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Great Deals for Richmond-area Homeowners

Want to update your home? Two upcoming events can help you get a great deal on materials and home decor.

Two upcoming Richmond-area events will benefit homeowners and the local Habitat for Humanity, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Contractor Sale

"Hanover Habitat for Humanity and the central Virginia chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry will hold a contractor yard sale Oct. 24 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hanover Habitat for Humanity office at 8177 Mechanicsville Turnpike.

Area contractors are invited to drop off priced items -- such as windows, doors, countertops, cabinets, plumbing fixtures, lighting and flooring --Tuesday through Thursday. Items will be stored until the sale. On the day of the sale, contractors should bring tables, cash for change, a tent in case of inclement weather and business cards. There is no cost to participate, but you may donate a portion of your proceeds to NARI or Habitat for Humanity.

To sign up, e-mail info@naricentralva.org or call (804) 641-1438. The groups are also looking for sponsors to help with advertising costs. Sponsors will be recognized on a banner at the sale."

Rug for a Rug

"Capel Rugs, located at 3995 Deep Rock Road in Henrico County, has partnered with Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity for its "Trade In, Trade Up" event today through Oct. 31. Shoppers who bring gently used rugs to the store will receive savings on new area rugs. Donations benefit the Richmond Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

For each rug donated, shoppers will receive 25 percent off their purchase of a new area rug and a tax donation receipt from the Richmond Habitat ReStore if the rug is reuseable. The store's staff will be available to help customers unload used rugs Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m"

Read the original article.

Posted on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 - 5:32pm

Parade of Homes Kicks Off This Weekend in Metro Richmond

This weekend marks the laungh of this year's Parade of Homes in Richmond and the Tri-Cities area, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The homes on display range in value from $170,000 to $1.5 million, and also use a variety of energy efficient materials.

Many homeowners enjoying looking at the Parade of Homes to keep them informed on designs and materials being used in new homes. For any homeowner in the Richmond and Tri-cities area looking to renovate or update their home, this would be a great place to get ideas.

"The annual Parade of Homes kicks off this weekend, showcasing new homes by builders in the Richmond and Tri-Cities area.

In all, 71 homes by 36 builders will be open for viewing the next three weekends from noon to 5 p.m.

This year's event is pared down from last year, when 130 homes by 60 builders were on display, as the housing slump continues to hammer the industry.

'We're fortunate to have this many entries,' said Victoria Moody with the Home Building Association of Richmond, the parade's organizer.

The annual Parade of Homes has been held since 1951. This year's 71 houses mark the fewest number since 1984, when 68 homes were open for touring.

'This is your best opportunity to see every type of new home imaginable, showcasing the latest in designs, construction techniques and materials, at prices ranging from $170,000 to $1.5 million,' according to promotional material.

This year's tour includes one of the country's first houses for entry-level buyers certified for energy savings by the National Association of Home Builders through the National Green Building Program.

The house, built by First Richmond Associates, is on the market for $209,500. It is certified at the bronze level, the lowest of four levels."

Read the full story.

Posted on Thursday, October 1, 2009 - 4:08pm

Chesapeake Bay Reports Call For More Livestock, Runoff Regulations

Last week federal officials released parts of a strategy to restore the Chesapeake Bay, according to NewsDay.com.

The report focuses on expanding regulation of large-scale animal farms and municipal stormwater runoff. Although details of the expanded regulations have not been decided, the report did mention that federal leadership and "muscle" would be used when necessary to enforce the new regulations.

This report, along with others wll be used to develop a bay restoration strategy scheduled for release on Novemeber 9th.

Because many of the Virginia localities in the Chesapeake Watershed are heavily farmed areas, many Virginia property owners could be affected. Property owners will need to ensure that their rights are protected in the process of restoring the Chesapeake Bay.

"Federal officials on Thursday began revealing the building blocks of a strategy to restore the Chesapeake Bay, using federal leadership to encourage states to cut pollution and federal muscle, when necessary, to ensure it happens.

