Charlottesville News

Welcome to Charlottesville!

July 18, 2011 by Sasha C. Farmer, REALTOR ® · Leave a Comment 

This is a great video produced by a local UVa law student here in town.  Great overview of all that Charlottesville has to offer and the rich lifestyle that so many are drawn to!

Charlottesville 365; Happy Match Day! Welcome New U.Va. Residents!

March 17, 2011 by Sasha C. Farmer, REALTOR ® · Leave a Comment 

Happy Match Day to our incoming UVA residents!

Today is Match Day, which falls on the third Thursday of every March, and is when the graduating medical school students all across the nation will find out what residency program they’ve matched with, where they will spend the next several years of their lives, and what City they’ll soon call home!

This is an exciting time, especially for incoming U.Va. residents, as many, many U.Va. doctors (47) have recently been recognized as the top in their fields.  Incoming residents will be in good company!

Match Day is the culmination of four years of study, and months of an intense process leading up to this moment. These students have applied to hospitals and residency programs, selecting the field of medicine they hope to work in, the city they hope to live in. They have interviewed with doctors and program directors. They have created lists ranking their top choices, as have the residency programs, submitting it to a computer program to make their match. And they have waited, wondering where they will work and train in just a few short months after their medical school graduations. Today, inside those envelopes, a fragment of a sentence on a single sheet of paper, will inform them where they will begin this important stage of their lives.

Each medical school has its own tradition as to how the envelopes are handed out—some providing a mad dash to various corners of a room where staff members have divided the piles; others using a slow, nerve-wracking yet thrilling manner of calling students to the front of the room one by one. At Eastern Virginia Medical School, students dress in costumes, lightening the mood and adding to a party atmosphere. At Vanderbilt, they broadcast the ceremony online to any friends and family unable to attend. Often, the students are not alone. Spouses wonder where they will move, and children await the reactions on their parents’ faces.

Then they open the envelopes.

At the same hour today, screams, tears, hugs, and shouts of joy will erupt from rooms across the country. Much of the future of their field will remain unknown, as the country works through health care reform. But for the country’s newest class of doctors, today will give them a little more information as to their futures as doctors. And what awaits in their immediate future are long hours of intense training, sleepless nights of residency, and the rewards and responsibilities of caring for the lives of others.

via Match Day and how each medical school celebrates.

So what does this mean for you?

If you are a home seller in Charlottesville:

If you have a home to sell near the hospital, near Downtown, or near UVA, this will be a busy couple of upcoming weeks!  If you have not listed your home yet and have thought of waiting until later in the Summer or Fall, there is still time- you may want to consider listing your home as soon as possible, if your home is a good candidate for students in any of these programs.

If you are searching for a home to buy in Charlottesville:

If you find your dream home and it is in very close proximity to UVA, the hoe hospitals, or other areas where incoming residents may be attracted, don’t drag your feet if you find the perfect home!  You will have more competition over the next couple of weeks, and while there is still more than enough inventory out there, the homes that are priced well and in excellent condition will not last long!

If you are an incoming resident:

Give me a call!  If you will only likely be here for the length of your residency, buying a home may not be a great investment unless you would be willing to hold it as a rental after you leave Charlottesville.  If you are comfortable owning an investment property, or plan to reside in Charlottesville longer, then maybe looking at making a purchase is right for you.  Give me a call to discuss your options!  I am well-versed in helping residents and doctors find homes that will suit them in Charlottesville, and I can make the process seamless while saving you lots of time!

If you’d like to start your search now, check out my home search tool!  You can pull homes up on a map and check them in proximity to a specific point of interest.

http://www.charlottesville365.com/homesearch

I look forward to a busy couple of weeks!

CAAR Year-End Market Report 2010

January 10, 2011 by Sasha C. Farmer, REALTOR ® · 2 Comments 

CAAR is releasing it’s 4th quarter market report tomorrow, so this is fresh off the presses!

Some pieces that I thought were relevant if you’re in the market to buy or sell;

Good news for buyers;

Price Per Square Foot (Finished)—Pockets of Value for Buyers

The current area average of $139 per finished square foot is the lowest number since 2004, indicating true “pockets of value” for buyers. Prices declined for the past four years—a $32 per square foot drop since peaking for buyers in 2006.

And as I’ve been saying for months;

Greg Slater, 2010 CAAR President cautions that, “until the inventory reaches and maintains level we consider historically level, there will continue to be uncertainty in predicting the pace of sales and stability of pricing.”

Take a look for yourself and let me know your thoughts.  I will be running my own numbers next week.

2010 Year-End CAAR Market Report

Charlottesville 365; Charlottesville Restaurant Week January 24-30

January 9, 2011 by Sasha C. Farmer, REALTOR ® · 1 Comment 

Even now that Restaurant Week is a Charlottesville tradition, I still get excited as ever when they are announced!

