Category Archives: Albemarle
Determining Broadband Availability in the Charlottesville MSA
For many of my clients, particularly those who work at home, internet is a more important service that water or electricity. The internet is mission- and life- critical for many people
A reader asks –
Hi, Jim: I’m amazed and annoyed that most listings do not mention internet service, nor do RE sites include that information as a search parameter. Knowing the availability – and speed – of internet connection is especially necessary when seeking a home outside Charlottesville. Short of investigating through local ISP’s for particular addresses or neighborhoods, do you have any suggestion? I do not trust sellers or, frankly, seller’s agents, to know or tell the truth.
In the Charlottesville area, the City of Charlottesville and the urban ring definitely* have broadband connectivity, as do many (most?) of the more densely-populated areas of Greene, Louisa, Louisa. * Definitely = 99% sure.
My suggestions and insight to ascertain broadband connectivity in the Charlottesville area:
1a – Ask your buyer broker. A good one is going to know with reasonable accuracy whether an area is likely to have internet service.
1b – If you’re really interested, the only way to ensure there is broadband service is to contact the service provider. In the Charlottesville MSA, we have Comcast, Embarq, Blue Ridge Internetworks, Verizon in some of the outlying areas, and a couple smaller fiber providers. *Nelson County just lost some broadband connectivity.
2 – A note to listing agents: when a buyer asks, “does this house have internet?” they aren’t asking about Wildblue or dial-up.
3 – I’ve asked the fine folks who power the “search for homes” feature of my site to add internet availability as a search option, but here’s the problem: GIGO. Just last year, the Charlottesville MLS added “internet availability” to the list of features listing agents can select, joining the ranks of # of bedrooms, # of bathrooms, acreage, etc.
But … As “internet availability” isn’t a required field in the MLS, it’s liable to be left out. And as we all know – if it’s blank, it’s not searchable. Thus, the search and results will be inaccurate, not useful, frustrating and bad for everyone – buyers searching, sellers trying to sell and agents running real estate blogs. 
4 – To the trust aspect – get a good buyer broker who you can trust. I’ll address this aspect in more detail with clients. As clients said recently about the photos some realtors take to market their properties – “All pictures tell a story, and some aren’t true.”
5 – I wish that the internet service providers would offer maps and overlays to let people determine where service is, but presumably that information is a competitive thing for them. Continue reading
How to Sell a House in 21 Days
I started to write this post in early November, soon after my clients and I ratified the contract on their house and right about when the story was published on the Newsplex. I almost didn’t do the Newsplex story.* (see the end of this post for the rationale)
A few of my rules for real estate:
“Under Contract” ≠ “Sold”:
- “Under Contract” means: “we need to get through the loan application, loan commitment (including appraisal), home inspection and any other contingencies.
Most importantly – What did we do to get a contract on this house in three weeks? Put simply:
1: My clients worked hard. For a long time; we met last year and discussed strategies for getting their home ready to put on the market, the value of pricing the home right, what they needed to do and what I needed to do to prepare for the marketing of their home.
2: We priced it right; tracking the real estate market, the sold competition and most importantly, the active and under contract competition.
3: We worked the first offer we got. One of the real estate truisms is that the first offer is usually the best offer; you might not get another offer.
4: We got lucky with the buyer’s agent; she’s one of the best in the area and that was one of the factors we evaluated when evaluating the offer. I’m probably going to touch on this aspect in a later, separate post, but the quality and competence of the opposing real estate agent matters. If I can advise my clients that there is a reasonable expectation that the transaction will go relatively smoothly in part because the other agent agent is competent, that’s a serious component we evaluate. (as a contrast, if I don’t know or trust the other agent, that’s a factor as well)
5: My clients worked really, really hard and were realistic about the market and their expectations. I can’t emphasize this one enough. Selling a house is hard work – for the sellers and their representation. Being willing and able to work, be realistic and reasonable is invaluable.
6: Lastly – price absolutely matters, but it’s not always the most important factor. (as an aside, my feelings from the linked post regarding other agents’ competencies have shifted quite dramatically as I have gained much more experience; when I wrote that I had been in the business just over three years; now I’m entering my 11th year)
The Meadowcreek Parkway is Opening Today
After 40+ years, the Meadowcreek Parkway is going to open today. Few things typify the relationship between the County of Albemarle and the City of Charlottesville as does this long-delayed, out-dated, partially-finished road as does the Meadowcreek Parkway.
7 Years of Blogging about the Charlottesville Real Estate Market
It’s been a long time since I started writing about the Charlottesville real estate market. This site has become my pensieve; it is easier to google my site for information than it is to remember what I’m trying to say (and this site has links, too). What started as a little blog on a freeware mac blogging platform has become something somewhat bigger – I’d wager that this site is the most widely-read real estate blog in Charlottesville.
To those of you who have read and continue to read, send me tips and thoughts and to the buyers and sellers whom I have met and worked with over the years, I offer a simple and humble thank you.
While the format of this site has changed many times, the intent has not – to provide clear and transparent analysis about the Charlottesville real estate market devoid of spin, reflecting my thoughts and opinions about the local real estate market, local politics affecting real estate and other such matters. Sometimes I write about my phones. Sometimes about technology that makes marketing real estate better for me and for my clients.
Make no mistake – the number one thing that writing RealCentralVA has done is forced me and allowed me the path to become a better real estate professional. I know more, I read more, I’m aware of more, I’m aware of more that I don’t know, I understand the context of real estate in the local, state and national economies … by reading, writing and practicing real estate every day, I’m better positioned and prepared to do what I love – represent my clients as I guide them through life-altering decisions.
After the jump are a few stories of note; frankly, with over 3700 stories written since 4 January 2005, I briefly looked at the RealCentralVA archives and picked a few that interested me.
If you’re so inclined, please subscribe to updates, either by email or RSS. I sincerely appreciate your time, comments and reading.
Real Estate Assessments in the Charlottesville area – Still Declining?
Real estate assessments matter to market value insofar as they impact the psychological perception of value.
Do Real Estate Assessments Matter?
What do real estate assessments mean?
From a visitor:
… tidbit of info. – Nelson Co. assesses real estate every 5 years. I just received the assessment of our second home in Wintergreen. In 2006 it assessed at $599K, now $385K — down 36%
2012 is going to prove very interesting in the Charlottesville region.
Top Charlottesville Real Estate Stories from 2011
Why Do you Choose to Live in Charlottesville or Albemarle?
Why do you choose to live in Charlottesville or Albemarle? Take this survey and let the localities know.
