Browsing Category sideblog

Zip codes don’t work for real estate searching

Searching by zip code is, at least in the Charlottesville area, next to useless and perhaps more dangerous than useful because of the artificial and arbitrary boundaries they create.  Searching by elementary school district is the most efficient use of localized search because that is a frequent target of buyers and is the most isolated search available in our MLS.  Read ForSalebyLocal’s post for a more thorough reasoning as well as an alternative solution to zips.

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Latch on to any glimmer of confidence you can

Call it what you will – grasping at straws if you must….  When asked of their plans to buy a home, consumers’ expectations increased for the first time since August, rising from a reading of 2.5 to 2.7.  This change is not large by any measure, but the change in direction is important if it becomes a trend.  We will monitor this component carefully given that the current soft sales are heavily driven by the lack of confidence.

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