0.95 – Charlottesville City

0.762 – Albemarle County

0.5981 – Fluvanna County

0.69 – Greene County

0.65 – Louisa County

0.53 – Madison County

0.60 – Nelson County

0.72 – Orange County

Note: these tax rates are all based on $100.00 of real estate assessment.
Example: If you own a home in Albemarle County that is assessed at $200,000 your taxes would be

0.762 x 200,000/100 = $1,524 per year

As my clients know I love the Charlottesville area and I love showing Charlottesville Real Estate and Homes to my clients.

A lot of factors go into the decision to relocate to a new area and one thing I have learned is that no two clients are alike in this regard.

If time permits, we will often tour specific areas while discussing your needs and I will actually explain why I choose to move my family to this area from the West Coast.

Sometimes I get a message after a first meeting that just says it all. Below is an email I received this morning after meeting with a client for the first time:

Hi Charles,

Charlie and I so enjoyed our time with you! Your love of Charlottesville is infectious. We didn’t feel like we were with a real estate agent, but rather with a friend, passionate about his community. We felt, heard and understood, the result of your masterful listening skills; you continually checked, understanding of our requirements, refining as needed, which assisted us in gaining clarity, as well. Your broad knowledge base and brilliant engineering mind left us feeling confident that we were in good hands. Thank you kindly for your generosity of spirit; we are blessed to be working with you.

All the best,

Irene and Charlie

They wanted excellent schools, a neighborhood and privacy (all within budget). Sometimes a neighborhood and privacy are a dichotomy.
Well the hunt was on and we soon found the perfect home, in the school district my clients choose, in a neighborhood and yes even with privacy (backing to a river).

Now we have one extra surprise, there was a small private pond on the property. It is rare to have a private pond in a neighborhood but this was part of the charm of the property. Below is a photo of the first day at the new home.

Not only is this the first day, it was the first “cast” that their son made from the dock!

When I talk to clients about Charlottesville Real Estate, I will often mention the quality of life we have here. Sometime a picture is worth a thousand words.

This report comes out Quarterly and gives us a good idea of the current Real Estate Market in the greater Charlottesville Area. Remember to discuss specific market conditions with your Realtor.

1st Quarter 2012 Highlights:

Charlottesville 1st Quarter Real Estate Market Report 2012

My Background

I can remember a drafting class I took in high school where we used pencil and paper (eventually we went to mylar and ink, but that’s another story) to draw up a floor plan of a home. We actually built a scale model of the home we designed, and ever since I’ve been hooked on design.

I went on to design everything from medical devices and tanks for the military to satellites. When I got into electronics, I started my own firm and we designed circuits for more products and companies than I can count.

Moving to Charlottesville

When we moved to Charlottesville 12 years ago, I left that life behind and got into real estate. It was therefore natural for me to have a passion for new construction and also to want to learn every part of the process.

Selecting a Home Site

The process of selecting a home site is much more complex than just what fits a clients’ budget. The topography of the lot is a major factor and you actually should have a good idea of what your home design will be so that you can see if the two work together.

There are also several other things to consider: power, water, easements and line of sight. I can go on, but you get the idea.

Selecting a Builder

The biggest mistake I see clients make is that they use the builder who owns, or has an option to own, the lot they want. It’s a huge decision when you select a builder, and, let me tell you from experience, you want one that’s not only excellent, but one that you get along with, as this process has a lot of interaction.

The second biggest mistake I have seen in our area is someone who works with the builder’s agent or goes to a sales office and works with the builder’s representative directly. Working without an agent to represent your interests in Virginia doesn’t make sense. When someone does this, they must think they are getting a better deal, but this isn’t true.

The price, with or without an agent, will be the same. I don’t understand why someone wouldn’t use a professional to protect their interests. The truth is that the public just needs to be better educated on this subject.

Selecting an Agent

I do watch other agents, and even those who represent builders. Most have very little knowledge of engineering, construction and the problems that may arise in the process of building.

