RealCrozetVA was started in September of 2005 with a simple goal:I am starting this blog somewhat on a whim, so as to provide a forum for Crozet to (hopefully) discuss their thoughts about Crozet’s growth.My whimsical vision also sees this as a place to discuss Crozet’s goings-on, music and cultural events, local vineyards, etc. This will be a slow start, as my business and my blog and my life already consume so much of my time…. That it has been over 18 months since its inception is amazing; it feels like only yesterday that I got the bug to start it.One thing differentiates realcrozetva from some of the other “hyper local” blogs that have been discussed in the re.net – it was started purely for the community, with no desire to gain profit (much like cvillenews.com, but even more localized). Only very recently have I added the “Search for Homes” tab, and I debated and struggled with that for quite some time; I do not want to detract from the site’s being for the Crozet community. One of the best features of the site is the Community Map, which shows many, although not yet all, businesses in Crozet.I cannot yet attribute a single transaction to the site, and don’t really care; that was never the goal.
Date Archives April 2007
1st Quarter Market Report released for Charlottesville area
The word of the day is “transitional.”My initial analysis from last week is here. When the final report is released by the Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors later today I will link to it. Update 04-17-2007: Here it is.Make no mistake, there are an awful lot of buyers out there – they are taking their time, educating themselves and buying smart. Nevertheless, many properties that are well-priced are seeing multiple offers.
A novel investment technique
Hat tip to the Consumerist.
Reflections on this weekend
This weekend I had the opportunity to meet with two different buyers, both of whom are going to be Medical Residents at UVA, and I hope I listened well.1) “Your blog is very helpful – more-so than your website.” While somewhat difficult to hear, this reflects the changing dynamics of how people search for homes. Buyers and sellers can search for homes anywhere; finding the information interpreted in a cogent way seems to be more challenging to find.2) Email cannot replace interviewing Buyer’s Agents face-to-face – but having a blog can help, as that Buyer has the opportunity to learn more about who that agent is.3) I have a new project – a flow chart depicting the various steps of the home-buying process.4) People notice when you listen and take notes (which I do).5) When I am meeting with Buyers or Sellers, I look at the initial meeting as a job interview, and I hope that they do too. Not taking anything for granted – ever – is crucial to success.As a side-note, Jott has been an excellent addition to my business.
Too many agents – for how long?
It’s odd to be quoted in the same article as industry leaders such as David Charron and Stefan Swanepoel, but here’s mine:Jim Duncan, a Realtor for Century 21 Manley in Charlottesville, Va., and a member of the board of directors for the Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors, said the “80-20 rule” — that 20 percent of the folks in the industry do 80 percent of the business — seems to hold true in real estate, and he expects to see a lot of agents leaving…. “If you do two transactions a year you’re not serving your clients.”The newest agents and the oldest ones seem to be the most likely to leave the business, he said, while “some may choose to keep a license for that odd referral.” From today’s Inman article predicting that the number of Realtors will drop this year: (subscription required after today)The trade group’s membership grew 89.6 percent during the latest spurt, from 716,078 members in 1997 to 1.36 million Realtors in 2006. But real estate is a cyclical business, and the housing market is slumping.It has happened before — Realtor membership, like home homes sales and prices, tends to ebb and flow with economic cycles but has generally risen over time.NAR projects that membership will drop 4.3 percent this year, to 1.3 million, and fall another 10 percent from that level to 1.17 million in 2008.
How do you choose your Realtor?
“I shop for the person who puts themselves in my shoes.”Said to me by a prospective client who was interviewing agents last week. I would like to think that more Realtors take this approach.
Charlottesville is the #2 place to retire young
So says CNN and BestPlaces.net.Specific criteria used in making up the list of best places follow: * Population growth: We wanted positive growth since 1990…. * Economic health: current unemployment rate below 4 percent and job growth greater than 10 percent for the past five years. * College presence: one or more major and/or highly competitive college in the vicinity. * Recreation and arts and culture score in the top third for nearby major metropolitan areas.This is a good place to start if you are looking for homes in the Charlottesville area.(Take that, Jeremy!