With Memorial Day weekend upon us, the summer spirit really begins to take over. If you haven’t grilled out yet, this surely is the weekend to start. This week, The Gardens at Twin Hickory, apartments in Glen Allen, VA, is paying homage to the all-American classic hamburger.
Today, ground turkey and ground chicken are perfect for lower fat burgers. And certainly, veggie burgers (a combination of ground vegetables, beans and bulgur or rice) have prided a lower fat and meat-free option.
For beef burgers, a few simple suggestions provide the best results. Most experts agree that adding to the meat itself detracts from the flavor of a good burger. Rather, use toppings to get creative. To ensure the best results consider the following tips:
Buy 85-90% fat meat for optimal taste. For each 6-ounce burger, one pinch of kosher salt should be mixed into the patty.
Preparation on a grill (or in a grill pan) at medium heat will give you the perfect charred grill marks.
Don’t constantly flip and press them with a spatula. 5 minutes on each side results in a medium-well (slightly pink) burger, so go from there based on what temperature you enjoy.
If you want to get creative, toppings and bread choice can really set you apart. Burgers go to a whole new level when served on focaccia bread, a flavored bagel, Portuguese sweet rolls or a toasted multi-grain English muffin.
Here are a few grilled burger recipe ideas for Memorial Day:
Asian Burger: For the last minute or two of grilling, brush the burger with Asian sauce like 3T hoison sauce/ 1T soy sauce with a pinch of ginger.
Itallian Burger: tomatoe sauce and fresh mozzarella.
California Burger: Guacamole, sliced tomatoes, and sprouts.
Mexican Burger: 2T of salsa and a slice of pepper jack cheese, refried beans and shredded lettuce.
In the American mind, renting has long symbolized striving rather than achieving. But as we climb our way out of the Great Recession, it seems something has changed. Americans are getting over the idea of owning the American dream; increasingly, they're OK with renting it.
Home ownership is on the decline, and renting is on the rise. But the trend isn't limited to the housing market. Across the board, Americans are increasingly acclimating to the idea of giving up the stability of being an owner for the flexibility of being a renter. This may sound like a decline in living standards. But the new realities of our increasingly mobile economy make it more likely that this transition from an Ownership Society to a Rentership Society.
The unsentimental fact about the American dream is that Americans never really owned it in the first place. For the past three decades, especially, consumers haven't so much bought their quality of life as they've borrowed it from banks and credit card companies.
Now consumers are following the example of corporations, becoming more efficient. And it starts at home.
Housing is the biggest single component of consumption in the U.S. economy and the source of much of our present misery. The typical consumer spends about 32% of his or her budget on shelter. In the last decade, that generally meant borrowing a lot of money to take "ownership" of a home.
During the boom, the home ownership rate grew steadily, peaking at a record 69% in 2006.
Ownership-boosters failed to note that homes purchased in 2005 and 2006 with no-money-down, interest-only mortgages weren't really bought. They were simply rented until the "owner" flipped them or walked away from the mortgage.
In the post-bust climate, renting has emerged as a much more economically efficient way to pay for housing. A one-year lease represents a far less onerous financial obligation than a 30-year mortgage. It's difficult to get into too much financial trouble as a renter. The homeownership rate has fallen from its peak in 2006 to 65.4% today.
For an increasing number of Americans it makes more sense to rent. According to Moody's, by late 2011 it was cheaper to rent than to own in 72% of American metropolitan areas, (such as the Richmond area) up from 54% a decade ago. And the more people who do it, the more socially acceptable and desirable it becomes. The decline in the ownership rate means that about three million more households rent today than did at the height of the bubble.
It's tempting to view the rise of renting as an economic step backward. But many would argue the rise of renting is a sign of a system adapting to new realities.
The U.S. economy needs the dynamism that renting enables as much as, or more than, it needs the stability that ownership engenders.
And the rising popularity of renting is hardly contained to the housing market.
Finally, perhaps, Americans are absorbing a piece of wisdom from Thoreau: "And when the farmer has got his house, he may not be the richer but the poorer for it, and it be the house that has got him."