I’m not saying that these agents are not good at what they do with regard to writing a contact, negotiating a price, working with the attorney, etc., but I am saying that they tend to treat new construction like any other contract, and, in my opinion, new construction is unique.

Why Some of my Clients Build

For some clients building is a perfect option. If they have the time, the capital and really want new construction, then a client may be a good candidate for building.

Final Note

Building is not for everyone and it takes special considerations. If you’re thinking of building, let’s talk!

Using the Web to Search

I have clients who use a computer to do everything from ordering pizza to trading stocks. When people become so accustomed to using the web to find everything, they can sometimes over think things, and real estate is one of those things that they over think.

Let me explain:

I need to educate my clients better

When a client says “I found this home on Zillow” or “I found this home on Trulia” I realize that I have not fully done my job in explaining how our Solutions MLS site works.

Many sites are not complete

Sites that are “syndicated sites” – that receive listings from other sources – are never 100% up-to-date and often homes that are listed are not removed once they go under contract.

Keep in mind that sites like Zillow and Trulia are not bound by rules like a Multiple Listing Service. They do offer a broad view of homes in most areas, but, again, not a complete and fully accurate list of homes.

Why would a client look on these sites vs using Charlottesville Solutions which has a full MLS data feed?

The answer, as I alluded to above, is that I have not fully explained that they are NOT going to see any additional listings on these sites and, in fact, they will NOT see all homes available and the pricing may NOT even be correct.

Don’t Over Think Search

Clients who love technology and the web will sometimes over think how to use them. They may think that looking at multiple sites will show them more data (in this case homes).

The fact is they will save a tremendous amount of time and frustration by using our one-source full feed site.

To recap:

The data on our Solutions MLS Site is current, comprehensive and shows all homes available in our market.

So again, which is best? The answer is our local Charlottesville Solutions MLS Site.

Enjoy!

This is the day when over a hundred medical students at the University of Virginia will find if they are accepted!
It is truly a fantastic day for these hard working students who have spent 8 years getting to this moment.

Several months ago students picked their top choices of hospitals and many picked the University of Virginia Medical Center. After having several interviews these hospitals make their choices and today is the day that the decisions come out.

Charlottesville Residents

So these Residents will need housing and for many they will need to see Charlottesville Homes quickly!

This is where Charlottesville Solutions comes in. We have all homes in the area listed and exceptional Charlottesville agents ready to help you in your new home search. We understand that time is limited but we are experienced in working with Charlottesville Doctors.

The key things that these Residents will be looking for is the distance to UVA. This is why I have it on every listing on our website. Here is a snapshot of what most Residents ask us for in Charlottesville Homes:

1. Close to UVA – 15 mins is best
2. 2+ bedrooms
3. under 300K – Typically this is a First Time Home buyer and we have Doctor Loans which can offer up to 100% financing.

So when you are ready, give us a call or visit CharlottesvilleSolutions.com we are always available to help you find the perfect home.

Welcome to Charlottesville!

Is buying your own home better than investing in stocks right now?

“If I knew where I was going to want to live the next five or 10 years I would buy a home and I’d finance it with a 30-year mortgage… It’s a terrific deal.”

Should we buy multiple houses?

“If I was an investor that was a handy type and I could buy a couple of them at distressed prices and find renters, I think it’s a leveraged way of owning a very cheap asset now and I think that’s probably as an attractive an investment as you can make now.”

Interestingly enough a couple of my clients who are investors in Charlottesville Real Estate have bought more than one home in the last year. This is because they see this as an opportunity.

Personally I always think it is best to own your own home.

Green Charlottesville is Cool

It is not just cool to go Green, it makes perfect sense. Many Charlottesville Homes are energy-efficient and environmentally friendly which is what Green Homes are all about. Many people rely on a Certified Green Home and the truth is that many Builders are building within 95% of the guidelines already.

Let’s look at some of the guidelines of a LEED Certification

What is LEED?

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It provides building owners a way of defining, identifying and implementing green building design and construction parameters.

