Everyone loves a parade! Come to the FIFTEENTH ANNUAL EARLYSVILLE 4TH OF JULY PARADE! - 06/30/11 05:31 PM
It's almost here... The Fifteenth Annual Earlysville 4th of July Parade! FIFTEENTH ANNUAL EARLYSVILLE FOURTH OF JULY PARADE July 4, begins 1pm at the Earlysville Post Office, winding up at the Union Church for food and fellowship. This is a very fun afternoon.  We're going to join the parade this year, our first time doing so.  We'll be on foot! 
 
 
 
 
 
 

… (1 comments)

I AM SO EXCITED I JUST CAN'T HIDE IT - FLASH MOB Downtown SAT July 2 CITY MARKET! - 06/30/11 09:49 AM
We've all seen them replayed on television.  We've seen the videos that go viral.  I think they are just about the coolest thing possible.  Where will you be between 11:00 - 11:30 Saturday morning?  I'll be downtown, at the Charlottesville City Market, playing a part in a Charlottesville Flash Mob.   That's this coming Saturday, July 2nd, at the City Market Downtown, around 11:15-ish, at the South Street end of the Market, across from South Street Brewery.
Watch the following video, as it preps us for the coming event.  This isn't the first in Charlottesville, but I've missed all of the others … (3 comments)

Taking a So-So Photo and Making it a Great Photo - 06/29/11 08:19 AM
 
This is an excellent post on how to use some very straightforward tools.  Yes, it will take a little time, but look at her results!  I use Photoshop Essentials, an inexpensive Apple program.  Great post!
 
Via Kristine Ginsberg (Morris County, NJ: Elite Staging and Redesign, LLC):
Taking a so-so Photo and Making it a Great Photo
 
So you take a photo and download it to your computer only to find it didn’t come out as you had hoped – lighting’s not good, it’s crooked, washed out or it’s too dark, not a lot of vivid colors. We’ve all been … (0 comments)

Who Represents the Home Buyer? - 06/29/11 08:10 AM
In Virginia, buyers have the option of being represented by their real estate agent. This relationship creates responsibilities that require the agent put their client's interests above their own.
The duties a buyer or seller can expect to receive among others are honesty, accountability, full disclosure, representation and reasonable skill and care. In a nutshell, the Charlottesville agent who represents you is working in your best interest.
It's a special relationship that doesn't exist with most of the other professionals involved in a real estate transaction.
This special relationship with your real estate agent makes it advantageous to have … (3 comments)

Zero to 60 Charlottesville: Professor Cline's Monster Museum and Dinosaur Kingdom - 06/28/11 10:21 AM
A few months ago, I wrote about one of Virginia's "American Roadside Attractions", Dinosaur Land.  A few weeks ago, I found another Virginia dinosaur park, this one, though, set within a wooded area, with trails running around and through remarkable foam and fiberglass sculptures of Yankee-soldier-eating  dinosaurs.  Yes, that's what I said... Union soldiers were being eaten by dinosaurs.
Perhaps I should back up...
We had spent the morning at the Virginia Safari Park, laughing our way through three miles of bison, deer, emu, and watusi cattle.  For lunch, we stopped at The Pink Cadillac Diner, located along Rt. 11, South … (0 comments)

Would You Sell A House Using An Ad Like This? - 06/28/11 07:52 AM
 
I love creative people.  I cannot imagine the dollars that went into the production of this ad, but it got my attention!  They are moving towards 1,000,000 views on YouTube, too. 
 
Via Alan Gross (PrimeLending, A PlainsCapital Company):
Would you sell a house using an ad like this? Back in the day real estate was advertised in the newspaper in classified and and the real estate section, in homes magazines, and by mailing post cards. Today the newspaper and home magazines, although still used, have been largely replaced by the Internet. Blogs, single property web sites, YouTube, Zillow, Trulia, etc. … (6 comments)

Three Green Home Improvements that Pay Off - 06/27/11 03:59 PM
Now more than ever, we're all looking for ways to save money.  We all also know that paying attention to insulation, windows, attics, and crawl spaces can help us stop wasting money.  HouseLogic.com, a service provided by the National Association of Realtors, archives hundreds of worthwhile articles that relate to home ownership.  I read through their offerings regularly, and when one catches my eye, I will share it with you here.  These following suggestions are simple, "to-do list"-sort-of tasks that could make a big difference to the cost of maintaining your Charlottesville area home.
3 Green Home Improvements that Pay Off
… (0 comments)

