Photo by Mark Rhodes Andy and Evelyn Turner, originally from Roanoke, retired permanently to their longtime hideaway in Deltaville.

Castles on the Bay There's a booming real estate market for vacation getaways and retirement homes along the Commonwealth's Platinum Coast.

By ESTELLE JACKSON

After 40 years of commuting 257 miles every summer between Roanoke and the Middle Peninsula, Andy and Evelyn Turner decided the five-hour drive was too grueling a price for peaceful days in their summer place, an old, red house lodged between the serene waters of Jackson Creek and Fishing Bay. Two years ago they packed their bags and moved to Deltaville.

"Our friends in Roanoke thought we were out of our minds," says Evelyn Turner. After all, the couple had raised their six children in a 17-room residence that also boasted a five-room guesthouse. But the newly remodeled and enlarged getaway proved big enough — on one occasion at least — to accommodate 27 people overnight. Most of the old wraparound screen porch remains, but the Turners have added a great room, a bedroom, a master suite and four baths. The former master bedroom became a deluxe kitchen.

"I like the laid-back lifestyle here," says Andy, the retired CEO of Turner Distributing Co. "And I like to look at the water and be on the water." Picture windows on both floors frame shimmering views of both the creek and the bay.

The Turners have joined a host of other urban refugees moving to Chesapeake Bay country, the area that extends through 12 counties on the Peninsula, the Northern Neck and the Eastern Shore. A robust economy has encouraged more "come-heres" to buy second homes on the waterfront — many intended sooner or later for retirement — with some prices surpassing $500,000.

"There is most definitely an increase in sales," says Mike Vest, president of C.D. Vest & Co. Inc. in Deltaville, who deals mostly in properties in the $100,000 to $350,000 range. He slides into Peninsula lingo: "The come-heres have contributed quite a lot to Deltaville. Now they far outnumber the been-heres."

Emily Carter, associate broker with Jim & Pat Carter Inc., with offices in White Stone and Irvington, agrees that business is on an upswing. "People want this rural lifestyle. They want to get away from the hustle and bustle." People want amenities, too. But, she insists, "it has not changed the nature of the area."

*   *   *

It's been called the Platinum Coast — to distinguish it from glitzier gold coasts in other areas — and the name still is valid: Virginia waterfront property is expensive, beautiful and increasingly rare.

Still, as a visitor drives toward one of the waterfront areas, the view inland does seem to be that of 50 years ago. Neat, well-kept houses stand on green flatlands, with little if any intrusion from commercial signs. Gulls forage in a fallow field. At dusk, a flock of wild turkeys straggles toward the woods.

But on the waterfront, new and renovated housing creates a different scene. Almost gone are the simple "rivah" houses that were rural retreats for Virginia's city folk in past generations.

Now two cultures exist side by side. Urbanites bring their own interests and lifestyle to the waterside, while longtime residents stick to the way of life and income that their forbears — mostly farmers and watermen — enjoyed before them. There are still local fairs, bingo nights and country music shows. They've been joined, though, by upscale restaurants and symphony concerts.

When M.T. "Tim" Blackwood, a retired executive who owns a waterfront home in Deltaville, looked at the new 450-seat auditorium of the St. Clare Walker Middle School on Route 33, he was impressed by its potential as a concert hall. Blackwood, who serves on the board of the Richmond Symphony, began pulling people together to arrange for the symphony to travel down the road to Middlesex County. Half of the traveling costs came from a touring grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts; the other half came from contributions from the people of Middlesex County.

The fifth season of concerts will begin Nov. 13 and continue through April 1. News that the Richmond Symphony will also play in Kilmarnock in January and that the Roanoke Symphony is coming to Gloucester in April doesn't disturb Blackwood. "The more symphony we have, the bigger audience we'll have."

Jeanine Gisvold, a medical malpractice attorney, and her husband, Robert Voth, a health care consultant, arrived at their Victorian house on the East River in Mathews in a roundabout way. Three and half years ago they sailed their 58-foot power boat from San Francisco through the Panama Canal and up the East Coast, looking in Florida and elsewhere for waterfront property for retirement. On their way from Bar Harbor, Maine, they saw an ad in a real estate magazine that led them to a Victorian house on the East River — and to a new business sideline, an upscale restaurant.

After some months living in Mathews they noted that "people were traveling long distances for a nice meal in a nice place," she says. The couple had long dreamed of starting such a business, "so the need and the desire were there."

