation, individual lot, equivalent site standards. The home type isn't the barrier; the setup requirements are what determine whether a given placement qualifies.

The other big limit: HOA and deed restrictions still apply

This is the question I get most, and it's an important one: does this law override private neighborhood restrictions? The short answer is no.

HB 655 is a zoning law — it limits what local government can do through zoning and land-use rules. It does not touch private deed restrictions or homeowners association covenants (CC&Rs). Those are private agreements, recorded against the property, that bind every current and future owner of the lot.

That means the two run on separate tracks. Even where the county now has to zone to allow a qualifying manufactured home, a neighborhood with recorded covenants that prohibit manufactured or mobile homes can still enforce that prohibition. Plenty of Gloucester subdivisions have exactly these covenants. Virginia overrides private covenants only when a statute spells it out specifically, and HB 655 does not do that for manufactured homes.

Bottom line: before assuming a manufactured home can go on a particular lot, you have to check two things — the local zoning and any recorded deed restrictions or HOA covenants on that property. Clearing zoning is only half the picture. (This is general information, not legal advice — always review the specific recorded covenants for the lot in question.)

What's still being decided in Gloucester County

I want to be straight with you, because this is where things stand and it's easy to get wrong.

Gloucester County will not have its updated ordinance finished by July 1. The county's Planning & Zoning Director confirmed this to me directly: they don't have the capacity to complete the ordinance in time for the deadline. But because they're still required to honor the state law, they've put an interim process in place that follows the state code until the county adopts a revised ordinance.

Gloucester's interim process (effective July 1)

Under this process, Zoning will issue a zoning permit for a manufactured home that meets three requirements drawn straight from the state code. The home must be:

1.   Converted to real property in accordance with Virginia Code § 46.2-653.1.

2.   New enough that the certificate of occupancy is issued within five years of the date of manufacture shown on the home's data plate.

3.   Placed on an individual lot.

Here's how the county is enforcing it: they place a hold on the property and will not issue the certificate of occupancy (CO) until the county's real estate assessment office confirms the home has actually been converted to real property. The Building Official may have additional requirements for that conversion, and Building Inspections will verify that the manufacture date falls within five years of the CO. The Director also noted more requirements may be added as the permanent ordinance is developed.

The five-year rule is the one to pay attention to. It means only relatively new manufactured homes qualify under Gloucester's current process — a decades-old unit someone wants to relocate onto a lot generally won't make the cut. If you're thinking about this route, the age of the specific home matters as much as the zoning.

One more wrinkle worth knowing: Gloucester's current ordinance still says a manufactured home “shall not be classified as a single-family detached dwelling,” which conflicts with the new state law. The county will have to reconcile that language when it writes the permanent ordinance.

Bottom line: the parity requirement is live July 1, and Gloucester has a workable interim path — real property, under five years old, on an individual lot. The permanent local standards (and any additional requirements) are still being written.

One more practical gate — septic and well. On our many unsewered lots across Gloucester and the Middle Peninsula, a manufactured home still has to meet Virginia Health Department requirements for an approved septic drainfield and water source, just like any home. That's independent of HB 655, but on rural land it's often the real determining factor in whether a lot can support a home at all. Check it early.

How financing works — and why single-wides are the catch

Here's where the “converted to real property” requirement comes full circle, because it directly controls how a buyer pays for the home.

When a manufactured home is set up as real property on land the buyer owns, it becomes mortgageable like a regular house. That opens up the standard financing options instead of a higher-cost chattel (personal property) loan:

•     FHA Title II — finances the home and land together, with a down payment as low as 3.5%. (FHA Title I, by contrast, is the home-only/personal-property route.)

•     VA loans — available with no down payment for eligible buyers.

•     Conventional (Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac) — typically 3–5% down, though loan-to-value limits can be tighter than for a site-built home.

Across all of these, the bar is consistent: the home must be HUD-code (built on or after June 15, 1976), permanently affixed to a foundation, on land the borrower owns, and legally classified as real property. No real-property conversion, no mortgage.

The single-wide catch. This is the most important practical point in the whole piece. Even when zoning allows a single-wide and it's converted to real property, financing one is meaningfully harder than a double-wide:

•     Freddie Mac's standard manufactured home mortgage requires a multi-wide home — single-wides are not eligible.

•     Fannie Mae limits single-width homes to a primary residence only.

