Now is the time when people really start to talk about these things in earnest, so here is the thing: if you’re thinking about buying a house, it’s a great time to buy! … But if you’re thinking about buying in the Spring: – now is the time to start researching. – Drive through neighborhoods, see how they’re decorated if that interests you or if it disinterests you. It’s good to know what you might be getting yourself into. – Start scouting things out, ask questions, search for homes and find a realtor (I am one) and start looking for vacant houses so you have a feel for what you’re going to see come Spring when houses come on the market. – Prices now are starting to moderate even more. … Start interviewing buyers agents , ask questions, because when you’re talking about interviewing buyers agents , you’re really talking about spending a lot of time with somebody who is hopefully going to be someone you like, trust, and is a professional who is experienced.
Posts tagged Albemarle
Changes coming to FHA loans
“We want to ensure that we are able to continue to support the housing market in the short term and provide access to homeownership over the long-term, while minimizing the risk to the American taxpayer,” Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan told a congressional committee in written testimony.
…The FHA charges an upfront insurance premium of 1.75% of the total cost of the mortgage which most borrowers can roll into their loan, and then they pay additional annual premiums of either 0.5% or 0.55%, depending on their down payment. … The FHA says that it will limit the amount of money that sellers can provide for closing costs on home sales to 3% of the home price, from the current level of 6%.
…One close observer of the mortgage channel, who we hope to interview soon in The IRA, says that given the recent deterioration of mortgage credit, it is impossible that BAC has not gotten its pari passu portion of the losses which are hitting the FHA.
Twitter Week in Review
0930 appointment to show houses in Charlottesville means this doesn't quite feel like Sunday morning # RT @Scobleizer: Tremendous rant by Fake Steve Jobs on the ATT's whining and what's wrong with the USA http://bit.ly/8UGBlX…
Stuff A Truck – Help the Blue Ridge Food Bank in Charlottesville Albemarle
(December 9, 2009) – Giant Food is hosting the inaugural Charlottesville Stuff-A-Truck food drive on Friday, December 11 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. to help alleviate hunger in the Blue Ridge region this holiday season. … Giant Food Store Giant Food Store Rivanna Ridge Seminole Square 1900 Abbey Road 220 Zan Road Charlottesville, VA 22911 Charlottesville, VA 22901 Founded in 1981, the Food Bank’s mission is to reduce hunger through programs and partnerships which efficiently obtain and distribute nutritious food to people in need in 25 counties and nine cities in northern and central Virginia. … We are excited to partner with the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank to host the first annual Charlottesville Stuff-A-Truck and encourage every member of the community to participate,†said Robin Michel, president of Giant Food of Landover, Md. … The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank serves more than 25,000 people per month and this inaugural Stuff-A-Truck will provide even more to those in need this holiday season.
Thanks Albemarle Family Readers
The readers of Albemarle Family magazine (truly one of the best resources for families in the Charlottesville and Albemarle area) voted recently in all sorts of categories. Their inaugural ” Winning Picks for Family-Friendly Fun and Services ” selections covered virtually every segment of the Charlottesville/Albemarle area and economy. … For Favorite Real Estate Company, Nest Realty Group (the firm in which I am one of three partners ) got the nod as #3 . 1 and 2 were Roy Wheeler and Real Estate III respectively. … At the time of voting, we were a six-person firm ( now 8 ) versus 96 and 221 .* 
I was further surprised to have been voted the #3 Realtor by their readers.
Blog Wayback – Is Dr. Seuss from Charlottesville?
This is the story I wrote last year to try to help answer some of the questions : ( source ) It’s that time of the year again – for the past several years around 1 December, the searches start to show up in my blog statistics – “Grinch Charlottesville,” “Is the grinch from Charlottesville, Virginia?” … That particular rumor started in correlation with the rumor that How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ “Hoos down in Hooville” was based somehow on a certain local university’s Hoos down in Hooville. … The fact that the story depicts Hoos/Whos as absolute saints surely didn’t hurt that particular tall tale’s traction with a student body that’s not exactly known for its modesty and perspective. … While killing Charlottesville urban legends – the HooK dispels the one about Rio Road (why the i in Rio pronounced as one says “eye” – l?t -) “Rio,” which means “river” in Spanish, was most likely used as a name for the old mill and bridge on this road because of their proximity to the Rivanna River.
Biscuit Run Development in CharlAlbemarle – DOA?
The news affects everyone in this area – politicians counting on that revenue , homeowners in nearby Mill Creek, Lake Reynovia, Foxcroft, Redfields, Mosby Mountain and other developments as well as any property owner who lived in or visited that part of Charlottesville, transportation plans, One question – how will the Fifth Street/Avon Street development be impacted? The stories today will certainly be augmented by the HooK and C-Ville in the coming days: Huge planned Biscuit Run development in danger – Daily Progress Biscuit Run – an expensive state park – Charlottesville Tomorrow
…This was at the peak of the bubble– the smartest real estate transaction ever completed in this area , and one which allowed other land and home sellers to maintain champagne dreams for years. … March 2006 Biscuit Run Price Tag: $222 Million – cvillenews – March 2007 Hollymead, Biscuit Run Approved – cvillenews- September 2007 Biscuit Run is on hold – January 2009 One of my favorite posts – Struggles with Growth in Charlottesville/Albemarle and Beyond – April 2007 If you really want to educate yourself about Biscuit Run, spend a few hours (or days) in Charlottesville Tomorrow’s archives – podcasts and stories .