From January 24-30, 2011, Charlottesville has 16 restaurants participating in “Restaurant Week”, which involves $26/person prix-fixe menus, all of three courses- an appetizer, entree, and dessert.  According to the Restaurant Week website, previous Restaurant weeks held in Charlottesville have earned over $10,000 for the local food bank!  ($1 of every $26 meal is donated!)  It’s tough to pass up the opportunity to dine at some of Charlottesville’s most highly desired restaurants all for a low cost and a great cause!

It’s not too early to start making reservations, and most of these restaurants will completely fill up, so book your plans now!

As of January 9, the following 16 restaurants are participating in the January 2011 Charlottesville Restaurant Week;

• Aberdeen Barn


Photo Courtesy of the Charlottesville Restaurant Week Website; http://cvilleyum.com/

• Bang!
• Blue Light Grill
• Brassiere Montiel
• Brookville
• C&O
• Camino
• Carmello’s
• Fossett’s at Keswick Hall
• Horse and Hound
• l’etoile
• Maya
• The Melting Pot
• Orzo Kitchen and Wine Shop
• Old Mill Room at The Boar’s Head Inn
• Ten

Visit the Restaurant Week website to check out the prix-fixe menus for each restaurant!

Some insider’s tips for Restaurant Week;

• Start looking through the menu’s now and pinpoint some places you’d like to go.
• Book, now!
• Call each restaurant individually to make your reservation, and make sure to tell them you are participating in Restaurant Week!
• Make your reservation on time, or you may get skipped!
• All reservations are first come, first served, and some of the restaurants will fill up very early!  If you can’t get a reservation at a place you’d like, you can try calling them on the day-of to see if any of their booked reservations had to cancel.
• Don’t forget that tax and tip aren’t included!  Plan accordingly!

From the Restaurant Week website;

“For any diner who has ever dreamed about fine dining without breaking the bank, Restaurant Week is that dream… come true. Modeled on similar events in other cities, this is seven days of good food and good fun. Diners get to choose from each participating restaurant’s special prix fixe menu and enjoy three courses— an appetizer, an entree, and dessert— for just $25 [CORRECTION- actually $26 this year]. (Beverages, tax, and gratuity not included.)

Charlottesville Restaurant Week is January 24-30, 2011.

Charlottesville 365; The Virginia Film Festival

November 1, 2010 by Sasha C. Farmer, REALTOR ® · Leave a Comment 

The 23rd Annual Virginia Film Festival at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville

A major event that headlines in Charlottesville every year is the Virginia Film Festival, featuring 100 hand-selected films over 4 days.  The 2010 Virginia Film Festival will be held November 4-7, 2010.

Some of the exciting ones this year include some hyper-local films, such as The Parking Lot Movie about the parking garage on UVA’s corner, and Wahoowa: Cavalier Football, highlighting many years of UVA football history.

One of the greatest things about the film festival is affordability (student tickets are often free), the fun community-focused events surrounding specific movies, the celebrity guest appearances, and the great proximity of everything- it is extremely easy to see several movies in the short 4 days span.

From the Virginia Film Festival website;

The Virginia Film Festival is presented by the University of Virginia’s College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.

The Virginia Film Festival is a four-day celebration of the magic of the movies featuring first-run features and timeless classics, high-profile industry insiders and up-and-coming stars, and filmmakers from throughout Virginia and beyond.  Taking place every autumn at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, the Virginia Film Festival has brought the best in contemporary and classic cinema to its audiences for nearly twenty-five years.  An array of leading cultural experts lead fascinating lectures and discussions, providing unique insight into not only the world of film, but the world in which we live. A collection of special events throughout the weekend invites the entire community to dive into the art of film in exciting new ways.

The Stars Come to Charlottesville

Festival selections range from Hollywood premiers to classic, documentary, and experimental video.  Panels and discussions illuminating a variety of facets of the films, from behind-the-scenes secrets of production to explorations of cultural relevance, complement the screenings.  The festival taps into the local intellectual resources of professors, experts, and creative types, as well as bringing in actors, directors, and producers from Hollywood and New York, to create these memorable events.

Previous landmark screenings have included a 25th Anniversary tribute to In the Heat of the Night and Sidney Poitier; Distinguished Filmmaker presentations to Robert Altman, John Sayles, Emile de Antonio, and Arthur Penn; and Roger Ebert’s “shot by shot” workshops on classics such as Vertigo, Sunset Boulevard, and The Third Man. Memorable premiere events have included an advance screening of Mother & Child with actress Cherry Jones and director Rodrigo Garcia; and a live producer’s commentary of the show True Blood featuring its creator Alan Ball. Other guests have included Jimmy Stewart, Vanessa Redgrave, Anthony Hopkins, Sandra Bullock, Nicolas Cage, Gena Rowlands, Sigourney Weaver, William Styron, Ross McElwee, Matthew Broderick, and Cherry Jones.