Gardening for the Birds, Bees, and Butterflies in Charlottesville - 06/26/11 12:19 PM
Most of our time away from our businesses, our "home time", is spent in our gardens here in Earlysville, Virginia.  Since building our home twenty-one years ago, Stephen has focused on creating vegetable gardens, and I have invested my creative time building perennial gardens.  We've always had a bird feeder or two, but a year or so ago, Stephen developed more of an interest in our bird population.  He began buying specific feeds for specific birds and really paying closer attention to our avian friends.  In turn, I began paying more attention to my flowers gardens, and I've been adding bird-bee-butterfly-attractors … (6 comments)

I just found a new PBS channel, CREATE TV; Have you seen it yet? - 06/25/11 01:03 PM
Stephen and I live in one of those close-to-town rural-ish spots that has cable television all around us, but we can't get it without spending a bunch of money to bring it to the house.  So, we've been DirectTV devotees for years.  When TV went digital, it didn't affect us at all, except for one really good thing... Whereas we were unable to receive local channels with DirectTV before, with the installation of an antenna, we now get at least eight local channels, three of which are PBS!  Before the change, we only had access to one PBS station via cable, … (2 comments)

2 Quick Facebook Tips to Gain Exposure - 06/25/11 11:50 AM
 
Jay O'Brien is a fun Kansas City Realtor who share some great blogging tips.  I've finally gotten my Facebook Fan Page up and running, and soon, I need to take it the step and make it work for me.  These following tips are a good start!
 
Via Jay O'Brien : Kansas City : Social Media Guy (RE/MAX Revolution):
Facebook is amazing. I've closed two transactions this year so far directly from Facebook. This week, I've picked up two new buyers directly from Facebook. Are you out there using this FREE tool?
The Fan Page (or it's proper term, "Page") is … (5 comments)

Have some fun this weekend, June 25th! - 06/24/11 07:15 PM
The weekend is full and fun as always, with swimming at local lakes and the markets open all over....
Charlottesville City Market, 2nd Street and Water, 7 am til Noon
Crozet Farmers Market, Corner Jarmans Gap & Crozet Ave, 8 am - Noon
Greene County Farmers Market, Greene County Tech Center (Rt 33), 8 - 11 am
Nelson Farmers Market, Rt 151 at Nellysford, 8 am til Noon
Orange County Farmers Market, 142 West Main St in Town of Orange, 8 am until 12:30 pm

Lots of other fun, too....
City Walking Tour (Court Square Walking Tour), 10 am, … (0 comments)

I'm totally blessed - 06/22/11 06:50 AM
If you follow my blog, you know by now that I create mosaic art.  You may know about the loveseat I created for the Gallery in Downtown Charlottesville.  A couple of years ago I asked people to send me photos of themselves sitting on the sculpture.  After a busy day of showing homes, imagine the joy I get when I check email and photos like this are waiting for me.

The caption for the photo, in my email message, read, "Rebecca's kids".  The loveseat is the "Seat of Harmony", located in front of C'ville Arts Cooperative Gallery, Downtown Charlottesville.  I … (3 comments)

How to Use LinkedIn to Generate Real Estate Business - 06/21/11 09:59 PM
 
This is one of the simpler, better descriptions of how to really tweak your Linked In Profile.  It's not easy keeping your name and profile "up there", so doing it right the first time helps keep it going.
 
Via Rebekah Radice Colorado Springs FHA Loan 203k, VA Mortgage, Loan Pre-Approval (Benchmark Mortgage, Colorado Springs FHA, VA, Pre-Approval):
Updating my LinkedIn profile and tweaking it for optimization and SEO purposes seems to be a never ending (albeit fun) battle for me. I see LinkedIn as a unique resource and one that is an absolute must for anyone needing to give … (6 comments)

Zero to 60 Charlottesville: The Municipal Band of Charlottesville, delighting concert-goers since 1922 - 06/21/11 08:47 AM
Did you know that the Municipal Band of Charlottesville is "one of the oldest continuously operating amateur community bands in the United States."  You can read about the rich history of the band at it's website, "History of the Municipal Band of Charlottesville", as well as enjoy a wonderful black and white photo of its parade down Main Street in 1937.  I am proud to know that the Municipal Band of Charlottesville is funded through the cooperation of the Charlottesville City Council and Albemarle County Board of Supervisors in their annual budgets.  Along with that support is the very important additional … (0 comments)

