Charlottesville Real Estate Talk

My day as a Charlottesville Virginia real estate agent often goes from sunrise to sunset.

Today as on most days I am up as the sun begins to rise.  I pad out to the kitchen, start the coffee maker and sit down at the computer in my pjs with my cup of coffee.  I check emails from late the night before and pull up the hot sheet.  This is the latest real estate information from our local board of Realtors.  My hot sheet shows all of the real estate activitiy for the past 24 hours in Charlottesville Virginia, Albemarle County and the surrounding counties of Fluvanna, Louisa, Greene, Nelson and Orange.  I look at the new listings, price changes, homes that are back on the market, contingent and pending contracts, sold properties and what they have sold for.  I am paying close attention to any homes that may suit one of my clients.  At the same time I am also paying attention to what is happening to homes that may compete with one of my sellers properties.

The picture below shows today's sunrise in my neighborhood.

Next it was on to the office (after getting dressed of course) where I met clients before we went out to look at homes in Glenmore and Spring Creek.  Afterwards the rest of the afternoon was spent on floorduty at the office.  Finally it was time to close up, but as I reached my car another car drove up with people who wanted a subdivision packet.  So I unlocked the office, invited them in and gave them an info packet for Glenmore and spoke about some of the homes for sale.  When I finally ended up in my car headed home, the last of the light was leaving the sky.

The picture below shows the very last colors of the sunset as I headed home.

If you are looking for a real estate agent to help you buy or sell a Charlottesville VA home, you will want to find a Realtor with the dedication to work for you from sunrise to sunset.

Contact Pam Dent, e-PRO, SRES, NHD, REALTOR®, Real Estate III, Charlottesville, Virginia at 434 960-0161 to buy a property in the following areas in Central Virginia: Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Keswick, Glenmore, Ivy, Crozet, Earlysville, Free Union, Cismont, Scottsville, Fluvanna County, Palmyra, Lake Monticello, Louisa County, Louisa, Mineral, Spring Creek, Orange County, Gordonsville, Orange, Barboursville, Greene County, Ruckersville.  Email Pam Dent.

View all of the Charlottesville Virginia homes for sale.

View my website Charlottesville Horse Farms or visit my other blogs Charlottesville Horse Farms and Country Homes for more information on Charlottesville Virginia horse farms, homes, events and real estate. 

Copyright © 2009 by Pam Dent, all rights reserved, "Sunrise to Sunset Your Charlottesville Realtor Works For You".

While there are numerous reasons to retire to Charlottesville Virginia, in this post we will talk about ten.

1. Natural Beauty - When you ask someone why the first fell in love with Charlottesville they almost always cite the scenic beauty of the area.  The city of Charlottesville and the surrounding Albemarle County is set amid gently rolling countryside snuggled in the foothills of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.
2. Skilled Medical Care - As we grow older a big concern is the availability of quality medical care.  Charlottesville possesses two excellent hospitals.  The University of Virginia Medical Center is a teaching hospital, with skilled physicians who are practicing and also many are involved in research.  The Martha Jefferson Hospital is a private hospital, which is currently building a large new facility just to the east of the city.
3. University of Virginia - The presence of the University of Virginia adds a lot to the town.  Firstly it is the area's largest employer providing a stable economy to the region.  Of particular interest to older residents is the resident scholar program by which people who live in the area are offered a changing variety of interesting courses with which to enrich their lives.
4.  Cultural Activities - Charlottesville offers a variety of cultural activities.  There is excellent theater both through the University and also through private venues such as Live Arts.  Galleries abound and the first Friday of every month sees gallery openings.  Musical events abound from classical trios, to Jazz, and rock.  The University Of Virginia offers several classical music series.  National music acts also come to the John Paul Jones Arena, the Paramount Theater and The Pavillion.  Plus there is lots of local talent to enjoy at smaller venues.
5. Excellent Restaurants - There is no shortage of dining opportunities.  Charlottesville is very much a "go out to eat" town and excellent restaurants of all sorts and price ranges abound.
6. A Variety of Living Choices - if you are relocating to Central Virginia, there are many choices of homes, both styles and prices.  Whether you are searching for a townhome, condo, gated community, or a 55+ development you can find it in Charlottesville and more.
7. Plenty of Opportunities to Remain Physically Active - In retirement you may have the time and the good health to devote more time to the physical activities that you enjoy.  Charlottesville and Albemarle County offer a wide range of sporting activities.  There are several golf and tennis clubs from which to choose.  Places to hike abound from the Rivanna River Trail circling the city to hiking the many trails on the Blue Ridge Mountains.  The area rivers offer opportunities for canoeing and kyaking.  Cental Virginia is horse county and just about any equestrian activity exists in the area from fox hunting, to trail riding to horse shows.  Winter sports are also available close by with two ski resorts within an hours drive.  Of course, there are several fine gyms in the city as well.
8. Sporting Events - There are plenty of sporting events to attend.  The University of Virginia football and basketball games are always popular, but they have excellent soccer and lacross teams among others.  The Foxfield Races, a local steeplechase, is a popular event to attend with friends and tailgate.
9. Climate - Central Virginia has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons.  Spring and fall are particularly beautiful and are popular times of year for tourists to come to the area to view the spring blooms and the spectacular fall foliage.
10. Location - Charlottesville is centrally located in the middle of the state of Virginia.  It is about a two hour drive to Washington DC and an hour from Richmond, close enough for a day trip to museums and cultural events.

