Charlottesville Real Estate BLOG

A lot to consider if you are a first time home buyer

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:05:33 +0000

Should I buy? Should I rent? How do I get Financing? Who can I trust?

What is Dual Agency?

Questions, Questions, Questions…. there are a lot of questions and you have just found a resource for all the answers.

Working with First Time Buyers is very rewarding for me as I get to help you in a new experience. We will locate the perfect area and the perfect place that you are comfortable with and can afford.

You will be introduced to lenders, attorneys, home inspectors, and it will be an education. What I want you to know is I understand that you have never done this before, but rest assured that I have.

re to consider:

When you are a “First time Home Buyer” there is a lot to consider and it can be overwhelming. Here are a few things you need to do and consider:

Get Pre-Qualified: Talk with a local lender, in fact before you purchase I recommend you talk to 3 lenders. This can help determine how much of a home you can afford. There is no reason to look at home that are not in your price range. With competitive rates you may find that the range is much different than you think.

Get a Pre-Approval Letter: This is a written commitment from a lender that will be used when we write a contract on your new home. It is critical in today’s market that we have this in place. By the way, some lenders have gotten me this information after a 10-15 minute phone call with my client. So this is not really time consuming, just make the call.

Get proper Representation: Use a Buyers Agent. someone who is truly working in your best interests and NOT the interests of the seller.

Wants and Needs: These are two different things and it would help you to make a list of each. Needs should be the things you must have in a home, like 3 bedrooms, location or an office. Wants are just that, things that would be nice like a 2 car garage or hiking trails, etc….

Staging is Part of Selling: Seller will stage a home to present it in the best light they can. You have to be aware that the home will look different with your furnishings. Keep this in mind when we are looking at properties.

Original post by Charlottesville Real Estate - Your Trusted Broker Charles McDonald (RE/MAX Assured Properties - No one sells more Real Estate) and software by Elliott Back

no super-powers, just business as usual…

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:36:21 +0000

When you are in business offering service to your clients and customers should come first. Sometime we don not realize how many people we touch in our daily business…

Today I received a nice note from someone (not a client or customer) who has used my service and was thankful.

Here is the message I received:

——-

Good Afternoon Charles,

I just used your website to locate a termite inspector for one of our VA refinance clients in Charlottesville. I ordered it through Intrastate Pest Control.

This is a great service you provide.

Thank you, Drew

——-

About The Author

Charles McDonald, Associate Broker at RE/MAX Assured Properties and dedicated Buyers Agent is the author of this blog, and several other sites on the Internet. Charles and his group of experts in the Charlottesville area are always available to help you with your Real Estate needs. Call our group anytime at 434-981-1585 or to search for homes visit: Charlottesville Real Estate

Original post by Charlottesville Real Estate - Your Trusted Broker Charles McDonald (RE/MAX Assured Properties - No one sells more Real Estate) and software by Elliott Back

Charlottesville VA Real Estate - a simple chart…

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:46:34 +0000

I like to keep things simple so I created a chart that shows a lot but is very basic:

These are sales from Albemarle County (Charlottesville Real Estate) going back to Janurary of 2004.

Now there are a couple of important points.

1. Note the yearly swings (our market starts at the end of winder and we tend to peak in the summer months).

2. Note since 2005, the peaks (total sales) have been decreasing… If you draw a trend line it makes since…

Simple Fact is that sales have slowed greatly and we are not seeing a break of the trend… yet….

Let me know if you have any questions?

Original post by Charlottesville Real Estate - Your Trusted Broker Charles McDonald (RE/MAX Assured Properties - No one sells more Real Estate) and software by Elliott Back

Albemarle Place – Charlottesville Virginia

Charles McDonald — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:39:51 +0000

Route 29 & Hydraulic Road, Charlottesville, VA 22901

· 2,000,000 square feet

· A mixed-use development located in award-winning Charlottesville, Virginia - the “Napa of the East Coast”

· An elegant mix of:

Main Street retail

residential living

Class A office

boutique hotel

· Located at the intersection of Hydraulic Road and Route 29 - the major retail corridor of Charlottesville

· 61,000 CPD pass the site on Route 29/Seminole Trail

• 2 million tourists visit the area each year - wineries, golf, Monticello and UVA are the highlights.

