Charlottesville365

Charlottesville 365; Junior League of Charlottesville Mistletoe Market

November 14, 2010 by Sasha C. Farmer, REALTOR ® · Leave a Comment 

On Sunday, November 14, the Junior League of Charlottesville will present the 7th Annual Mistletoe Market at the Omni Hotel from 10am – 6pm.

Mistletoe Market is a one day holiday shopping event featuring artisans, craft-makers, and merchants from throughout Virginia and beyond. This year’s event will feature a children’s activity table with free holiday-themed crafts and activities by One Creative Cookie.

Then, stay downtown and eat at Siips!  Ticketholder will receive a 5% discount and Siips will donate 5% of food sales to the Junior League of Charlottesville.

Tickets are $5.00 (10 and under are free). Tickets will be available at the door the day of the event. The first 500 shoppers to purchase tickets at Mistletoe Market will will receive a free gift from Albemarle Family.

Thank you Albemarle Family and Charlottesville Welcome Book for sponsoring Mistletoe Market! Look for our ad in this season’s Charlottesville Welcome Book and Albemarle Family’s October Issue.

Check back for more announcements as well as merchant and sponsor spotlights!

Some tips for the big day;

• Go early if you can!  Lots of vendors bring their items out in waves, but there are always some really unique, great things to choose from earliest in the day!
• Cost is $5 at the door.  Cash is best, but checks are accepted!
• Shop around and scout everything out first- many of the vendors will out things off to the side for you to return to purchase later!
• Bring your friends, the more the merrier!

2010 Mistletoe Market Vendors
Absolutely Eva
All About The Girl, Inc
Ann Hill Williams
Artwork by Andrea
Bass Rocks Ribbon Company
BeautiControl, Inc
Bee’s Knees Studio: Art by Erica Vess
Biscotti Goddess
Chesapeake Bay Christmas Co.
Confetti
Cookie Lee Jewelry
Discovery Toys
Erin McDermott Jewelry
Fandangle
Ginny Rogan Calligraphy
Girls Day Out
Junior League of Charlottesville’s Casino Night
Junior League oF Hampton Roads
Katherine’s Naturals
Kayzie Designs
KellyGirl Glass & Ceramics
Love Lines
Mass A’Peel – Jam with a Twist
Meg Runion Studios
Natural Violet
One Creative Cookie
Paper and Ink Designs
Pearl
Peter Blair Accessories
Polkadots & Moonbeams
Primary Eyecare
Queen of Puddings
Rebecca Steele
Red Rocker Candy
ReGreen, LLC
River’s Edge Custom Jewelry
Shore Huggers
Spice Rack Chocolates
Stella & Dot
Sweetpea Prints
Sweet Tea
Tastefully Simple
Top It Off Accessories
The Pampered Chef
Thirty Gifts
Usborne Books and more
Whitley Designs LLC
Willie’s Toy Box
Willow House

Welcome to Charlottesville 365

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

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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; Walnut Creek Park

October 10, 2010 by Elizabeth Muse · Leave a Comment 

One of the great things about the Charlottesville area is the variety of outdoor activities that are available.  We have mountains to hike, rivers to raft and beautiful state and local parks to explore.

Walnut Creek Park is one of the many gems in the countryside that you should definitely visit.  Walnut Creek is in Albemarle County, just a short 15-minute drive south of Charlottesville.  You can rent a canoe, play frisbee golf on a large course or swim at the “beach” by the lake during the warm months of the year.  There are miles of mountain biking trails for riding enthusiasts.  The bike trails are also great for walking, but you do you need to pay attention and be ready to step aside when bikers are coming.

I have recently been spending quite a bit of time at Walnut Creek Park “socializing” our puppy from a local shelter and meeting all sorts of new people at the same time.  The park is a great place to take a dog for an on-leash walk.  You can walk through the woods on different trails that are tagged based on their difficulty. You can also walk on a lovely trail that winds its way around the end of the lake.

If you are a fisherman, you need to bring your rod and reel out to Walnut Creek Park. I have seen folks fishing from the sides of the lake, as well as from boats that they have launched themselves.  You could also fish from one of the many canoes that are available for rent.

All in all, Walnut Creek Park is a great place to spend an hour or an entire day.

- Guest post by Elizabeth Muse / http://www.ADaysOuting.com

Click here to visit the Walnut Creek Park website.

Map to Walnut Creek Park

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!

Is Now a Good Time to Buy?

October 5, 2010 by Sasha C. Farmer, REALTOR ® · 2 Comments 

Time Magazine’s September 11 cover story attempts to make a strong case against homeownership in the article found here; but I have actually found my recent conversations with clients (current and pending) to present a story that is quite the opposite.

Are you still debating whether or not it is a “good time to buy”?  It is never a good time to buy for EVERYONE, but right now is a GREAT time to buy for many people, and I hope the naysayers aren’t swaying people away from making a decision that could very well be right for them.  If you have income/job consistency and plan to stay in the same location for 5+ years, this may be the best time to buy that we’ll see in this lifetime.  In Charlottesville, we have excellent selection, competitive prices, and we’re seeing the same low interest rates that all of these experts mention.

Here is an interesting article from Steve Harney, a real estate expert who has stayed abreast of the current real state market and seems to do a good job reporting on it fairly.

“If you don’t own a home, buy one. If you own one home, buy another one. And if you own two homes, buy a third and lend your relatives the money to buy one.”  – John Paulson 9/27/2010

WOW! That’s a powerful statement.

There is no question that John Paulson is a bull when it comes to residential real estate right now. Should we care what Mr. Paulson thinks? Should we listen to him? The answer to both questions is a resounding ‘YES’. Here are several reasons why.

Who is John Paulson?

Paulson is the person who made a fortune betting that the subprime mortgage mess would cause the the real estate market to collapse. He understands how the housing market works and knows when to buy and when to sell. What do others think of Paulson?

According to Forbes John Paulson is:

a multibillionaire hedge fund operator and the investment genius who made a killing going short subprime mortgages a few years ago.

According to the Wall Street Journal Paulson is:

a hedge fund tycoon who made his name, and a fortune, betting against subprime mortgages when no one else even knew what they were.

What did other financial players think of his statement?

The Wall Street Journal agrees with Paulson:

Ignore the critics. The odds have to be on his side…It isn’t just that home prices have fallen a long way. It’s also that, if you can get a mortgage, you are basically taking a reverse bet on the bond market. You could be a long-term borrower at fixed rates, instead of a long-term lender. Right now you can borrow for 30 years at around 4.3%. After the mortgage tax deduction, for some people the net effective interest rate is nearer to 3%. That’s going to prove an awesome deal if we see inflation again.

And Forbes said:

As this is the best time in 50 years to buy homes, Paulson advised his listeners to take 30 year mortgages to buy a home as “your debt and interest payments get locked in at record lows, while the price of your home will rise.”

Are others also saying now is the time to buy?

Just last week, we posted that there is a growing number of people saying that NOW is the time to buy, including:

• The Wall Street Journal
• Professor Karl Case, founder of the Case Shiller House Pricing Index
• The wealthiest families in the country and
• 70% of everyone else in America

Bottom Line

Thinking of buying a home? Are you taking advice from a friend or family member telling you that now is not the time? It may be time to listen to people who better understand the opportunities that exist in real estate today.

via If HE Says It Is Time To Buy a Home, BUY A HOME!.

I hope that if you’re considering purchasing a home, you will give me a call or shoot me an email to discuss your options and take a look at whether or not buying a new home in Charlottesville might be the right decision for you!

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