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Julie Smart Koob
REALTOR®, GRI
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April
20

Donate Homemade Masks in Richmond

COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, has altered our lives in unimaginable ways. All of our families, friends, and neighbors in the RVA have had to face dramatic changes to their lifestyles, one of which includes now wearing protective equipment when we leave the house. According to the CDC, most individuals should wear face masks when walking through public spaces.

While N95 masks or surgical masks should be used by medical professionals only, all other individuals should use cloth masks, which include homemade masks. These masks are surprisingly easy to make and are a fun arts-and-crafts project to take on while we're all sheltered in our homes during social distancing mandates.

How to Make a Mask for Coronavirus

In addition to washing our hands frequently and keeping at least six-feet between ourselves and others in public, wearing a face mask over our noses and mouths in public will also slow the spread of the coronavirus. Homemade masks can be effective in preventing the spread. However, the right methods must be used. Because the coronavirus is tinier than other bacteria, not all fabrics can trap it. The virus seems to attach itself to water droplets that come from our nose and mouth, which means these droplets containing the virus can be blocked with a simple fabric like cotton.

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April
13

Preparing for a Virtual Home Tour

With kids home from school for the foreseeable future, parents in Richmond are wearing many hats these days! In particular, parents getting ready to list a home have extra obstacles to face.

Potential buyers are utilizing virtual tours to view properties in the Richmond area to help narrow down their home search. While they might not be seeing your home in person, staging your home is still a must. 

The following tips from our real estate agents can help you stage your home for virtual tours without causing too much disruption.

  1. Box Up the Extra Toys
    Children regularly play with less than half of their toys. Have...

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April
6

Cleaning Stainless Steel

Spring is here, and in between listing Richmond homes for sale, you'll also find our REALTORS® working diligently on their spring cleaning for the year.

There are plenty of cleaning and tidying tasks that can easily end up at the bottom of the priority list. 

Stainless steel is one area where homeowners often find themselves scratching their heads about the best way to proceed. After all, it is called "stainless" – but discoloration can and does happen. The question is, what to do about it?

How Does Stainless Steel Work and Why Does It Sometimes Get Rusted?

Stainless steel is designed to be highly resistant to rust and other forms of corrosion.

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March
30

Richmond Restaurants

One of the great things about living in Richmond is the way that the community comes together to support one another in challenging times. Local restaurants add so much life to Richmond neighborhoods, and are also among the businesses hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis due to restrictions on public gatherings. The good news is that there's still plenty you can do to support your favorite local businesses – from buying t-shirts to ordering takeout – and our real estate agents have all the details on how to Keep Calm and Nom Nom. The Keep Calm website was created by a Richmond ad agency, Familiar Creatures, to help area businesses during this time. We highlight some of our favorite Richmond dining staples and how you can support them below! 

  • The Fan
    Can't get enough of Richmond's historic architecture? The Fan neighborhood is loaded with historic homes, museums, and beautiful boulevards, conveniently located near Richmond homes for sale. There are restaurants here for every taste, from basement bars where you can dance the night away to quiet coffee shops perfect for escaping from a busy day. Right now, you can still pick up pizza and craft beer from The Hop, order something sweet from Red Eye Cookie Co., or grab one of the legendary sandwiches from Garnett's Cafe.

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March
23

Laminate vs Hardwood Flooring

If you're getting ready to install new flooring, you'll be faced with a choice between laminate and hardwood. Though they may look similar, each of these two flooring options has its pros and cons. Our real estate agents have summarized a few key factors to help you decide which is best for your home.

  • Appearance and Aesthetics
    When it comes to aesthetics, the difference between laminate and hardwood flooring is glaringly obvious. Hardwood has a timeless appeal and tremendous texture variation of the wood grain. No two planks of hardwood flooring appear exactly alike. They can also take on different finishes and stains.

    When copying real wood, laminate flooring cannot look as genuine due to repeated patterns in the photographic layer. While the quality of synthetic materials continues to improve, repetition is unavoidable because it's impossible to replicate the uniqueness of authentic wood grains. 

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Disclaimer: All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) or information provider(s) shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, misprints and shall be held totally harmless. Listing(s) information is provided for consumers personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Information on this site was last updated 03/17/2026. The listing information on this page last changed on 03/17/2026. The data relating to real estate for sale on this website comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange program of Delta Media Group MLS (last updated Tue 03/17/2026 12:00:27 AM EST) or CAAR MLS (last updated Mon 03/16/2026 11:10:09 PM EST) or CVRMLS (last updated Mon 03/16/2026 11:58:29 PM EST) or Williamsburg MLS (last updated Mon 03/16/2026 10:54:32 PM EST) or NNAR MLS (last updated Mon 03/16/2026 10:26:33 PM EST) or Chesapeake Bay & Rivers (last updated Mon 03/16/2026 8:50:32 PM EST). Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than Napier Realtors ERA may be marked with the Internet Data Exchange logo and detailed information about those properties will include the name of the listing broker(s) when required by the MLS. All rights reserved.

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