The Constitution was amended in 1913 to include the sixteenth amendment, enabling Congress to levy a tax on incomes from any source. Certain tax rules were first put in place that enabled the deduction of expenses, namely interest on debt payments. Herein lies the birth of the present day mortgage interest deduction to the IRS [...]
Fixing to Stay Put
Out of economic necessity or personal preference, Americans increasingly choose to stay in their homes for retirement. The neighborhood may be ideal, equipped with public transit, shops, and a stable, congenial population. Relatives may live nearby, including the next generation of grandchildren. A circle of friends may provide an active social life and support system. [...]
Snow Homes
So the car’s all loaded with that new winter sports equipment Santa brought us, and now we just have to wait for a good snowfall. Or do we? Not with the Massanutten and Wintergreen resorts so close at hand just off the Blue Ridge Parkway we don’t. Massanutten boasts that its 5,200 acres include “1,110 [...]
Live Band Karaoke
06/20/2013 10:00 pm Live Band Karaoke Fellini’s #9, Charlottesville VA
News & Views 12.29.2011
PCA Receives BAMA Grant The Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (CACF) recently awarded Piedmont Council for the Arts (PCA) an $8,000 grant through the Bama Works Fund of Dave Matthews Band in the CACF. This Fund supports charitable programs in the Charlottesville area with particular focus on disadvantaged youth, needs of the disabled, protection of the [...]
Threats of Identity Theft Through Social Networking Sites
Social networking and media has become a part of nearly everyone’s life with sites such as Facebook.com, Twitter.com or Linkined.com. Having an online profile allows for easy communication among friends, family and business associates. The sites create an almost intranet feeling experience where nearly all needs of the user can be met without leaving the [...]
First Night Virginia
They call it First Night in a spirit of optimism, not irony. It’s the last night of the old calendar year, but the night when new hopes lead to new opportunities. It’s a night when kids can stay up late and parents can choose from a couple of dozen entertainment options on the cheap, like [...]
Re-Use, Re-Cycle, Re-Purpose
About twenty years ago, Judy Johnson—former manager of Charlottesville’s City Market—bought a home in Charlottesville’s Woolen Mills neighborhood. Built in 1900, the home was on a generous lot. Johnson, now owner of Renaissance Woman Flowers & Gardens, is a professional florist and garden designer and one of the attractions was the land itself. It was [...]
News & Views 12.15.2011
Waynesboro Heritage Museum Selected for Circuit Riders Project The Waynesboro Heritage Museum has been selected to participate in a statewide project designed to help improve care of collections for museums, libraries and archives. The Waynesboro Heritage Museum is one of 10 institutions in Virginia selected to participate in the project, sponsored by the Virginia Association [...]
Savings Strategies
In today’s economy, having an emergency savings account can help you sleep a little better at night knowing it provides you with a fiscal security net. Saving for emergencies doesn’t have to be difficult as there are many ways to do so without altering your lifestyle all that much. Here are 13 simple tips to [...]
The Wine Cellar
Anyone can appreciate wine, and anyone can have a private wine cellar, large or small, plain or fancy. What are the requirements for a wine cellar? How can you add one to your home? What should you put in it? In central Virginia, where vineyards and winemakers are making a strong showing, what local wines [...]
Mail Order Plans: How to Choose
You want to build a new house. It will be a family home, not a mansion, so you don’t need an architect. It will look more or less traditional, and provide a sound investment in real estate. You get a book of mail order plans from the public library or a building supply store, or [...]
Local Real Estate Pros Serve as Partner Family Advocates for Habitat
The Charlottesville area is fortunate to have many real estate professionals who selflessly give back to the community through volunteer work. One of many local non-profits that benefits from this generosity is Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville, an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International. Habitat’s mission is “to create simple, decent, affordable housing in [...]
GOOD NIGHT – SLEEP TIGHT: BEDROOM TRENDS FOR 2012
We spend almost a third of our day sleeping (or trying to sleep!) so if you’re not one of those fortunate people who can sleep anywhere/anytime, you might want to put ‘a good night’s sleep’ on your New Year’s Resolution list. To help you create the optimum environment where you can relax, unwind and disengage, [...]
News & Views 12.01.2011
PCA Hosts December Exhibit Showcasing Quilters from Local Housing Project Piedmont Council for the Arts (PCA) will host an exhibition of quilts by the Crescent Hall Quilters as the December 2011 exhibit in the CitySpace Gallery. A First Fridays opening reception will be held on Friday, December 2 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. with many of the [...]
A Common Money Dilemma: Payoff or Invest?
Personal finance can be defined as all financial decisions and activities of an individual, including budgeting, insurance, savings, investing, and debt servicing among other things. It’s been said that money makes the world go round and yet personal finance is something many learn from their parents and friends, through word of mouth, or tidbits of [...]
Murals Bring New Moods To The Home
Human beings have always been artists. Cave inhabitants dabbed the first murals on their walls many centuries ago. Many, many centuries. In fact, the carbon dating of cave drawings found in France puts the time back at least 30,000 years! When ancient civilizations began building walls, it wasn’t long before people began decorating them, too. [...]
Holiday Celebrations In Central Virginia
The first weekend (and in some cases the second weekend as well) in December long has been designated as the date when the historic properties and other popular venues in central Virginia invite visitors to celebrate the holidays with the entire family. This year is no exception. Each county has a unique way of marking [...]
It’s Time To Put Your Fiscal House In Order
When discussing personal investments, stocks, bonds and 401(k)s come to mind. It’s true—these are definitely considered investments, but the largest investment that an American family has tends to be their home. The difference between your home’s current value and the balance of any liens against it represents your home’s equity. It is this equity that [...]
West Main Street
On a map of Charlottesville, West Main Street lies smack in the middle of the city. For almost two centuries, this central location has attracted commerce, and it flourished in two waves. A third wave is currently rising in hotels and dining, or what is called the hospitality industry. A local business association has even [...]
News & Views – 11.17.2011
The Charlottesville Mural Project The Charlottesville Mural Project (CMP) held a dedication ceremony for its first mural at the IX warehouse by local artist Avery Lawrence in an ongoing campaign to showcase the talents of artists and designers while creating a more interesting visual landscape in the city. The CMP is an umbrella project [...]
Fixing Gutter Problems
Gutters are a channel at the eaves or on the roof of a building and are designed to carry off rainwater. As such, they play an essential role in protecting the structural integrity of your house. That’s why maintaining your gutters is the most important thing you can do to prevent water damage to your [...]
News & Views – 11.10.2011
Local Business Owner Raises $33k For Rover Corbin Snow, owner of Snow’s Garden Center & Landscaping, was awarded the coveted Mirror Ball Trophy at Saturday’s CASPCA Critter Ball. The award was given to the ‘contestant’ who raised the most money and performed the best dance for Charlottesville Albemarle SPCA supporters. Snow started his Corbin [...]