Old Mill Townhomes

That is what smart money columnist advises. Forget the conventional wisdom about renting. It turns out that renting is one of the smartest investments you can make.

In fact when economists run the numbers they find that renters save an average of $560 every month just by choosing to rent rather than buying.

And don't worry about losing out on the investment potential of a house. Renting allows you to use your "down payment money" for other investments, which provide a higher return than real estate, even in a booming housing market.

As a case in point, a $100 investment in housing in 1985 would be worth $293 today, while that same $100 placed in stocks would be worth $1146 - nearly four times as much.

When you add up all of the potential liabilities of home ownership - hidden maintenance and insurance costs, rising property taxes and potential price drops - renting is a smarter choice from the start.

Live smart; rent from the leading Lynchburg apartment home community: HHHunt. For more information on apartments or townhomes in Lynchburg, VA contact Old Mill Apartment Homes.

National Multi Housing Counci

“Home, sweet home” means a mortgage payment less and less often these days.

Despite historically low home prices, Americans are renting in greater numbers than ever. Nationally, the trend reflects an unstable housing market while many are choosing to rent.

“The housing collapse certainly illustrated that homeownership isn’t always a ‘can’t miss’ investment and entails disadvantages as well as benefits,” said Jim Lapides, public relations director for the National Multi-Housing Council. “We’re seeing long-term demographics that favor renting.”

The number of U.S. renter households grew by almost 4 million between 2005 and 2010. It is estimated that the number of renter households nationwide will increase by 360,000 to 470,000 annually over the next decade.

The majority no longer believe that a home purchase as a stable investment. That whole mentality has changed. People aren’t anticipating their home’s value will continue to increase like they used to. There’s a case for renting that wasn’t here five years ago.

A significant segment of renters are also young people who want to remain unfettered to a specific area or region.

About 76 million members of the Millennial Generation, those born in the 1980s and early 1990s, are entering the housing market, primarily as renters.
 
If it fits your lifestyle, renting an apartment in Lynchbug, VA is a good investment. Young people don’t want to be tied down. They’re at the beginning of their lives and they want to avoid the commitment and the cost of homeownership.

Original article – Shreveport Times

Sometimes in February, the month stuck between winter and spring in Virginia, it is hard to think of things to do. Well, as residents of townhomes in Lynchburg, Va, you  have loads of ideas right here:
 
Friday, Feb. 10
• The Maier Museum of Art’s Ninth Annual Love at the Maier event is set for 5:30 p.m. Admission is $5 for the general public and $4 for Maier members. A related event, Love at the Maier Family Program, in which children are invited to create valentines inspired by the exhibit, is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Feb. 12
• Riverviews Artspace will pick its On Screen/In Person Film Series back up with a screening of Concrete, Steel and Paint, a documentary about a prison art class collaborating with crime victims to design a mural.

Friday, Feb. 17
• Dance Theatre of Lynchburg’s annual Leaps and Bounds performance is scheduled for 7 p.m., with more shows at 7 p.m. Feb. 18 and 3 p.m. Feb. 19.
 
• Ragtime: The Musical will open in Liberty University’s Tower Theater at 7:30 p.m. Other performances are set for 7:30 p.m. Feb. 18, 24, 25 and March 2 and 3; 2 p.m. Feb. 18 and March 3; and 2:30 p.m. Feb. 26 and March 4.

Thursday, Feb. 23
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream will open at Randolph College at 7:30 p.m. The theater department’s winter production also has performances at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24, 25 and 27 and 2 p.m. Feb. 26; all are in the Thoresen Theatre, and tickets are $10 for general admission, $8 for Randolph faculty, staff and alums and $5 for students and seniors.

• Lynchburg College’s theater department will also open its latest production, The Miss Firecracker Contest, at 7:30 p.m. in the Dillard Fine Arts Center theater. Other performances are at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 23, 24 and 25 and 2 p.m. Feb. 26. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for students; the box office opens Feb. 20.

• That same night, LC hosts A Night at the Movies, in which the Wind Symphony and Orchestra will perform selections from films like “JFK,” “Forrest Gump,” “1941” and “Paradise Road” in the Sydnor Performance Hall. Another performance is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24.