There is always something new going on around the Charlottesville area.

Come visit anytime!

Wordless Wednesday - patience…

Charles McDonald — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:37:30 +0000

If you are selling or buying Real Estate, leaning patience is a virtue…

we can learn a lot from our cats!

It was hard to catch a photo of that hummingbird in mid-flight but our cat “Buddy” did not miss it!

About The Author

Original post by Charlottesville Real Estate - Your Trusted Broker Charles McDonald (RE/MAX Assured Properties - No one sells more Real Estate) and software by Elliott Back

McIntire Park - keep the dream alive!

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:48:04 +0000

Yes, Virginia we want Fireworks on the Fourth of July!!!

I just read an article in our local paper, The Daily Progress, which discussed how a couple of our local residents have worked to keep fireworks at our local McIntire Park.

Here is the full article: click here

I want to add my thanks to local real estate agent Ray Cadell and Dave Phillips who is Chief Executive Officer at CAAR (Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS) for all their hard work to save the fireworks!

Great job!

Original post by Charlottesville Real Estate - Your Trusted Broker Charles McDonald (RE/MAX Assured Properties - No one sells more Real Estate) and software by Elliott Back

This is Real Estate not a Magic Show

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:51:16 +0000

Magicians often hide things and make them disappear. This is certainly fun and exciting to watch. But with Real Estate if agents are hiding things it can be misleading to the public and even other agents.

Here is a quote from our Code of Conduct:

REALTOR Code of Conduct, Standard of Practice 12-10

… Prohibits REALTORS from manipulating listing content in any way that produces a deceptive or misleading result…

Here is the issue, In our local MLS we have a few agents who are “manipulating” listings to make them show up as a new listing.

One such technique is by withdrawing a listing and adding it back “cloning” with a slightly different address.

Magic tricks are great for Magicians, but REALTORS are Professionals and this is just “gaming the system”

Let’s all agree to act like the professionals that we are!

Original post by Charlottesville Real Estate - Your Trusted Broker Charles McDonald (RE/MAX Assured Properties - No one sells more Real Estate) and software by Elliott Back

CAAR Mid Year Report - Charlottesville Virginia Real Estate

Charles McDonald — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:41:37 +0000

These are tough numbers, are you working with a top Charlottesville agent?

CAAR Market Report

2009 Mid-Year

Published by the Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS®

Where Are We Now?

The pace of home purchases in the Charlottesville area continues to improve from the dismal 4^th quarter of 2008, but sales lag well behind compared to last year. The sale of homes has been increasing month to month for six months in a row. The steady improvement is easy to predict with the seasonal upswing the market naturally experiences this time of year, but based on pending sales in the MLS, we may continue to see sales increase beyond the seasonal selling season. For the first time in many months, the number of contracts in June was up from the previous year. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues.

Fueling these homes sales is the significant decrease in real estate prices. This report will detail some statistics that indicate that home prices have fallen steeply (20% or more) and this has resulted in an increase in sales. There is some evidence that sellers are starting to embrace the current market environment and price their home accordingly. The average Days on Market (DOM) has been dropping in recent months, and the median time a property takes to sell is now only 75 days. That indicates that many homes – likely the ones priced correctly – are selling quickly.

Mid-Year Home Sales

There were 1131 homes sold in the Charlottesville area during the first six months of 2009, which was down 28% (-440 sales) from 2008. After the 1^st quarter, annualized sales were down 33.9%, which demonstrates the 2^nd quarter improvement. All local areas were down from last year: Albemarle -15.6%, Charlottesville -35.2%, Fluvanna -34.7%, Greene -24.5%, Louisa -38.4%, Nelson -39%, and Orange – 47.1%. Monthly sales for the region have improved slightly each month since November 2008, but much of that can be attributed to seasonal swings.

