I really dig Trulia

So far, I think that they are the best of breed for the online real estate sites, not least because they are the most broker/agent friendly site out there. Why is it that they can offer RSS feeds for zip codes, but my MLS cannot?

They still lag behind the local MLS, though. In the 22932 zip code (Crozet) the MLS lists 103 properties for sale and Trulia have 35. In time, they’ll catch up.

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February 28, 2007 | Filed Under sideblog | Leave a Comment 

Charlottesville as a theme park

If you don’t believe me, check out this new map of the City - aimed directly at tourists and others who are looking to experience the thrills and spills of a day in the City. Tourism is big business after-all.

Map of Charlottesville, Virginia

* Courtesy of the City of Charlottesville’s Economic Development newsletter (pdf).

* that they spelled “Charlottesville” as “Charlottesvilles” on their homepage with an “S” is a bit concerning.

* Keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times … and enjoy the ride.

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February 28, 2007 | Filed Under General Real Estate | 5 Comments 

Charlottesville Neighborhoods - Fry’s Springs

I’m cheating this week. The City’s “In our Backyard - Newsletter for our Neighborhoods” (PDF) has just been released, and it features Fry’s Spring, located very close to the University of Virginia, in the South/South West part of the City of Charlottesville.

Fry’s Spring neighborhood is an area rich in history and overflowing with architectural and natural beauty.  From its springs to its streetcars, the neighborhood has contributed greatly to the character and integrity of our city. 

Today this neighborhood is still largely residential and boasts a variety of housing types and architectural styles. The old rail lines now lay beneath lush, green medians at the center of the neighborhood’s main corridor, Jefferson Park Avenue.  While most properties contain single-family units, some homes have been converted to rental properties for students, due to the neighborhood’s proximity to the University.

Centered around the Fry’s Spring Beach Club, the neighborhood is mature with something that is all-too rare in this day and age - trees.

Much of the Fry’s Spring area is in the Jackson Via elementary school district, which can be highlighted at the City’s decent school district map. Generally, single family houses in the area range from $250-$400k.

Follow the Fry’s Spring neighborhood google group here.
Read about some of the Fry’s Spring news at Charlottesville Tomorrow.

You can read about all of the neighborhoods in the Neighborhood Series here. So far, the following have been covered:

Starr Hill
Willoughby
Fifeville
Belmont
The Downtown Mall

Charlottesville Neighborhoods Fryspring

The next neighborhood will be Martha Jefferson on Monday.

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February 28, 2007 | Filed Under Neighborhoods, sideblog | 1 Comment 

Another reason to purchase student housing in Charlottesville

The University is going to continue to grow. From Charlottesville Tomorrow:

“The state [negotiated with the University the arrangement] by which we are taking approximately 1,500 new students over the next decade. So that is about 150 students a year, roughly 100 undergraduates and 50 graduate students.  That’s a requirement.  The state would have liked us to take more.”

“One of the things I know the community frequently asks me is, ‘Why don’t we house all the students on grounds?’  The fact is we house all the first years.  The second fact is that they don’t want to be housed on grounds.  The opportunities for housing are there, we actually have vacancies in our current residential facilities, both apartments and dormitories because students chose to live off-grounds. 

Condos, townhouses, duplexes …buying may not be the best option, but it certainly may (should?) be considered.

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February 28, 2007 | Filed Under sideblog | 2 Comments 

Quick Charlottesville market numbers

From the first of January to 27 February 2004:
740 properties were put on the market (44 were condos)
318 sold

From the first of January to 27 February 2005:
757 properties were put on the market (114 were condos)
392 sold

From the first of January to 27 February 2006:
1190 properties were put on the market (312 were condos)
377 sold.

From the first of January to 27 February 2007:
898 properties were put on the market (104 were condos)
223 sold. (135 in January 2007)

There are currently 1741 properties actively on the market; 2402 active and under contract.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - properties are in fact selling. Just make sure you’re buying for the right reasons.

* Only for Albemarle, Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Greene and Nelson

Absorption rate

What do these numbers mean? Frankly, very little, as they reflect what the market was doing in the past fall season - which is typically slow - and slower last year. We’ll know what the spring market is like in Summer/ Autumn of 2007.

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February 27, 2007 | Filed Under sideblog | Leave a Comment 

In this market …

I find myself prefacing a lot of conversations with “in this market … ”

The real estate market in the Charlottesville area is vastly different than the one that many people in the real estate market are familiar with.*

In this market:

1) Buyers can negotiate - even with new construction
2) Sellers have to work. And pick up the dirty underwear. Homes are not selling themselves anymore.
3) Days on market are being measured in months instead of days or hours.
4) Realtors have to work.  A lot.
5) Good Realtors are in demand.

I think ending a sentence with a preposition is acceptable in this case.

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February 27, 2007 | Filed Under Albemarle, Charlottesville, General Real Estate, Market statistics | Leave a Comment 

Real estate blog search

A little addition to the right sidebar is the real estate blog search. This is a tremendous tool for consumers and real estate bloggers. I read about it a couple of weeks ago on BHB, and thought it was mighty cool. I found I needed it a few days ago for a story and found it so useful that i felt the need to add it to the sidebar. So, thank you, Todd for the tool.

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February 27, 2007 | Filed Under sideblog | Leave a Comment 

The Zebra’s Carnival

The real estate carnival makes its way to Central Virginia this week. Well done, Daniel.

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February 26, 2007 | Filed Under sideblog | Leave a Comment 

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