Among recommendations in draft reports from federal agencies: expanded regulation of large-scale animal farms and municipal stormwater runoff, and requirements that increases in pollution be offset by reductions from other sources.

The details, such as how many more animal feeding operations would be regulated, have not been decided, but 'the message here is that there will be, there is a commitment at EPA to increased enforcement and increased oversight of state programs,' EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said Thursday.

The reports will be used to develop a bay restoration strategy, scheduled for release Nov. 9, that was mandated by an executive order issued earlier this year by President Obama.

The EPA said it was working with Chesapeake Bay states and the District of Columbia to establish limits for nitrogen, phosphorus and sediments. States would have to develop detailed plans on how to reduce levels of those pollutants from sources such as farms, highways and lawns. The EPA said it would step in if states don't take sufficient action.

While large operations such as industrial chicken farms would be regulated, the EPA said it would also expand regulation of municipal stormwater programs to include high-growth areas.

Jackson said the goal was to use federal leadership, and 'federal muscle when necessary.'

Agriculture is responsible for about half the pollution entering the bay, but Jackson noted there is more turf grass in the bay watershed than corn acreage and the region is much different from when bay restoration efforts began decades ago."

Read full story.

Posted on Monday, September 14, 2009 - 10:50am

Hopewell Residents to Get New Wastewater Treatment Facility

Hopewell city officials are planning to shut down Hopewell's primary wastewater treatment plan and expand operations at the regional wastewater facility, according to the Progress-Index.

Much of the wastewater from Fort Lee and Prince George is treated in Hopewell. The city is obligated to fulfill its contractual obligations to both localities.

City Council is working on a financial plan that will not burden Hopewell residents and protect the city's cash flow.

Hopewell homeowners can look for construction to begin next summer.

"Consultants presented City Council with a financial plan last night to implement relocation of the city's primary wastewater treatment plant. The anticipated cost for the project is $30 million, payable with two separate revenue bonds.

'Bidding will be in place by the end of the year, and construction could begin in summer of 2010,' said Jimmy Sanderson of Davenport & Company LLC, the city's financial adviser.

Sanderson suggested two phases for the project implementation.

'In the first phase, we'll borrow $17.5 [million] to $18 million by the end of 2009, which is the cap on debt issued this year,' he said. 'We will borrow the remaining balance in the second phase, which is 2010,' Sanderson added.

The plan does not include any federal grant money. Sanderson suggested that the city hire a feasibility consultant to analyze the bond package.

The goals of the plan are to minimize future impacts to Hopewell residents and minimize any cash flow impacting the city's general fund. Consultants also advise to take advantage of changes to federal tax law through the federal stimulus package."

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Posted on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 9:06am

NOVA Commuters Anxiously Awaiting VRE Express Trains

According to InsideNova.com federal stimulus money might help advance railroad services in NOVA, and pave way for the Virginia Railroad Express.

Commuters are anxious for the express trains, which could get them to work faster (and with less of a headache) than driving. Homeowners can jump on the bandwagon of supporting this project because in the long run it will do wonders in improving quality of living and increasing property values.

"Virginia will apply for $72 million in federal stimulus money this month to build a third set of rails between Prince William and Stafford counties.

The state is expected to file for the money Aug. 24, and if approved, it will go to fund a third set of train tracks between Powell’s Creek in Dumfries and the Widewater area of Stafford County.

The project is part of the state’s comprehensive vision to bring high-speed rail to the Northern Virginia from Petersburg, and in part will pave the way for Virginia Railway Express to start running express trains on their Fredericksburg line.

The express trains will be 10 cars long and originate during the mornings in Fredericksburg and from Washington in the evenings. The trains would run during peak travel times and stop at only two stations along the route before reaching the end of the line, said VRE spokesman Mark Roeber.