Water is among a homeowner's biggest enemies. - 06/20/11 08:22 AM
Whenever I attend an inspection of a Charlottesville area home, I'm interested in knowing everything about the house my Buyer is considering, but I look most closely for water issues.  Over the years, I've seen more costly repairs happen as a result of simple things like leaky toilets, soil that's settled around a foundation, and uncleaned gutters.  When you read about the importance of home maintenance, the authors of those articles really are not writing just for the heck of it... The reality is this: a little bit of attention to detail might save you hours of work and hundreds, maybe … (7 comments)

What's happening in the Earlysville real estate market? - 06/19/11 12:05 PM
What's happening in the Earlysville real estate market?
 
It's mid-June 2011, and I wanted to know how we're doing here in Earlysville.
Currently available properties:

 
Following are sales data, which is the best indication, of course...

The specifics of the homes sold...

… (0 comments)

Time Management Tips You Can’t Do Without - 06/18/11 07:55 AM
 
Mortgage lender, Rebekah Radice, often offers good time management and organizing tips on her blog.  In this following post, Time management Tips, she mentions a Password Management program called Roboform.  I used Roboform for years and really liked it.  It was great for the PC, particularly if you are an IE fan.  When I changed to Mac and Firefox, I could still use it, but it was in the cloud and lost some functionality.  Then I found 1Password, which is perfect for Mac, works great.  It also does the trick for PC, iPad, and iPhone and Android phones!
 
Via … (3 comments)

Sometimes the light is just right... - 06/18/11 06:59 AM
Sometimes the light is just right.

If you follow my blog, you are no doubt aware that we feel particularly lucky to live in a semi-rural environment outside of Charlottesville.  The Garrison's farm along Bleak House Road provides us with no end of photographic opportunities.  We enjoy breathtaking sunrises and sunsets over green fields, with a back drop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Honestly, we're blessed. 
… (3 comments)

Selling your Home in Charlottesville does not have to be "like Pulling Teeth" - 06/17/11 08:06 AM
Selling your home in the Charlottesville, Virginia area can be a positive experience.  Seriously.
It needn't be like pulling teeth!

I won't promise that selling your Charlottesville area home will be a piece of cake.

But a great agent has the right skills and the right tools.
You can rest easy, knowing your home is in the right hands.

Call me; I'll show you how we'll get your house sold...
Virginia Gardner, (434) 981-0871
Virginia@CharlottesvilleHOME.com
 
… (1 comments)

Living Charlottesville: Ednam Village, Possibly the Most Sought-After Neighborhood in Charlottesville - 06/16/11 05:35 PM
Ednam Village is an exclusive community of just over 30 homes, attached and detached.  The lots are small-ish and pretty, some bordering the Birdwood Golf Course.  A simple but elegant brick entrance, a winding drive, and manicured lawns set the stage for this special neighborhood.  Many of the homes have main level bedrooms and some plans offer an all-on-the first-floor lifestyle.  Homes are well-designed and beautifully detailed, inside and out. 
 
Ednam Village is located between the Boar’s Head Inn & Spa and the Birdwood Golf Course.  I would venture a pronouncement that Ednam Village is the most sought-after community … (1 comments)

One More Chance for Refinance? - 06/15/11 10:25 AM
Fixed Rate mortgages are at their lowest level for 2011 as reported in the current Freddie Mac weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey. Many qualified buyers missed the opportunity last fall in October and November to refinance at record low rates. This may give homeowners one more chance to refinance and save money on their payments.
An important thing to keep in mind is that points paid in connection for refinancing a home are generally not considered prepaid interest and must be spread over the life of the mortgage. Some advisors suggest that you have the lender quote a "par value" loan … (0 comments)

Zero to 60 Charlottesville: Virginia Safari Park is very much fun! - 06/14/11 02:19 PM
I love visiting zoos, because I love experiencing animals.  Unfortunately, zoos have cages and sometimes animals seem to be receiving a life sentence.  There's a zoo part of the Virginia Safari Park, but the main attraction is the Safari part... I haven't laughed that hard in a long time!