Sales in the Central Valley region were generated from the Greater Augusta MLS, which has more complete data on the Valley market than the CAAR MLS. Sales were down in the Valley by 25.5 % compared to last year.

Mid-Year Sales

Year to Date (thru June)
County	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
Albemarle	1007	843	783	513	433
Charlottesville	276	450	326	310	201
Fluvanna	315	270	226	176	115
Greene	146	168	116	98	74
Louisa	123	120	102	99	61
Nelson	184	125	96	77	47
Orange	65	59	63	51	27
*Area Total	2311	2280	2016	1571	1131
**Central Valley				529	394

*includes sales outside the counties listed

**numbers courtesy of the Greater Augusta MLS

Have Home Prices Slipped?

Based on the data from the CAAR MLS, we believe that the numbers clearly show a significant decrease in home prices. The median prices listed below are the middle of the market of properties that sold. Simply put, this is an indication of what buyers were willing/able to pay and is not a true reflection of individual home prices. It is probably safe to assume that a steady, year-to-year decrease in the median price is a good indication that prices are going down, but it is not an exact measurement.

We believe the number displays below provide compelling evidence that our local real estate market has experienced a noteworthy drop in home prices. The CAAR market reports have been discussing this trend since the Fall of 2007, but this report finally shows clear evidence of the decline. The one caveat that we need to make is that part of this median price decline is a reflection of an increase in home sales in the lower price ranges. Of the 719 homes that sold in the 2^nd quarter, 509 were sold for $300,000 or less. This surge in the lower end of the market will naturally pull the median price down.

Each property is affected differently by this price decline. The only way to know what your home will sell for is to have a REALTOR^® or appraiser prepare a comparative market analysis (CMA) for your property. This market is changing very quickly and to be up-to-date, you need to do a CMA every two weeks. Pricing a property correctly is the best way to sell it!

Overall, the median home price (including attached homes) declined $22,900 (-8.5%) compared to the first half of last year. All areas covered in this report showed a decline. Median prices for other locales include: Albemarle (-9.4%), Charlottesville (-6.8%), Fluvanna (-19.6%), Greene (-3.4%) Louisa (-20.8%), Nelson (-6.7%) Orange (-29.7%) and the Valley (-8%).

Median Sales Prices

Year to Date (thru June)
County	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
Albemarle	$264,900	$325,000	$309,900	$310,733	$281,440
Charlottesville	$240,500	$238,450	$278,000	$265,000	$247,000
Fluvanna	$220,000	$241,852	$253,000	$250,000	$201,000
Greene	$217,250	$272,815	$291,300	$258,750	$250,000
Louisa	$196,926	$249,900	$252,310	$259,000	$205,000
Nelson	$270,750	$305,000	$293,500	$300,000	$280,000
Orange	$210,000	$275,000	$285,000	$229,700	$161,400
*Area Median	$240,000	$271,895	$274,000	$269,900	$247,000
**Central Valley				$199,912	$183,912

*includes sales outside the counties listed

**numbers courtesy of the Greater Augusta MLS (note: these are average prices, not median)

Price Per Square Foot (Finished)

Another indicator that allows us to see the drop in home prices is a major drop in the price per square foot numbers. The average price per square foot of finished space in homes is not a scientific number, but a downward trend over the years clearly indicates a decrease in prices (and vice versa). According to the chart below, prices peaked in 2006 and have declined for the past three years. The $18 per square foot drop in 2009 is by far the largest decline we have experienced in recent years.

