Professionalism? Meh, says NAR
tl;dr - the National Association of Realtors likes the status quo; Zillow recognize that quality matters. (more…)
List Now, or Wait Until Spring?
Buyers looking in Charlottesville already know that they should be starting their homebuying journey. A lot of Charlottesville sellers are asking, "Should I list now, or wait until Spring?" That's a question I'm trying to answer often right now. As with most things in real…
Who Owns the Thermostat’s Data?
Have you ever read the terms of use that come with a Nest or an EcoBee thermostat? I hadn't. (I don't have one) Who owns that data? How is that data transferred/deleted? How might it affect the current homeowner? As Realtors, might we soon add…
Life is a Series of Stories
"Life is a series of stories," a friend said to me once. I thought about that recently when driving around with new buyer clients, and I started telling some of the stories I always tell early in the working relationship with clients. This time, I…
RealPodVA: Climate Change and Real Estate
Part Two, the Podcast. Part One is the blog post with links and background. The RealPodVA podcast is fun, with Dave Stipe of Rockfish Music and Bart Isely of Scrimmage Play. My one ask: give us a listen, and if you like it, listen again,…
Climate Change & Real Estate
tl;dr: climate change is real. Time to change habits - how we eat, build houses, transport ourselves and things, and where and how we live. 1. I’m not qualified to be an alarmist, but I can read. 2. With respect to climate change, your beliefs do…
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…
Buying a Home Timeline
What's the process and timeline for buying a home in Charlottesville? This is a rough guide that incorporates some of the steps. * Meet the Realtor (really, start here. Also, I am one.) Define your criteria (my survey is a good place to start) Prequalify…
Monday Morning Reads | Smart Homes, Crash Coming? NIMBYs
A few stories to get your (and my) week started. Crash Coming? The Charlottesville Pride Festival this past weekend was a lot of fun. 10 years after Lehman, is another crisis brewing? Household Estimates Conundrum Alive and Well The Financial Crisis at 10: Will We…
Radon Testing and Storms
Be mindful when doing radon tests. I got the following email from Robert Foster of Trebor Home Inspections, and am posting with his permission. The Virginia Radon Coordinator sent out the following As hurricane Florence bears down on the mid-Atlantic region, this message serves as…