Starlings Island
In the Chesapeake Bay, just offshore of Saxis, VA

Frequently Asked Questions 

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What's it like out there?
    Absolutely wonderful! It's hard to say which is our single favorite part about the island. There are the incredible views in almost any direction, the abundant wildlife on and around the island, and of course the privacy. In the spring and summer there is almost always a gentle breeze blowing. Even in the winter it isn't all that cold and it is really quite comfortable when the sun is out. It's great to get away to such a private location and know that civilization is only a few minutes away if you need it.

What is the weather like?
     Being surrounded by water the entire Eastern Shore experiences moderate weather.  Summer can see temperatures above 100, but the mid to upper 80's is the norm. In the dead of winter daytime highs are in the upper 30's.  There is almost always a breeze.

Will we be able to dock a boat?
    In Virginia, all owners of waterfront property are entitled to a dock.  There are regulations concerning size and construction methods and proper permits must be obtained.  Since the waters around the island are shallow (about 16" at average low tide) dredging may be necessary to have a large boat.  We started planning our dock for the Northwest corner of the island and then learned of the Corps of Engineers Jetty Project  which is planned for that area.  Therefore we decided to wait on dock construction until the jetty was built. 

How can we see it? 
    We hope this website has whet your appetite and we welcome your visit to Starlings Island.  Please contact us via E-mail at Dave@StarlingsIsland.com and we will schedule your showing.

How did the deer get there?
     They walk or swim.  At low tide the water is less than two feet deep between Starlings Island and Tunnels Island and they wade through the water.  Deer can also swim and the locals report that they see deer swimming all the time.

How did you arrive at your price?
     Putting a price on a one of a kind Island is difficult.  Islands sell very infrequently and since every island is different its hard to compare them to each other.  In arriving at a price several things were considered. 
     There was a pair islands that were offered for sale in the just off the Chesapeake Bay in the mouth of a river in Virginia's Northern Neck.  There were around 60 acres between the two islands, one of which had some trees and was buildable.  A dock had been built on the wooded island, but it is not clear whether a septic system would be allowed.  The views from these islands are predominately shoreline which has been extensively developed and there is a highway bridge across the river nearby.  Asking price for the two islands was $975,000.  They are not currently on the market so we don't know what happened to them. 
     We have received several unsolicited offers for Starlings Island over the past few years (it's an odd experience to answer the phone and have someone ask if you're the person who owns "the Island").  As we had planned on building our home, we didn't even consider these offers, most of which were in the neighborhood of our price.
     The County of Accomack hired an outside assessment company to determine tax assessment values for all properties in the County in 2008 and they arrived at a value of $220,000 based on a recorded size of 23 acres.  When we filed an appeal based on the fact that island is much larger than 23 acres the assessment company replied that by law they had to base their assessment on the recorded size and that their process determined that was the value of a 23 acre island.  When asked what the assessment would be for an island three times that size, they replied that their methods were based on a per acre system and that the assessed value would then be in the range of $660,000
     In determining our price we considered the asking price of the other islands (which are smaller, have less impressive views and may not be buildable), the value that the tax assessment suggests based on the actual size of the island, and the unsolicited offers that we have received in the past and arrived at our price of $495,000.  

Are there mosquitoes?
     Anytime you're near the water and wetlands there are mosquitoes.  The good news is that technology has caught up with them.  There are devices available (sometimes called mosquito magnets or skeetervacs) that attract and trap all kinds of biting insects.  We ran one as an experiment for two months one summer and there was a tremendous reduction in biting insects.  The following summer we operated 5 of them and in 6 weeks virtually all of the biting insects had been eliminated.

What is Phragmites?
     Phragmites (Phragmites australis), known as the common reed, is a weed that grows rapidly and chokes out beneficial plants.  It has no food value and provides little shelter to wildlife.  It spreads primarily by a thick root system that runs out in all directions.  With this extensive root system it can spread into non wetland areas, drawing whatever it needs from the roots back in the wetlands. On the island it started in the wetlands and then moved up onto the higher ground where it has been choking out and killing trees and shrubs.  The usual method for controlling phragmites is to spray twice with a herbicide (similar to 'Round up') in the fall and then burn the area the following spring.  A second treatment is usually required the following year.  Since we didn't want to spray and burn we looked for alternative methods of control and started experimenting with regular mowing.  The initial experiments proved to be very successful.  Grass started growing right away and new trees have emerged.  In 2005 a farm tractor with a 5 foot wide mower was barged out to the island and large areas of phragmites are now being regularly mowed. 

 

For additional information or to schedule a visit, please send an E-mail to Dave@StarlingsIsland.com
All information contained in this listing has been gathered from reliable sources, but is not guaranteed.