Price Per Finished Square Foot

Year to Date
County	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
Albemarle	158	176	176	171	154
Charlottesville	168	204	189	189	168
Fluvanna	125	143	141	134	119
Greene	135	155	155	147	132
Louisa	122	149	147	143	108
Nelson	191	214	210	191	171
Orange	131	169	181	135	113
*Area Average	151	173	167	161	143
**Central Valley				136	113

*includes sales outside the counties listed

**based on CAAR MLS data

Inventory Heading in the Right Direction

The inventory of homes for sale in the Charlottesville area generally increases in the first half of the year, with many homes coming on the market for the spring selling season. The good news is that in 2009 we have seen the inventory of homes shrink – not enough, but it is heading in the right direction. Having this excess of inventory is causing many of the problems with our local housing market. Until we are able to reduce the number of homes for sale, we will continue to be in a strong buyer’s market with soft home prices and very creative incentives. That’s good for buyers, but it is not any better for the long-term housing market than the strong seller’s market we experienced just a few years ago.

Currently, we have 3,602 homes on the market, compared to 3,761 at this time last year. This small decrease from last year is a positive sign, but we have a long way to go before we see appropriate inventory levels in the 2,000 to 2,500 range. The median price of homes currently for sale is $299,000, which is $9,900 less than last year. The average DOM (days on market) of these homes is 155 days, which is four days more than last year and 30 days more than homes that have sold. The most telling statistic related to homes currently on the market is that the average price per square foot is $203 compared to $143 for homes that have sold in the first 6 months of 2009.

Housing affordability is the positive aspect of this market. There are 871 homes for sale $200,000 or less with an average DOM of 141 and an average price per square foot of $143. There are 289 homes currently on the market priced at a million dollars or more with an average DOM of 226.

Days on Market (DOM)

The average number of days a property is on the market is a great indicator of a housing market’s strength. The average DOM for the Charlottesville area has been steadily increasing for the past several quarters. This trend continued in the 2^nd quarter, but the increase was just 3 days more than 2008’s mid-year number. Although the increase was only a modest 3 days, it still supports the fact that we have too many homes on the market for the amount of sales. Until we work the inventory of available homes down to a more manageable number, DOM will stay high. A balanced market should have a DOM of approximately 90, but we have not been in that range since 2007.

Average Days on Market (thru June)
County	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
Albemarle	55	59	91	114	107
Charlottesville	59	55	69	122	128
Fluvanna	64	69	86	128	132
Greene	54	85	94	93	97
Louisa	98	84	137	115	102
Nelson	72	82	113	163	165
Orange	79	76	111	140	152
*Area Average	64	69	92	122	125
**Central Valley				143	150

*includes sales outside the counties listed

**numbers courtesy of the Greater Augusta MLS

New Construction Still Slow

It is important to note that many “new” homes are not included in CAAR MLS statistics. It is very common for a buyer to contact a builder directly to custom build a home. With that said, the historical perspective of the pace of new home sales gives us a reasonably good picture of the market for new construction. As the chart below shows, new home sales are still struggling and until the inventory of homes for sale declines, new construction will lag.

Condos and Townhomes (Attached Homes)

The sale of attached homes is only reported in Charlottesville and Albemarle because very few properties in this category are located in other counties, except Nelson. Since the condos in Nelson are primarily in the Wintergreen Resort market, we have decided not to include them in this report. One of the more interesting numbers in this report is the small increase in the sale of attached homes in Albemarle that first showed up in the 2009 1^st Quarter Market Report. Charlottesville attached home sales are down 33.3%, while Albemarle sales edged up 1.8% compared to 2008. The chart below shows the attached homes sold in 2009 compared to past years. Inventory levels of attached homes for sale are still high, with an average DOM of 174 for properties currently on the market. The median price of an attached home currently on the market is $219,900. The median price for an attached home that sold in the first six months of 2009 is $223,000 for Albemarle and $239,388 for Charlottesville.

Conclusions and Predictions

Although we have been recommending the need for sellers to reduce their prices under the current market conditions, evidence of these price reductions has not shown up until this quarterly report. There is a direct relation between lower prices and higher sales. As more and more sellers price their properties according to the current market, sales should continue to increase. Increased sales is not something we normally see in the second half of the year, but this year, fueled by realistic prices, low interest rates, tax credits, and pent-up demand, may be an exception. We should see a slow but steady improvement in the number of sales for the balance of the year.

