Revisiting the “0 to 5 Buyer is Gone” Post – 15 years later
Revisiting the “0-5 Buyer Is Gone” Theory We’re in a different market now. Some of the people who bought between 2021 and 2024 are trying to sell — and the ones who bought new construction, now competing against new construction, are having a hard time.…
July 2026 Monthly Note: Say Hi More Often, Cleaning Karma, and the Cash “Discount”
#189 My notes are where I put my best writing, where I encourage you to subscribe as it’s only the one email a month, and I do my level best to write each note as if I’m writing it to one person – you (and…
Recapping July’s Charlottesville Real Estate Reddit AMA
Doing these AMAs is a highlight of every quarter. I learn something every time, get great questions, and hopefully help answer questions and educate people. Plus, doing these forces me to research and vet the information every time. I am sure I make mistakes, but…
A Charlottesville e-bike Success Story
I have an e-bike. I love my e-bike. I ride it to meetings all over the City of Charlottesville instead of driving my car. e-bikes are great. A friend got an e-bike. He loves his e-bike. He has a different perspective, and I asked him…
End of June 2026 Charlottesville Real Estate Market Status
If 2026's Charlottesville real estate market is anything like last year's market, we still have a ways to go -- ~40% of this year's listings haven't come on the market yet. I was going to wait until first week of July to write this so…
June 2026 Monthly Note | Your House Won’t be on Zillow, and other Threads
I write these notes every month. This is the link to this one on Substack, where you can subscribe. I post them here because much like real estate, I rent at Substack and I own here. Issue #188 Hi. My name is Jim. And I’m…
First Time Home Sellers in Charlottesville – What’s It like to Sell a Home?
Never sold a home in Charlottesville before? We'll get there. Selling is disruptive and invasive by nature — strangers walking through your home, your life scheduled around showings. My job is to represent and guide you through all of it. tl;dr of what follows: We'll…
Friction, Quiet Wins, 69% and Sticks in a Creek | Note from Jim May 2026
I am text block. Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Issue #187 Making the May note by the skin of my teeth. It’s been a productive…
Flipping the Switch, Part 3: ADUs, Zoning, and the Practical Guide
Flipping the Switch, Part 3: ADUs, Zoning, and the Practical Guide Part 1 covered the data. Part 2 covered the design. This week: the regulatory landscape, the ADU reality check, and the practical checklist. The ADU Conversation Has Changed When I wrote about this in…
Happy Homeownership Day (on a bicycle)
A good day starts with a bike ride. A better day starts with a bike ride to meet clients for a final walkthrough of their first home. Smile, happiness, projects to be undertaken, projects to be planned, lives to be lived. It's a good day.…