Get ready for the spring real estate market

Traditionally spring is the time of year when many people put their homes on the market, and buyers come out to see what is available.  There are many reasons for this.  The holidays are over, the air is warmer and landscapes are alive with blooming plants and trees.  Children are still in school in the […]

Six ways to trim your household expenses

As a homeowner, one of your challenges is figuring out ways to reduce your regular monthly bills. These continuous expenses can leave a big hole in your monthly budget, essentially leaving you with less money to invest for the future, and even less money to spend on more leisure pleasures. When you find yourself short […]

Data dive: Tracking untapped business tax revenue in Charlottesville

Earlier this month, news outlets around the state picked up a story about a local government data crusader who hit on a potential treasure trove of untapped municipal tax revenue. Waldo Jaquith, who founded the nonprofit U.S. Open Data, had paid for access to the State Corporation Commission’s (SCC) list of more than 1.1 million […]

The ruins of Afton Mountain: Eyesores along a scenic byway

Thousands of visitors come to Virginia every year to tour the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive. As they soak in the natural beauty where the two meet off Interstate 64 at Rockfish Gap, with views stretching out across the Shenandoah Valley, they soak in something else less appealing, although breathtaking in its own way: […]

Richmond rundown Legislators find common ground as session winds down

The 2015 General Assembly session is in its final sprint, with talk of both houses agreeing to a budget and voting on it one day before the session ends February 27—a nearly unprecedented rapprochement. Contributing to the speedy resolution was taking Medicaid expansion off the table, despite Governor Terry McAuliffe setting that as a priority […]

Dominion proposes alternative pipeline routes through Nelson

Dominion has announced that it is exploring several alternative routes for its planned Atlantic Coast Pipeline through Nelson County. The 550-mile natural gas pipeline, which the company hopes to have online by the end of 2018, would be routed through West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina, and has seen significant opposition in Nelson, where many […]

Positive outlook for commercial real estate market

Predictions for the 2015 commercial real estate market are encouraging.  A recent report from Deloitte states, “In many ways, the commercial real estate (CRE) industry is on more solid footing than it has been for quite some time. The US economy continues to progress and investors are generally seeing robust performance across most property types […]

Built-ins add value

Built-ins—permanent installations of anything from shelving to bunk beds—can be space savers or space makers, adding convenience, value, and personality to a home. “Today’s buyers want homes that are open and uncluttered,” declares Kelly Ceppa, a REALTOR® associate with Charlottesville’s Nest Realty Group. “Built-ins can make a home look ‘finished’ or custom built.” There’s no […]

Documentary screening aims to get people talking about race

How do you get teens to talk about race in a way that prompts action and meaningful change? That’s a central question posed in the 2013 documentary “I’m Not Racist…Am I?,” which follows 12 New York City teenagers from diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds as they go through a series of workshops and conversations on […]