By the 4^th quarter of 2009, we will likely see a year-to-year sales improvement, but only because the 4^th quarter of 2008 was so bad it will be hard not to beat. 2009 is slowly heading in a positive direction in terms of sales and inventory levels and we expect that trend to continue. We may see more evidence of price declines in future market reports as more and more sellers accept the reality of this market. Additional declines in prices are possible, but it will be hard to tell if these price drops are a result of more sellers finally pricing their properties based on the current market, or a real decline in home values. Only time, and future market reports, will reveal this to us.

This Quarterly Market Report is produced by the Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS^® using data from the CAAR MLS and the Greater Augusta MLS where noted.

Original post by Charlottesville Real Estate - Your Trusted Broker Charles McDonald (RE/MAX Assured Properties - No one sells more Real Estate) and software by Elliott Back

Overview of Virginia Wineries and Vineyards

Charles McDonald — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:07:59 +0000

A good friend who has started his own vineyard and winery forwarded me the below video.

It is exciting to see so many people still doing what they love to do!

This is a 6 minute documentary of Virginia’s beautiful wineries and vineyards. Learn about the history of Virginia wines - dating back to Thomas Jefferson, as well as the many varietals that we grow locally. Experience our beautiful terroir as you travel across the state. With over 150 wineries in Virginia, you’re sure to have a memborable experience!

2330 Finch Ct - Only 191K r u kidding me?

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:05:51 +0000

No I am not kidding you. Peg and I are at it again.

Bringing on a great bargain near NGIC Real Estate

This 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath home, on a corner lot is priced to sell at only 191K. Wait until you see the sunroom/office!

Side Note: I love a home with an American Flag!

We will be bringing this on the market this week. Call us for details!

About The Author

Original post by Charlottesville Real Estate - Your Trusted Broker Charles McDonald (RE/MAX Assured Properties - No one sells more Real Estate) and software by Elliott Back

Selling your Charlottesville Home – avoid the 10 Biggest Mistakes

Charles McDonald — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:50:01 +0000

When you are selling your Charlottesville Real Estate you have to stand out as value.

Please take 3 minutes to watch this useful video!

Best way to search for Charlottesville Real Estate

Charles McDonald — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:01:46 +0000

As a buyer agent I want my clients and customers to have the best tools available to search for homes.

Here is the absolute best way to search for Charlottesville Real Estate

Click on Picture for Map Search

Let me know how I can improve my services?

Charlottesville City - What are the sales?

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:25:22 +0000

I recently did a post about sales in Albemarle County:

Albemarle - What are the sales?

Well I got an email asking about the details for the City of Charlottesville. So using the same format here are the details for Real Estate sales in Charlottesville:

Note that Avg DOM = Average Days on Market.

Keeping things in perspective is so important when looking at market data. Here is a look at the last 3 months of sales and I added in June of last year.

Under Contract: Note we are seeing a rise as the season (Spring to Summer) tightens. We are still off of a year ago.

Sold: We are rising but still not at the level of a year ago.

DOM: Nice swing down but these number send to fluctuate a lot.

Note: this is just a snapshot and each area and even each neighborhood is unique. Let me know if you have any questions?

About The Author

Original post by Charlottesville Real Estate - Your Trusted Broker Charles McDonald (RE/MAX Assured Properties - No one sells more Real Estate) and software by Elliott Back

1733 Monet Hill - NGIC Real Estate

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:57:14 +0000

Are you looking for NGIC Real Estate? No time to build? take a look at this grand home:

With 4 bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths, this home is ready to move into.

Rich, warm, bright home in popular Montgomery Ridge. Hardwood throughout the main level with a comfortable room configuration including a study/library on first floor. Four nice sized bedrooms are accentuated by master bedroom suite with bright master bath, and large closet. Finished basement with full bath & hardwood floors. Beautiful Kitchen with high efficiency exhaust system.