The Virginia Safari Park is located a bit beyond my normal 60-mile limit  for "Zero to 60 Charlottesville", but it is easily a day trip, even adding a few other stops during the day.  It’s located in the Natural Bridge area, just outside of Lexington, Va., just about an hour and … (3 comments)

Did NAR defeat QRM or did they actually help it? - 06/14/11 11:07 AM
 
I am really really tired of the shenanigans happening with NAR.  Whistle stop tours and wasted lobbying dollars, and I feel as if "my association" is just scrambling to try to make it look like they are doing something.  I'm, completely appalled by the following information and wonder why this post wasn't posted earlier.  I was among "the hoodwinked", sigh.
 
Via Bryan Robertson, Los Altos REALTOR Los Altos Real Estate - Homes For Sale (Sereno Group - Los Altos):
The latest news from the battlefront in Washington D.C. is that NAR has successfully rallied support to defeat QRM by convincing … (1 comments)

Fun with weekend photos - 06/12/11 07:29 PM
On Tuesday, I'll be talking about the Zero to 60 Charlottesville location that allowed me to catch these photos this weekend. 

My sister and brother have each recently celebrated significant birthdays, and since neither were interested in drawing attention to those facts, Stephen and I decided to surprise them with some sibling fun.

An easy (and very fun and full of laughs) day trip from Charlottesville...  Stay tuned!
 
 
… (5 comments)

Have you been to the new Whole Foods yet? - 06/11/11 08:32 AM

Honestly, I was excited years ago about the arrival of the first Whole Foods in Charlottesville; I've always enjoyed the shopping experience at Whole Foods. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The new one has been a long time coming, and it finally opened this week.  Rather than the retro-fitted space of the original Charlottesville store, this beautiful new space is gorgeous and new and, I swear, it's designed for grazing. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
It's also designed for Charlottesville, with a sort of elegant rustic-ness.  Thanks to their Community Relations Director, Sandy … (4 comments)

Debunking the Myth: You Will Not Save Money By Not Using a Buyers Agent - 06/10/11 11:20 PM
I remember once getting a phone call from a couple who were moving to Charlottesville from somewhere in Michigan.  They called me about one of my listings, and apparently my listing was one of a dozen or so properties that they were calling on.  Imagine calling twelve different listing agents.  So silly, so unnecessary, and such a total waste of the buyers time (and probably their money, too).  Christine Smith, an agent in Canton, MA, wrote a very good article about Buyer Brokerage that I think should be shared. 
If you're considering  a move to the Charlottesville area, give me a … (2 comments)

Living in a beautiful country setting might mean having a septic system - 06/10/11 03:14 PM
Public utilities are certainly not a "given" in the Charlottesville area.  Some of the things new residents love about the Charlottesville area are the beauty of the countryside and the ability to own a couple of acres affordably... the kinds of things a more rural environment offers.  To have those advantages, it means living in less populated areas that are outside of the Charlottesville urban area, and very often public utilities are not available.  If that's the case, you would be looking at property that is serviced by both well and septic.   Sometimes public or community water is available, but … (0 comments)

Living Charlottesville: Belmont Neighborhood, Life and Real Estate in Downtown Charlottesville's Urban Area - 06/09/11 04:14 PM
If you're interested in living in the Downtown Charlottesville area, you will quickly come to know the Belmont neighborhood.  During the course of my 20 plus years in Charlottesville real estate, I've had the pleasure of watching Belmont grow, change, suffer a little, and finally seem to really find itself again. 
The 403-acre Belmont neighborhood is a late 19th Century neighborhood consisting primarily of two “1890’s era subdivisions, “Belmont” and “Carlton”.  Originally, the county estate “Belmont” was the prosperous farm estate of John M. Carr, the nephew of Dabney Carr, a boyhood friend of Thomas Jefferson. The Belmont Mansion got … (1 comments)

Cash or Mortgage - Which is the Best Way to Go? - 06/08/11 05:25 PM
You might think that a person who pays cash doesn't have many concerns or at least not the same ones as most people.  Roughly, about 9% of people paid cash for their home last year with a considerably higher percentage paying cash this year. 
The first question that comes to mind when I hear someone say they want to pay cash for a home is "Do you think that you might put a loan on the home in the future?"  Paying cash may affect your ability to deduct the interest on a mortgage placed on the home at a later … (2 comments)