•     Some mortgage insurers won't insure single-wides, and single-wide loan amounts are often too small for conventional lenders — which pushes buyers toward specialty or chattel loans at higher cost.

So the realistic path is: zoning will allow a single-wide → it still has to be converted to real property → and even then, the loan is often the real bottleneck, not the zoning. Stack Gloucester's five-year age rule on top of that, and the qualifying pool narrows further: to finance conventionally and satisfy the county's interim process, a buyer is often looking at a near-new, multi-section home on an owned lot. My advice: talk to a lender before you fall in love with a specific home. The financing path depends heavily on the home type and how it's set up, and you want to know your options up front. I'm glad to connect you with Stephanie Armstead at Movement Mortgage, who can walk you through what's realistic for your situation.

What it could mean for the Gloucester market

A few honest takeaways:

•     For buyers: Manufactured homes are often the most affordable route to ownership. As this opens up, more neighborhoods that were previously off-limits may become options — provided the home is set up as real property.

•     For landowners and sellers: If you own a residential lot, the range of what can be placed on it may expand. That can affect how you market or value land.

•     For existing homeowners: Expect some neighborhood-level discussion. Modern manufactured homes are built to federal HUD standards and have come a long way from the dated stereotypes, but perception and education will be part of the conversation.

This is not a silver bullet for affordability — land costs, financing, and the real-property requirement all still apply. But it removes a long-standing regulatory barrier, and that's meaningful.

Have questions about how this affects your property?

I'm tracking the Gloucester County ordinance updates as they happen, and I'll update this post once the local development standards are finalized. If you're weighing a manufactured home purchase, sitting on a residential lot, or just want to understand how this could affect your property's value, let's talk.

Larry McKinney — The Gloucester Realtor

thegloucesterrealtor.com

757-503-2544

Hi neighbors — Larry McKinney here with Hogge Real Estate, bringing you this week's read on the Gloucester County, Virginia real estate market for June 2026. These numbers come straight from this morning's local MLS Inventory Counts Report — not guesswork.

The numbers, in plain English

As of this week, there are 101 single-family homes actively for sale in Gloucester County, with an average asking price of about $548,000. Another 70 homes are pending — already under contract with a buyer — and 162 homes have sold, closing at an average price of roughly $413,000.

Stop and look at that for a second: more homes have sold (162) than are currently for sale (101), with 70 more under contract right behind them. Demand is clearly outpacing supply, and when buyers absorb homes faster than new ones come on the market, sellers hold the upper hand.

You'll also notice a gap between the average asking price (about $548,000) and the average sold price (about $413,000). A big part of that is our high-end and waterfront listings pulling the asking average up. The takeaway is simple: homes priced right for their condition and location are the ones changing hands.

The market at a glance

What this means for buyers

With only 101 homes on the market and demand this strong, you need to be ready to move when the right one appears. Get your financing lined up before you start touring — a pre-approval letter is your best friend in a fast market. Don't let the seller's-market headlines scare you off, though. Homes that need a little work are where the real opportunities are, and that's exactly where my construction background pays off. I can walk a property with you and tell you what's cosmetic versus what's costly, so you don't overpay or get blindsided after closing.

What this means for sellers

This is your market. With 162 homes already sold and another 70 under contract against just 101 active listings, well-prepared Gloucester homes are finding buyers. The key word is prepared. Buyers in 2026 are paying solid prices, but they expect the home to be in good shape, and they're watching their budgets. Price it right for its condition, handle the small repairs that scare buyers off, and you'll likely see strong interest. I'll tell you honestly which fixes are worth doing before listing and which ones aren't — that's the advice you get working directly with an agent who's also been on the construction side.

A builder's eye on the numbers

Here's something the raw counts don't show: much of Gloucester's for-sale inventory is older, established homes, and there's limited new construction coming online to ease the squeeze. For buyers, that means an older home with good bones can be a smart buy if you know what you're looking at. For sellers of newer or well-maintained homes, your property stands out. Either way, knowing the condition of what's actually behind the walls matters more than ever — and that's where I spend my time when I walk a home with a client.

Waterfront and land

Gloucester's land market is active too: 37 lots are currently for sale (averaging about $180,000), 13 are under contract, and 41 have already sold — meaning more lots have sold than are currently listed. Land and waterfront move to their own beat here. These properties are scarce, they hold value, and they draw buyers from well outside our county, including military families relocating to the area. If you own waterfront or acreage and have wondered what it's worth in today's market, this is a great time to find out. Pricing it correctly takes local knowledge of our creeks, rivers, and shoreline, not a national algorithm.