Just Listed at $599,000

About The Author

Original post by Charlottesville Real Estate - Your Trusted Broker Charles McDonald (RE/MAX Assured Properties - No one sells more Real Estate) and software by Elliott Back

Albemarle - What are the sales?

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 12:41:38 +0000

Many times a picture is worth a thousand words.

Note that Avg DOM = Average Days on Market.

Keeping things in perspective is so important when looking at market data. I was out with a client this last week who was asking how are sales vs last year. So I decided to look at the last 3 months of sales and add in June of last year.

Under Contract: Note we are seeing less as the season (Spring to Summer) tightens. We are still off of a year ago.

Sold: We are rising but still not at the level of a year ago.

DOM: We are very close to a year ago… This is a good thing.

Note: this is just a snapshot and each area and even each neighborhood is unique. Let me know if you have any questions?

About The Author

Original post by Charlottesville Real Estate - Your Trusted Broker Charles McDonald (RE/MAX Assured Properties - No one sells more Real Estate) and software by Elliott Back

Speechless Sunday - A Bird in the Hand!

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 11:23:50 +0000

Look closely at this photo, it is amazing!

(photo sent to me by email several years ago, I just liked it)

About The Author

Original post by Charlottesville Real Estate - Your Trusted Broker Charles McDonald (RE/MAX Assured Properties - No one sells more Real Estate) and software by Elliott Back

CAAR Members - the tough numbers…

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 13:02:18 +0000

We see a lot of statistics and there is one set that I found interesting regarding our local agents at
CAAR - Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS.

Specifically what are Agents doing since Jan 1, 2009?

We currently have 1318 active agents in our Associaton of Realtors

1. New Agents = 28

2. Agents who have transfers from one Broker to another = 104

3. Agents who have become inactive = 105

So about 8% of our members have left the business and about 8% have decided to switch Brokers. Now there are a lot of reasons why an agent might switch to a different office but I think most are thinking it will help their personal business….

I am a little surprised that we still have over 1300 agents who are active so I thought I would dig a little deeper…

What does ACTIVE really mean?

609 Agents have 1 or more transactions this year

122 Agents have 6 or more transactions (1 per month) this year

49 Agents have 10 or more transactions this year

So these numbers are telling a story. Less than half our member have 1 transaction and less than 10% are selling at least 1 property per month.

Is your agent a top agent? Are they part of the 49 out of 1318 agents? Ask them the tough questions… How many transactions have you done this year?

You may be shocked at the answer…

Original post by Charlottesville Real Estate - Your Trusted Broker Charles McDonald (RE/MAX Assured Properties - No one sells more Real Estate) and software by Elliott Back

My favorite “patriotic” photo!

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:36:52 +0000

This is my favorite “patriotic” photo!

I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July!

Note: Charlottesville Fireworks are not allowed in the city. Crozet has canceled the firework show, but McIntire Park is on as well as places like Keswick Estate and Farmington

About The Author

Original post by Charlottesville Real Estate - Your Trusted Broker Charles McDonald (RE/MAX Assured Properties - No one sells more Real Estate) and software by Elliott Back

is this a Real Estate scam? you have been warned…

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:07:09 +0000

Just got this email:

~~~~~~~~~~

Hi there,

I am interested in viewing one of your properties, could you please call me on my foreign mobile +882 135 502 99 to setup a time. As I am travelling at the moment I am unable to pickup emails regularly so please call.

Kind regards,

Liz Casey
———
Mobile: +882 135 502 99
Email: lizcasey@zapak.com

~~~~~~~~~~

I can tell you it was very suspicious to me so I goggled the name and then I goggled the email address and nothing really interesting came up…

So I tried something different. I googled part of the message:

“I am interested in viewing one of your properties, could you please call me on my foreign mobile”

which brought up a site where someone with the exact same message was questioning it back in Aug 2007

See: http://www.city-data.com/forum/renting/692960-scam-not.html

When you are selling Real Estate, you have to watch those crazy emails, people are pulling all kinds of things these days….

