Fredericksburg, VA

Life is full of events that flag certain milestones in life. These milestones come in different forms, be they job related, academic, social, emotional, or another. Significant achievements often designate what we might call a "rite of passage". A sort of coming into our own. Well, many who found themselves in Fredericksburg this past weekend, may have witnessed just such an event in the life of our City. What was the big event? The opening of Fredericksburg's very own Wegmans supermarket. But, as anyone whose been inside a Wegmans can tell you, it is anything but your father's neighborhood grocery store.

While Wegmans has some seventy stores, they're exclusively in the Northeastern U.S. Many shoppers outside of this area have never heard of Wegmans, much less stepped inside their doors. From its birthplace of Rochester, N.Y., it's stores have spread to neighboring states New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland. Store features include:

1. Cheese Shop

2. Bakery

3. Coffee bar

4. Patisserie

5. Sushi Station

6. Seafood Bar (with wine & beer by the glass)

7. Burrito and Panini bar

8. Crab Cake Counter

9. Thai & Indian Buffet

10. Kosher Deli

And much more, to include the two levels of seating for diners, who would rather sit down to enjoy their food. This includes the upstairs balcony, where those who enjoy the touch of fresh air feel right at home.

For those of us who avoided the 20,000 or so shoppers who were brave enough to wade into Wegman's on opening day, there's plenty left to be had. I happened to stop in earlier today, and the shelves have been fully re-stocked, while the aisles are still quite busy. Its something new, and not your ordinary "shopping" experience. As a matter of fact, the kids I witnessed in the store, seemed to be enjoying themselves as much as their parents.

Many have chosen to call Fredericksburg home because of its location, or history, or family in the area, or for its culture, or lifestyle reasons, among others. And, availability of shopping is an important consideration for many. With Wegmans moving into the neighborhood, we're beginning to look a bit more like the "Big Time." Now, if we can just convince Trader Joe's that Fredericksburg is big enough for them too, we might be on to something!

To Continue Reading this Article, Click Here: When You Know You've Made the "Big Time"

As an old friend used to remind us, "We all going to make a little bit money, but none of us is going to get any more time." Wasting time is something none of us can afford to do (well, at least I can't). But, it seems that no matter how hard we try, it's "built into the system". In other words, it's just part of life. Many of the processes we're involved in are controlled by others. We don't control all the moving parts, the timing, the content, or, the logistics of getting to the finished product. But, what if we could find a way to make things "better, faster, cheaper", would we?

Callaborative platforms or software allows us to do just that. Collaborative management tools like videoconferencing, online chats, instant messaging, application sharing, Wikis, and many others, allow us to leverage technology to, in essence, make it easier to accomplish a task. Among other things, it provides users with access to the same material or event at the same time. In other words, simultaneous task accomplishment.

In yesterday's real estate Google Alerts I ran across the article, New Business Eliminates Real Estate Paperwork, highlighting an effort by a couple of agents in Cincinnati, Ohio, to develop software that provides those involved in reale estate transactions the capability to track negotiations and complete transactions online, and yes, that includes using electronic signatures. The software is called MLS Contracts and is currently being Beta tested by their brokerage firm.

This looks like another tool to improve our business process. It'll make the process more convenient and productive for agents and their clients. Let's hope the Beta test is without too many hiccups, and before we know it, we'll all be using MLS Contracts, or something similar

To Continue Reading this Article, Click Here: Can You Say Convenience?

RE/MAX BRAVO | REMAX BRAVO | 540-891-8888 602 Falkirk Ct, Fredericksburg, VA 3BR/3.5BA Townhouse offered at $129,900 Year Built 1991 Sq Footage 2,772 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 3 full, 1 partial Floors 3 Parking Unspecified Lot Size 0.04 acres HOA/Maint $40 per month see additional photos below PROPERTY FEATURES Central A/C Fireplace Family room Living room Dining room Basement Balcony, Deck, or Patio ADDITIONAL PHOTOS Photo 1 Photo 2 Photo 3 Photo 4 Photo 5 Photo 6 Contact info: RE/MAX BRAVO REMAX BRAVO 540-891-8888 For sale by agent/broker Equal Opportunity Housing Posted: May 13, 2009, 5:06am PDT

RE/MAX BRAVO
10401 Courthouse Rd
Spotsylvania, VA 22553
540-891-8884 (Phone)
540-891-8884 (Fax)
http://www.fredva.com/
Licensed In The State Of VA

Kevin McGrath | REMAX BRAVO | 540-604-1843 828 Churchill Dr, Fredericksburg, VA 4BR/2BA Single Family House offered at $136,000 Year Built 1976 Sq Footage 1,801 Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Floors 3 Parking Unspecified Lot Size Unspecified HOA/Maint $0 per month see additional photos below PROPERTY FEATURES Central A/C Fireplace Family room Living room Basement Balcony, Deck, or Patio Yard ADDITIONAL PHOTOS Photo 1 Photo 2 Photo 3 Photo 4 Contact info: Kevin McGrath REMAX BRAVO 540-604-1843 For sale by agent/broker Equal Opportunity Housing Posted: May 6, 2009, 4:46pm PDT

RE/MAX BRAVO
10401 Courthouse Rd
Spotsylvania, VA 22553
540-891-8884 (Phone)
540-891-8884 (Fax)
http://www.fredva.com/
Licensed In The State Of VA

Balancing a budget is one task that most public officials seldom look forward to. It requires making choices. Often, tough choices.

As reported in the weekend's Free Lance Star, Fredericksburg's recent budget proposal by the City Council indicates the real estate tax rate for the city will increase from 56 cents to 70.5 cents per $100 of value next year. If the proposal is successful, that would mean the tax on property valued at $100,000 would be $705 dollars instead of the previous rate's tax yield of $560. While that appears to be a sharp increase in what property owners will pay in real estate taxes, that's not the entire story.

Real estate tax rates normally fluctuate depending upon the variance or change in the assessed value of real estate in the county/city. What is assessed value? Simply put, it is a dollar value assigned to a property for the specific purpose of assessing or calculating taxes. In Fredericksburg's case, there was an overall decrease of 24 percent of single family residential property values. To compensate for the decrease in real estate property values and, as a result, lost revenue, the tax rate had to be increased to gain needed revenue to meet budget expenditures. In addition to meeting the budget costs, the City Council decided to "plus up" the tax rate to bring in additional revenues as well. That to the tune of $1.6 million.

That additional money may be where the Council runs into a bit of trouble. Many citizens understand the balancing act between assessed value and the real estate tax rate. However, the tax rate increase to generate new revenue seldom passes without opposition. Fortunately, citizens can voice their concerns, pro or con, at a public hearing, scheduled at City Hall, on June 9, at 7:30 PM. For those who enjoy a bit of back and forth with elected officials, you might want to mark your calendar.

To Continue Reading this Article, Click Here: Fredericksburg's Tax Man