Martin’s Downtown Bar & Grill
I had lunch today at Martin’s Downtown Bar & Grill with several executives from Hall Associates, the Roanoke commercial real estate firm.
It was very crowded which would lead you to believe the food was pretty good. I can honestly say I wasn’t disappointed in my sandwich fare, but not overly impressed either. The atmosphere of the place is very modern with artwork from Roanoke’s past on the walls in the entryway.
I chose the onion rings over the fries and these were excellent. Done just right if you ask me. My sandwich (the Cuban Pork) was a little on the bland side. Don’t get me wrong, it was tasty but I think could’ve used a little more attention to the right combination of herbs and/or spices.
All in all it was a good lunchtime meal with the downtown crowd.
Roanoke Valley home sales increase in June
According to the Virginia Association of REALTORS®, home sales in the Roanoke Valley increased during the month of June defying the downward trend of other regions in Virginia and nationally.
Areas showing increases in closed transactions for the month included the Charlottesville Area, Eastern Shore, Harrisonburg/Rockingham County, Lexington/Buena Vista, Lynchburg, Chesapeake Bay & Rivers, New River Valley, Richmond Metro, Roanoke Valley, and Southwest Virginia. [Emphasis added.]
Sales in the Roanoke Virginia real estate area were on the rise in May as well.
Hiking in Botetourt County
It was my birthday on Friday so I decided to take a hike in the Jefferson National Forest in Botetourt County near Troutville.
It had rained during the night so the woods were good and wet, which normally can lead to an uncomfortable hiking experience, but I also know that certain woodland critters come out after a rain so I was keeping an eye out for them. The picture is several Red Efts I discovered during my Botetourt foray. They are the terrestrial stage of the Red-spotted Newt which is a salamander that can often be found in woodland ponds and springs. I also came across another species of salamander in a creek (not yet identified) when I was flipping over some rocks, and of course there were quite a few crawfish in the creek as well.
You can view more of my photos from this hike on my new Flickr account.
You know it’s been a while since you mowed when…
…you pull the mower out of the shed and uncover a nest of baby mice. Not little pinky baby mice, but baby mice with hair (although their eyes were still closed)! I felt awful for disturbing their comfortable little nest, but I closed the shed back up (after removing the mower) and trust Momma Mouse will tidy everything up under something else. I’ve included a photo of one of the more attractive of the mice, notice the little white spot on its head? I imagine he’ll grow up to be something special, kind of like the Mikhail Gorbachev of mice.
In my defense, I didn’t mow the grass the last time it needed it, I was on vacation and my dad surprised us by mowing it himself while we were away! Wasn’t that nice! (Sorry for the graininess of the photo, I snapped it with my cell phone camera.)
Tudor style homes in Roanoke
CNNMoney.com had a really good article on Tudor style homes the other day.
Here’s a short excerpt-
Tudor homes are based on the architecture of England at the end of medieval times. The style evolved during the late 15th century and lasted until shortly after the turn of the 17th century.
Half-timbered, stucco walls, turrets and steeply pitched roofs with cross gables are characteristics of the style. Windows tend to be very tall and panes very small; they’re often leaded in a diamond pattern. Arched entryways and substantial chimneys topped by terra cotta pots are also common Tudor themes.
I’ve always loved the architecture in Roanoke’s tudor homes. The Grandin Village, Raleigh Court and Grandin Court areas in Roanoke, as well as others, have many tudor style homes. There are several tudor style homes on the market in Roanoke right now. Contact me for more information or a no-obligation showing. The picture to the right is from one of the homes currently on the market.
Helping those who help us
To :
Area Firefighters
Area Law Enforcement Officers
Area EMS Personnel
In appreciation for the work you do for the people of the Roanoke Valley, I am now offering a great incentive for you to help you with the sale of your home and/or the purchase of your new home.
I will discount my normal commission for you on the house you are selling to help you save on the sell of your home, and, whether you’re selling a home or buying your first home, I will offer you a rebate on my commission I earn on the purchase of your home and apply it toward your closing costs to help you at closing.
There are no strings attached. Being a former EMT-Cardiac and working with local law enforcement during a six and a half year stint as a Magistrate in the Roanoke Valley, I appreciate the hard work you put into your careers and know civil servants don’t always make the highest salaries for the work they do.
Give me a call at (540) 397-0014 or email me for more information.
Roanoke firefighter censured over website
From RoanokeFire.com-
An article ran in the paper today: Roanoke Firefighter filing a grievance against the city over job transfer. The article speaks of how Mike Banks, a 31 year veteran and Captain of the Roanoke Fire-EMS Department, has filed a grievance over comments made about his website during a cluster meeting with the Chiefs of the department. Captain Banks hosts a website: www.roanokerumormill.com. The site enables firefighters, or anyone for that matter, to post comments on a message board anonymously. The firefighters have left a wide array of comments over the past 2 years on the site. During a cluster meeting last year, Banks states that he was told to take the site down by the Chiefs. The cluster meetings are held at various stations in the City so that other Companies can meet up and the Chiefs can speak to more firefighters at once. I was at the meeting that Banks speaks of and worked for Banks at the time of the meeting. I also heard that the same remark was made at other cluster meetings that day.
I do not think there are too many firefighters in the City who would disagree that there is retaliation in our work place. I am not saying it happens every day, but it happens. Most of the firefighters are not willing to stand up for even the smallest things because of the fear of retaliation.
From Roanoke.com, Roanoke City management responds and comments from the judge considering the case–
“Absolutely not,” said acting Fire-EMS Chief David Hoback.
On June 26, City Manager Darlene Burcham ruled that Banks had no legal grounds for a grievance.
Judge Charlie Dorsey listened to evidence Monday but did not make any rulings. Attorneys on both sides said they will file written arguments within the next few weeks.
Dorsey said in the hearing that the city has no right to order Banks to take down the Web site, but also noted that rights of free speech and rights of the workplace “are not always completely separate.”
Looking for GIS Information?
I have found in my web stats a lot of people visiting my site looking for local GIS information. I have all the links to the local GIS websites on the right-hand side of this site, but I’m adding this post for people who may not notice them.
Roanoke Valley GIS websites
- Roanoke City GIS
- Roanoke County GIS
- Salem City GIS
- Bedford County GIS
- Botetourt County GIS
- Floyd County GIS (1)
- Floyd County GIS (2)
- Franklin County GIS
- Pittsylvania County GIS
GIS websites are great tools for researching real estate tax information, real estate acreage and other information about real estate in the Roanoke Valley. Roanoke realtors often use real estate GIS information to help them market your property.
They are not good tools for trying to price a home yourself. The tax-assessed value of a property is generally lower than the fair market value of your home. Let a qualified Roanoke real estate agent assist you in pricing your home for sale. FSBO’s often lose their shirt (and money) in a real estate transaction when they misprice their home. My first home (before I obtained my license) I bought $6,000 under the appraised value because the home was underpriced by the owner.