Original post by Charlottesville Real Estate - Your Trusted Broker Charles McDonald (RE/MAX Assured Properties - No one sells more Real Estate) and software by Elliott Back

Wordless Wednesday - we will never forget

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:06:28 +0000

With the Fourth of July just a couple days away, I am feeling very patriotic. I have my flag out in front of my home and I am looking forward to fireworks…

I ran across this famous photo and thought it was appropriate to post it.

When 9/11 hit I was right in this chair and I will NEVER FORGET.

We must remember that day and the people who died. For some reason it feels like yesterday to me…

(feel free to repost this blog)

Original post by Charlottesville Real Estate - Your Trusted Broker Charles McDonald (RE/MAX Assured Properties - No one sells more Real Estate) and software by Elliott Back

I could not have said it better….

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:23:09 +0000

Today I received a nice email from a client whom I showed real estate in Charlottesville to this past weekend:

We wanted to thank you for your time, insight and support during our visit. It’s understandable how people spend some time in C-Ville and end up not leaving. It’s combines a scenic, bucolic lifestyle with nearby areas of activity through the schools and downtown providing an attractive combination. This along with the school system, recreational programs and general cost of housing provide an overall great quality of life for families.
Chuck and Nancy

I spend a lot of time on my blog talking about our area, but I could not have said it better than my clients

come visit anytime

Original post by Charlottesville Real Estate - Your Trusted Broker Charles McDonald (RE/MAX Assured Properties - No one sells more Real Estate) and software by Elliott Back

Rivanna Master Plan – Save this date

Charles McDonald — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:29:05 +0000

Village of Rivanna Master Plan
Planning Commission Worksession
July 14, 2009

The Planning Commission will hold its first worksession on the draft Village of Rivanna Master Plan on Tuesday, July 14. The draft document is almost complete and will be available for review the week before the worksession, when we’ll be posting it to www.albemarle.org/rivanna. We’ll send an a-mail reminder when the draft document is on the website.

The Commission usually takes public comment at these worksessions, however, the July 14 meeting is not the formal public hearing for the plan. We expect that the Commission will hold the public hearing or hearings on the plan later this year. Prior to the public hearing, a community meeting will be held to review the draft plan with residents. The community will be notified by A-Mail and other avenues when these and other activities are scheduled.

For more information about the Village of Rivanna Master Plan, visit the Village of Rivanna web page: www.albemarle.org/rivanna.

should we consider building?

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:14:48 +0000

(above photo is a new home for one of my clients, currently being built…the views are amazing)

I love new construction. The whole process, from breaking ground to handing my clients the key at closing. Many agents do not really enjoy new construction because it can take 9 months to a year (or longer) to get to the closing table. But it is the process that I really enjoy, not the closing…

Many times a client will not find the perfect home or location when looking for Charlottesville VA real estate. So it is not uncommon for us to talk about new construction. About 50% of my current contracts are new construction and I am talking with builders and looking at land every week.

So I may ask the question, should we consider building?

The answer is often wrapped around schedule. If a client has the time, new construction may be the best option.

Let’s talk!

Original post by Charlottesville Real Estate - Your Trusted Broker Charles McDonald (RE/MAX Assured Properties - No one sells more Real Estate) and software by Elliott Back

ab27yqwtsz

Charlottesville Real Estate — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 23:53:29 +0000

ab27yqwtsz

No Photo Available… r u kidding me?

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 14:52:30 +0000

Our local MLS does allow a listing to be entered without a photo, although it is now required to have at least one….

I see the above image way to often. If an agent takes a listing, why in the world would they add it to the MLS with no photos? Are they trying to sell the property or not?

After seeing this again today I have to ask a few local agents:

Are you kidding me?

ok, I guess I got that off my chest, have a wonderful weekend.

Original post by Charlottesville Real Estate - Your Trusted Broker Charles McDonald (RE/MAX Assured Properties - No one sells more Real Estate) and software by Elliott Back