There are many more things that I could say about why Charlottesville Virginia is such a special place, but perhaps you should visit and see for yourself.  If you do decide to make a trip to the area, give me a call.  I would be happy to help you with an itinerary of things to see, and if you like we could look at a few homes as well.

Contact Pam Dent, e-PRO, SRES, NHD, REALTOR®, Real Estate III, Charlottesville, Virginia at 434 960-0161 to buy a property in the following areas in Central Virginia: Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Keswick, Glenmore, Ivy, Crozet, Earlysville, Free Union, Cismont, Scottsville, Fluvanna County, Palmyra, Lake Monticello, Louisa County, Louisa, Mineral, Spring Creek, Orange County, Gordonsville, Orange, Barboursville, Greene County, Ruckersville.  Email Pam Dent.

View all of the Charlottesville Virginia homes for sale.

View my website Charlottesville Horse Farms or visit my other blog Charlottesville Horse Farms and Country Homes for more information on Charlottesville Virginia horse farms, homes, events and real estate. 

Copyright © 2009 by Pam Dent, all rights reserved, "Ten Reasons To Retire To Charlottesville Virginia".

The down real estate market is a plus for land conservation.

With the decline in new home construction there is a major drop in the demand by developers for land.  Many developments across the country have been approved only to find that the developer cannot afford to proceed with the development in the current real estate market. 

The current down market provides an unprecedented opportunity for agencies such as The Nature Conservancy and and The Trust For Public Land to buy up land for pennies on the dollar.  The only problem is the fact that the same recession that has hurt the building industry has also hit the nonproffit sector.  These land conservation agencies are having to turn down great deals on land due to lack of funding.

In Charlottesville, VA we have seen an example of this phenomena first hand with the possibility that the land for the propossed Biscuit Run Development may be donated as a state park.  This will mark a major loss in revenue for the county.  In addition it takes away land for development in the growth area opening up the possibility that other parts of the county will have to absorb that growth. 

There was an informative program on NPR about the real estate market and land conservation.

Contact Pam Dent, e-PRO, SRES, NHD, REALTOR®, Real Estate III, Charlottesville, Virginia at 434 960-0161 to buy a property in the following areas in Central Virginia: Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Keswick, Glenmore, Ivy, Crozet, Earlysville, Free Union, Cismont, Scottsville, Fluvanna County, Palmyra, Lake Monticello, Louisa County, Louisa, Mineral, Spring Creek, Orange County, Gordonsville, Orange, Barboursville, Greene County, Ruckersville.  Email Pam Dent.

View all of the Charlottesville Virginia homes for sale.

View my website Charlottesville Horse Farms or visit my other blog Charlottesville Horse Farms and Country Homes for more information on Charlottesville Virginia horse farms, homes, events and real estate. 

Copyright © 2009 by Pam Dent, all rights reserved, "The Down Market Is A Plus For Land Conservation".

This year we are having a white Christmas in Charlottesville Virginia and I would like to wish all of my friends at Active Rain a Merry Christmas from my house to yours.

As a result of last weeks unheard of 24 inch snowfall Central Virginia is celebrating its first white Christmas in many years.  Even though today, Christmas Day has seen a cold rain there is still a lot of snow on the ground. 

Todays weather has not been able to dampen the warm Christmas spirit at my house as I am blessed to be able to celebrate the holiday with family.

