Reviewing my tweets from the past week … because I want the content to live on my blog as well as Twitter’s. They’re my words, after all … Don't make others' networks your sole –…
Posts Published by Jim Duncan
A Charlottesville Realtor who tries to stay on the bleeding/cutting/functional edge of technology and real estate trends. I have been selling real estate for the past 10 years, lived in C'Ville for twenty+ and am married to one of few Charlottesville natives left.
Problem Fixed
Whew. After many days of searching for a solution to the display problem on my search for Charlottesville homes page , I finally deduced the problem – a conflicting plugin. So …. feel free to search for homes again. 🙂 Needless to say, this issue caused me great heartburn, as I know quite a few people research MLS listings here. Thank you for your patience, and thanks to my friends who helped me get to the solution.
I’m an Associate Broker in Virginia. So What?
In Virginia the basic requirements to obtain a real estate license are 60 hours of education, don’t have a felony conviction and be at least 18 years of age. … (Colorado, North Carolina are broker-only states, and each state has wildly different licensing requirements) One of our core philosophies at Nest Realty Group is that we have high standards for our agents, so much so that we wrote this belief in Nest’s Core Philosophies – a Manifesto if you will (more to come about these beliefs over the course of 2010).
…A lot of people talk about raising the bar within the real estate industry; I have for many years: – Move Off The Blogs to Change NAR – If A Realtor is Unethical in the Woods – But, We’re ALL Ethical!
…Experience Verification Forms verifying that the applicant has been actively engaged as a real estate licensee for at least 40 hours per week during 36 of the 48 months immediately preceding the date of application.
Changes coming to Forms Home Buyers Use
I know this – my buyer clients will appreciate being able to compare Good Faith Estimates from lenders on “apples-to-apples” forms … And make it easier for me to help them identify junk fees.
…Daily interest charges This charge is for the daily interest on your loan from the day of your settlement until the first day of the next month or the first day of your normal mortgage payment cycle.
…In the past a borrower would receive a GFE with a different format from each lender that they visited —- each having a slightly different set of disclosed loan terms, or vocabulary for referencing such terms.
… On January 1, 2010, HUD will require that lenders and mortgage brokers provide consumers with a standard Good Faith Estimate (GFE) that clearly discloses key loan terms and closing costs.
Strategic Defaults – Wrap up from last weekend
I think we’re going to see more and more of these so-called strategic defaults in the Charlottesville area. … I hate being a cop-out, but I’ll stick with my standard answer of “we’re not going to know how good or how bad the Charlottesville real estate market is until we have the benefit of hindsight.” Suffice it to say, I suspect we’ll see more of these so-called “strategic defaults” in 2010.
… Part 1- Quick Update on the Charlottesville Real Estate Market Part 2 – Short sales and Foreclosures in Charlottesville Part 3 – Homebuyer tax credit in 2010 – Who’s Eligible?
Green – It’s about Saving Money
While by no means a comprehensive list, some of the green homes in Charlottesville can be found in the following neighborhoods: – Belvedere – Old Trail – Westhall – Wickham Pond – Avon Park – Poplar Glen – Montgomery Ridge The Code of the Commonwealth of Virginia allows for :
…Energy-efficient buildings, not including the real estate or land on which they are located, are hereby declared to be a separate class of property and shall constitute a classification for local taxation separate from other classifications of real property. The governing body of any county, city, or town may, by ordinance, levy a tax on the value of such buildings at a different rate from that of tax levied on other real property.
…Energy-efficient building certification for purposes of this subsection shall be determined by any qualified architect, professional engineer, or licensed contractor who is not related to the taxpayer and who shall certify to the taxpayer that he or she has qualifications to provide the certification. — Part 1- Quick Update on the Charlottesville Real Estate Market Part 2 – Short sales and Foreclosures in Charlottesville Part 3 – Homebuyer tax credit in 2010 – Who’s Eligible?
Biscuit Run is Sold to State to Become State Park
Kaine today announced the purchase of approximately 1,200 acres in Albemarle County known as “Biscuit Run” to be held by the state as a site for a future state park. “When developed as a state park, this extraordinary piece of land will benefit the citizens of Albemarle, Charlottesville and the Commonwealth for recreation, natural resource protection and the preservation of open space in a fast growing area,” Governor Kaine said. … “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the state to acquire such a valuable property which offers spectacular mountain views, abundant flora and fauna and is in the viewshed of Mr. … Funding for the purchase was provided by a combination of federal grants and existing state bond funds available through the Virginia Public Building Authority and the State Parks and Natural Areas bond, voted on by the public in 2002.