Now Is a Great Time to Buy a Farm or Estate

By Celeste M. Smucker – People love country living for all kinds of reasons, and if you are in the market, now is a great time to buy no matter if you want acreage for farming or are dreaming of living in an historic estate property.  While agents are hopeful about a stronger market this […]

Open Houses Can Be a Valuable Selling Strategy

By Marilyn Pribus- “An open house can be a valuable tool,” declares Debi Dotson, a REALTOR® with BHG  Real Estate III. “A lot of people are pre-viewing 30-50 days before they really start looking for a property or getting a REALTOR®.” Why Do People Visit an Open House? While the majority of properties for sale […]

In brief: Supervisors in the running, a town hall no-show and more

Fixer uppers In Charlottesville and Albemarle County, 33.3 and 9.7 percent of our bridges, respectively, are structurally deficient, according to information published by the Washington Post. That’s higher than the national average of 9.4 percent and, hopefully, a priority for the president of the United States who campaigned on a trillion dollar infrastructure plan. According […]

Feds hear pipeline comment behind closed doors

About 160 people attended a February 22 public comment session at Nelson County High School to voice their opinions to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which will eventually approve or deny plans for the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline. If approved, construction on the $5 billion and nearly 600-mile natural gas pipeline could begin by the […]

A new type of zoning worries residents

A new form of proposed zoning has some in the city on edge, worried that it could be used to force out poorer residents. Nearly 200 people attended an information session last week at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center to learn about form-based code, a different type of zoning ordinance that focuses on a […]

Priority matter: Bellamy removal case continued

It was no secret that today’s hearing on a petition to remove Vice-Mayor Wes Bellamy from office was going to be continued, but that didn’t prevent more than four dozen people from showing up in Charlottesville Circuit Court, most of them Bellamy supporters. The petition with 527 signatures gathered by right-wing activist Jason Kessler was filed […]

2017 Spring Real Estate Market Expected to be Brisk

By Celeste M. Smucker Local REALTORS® and national economic forecasts predict a healthy 2017 real estate market. Senior Economist Joe Kirchner at Realtor.com predicts the 2017 market will be characterized by increases in both homes sales and prices, though at slower rates than experienced in the last two years.  A possible damper on sales is […]

Bellamy asks court to dismiss petition

In the latest twist of the saga of Vice-Mayor Wes Bellamy’s controversial and racially charged statements on Twitter unearthed by Jason Kessler, a right-wing activist, Bellamy’s attorney has filed a response to the petition calling for his removal from office. In a press conference February 16, Kessler and his supporters presented their petition with 527 […]

Entrepreneurs Thrive in Charlottesville

By Marilyn Pribus “Charlottesville is a unique place,” declares Payam Pourtaheri, a co-founder of AgroSpheres, one of the many new businesses born right here where he says the entrepreneurial spirit is very strong. “There’s the feeling we’re all in this together. Everyone is supportive—you reach for help and it’s there. There are so many successful […]

‘Radical engagement:’ Minority children seek mental health services

Children resettling in the U.S. often bring with them the emotional trauma caused from exiting their country at a time of high stress. A local nonprofit supporting minority families wants to help people interact and provide services for these kids. For Kibiriti Majuto, a Charlottesville High School senior and refugee whose family arrived in America […]