Northtown Bike Trail – From Downtown to 29 North – Looks Great
The Northtown Trail is a smart, functional, bold and audacious plan that would likely help shape non-auto-dependent growth, reduce congestion on 29 and maybe help folks using it get more fit. It's a shame it will probably never be built. The plan for the Northtown…
Homebuyers – Caution on Radon, Builders’ Reps and No Representation
Bolding mine. Comments following the story. What follows is a not-quite-horror-story about why homebuyers need to have representation when buying new construction. This is a story sent in by a reader who found me, possibly via my post on radon in Charlottesville from last year.…
FHA Increases – Buying a Home Is Now More Expensive
Effective for FHA loans for which the case number is assigned on or after October 4, 2010, FHA upfront and annual MIP will change as follows: - Upfront MIP - 1.00% on ALL mortgage terms (from 2.25%) - Annual MIP - 0.90% for LTVs*8…
Friday Chart – Is this the New Normal for the Charlottesville Real Estate Market?
Continuing the Friday Chart series ... this week we are looking at the number of real estate transactions in the first three quarters: As always, raw data after the jump. Looking at the number of transactions so far this year* in the Charlottesville MSA -…
Showed Houses in Charlottesville Last Week -or- Why AVMs Suck
I showed a few townhouses last week. Big news, right? I won't say the price at which the referenced property is listed, for fear of giving specific real estate advice. It's new to the market, surrounded by competition that have been on the market from…
Can Crozet have Three Centers?
With the proposed pedestrian mall in downtown Crozet, the question is - Can Crozet support Three business/residential/mixed use centers? Crozet has become much more self-sufficient over the past five years - adding two gyms, another grocery store, two coffee shops, a bookstore ... but it's…
“New” Lead Based Paint Rule Revised
Remember the new Lead Based Paint Rules/Regulation/Law that went into effect in April? Apparently it was revised, with very little fanfare and advertising from the EPA. The only way I learned about it was when I saw that the National Association of Home Builders is…
When Evaluating the Charlottesville Real Estate Market, IGNORE National Data
Take your lede: - Home sales in 2010 are up 14% in Charlottesville and Albemarle year over year. - Home sales in 2010 are up 19% in Charlottesville MSA year over year. - Foreclosures continue to climb in Charlottesville and Albemarle. - Questions abound regarding…
Dealing with Home Buyers’ New Psychology
It's not really "new" ... the Charlottesville area has been considered a buyers' market for a couple years now. What may be new is the occasionally extreme nature of the buyers and that they are now accustomed to and comfortable with the "new" normal -…