The bottom line

Gloucester County is a strong seller's market in June 2026: homes selling faster than they're being listed, 70 more under contract, and tight inventory. Buyers can still win with preparation and the right guidance, and sellers are in a great position if they price and prep smartly. Whether you're buying, selling, or just curious what your home is worth, I'm happy to talk it through — no pressure, just honest local advice.

Call Larry McKinney at 757-503-2544 or visit thegloucesterrealtor.com. I'm an independent Gloucester agent — when you call, you work directly with me.

Source: CBAR MLS Inventory Counts Report, Gloucester County, VA, as of June 17, 2026. Figures are listing counts and average prices by status.

Want the current numbers anytime? See my always-updated Gloucester VA Real Estate Market Update page.

Land is one of my favorite things to help buyers with in Gloucester — there's still real acreage out here, from wooded homesites to small homesteads with room for animals and a garden. But raw land comes with a different homework list than a finished house. Here's what I help buyers confirm before they buy, so the dream lot doesn't turn into an unbuildable one.

1. Can it pass a perc test? (Soil and septic)

Most rural Gloucester land isn't on public sewer, which means a septic system — and that means the soil has to support one. A percolation (perc) test and soil evaluation determine whether, and where, you can place a drain field. A lot that won't perc, or only percs in an awkward spot, dramatically changes what you can build. This is the first question I want answered on any vacant parcel.

2. Is there water — and what kind?

No public water usually means a private well. I help buyers understand likely well depth and water quality in the area, and factor the cost of drilling into the budget.

3. What does the zoning allow?

Zoning controls what you can actually do with the land — single-family home, accessory dwelling unit (ADU), animals, subdivision, home business. Gloucester County zoning and setback rules can make or break your plan. If your vision is a homestead with a guest cottage, we confirm that's permitted before you buy, not after.

4. Access and easements

Is there legal, recorded access to the parcel — a deeded right-of-way or road frontage? Land-locked or easement-dependent parcels can still be great buys, but you need to know exactly what you're getting and on what terms.

5. Flood zone, wetlands, and buildable area

Acreage and buildable acreage aren't the same number. Wetlands, flood zones, and steep or wooded areas can shrink the usable footprint. I help buyers understand how much of the land they can actually build on and use.

The payoff

Land done right is one of the best values in Gloucester — privacy, space, and the freedom to build what you want. Land done without homework is how people end up owning a parcel they can't use. My job is to make sure you're in the first group. See current Gloucester waterfront and land listings.

Larry McKinney, REALTOR® — Hogge Real Estate · 757-503-2544 · thegloucesterrealtor.com

In an earlier post I said the view is free but the shoreline isn't. This is the post where I get specific — because shoreline structures are where waterfront buyers get the biggest, most avoidable surprises. After years in construction, here's exactly what I'm looking at when we walk the water's edge together.

Bulkheads: the wall holding your yard back from the river

A bulkhead is a retaining wall that keeps your land from eroding into the water. Most around here are timber, and timber has a lifespan. I look for:

• Lean or bowing — a wall tipping toward the water is losing its fight with the soil behind it.
• Failing tie-backs — the hidden anchors that hold the wall upright. When they go, the wall goes.
• Soil loss behind the cap — sinkholes, dips, or washed-out areas near the top mean water is getting behind the wall.
• Rot, marine borers, and rusted hardware — especially right at the waterline and just below it.

A full bulkhead replacement can run tens of thousands of dollars and may require permits, so its condition belongs in your offer math, not your post-closing surprise pile.

Riprap and living shorelines: the alternatives

Not every Gloucester property has a bulkhead. Riprap (stacked stone) and living shorelines (engineered marsh plantings) are increasingly common and often lower-maintenance. I check riprap for displaced or sunken stone and undercutting; living shorelines for erosion and plant health. Each has different replacement economics worth understanding before you buy.

Piers and docks: look below the waterline

A pier can look perfect from the deck and be failing at the pilings. I check:

• Piling condition at and below the waterline — the zone that does the most rotting and is the hardest to see.
• Framing and decking — soft spots, fastener corrosion, racking (side-to-side wobble).
• Boat lifts and electrical — age, corrosion, and whether the wiring meets code for a wet environment.
• Whether it's where the permit says — a structure that's drifted from its permitted footprint is a future headache.