Getting LEED Certification is a 3rd party verification that a home was built using energy efficiency, sustainable site development, water saving, material selection and indoor environmental quality.

Green Charlottesville Builders

In Charlottesville, many builders are building Earthcraft Homes, using High Quality Heating and Cooling systems, Energy-star Appliances, Low Flow Faucets and even energy efficient light bulbs, just to name a few.

What is really interesting is that many builders in Charlottesville have been ahead of the curve in both designing and building to these specifications for years.

Green without Certification?

One thing to understand is that a home can be Green without being certified, and, in fact, we are seeing a lot of Charlottesville homes being remodeled with Green in mind. It is a wonderful trend in Charlottesville.

Buyers and Builders can check the National Association of Home Builders for information on their National Green Building Standard. With the discussion on Green building on a National level, it is a good start. But the end result rests in the hands of the local builder and consumer.

So, you’ve decided you want to sell your Charlottesville Home and now you want to start the process. Where do you begin?

The first step in selling Charlottesville Real Estate, believe it or not, is not to call a Realtor. The first step should be to evaluate the current market conditions. It is best for you to do this without others influencing your evaluation.

Current Market

Are we in a Buyer’s market or Seller’s market? At the writing of this post the answer seems obvious, but I can tell you from experience that it is not always the case.

Many times the market is much more balanced, equal buyers and sellers, and, in fact, the current buyer pool is increasing and the inventory pool is more balanced than this time last year.

Evaluate your Charlottesville Home

The next step is an unemotional evaluation of your home. I often tell sellers to look at their home through the eyes of a buyer. At this point, if you have an agent, you will want your agent to bring you to see inventory that is competing with your home. Do not, I repeat, do not just rely on MLS photos or stats. First hand viewing of homes is critical and really will only take a few hours.

About Real Estate Photos

A note about MLS photos and why you cannot rely on them. Many agents, our firm included, will use a professional photographer, and their job is to make the home look as appealing as possible to get buyers to visit the property. Some Photographers will use a wide-angle, or fish-eye, lens. I have even seen some photos that are color enhanced. Once, I even saw where a power line somehow vanished from behind a home in a photo. I feel that these last two examples are wrong and misleading to the public.

Stage Your Charlottesville Home

Next, you want to Stage Your Home. We have written about Staging your Charlottesville Home in great detail and the main point is to be sure that your home is presented BETTER than the competition. Yes, it is a competition.

Price Your Charlottesville Home

Finally, Price of Your Home. Again, we have written about Pricing your Charlottesville Home and the main idea is to price very competitively. If you’ve over-price you will not sell your home. If you visited the competition you should have a better sense of where to price your home competitively.

If you follow these steps, Selling your Charlottesville Real Estate will not be as big an effort as you first imagined.

One Final Note

If you bypass or try to shortcut the above steps you are just shortcutting yourself. Let us know if we can be of any assistance.

This is the best report format we have seen in quite sometime from CAAR and it shows great details that we talk about all year. Remember to discuss specific market conditions with your Realtor.

Charlottesville Area 4th Quarter 2011 Highlights:

• Median sales price for the region is down 0.4% over last quarter and 3.6% from the Q4‐2010 to $240,000
• New listings were down 20.3% from the same period last year.
• Homes took an average 9 days longer to sell compared to Q4‐2010 with average Days on Market(DOM) of 161.
• Pending sales rose 19.3% over same time 2010 from 456 in Q4 2010 to 544 in Q4 2011.
• The median sales price for 4th

Quarter sales year‐over‐year declined  3.75% from $249,000 to $240,000.

Charlottesville Area 2011 Year‐End Highlights:

• Top three areas for sales in 2011 were Albemarle, Charlottesville, and Fluvanna counties.
• The most affordable areas in our market were Greene, Louisa, and Fluvanna counties.
• Overall sales were down a nominal 1.5% from 2010, though up slightly from 2009 levels.
• Active inventory to close 2011 is down 7% from year‐end 2010.
• Days on Market stable since 2010, half of homes sold in 86 days or less in 2011 and average DOM was 149 in 2011.
• Median Sales price for 2011 of $245,000 was down 3.9% from year‐end 2010.

