I just got off the phone (although I have Skype , too) with a client overseas who had been questioning whether the railroad near the Belvedere development was abandoned. She answered her own question when she said, “I’m looking at it now, and it appears that it’s still in use – there aren’t any weeds growing over the tracks .” I know I’m a “tech savvy Realtor” and all, but that statement still blows me away, as does the fact that Bing is winning the mapping race in Charlottesville right now. This year I have worked with a fair number of international buyers, and my tools to work with them have become better and more efficient.
Affordable Housing in CharlAlbemarle – Treesdale Park
The development is moving forward off of Rio Road (it’s not done yet; it still needs site plan approval) … … AHIP plans to construct three multi-story buildings which will contain a mix of both two and three-bedroom apartments. Treesdale Park will also be sustainably constructed and certified through EnergyCraft and EnergyStar to further minimize maintenance burdens for its residents. As an aside, Bing’s Birds-Eye view is pretty fantastic, but their sharing tools are pathetic. 
Whereas Google allows easy embedding: View Larger Map
Charlottesville Bubble Blog Analyzes Whether to Buy or Not to Buy
And grab a cup of coffee; it’s a long post with lots of analysis, market data and a bit of opinion.
Twitter Week in Review
Thanks for the wi-fi, Google http://post.ly/CdjC # Heading to the airport. Grateful for my friends in this (real estate) world. #nar09 # Off to dinner with a friend. Then red-eye back to Charlottesville. #nar09 # In which @robhahn pronounces the death of #RPR http://bit.ly/1V2byw #nar09 # @CRTweet if a Realtor uses a free email account that scans to serve ads, conceptually, could one relinquishing expectation…
Thanks to WCAV
For including me on their list of “Wired Business people in Charlottesville” From the story: CBS19’s Bianca Spinosa profiles a list of three local business leaders who are “wired-in.” They use all the high-tech tools to communicate and keep their businesses prospering. From cyber space to work space, these three local business people know how to make the most of their passions. Real estate agent…
Speaking at National Association of Realtors Convention in San Diego
As with every conference I attend, I go with a couple goals: 1 – What can I learn that will help my clients ? … 3 – What can I learn that will position me ahead of my competition? – Note that my competition consists of more than Charlottesville Realtors – it’s consumers as well. Consumers are far more tuned in and in touch that ever before, and I have to work that much harder to stay ahead of them. … Here is a preview of my work-in-progress part of the panel: Update 14 November : This is the presentation I gave yesterday.
Zipcars in Charlottesville
You might have seen the occasional Zipcar in Charlottesville – usually they’re from the DC Metropolitan area. … It was good of UVA to have sorted out a deal with Zipcar; the Daily Progress article says the minimum age to rent is 18 and Zipcar’s site says it’s 21 .
…Representatives from Zipcar, a rental car service, and officials from the University’s Department of Parking and Transportation currently are communicating on a plan to bring Zipcar to the University.
Lamentably, being a Realtor in Charlottesville does not (yet) allow itself for a Zipcar + bicycle only existence.