“I love my attic home office,” declares REALTOR® Kelly Ceppa, an Associate Broker with Nest Realty. “It’s a quiet place where no one just comes walking through.  And so, no one sees the messes I make there sometimes either.” Back when an addition was added to the house, she explains, the attic space was finished. […]

All sorts of things can trigger power outages. Random broken lines are usually repaired quickly, but when a big storm hits, you might be without power for several days. It’s a good idea to make like a Scout and Be Prepared. Basic equipment *Have a good stash of batteries in the sizes you need for […]

She didn’t realize at first she’d interrupted a burglary. The elderly, deaf dog was dozing on her usual chair and everything looked fine. But when the homeowner, let’s call her Jean, turned on the TV to check the news, it didn’t work. She checked it over and found the cable connection was undone. Odd, she […]

Downtown Charlottesville is a unique combination of historic properties and a lively contemporary pedestrian mall, one of the few of its kind that continues to thrive after years of operation.  Downtown also offers employment opportunities, as well as some of the area’s best restaurants and entertainment venues, a combination of critical factors that make living […]

Buying a selling a home is a complicated matter and often both buyers and sellers are unprepared for the unexpected settlement fees associated with their closing. The amounts vary significantly from region to region and depend on the purchase agreements that buyers and the sellers reach during their negotiations. Closing costs for buyers are tied […]

The Halloween candy’s almost gone, the costumes are packed away, and the porch pumpkins are giving way to lawn displays. It’s catalog season – no wait, it’s holiday season, the time of year when Thanksgiving is followed in rapid succession by Hanukah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa, when amid the feasting, shopping, noshing and partying we celebrate […]

Before the weather outside grows truly frightful, here are some tips on how you can protect your home from the harsh winter days and nights and save money in the process. Keeping the cold air out “A few hours of your time can make a big difference in your monthly utility bills,” declares REALTOR® Sara […]

Picture a beautiful rural setting with mountain views. Add some of our area’s finest wineries and some interesting historic sites and the result could very well be Orange County. Orange got its start in 1734 when settlers made it a legal entity, separating it from what was then Spotsylvania County and naming it for England’s […]

When fall came, Grandmother used to take down the lace curtains that drifted in the breeze from her oscillating fan when the summer breezes failed. In their place, she brought the heavy winter drapes out of storage and hung them once again to deflect winter drafts. The bright floral slipcover came off the sofa, revealing […]

Buying a home and going through the mortgage process can be stressful and have long-term negative consequences if you don’t avoid some of these common pitfalls. (1) Not getting a fixed rate loan Fixed-rate loans are no longer priced at record lows, so you might be tempted to grab an adjustable-rate mortgage. But unless you’re […]