Low mortgage rates and more affordable home prices in the Richmond area are creating an interest in home ownership by those who live in apartments. However, potential buyers who are unprepared for the true cost of owning a home may be shocked by the bite home ownership can take out of their wallet in addition to their mortgage payments.
Inspection and Appraisal Fees
Before you purchase a home you need to pay for a home inspection, and an appraisal, possible even inspections for pests or radon. The costs of these inspections are borne by buyers and are a necessary protection to avoid buying a flawed property or paying too much.
Closing Costs
Buyers need to be prepared with the cash for anywhere from 2% to 4% of the mortgage balance depending on your area.
Taxes
As a homeowner, you'll need to pay property taxes, which are generally part of the escrow you pay into each month. Remember, even if you have a fixed-rate home loan, your property taxes could go up and increase your monthly housing costs.
Insurance
Your lender will require home insurance, the cost of which depends on factors including the construction materials of your home and the location. Even if you have renter's insurance, you'll find that home insurance costs more because you are paying for the ability to rebuild your home in addition to replacing your personal possessions. Insurance costs will rise over time, and you will need supplemental insurance if you live in a flood zone.
HOA and Condo Fees
If you buy a home within a homeowners' association or a condominium association, you'll be required to pay a monthly or quarterly fee. These fees can rise, or your association may need to charge a special assessment for projects such as repaving the parking lot or repairing a roof.
Utility Bills
Depending on where you live, your costs for electricity, gas and water could be higher when you move into your own home than when you live in an apartment in Glen Allen, VA. You may also need to pay for garbage collection along with your Internet, cable and phone bill.
Furniture
While this is essentially a discretionary expense, most people who move from an apartment to a larger home need to buy at least some new furniture.
Lawn Care
Whether you handle your yard work yourself or hire a professional, you will have to pay something to keep your landscaping in check. Lawn equipment can be costly and you may need a leaf blower and other yard tools, too.
Maintenance
Home maintenance costs time and money. While you may be able to change your furnace filters, clean your gutters and keep your appliances running smoothly yourself, you may also need to hire a contractor to clean and inspect your chimney and to keep your heating and air conditioning system in top shape.
Repairs
While maintenance tasks can be predictable, the most costly part of home ownership typically comes with unexpected repairs such as replacing or repairing the roof, removing a tree, or paying for mold mitigation in a damp basement. The list of possibilities is endless, so homeowners should set aside savings for an emergency. Experts suggest budgeting for 1% or 2% of your mortgage balance as a yearly maintenance and repair fund.
The Bottom Line
Buying a home costs more than you think. If you don’t expect to stay in your home for at least seven to 10 years, contact The Gardens Apartment Homes.
Starting today, if you live in an apartment in Glen Allen, VA you’ll be able to wine and dine for less in the Richmond and it’s for a good cause.
Richmond Restaurant Week is here; over the next week some of the city’s best restaurants in town are putting together a three-course prix fixe dinner menu and donating a portion of the proceeds to FeedMore, the umbrella organization of the Central Virginia Food Bank and Meals on Wheels.
According to Richmond Restaurant Week to date the event has raised more than $130,000.
Richmond area restaurants offer up a three-course meal for $25, $12 per person, and $2.12 of that gets donated to FeedMore.
No special tickets or passes required but reservations are strongly recommended.
There is a record 40 restaurants participating. You can contact the restaurants to see the menu and enjoy restaurant week in Richmond.
In just a few days, on Saturday, April 21 from 12-7, you can enjoy The Richmond Earth Day Festival. This is an outdoor street fest providing education and resources that will help you incorporate eco-friendly practices into your daily lives, making Richmond a greener place to live.
This year’s Earth Day Festival is shaping up as one of Central Virginia's major festivals. There are about 7,500 people expected to attend. Earth DayRichmond has added a new event for 2012, the Earth Day 5k: Race Without a Trace. You can still sign up!