Caar Year End 2011

2012 Charlottesville Real Estate Assessment

The City of Charlottesville says that the released assessments are “an estimate of fair market value as of January 1 each year, based on property sales for the previous calendar year” Here is the Charlottesville City Assessor website.

2012 Albemarle County Real Estate Assessment

Albemarle County, who I called a few days ago, states that  “The County of Albemarle appraises real estate every year based on fair market value as provided by the Virginia State Code”.

They go on to say that “The appraisal staff in conducting their field appraisal work considers adjacent property sales, condition of property, zoning stipulations, and other miscellaneous factors that could be an influence on the market value of the property”  Here is the Albemarle County Real Estate Tax Website.

Charlottesville Home Prices

Charlottesville Market Reports show that sales are slightly increasing year over year, however Median Sales Prices are down in the City of Charlottesville and up slightly in Albemarle County.

There are a lot of factors that are included to get Median prices from our MLS so your actually numbers may not follow these trends. I suspect that 2012 Real Estate Assessments will be, for the most part, flat to slightly down from 2011.

Charlottesville Real Estate Tax Rates

Our real estate tax rates are based on Assessments:

• City of Charlottesville is $.95 per $100 of Assessed value.
• Albemarle County is $.742 per $100 of Assessed value.

Charlottesville Home Buyer

Many Charlottesville Buyers look to Assessments as a means of valuing a home and in many cases this can be a mistake. Using them as a guide can make sense, but since the data is generated at a point in time prior to the January release the information is not timely enough.

Getting a current Market Analyses of a home from your Charlottesville Agent will give you a better idea of a homes true value.

Keswick Hall is currently owned by Orient Express Hotels, which is based in the United Kingdom and owns other high-end resort spots around the world as well as the Orient Express Train System.

CCA Industries, the holding company for the business interests of William Goodwin, Jr., a well known figure in the Richmond area, will reportedly be the new owner as of  the end of the month.

Goodwin is also the owner of other luxury properties including The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond and golf resorts at Kiawah Island, South Carolina and Hilton Head.

NBC 29 reported that an email was sent to the members of the Keswick Club, “Orient-Express Hotels LTD., the owners of Keswick Hall, Keswick Club and Keswick Estate, has entered into a sale and purchase agreement to sell the property to an undisclosed buyer.”

A Daily Progress Article confirmed with Orient-Express that Keswick Hall  has been sold, but the company declined to release the name of the buyer.

Example of Homes in Keswick Estate presented by Charlottesville Solutions.

The truth is that to fully understand Charlottesville Real Estate, you must have something to compare it to. Since I am from California, I often compare it to that area of the country. But I am thinking on a larger scale after my recent trip.

Comparing Charlottesville Homes

First of all the homes from one area of our country to another are totally different. Different climates require different building materials just to handle temperatures, not to mention moisture. Each area also has a unique style of homes. As an example, think of Arizona and how the homes would be different from homes on the East Coast.

Viewing Charlottesville Homes

When I am viewing Charlottesville homes I often have tunnel vision. Let me explain. We have a certain home style in our area that have that East Coast Charm. When I talk to people in Colorado, Texas or Florida I sometimes forget that they are not used to seeing our typical style of homes. My eyes opened a little wider after our Christmas trip.

The Trip

We drove from Virginia to Louisiana for Christmas this year and one of the benefits of the trip was that I was able to see many different styles of homes in various states. In Tennessee we say some log homes that would flabbergast Davy Crockett.

In Georgia and Mississippi we saw homes typical of the old South. Think of Gone with the Wind. In Louisiana we saw a lot of ranch style brick homes and a wide range of farm houses. And this is just a few different states so imagine the diversity of home styles we have in our entire country.

