One of the most common questions I get is, "when will homes start to come on the market in the Charlottesville area?" Phrased differently, that's "when should I start looking if I'm planning to buy a house in Charlottesville"? or "when should I put my house on the market in Charlottesville?" Simple answer: Charlottesville homes start to come on the soon. Our market is very seasonal. Looking solely at single family, attached, and condos in the Charlottesville Metropolitan Statistical Area (Charlottesville, Albemarle, Fluvanna, Read More
Archives for December 2015
Goodbye, IDX
IDX. Internet Data Exchange. For those not actively involved in real estate, that means (pretty much) "showing homes for sale on a broker website." Now, I recommend searching for homes in Charlottesville at the Nest Realty site. I could be convinced to keep the search here on this blog if enough folks ask. Years ago, having a "search for homes" feature on a site was a differentiator. I found what I believed (and Read More
Nearly End of the Year Real Estate Market Report for Charlottesville + Albemarle
I'm finalizing my monthly note and thought I'd share a quick update on the Charlottesville real estate market. If you want to read the Note, please get more information here. Albemarle County - mostly stable
- Single family home new listings : up 3% from 1562 in 2014 to 1609
- Attached homes: flat - 454 in 2015 to 451 this year
- Single family home closings: up from 929 to 996 in 2015
- Attached homes: up from 338 to 356.
Lender Advice for Buyers Targeting Home Buying in Charlottesville
If you're getting ready to buy a house in the Charlottesville area in 2016,(Update: This is an evergreen post; always relevant) most buyers will need to get a mortgage. I asked Matt Hodges with Presidential Mortgage to put together a primer for buyers - first timers and experienced buyers. Matt has outlined the mortgage process quite well: There are dozens of my clients who Read More
Wednesday Thoughts – Getting Rid of IDX, Community, and Fear
A few thoughts this Wednesday that may or may not turn into stories for either the blog or the monthly note.
- How many sides (transactions) does a real estate agent need under her belt before being "reasonably competent"? And how many should he do each year to maintain said competence?
- Fear sells. Don't buy it. "Policy based on fear may be expedient for politicians and profitable for the media and the security sector, but it is generally bad Read More
December’s Monthly Note – Roundup, Newbies, & Turning Others In + a Question
This is going to be a fun note. A big question for you - I'm thisclose to removing the "search for homes" feature from this blog. For good. What do you think? First, two stories - newbies and self-policing of real estate agents. Then I'll talk a bit about market data and the nearly-end-of-2015 state of the market. Then, I'll talk a bit about the just-finished Nest Summit, going "behind the sign" (and possible ramifications), and I'll touch on some of the things I'm reading ... As always, the blog roundup for Read More
Trying out a Matterport in Charlottesville
I'm trying something new; while I'm not the first in Charlottesville to try marketing a house via Matterport, I'm one of the first. Sometimes cutting edge is better than bleeding edge. Thoughts on this Matterport walkthrough welcomed. The house is not quite ready for the market*, but will be soon. I'm not sold on the "dollhouse" view, but the walkthrough of the house definitely shows the layout. I thought the Matterport would be useful for this particular house as Read More