Why a construction background matters here

Most buyers — and a lot of agents — evaluate the house and treat the shoreline as scenery. I treat the shoreline as a second structure with its own condition, lifespan, and replacement cost. That's not about scaring you off waterfront; it's about making sure the price reflects what you're actually buying. Browse current Gloucester waterfront homes for sale.

Larry McKinney, REALTOR® — Hogge Real Estate · 757-503-2544 · thegloucesterrealtor.com

"Is it in a flood zone?" is one of the first questions Gloucester waterfront buyers ask me — and it's a smart one. But the answer is rarely a simple yes or no, and the implications are what really matter. Here's a plain-English guide.

A flood zone isn't a dealbreaker — it's a cost and a calculation

Much of Gloucester's waterfront sits in or near a FEMA-designated flood zone. That doesn't mean the house floods. It means FEMA has mapped the area's flood risk, which affects two practical things: your flood insurance cost and what's required if you build or substantially renovate.

Read the elevation, not just the map color

Two homes on the same creek can have very different risk profiles depending on elevation. A home built up on high ground with a properly elevated finished floor can be a sound, insurable purchase even with waterfront in a mapped zone. This is where an elevation certificate becomes worth its weight — it can dramatically change your insurance picture.

Questions I help buyers work through

• What flood zone is the home in — versus the waterfront portion of the lot?
• Is there an elevation certificate, and what does it show?
• What will flood insurance realistically cost, and how does that affect the monthly budget?
• If you plan to renovate or add on, what do the floodplain rules require?

Why this protects your investment

Getting the flood picture right does two things: it keeps your carrying costs predictable, and it protects resale — because the next buyer will ask the same questions you're asking now. A waterfront home you understand fully is a waterfront home that's easier to own and easier to sell.

Local knowledge makes the difference

Flood maps, elevation certificates, and insurance quotes can feel like a foreign language. My job is to translate — to make sure you know exactly what you're buying and what it'll cost to own, before you're committed. Have a specific property in mind? Send it my way and I'll help you read the flood picture. See current Gloucester waterfront homes for sale.

Larry McKinney, REALTOR® — Hogge Real Estate · 757-503-2544 · thegloucesterrealtor.com

When buyers tell me they want waterfront in Gloucester, what they usually mean is they want a dock — a place to tie up the boat, drop a crab pot, and jump in on a hot afternoon. So one of the first questions I help them answer is: can you actually build or keep a dock on this property?

It's not always a simple yes. Here's what every Gloucester waterfront buyer should understand.

What "riparian rights" actually means

Owning waterfront land in Virginia generally comes with riparian rights — the right to reasonable use of the water adjoining your property, including (in many cases) the right to build a pier out to navigable water. But riparian rights aren't unlimited. They can be affected by your property lines as they extend into the water, by neighboring owners' rights, and by state and federal regulations.

Who regulates docks in Virginia

Most shoreline structures fall under the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC), which manages the state's subaqueous (underwater) lands. Depending on size and location, a project can also involve the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and local Gloucester County requirements. The takeaway: a dock is a permitted structure, not a free-for-all.

The two questions I help buyers answer before they buy

1. Is the existing dock permitted? If the home already has a pier, we want to confirm it was properly permitted. An unpermitted structure can become your problem after closing.

2. Can you build or extend a dock if there isn't one (or you want more)? If a buyer's whole plan is a boat lift and a covered slip, we need to know that's feasible before the offer — not discover otherwise afterward.

Why this matters more in Gloucester than most places

Gloucester's water ranges from deep York River frontage to shallow, protected creeks. On shallower water, a permittable dock might need to reach much farther to hit usable depth — which changes cost and feasibility. Knowing the water body and the bottom is part of evaluating the property, not an afterthought.

How I help

I'm not your permit attorney or your marine contractor — but I know the questions to ask, who to call, and what a realistic answer looks like, so we can factor it into your decision and your offer. That local knowledge is exactly why waterfront buyers work with a local agent. Browse current Gloucester waterfront homes for sale.

