Keep em coming!
Regarding the search function, we use Google because in our opinion it is better than what comes with vbulletin, and google's healps us earn the $$$ to pay for the costs of keeping this up and running, so that might be hard to do. A blog associated with the message board might be feasible. I like that idea a LOT.
A home improvement section would be easy to add in.
I think getting people on here to chat with the community would be difficult because very often "those" people don't understand the power of online communities yet...think about it, not ONE mayoral candidate came on here to POST.
Keep em coming folks.