By Marilyn Pribus – Most of us dread our electric bill after summer’s first hot spell. You might be surprised to learn that air conditioning accounts for about five percent of all the electricity produced in our country, approaching $30 billion annually. Closer to home, air conditioning can contribute as much as 45 percent to […]
By Celeste M. Smucker – Gracious, older homes dating back to the 1950s and 60s, quiet tree-lined streets and spacious lots are just a few of the reasons neighborhoods that are part of the Rugby area continue to be popular with homebuyers, and why they may be frustrated by a serious lack of inventory. And […]
By Celeste Smucker – Oh for the good old days when we could walk into a store to buy bulbs and all we needed to know was the wattage and whether it was a regular bulb, a spotlight, or something decorative for a chandelier. Occasionally we may have needed something more specialized like a 3-way […]
By Celeste M. Smucker – If you want a home with privacy, a place for horses, crops or cattle, or you yearn to live in an historic estate, there couldn’t be a better time to buy a rural property than right now. Agents are seeing definite signs of recovery in this market that, at the […]
By Marilyn Pribus – Many people are coming to realize that expansive lawns and exotic gardens are expensive in terms of taking up big chunks of their free time. Then they must add the cost of higher water usage, pricey and environmentally unfriendly chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides as well as care and fuel for […]
By Ken Wilson – Before there were pixels there was print, and before there were tweets there were books, and in Charlottesville we haven’t forgotten. We love our books and their authors, and we love “our” Virginia Festival of the Book, the annual celebration of all things literary with everything from story times for the […]
By Celeste M. Smucker – There is a lot of excitement about the 2018 real estate market and sellers are happy to see their homes move quickly from listed to sold at prices that make them smile. For buyers this a more challenging market as dwindling inventories of homes for sale leave them with fewer […]
By Ken Wilson – Dogwood planting and sheep dog running, brainstorming and dining al fresco—what do you love? What would you like to discover? Whatever it is, Central Virginia probably has a festival for it. Let’s see what’s happening this spring. 7th Annual Run For Home The Haven and Virginia National Bank will hold their […]
By Marilyn Pribus – A great rainy-day activity is to look around your house and consider areas where better organization could mean better living. Here are some simple principles to help you on the way. Remember, you don’t have to do it all in one day or even one weekend, but why not resolve to […]
By Celeste M. Smucker – Spring is an optimistic time of year when people look forward to a new start. It is also a time when many sellers choose to list their homes and when buyers, ready to shake off the cabin fever of winter, come out to take a look at what’s on the […]