Larry McKinney, REALTOR® — Hogge Real Estate · 757-503-2544 · thegloucesterrealtor.com

A waterfront home will steal your heart in about ten seconds — the sunset over the York River, the dock stretching out over the water, the sound of an osprey overhead. It's easy to fall in love before you've looked at anything that actually matters.

I spent years in construction before I sold real estate here in Gloucester, and I'll tell you what I tell every buyer I walk a waterfront property with: the view is free, but the shoreline isn't. Here are the five things I check on every waterfront home before my clients write an offer.

1. The shoreline protection (bulkhead, riprap, or living shoreline)

The land meeting the water is your home's first line of defense against erosion — and it's expensive to fix. A timber bulkhead has a lifespan; when it fails, replacement can run tens of thousands of dollars, and you may need permits to do it. I look at the age, the lean, the tie-backs, and whether water is undermining it from behind. This is the single most overlooked cost in waterfront buying.

2. The pier and dock condition

A dock looks solid until you really look. I check piling condition at and below the waterline, the decking and framing, the electrical if there's a boat lift, and whether the structure sits where the permit says it should. A dock that needs rebuilding is a five-figure surprise.

3. Whether the dock is actually permitted

This one catches people. An existing dock isn't automatically a legal dock. In Virginia, piers and shoreline structures generally fall under the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC). Before you buy, you want to know the existing structure is permitted — and, if you're planning to add or extend a dock, whether that's even possible.

4. The flood zone and elevation

Most Gloucester waterfront sits in or near a FEMA flood zone, which affects your insurance cost and what's required if you ever build or renovate. A flood zone isn't a dealbreaker — plenty of great homes sit on high, buildable ground with waterfront — but you need to read the elevation and the flood map correctly before you commit.

5. The water depth at your pier

That gorgeous deep-water look at high tide can be a mudflat at low tide. I help buyers understand the mean low water depth at the end of the pier so you actually know what kind of boat you can keep, and whether you can get out to the channel when you want to.

The bottom line

None of these are reasons not to buy waterfront in Gloucester — they're reasons to buy the right one, with your eyes open. If you'd like a walkthrough from someone who reads the shoreline as carefully as the floor plan, I'd be glad to help. See current Gloucester waterfront homes for sale.

Larry McKinney, REALTOR® — Hogge Real Estate · 757-503-2544 · thegloucesterrealtor.com

Starting July 1, 2026, a new Virginia law changes where manufactured homes can be placed across the Commonwealth — including right here in Gloucester County. If you own land, you're thinking about an affordable path to homeownership, or you're simply wondering what it means for property values in your neighborhood, here's a clear, no-spin breakdown of what the law actually does and what's still being worked out locally.

I reached out directly to Gloucester County's Planning & Zoning Department to confirm how this applies to us, and I'll share exactly what they told me below.

What the law (HB 655) actually changes

For years, Virginia localities were only required to permit manufactured homes in agriculturally zoned areas. Most counties — Gloucester included — never went further than that, which kept these homes out of most residential neighborhoods.

HB 655, signed by Governor Spanberger and effective July 1, 2026, changes that. In plain terms, the law:

• Expands the requirement so that manufactured homes must be allowed in all zoning districts where site-built single-family housing is already permitted — not just agricultural zones.
• Prohibits localities from treating manufactured homes more restrictively than a comparable site-built single-family home in the same zoning district.
• Requires that development standards applied to manufactured homes be equivalent to those for site-built homes — and those standards can't be written in a way that effectively excludes manufactured housing.

This is real zoning reform, and it's part of a broader state push to address Virginia's affordable housing shortage.

One common misunderstanding, cleared up

This law does not force manufactured homes into every zone. It also isn't limited to one district labeled "single-family residential." The real test is simpler than that:

Can you build a regular site-built single-family house on that lot today? If yes, a qualifying manufactured home now has to be allowed there too, on equivalent terms. If no — say it's a commercial-only, industrial, or strictly multi-family district where single-family homes aren't permitted in the first place — the law doesn't reach it.

So the trigger is whether site-built single-family housing is already allowed, not the name of the zone. In Gloucester that generally means agricultural districts (already required before this law) plus the residential districts that permit single-family detached homes.

The detail most headlines leave out

Here's the part you won't see in the celebratory press releases — and it matters.

The law's protections apply to "qualifying" manufactured homes: ones that are placed on a permanent foundation, on an individual lot, and converted to real property (titled as real estate rather than as personal property, the way a vehicle is titled).

