How to Prepare for Stormy Weather
By Marilyn Pribus – Remember that old song, “Don’t it always seem to go, you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone?” It’s that way with electricity, that invisible, but essential service in today’s home. Hurricanes in summer, ice storms in winter and heavy winds any time can interrupt service. Often lines are repaired […]
Opportunities and Resources Abound for First-Time Buyers
By Celeste M. Smucker – Buying a first home is an exciting event and something families look forward to, sometimes for years. Today’s first timers, primarily Millennials, are no exception. Most want to be home owners and, according to a 2017 article at Business Insider, over 66 percent of them expect to realize this dream […]
CAAR Publishes 2017 Fourth Quarter & Year-End Home Sales
Greater Charlottesville Area 2017 Fourth Quarter & Year-End Highlights: Home sales increased 7.5 percent (863) compared to Q4 2016 (803), while year-end indicated a 4.0 percent gain. Greater Charlottesville median sales price rose to $300,000 (12 percent) compared to Q4 2016 ($267,842), as year-end marked a 7.4 percent improvement. The median days on the market […]
Another Exciting New Homes Market Predicted for 2018
By Celeste M. Smucker – One of 2017’s biggest real estate stories was the emergence of a fast-growing new construction market, which continues to keep builders very busy, in many cases, well into this year. Historically low interest rates and an upward trending stock market motivated buyers to jump into the market, seriously depleting inventories […]
Dramatic and Functional Stairway Statements
By Marilyn Pribus – It’s an iconic movie moment—Our Heroine sweeping down the dramatic curving staircase toward Our Hero or the Supporting Cast of 1,000. Of course most of us don’t have a grand staircase or even any stairs at all. But if you do, here are some classy, functional, or just plain fun ideas […]
Winter at Wintergreen: Snow, Slopes and Fun
By Ken Wilson – Skiing, snowboarding, skating or tubing: on your feet or on your rear, straight or in circles, down the hill or up and over the obstacles—however you like to slide and however you like your winter sports, Wintergreen Resort in Nelson County’s Rockfish Valley has a hill, a park, a rink, and […]
Nelson County: Come Play and Stay
By Ken Wilson – You can spend a day driving Route 151, the “Brew Ridge Trail,” sampling beer, wine, cider and whiskey. You can spend the night at a bed-and-breakfast and make it a weekend. You can ski down Eagles Swoop at Wintergreen, hike up Spy Rock in the George Washington National Forest, or wax […]
First Night Virginia: New Year, Old Tradition
By Ken Wilson – It’s called First Night, but it’s really Last Evening meets First Morning, as we finish off the old year and greet the new one, sober but enthused, entertained and enchanted, and in the company of family and friends. The alcohol-free New Year’s Eve celebration, first held in Boston in 1975, is […]
Prepare Now To Profit From 2018’s Hot Real Estate Market
By Celeste M. Smucker – For home owners who have been waiting for the market to improve—or who have just learned there is a great job waiting in another city, or who have their eye on a terrific floor plan in a brand new subdivision—the good news is that 2018 looks like a great year […]
Luxurious and Eco-savvy Bathrooms
By Marilyn Pribus – Whether you are building a new home or remodeling your old one, REALTORS® agree that a luxurious master bath is a big plus. You get to enjoy it now and when it’s time to sell, and only the kitchen is more important. REALTOR® Todd McGee, Associate Broker with Nest Realty in […]
How Not to Break the Holiday Bank
By Marilyn Pribus – If you’re one of us who hasn’t quite finished shopping for this year’s holidays, and have three truly tough names on your list that you absolutely have to get something for, here’s a budget and stress-saving checklist for next year. Tuck it in your purse or copy it on your smart […]
The Holidays: A Great and Profitable Time to List Your Home
By Celeste M. Smucker – Everyone knows the winter months, and especially the holiday season, are not the best times to sell a home, right? Who would want to be out house hunting in the cold instead of enjoying holiday cheer? Yet, while this kind of thinking seems logical, the evidence says otherwise, and if […]
Make the Most of Your Home for Holiday Entertaining
By Marilyn Pribus – “During the holidays, you can entertain regardless if you have an open concept or more traditional layout,” declares REALTOR® Paul McArtor of Montague, Miller & Co. in Charlottesville. While not every place is perfect for entertaining, the good news is that you can always create a party at your home. Make […]
Welcome to Orange County Where Privacy and Lower Prices Await
By Celeste M. Smucker – Is the stress of urban life taking its toll? Fighting traffic getting old? Do you yearn for a time when neighbors called to each other from their front porches and shared good news or were there for each other when times were tough? Or perhaps your family prefers the privacy […]
Country Lifestyle: Loving Where You Live
By Ken Wilson – “How ya gonna keep ’em down on the farm (after they’ve seen Paree)?” some people still say, but they’re just showing their age. Cities have their charm (and suburbs have their convenience), but they’ve never been places to see the stars and they’re no longer where all the action is. If […]
Why Home Buyers Love The Walkable Downtown Lifestyle
By Celeste M. Smucker – If the idea of walking to work, eating at close-in trendy restaurants, browsing an interesting array of shops and heading out to entertainment venues near where you live appeals to you, then ask your agent about downtown Charlottesville. The lively pedestrian mall is the heart of downtown and an area […]
Belmont: Charlottesville’s Popular, Walkable Community
By Celeste M. Smucker – Belmont home buyers love their neighborhood for many reasons, but its location near jobs, restaurants and entertainment venues is high on the list. And that includes attractions in downtown Charlottesville as well as those at Belmont Village that are even closer to home. Belmont’s short commute to downtown, UVA or […]
Charlottesville’s Holiday Festivities: Come Join The Fun!
