About Us  - Bob and Laura



Bob Hughes

Bob grew up in Waynesboro in the Shenadoah Valley about 30 miles west of the Charlottesville/Albemarle County.   Growing up as a one of twelve children Bob learned negotiating skills early on in life.

His first sales jobs were selling flower seeds and magazines door to door, which he later turned into a paper route.   Coming from a blue-collar family, the kids were always expected to have jobs so he went from newspapers to cleaning kennels  for a local vet to delivering furniture.  He put himself through Blue Ridge Community College working full time and going to  school full time. He graduated with an Associates Degree in Business Management.

He moved to Charlottesville in 1982 where he worked at Farmington Country Club as a Restaurant Mgr. And Banquet Mgr.   He did a short stint in Richmond at the Commonwealth Club of Virginia.

He started in real estate sales in 1989.  He obtained his GRI, (Graduate of Realtor's Institute) CRS, (Certified Residential Specialist)  as well as his Broker's license and e-Pro Designation. He was Rookie of the Year in 1990 and Salesperson of the Year in 1996 for the  Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors.

He has served on the local real estate board having held many positions including his last as one of the Board of Directors.

Being very civic minded Bob has been on the Second Street Gallery board, The Tonsler Park task force and the Belmont Neighborhood Association.  He has also served as Assistant Chief during the elections in the Clark Precinct.

When he is not working Bob enjoys gardening and raising birds.


Laura Michael

Laura Michael grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. She has lived in many types of dwellings, including a teepee, an adobe house, a trailer, a condo, a rowhome, and detached homes, both in rural and urban areas.   

She briefly worked as a carpenter's apprentice in the Baltimore area. During this time she bought and renovated a rowhome by the old Memorial Stadium.

As her family began to grow it was time to move to an environment that would be nurturing for her children, and Charlottesville was the place. She has lived in this area since 1983. Since moving here, she has worked for several local businesses, in both the public and private sectors.

Laura has three grown children. When she is not helping folks and families find the perfect home, she likes to attend to the many animals her children and she have adopted in addition to working as a part time foster care provider and board member for the Nelson County SPCA.

She met Bob Hughes in 1988 while working together in a restaurant and instantly connected with him. They discussed working together many times over the years. Finally everything fell into place, and they now enjoy helping others find shelter and homes.