Understanding Charlottesville Real Estate

While there are many different Charlottesville Home Styles to choose from, many people do not see the same styles they are accustomed to living in when relocating from other states. So Charlottesville home buyers need to learn about our home styles and let go of their preconceived notions of what homes need to look like.

Selling a Charlottesville Home

Let’s look at the choices that sellers have:

Charlottesville For Sale By Owner

I still see some owners trying to sell a home without a Charlottesville Agent. Some people are placing their most valuable asset for sale without a professional. Well, this is usually a disaster. Most people don’t have the time, resources, skills or technical capability to fully advertise a property as a FSBO.  Also, sellers often have unrealistic expectations of the market value of their home.

Most home owners will buy and sell one or two homes in their lifetime.  This doesn’t compare with the experience of a qualified Charlottesville Listing Agent. 

Charlottesville Discount Broker

People are selling a very valuable item, their home, and they want to use a discount service?
The agent will do some of the work, like adding the listing to the MLS and putting a sign in the yard, but you may be the one dealing with setting the price, showings, open houses and even negotiation on any offers. Lets compare this to a different type of service. If you need to go to the dentist to have your teeth cleaned, would you use a discount service? They might just hand you a tooth brush and floss and tell you to get to work. This may sound silly, but it is similar to the discount broker approach.

Hiring a Qualified Charlottesville Agent

This is the next step, find a qualified Charlottesville Realtor who’s experienced in not just listing homes, but Selling Charlottesville Homes. This isn’t always easy, but worth the effort. One of the best ways to find an agent is using personal referrals, but don’t stop there. Next, check their results, their online presence and their sales process.

Remember, you’re going to be working with this Charlottesville Agent over a period of time. You can set this time frame in your listing agreement, but you’ll

have to have excellent communication between you and your agent. This is critical. So be sure you choose someone you feel comfortable working with.

Selling your Charlottesville Home is an important decision. So using a professional is just good common sense.

A Local Charlottesville Buyers Agent Knows The Market

This just makes good sense. Most Buyers Agents specialize in a particular location. We know the Charlottesville Real Estate market because we are passionate about local real estate.

If I were to consider buying a home in Fairfax County, I would find a qualified buyers agent in that area. They know the market, they know the schools and they know the price points of neighborhoods.

Even though I know my market and I am a Charlottesville real estate broker, this does not qualify me to represent a buyer 3 or 4 counties away.

Lets Look At Local Numbers

Pulling data today, Dec 12, 2011. From our local mls CAAR  There were 349 transactions for 2011 Year to date that used an agent outside the area. This is a total of over $84,000,000 eighty four million dollars in transactions.

I am a numbers guy and my wife says I look at to many numbers, but lets play a little numbers game.

Lets say that a qualified Charlottesville buyers agent represented these transactions and conservatively saved the buyers 5% on these deals.
That is a savings of 4.2 million dollars!

Now I looked at Wikipedia Buyers Agent and they say that a buyers agent will save around 2% vs my example above. That is still a savings of $1,680,000. But I can tell you that I am being conservative at 5%, at least with my buyers in our area. Most Buyers Agents specialize in a particular location.

Aunt Mary Is An Agent In The State

This is critical. If you are using Uncle Ralph or Aunt Mary because they are agents and family members, you are making a critical mistake. Ask them to help you find a local Charlottesville VA Buyers agent in the area where you are looking that works for buyers.

They will likely get a referral fee and this is fine, but it will save you time, frustration and money in the long run.

Finding A Local Charlottesville Buyers Agent

Referrals are best. Ask friends, co-workers and agents for a local buyers agent. I see a lot of agents get designations that say they are buyers agents (I did it when I first started in real estate too).

To get these designations, an agent takes a class or two and pays annual dues to be able to “advertise” that they are a Charlottesville buyers agent. It is best to find an agent that actually represents buyers and not one that just says they do.

