To sell or not to sell?
This is the question of the day ... As the market shifts, Sellers may have to make accommodations to which they are not accustomed. They may have to prepare their homes in ways they have not had to for some time ... such as sweeping…
Charlottesville area Market update/bubble?
Prevailing wisdom says that one of the major indicators of a bursting real estate bubble is an increase in the number of homes on the market. Using the local MLS, I pulled together the number of homes that were Active, Contingent or Pending in 2004…
Transportation Progress?
From today's DP - With Old Trail coming, we should make sure that the roads in Crozet are usable,” Supervisor Sally H. Thomas said. Supervisor David C. Wyant, whose White Hall district includes Crozet, said his mindset on road improvements has changed. “I'm almost at…
Southern Pines development in Fluvanna
It is hard to ascertain from this story in The Central Virginian which side (if either) is right. While it was clear that the Fluvanna County Planning Commission was unhappy with Barry Meade's proposed Southern Pines development, some members felt they did not have the…
We’re Number 52!
We are the 52nd highest-ranked Metropolitan Statistical Area in the nation, with regard to percent change in house prices (they've gone up). The PDF is at the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight's site. The statistics are pretty amazing. Over a 5 year period, housing…
Forum Watch is out.
Of particular note are the Places 29 report (pdf) and Neil Williamson's editorial. (more…)
Brief market update
Our market is shifting, not bursting, not hissing, but shifting slightly. Many properties seem to be staying on the market for a couple, if not several, days instead of hours. For a good doomsday analysis, read this RealEstateJournal article. How to prepare for a downturn…
False advertising
Throughout the day on WINA, I hear commercials stating the splendors of Old Trail Village, with townhouse prices starting at $175,000 and single family homes from $300,000 up to one million. Ha. They might have been $175k before they hit the market, but certainly not…
Outstanding news
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development office has awarded a roughly $19 million loan to International Broadband Electric Communications Inc., an outfit specializing in delivering broadband Internet over existing power lines. Customers of Central Virginia Electric Cooperative in 11 Virginia counties are expected to…
Cooling.
When America's housing boom finally ends, don't expect a loud pop. "It's not going to be a big dramatic event," says William Apgar, senior scholar at Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies.From today's WSJ. I wish I could do a poll like the snapshot…