'Those trains would take as much as one lane’s worth of traffic off the highway in one fell swoop, and anyone who boarded the express service would be guaranteed to beat any car on the road and get to work faster,' said Roeber.

The trains would travel at speeds of 90 mph, which is considered the standard for high-speed rail in the U.S. But officials are working to increase the speeds to 110 mph while negotiating with the company, which currently owns the tracks, CSX."

Read full story.

Posted on Thursday, August 13, 2009 - 1:16pm

Free Pesticide Disposal Service for Southside Residents in 2009

A free service offered by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service, and the Virginia Pesticide Control Board will dispose of harmful pesticides at no cost to residents and businesses in their southside service area, according to a recent article in the Progress-Index.

The program assists agricultural producers, licensed pesticide dealers and pest control firms, golf courses and homeowners with the proper disposal of unwanted pesticides. The program is available at no cost to eligible participants. 

To administer the Pesticide Disposal Program, Virginia is subdivided into 5 regions. A pesticide disposal program is conducted annually in localities within each of the regions. Once all 5 regions have been served, the program will start another cycle. The Southside region is being serviced by the program for the remainder of 2009.

Participants should complete a pesticide disposal registration form ahead of time and return the completed form to VDACS, PO Box 1163, Richmond VA 23218. The form is available online, or by contacting Pesticide Disposal Program at (804) 786-3798.

"The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Virginia Pesticide Control Board invite farmers, pesticide dealers, pest control firms, homeowners and golf courses to participate in the 2009 pesticide disposal program, which collects unwanted, outdated, or banned pesticides and disposes of them in a safe manner. VDACS, through its Office of Pesticide Services, provides this service at no cost to participants in the designated localities.

The program is funded through pesticide product registration fees collected by OPS.

Since its inception, Virginia's Pesticide Disposal Program has collected and destroyed nearly 1.5 million pounds of outdated and unwanted pesticides, completely eliminating the environmental threat they could have posed."

Read full story.

Posted on Thursday, August 13, 2009 - 12:40pm

Virginia Police Departments to Get $5.1 Million to Hire and Keep Officers

Image from euthmanThe Richmond Times-Dispatch reported on some news that will help to strengthen Virginia communities and keep city streets safe. Several Virginia Police Departments are receiving federal stimulus funds to support their staff.

"Petersburg, Hopewell, and the Richmond Redevelopment & Housing Authority will benefit from more than $5.1 million in federal stimulus funds to hire and retain police officers in Virginia.

The government announced grants today of:

  • $814,800 to the Petersburg Bureau of Police, or enough to pay the salary and benefits of five officers for three years;
  • $490,560 to the Hopewell Bureau of Police, for three officers;
  • $166,505 to the RRHA Police for one officer; and
  • More than $3.6 million to police departments in Norfolk, Roanoke, Winchester, Manassas, and Emporia, for 22 officers."

Read full story.

Posted on Tuesday, July 28, 2009 - 4:16pm

Local Home Sales Rebound in Tri-Cities

Image from sfadden

The Progress-Index posted a story today about the growth of home sales in the Tri-Cities area.

"Home sales in the Tri-Cities posted a solid rebound in the second quarter, helped by tax credits and low interest rates, though sales and prices remained well below the levels of a year earlier.

In the three months ended June 30, 1,140 homes changed hands in the region, up a sharp 56 percent from the first three months of the year, according to newly released figures from the Southside Virginia Association of Realtors. Excluding Chesterfield County, 223 homes were sold in the June quarter, a 26 percent increase from the January-March period.

The increase in existing-home sales was not unexpected, as the April-June quarter usually is the strongest sales period of the year. However, the 26 percent quarter-to-quarter jump was much bigger than the 19 percent increase registered in the second quarter of last year."

Read full story to see home sales statistics for your hometown.

Posted on Tuesday, July 28, 2009 - 12:08pm

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Posted on Monday, June 15, 2009 - 12:00am