In March, Daffodils restaurant opened on Mathews' Main Street, with Voth managing the business side and Gisvold designing its Victorian decor. They're continuing their careers — she's with the firm of Williams and Lavecchia in Richmond — while a staff conducts day-to-day operations six days a week. "Business is good," she says.

*   *   *

The region offers an escape from the metropolis. Emmett and Betty Wier, who moved to Urbanna from Richmond in 1993, are in close contact with both their new town and their old city. For several years, Emmett Wier drove 146 miles daily to and from Richmond to work as a corporate credit manager. Betty Wier drives to Richmond regularly to attend club meetings. Her husband still travels a few days every month. But he always dreamed of living on the water.

The Wiers live in Cedar Pointe, a waterfront development with residents from far-flung locales. "One is a pilot who saw Urbanna from the air. One couple from Pittsburgh sailed their boat here originally." Other neighbors hail from Austin, Texas, and New York City. In Urbanna, the Wiers belong to a dinner group of 18 couples, "which incorporated us come-heres. It's super," Betty Wier says.

The scale of the town — population 550 — is no drawback. "One night we sat in an ice cream parlor downtown, outside, at night, and thought, 'Where else could we do this?'" says Betty Wier. "As soon as we exit off Route 64, all our troubles and burdens melt away."

The transition of Middlesex and Mathews counties from an agricultural and fishing area to one increasingly dependent on newcomers eager to join "the land of pleasant living" is repeated in some degree in all 12 counties that make up the Bay and Eastern Shore areas.

The growth is steady in an area where, according to the 1990 census, 10 of the 12 member counties had populations of around 13,000 or less. Only Accomack, with a population of 31,703, and Gloucester, with 30,131, exceeded that number. With the exception of Northampton County, however, all are growing — and so is their prosperity.

Gloucester County analyzed median home values in the six Middle Peninsula counties and found a dramatic rise between 1980 and 1990: In Middlesex and Mathews counties, values nearly doubled. Gloucester County had the highest median value, $84,000 in 1990, compared with $45,800 in 1980. The number of housing units there grew from only 8,312 in 1980 to 12,451 in 1990.

As the fastest-growing county in the area, Gloucester owes its growing population, not only to an influx of vacationers and retirees, but also to its attractiveness as a Hampton Roads bedroom community, says Tim Rowe of the Gloucester office of Remax. Newcomers are not interested in second homes or retirement homes, he says. The magic road has been Route 17, which leads from Gloucester into the Newport News area, home of Langley Air Force Base and such big employers as Anheuser-Busch and the new Gateway computer plant. Gloucester's appeal as a bedroom community is enhanced, he says, by lower housing prices, lower taxes and a safe environment for raising children.

Some people in Yorktown and Newport News are willing to pay a premium for a water view, however. Full-time residences on the river can cost from $300,000 to $400,000, he says.

Others have looked a long time for a place to retire — and found it on the banks of the York.

Harry and Fran Borbe — he was a medical administrator and she was a nurse in Morristown, N.J. — had been vacationing for 20 years in a timeshare in Williamsburg. They loved "the historic nature of the area, the activities, [and] its being a wonderful place for children." But the water was an irresistible draw, says Fran Borbe. They bought property on the York River about five years ago, started making plans for a new house, and moved into their retirement home in Gloucester Point about a year and a half ago.

Adjustment has been easy, says Fran Borbe. "The people here are very warm, very gracious, and when you think of retirement, that is important."

*   *   *

While the Lancaster County area abounds in attractive bed and breakfasts, far and away the most famous hostelry is The Tides Inn — and its companion establishment, The Tides Lodge — founded more than 50 years ago and still Irvington's showplace.

"Many people were introduced to this area by way of The Tides Inn," says Carter, the real estate broker.

"There are plenty of perfectly good guests who turn into neighbors," says Lee Stephens, president of The Tides Inn. "It's a bittersweet thing. ... There are probably dozens, if not hundreds."

Former guests continue to patronize the resort's facilities, says John Dufour, director of sales and marketing. According to Carter, their presence in the community has raised the level of expected amenities. Today there are "wine and cheese stores, book stores, a hospital, an art league, a lot more cultural events and quite a few restaurants."

The Tides Inn's presence could arguably also have raised property values. Carter, whose firm deals largely in upscale real estate, says the greatest demand seems to be for homes in the $300,000 to $500,000 price range. "People want waterfront property. They want a gorgeous home with deep water and protection for yachts."