A True Charlottesville Buyers Agent

A true Charlottesville buyers agent will not try to sell you a home. They represent “you” not a listing or any one home. They will help you find the perfect home for you. If you find that the agent you are working with is trying to sell you their listing(s) then you need to have a serious discussion with them about buyer representation.

I am always so pleased to hear from clients and see that they are happy with their new homes. The smiles on these faces just brightens my day!

This is one of the nicest Christmas gifts I can receive.

Enjoy the season and Merry Christmas!

(another get together to discuss Real Estate in Charlottesville)

Tis the season, and some of the crew at Charlottesville Solutions got together today to share a little holiday cheer and discuss a great year just past and another even greater year coming in 2012.

I just could non resist posting this photo. I do not know where it came from as a family member emailed it to me. It just makes me laugh and I hope you enjoy it too.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Note: It is that time of year again and I do have a habit of saying Merry Christmas. In saying so I am expressing my freedom of speech and also hope that you will do the same no matter what your religious beliefs are. I hope that you and your familys enjoy the holidays as much as we do!

Have you every been looking for the perfect place to take friends or family while they are visiting you in Charlottesville?

Sometime a glass of wine with good friends is the best way to reconnect, relax and enjoy the season. Take a short drive to Free Union and visit Glass House Winey. There you will enjoy fine wines, wonderful views, live music and even a “tropical” setting.

The owners, friends and clients of mine, have turned this 21 acre property into a unique retreat, just a few minutes from Charlottesville.

We have an area that has wonderful views and four seasons. When we look at land, we sometime forget to see the beauty in just one tree. This tree was photographed by a good friend and it reminds me of just how magnificent the land is in the Charlottesville area.

Remember the old saying “stop and smell the roses”? I think that we should add to that and say “stop and see a tree”.

Enjoy Charlottesville!

Write a good Bio

From your friends at Charlottesville Solutions

# of Views : 692]]> http://www.charlottesvillerealestatesolutions.com/2011/11/happy-thanksgiving-2/feed/ 0 http://www.charlottesvillerealestatesolutions.com/2011/11/my-charlottesville-home-is-not-listed/ http://www.charlottesvillerealestatesolutions.com/2011/11/my-charlottesville-home-is-not-listed/#comments Wed, 23 Nov 2011 23:57:00 +0000 Charles McDonald http://www.charlottesvillerealestatesolutions.com/blog/?p=9540

Why my home is not listed in Charlottesville

This story is so important that I decided to repost it as I have recently seen the same issue again in the Charlottesville Real Estate Market

Charlottesville Real Estate

When searching for a home, you have to just get started!

When looking at homes in Charlottesville most buyers want a deal. Well there are certainly some deals out there but there are also homes that are priced fairly in the Charlottesville real estate market.

So I hear that many families are looking for Charlottesville homes that are fairly priced. Yes it is true and it all starts with the desire to learn more about the area.

 
Fast forward a couple hours and I got caught in it!
 
You know it is kinda fun to have a little change in the weather.
Tomorrow they are calling for clear skies, but you never know.

Hi there,

I am interested in viewing one of your properties, could you please call me on my foreign mobile +882 135 502 99 to setup a time. As I am travelling at the moment I am unable to pickup emails regularly so please call.