The film festival begins this Thursday, November 4 and runs through Sunday, November 7- be sure to book your tickets and reserve your seats at the festival now!

What films are you planning to see?

Charlottesville 365; Apple Harvest Festival at Carter Moutain Orchard, October 9 – 10, 2010

October 8, 2010 by Sasha C. Farmer, REALTOR ® · Leave a Comment 

The Apple Harvest Festival at Charlottesville’s Carter Mountain Orchard is fun for the whole family! The Orchard is winding down for the season, and officially closes it’s weekday hours at the end of November, but this is one of their final festival events before the end of the year!

If you’ve never been to Carter Mountain, you are missing breathtaking views, delicious apple cider donuts, fresh, juicy fruit, and a great place to just idle a Charlottesville afternoon away! Carter Mountain Orchard has free admission and is open seasonally with different fruit available for picking for the majority of the year. From the apple festival to tree-ripened and white flesh peaches, to nectarines, pumpkins for halloween, and fresh garden vegetables, the picking is plentiful nearly year-round.

If you are thinking about visiting Carter Mountain Orchard, check out their website first- it has daily updates about the different sections of the orchard that are open each day, as well as which fruit is prime for picking. The upcoming Spring Fling Festival is a fun two-day event, filled with hayrides, crafts, delicious food, and a souvenir shop full of lots of homemade goodies to bring back for friends and family.

Located off of Route 53, near Michie Tavern, PVCC, and Monticello.

Carter Mountain Orchard Apple Harvest Festival:

October 2, October 3, October 9, October 10 from 9AM – 6PM

Whether or not it’s an official festival, Carter Mountain is a great place to take a quiet stroll, to bring the kids for an afternoon of fun, or to bring your spouse for a picnic lunch. It has breath-taking views all around and is a great, low-cost opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. The traffic is typically very busy at the beginning of each picking season, especially during the months when it is only open on the weekends, but during the weeks at mid-day it is peaceful and quiet.

Map to the Apple Harvest Festival

1435 Carters Mountain Trail Charlottesville Virginia 22902

Charlottesville 365; Dinner on A Dime, October 4 – 10

October 6, 2010 by Sasha C. Farmer, REALTOR ® · 3 Comments 

I am so excited to announce the sister event to Charlottesville’s very popular Restaurant Week, a new Charlottesville event called Dinner on a Dime!

Dinner on a Dime is a week-long event (October 4-10, 2010) featuring several Charlottesville restaurants offering incredible discounts, with meals (an appetizer + entree OR entree + dessert) for just $9.99!  This is an excellent price for some of these delicious choices, and a great way to test out some different meals and locations without spending an arm and a leg!  The best part of it all?  A donation is made from every meal!

Remember:

• Tax, tip and drinks are not included.
• Make sure you order off of the Dinner on a Dime Menu (a limited menu), as restaurants will still have their full menus available, but not for $9.99!
• Be sure to place your RSVP early or at locations that won’t take RSVP’s, be sure to plan some extra time to wait to be seated!

The restaurants participating this year (12 of them) are as follows (from the Dinner on a Dime Website);

• 2 Sides Restaurant / 221 Carlton Rd # 10, Charlottesville / (434) 977-1970
• The Biltmore / 16 Elliewood Ave. on the UVA corner /(434) 202-1498
• Brookville Restaurant / 225 W. Main Street, Downtown Mall / (434) 202-2791
• enoteca / 401 E. Main Street, Downtown Mall / (434) 94-9463
• La Cocina del Sol / 2001 Commonwealth Dr. on 29N / (434) 872-0270
• La Cocina Del Sol / 1200 Crozet Ave. in Crozet, VA / (434) 823-5469
• Maharaja / 139 Zan Road, Seminole Square Shopping Center / (434) 973-1110
• Mono Loco / 200 W. Water Street, Off the Downtown Mall / (434) 979-0688
• No. 3 on the UVA corner / 1517 University Ave / (434) 984-4653
• The Nook / 415 E Main Street, Downtown Mall / (434) 295-6665
• Rapture / 303 W. Main Street, Downtown Mall / (434) 293-9526
• West Main / 333 W Main Street / (434) 293-6605
• The Virginian / 333 W Main Street / (434) 293-6605

Some of my personal faves?

• West Main Nachos
• Rapture Crab Cakes, Portobello Sandwich, and Spring Rolls
• The Virginian Burger, Crab Cakes, Mac & Cheese, and Blackened Tuna Sandwich
• Mono Loco Pollo Loco and Mushroom Burritos, the Black bean dip appetizer
• Cocina Del Sol Fajitas and Salmon!

Check out the Dinner on a Dime website for full details!

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