Bear with me … some changes are afoot. I’ll update when all is well.
Thursday Links – 17 December 2009
It is an absolute must-read for an opinionated and blunt analysis of how and why AT&T sucks, the iPhone is great and America is on the decline.
…My point here is this; one of the great strengths each one of us has as real estate investors is that we have the ability to move very quickly. When the market or some part of it either shifts or is redirected by Government action we are able to quickly shift with it, make the needed adjustments and continue reaping our profits.
…But when it comes to this economy right now — an economy fundamentally out of balance — we need a federal government that moves boldly and swiftly to counter-balance the huge recessionary forces still at large.
Deal of the Day – 6 Kiowa Lane
6 Kiowa Lane, Lake Monticello . ( bolding mine – asking price is $132,000 – purchased for $203k in April 2007 ) Bank foreclosure- assessed for 217,600 -an excellent buy! call for addenda-Bank of America Prequalification required on all offers. Free appraisal and credit report if buyer finances through Bank of America Home Loans. Great Lake Monticello community-lake and golf community-home is located outside of the main gates.
Amtrak Line More Trafficked than Expected
The new Amtrak train between Lynchburg and Washington had twice as many passengers as expected during its first month of operation in October … … More than 8,500 people got on or off the two trains in Charlottesville during October. That was about 2,300 more riders than the city had in the same month of 2008. Is anyone using this line to commute from Charlottesville to DC?
Searching for or Selling Homes – the Internet Matters
From the National Association of Realtors’ 2009 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers: Q: Why use print ? A: Because . (there’s really no better answer other than “to show sellers that we’re doing something to market their homes, even if the data say that it’s neither effective nor a good use of money) 
Q : But … is print advertising useful to buyers?
…A: They drive by. ( signs matter ) ( here are some steps to search for a home in Charlottesville )
… Q : Does a (Charlottesville area) Realtor’s knowledge of the local area matter to buyers?
Zillow Steps Beyond Free – Rental and Search
2 – When searching for homes for sale, you will be able to search by monthly payment – homes for sale and for rent. 3 – The spammy craigslist will see some real competition 4 – Eventually (I’d wager) Zillow is going to charge for everything they can. … Real estate blog roundup: Zillow starts charging for listings – 1000WattJoel Zillow adds Rental Listings – Charges for them – Tribus Zillow Adds Lease Search, Fills in a Critical Gap in the Their Offering – AG Zillow to Go Head to Head With Realtor.com, RPR & Your Wallet? – AgentGenius Announcing: Rental Listings and Search – ZillowBlog Zillow Adds Rentals – RCG My notes from the phone call yesterday are below. … In the Charlottesville Current market – a lot of homes are for sale or rent.
Prepping to Buy a House in Charlottesville
Now is the time when people really start to talk about these things in earnest, so here is the thing: if you’re thinking about buying a house, it’s a great time to buy! … But if you’re thinking about buying in the Spring: – now is the time to start researching. – Drive through neighborhoods, see how they’re decorated if that interests you or if it disinterests you. It’s good to know what you might be getting yourself into. – Start scouting things out, ask questions, search for homes and find a realtor (I am one) and start looking for vacant houses so you have a feel for what you’re going to see come Spring when houses come on the market. – Prices now are starting to moderate even more. … Start interviewing buyers agents , ask questions, because when you’re talking about interviewing buyers agents , you’re really talking about spending a lot of time with somebody who is hopefully going to be someone you like, trust, and is a professional who is experienced.