Gloucester County's Planning & Zoning Director confirmed this directly to me: the law requires the manufactured home to be converted to real property. That single requirement is significant, because a large share of manufactured homes nationally are financed and titled as personal property (chattel) — often in land-lease communities. Those homes are not covered by the core protections of this law.

So the accurate way to understand HB 655 is this: it creates zoning parity for manufactured homes that are set up like permanent, real-property residences — not a blanket "manufactured homes can go anywhere" rule. If you're planning around this law, the real-property conversion is the hinge everything turns on. It affects how the home is financed, titled, and taxed.

Does this include single-wides?

This was one of the first questions I had, so I asked. Under the county's current definition, a manufactured home is a HUD-code structure "transportable in one or more sections" that is "eight feet or more in width." A single-wide is a single section, typically wider than eight feet — so by definition, single-wides are not excluded.

The practical caveat: a single-wide still has to meet the same real-property conversion and development standards as any other qualifying manufactured home — permanent foundation, individual lot, equivalent site standards. The home type isn't the barrier; the setup requirements are what determine whether a given placement qualifies.

The other big limit: HOA and deed restrictions still apply

This is the question I get most, and it's an important one: does this law override private neighborhood restrictions? The short answer is no.

HB 655 is a zoning law — it limits what local government can do through zoning and land-use rules. It does not touch private deed restrictions or homeowners association covenants (CC&Rs). Those are private agreements, recorded against the property, that bind every current and future owner of the lot.

That means the two run on separate tracks. Even where the county now has to zone to allow a qualifying manufactured home, a neighborhood with recorded covenants that prohibit manufactured or mobile homes can still enforce that prohibition. Plenty of Gloucester subdivisions have exactly these covenants. Virginia overrides private covenants only when a statute spells it out specifically, and HB 655 does not do that for manufactured homes.

Bottom line: before assuming a manufactured home can go on a particular lot, you have to check two things — the local zoning and any recorded deed restrictions or HOA covenants on that property. Clearing zoning is only half the picture. (This is general information, not legal advice — always review the specific recorded covenants for the lot in question.)

And on rural lots there's a third practical gate worth knowing about: septic and well. A qualifying manufactured home on an individual lot still has to meet Virginia Health Department requirements for an approved drainfield and water source. On unsewered Gloucester lots, that approval — not the zoning — is often the real constraint, and it applies independent of HB 655 entirely.

What's still being decided in Gloucester County

I want to be straight with you, because this is where things stand as of today and it's easy to get wrong:

The state law takes effect July 1, but Gloucester County has not yet amended its local zoning ordinance to implement it. The county's Planning & Zoning Director told me directly that they're working through the required ordinance updates and are even consulting the county attorney on how to handle the gap between the state effective date and the local ordinance update.

There's also a wrinkle worth noting: Gloucester's current ordinance language states that a manufactured home "shall not be classified as a single-family detached dwelling." That conflicts with the new state law's intent, so the county will have to reconcile it during the update.

What that means for you: the headline (parity is coming July 1) is settled. The fine print (exact local development standards, lot requirements, and process) is not finalized yet. Anyone telling you the local rules are fully nailed down right now is getting ahead of the facts.

How financing works — and why single-wides are the catch

Here's where the "converted to real property" requirement comes full circle, because it directly controls how a buyer pays for the home.

When a manufactured home is set up as real property on land the buyer owns, it becomes mortgageable like a regular house. That opens up the standard financing options instead of a higher-cost chattel (personal property) loan:

• FHA Title II — finances the home and land together, with a down payment as low as 3.5%. (FHA Title I, by contrast, is the home-only/personal-property route.)
• VA loans — available with no down payment for eligible buyers.
• Conventional (Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac) — typically 3–5% down, though loan-to-value limits can be tighter than for a site-built home.

Across all of these, the bar is consistent: the home must be HUD-code (built on or after June 15, 1976), permanently affixed to a foundation, on land the borrower owns, and legally classified as real property. No real-property conversion, no mortgage.

The single-wide catch. This is the most important practical point in the whole piece. Even when zoning allows a single-wide and it's converted to real property, financing one is meaningfully harder than a double-wide:

• Freddie Mac's standard manufactured home mortgage requires a multi-wide home — single-wides are not eligible.
• Fannie Mae limits single-width homes to a primary residence only.
• Some mortgage insurers won't insure single-wides, and single-wide loan amounts are often too small for conventional lenders — which pushes buyers toward specialty or chattel loans at higher cost.

