Date Archives July 2013

July’s Monthly Note – Bicycling, The Market and Other Exclusive Insight

in General Real Estate Shameless Self Promotion on
Plank Road

Once a month, I publish some of the best stuff I write. I talk about the market, the area, and provide insight that I don’t provide anywhere else – and I don’t publish the notes’ archives either – so this is a unique audience and note.

I’ll be publishing the July note tomorrow and some of the subjects I’ll probably be writing about are:

– The state of the Charlottesville real estate market
– Recapping June on RealCentralVA (and maybe RealCrozetVA) – I know that many don’t want to read ~15 posts a month, but one note a month is just right. 🙂
– How a Facebook post almost got out of hand (and how I couldn’t and haven’t figured out how to close comments on a Facebook post)
– Shifting to bicycling – reasons and consequences
– A buyer’s recounting of the process
– Hoodies followup

There are a few other things I’m debating including, and I strive to keep these notes efficient – no more and 5 topics and less than 1,000 or so words.

If you’re interested, I’d greatly appreciate your registering.

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Brief Look at Condo Sales in Charlottesville – 2nd Quarter 2013

in Albemarle Charlottesville Market statistics on

Some quick numbers based on the 2nd Quarter market data for the Charlottesville MSA:

In the Charlottesville MSA: 35% fewer condos closed when comparing 2nd Quarter of 2013 to 2nd Quarter 2012 – 51 this 2nd Quarter versus 78 the previous 2nd Quarter. Why?

The answer is due in large part to the fact that the Walker Square and Riverbend condos, two of the largest condo conversions in the area, have sold out after long histories of conversion, rapid price appreciation, dramatic depreciation, ownership shifts and general market turmoil.

Consider:

– Last 2nd Quarter, 22 units sold in Walker Square. This year, that number is 5,

– Last 2nd Quarter, 8 units sold in Riverbend. This year, that number is 0.

One condo myth dispelled – condo financing is available in the Charlottesville area; you just need to know where to look.

Click through for the data.

Next up: attached homes in the Charlottesville MSA.

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Two Upcoming Bicycling Events in Charlottesville + a Thought about Community

in Albemarle Charlottesville on

Update 5 July 2013 –

One way to commit myself is by signing up for a 100 mile bicycling challenge. Which I just did. Feel like supporting the Boys and Girls Club? (Please click through to the bottom of this post.)

Charlottesville is known to be a great bicycling community … a community I’m just starting to discover.

Years ago someone described the Charlottesville community as being lots of circles that never touch – a not-quite-venn-diagram if you will.

Concentric Circles

Funny how these things work. Start a new sport, and a new community emerges. People I know and see in one community are people I’m starting to see in the bicycling community. There are lots of ways to connect to Charlottesville; biking is but another.

As my foray continues I’m starting to pay attention to the bicycling news and world and have found a couple challenges –

The Boys and Girls Club Challenge – 15 September 2013 – 25, 50, 75 and 100 mile options are available.

Gran Fondo Virginia – 8 September 2013 – 22, 52 and 104 mile challenges from which to choose.

So far, some of the best resources I’ve found as I start this new adventure:

Blue Ridge Cyclery – (where I bought my bike) at least three of my friends/clients either spoke highly of, and/or I’ve seen them wearing Blue Ridge Cyclery’s jerseys.

Charlottesville Bike Club – I haven’t interacted yet with these folks, but the information has proven useful

Strava and Mapmyride.com – sites/apps, both of which seem to have particular strengths I’m still discovering and exploring.

Bike Charlottesville – information and advocacy group

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HOAs and Solar Panels (in Charlottesville)

in General Real Estate on
Solar Panels Dutch Home

Sadly, there is no online repository for homeowners’ associations documents – public or private – that is searchable. Over the past few years, as I have represented sellers and buyers, I have made a concerted effort to scan (yes, scan) and save the HOA documents for each neighborhood, but they aren’t searchable.* I’d love to know if there are any HOAs in the Charlottesville area that have actively tried to restrict installation of solar panels.

I’ve seen quite a few solar panels in the City of Charlottesville and the occasional solar panel in the County, but can’t recall seeing panels in a neighborhood with an HOA.

One of the many new laws that took effect yesterday is this clarification on non-restriction on solar panels in HOAs. (bolding mine)

Solar panels in community associations. Clarifies that a community association may establish reasonable restrictions concerning the size, place, and manner of placement of such solar energy collection devices on property designated and intended for individual ownership and use. The bill provides that any disclosure document, however designated, required by law to be given to a purchaser shall contain a statement setting forth any restriction, limitation, or prohibition on the right of an owner to install or use solar energy collection devices on his property.

For the record, the Property Owners Association Act is (to me) extremely complex and seems to substantively change every year. (and yet another reason to have competent professional management for your homeowners’ association)

* Forest Lakes HOA Governing Docs one part of a 10 part disclosure package.

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