By Ken Wilson – If the leaves have fallen and the mailbox is full of Christmas catalogs, that’s a sure sign. No need to consult the calendar—holiday season is upon us, and with it a 100 ways to celebrate. Here’s a look at a few of the most popular. Celebrations On the Mall The City […]
Dreaming Of A Green Christmas
By Marilyn Pribus – As a bonus gift to yourself, your community and your planet, why not make this year truly green? Here are some easy ways. An Artificial Tree Or a Real One? The first artificial trees were constructed in Germany in the 1800s and employed green-tinted goose feathers. In 1930, a British business […]
Spring Creek: Close-in, Gated and Loaded With Amenities
By Celeste M. Smucker – Louisa County’s gated community, Spring Creek at Zion Crossroads, is a popular neighborhood that draws enthusiastic buyers from all around the Charlottesville area as well as Northern Virginia and DC, the Northeast and even Florida. Golf is a big highlight and Spring Creek residents and their guests can play at […]
Increase Energy Efficiency and Savings With a DIY Home Energy Audit
By Ken Wilson – How much are you spending on energy to heat and cool your home? How efficient is your home at energy conservation? How energy efficient are your lights, and your computers and other electronics? Winter is on its way—if you can’t answer these questions, it’s time to assess your home’s readiness for […]
Active Commercial Market Continues To Impress
By Celeste M. Smucker It’s a great time to be in the commercial real estate business. Local agents are excited about the year they are having and anticipate continued growth in 2018, a prediction consistent with findings in a recent report from the National Association of REALTORS® about the national commercial market. The report states […]
Hosting Overnighters For The Holidays
By Marilyn Pribus – “There’s no place like home for the holidays,” go the familiar song lyrics and if it’s going to be your home this year, it’s not too early to start prepping. Whatever the plans, remember that happy visits don’t just happen. You’ll be much more relaxed when you are well prepared. Eyeball […]
Virginia Film Festival 2017: Extraordinary Depth And Breadth
By Ken Wilson – Some go for the rising stars, highly anticipated new releases, and Academy Award contenders. Others relish the classics on the big screen, the probing documentaries, the 72-hour “highly-caffeinated” filmmaking competition, and the foreign films curated by the eagle-eyed team of Festival Director Jody Kielbasa and Programmer Wesley Harris. Digital or celluloid, […]
Meet Local Artisans on the 23rd Annual Studio Tour
By Marilyn Pribus – One of the most appealing quality-of-life aspects of Central Virginia is its vibrant art scene. Artisans of all sorts populate studios in Charlottesville and there are numerous galleries and studios nestled away in other towns in our scenic Blue Ridge countryside. A wonderful way to explore this art trove is the […]
Vacation Year-Round at Lake Monticello
By Celeste M. Smucker– There’s a reason why Charlottesville is prominent on so many “Best Of” lists like 50 Best College Towns, Top 50 Best Cities for Entrepreneurs, Top 100 Best Places to Live and many more. Those of us who live here know it’s an all-round great place to call home. So what to […]
Fluvanna County: Relax and Enjoy
By Celeste M. Smucker– Want to attend events in Charlottesville but still see the stars at night? Maybe you love both privacy and a laid-back country lifestyle but fear you’d have to go too far off the beaten path to find them. The good news is, when you move to Fluvanna, you can have all […]