Shopping for mortgages?
NYTimes has a good article this morning. FIXED-RATE mortgages, adjustable-rate mortgages, 30-year terms, 40-year terms, low down payments, no down payments, prepayment penalties! How is a home seeker, particularly the befuddled first-timer, supposed to wade through the current mire of mortgage offerings? "Most likely, your…
Outstanding commentary on possible bubble
Courtesy of NPR, listen to the commentary, from a Boulder, Colorado perspective. Unfortunately, it's not a podcast, but oh well. Some key quotes - "Five years after the boom, anyone waiting for a real estate crash is still waiting." "I have never seen a family…
Albemarle redistricting moving forward
School districts are one of the most important aspects of a homes' value, both to those who currently live there as well as prospective purchasers. This value cannot be quantified solely by a monetary number; the intrinsic value cannot be underestimated. With that, we note…
My mom’s listing on Garth Road
The HooK just did a great write-up on the property my mother is marketing on Garth Road. Rosalind Warfield-Brown, the author of this two piece spread, is always candid in her write-ups; thankfully she thought fairly highly of this property. Check it out at The…
The worst-written ad I have ever seen. Period.
This, for a "handyman's special" in Orange. The public remarks - A HANDY MAN SPECIALIF THERE EVER WAS ONE, 200 AMP SERVICE, HEAT PUMP COMPRESSOR AND DYCT WIRK IN PLACE FOR THE BEGINNING OF REHAB, CHECK THE TARPOLIANS ON THE FOOF, SEPTIC FOR 2 BY…
Bush Not Worried about Housing Bubble
RealtyBaron.com : Baron Briefs: Bush Not Worried about Housing Bubble: Okay, everyone breath a BIG sigh of relief: our leaders are not sweating the housing boom:The Bush administration is closely watching the housing boom, though so far the surge appears to be driven mostly by…
Charlottesville’s market (as seen by HUD)
HUD's analysis of Charlottesville's real estate market - go here to read the PDF. Interesting snippets from the summary - Total home sales in the HMA have increased in each of the past 3 years. The median sales price has increased nearly 40 percent since…
Bubble discussion
Inspiration from the HousingBubble - What are your thoughts as to whether there is a "bubble" in Central VA? Is our market different? How? How not? My response will come shortly ...
Greene is growing
Greene's growth continues ... Best Western breaks ground. WINA and WCAV. The development will also feature a 15,000 square-foot retail center. As Greene grows, their employment base will (hopefully) grow as well; less people will commute into C'Ville and more opportunities will present themselves for…
Speaking of credit …
Equifax's chief executive says he opposes federal legislation that lets consumers obtain a free copy of their credit report to help them monitor financial accounts for fraudulent activity. CEO Thomas Chapman called the legislation unconstitutional and un-American because it cuts into profits that Equifax and…