Friday, Feb. 24
• Bedford’s Little Town Players will open Arsenic and Old Lace at 8 p.m., with other performances at 8 p.m. Feb. 25 and March 2 and 3 and 2 p.m. Feb. 26 and March 4. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for children 12 and younger.

Saturday, Feb. 25
• The 8th annual Downtown Lynchburg Loft Tour runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with ticket sales benefiting the Free Clinic of Central Virginia. Tickets go on sale Feb. 1 and cost $20 in advance or $25 on the day of the tour.

• Later that night, the Jefferson Choral Society will present Water Music, featuring tunes like “Shenandoah,” “Deep River,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “Ol’ Man River,” at 7:30 p.m. at Timberlake United Methodist Church. Another performance is set for 4 p.m. Feb. 26. Tickets are $20 for adults and $8 for kids 12 and older.

• The Blues Brother Revue will come to the Academy of Fine Arts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $27 for adults, $24 for seniors and $15 for students.

Sunday, Feb. 26
• Sweet Briar College will kick off its annual Gospel Fest, featuring some of the area’s best gospel choirs and singers, at 5 p.m. in Memorial Chapel. The event is free.

The News and Advance

Virginia is for Lovers. So if you live in an apartment in Lynchburg, VA, Valentine’s day should be a snap. This Valentine's Day you can show some love for your sweetheart and for the local  businesses. The Lynchburg tourism department is promoting several local Valentine's Day packages.

These packages include romantic dinners to private limo rides. There is also the added bonus of supporting the local economy.

"Our state tourism slogan is, ‘Virginia is For Lovers,' but when you get to down and figure out what is available you will find our ‘Lynchburg is for Lovers,'" said Nix, director of Discover Lynchburg.

Lynchburg lovers can enjoy a romantic night stay at several local hotels like the Craddock Terry. Many are offering package deals, and they will set the mood for you.

"You will also get a romantic petal turndown service in the evening, champagne, and a $20 voucher towards our gift shop," said Todd Swindell, hotel director of the Craddock Terry.

Another idea: escape to a local bed and breakfast like Acorn Hill Lodge, where the goal is to make you feel right at home.

"The suites are beautiful, and very comfortable," said Julie Robertson, an officer manager at Acorn Hill Lodge.

The special suites will include chocolate covered strawberries and champagne. Couples can enjoy some rest and relaxation at the Acorn Spa.

"The spa is going to offer a couple's massage for a $100. And, we are going to offer our beautiful king suite for a $175," said Robertson.

There are several Valentine's Day inspired events planned for the next few weeks. One event called Cupids and Cuisine will have a five course meal featuring chocolate.

There is a complete list of the deals at Discover Lynchburg's website.

Original article - ABC 13

Old Mill Town Homes, a community of town homes in Lynchburg, VA would like to remind you to check your outside pets for ticks. This winter, because it is so mild has seen more ticks than normal. Area veterinarians say the tick population is much worse than they typically see in the winter.

On Friday, animal hospitals around Lynchburg treated about a dozen dogs with tick bites.

It is thought that the mild winter is to blame because usually at this time of year, adult ticks are dormant far below the leaves.

As the temperature continues to drop, so will the number of ticks; and, unfortunately, the same thing goes for outdoor fleas, so make sure to check your pets.

It has been called the Big Selloff—America is headed toward a future in which fewer people own their homes. The effective homeownership rate stands at 62% percent, according to a 2010 report by the New York Federal Reserve.

As more people move from owning to renting, apartment vacancy rates have fallen fast, from 8% in 2009 to 5.6% in third quarter 2011. The trends on renting apartments and townhomes in Lynchburg is no exception.

Those trends are just the beginning, the US is becoming a nation of renters and home ownership will keep falling. And some experts say that could be good for the country.

This dramatic change, triggered by the 2008 housing collapse, has shifted people’s views of home ownership. The number of those who consider a home a safe investment fell from 83% in 2003 to 66% this year, according to a survey by Fannie Mae. In another poll last April, 40% of renters questioned said they plan never to buy a home. Another reason for this is that many baby boom retirees don’t want the burden of home repairs, rising property taxes and other responsibilities.


For more information on renting a townhome in Lynchburg, contact Old Mill Living.

