Central Virginia Wine: Come Sip and Sample the Best
By Ken Wilson – They’re all around us and they’re looking their best right now, the mom and pop wineries that dot our lush Central Virginia countryside. Draw up a list of two or three, drive slowly like the native old-timers and take in the view, then stop and sample the prize winners and the […]
The Appeal of Smaller, Greener Homes
By Marilyn Pribus – Here’s an interesting statistic: The 2018 Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends report, as researched by the National Association of Realtors®, shows about one-third of recent homebuyers are Millennials and about one-third are Baby Boomers. While these groups are at different places in their lives, it turns out they are looking […]
Horses and Their Owners Love Central Virginia
By Celeste M. Smucker – From very early days, horses have been a big part of Virginia’s lifestyle and economy. The first Colonists brought their favorite Thoroughbreds from England in the early 1600s. However they weren’t the first equines in the area. Native Americans also owned horses thought to be descended from those brought by […]
Fridays After Five: A Charlottesville Tradition
By Ken Wilson – It’s free, it’s family-friendly and, lucky for us, it’s happening again. For 30 years now it’s been our favorite way to let the good times roll—and rock and rumble, moan and purr, shake and shimmy, and however else the spirit moves. Thank God it’s Fridays After Five, with live music and […]
Enjoy Fresh and Timeless Virginia Beauty at the 2018 Historic Garden Week
By Ken Wilson – Metropolitan Home’s 2002 “House of the Year,” a minimalist affair with all-white décor. An 1847 Gothic Revival stone church, a mid-nineteenth century chestnut log corn crib, and an original Sears and Roebuck kit barn. Not to mention thirty-five hundred tulips—that you didn’t have to plant. The sights and delights and curiosities […]
Staging a Property to Sell
By Marilyn Pribus – Shopping for a new home has certainly evolved in the last few years. Home-buyers trawl the internet for months looking at potential properties. So if you’re selling, excellent pictures are essential to make your offering stand out and you can’t have great photos unless the property is in really good shape. […]
Enjoy a Close-in Country Lifestyle for Less in Louisa
By Celeste M. Smucker – If the benefits of a rural lifestyle appeal, but you also want to live close-in to enjoy the many amenities of town, then Louisa County could be the perfect choice. Known as a place where residents can see stars at night, Louisa is blessed with a vibrant economy and central […]
Save Money and Still Stay Cool This Summer
By Marilyn Pribus – Most of us dread our electric bill after summer’s first hot spell. You might be surprised to learn that air conditioning accounts for about five percent of all the electricity produced in our country, approaching $30 billion annually. Closer to home, air conditioning can contribute as much as 45 percent to […]
Buyers Love Rugby Area’s Classic Homes and Close-In Location
By Celeste M. Smucker – Gracious, older homes dating back to the 1950s and 60s, quiet tree-lined streets and spacious lots are just a few of the reasons neighborhoods that are part of the Rugby area continue to be popular with homebuyers, and why they may be frustrated by a serious lack of inventory. And […]
Deciphering the New Light Bulbs
By Celeste Smucker – Oh for the good old days when we could walk into a store to buy bulbs and all we needed to know was the wattage and whether it was a regular bulb, a spotlight, or something decorative for a chandelier. Occasionally we may have needed something more specialized like a 3-way […]
Buyers Take Note: Now is the Time to Buy a Farm or Estate
By Celeste M. Smucker – If you want a home with privacy, a place for horses, crops or cattle, or you yearn to live in an historic estate, there couldn’t be a better time to buy a rural property than right now. Agents are seeing definite signs of recovery in this market that, at the […]
Low-Maintenance Yards Save Time and Money
By Marilyn Pribus – Many people are coming to realize that expansive lawns and exotic gardens are expensive in terms of taking up big chunks of their free time. Then they must add the cost of higher water usage, pricey and environmentally unfriendly chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides as well as care and fuel for […]
Virginia Festival of the Book: Come Celebrate All Things Literary
By Ken Wilson – Before there were pixels there was print, and before there were tweets there were books, and in Charlottesville we haven’t forgotten. We love our books and their authors, and we love “our” Virginia Festival of the Book, the annual celebration of all things literary with everything from story times for the […]
How Buyers Can Rock the 2018 Market
By Celeste M. Smucker – There is a lot of excitement about the 2018 real estate market and sellers are happy to see their homes move quickly from listed to sold at prices that make them smile. For buyers this a more challenging market as dwindling inventories of homes for sale leave them with fewer […]
