More apartments are coming to West Main Street. And the Marriott on the corner of McIntire and West Main is going to start construction soon. If you haven’t been to Charlottesville recently, you’d be shocked at how much that corridor has changed … and is changing.
The Walkable City – Achievable in Charlottesville?
What would it take to make Charlottesville and Albemarle truly walkable? People who live in areas that are walkable are happier, leaner, have more money for leisure, spend more time with their families … is that really achievable in the Charlottesville area?
The answer is – the public would have to express its desire for this, the leaders would have to listen to the people, collaborate, plan and execute a vision that would enable the City of Charlottesville and County of Albemarle to create more walkable and bikeable localities. Of course, in an area that takes 30+ years to build a short Parkway, I think there’s a better chance of flying cars gaining prominence than thoughtful infrastructure being implemented.
What could be done to craft a truly walkable City/County?
Walkability matters – there are growing urban cores within Charlottesville and Albemarle and the sprawlish segmentation continues. But … what if each of these urban cores grows up and densely?
This is the original Google Map I did in 2007. I’ve updated it for today’s world. Biscuit Run is no longer planned. Albemarle Place is now Stonefield (and is built). North Pointe is far off in the horizon.
This is a map of the “town centers” in the Charlottesville – Albemarle area
(If you’re looking for homes near these, use the radius search on my search site)
Top Spot for Richmonders to Pick Apples – Crozet.
3rd Quarter Market Report for Charlottesville MSA
The news and trends in the Charlottesville market are mostly good.
– Distressed sales are down (but they’re still out there)
– Well-priced homes that are turnkey are typically going under contract in under 60 days. Quality inventory remains a challenge.
– Prices seem to be up across the board.
– Note that these are broad overall trends. Long-time readers know my caveats that “single family homes in Charlottesville City” means all single family homes in the City of Charlottesville … those that are priced below $200k and those that are priced above $600k … and everything above, below and in between. See the chart below for a reasonable justification for questioning all data.
Download the full 3rd Quarter Market report here or click through to read an embedded version.
What is the list to sales price ratio for homes in Charlottesville?
I have long told my daughters to question everything and never accept at face value what they’re told. Same goes for real estate data.
What’s the list to sales price ratio for homes in Charlottesville?
It’s a good question.
The list to sale ratio is a great number to know – whether you’re buying a home, selling a home (or advising buyers or sellers). This ratio is a solid indicator the movement of the market, whether sellers are pricing well and correctly and whether buyers are paying close to asking price. Unfortunately, at its aggregate, it’s a garbage number. If you’re trying to use this data point as you try to figure out the market – ask questions. Always.
I randomly picked 10 sold homes from the Charlottesville MSA across the price ranges from $100k to one million. (I did this last in 2010 in which I chose 6 homes … the results were the same.
– No foreclosures or short sales
– Sold in September 2013
– No new construction
– Determining Days on Market was a challenge as well. Some of the homes I selected were on the market for less than 30 days while I made an editorial
Take the below for example. The “Original List Price” for this listing was $439,000. The actual original listing price was $510,000 – when the home was listed previously with another firm.
– Taking the top level analysis from the MLS yields: the list to sales price ratio was 94.9% of asking price.
– Running the numbers manually puts the ratio more in the 88% range. (if you were to include the listing prices from the original list date ~ 4 years ago …)
– The real, actual list to sales price ratio for the randomly-selected homes – just over 80%.
This story is neither scientific or necessarily representative of what the market-wide list to sale price ratio may be. This is merely a reminder to question. Everything.
Charlottesville and Albemarle Voter Guides – 2013
Thanks to Charlottesville Tomorrow for their extensive voters guides. Get educated before you vote beyond whether a candidate is a “D” or and “R”.
Fall Foliage Around Charlottesville – 2013 Edition
Shenandoah National Park may be closed, (how ’bout re-opening them, Virginia?) but the leaves are still changing colors. If you’re looking for some of the better colors, the Virginia Department of Forestry has put together some driving tours in Central Virginia.
One of the better options to see fall colors is the Blue Ridge Parkway … just use the bathroom before you go (or find a tree).
Heck, made a day of it and make some stops on the Brew Ridge Trail (Devils Backbone has The Festy this weekend) or the Monticello Wine Trail. We don’t need the federal government to provide natural beauty for us.