Are you aware that a heavy snowfall can prove more than just a driving hazard?

As Charlottesville slowly digs out from under two feet of snow, we breathe a sigh of releaf when we make it safely home and consider ourselves fortunate to have not lost power.  But are you aware of the hidden danger that this unusually deep snowfall can have brought to your home?

If you have gas/propane hot water heaters you may have a danger in this weather that you do not realize.  These hot water heaters have the exhaust vented to the outdoors, releasing carbon monoxide which is a by product of the process, safely outside.  These venting pipes are usually sited in the foundation wall about 18 inches off the ground.  Most of the time the exhaust is hot enough to melt any snow which may obstruct the pipes.  However the current unusually heavy snowfall coupled with drifting and freezing may have created conditions that prevent such melting to take place.  If the exhaust cannot vent to the outside, there is the risk of carbon monoxide building up inside the residence.  It is a good idea to check the exhaust pipe as long as the snow remains on the ground, particularly if you have snow falling off the roof.

I was recently made aware of this information through the Glenmore Community Association bulletin.  Glenmore is a gated community located just to the east of Charlottesville Virginia.  This is a beautiful neighborhood with homes for sale ranging from the mid four hundreds up to a million and a half.  At the heart of Glenmore is a golf course and country club.

Contact Pam Dent, e-PRO, SRES, NHD, REALTOR®, Real Estate III, Charlottesville, Virginia at 434 960-0161 to buy a property in the following areas in Central Virginia: Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Keswick, Glenmore, Ivy, Crozet, Earlysville, Free Union, Cismont, Scottsville, Fluvanna County, Palmyra, Lake Monticello, Louisa County, Louisa, Mineral, Spring Creek, Orange County, Gordonsville, Orange, Barboursville, Greene County, Ruckersville.  Email Pam Dent.

View all of the Charlottesville Virginia homes for sale.

View my website Charlottesville Horse Farms or visit my other blog Charlottesville Horse Farms and Country Homes for more information on Charlottesville Virginia horse farms, homes, events and real estate. 

Copyright © 2009 by Pam Dent, all rights reserved,  "Heavy Snowfall Can Prove More Than Just A Driving Hazard".

Today Charlottesville Virginia slowly digs out from a record two feet of snow!

For an area that normally get 6-8 inches of snow for an entire winter, 24 inches at one time is an unheard of occurance.  The snow began falling at about 5:00 Friday evening and by 11:00 pm there was 11 inches of snow in my yard.  And it continued to snow all night...and it continued to snow all of the next day...until when it finally stopped there was 24 inches of snow on the ground.

Two inches of snow can cause Charlottesville schools to close, so this much snow has paralized the area.  I have spent the day shoveling out my driveway and watching cars and trucks get stuck in the road in front of my home.  I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of the first snow plow.  The snow on my roof is so heavy that it has torn off one of my gutters. 

Central Virginia has been in a very wet weather pattern all year.  If it continues throughout the winter, this snowfall may just be a preview of what is to come.  The week ahead is forecast to be cold so this snow should stick around til Christmas giving Charlottesville its first white Christmas in many years.

Contact Pam Dent, e-PRO, SRES, NHD, REALTOR®, Real Estate III, Charlottesville, Virginia at 434 960-0161 to buy a property in the following areas in Central Virginia: Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Keswick, Glenmore, Ivy, Crozet, Earlysville, Free Union, Cismont, Scottsville, Fluvanna County, Palmyra, Lake Monticello, Louisa County, Louisa, Mineral, Spring Creek, Orange County, Gordonsville, Orange, Barboursville, Greene County, Ruckersville.  Email Pam Dent.

View all of the Charlottesville Virginia homes for sale.

View my website Charlottesville Horse Farms or visit my other blog Charlottesville Horse Farms and Country Homes for more information on Charlottesville Virginia horse farms, homes, events and real estate. 

Copyright © 2009 by Pam Dent, all rights reserved, "Charlottesivlle Digs Out From A Record Two Feet Of Snow".

This Charlottesville VA real estate market report examines the sales of attached homes and townhouses in Charlottesville and Albemarle County during November of 2009.

33 Charlottesville town houses sold during November.  They sold for an average price of $226,400 after spending an average of 135 days on the market.  The homes sold for an average of 98.24% of the list price.

25 attached homes sold in Charlottesville in October 2009.  The average sale price was $307,329.  The town homes were on the market for an average of 126 days and sold for an average of 95.98% of the list price.