Original article- the Fiscal Times

Many people are told when they are younger that renting is only for college graduates or people who cannot afford to buy.  Many parents hammer these ideas into their children and tell them that renting is equivalent to throwing money away every month.  Fortunately, today people are beginning to finally think for themselves and challenge these ideas.  Here are 4 reasons to pat yourself on the back for deciding to rent an townhouse in Lynchburg, VA at an HHHunt Community!  

1.  Renting can save money

At the very minimum you’ll be shelling out PITI for your home. That is:

• Principal
• Interest
• Tax
• Insurance

The PITI doesn’t include property maintenance like maintaining the yard, paint, plumbing, repairs, decorating, etc… When you rent an apartment in Lynchburg at an HHHunt community, the monthly payment is almost always quite a bit less than the PITI in your area and there are no maintenance expenses!

2. Homeowners’ tax deductions are overstated

According to research quoted by MSN, “… half of homeowners don’t get a break, because even with mortgage interest and property taxes, their total deductions do not exceed the standard federal tax deduction ($11,900 for couples and $5,450 for singles)”.

For these folks, it’s like spending $100 to save $20. They’re better off saving the difference and investing it.   Even if there is a “break” on your taxes, you typically had to spend more than you would have spent to rent to get back that $20 for every $100 spent in interest payments.

3. Renting gives you flexibility

For the up and coming young professional, you’re better off renting and saving for a few years than to buy a small condo. Who knows how fast you will outgrow it?  When you own a home, you can’t always sell it when you need to sell it at the price you want to sell it in order to accept a new employment opportunity.  If you have owned a home and don’t want the constant maintenance responsibility, renting gives you the opportunity to enjoy your weekends instead of completing that “to do” list.

4.  Our superb service teams!

Most apartment communities offer 24 hour emergency maintenance and technicians who are skilled in HVAC, plumbing, and electrical.  At an HHHunt Community, our service teams take great pride in offering prompt and professional service to you.  Whether you need a light bulb changed or a new compressor for your AC unit, we are there to take care of you as fast and efficient as possible.  We are always a phone call or email away and most service requests are performed on the same day or within 24 hours!

There are some great events coming up this winter for all of you living in townhomes in Lynchburg. Try to get in some of these great productions while you are out on school’s winter break.

This January’s events include music, art and theater productions. Here are some to keep an eye out for over the next months:

Friday, Jan. 6
Members of the Blue Ridge Photographic Arts Society will open a new exhibit, “Winter Solstice,” in the Academy of Fine Arts’ Up Front Gallery during First Fridays. The reception will run from 5 to 8 p.m., with music by Jay Daniels.
 
Saturday, Jan. 7
Amherst County Habitat for Humanity’s annual benefit concert, Bluegrass: Working On A Building, is set to run from 3 to 9 p.m. in Sweet Briar College’s Murchison Lane Auditorium. Performers include Hand Picked Grass, Corbin Hayslett, Long Mountain Grass, New Standard and Ridge Runners of Virginia. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and students and $5 for children younger than 12.

Tuesday, Jan. 17
E.C. Glass High School’s production of the Tony Award-winning Children of a Lesser God will open at 7:30 p.m. in the Alumni Studio Theatre. Other performances are at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 18-21. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students and seniors.

Lynchburg College’s Daura Gallery will host an opening reception at 4 p.m. for Aggregations. The exhibit features new work by Korean-based artist Kwang-Young Chun, who specializes in monumental sculptural installations; it will remain up through March 2.

Friday, Jan. 20
The exhibit Mirror of a Passing World: Ephemeral Places, Vanishing Spaces will open with a reception at 5 p.m. at The Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College. The exhibition is the being curated by six students from the museum’s first-ever Curatorial Seminar class.

Sweet Briar College will also open a new exhibit, This Green Earth: Landscapes from the Permanent Collection, at 5 p.m. It will remain up through April 1.

Liberty University’s Department of Music and Humanities will present Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance at 7:30 p.m. in the Tower Theater. Other performances are set for 7:30 p.m. Jan. 21, 26, 27 and 28 and 2:30 p.m.

Jan. 22.
Lynchburg College will hold a lecture and concert, Voices in Peril: Music of the Holocaust, at 7:30 p.m. in the Sydnor Performance Hall.

Saturday, Jan. 21
The American Shakespeare Center will bring its production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream to the Academy of Fine Arts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults, $22 for seniors and $13 for students.

