Small yard, big impact

While some people live on country estates with ample acreage, many people these days have less-than-spacious yards—especially in condominium or townhouse communities. “There are challenges in having a small yard,” points out Charlottesville Horticulturist Karyn Smith. It can be tempting, she says, to visit a nursery or garden store, buy a bunch of good-sized trees […]

Extra living space: outdoor rooms

Since spring is busting out all around central Virginia, it’s a perfect time to consider upgrades to outdoor living space. An ideal project might be a deck addition or a screened porch. Another welcome addition could be an outdoor kitchen with counter space, a grill, a built-in ice chest, or even a small refrigerator. Families […]

Getting the lowdown on low-down mortgages

The resurgence of low-down financing seems dangerous on the surface. However, since the 2008 recession, things have drastically changed, including requirements regarding down payments. What’s different this time? According to Karen Dowell of Real Estate Solutions (www.karendowell.com), the primary difference is the underwriting criteria. Although there are still some low credit score types of programs […]

The BRHBA Home and Garden Festival

As Executive Vice-President of the Blue Ridge Home Builders Association (BRHBA), Kristin O’Connell Sorokti might be expected to think that Central Virginia is “a very, very good place” for homebuilders and home improvement buffs. But O’Connell doesn’t ask us to take her word for it. O’Connell invites us to see for ourselves. The BRHBA shows it […]

Being sure the price is right

Experienced REALTORS® will tell you it’s critical to price a property appropriately from the get-go. Research shows overpricing a home and then dropping the price several times often leads to a final selling price that’s less than what you originally should have asked. In fact, the longer a property stays on the market, the lower […]

‘Tis the season: Two Charlottesville chefs share what’s coming up on their menus

We asked two of Charlottesville’s best chefs—Curtis Shaver of Hamiltons’ at First & Main and Angelo Vangelopoulos of Ivy Inn (a 2015 James Beard Award nominee!)—to tell us what they’ve spent all winter dreaming of cooking in spring and summer, respectively. Curtis Shaver, Hamiltons’ at First & Main Pickled Carolina shrimp with fried green tomatoes, […]

Upper crust: Lampo embraces its Neapolitan heritage

Italians are serious about their pizza. So serious, in fact, that they even have an organization to certify whether something really is pizza. The Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana (VPN) gives a special designation to restaurants meeting strict requirements that respect the tradition of Neapolitan pizza. According to the VPN, true Neapolitan pizza comes only from […]