No One Cares about Albemarle’s $400 MILLION Budget?
*Yes, it's a deliberately antagonistic headline. I know. Alison Wrabel at the Daily Progress wrote a great story on Sunday about the lack of engagement/participation in the Albemarle County budget process. I wonder ... why are people not participating? (bolding mine) Three community meetings about Albemarle’s…
Search for homes by Noise Level?
"Is this neighborhood quiet?" is a very common question buyers ask, almost as common as "how often does the train run?" This National Transportation Noise Map is one way to try to ascertain neighborhood transportation noise levels. (thanks to David Reese for finding this!) CityLab had a story…
A New View of West Main in Charlottesville
I had the opportunity this week to look at the back side of West Main from UVA Hospital. The Charlottesville skyline is changing a bit ... and it's not even close to being finished. A #Charlottesville view I'd not seen before. An evolving skyline. (That…
March’s Monthly Note – Pepperoni Bubble
Lots discussed this month Pepperoni Bubble Acclimating to the Charlottesville Market Bicycles are good (for you) Blog Roundup A few things I'm reading. Interested? Subscribe here. I tend to write my best stuff here; it's a different audience, and a bit of (agonizing) fun to…
The “Quiet Period” of the Residential Real Estate Transaction
I remember well the quiet period, from when I bought my first house ... anxiety, questioning, wondering what I was doing that was inevitably going to screw things up. What is the "quiet period," or the time with little communication just before closing on a…
Appeal Your Albemarle County Assessments (2017)
I'm posting this email from the Albemarle County Assessor, Peter Lynch, because: 1- It's good and useful information 2 - It's easier for me to send a link to a blog post to clients than the same email over and over. 3 - I've heard from…
A Pizza Hut. On West Main Street
Nothing against Pizza Hut. I remember playing sit-down Pac Man at a Pizza Hut when I was a kid. They're building a Pizza Hut ... on West Main Street. Close to the new apartment buildings (Uncommon & Hardywood brewery, Flats at West Main,…
Recordings in the House
I remember several years ago showing a house, as we do, making honest and critical comments about the house (my folks ended up buying it), when we looked up, saw cameras, and realized we were being recorded by the sellers. We stopped talking. Being able…
Re-Posting: A New Home is More than a Hole in the Ground
As I was taking photos this morning for out-of-Charlottesville clients who are building a new home, I remembered this story from 2012. It's worth a re-post. “From the perspective of the rest of the world: one random hole in the ground. For our family on February…
Charlottesville & Albemarle Real Estate Assessments – 2017
Charlottesville & Albemarle Property taxes up. Rural conspiracy? What do real assessments mean? The following message came to me the other day Mr. Duncan: have you heard any thoughts on the recent county rural tax assessments. my land value dropped roughly 25% this year. I am…