“Will I fit in?” is perhaps the most common question any homebuyer asks. Is “How will my potential neighbors vote” one of your criteria when evaluating where to buy (or rent) a home? I don’t…
Date Archives August 2011
Note from the Trenches (of a seller in Charlottesville)
If memory serves …
I was marketing a house in Albemarle County. We received an offer which my clients accepted, but it was contingent on the sale of that buyer’s house. Another offer came in, and my sellers “kicked out” the first contract to accept the second contract.
We bought a house from some of your clients about 5 years ago, the (removed), at (removed)., Charlottesville, 22902. We have loved the house, but have had to move this summer for work, so it is currently on the market, with no luck as of yet. We did remember that there was a kickout clause on the house when we made our offer.
We were wondering if you would contact the potential buyers with the clause or their agent on the off chance that they might still be interested. The market is not great currently so the price of the house is much lower than they offered way back then, so if they were interested it would be a better deal for them now. Obviously, if they do not have an agent you could be their agent, but if they do, and actually purchase the house, we could figure out some sort of finders fee for you.
I can’t advertise their house as it’s not my listing, but if you’re interested in a nice house under $250k in eastern Albemarle on a couple acres, I know a good one.
Friday Chart – Good News – Charlottesville Housing Inventory Drops
I know, it’s Thursday, but I’ve been playing with numbers all morning … What follows is a sample of market reports to come in the coming days, weeks and months.
– We still have too much inventory
– New listings coming on the market appear to be trending down; this is a good thing
– I love market data, and this new tool looks promising. I’ll figure out best ways to use it as quickly as possible.
– I still don’t trust some of the data in our reports; the data is only as good as the systems and the people; days on market and “sales price to original list price ratios” are still skewed for a variety of reasons.
– “Greater Charlottesville” = Albemarle, Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Nelson … look at these numbers for trending analysis only. Your market is local. Think about it … while a $200k two bedroom home in Belmont, a $750k home in Ivy and a new single family home in southern Greene are all included in these numbers … and all are affected differently by the market.
– What questions do you have?
The Daily Show on the Ratings Agencies
Once again, the Daily Show nails it.
Blame the agencies.
But … at some point, we’re going to have to look inward to solve our problems rather than seeking to lay blame elsewhere.
If You’re Looking for a Google Plus Invitation
I have 150 invitations. I considered posting the invitations on Facebook, google plus, twitter, etc. but figured there might be more of a curious audience here.
Contingent Offers – Better than Nothing. And Maybe All You’ll Get
A simple tweet from a client sums up what sellers need to know. “A house we liked wouldn’t accept contingency. We moved on, found better house, moved in today. They’re still on market. Dropped price…
The Lodge at Old Trail in Crozet – So Much More than “Assisted Living”
If you haven’t been to Crozet recently to see The Lodge at Old Trail, you’re missing what may be the one of the biggest privately-built buildings in the area. I spent the morning there talking with David Hilliard, the owner of the Lodge at Old Trail.
Simply put, both the building and the mission are impressive – it’s so much more than an assisted living facility. From a pub to gardens to residential living to a dance floor to a secure area for those who need a bit more assistance.