Date Archives February 2007

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.* Courtesy of the City of Charlottesville’s Economic Development newsletter (pdf).*that they spelled “Charlottesville” as “Charlottesvilles” 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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Charlottesville Neighborhoods – Fry’s Springs

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….  From its springs to its streetcars, the neighborhood has contributed greatly to the character and integrity of our city….  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.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.

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Another reason to purchase student housing in Charlottesville

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….  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 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?)

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Quick Charlottesville market numbers

From the first of January to 27 February 2004:740 properties were put on the market (44 were condos)318 soldFrom the first of January to 27 February 2005:757 properties were put on the market (114 were condos)392 soldFrom 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 NelsonAbsorption rateWhat 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.

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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 construction2) Sellers have to work….  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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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.

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