In September 27 Charlottesville attached homes had contracts that closed.  The homes sold for an average of $267,900 and had an average DOM of 70 days.  They sold for an average of 99.85% of the list price.

Today, 12/18/2009, there are 148 Charlottesville town houses for sale.  The average list price is $262,658 and the median is $229,945.  They have been on the market for an average of 208 days so far.

So far this year from 1/1/2009 - 12/1/2009, 363 attached homes have sold on the Charlottesville VA real estate market.  This is an increase in sales of 19.0% over the same period in 2008.

The sales of town houses is the strongest segment of the local real estate market.  The majority, by far, of the attached home sales have been in the $150,000 - $300,000 price range.  Town houses have proven to be an affordable and popular choice for first time homebuyers taking advantage of the $8,000 tax credit.  In addition, this segment of the market has probably benefited from the difficulty in obtaining comdominium financing.  Going by the November rate of attached home sales there is 5.42 months of inventory of town homes on the Charlottesville market. 

The above figures are from the mls and while they are deemed correct, they are not guaranteed.

Contact Pam Dent, e-PRO, SRES, NHD, REALTOR®, Real Estate III, Charlottesville, Virginia at 434 960-0161 to buy a property in the following areas in Central Virginia: Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Keswick, Glenmore, Ivy, Crozet, Earlysville, Free Union, Cismont, Scottsville, Fluvanna County, Palmyra, Lake Monticello, Louisa County, Louisa, Mineral, Spring Creek, Orange County, Gordonsville, Orange, Barboursville, Greene County, Ruckersville.  Email Pam Dent.

View all of the Charlottesville Virginia homes for sale.

View my website Charlottesville Horse Farms or visit my other blog Charlottesville Horse Farms and Country Homes for more information on Charlottesville Virginia horse farms, homes, events and real estate. 

Copyright © 2009 by Pam Dent, all rights reserved, "Charlottesville VA Real Estate Market Reports Attached Homes - November 2009".

This Charlottesville VA real estate market report examines the sales of condominiums in Charlottesville and Albemarle County  during November 2009.

7 Charlottesville condos sold during November.  The average sale price was $146,486 and they were on the market for an average of 155 days.  The homes sold for an average of 96.80% of the list price.

15 Charlottesville condominiums had contracts that closed during the month of October.  They sold for an average price of $160,377 after being on the market for an average of 118 days.  They sold for an average of 91.01% of the list price.

During September 2009, 13 condos sold on the Charlottesville real estate market.  The average sale price was $273,727 with an average DOM of 72.  The condos sold for an average of 86.95% of the list price.

Today 12/17/2009, there are 206 Charlottesville condominiums for sale.  The average list price is $314,792 with a median of $192,200.  They have been on the market for 238 days so far.

In 2009 from 1/1/2009-12/1/2009, 137 Charlottesville codos sold.  This marks a decline in sales of -31.8% from the same period in 2008.

Condominium sales make the hardest hit sector of the Charlottesville VA real estate market.  Logically condo sales should be an affordable option for the first time homebuyer and with the tax credit to spur activity one would think that this would be a strong product.  However, the FHA has set strict guidelines that many condo projects cannot meet.  As a result the majority of the condominium projects are nonwarrantable and it is very difficult for a buyer to obtain a loan for a condo in one of those projects.  As a result we are seeing quite a few condos coming on the market as foreclosures which are selling primarily to investors as cash sales.  At the November rate of sales we currently have 31.86 months of condos listed for sale.

The above figures are from the mls and while they are deemed correct, they are not guaranteed.

Contact Pam Dent, e-PRO, SRES, NHD, REALTOR®, Real Estate III, Charlottesville, Virginia at 434 960-0161 to buy a property in the following areas in Central Virginia: Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Keswick, Glenmore, Ivy, Crozet, Earlysville, Free Union, Cismont, Scottsville, Fluvanna County, Palmyra, Lake Monticello, Louisa County, Louisa, Mineral, Spring Creek, Orange County, Gordonsville, Orange, Barboursville, Greene County, Ruckersville.  Email Pam Dent.

View all of the Charlottesville Virginia homes for sale.

View my website Charlottesville Horse Farms or visit my other blog Charlottesville Horse Farms and Country Homes for more information on Charlottesville Virginia horse farms, homes, events and real estate. 

Copyright © 2009 by Pam Dent, all rights reserved, "Charlottesville Va Real Estate Market Report Condominiums - November 2009".