Some prospective buyers are in their fifties, looking for a second home that will eventually be a retirement haven. But others are in their thirties, she says. "It fascinates me to have a young couple with a baby walk in," she says. "This generation is willing to enjoy their profits. They're not waiting; they are smarter about money."

But both generations want the same things, she says: a view, an open floor plan, and private bedrooms and baths. And they want a house in turnkey condition. "They're not willing to put sweat equity in. They want to move right in." While many look for marinas — and there are dozens in the bay area — others go for golf. Carter's husband, Dave Donofrio, is formerly supervisor of The Golden Eagle golf course at The Tides Inn, where the couple met. He is constructing a public golf course between Irvington and Kilmarnock.

The course is only the first segment of his Hills Quarter project, which covers 450 acres and will include housing and a commercial area. The first stage will include 100 home sites, although he has plans for 500 to 600 cottages, town houses and detached town houses ranging from $125,00 to $250,000.

On the Eastern Shore of Virginia, vacationers are showing increased interest in possible second homes, as well. No fewer than 18 real estate firms are operating in Northampton and Accomack counties.

The Eastern Shore is easily accessible from the Norfolk-Virginia Beach area via the 17.6-mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel — with a $10 toll charge. But inquiries come from other areas, too. "We get calls all the time from people moving from up north," says Debbie Pruitt, an executive with the Eastern Shore Association of Realtors. "We're really getting bombarded with questions about the taxes and not having to lock your cars."

"A lot of them are joining the country club, and it's better for it," says Mary Davenport Fosque, who lives in Onancock. She and her husband, Lee Fosque, moved to Onancock and bought their home, Happy Hill, after his retirement from DuPont.

The Fosques were not technically newcomers, however. Lee Fosque was born and raised there. Their son and his family live in the old family home. And Mary Fosque had been vacationing on the Eastern Shore since she was 16. "Here, they say, scratch one person and you find a cousin," she says.

She views the influx of retirees with mixed emotions. "We're 10 or 15 years behind other retirement areas. They're far ahead — and we're glad for it." But, she adds: "The people coming are a nice bunch. They contribute a lot."

*   *   *

An unexpected amenity in this locality might be an encounter with a celebrity. The most famous homeowner in the Peninsula area was probably the late John Lennon, who owned two estates in Mathews but was assassinated before he ever had a chance to visit them. Both former Gov. Linwood Holton and television newscaster Roger Mudd, however, own homes in Lancaster County.

Holton's introduction to river living came in 1957 when a friend, industrialist John W. Hancock Jr., would entertain friends at his place in Deltaville, a hamlet best known for fishing, boating and camaraderie. When the Holtons bought a boat, berthed in Deltaville, the whole family started visiting the area occasionally. But after Linwood and Virginia "Jinks" Holton bought a house in Weems in 1988, the family treks there occurred "without exception" every weekend in the spring and fall.

For the first nine years, he says, it was basically "the grandchildren's house," where the youngsters could fish, catch crabs and join enthusiastically in the oyster-raising program developed by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Today, Holton says, "Two thousand moms and pops are raising 2 million oysters in the Northern Neck."

On July 3, the Holtons, formerly of McLean, "officially became Weems residents," he says.

Roger and E. J. Mudd, whose principal residence is also in McLean, bought their new second home, Pop's Castle near White Stone, about two years ago. No strangers to Lancaster County, the Mudds had owned a house near The Tides Lodge for 10 years and had often stayed at The Tides Inn. They also vacationed at Rehoboth Beach, Del., with their four children, but worried that the resort area was getting "over the top," Mudd says.

They had admired Pop's Castle. When it came on the market for the first time in 25 years, they were tempted but afraid that "it was too much everything," including several acres to tend. After heated bidding, they won the backup bid. The top bidder missed a deadline, and the Mudds found they had captured their frame castle, with five bedrooms, living room, dining room, kitchen, music room, library and a spacious porch overlooking the Rappahannock. They celebrated their victory at a party on July 24, 1998.

The Mudds have made no plans to move permanently to Pop's Castle, but they visit frequently. "It's a different way of life. ... The story in Washington is who's up and who's down. You don't get that in the Northern Neck," says Mudd. The pace of life varies, too, he says. "You learn patience. All the marvelous things don't happen overnight."