Testimonials

Charles is a delight to deal with! To start with, his web site allowed us out-of-staters to search homes, get an idea about areas and become familiar with the town – all without a requirement to provide contact information and getting a call from a realtor before we were ready.

Upon meeting with Charles in Charlottesville – it just got better. We had identified potential prospects and with his help we narrowed it down to a manageable list to go and see. Any information I needed was either instantly available or he would follow up very quickly with more data. He knew, for example, that the house we now own was in a neighborhood where no more subdivision was permitted – thereby assuring us that the protected view and privacy were permanent. Charles pointed out details which I had missed as we went along (like an irregular roof line which is a higher cost to replace) and it really felt like he was our “agent” in that we knew he was looking out for us.

He has the most amazing talent for listening and helping a home buyer crystallize their requirements for their ideal home. As he did that, he further narrowed down the list to exclude items like “on a busy road”, or “small, outdated kitchen” so we ended up visiting only homes which were candidates. What a great use of time!

During the purchase and move-in process, Charles and his office were ready to help with all kinds of details while we were across the country. Identifying qualified inspectors and repair staff, even down to a contacts for home (and car) insurance and appearing for us during inspections made our purchase experience a lot more convenient and eliminated frustration.

On move-in day, we were surprised to find our refrigerator stocked with essentials as a move-in gift. Nearly a year later, we still walk around the house and yard and comment on their beauty and how perfect the house is for us. We love it.

Because of all of these reasons, we are wholeheartedly able to recommend Charles and his staff to anyone purchasing (or selling) a home. Since that time, Charles and his family have enriched our lives by becoming treasured friends. I can’t imagine a better recommendation than that.

Catherine and Rocky

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

When I was planning a move to the Charlottesville area from the San Francisco Bay Area, Charles came highly recommended, and it wasn’t without reason. He listened to everything I wanted in a home, and we spent a day together looking for homes that met my needs and my price range. He was so spot-on that I ended up buying the very first house that he showed me! He negotiated well for me, and made the process very easy from searching to mortgage broker to the closing. Charles has been open to my questions even after my closing, and I feel taken care of in the community because of how available he is. I’m a happy first-time home owner for nearly two years now, and I will definitely go to Charles again next time! I’ve recommended him to friends, and will continue to do so!

Carrie

Hi Charles, Just wanted to let you know that we finally have a contract on our Fairfax house. Rob and I were really missing your technical expertise throughout the contract process — our realtor e-mailed me the contract, then I had to print it out to sign and scan it to e-mail it back, and every time I sent it, her mailbox was full so I had to call her to have her clear it out. Since we went back and forth with the buyer a few times, this was quite a process. I can’t tell you how many times Rob or I said “this would never happen with Charles!” =0) If we ever know anyone buying or selling in this area, we will definitely pass your name along. You made a stressful process go so much more easily. Take care -

Nancy and Rob

Dear Charles,
Now that our beautiful new home is complete and we are about to move in, we wanted to take the time to thank you for everything you have done to help make this possible.
Your service has gone way beyond anything we could ever have expected, or have ever experienced, from a real estate professional. You spent many hours driving us around Charlottesville, over several different weekend visits, and patiently showed us different neighborhoods and houses.
As we worked together, you figured out what we were looking for, and brought us to the development where we ultimately put an offer on our new house. You expertly helped us with our negotiations with the builder, from the offer stage, while the house was being built, and all the way through settlement.
Since we live 2 hours away, we were comforted by your keeping an eye on the construction for us. You always stayed calm and found solutions to everything and every issue that came up.
We are very excited about our move to Charlottesville, and, again, want to thank you for being there for us every step of the way. All the best,

Mitch and Doreen

While doing many years of business, it is a rare opportunity that you meet someone of genuineness, kindness, knowledge and caring that you continue to stay in touch with them after the business comes to completion. My husband and I found such that person in Charles. He led us through every aspect of searching for the property we needed and followed through with us long after we found the home of our dreams. It is a wonderful feeling to know that there are still people in this world like Charles who lead from his heart, as well as his mind. Thank you, Charles

Dr. William and Heather Highlander

Charles, In all our military and government travels we have never been so happy as we are in this house. It is so perfect for us. We like living here better than anywhere. Thank you so much for making this house a reality!!