This year enjoy some of the best local food vendors, great local bands, an outdoor gear swap, a bike check for everyone who rides to the event, a Bike Hub filled with local biking vendors, electronic recycling, and so much more.
The festival attracts over 6,000 people of all ages and has something for everyone: local produce from farmers markets, kids art and activities, local food, live music, and your favorite golden beverages and crushed grapes. Along with the 5K race, there is a a flood wall climb with a zip line.
Looking for things to do this spring around Richmond? Here are some events for those of you in apartments in Glen Allen, VA. If you are interested in Art, Music and Theatre, April is the month for you.
Here is a list of openings, performances and showings:
Art Openings-
Gallery Flux Reception noon-3 p.m. today for "The Nature of Light," new works by Carol Anna Meese and Lisa Neher. Through April 28.
Ghostprint Gallery Reception 6-8 p.m. Thursday for "Past Present," works by graphic novelist and filmmaker George Pratt.
Quirk Gallery Artists reception 5-8 p.m. Thursday for "Shop Show" of pottery by Mike Brown and "Vault Project" show by Sean Donlon.
First Fridays Art Walk: Openings Friday 5-9 p.m. at galleries on and around Broad Street downtown. Check www.firstfridaysrichmond.com for participating galleries.
West Main Street galleries: Openings Friday at Artemis Gallery, Brazier Gallery, Main Art Gallery, Page Bond Gallery, and Uptown Gallery.
Windemere Art Gallery, Reception 2-5 p.m. Saturday for "A Decorative Approach to Art," works by Judy Motley and Melanie Prichard.
Dance-
Eleone Dance Theatre in cutting-edge works, 7 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. Thursday at Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen.
Ground Zero Dance: "Assemblage," new and re-staged works in two programs, with Program A presented at 8 p.m. Thursday and Saturday and Program B 8 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday in Dogtown Dance Theatre.
Theater Openings-
"The Liar," Henley Street Theatre's comic production adapted by David Ives from the 17th-century French farce by Pierre Corneille, opens at 8 p.m. Thursday at Gottwald Playhouse, Richmond CenterStage.
"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," Theatre VCU production of the Tony Award-winning musical comedy about six geeky adolescent overachievers, opens at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Raymond Hodges Theatre.
Diversions-
"Battleship Potemkin," screening of Sergei Eisenstein's 1925 silent film based on the 1905 mutiny of Russian sailors against their czarist superiors, with live music by Goldrush, 6:30-9 p.m. Friday at Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Cinema Classics: "The Odd Couple," 7 p.m. Friday and 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday at Henrico Theatre.
Kings Dominion opens: Doswell theme park gates open 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Park open weekends and select dates until May 20, then daily for the summer beginning May 25.
CMoR Birthday Bash: Performances by the Diggity Dudes at 10:30 a.m. and noon Saturday, mascot character parade, birthday crafts and more, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Children's Museum of Richmond.
Nano Day: Explore the world of the very small with exhibits and hands-on fun, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at Science Museum of Virginia.
Richmond Kickers season opens with a soccer match versus the Charleston Battery, 5 p.m. Saturday at City Stadium.
First Fridays at VMFA, Adrian Duke Trio: Piano-driven jazz, socializing, open galleries and more, 6-8 p.m. at Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Average gas prices in Richmond rose six cents a gallon last week, while during that same time the national gas prices rose 4.5 cents per gallon on average. Carpooling is a great option for those of you who live in apartments in Glen Allen and are commuting to Richmond each day. Get some friends or co-workers together and share the ride and the expenses.
With more people traveling in the same car, carpooling reduces each person's travel costs like fuel and tolls. But there is more to carpooling than just cutting down on gas prices. Carpooling is a more environmentally friendly and sustainable way to travel, sharing the car reduces carbon emissions, traffic congestion on the roads, and the need for parking spaces. Carpooling is encouraged, especially during times of high pollution periods and high fuel prices.
You have probably heard by now that gas prices will only be going up and as we approach summer they may be as high as $5.00/gallon! If you live in an apartment in Glen Allen, VA and you like visit Richmond and other sites in Virginia on your summer weekends, gas mileage is very important.
