Charlottesville & Albemarle Assessments – Another Increase in 2019
Assessments are up, again. They've been going up for about a decade. Read this for more context on market value & assessments. Real estate assessments do not necessarily equate market value Increasing assessments are financially painful for a lot of people. Great discussion thread at…
End of 2018 Charlottesville Area Market Report
The Charlottesville Area Realtors' 2018 Market Report is out Market data PDFs galore, but what's it mean to you? Greater Charlottesville Area Albemarle County City of Charlottesville Short takeaways Top-level data is relevant from a public perception/trending perspective, but notsomuch from a "what should I offer?"…
Growing Rio Road and Biscuit Run
Two big Albemarle County news items with respect to the use of the land, and local human settlement patterns, trails and traffic. Albemarle County’s blueprint for a walkable, urban destination at the Rio Road and U.S. 29 intersection has been approved. This is going to massively…
Scooters in Charlottesville
Get ready for scooters, Charlottesville. Because they are coming. For some reason, I can imagine a gaggle of scooters heading into Woolen Mills. What are they? To my eye, they are souped-up motorized versions of those razor scooters kids ride. But really. Scooters have become enormously…
4 Things About Voting in Albemarle and Charlottesville on 6 November 2018
You might have heard. 6 November there's an election. Make sure you know where you're supposed to vote. Check the sample ballot before you go in. Here's the Charlottesville City sample ballot Here's the Albemarle County sample ballot You've studied the constitutional amendments, right? Right? Now's a…
As the Charlottesville Market Turns – 2018 Edition
It's going to be an interesting 2019. I noted in July of this year, (twice) Q: Is the Charlottesville Real Estate Market Turning? A: I don’t know. Yet. I’ve been saying for months that a turn may be coming, and noted it in the July monthly…
Vacant Homes for Sale in the Charlottesville Area – 2018 edition
Update 10 September Looking at the 2017 market (a very active market) for some context: In Charlottesville + Albemarle, 2,379 homes sold via the MLS. 485 of those were new construction 1,894 were resales 737 of the 1,894 - 39% - were marked as vacant.…
Process of Buying a Home is a Deliberate Process
Choosing the right home, neighborhood, part of Charlottesville or Albemarle area can be hard, time-consuming, and challenging. As I tell my clients, "you're making a decision that will affect the rest of your lives (and your kids' too, if you have them). My advice: take your time. So…
Is the Charlottesville Real Estate Market Turning?
Q: Is the Charlottesville Real Estate Market Turning? A: I don't know. Yet. I've been saying for months that a turn may be coming, and noted it in the July monthly note. And, I've been saying for years that I'll tell you in 18 months…
Describing Charlottesville & Crozet to a Friend – Part 2
A friend shared with me his description of the Charlottesville area that he'd sent to a friend. This is part two; part one is here, and it's quite useful and good. Reading this has been interesting for me; I look at Charlottesville through the lens of a…