So the realistic path is: zoning will allow a single-wide, it still has to be converted to real property, and even then, the loan is often the real bottleneck, not the zoning. My advice: talk to a lender before you fall in love with a specific home. The financing path depends heavily on the home type and how it's set up, and you want to know your options up front. I'm glad to connect you with Stephanie Armstead at Movement Mortgage, who can walk you through what's realistic for your situation.

What it could mean for the Gloucester market

A few honest takeaways:

• For buyers: Manufactured homes are often the most affordable route to ownership. As this opens up, more neighborhoods that were previously off-limits may become options — provided the home is set up as real property.
• For landowners and sellers: If you own a residential lot, the range of what can be placed on it may expand. That can affect how you market or value land.
• For existing homeowners: Expect some neighborhood-level discussion. Modern manufactured homes are built to federal HUD standards and have come a long way from the dated stereotypes, but perception and education will be part of the conversation.

This is not a silver bullet for affordability — land costs, financing, and the real-property requirement all still apply. But it removes a long-standing regulatory barrier, and that's meaningful.

Have questions about how this affects your property?

I'm tracking the Gloucester County ordinance updates as they happen, and I'll update this post once the local development standards are finalized. If you're weighing a manufactured home purchase, sitting on a residential lot, or just want to understand how this could affect your property's value, let's talk.

Larry McKinney — The Gloucester Realtor
thegloucesterrealtor.com
757-503-2544

Sources: Virginia HB 655 / SB 346 (2026 General Assembly, signed by Gov. Spanberger, effective July 1, 2026); Virginia Code § 46.2-653.1 (conversion of manufactured home to real property); Virginia DMV; FHA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac manufactured housing program guidelines; Virginia Department of Health on-site sewage and well requirements; direct correspondence with the Gloucester County Department of Planning, Zoning & Environmental Programs. This article is for general information and is not legal or lending advice. Verify specific placements with Gloucester County Planning & Zoning, and confirm financing with a licensed lender, before making decisions.

Gloucester VA Real Estate Market Update

June 1, 2026  |  Larry McKinney, Hogge Real Estate

If you're wondering what's happening in the Gloucester County real estate market this June, you've come to the right place. I'm Larry McKinney with Hogge Real Estate, and every Monday I pull the latest numbers straight from the REIN MLS so buyers and sellers in Gloucester, VA have real data to make real decisions. Here's what the market looks like as of June 1, 2026.

The Numbers at a Glance

As of this morning, there are 109 active residential listings in Gloucester County with an average list price of $530,554. That inventory is moving — 79 homes are already under contract, and 146 have sold with an average sale price of $416,678. That's a 72% absorption rate relative to active inventory — a genuinely active market.

One number stands out: 27 listings expired without selling, and their average asking price was $741,646 — nearly 80% above what homes are actually closing at. Clear market signal: overpriced listings sit, and correctly priced homes sell.

The land and lots market is equally active: 39 parcels available, 32 recently sold, and 18 under contract — a healthy pipeline for anyone considering building or buying along the water.

What This Means for Buyers

With 109 homes on the market and 79 already under contract, competition is real. If you find a home priced right, don't wait. Average sale prices around $416,678 show there's genuine value in Gloucester County — especially compared to Northern Virginia or the Virginia Beach corridor. And if you have questions about a property's condition before making an offer, my construction background means I can walk through a home with you and give you a clear-eyed read on what you're getting into.

What This Means for Sellers

The data tells a simple story: price it right and it sells. The 27 expired listings averaged $741,646 — they sat until time ran out. The 146 homes that sold averaged $416,678. That $325,000 gap is the cost of wishful thinking. If you're considering listing, let's have an honest conversation about where your home fits in today's market. You'll get a straight answer, not just the number you want to hear.

A Word on Waterfront & Land

With 39 active lots and land parcels on the market — many along Gloucester's rivers, creeks, and the Mobjack Bay shoreline — this is one of the better entry points I've seen for buyers interested in waterfront or rural acreage. I specialize in waterfront and land transactions and know these parcels the way only a local who's walked them can. If you've been watching, now is a good time to talk.

Want the current numbers anytime? See my always-updated Gloucester VA Real Estate Market Update page.