You can improve your car’s gas mileage. If you do them all, you can increase your gas mileage by 50%. When you bought your car you had a specified number of miles per gallon, but you may not be seeing that mileage today. Why?
Many car owners neglect some regular car maintenance. If it has been awhile since you have had a tune up on your car, schedule one! Be sure to keep up on your car’s regular maintenance. Regularly maintained cars get the best gas mileage. You will be pleasantly surprised.
Check your tire air pressure. Your tires can directly affect your gas mileage. As the temperature changes, so does the pressure in your tires. Regularly check that your tires have the required PSI. When the pressure in your tires is too low, your tires no longer work efficiently, they work like water balloons. With too much surface on the road, there is too much friction causing your car to work harder. Your gas mileage can be dramatically affected by poor tire pressure.
Believe it or not, changing your driving habits can affect your gas mileage. The way you drive affects how much gas you burn. Not planning to stop, revving up and slowing down and driving over the speed limit all use too much gas. By changing your behavior behind the wheel, you can increase the gas mileage in your car.
Enjoy the ride, and keep money in your pocket as gas prices rise, follow these tips to increase your gas mileage.
Richmond's first outdoor festival of the season wants to put the rock back into your shamrocks in celebration of St. Patrick's Day with music, crafts, food and fun for all. On Saturday, March 17 gather your friends from your apartment in Richmond, VA and enjoy the St. Patricks Day fun, bring your designated driver.
Shamrock The Block is free to attend, with great food, live music all day and plenty o' green beverages for you to enjoy safely, so bring a designated driver. Last year, 25,000 of your neighbors poured into the streets of historic Shockoe Bottom in Richmond for this first outdoor event of the season. We've expanded the kid's activities, the band lineup and have more things to do and see.
Live music all day starting at noon. Here is the band line-up:
18th Street Stage
Downbeat Switch
Rosie Soul
Against Grace
4Play
Sleeper Agent
Farmer's Market Stage
The Lady Raiders
Rick and Rod
Triad
Chuck Shaffer Picture Show
Happy St. Patrick's Day from The Gardens at Twin Hickory.
Have you done your taxes yet? There are many benefits to living in an apartment in Glen Allen, VA, but you may not think that tax deductions are one of them.
As a renter, you often get more for your dollar spent. By renting at The Gardens, you can live in a beautiful community full of apartment amenities. You also get to live near a larger city like Richmond, VA.
Now, let’s talk about tax breaks. As you know, this is one of the advantages of owning a home. But, not always. As a homeowner, if your annual mortgage interest payment and your other deductions aren’t greater than your standard tax deductions, you will not receive any tax benefit from owning a house.
However, you can always qualify for some type of tax deduction as a renter. A large portion of your rent is tax deductible every year. If you rent, you're probably better off taking the standard deduction.
Additionally, if you have a home based business, you can also deduct expenses for the business use of your apartment. These expenses include your monthly rent, renters insurance, and utilities. A home office deduction is available to you as a renter.
There are two basic requirements for the home based business tax deduction. 1. Regular and Exclusive use - which means this part of your apartment is regularly and exclusively used for business 2. This must be your principal place of business.
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With Memorial Day weekend upon us, the summer spirit really begins to take over. If you haven’t grilled out yet, this surely is the weekend to start. This week, The Gardens at Twin Hickory, apartments in Glen Allen, VA, is paying homage to the all-American classic hamburger.
In the American mind, renting has long symbolized striving rather than achieving. But as we climb our way out of the Great Recession, it seems something has changed. Americans are getting over the idea of owning the American dream; increasingly, they're OK with 
Low mortgage rates and more affordable home prices in the 
In just a few days, on Saturday, April 21 from 12-7, you can enjoy The Richmond Earth Day Festival. This is an outdoor street fest providing education and resources that will help you incorporate eco-friendly practices into your daily lives, making Richmond a greener place to live. 
You have probably heard by now that gas prices will only be going up and as we approach summer they may be as high as $5.00/gallon! If you live in an 