Kind regards,

Liz Casey
———
Mobile: +882 135 502 99
Email: lizcasey@zapak.com

~~~~~~~~~~

I can tell you it was very suspicious to me so I goggled the name and then I goggled the email address and nothing really interesting came up…

So I tried something different. I googled part of the message:

“I am interested in viewing one of your properties, could you please call me on my foreign mobile”

which brought up a site where someone with the exact same message was questioning it back in Aug 2007

See: http://www.city-data.com/forum/renting/692960-scam-not.html

When you are selling Real Estate, you have to watch those crazy emails, people are pulling all kinds of things these days….

CLICK PHOTO

Click for Information on 1604 Bruce Ave

Sorry this Home is Under Contract

PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY, NOV. 20, 1:30-4 PM – VENABLE ELEM. Freshly painted & updated, 1950s one level 4 BR/2.5 BA ranch w/ partially finished w/o bsmt. Handsome 1/3 acre corner lot in popular city neighborhood – walking distance of Greenleaf & McIntire Parks, UVA & Barracks Road Shopping Center. Hardwood floors, W/B fireplace in LR, good closet space. Over-sized screened porch & back deck overlooking mostly level yard. Paved driveway. Terrace-level entrance perfect for separate home office.

SOLD

been involved in several multiple offer Real Estate deals.

I think the answer(s), at least for Charlottesville area, are simple….

BUYERS: Are taking advantage of low rates and lower priced homes (getting off the fence).

SELLERS: The ones that are serious, are getting their homes in the best shape possible (I just had a listing go under contract and we did not even have time to add it to the MLS, more on this later) and the sellers are now pricing their homes competitively!

It is as simple as that!

Great to see our market taking off again, let me know if you have any questions?

The listing agent represents the best interests of the seller (not you)…

Think about this for a minute. Virginia is a caveat emptor state (buyer beware) and that is just a fact.
Having proper representation is critical for buyers in any market and especially in our area.
This is why Charlottesville Solutions offers buyer representation, it just makes good sense.

I see deals all the time where a buyer is not informed of critical information. A listing agent does not have to tell you about an area, surrounding properties or even if you are near our old county dump. Buying real estate can be a difficult situation, don’t be left out on a limb.

So if you are relocating and looking for Charlottesville Homes, get proper buyer representation, you and your family deserve it.

When we do a walk-though there are a few things we want to focus on:

1. Are all the repairs completed and documented?
2. Is the home in “Broom Swept” condition? (a term used in Virginia)
3. Is the home in the same condition as when we wrote the offer?
4. Did the sellers do any damage when moving out?

First time buyers of Charlottesville homes need to be aware of these simple steps

Sometimes this is a lot simpler said than done.

When you are considering a home, you also want to consider the current market. Both in Virginia and in the United States. Things have a way of looking bleak just before a major turn and timing may be perfect.

So I hear that many families are looking for Charlottesville homesthat are fairly priced. Yes it is true and it all starts with the desire to learn more about the area.

# of Views : 574]]> http://www.charlottesvillerealestatesolutions.com/2011/11/looking-for-a-fairly-priced-charlottesville-home/feed/ 0 http://www.charlottesvillerealestatesolutions.com/2011/11/cville-real-estate-market-update/ http://www.charlottesvillerealestatesolutions.com/2011/11/cville-real-estate-market-update/#comments Sun, 06 Nov 2011 21:03:33 +0000 Charles McDonald http://www.mycharlottesvilleblog.com/2011/11/cville-real-estate-market-update/

We talk a lot about Statistics when it comes to real estate. Let’s look a little closer at Charlottesville Virginia Real Estate.

Have you heard about Charlottesville Virginia?

You deserve to have the quality of life that Charlottesville has to offer. We are a small town that has everything you want to enjoy life. Think about visiting soon…

 CLICK PHOTO

 Let’s Talk Charlottesville Real Estate

 We are very fortunate to live in such a wonderful area. We have four season, Blue Ridge Views and the University of Virginia! Sales are starting to pick up in Charlottesville and our year is moving along nicely!

• In Charlottesville City we have SOLD 313 HOMES.
  
• There are currently 265 HOMES on the market.  (274 last report)
• Our average DOM (Days on the Market) is at 123 Days
