Why is (good) inventory so low in the Charlottesville area? One reason that I have been providing to clients is this: Under-Equitied homeowners. The housing depression created a new underclass of homeowners who cannot sell or refinance for two reasons. Because they owe more on their homes than they are worth. Or because they are above water but don’t have enough positive equity to cover…
Checking Internet Connectivity before you Buy a Home
Believe it or not, not everywhere in Charlottesville has hardwired, broadband internet available. Wouldn't be great if "maximum download/upload speed" was a searchable field in the MLS? My clients - like 98.64% of my clients - require broadband internet. Broadband internet, for this story, and most people = Fiber, Cable, DSL and not a satellite or a 4G connection (although 4G can be pretty darn...
Rural Albemarle Merging with Suburban and Urban
A reader inquires: What’s the future of Charlottesville, Albemarle and urban/suburban/rural Albemarle?
Looking at Numbers in the Charlottesville Real Estate Market
Some segments are moving, some are slowing, some are stagnant in the Charlottesville area real estate market. Start with this caveat – these are broad numbers that should be taken broadly. I’m going to write about this in more depth in this month’s note. Looking at: – Charlottesville + Albemarle – Single family, attached, condos – Not specifically looking at new construction data, as these contracts are…
Pocket listings in Charlottesville
My buyer clients know about pocket listings; they rightfully expect me to find them, and I do everything I can to track them down. I was talking to an agent the other day, trying to find a house in the City of Charlottesville for buyer clients. Her response? “I don’t have anything; I’m selling everything before I can put it on the market." I’ve seen more pocket listings...
Charlottesville’s New Northside Library
The Northside Library opened today at noon, and people were arriving about 30 minutes early, in anticipation of its opening, some with books in hand. I was able to stay for about twenty minutes, but this from Supervisor Brad Sheffield echoes something I’ve been saying (and feeling) for a couple years. Brad Sheffield is talking about a resurgence in demand for community spaces-for human interaction….
Coaching Soccer, Community, Real Estate
One reason I'm a realtor: I can coach soccer. A photo posted by Jim Duncan (@jimduncan) on Sep 11, 2014 at 1:55pm PDT Soccer starts again. Finally. Thanks to snow and rain, the start of this year’s soccer season has been delayed by three weeks. Re-posting what I wrote in 2011 (with a few updates): This Thursday my spring life changes again. My real estate…