Thursday, Jan. 26
The Foreigner will open at 7:30 p.m. at Jefferson Forest High School, with other performances at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27 and 28 and 2:30 p.m. Jan. 29.

Saturday, Jan. 28
Opera on the James will present Love Makes the World Go ‘Round, a concert of opera and Broadway tunes and more, at 7:30 p.m. in the Academy of Fine Arts’ Warehouse Theatre. Another performance is set for 3 p.m. Jan. 29.

Richmond-based band Blue Line Highway, who play a mix of blues, contemporary pop and traditional country, will perform at The Hamner Theater at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $15, and reservations are recommended.

Appomattox Courthouse Theatre’s production of First Baptist of Ivy Gap, about a group of women planning their church’s 75th anniversary celebration and, later, its 100th, opens at 7:30 p.m. Other performances are set for 7:30 p.m. Feb. 3, 4, 10 and 11 and 2 p.m. Jan. 29 and Feb. 5.

This is the time when college kids come home from school and their town homes in Lynchburg, VA and relax. Many of them have just had a very challenging week, and perhaps the exams didn’t come out as perfectly as they would have liked. Well, here are some study tips to bring back to school with you. 

Stress is part of the college experience, and it’s something we need to learn to deal with in life. We don’t, however, have to let it get the best of us.

No matter how many tests and papers you have, stress does not have to take over. You can do well in school without giving in to the stress.

Tests and finals are a huge part of college life. Here are some top tips for keeping stress at a minimum during exam week:

1. Avoid stressful people.
Stress actually is contagious. During exam week, resist the urge to have a study session with a –tense or stressed out friend. Their stress will add to your stress.

2. Eat healthy and exercise.
This seems like a no-brainer, but it’s a wonder how many people forget it. Skip the sugar, which will make you crash, and go for healthy snacks like granola bars, cereal or fruits and veggies which keep your blood sugar stable. If you’re studying for a long time, eat some protein too. It is definitely important to get some exercise, even a 10 minute walk will leave you calmer and more focused. When you feel the most overwhelmed is a great time to put it away and go for a short walk.

3. Just say NO.
Say no to the people who want to take up your time or who want to spend time doing the wrong things. There will be a friend who needs to talk, or a party some night when some friends are done with exams before you. Resist these urges.

4. Force yourself to take breaks.
For every hour or so that you work, take a 10 minute break. Relax for 10-15 mins, then start again. This gives your brain some rest and helps keep you focused when you are studying.

5. Visualize it all going right.
Imagine yourself taking the test and feeling confident that you know all the information. Picture getting all of the answers right, picture how relaxed you feel, picture the A on your test paper. Professional athletes and successful business people do it, you should too.

6. If you’ve studied all you can, have confidence!
Have confidence when it is time for the test. You have studied and prepared and now you are ready.
 
Original article College Fashion

It is the season for holiday parties. Inevitably you will end up with a stain on the carpet in your townhouse in Lynchburg, VA.  Here are a few hints on how to remove some of the most common stains.

Cigarette burns:

• To mask the damage, snip off the darkened fiber ends.
• Blot the area with a solution of 1 tsp detergent and 1 tsp vinegar in a quart of warm water.

• Gently blot with dry-cleaning solution
• Rinse with a solution of  1 T ammonia in a cup of water.
• Animal Stains & Fruit Juices
• If the stain is stil wet, try repeatedly sponging with lukewarm water.
• Blot dry and treat with a solution of 1 tsp detergent and 1 tsp vinegar in a quart of warm water. After waiting 15 minutes blot again and sponge with clean water.

• Oil-based paints can usually be removed with turpentine
• Water-based paints clean up with water.

• Blot ball-point ink with denatured alcohol as soon as possible
• Permanent ink can’t be remved but you can minimize the damage by blotting with water.
• Have fun at your party, and good luck with the stains!

• Blot the spill with paper towels or a clean cloth.
• Combine 1t carpet shampoo (or dish soap) and 1C hydrogen peroxide. Soak a clean sponge in the mixture, squeeze it halfway dry, then gently blot the stain. Continue until the stain lifts.
• Sponge the stained area with warm water.
• Blot dry with a clean cloth or paper towels.

Happy Holidays from Old Mill Townhomes. Have fun at your party, and good luck with the stains!