The Guardian article about Happiness called Charlottesville
"....For years, Charlottesville has been picking up the prizes. It's been named best town for food lovers by
Wine Magazine; best college town in the country by
Traveler's Today; the country's favourite mountain town by
Travel & Leisure; and one of the happiest and healthiest places in the US by
Business Insider.
"It's a bastion of liberalism in the south," says building contractor
Jim Raymond, who arrived as a student in the late 60s and built a life
here.
Just
two hours from Washington DC, C-ville (as the locals call it) offers
quiet country retreats and horseback rides in nearby Shenandoah National
Park, the natural beauty of the Blue Ridge mountains, as well as a
wealth of history that includes the homes of Thomas Jefferson and James
Madison. Its array of restaurants offer exceptional gastronomic variety...."
Charlottesville is the happiest place to call home! Labels: albemarle, albemarle county real estate, best place to raise family, Charlottesviile real estate, charlottesville, happiest place to call home
Great real estate news nationwide
Heard on the radio yesterday, while driving around from one appointment to the next "sales of existing homes went up 12% nationwide, largest increase in the last 7 years". Indeed!
Labels: albemarle county real estate, Charlottesviile real estate, charlottesville, Inessa Telefus
Earth Advantage Broker certification
I got certified as an Earth Advantage Broker last month. This certification gives me knowledge about basic green home concepts, techniques, and features that are essential for the buying, selling and marketing of green homes.
Labels: albemarle, charlottesville, Earth Advantage Broker, green homes, real estate, trends in real estate
7 Reasons to Visit Monticello | Travel News from Fodor's Travel Guides
7 Reasons to Visit Monticello
By Jon Meacham, author of Thomas Jefferson
In Italian, the word means "little mountain," but for Thomas Jefferson no mountain ever mattered more. As a boy growing up in its shadow at his family's Shadwell plantation in Albemarle County, Virginia, Jefferson wandered the site of his future home, dreaming of what he might one day build here. And build he did, creating one of the great American houses and sites.
1. It's as close as you can get to a conversation with Thomas Jefferson. To walk these rooms and gardens is to walk through the mind of the man who created it. The light symbolizes his devotion to reason; the underground pavilions his dependence on slavery. It's all here—complex, detailed, and real.
2. The decorations. The portraits and statues embody a noble ethos. Here you will see a bust of John Adams, Jefferson's "frenemy," and a bust of Alexander Hamilton, who was pretty much just an enemy. Jefferson wanted his house to offer visitors a view of the great players in American history whether he was allied with those players or not.
3. The views. Jefferson placed his house facing west, where he could seemingly see forever. We still can.
4. The gardens. Jefferson loved to grow things and found joy in the creation and maintenance of beauty. The grounds are still wonderfully maintained by a terrific staff.
5. The dining room. Recently restored to its brilliant Jeffersonian yellow, the room is breathtaking—a center of civilized discourse.
6. Mulberry Row. Monticello is open and honest about the central role slavery played in making Jefferson's life possible, and there are an abundance of resources about life on the plantation both on-site and online.
7. Did I mention that going to Monticello is as close as you'll ever get to sitting down to talk to Thomas Jefferson?
Jon Meacham, executive editor at Random House, is the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House and the New York Times bestsellers Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship and American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation. His latest work, Thomas Jefferson goes on sale November 13. He lives in New York City with his wife and children.
Photo credits: Aerial view of Monticello courtesy of Leonard Phillips; Decorative arts courtesy of Robert C. Lautman; Gardens courtesy of Robert Llewellyn; Mulberry Row courtesy of Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello. All images copyright by Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello.
Labels: albemarle, Charlottesviile real estate, charlottesville, monticello, Thomas Jefferson
UVA's Darden School is ranked number 2 in the world
The University of Virginia’s
Darden School of Business is the No. 2 business school in the world, according to The Economist, which on Thursday released its
10th annual ranking of the Top 100 international MBA programs.
Here is a
full article Labels: business, Charlottesviile real estate, charlottesville, darden school, UVA
In My Secret Life...
Just finished my second "teaching gig" this week. Taught a VHDA first time home buyers class on tues for Piedmont Housing Alliance, and healthy eating today! Teachers loved my "easy ways to improve nutrition in childcare" presentation.
Labels: charlottesville, health, home buyers' seminar, let's move child care, nayece, real estate, vhda
Horse and Buggy dinner and produce delivered to my front door!
Many of my friends and clients ask me where I get my produce. Our small town has a lot of choices. Among regular grocery stores, we also have WF. City Market, IY, Rebecca's, and Retail Relay to choose from. I visit these "health food" stores more or less regularly. Here is another name to add to the list -
Horse and Buggy Produce and it is delivered to my front door! A week or so ago, Brett Wilson, owner of H&B, cooked dinner for me and my friends. We learned many easy recipes and he talked about organic, local, minimal spray, etc... produce. Everything he gets from farmers is truly local, less than 60 miles from C'ville and it's in season! Here are some pics from our dinner party ;)
My friend Ann and I decided to split a weekly share. Got our first delivery yesterday, lots of food: potatoes, cauliflower, onions, lettuce, peaches, beets, nectarines, eggs, and more! Very well priced too!