Zero to 60 Charlottesville: Charlottesville Dowtown Mall Mosaic Sculpture - Take your Photo! - 06/07/11 03:09 PM
I've been really remiss in keeping my photoblog updated for the mosaic sculpture downtown.  The C'ville Arts Gallery in downtown Charlottesville is an artists' cooperative, displaying the work of more than 50 Virginia artists and craftspeople.  When I am not wearing my real estate hat, I can usually be found working in my garden or my studio, and a few years ago, I began showing my work at C'ville Arts Gallery.  To lend my support for the co-op, I created this mosaic loveseat a few years ago, and I keep a running photoblog of images that visitors send me.  My Dalmatians … (1 comments)

WEEK'S END PICK for the Charlottesville area, 6.05.11 - 06/05/11 10:34 AM
This week, we are featuring the following diverse properties on our Charlottesville Home Search website, CharlottesvilleHomesOnline.

5362 STONY POINT RD, $2,500,000
An elegant, historic country estate situated in the scenic Albemarle County countryside. Waldron Farm sits on 48 acres with incredible SW and Blue Ridge mountain views.  Lush rolling pastureland and a large stocked pond. Circa 1800 brick manor home, with extensive renovations and additions in 1998.
Equestrian facilities include a 12 stall center isle barn with tack room, 4 stall shedrow barn, covered arena and 7 paddocks. 
 

 
 
20 MOUNTAIN LAUREL RD, $439,900
 
Located … (3 comments)

VA Mortgages .............. VA Funding Fee - 06/04/11 07:40 AM
Okay...  More on VA loans from George Souta, thanks George for such good information.  For those of you who think a VA loan is the right way to go, George's explanations are great.  Call me, and we'll put our heads together to see what's available for you and the best route to take.  As always, call me, (434) 981-0871, with questions!
 
Via George Souto NMLS# 65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages Connecticut:
So far in this series on VA Mortgages I have covered the VA Condo Approval Process, and an overview of the VA Mortgage Loan Program.  Next we will look at … (0 comments)

Living in Virginia is Heaven - 06/03/11 07:55 AM
In Virginia, we have hot humid days. In Virginia, we have bitter cold nights. I tell people that are considering relocation here that Charlottesville isn't perfect, but it's darn close. Of course, it's all relative to your likes and loves and needs.
One of the things I have always loved about Virginia...  We have to put up with some significant weather on occasion, but this is good for my garden.  God always seems to take pity after four or five days, and the hot humid days of the past week (which have made the tomatoes and squash so happy that they … (3 comments)

VA Mortgages .............. Overview - 06/01/11 08:13 PM
 
With the transfer of so many to NGIC and DIA with BRAC, as well as general hiring, we are seeing more and more VA mortgages locally.  They are a different animal (of course, there's nothing much that's standard anymore), and since many new hires will be buying their first home, I thought reblogging this series by loan office George Souto may be beneficial.  I would love to help you wade through the home buying process; call me, Virginia Gardner, 434-981-0871, or email Virginia@CharlottesvilleHOME.com.
 
Via George Souto NMLS# 65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages Connecticut:
Last week I posted the first blog … (0 comments)

Perfect time of the year to begin those projects! - 06/01/11 02:03 PM
Summer is here and millions of Americans will be starting home improvement projects.  Whether they're classified as maintenance, updating or energy saving, they should make homeownership more enjoyable.
Remodeling magazine's 2010-11 Cost vs. Value Report suggests that some improvements are a better investment than others.  Front door and garage door replacements are two of the easiest and return the greatest percentage of cost on resale.
Kitchen and bathroom updates transform an older home and instantly give visitors and buyers a fresh impression. Countertops and appliances can be expensive but yield great results.  Painting the cabinets and replacing the hardware is much … (0 comments)

 
Gardner_virginia_2011_dsc_5638

Virginia Gardner Charlottesville Realtor Serving Central Virginia

Charlottesville, VA

More about me…

Roy Wheeler Realty Co.

Address: 1100 Dryden Lane, Charlottesville, VA, 22903

Office Phone: (434) 951-5155

Cell Phone: (434) 981-0871

Email Me

Search for Homes,charlottesvilleHOME.com

CharlottesvilleHOME.com is the go-to place for up-to-date information about the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Greene County, and Fluvanna County real estate, home prices and availability. Charlottesville real estate for sale, from University of Virginia neighborhoods and planned unit developments with new homes, to luxury estates within the wider community, you'll find the home of your dreams with CharlottesvilleHOME.com.






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