Laura and Gary

We wanted to thank you for your time, insight and support during our visit. It’s understandable how people spend some time in C-Ville and end up not leaving. It’s combines a scenic, bucolic lifestyle with nearby areas of activity through the schools and downtown providing an attractive combination. This along with the school system, recreational programs and general cost of housing provide an overall great quality of life for families.

Chuck and Nancy

Charles, I just wanted to say thanks! You were a most excellent advocate for us and always available. You were patient with our lack of expertise, and your knowledge allowed us to rest comfortably in your dealings with the selling party. It wasn’t an easy deal by any means, but you got us there. You were prepared for our responses each time. Thanks for taking the time to get to know us and what we wanted and could manage. This will be a great property for us, our family and our horse.

Calvin and Marianne Baker

My wife and I live in Florida, and we were searching for the perfect slice of land in Albemarle County. After contacting Charles, we made a three day visit to Charlottesville to meet with him and try to make the vision come true. His charisma, personality and sheer knowledge of Charlottesville and the surrounding area was, not only a delightful experience, but a time that we will never forget. He started out as our realtor and quickly became our friend. We found that perfect slice of land in Crozet and he helped us sincerely from the first showing all the way through the closing. He went out of his way to visit the property, meet with a builder, take pictures and continually keep us up to date on the purchase. His knowledge of the business, his love of the area and his dedication to his clients in unsurpassed. We had a great experience and we would recommend Charles to anyone. And after all, we made a good friend in the process! Thanks Charles.

William and Cindy Corr

When I first met Charles, we started to talk about real estate. I felt so comfortable and confident in him that soon we were looking at investment ideas and I now own my first investment property. Charles’ analytical approach helped me evaluate the benefits of investment real estate. I will always recommend him highly

Loren Wolf

It was great working with Charles he was extremely helpful in finding just the right property for us. He listened to our needs and did a great job of following up and following through. He made us feel like we were his most important client. The best compliment is that we would definitely recommend him to our friends who might be looking for property because we got great service.

Carol and Dave Hallett

I have never seen a real estate web page that had so many other interesting topics to read about. This web site has so much about Charlottesville, the beauty of the city, the history of the area, and we were very interested in the school information. Of course we are interested in the prices of homes and the different kinds of homes available in the Charlottesville area but didn’t expect to learn so much about the area. I have made this page a favorite so that I don’t lose it. I have revisited the site several times to learn more about the area and to be honest I have visited the site just to be entertained. We are in love with Charlottesville and feel that Mr. Mc Donald has a great knowledge of real estate and will be calling him when we travel to the area.

Candy Bailey

When I first googled specific areas we were considering in Charlottesville, Charles McDonald (Charlottesville Real Estate Solutions) appeared and it said “Broker.” In the “normal” real estate world, I have always attributed this to an expert opinion on the area . . . someone who has a really good handle on the market . . . one who knows the listings really well . . . While this is all very true about Charles, the experience that my husband and I had (traveling from PA to VA three weekends in a row), was exceptional and truly refreshing. Charles is one-of-a kind. His knowledge and ability are always riding right along with his sincere approach to the “buyer’s” needs. He is absolutely a “buyer’s” agent and someone with good intentions that we trust. We certainly only needed to contact one agent. And, that was the number we called. Thank you, Charles, for your time and continued support in the development of our Charlottesville real estate project. We would highly recommend Charles as the “agent” to work with when choosing to shop for Charlottesville real estate. Google should really allow more stars.

Dr. Steve and Julie Diehl (via Google)