Spring Festivals: It’s Time for What You Love
By Ken Wilson – Dogwood planting and sheep dog running, brainstorming and dining al fresco—what do you love? What would you like to discover? Whatever it is, Central Virginia probably has a festival for it. Let’s see what’s happening this spring. 7th Annual Run For Home The Haven and Virginia National Bank will hold their […]
Quick and Easy Solutions to Organize Your Home
By Marilyn Pribus – A great rainy-day activity is to look around your house and consider areas where better organization could mean better living. Here are some simple principles to help you on the way. Remember, you don’t have to do it all in one day or even one weekend, but why not resolve to […]
Agents Predict Robust Spring Market This Year
By Celeste M. Smucker – Spring is an optimistic time of year when people look forward to a new start. It is also a time when many sellers choose to list their homes and when buyers, ready to shake off the cabin fever of winter, come out to take a look at what’s on the […]
These Four Walls
By Marilyn Pribus – Just as clothing designers develop “hot” colors and accessories each season, designers for wall coverings plan ahead. Interestingly, they often check fashion statements and, as a result, the manufacturers of paint, wallpaper, and other wall coverings generally lag a year or two behind the runways when it comes to colors and […]
Commercial Real Estate Continues Its Impressive Expansion
By Celeste M. Smucker – The commercial real estate market continues its remarkable growth, and local agents expect another profitable year in 2018. This assessment is consistent with findings in a recent report from the National Association of REALTORS®, Situs RERC and Deloitte predicting trends in the national market. The Report cites factors such as […]
Hardscaping Solves Landscape Problems
By Marilyn Pribus While “landscaping” is a familiar concept, “hardscaping” may be a new term for some people. What does it mean exactly? Hardscaping uses hard building materials and it’s generally permanent. These materials can involve natural stone, gravel, or boulders as well as manufactured products including pavers, bricks, retaining wall blocks, stepping stones, and […]
Augusta County Features Jobs, Terrific Home Prices, and An Active Arts Scene
By Ken Wilson You can hardly find a prettier name, or a friendlier, more community-oriented corner of Virginia than the lovely slice of the Shenandoah Valley called Augusta County. Driving through Augusta, “You wave and people wave back,” says REALTOR® Kenny Sprouse. “Everybody’s friendly here,” agrees REALTOR® Laura Floyd, who, like Sprouse, is a lifelong […]
Add Value to Your Home Without Breaking the Bank
By Marilyn Pribus – Somehow this is the time of year when lots of people want to improve, brighten up, and make a change. If you’re seized by that urge, it’s always a good idea to look ahead to when you might decide to sell. Why not make improvements with an eye to attracting a […]
Buyer Demand Drives Albemarle’s Thriving Real Estate Market
By Celeste M. Smucker – Albemarle County has everything Charlottesville area home buyers want, from gorgeous views and a wealth of outdoor activities, to easy access to all of the region’s lifestyle amenities. And while some parts of the County have a definite urban vibe, others feature a rural setting with privacy, acreage and even […]
Down Payment Assistance and 100 Percent Financing Now Available
By Celeste M. Smucker – Buying a home can definitely enhance a family’s long-term financial security. Yet often buyers continue to rent, believing they have to save a large down payment in order to qualify for a mortgage. The good news is there are many sources of down payment assistance for eligible buyers, and a […]
Why Seniors Thrive in Central Virginia
By Ken Wilson – “Hardest for me is reflecting quietly on the path I’ve taken to where I have yet to go.” #healthyagingnevergetsold When Charlottesville’s 1,800-member Senior Center puts a Twitter hashtag on its front page, it’s a sure sign today’s senior citizens are not yer grandparent’s old folks. Today’s “active seniors” navigate the internet […]
Make the Most of Small Spaces
By Marilyn Pribus – We’ve all heard great things come in small packages, but when it comes to rooms, small can be, well, small. Still, there are a number of canny ways to make a limited area seem, if not spacious, at least larger. The most effective tactic is to open up the space. Literally. […]
Booming South Side Market Energized by 5th Street Station
By Celeste M. Smucker _ One of the most exciting real estate markets in Charlottesville is the area south of downtown near the new 5th Street Station. Until recently, this region’s popularity was hampered by residents’ concerns about the need travel to 29 North or to nearby localities like Waynesboro or Zion Crossroads to shop […]