• Our Average selling price is $293,347

Fluvanna County is located South East of Charlottesville. One of the main draws to Fluvanna is the Lake Monticello Area. Here you can get a home on a lake at a great price and the commute to Charlottesville is about 30 minutes on beautiful county roads!

 CLICK PHOTO

  The Real Estate market everywhere is constantly changing and Fluvanna County Virginia is too.

• In Fluvanna we have SOLD 204 HOME this year.
• There are currently 311 HOMES on the market.
• Our average DOM (Days on the Market) is at 124
  
• Our Average selling price is $225,421

Here is a chart of current trends in Fluvanna:

Come visit and tour our area anytime!

# of Views : 632]]> http://www.charlottesvillerealestatesolutions.com/2011/11/the-hook-charlottesvilles-weekly-newspaper/feed/ 0 http://www.charlottesvillerealestatesolutions.com/2011/11/multi-family-charlottesville-homes/ http://www.charlottesvillerealestatesolutions.com/2011/11/multi-family-charlottesville-homes/#comments Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:23:23 +0000 Charles McDonald http://www.mycharlottesvilleblog.com/2011/11/multi-family-charlottesville-homes/ I just love to get questions from my clients and below is one that I wanted to share:

Charles, I often look at your site for investments in the Charlottesville area. Can you show me how to find Multi Family properties for sale?

The Seller is Represented by Charlottesville Solutions

With the cool Fall weather in Virginia it is time to take a break from showing Charlottesville Real Estate and have some Family Fun. We love to carve pumpkins and this photo is just a sample.

Now we are not experts at carving but we have gotten better over the years.

Note: I  do most of the big knife carving and still have my 10 fingers.

Enjoy the season and most of all enjoy your family time

Today we have a meeting with all the Agents at Solutions. We do not have regularly schedule meetings like a lot of firms do. We have meetings when there is a specific topic or issue that needs to be addressed.

Today’s meeting is about current market trends and a surprise topic that i am sure no other firm discusses.

I am off to Solutions!

# of Views : 564]]> http://www.charlottesvillerealestatesolutions.com/2011/10/solutions-meeting-charlottesville-real-estate/feed/ 0 http://www.charlottesvillerealestatesolutions.com/2011/10/caar-3rd-quarter-market-report/ http://www.charlottesvillerealestatesolutions.com/2011/10/caar-3rd-quarter-market-report/#comments Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:42:49 +0000 Charles McDonald http://www.mycharlottesvilleblog.com/?p=9285 Every quarter our local Realtor Association sends out the lastest numbers for the past Quarter.

If you read my blog, you see numbers a lot more often, however I wanted to share the report from CAAR with my readers.

Please remember that each area is unique and I always advise that you consult with your Real Estate Professional to understand these numbers and the local market.

CAAR 3rd Quarter Market Report

A Virginia Historic Landmark, Michie Tavern is a place to stop, visit and dine like they did a hundred years ago.
The food is authentic to the time and everyone is dressed in period clothes. This is a place for the entire family.

# of Views : 1268]]> http://www.charlottesvillerealestatesolutions.com/2011/10/charlottesville-michie-tavern/feed/ 0 http://www.charlottesvillerealestatesolutions.com/2011/10/charlottesville-home-stats/ http://www.charlottesvillerealestatesolutions.com/2011/10/charlottesville-home-stats/#comments Sat, 08 Oct 2011 21:23:07 +0000 Charles McDonald http://www.mycharlottesvilleblog.com/2011/10/charlottesville-home-stats/ When looking at statistics it helps to look at MoM and YoY… This is Month over Month and Year over Year.So below you can see that the MoM is up and the YoY is down.  Hard to make a conclusion, but I would suggest we are in a sideways trend. What do you think?

# of Views : 529]]> http://www.charlottesvillerealestatesolutions.com/2011/10/charlottesville-home-stats/feed/ 0 http://www.charlottesvillerealestatesolutions.com/2011/10/about-charlottesville-real-estate/ http://www.charlottesvillerealestatesolutions.com/2011/10/about-charlottesville-real-estate/#comments Fri, 07 Oct 2011 19:14:30 +0000 Charles McDonald http://www.mycharlottesvilleblog.com/2011/10/about-charlottesville-real-estate/ What makes Charlottesville Real Estate Solutions unique is that we are a technology driven company that specializes in Charlottesville Real Estate web based Solutions. We build and maintain our websites and get input from our clients to add features, like map search and “one-click just-listed” Charlottesville homes.