This Greene County Va real estate market report will look at the sales of single family detached homes in Greene county during November 2009.

In November 12 Greene County homes sold.  The average sale price was $281,143.  The homes were on the market for an average of 130 days and sold for 97.87% of the list price on average.

During October 22 homes had contracts that closed in Greene County.  They sold for an average price of $245,844 after being on the market for an average of 128 days.  The homes sold for an average of 96.63% of the list price.

19 Greene County homes sold during September.  The average sale price was $226,296 and they had an average DOM of 110 days.  They sold for an average of 99.38% of the list price.

Today 12/12/2009 there are 144 Greene County VA homes for sale.  They are listed at an average price of $348,124, with a median of $269,000.  The homes have been on the market for an average of 166 days so far.

This year from 1/1/2009 to 12/1/2009, 167 homes sold on the Greene County real estate market.  This is one more home than sold during the same time period in 2008.

While the year to date Greene County home sales are almost the same from 2008 to 2009,  we have seen a decrease in inventory in 2009.  In mid November 2008 there were 225 homes actively listed on the Greene Coungy real estate market which represented a 25 month inventory.  However in mid November of this year there were 174 Greene County homes for sale representing a 14.5 month inventory.  We still need to see stronger sales to get the inventory down to a six month supply at which point we will be in a balanced market.  Until then we remain in a buyers market.

The above figures are from the mls and while they are deemed correct they are not guaranteed.

Contact Pam Dent, e-PRO, SRES, NHD, REALTOR®, Real Estate III, Charlottesville, Virginia at 434 960-0161 to buy a property in the following areas in Central Virginia: Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Keswick, Glenmore, Ivy, Crozet, Earlysville, Free Union, Cismont, Scottsville, Fluvanna County, Palmyra, Lake Monticello, Louisa County, Louisa, Mineral, Spring Creek, Orange County, Gordonsville, Orange, Barboursville, Greene County, Ruckersville.  Email Pam Dent.

View all of the Charlottesville Virginia homes for sale.

View my website Charlottesville Horse Farms or visit my other blog Charlottesville Horse Farms and Country Homes for more information on Charlottesville Virginia horse farms, homes, events and real estate. 

Copyright © 2009 by Pam Dent, all rights reserved, "Greene County VA Real Estate Market Report - November 2009".

This Louisa County real estate market report looks at the sales of single pamily detached homes in Louisa county VA during November 2009.

11 Louisa County homes sold in November.   The average sale price was $171,643.  The homes had been on the market for an average of 90 days and sold for an average of 99.33% of the list price.

In October 2009, 20 Louisa County homes had contracts that closed.  Their average sale price was $251,616 and they were on the market for an average of 149 days.  The homes sold for an average of 97.65% of the list price.

During September 18 homes in Louisa County sold.  They sold for an average price of $191,8864  with an average DOM of 196 days.  They sold for an average of 90.03% of the list price.

Today 12/11/2009 there are 183 Louisa County homes for sale.  The homes are listed for an average of $416,424 with a median of $229,000.  They have been on the market for an average of 156 days so far.

This year from 1/1/2009 - 12/1/2009, 269 homes sold on the Louisa County real estate market.  This is a decline of -16.5% in sales as compared with the same period in 2008.

Louisa County home sales continue to be one of the slowest segments of the Central Virginia real estate market.  At the November rate of home sales Louisa County has 17.45 months of inventor actively listed for sale.

The above figures are from the local mls and while they are deemed correct they are not guaranteed.

Contact Pam Dent, e-PRO, SRES, NHD, REALTOR®, Real Estate III, Charlottesville, Virginia at 434 960-0161 to buy a property in the following areas in Central Virginia: Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Keswick, Glenmore, Ivy, Crozet, Earlysville, Free Union, Cismont, Scottsville, Fluvanna County, Palmyra, Lake Monticello, Louisa County, Louisa, Mineral, Spring Creek, Orange County, Gordonsville, Orange, Barboursville, Greene County, Ruckersville.  Email Pam Dent.

View all of the Charlottesville Virginia homes for sale.

View my website Charlottesville Horse Farms or visit my other blog Charlottesville Horse Farms and Country Homes for more information on Charlottesville Virginia horse farms, homes, events and real estate. 

Copyright © 2009 by Pam Dent, all rights reserved, "Louisa County VA Real Estate market Report - November 2009'.