Labels: brett wilson, Charlottesviile real estate, charlottesville, City Market, Horse and Buggy, local food, Retail Relay, Whole Foods
Multiple Offers indicate that........
While I was showing a new listing to my buyer yesterday, 3 more agents showed up with their clients. As far as I know, there were 5 offers a couple of hours later... I understand the house sold for more than asking price. Aaah, spring market!
Labels: charlottesville, charlottesville real estate, competing offers, negotiations, spring market
Charlottesville Area 4th Quarter 2011 Highlights:
- Median sales price for the region is down 0.4% over last quarter and 3.6% from the Q4 2010 to $240,000
- New listings were down 20.3% from the same period last year.
- Homes took an average 9 days longer to sell compared to Q4 2010 with average Days on Market (DOM) of 161.
- Pending sales rose 19.3% over same time 2010 from 456 in Q4 2010 to 544 in Q4 2011.
- The median sales price for 4th Quarter sales year over year declined 3.75% from $249,000 to $240,000.
Labels: 4th quartre 2011, Charlottesviile real estate, charlottesville, surrounding counties
Big plans this weekend
Saturday -I got invited to a SunTrust tailgate by Catherine Potter, so will be by Aquatic Fitness Center most of the time and will not be at Alumni Hall, my usual spot. Lisa will be covering for me and give out Claremont t-shirts, coozies, and other stuff.
Sunday - I am holding 3 condos open at Claremont 12-2. I hope some UVA alumni stop by on the way out of town. One of the benefits of owning a condo in Claremont is that it could be rented short-term, while during the football season an out-of-town owner would have a place to stay. Convenience and income!
Labels: charlottesville, charlottesville real estate, Claremont, close to UVA and Martha Jefferson, condo, football, uva sports
I saw you on TV the other day!
A mechanic at Airport Auto today said that he saw me on tv. Oh...blush.. thank you!
Working on several appointments for tomorrow. If I am showing your house, please no scented candles. My clients are very sensitive to smells!
Labels: airport auto, charlottesville, charlottesville real estate, nbc29
Top Ten Best Places To Live - Charlottesville!
Congratulations to C'ville again! It is named as one of the
best places to live by Yahoo! Real Estate. Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, most areas of this idyllic city are accessible by foot or bicycle. Charlottesville enjoys clean air and water, and pleasant weather year-round, highlighted by especially beautiful fall foliage. Nearby Shenandoah National Park offers a wealth of recreation opportunities. Charlottesville is home to the University of Virginia, which strengthens the area's healthy economy by providing steady jobs and a wealth of amenities and entertainment. Homes are not cheap (median home price $225,000), but the cost of living is manageable. The city's low unemployment rate and significant recent job growth promise continued prosperity. As more and more people learn about this year's best city, Charlottesville may find staying affordable and sprawl-free is its greatest challenge!
Labels: albemarle county real estate, charlottesville, charlottesville real estate, national real estate, top 10 best places, yahoo
Love Charlottesville and our Mayor!
Today I had coffee with Dave Norris, Charlottesville's Mayor! We met at C'ville Coffee. He is really a reflection of what Charlottesville is about: supportive, innovative, open-minded, the list goes on and on.
Labels: best place to raise family, best small town, c'ville, C'ville Coffee, charlottesville, top 10
from Charlottesville, VA to Dullas,TX
Congratulations to Connie and Mark, their beautiful house not far from Downtown just closed. Sold full price! I am so thrilled and sad at the same time. In the last four and a half years we became friends. I really will miss them!
Labels: catalystprc, charlottesville, charlottesville real estate, cmarie marketing
2011 Mid-Year Market Report from CAAR!
Pricing is the key. I have been saying it since last year.
Labels: albemarle, charlottesville, charlottesville real estate, Fluvanna, Greene, homes for sale, market report, pricing
Some Like It Hot!
It's 100F outside, hot week literally and figuratively: showing properties, negotiation, closing, helping out with Women's Council of Realtors Picnic, and now preparing for 2 Open Houses this weekend. Oh, can't forget taking my daughter to see Sesame Street Live on Wednesday ;-)
Labels: charlottesville, charlottesville real estate, closing, john paul's john arena, negotiations, sesame street live, settlement
Michelle's Angels
Michelle Obama's national
Let's Move campaign stresses the importance of healthy food and physical activity. One out of three children in America is overweight or obese! Here is a local way to get involved!
This
petition is being widely discussed around Charlottesville. I am strongly in support of it and I really look forward to the Charlottesville's School Board Meeting on June 2nd.
My daughter is not in school yet and our Children's Healthy Eating Committee is a grassroots organization started by parents in her Child Development Center. Take a look at the
pictures of our bulletin board.
Labels: CCLC, charlottesville, childhood obesity, healthy food in daycare, let's move, Petition to restrict sugar, the children's healthy eating committee, university of virginia child development center, UVA
