The Stagebridge Community Today

Late Fall Greetings,
November has begun, bringing cooling temperatures and longer nights. The first snow of the season seems to be approaching shortly. However, the still vibrant colors remind us that the trees have only begun to shed their leaves. This is arguably one of the best times to tour the Stagebridge Community. The fallen leaves have unlocked views spanning Nelson County, showing the depth of fall colors.

Stagebridge Community hopes that you will take advantage of this gorgeous time of year by touring the area. Stagebridge is open to self-guided tours that are aided by informational brochures. A private tour of the community can be arranged by contacting Mike Knasel at info@stagebridge.net.

Greetings,

Please check out the new website showing the homes of Stagebridge.

Fall Update: Greetings,

The gracious rainfall has continued this year, July was a bit dry, but August and Septeber have been wet, creating a lush and plentiful forest landscape throughout Stagebridge. The blackberries ripened and are now all consumed, but honeysuckle and other wildflowers continue to provide splashes of color throughout. Soon the fall foliage and colors will be upon us.

The creeks and streams are wonderfully full, creating breathtaking sights around Stagebridge.

Despite the intermittent rainfall, the weather has been seasonally mild, which despite the shortening days provides for a perfect tour of Stagebridge.

Our third home (on lot 8) is complete and the happy owners are enjoying the Stagebridge Community. One of the most distinguishing features of our land offering is the Community that is Stagebridge, and the camaraderie it can afford to those who wish the rural lifestyle but who want to know their neighbors.

Paving of the upper part of Stagebridge Trail to Lot 8 is now complete so a tour to Lots 6, 11 and 12 is a bit easier. Lot 1 driveway also has been paved, and the wonderful vineyard just was harvested. Progress on all fronts!

Mortgage opportunities for high quality land such as Stagebridge are still available (contact us please for sources). Pricing of land has remained relatively steady. Now is an excellent time to choose your unique secluded home site.

Self-guided tours are welcome at Stagebridge; look for the brochures at the entrance to the Community, as well as the intersections within the community. If you’d rather have an official tour of Stagebridge, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@stagebridge.net, we’d be happy to arrange a date and time for your personal tour.

May Greetings,

Stagebridge, like much of the east coast, has been blessed with an abundance of much needed rainfall. The springs and streams are running well and our landscape folks are keeping the grounds mowed and trimmed. With the mild temperatures and rain, this year at Stagebridge has been one of the most beautiful yet. The mountainside is a rainbow of brilliant colors from all the flowering trees. The leaves on the trees are just about filled out, however far views are still breathtaking through our generous viewsheds. The new home on lot 8 is nearing completion and is looking beautiful. It is such a peaceful time to visit Stagebridge and begin to imagine your future with us!

Sources of financing are still readily available. Contact us for information.

Greetings,

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all!

March has proved to be quite varied in weather; we have had two snowfalls, one of which coated the ground in over 7 inches of snow. Our snow plow crew quickly cleared Stagebridge Trail, even before Rt. 623 (the main road by Stagebridge) was plowed, and folks were able to get in and out ok. This is a good example of what value of the "community" part of Stagebridge Community provides. In between our two snowfalls, the temperatures reached nearly 80 degrees.

The views at Stagebridge are breathtaking, with the trees beginning to bud and bloom, and spring bulbs starting to show their colors. Soon everywhere you look there will be brilliant colors of green, red, yellow, and more. Shortly, redbud, maple, apple, cherry, and dogwood will be in bloom, contributing to the rainbow of spring colors at Stagebridge.

With Stagebridge Trail paved, it is easier than ever to see the beauty of Stagebridge first hand, and don't forget about our private tours to make sure you see all that Stagebridge has to offer.

February Greetings,

Very Early Spring Greetings from Stagebridge,
First, we’d like to wish everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day.

Despite the unexpected wintry air that has been lingering around the Central Virginia area and the unwanted news of six more weeks of winter, here at Stagebridge we are beginning to think about the upcoming spring.

Now is a great time to begin planning a trip to visit Stagebridge and see all that Nelson County and central Virginia have to offer. In just a few more short weeks, the trees and flowers will begin to pop into an amazing display of spring buds and flowers.

Imagine an entire mountainside right out your back door covered in wonderful spring blooms. Redbuds, dogwoods, cherry trees and many more show off their unique colors each spring for all of us to enjoy. Don’t miss this wonderful time of year at Stagebridge.

Find out what Stagebridge has to offer you, and contact us at info@stagebridge.net. We’ll help you find a great place to stay nearby while you explore this amazing area Stagebridge calls home.

We look forward to meeting you,

Stagebridge, LLC

Dear Friend,

Thank you for visiting www.Stagebridge.net.

Through the information provided on our website, we at Stagebridge LLC aim to do two things:

• Provide you useful information about rural mountain living in Central Virginia
• Explain the unique features of our community

We welcome your interest and feedback, and stand ready to answer your questions.

Recent trends in rural land:

2009 has begun in the midst of both positive and negative factors. On the plus side, rural mountain land that is suitable for building is becoming increasingly scarce, especially for land with good view sites, a well and utilities, as well as wooded privacy.

Large lots over 5 acres, especially those 21 acres and up, are hard to find in the mountains. These large lots can have property tax and financing advantages over smaller lots, besides providing more privacy and long term value. Locally, price trends are down somewhat but still in the $10,000-$20,000/acre range for larger, improved tracts in Nelson County and twice that amount in Albemarle County. Nationwide, price trends for larger tracts of rural land are up, despite a glut in smaller building lots in established suburban subdivisions. It’s clear that people want to live in rural areas. Furthermore, institutions and other investors now view rural land as an asset class, one not correlated with the stock market, and capable of excellent, steady returns.

On the negative side, national economic trends are poor and uncertain. Money is hard to borrow in general, especially for land. Locally, our area is doing somewhat better. Over the years we have developed excellent sources of mortgage funding and lenders who are willing to collateralize land (most are not), and some provide preferred terms to the larger tracts. Please contact Stagebridge for more information on financing.

Bottom line:

Deciding to purchase rural land is a complex process. Our view is that rural land is an asset class that will serve one well over the next few years, particularly land that provides recreation, beautiful home sites, and proximity to the amenities of a major city. This has been our view for the past 20 years and our premise for the next 20. Please consider joining us at Stagebridge. For a private tour and discussion, please contact mike@stagebridge.net.

Sincerely,

Stagebridge, LLC

Mike Knasel