Two Blacksburg environmental projects have won the 2008 Governor's Environmental Excellence awards.
The awards were presented last week at the Environment Virginia Conference in Lexington to businesses and government agencies that strive for environmental protection and sustainability.
The town's electronic waste recycling program, established in 2006 through a federal grant program, won a gold..(read more)
As the weather improves, homeowners start to tackle a major home improvement project: fixing or replacing their roof. Often this is a job that homeowners delay doing because it can be a pricey, tedious process.
"Some consumers are on top of it and start looking at new roofs well before the life span of their current roof runs out," says Steven James, VP Business Development for Eagle..(read more)
Four factors are widely seen as affecting whether a housing market is a good one for sellers: job growth, amount of new construction, vacancy rates, and credit availability.
Forbes magazine used a variety of resources to determine how the country’s 40 largest metro areas fared according to these measures. The result is this list of top 10 cities for sellers.
U.S. House Democrats are drafting a plan for curing the housing crisis by offering tax breaks to home owners, first-time homebuyers, and developers of low-income housing.
The plan, which will be unveiled this week, deliberately snubs the struggling home-building industry.
"We need to provide relief to the buyers and families themselves, not just the banks and builders,"..(read more)
Since passed by overwhelming Capitol Hill majorities in January, there has been much talk regarding the economic stimulus package. Yes, it will cost $168 billion, but what does it actually do for individuals?
The stimulus package is designed to help the country moderate the worst effects of a slowing economy and perhaps even avoid a recession. The idea is to encourage spending and with..(read more)
It is common to assume that paying bills on time automatically means having a high credit score. Unfortunately, that's not always the case. There are many misperceptions about how scores are calculated -- and yours could be lower than you might expect.
Credit scores are used by financial institutions to determine whether they should lend money to a potential borrower and, if so, what interest rate..(read more)
Not all real estate practitioners are REALTORS®. The term REALTOR® is a registered trademark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. Here are five reasons why it pays to work with a REALTOR®.
1. Navigate a complicated process. Buying or selling a home usually requires..(read more)
According to Remodeling magazine’s 20th annual Cost vs. Value Report, the top five midrange home improvements that bring the greatest returns are: a wood deck addition (85.4 percent); siding replacement (83.2 percent); minor kitchen remodel (83 percent); wood window replacement (81.2 percent); and vinyl window replacement (79.3 percent). For more information, go to www.costvsvalue.com.(comment)
One way to prepare for the costs of owning a home beyond the mortgage payment, insurance and taxes, is to know the expected life expectancy of your home's components.
Such knowledge doesn't supersede the use of a home inspector when buying a home, new or old, but it can help you develop a savings plan so you are prepared for the inevitable.
Sooner or later you'll have to repair or replace many..(read more)
Selection, selection, selection. There are 875 homes for sale in the New River Valley! Regardless of the price range a buyer desires, there are plenty of houses from which to choose. Just a few years ago the resale inventory dropped below 5,000 units. A buyer was forced to make compromises if they were going to locate the home of their dreams. There is a great selection of attached homes,..(read more)
