Charlottesville Real Estate Talk

Spring Is A Great Time To Sell A Charlottesville Home!

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:02:09 -0600

Spring is a great time to sell a Charlottesville home!

Spring is officially less that two weeks away. We are beginning to see the first flowers blooming, like the drift of crocuses pictured below. This week brought us the first warm weather after a very dreary winter. People are happy to get out again and we are seeing an increase in home showings.

Traditionally spring is the strongest season in the Charlottesville real estate market. If you have a Charlottesville VA home to sell now is the time to get it on the market so that you don't miss any of the best time to market and sell your home.

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.

Charlottesville VA Real Estate Market Report - February 2010

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:05:38 -0600

This Charlottesville VA real estate market report will focus on the sale of single family detached homes in the city of Charlottesville during February 2010.

5 Charlottesville homes sold during February 2010. They sold for an average price of $263,500 after spending an average of 87 days on the market. The homes sold for an average of 96% of the list price.

12 Charlottesville homes had contracts that closed in January 2010. The homes had an average sale price of $271,200 and an average DOM of 88. They sold for an average of 94% of the list price.

13 homes sold in Charlottesville VA during December 2009. They sold for an average price of $279,538. The homes were on the market for an average of 68 days and sold for an average of 92% of the list price.

Today 3/3/2010, there are 196 Charlottesville homes for sale. The homes are listed for an average price of $$379,064 with a median of $$299,250. They have been on the market for an average of 171 days so far.

Looking at the graphs the one thing that jumps out at me is the fact that so many more new homes are coming on the market than being sold. This is good new for buyers as they continue to have a lot of inventory to choose from. However is you are a seller, it means that there is a lot of competition and your home will need to be in the best condition as well as being priced competitively in order to be the one that sells.

So far this year 17 homes have sold on the Charlottesville real estate market. During the same time frame in 2009 from 1/1/2009 - 2/28/2009, 24 Charlottesville homes sold. This is a decline in sales of -29.16% this year to date.

The above figures are courtesy of the mls and while they are presumed correct , are not guaranteed.

Albemarle County VA Real Estate Market Report

Fluvanna County VA Real Estate Market Report

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Charlottesville VA Homes Are Selling

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:09:22 -0600

Charlottesville VA homes are selling, the snow is melting and the real estate market is heating up.

We are seeing alot of new listings coming on the Charlottesville real estate market in preparation for the spring sales period. Historically in the central Virginia area spring is our biggest sales season. This year many of us also saw an unusually busy January until the big snowfalls in early February put an end to the activity. This week I have three of my beginning of the year contracts closing.

This is an older Charlottesville home with great curb appeal in Woodbrook, a conveinient established neighborhood. I sold this home as the buyers agent and it closed today. If you are looking for a Charlottesville or Central Virginia home, I would be pleased to help you find the one that would be the perfect choice for your family.

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Charlottesville VA Market Report Condominiums - February 2010

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:53:30 -0600

This Charlottesville VA market report focuses on the sales of condominiums in Charlottesivlle VA and Albemarle County during February 2010.

7 Charlottesvlle condos sold during February 2010. The average sale price was $199,357 with an average DOM of 186. They sold for an average of 93% of the list price.

8 Charlottesville condominiums sold during the month of January. The homes sold for an average of $234,100 after being on the market for an average of 162 days. They sold for an average of 79% of the list price.

10 Charlottesville Virginia condos had contracts that sold during December 2009. They sold for an average of $212,940. The condos were on the market for an average of 115 days and sold for an average of 96% of the list price.

Today 3/7/2010, there are 190 Charlottesville condominiums for sale. They are listed for an average price of $233,368 with a medium of $144,000. The homes have been on the market for an average of 201 days so far.

This year from 1/1//2010 - 2/28/2010, 15 Charlottesville condos sold. Last year during the same time frame 10 Charlottesville condominiums sold.

In February 2009, 5 Charlottesville condos sold.
In February 2010, 7 Charlottesville condos sold.

In February 2009 the average list price was $171,260.
In February 2010 the average list price was $213,557.

In February 2009, the average sale price was $152,581.
In February 2010, the average sale price was $199,357.

In February 2009, the average days on market was 168.
In February 2010, the average days on market was 186.

In February 2009, there were 229 condos listed on the Charlottesville real estate market.
In February 2010, there were 213 condos listed on the Charlottesville real estate market.

Due to the mortgage regulations it remains difficult to obtain financing on units in many condo projects. We are also seeing a few local condo projects with several foreclosures on the market. As a result of the financing regulations many of those condos are being bought up by investors with cash.

The above figures are courtesy of the mls and while they are presumed to be correct are not guaranteed.

Albemarle County VA Real Estate Market Report

Charlottesville VA Real Estate Market Report

Fluvanna County VA Real Estate Market Report

Louisa County Real Estate Market Report

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Heavy Snowfall Can Prove More Than Just A Driving Hazard

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:40:09 -0600

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.

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Louisa County VA Real Estate Market Report - February 2010

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 20:57:14 -0600

This Louisa County VA real estate market report looks at the sales of single family detached homes during February 2010.

8 Louisa County homes sold in February 2010. The homes sold for an average price of $255,967. They were on the market for an average of 120 days and sold for an average of 100% of the list price.

3 homes sold in Louisa County VA during January. The average sale price was $291,474 with an average DOM of 214 days. The homes sold for 114% of the list price.

16 Louisa County homes had contracts that closed in December of 2009. They sold for an average of $262,015 after being on the market for an average of 197 days. They sold for an average of 98% of the list price.

Today 3/6/2010 there are 167 Louisa County homes for sale. They are listed for an average price of $444,299 with a median of $225,000. The homes have been on the market for 182 days so far.

From 1/1/2010 - 2/28/2010, 10 homes sold on the Louisa County real estate market. During the sale time period in 2009 7 homes sold in Louisa County.

In February 2009, 6 Louisa County homes sold.
In February 2010, 8 Louisa County homes sold.

In February 2009 the average list price was $289,602
In February 2010 the average list price was $256,411.

In February 2009, the average sale price was $290,880.
In February 2010, the average sale price was $255,967.

In February 2009 there were 270 homes listed for sale on the Louisa County real estate market.
In February 2010 there were 177 homes listed for sale on the Louisa County real estate market.

Home sales in Louisa County Virginia are slowly picking up. At the same time the prices of the homes that are on the market have dropped. Inventory is down as compared with 2009, but we still need to see it drop a lot more before Louisa County sees a balanced market.

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

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Greene County VA Real Estate Market Report - February 2010

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:08:53 -0600

This Greene County VA real estate market report will examine the sales of single family detached homes during February 2010.

7 Greene County homes sold in February 2010. The homes sold for an average of $299,437 after spending an average of 51 days on the market. The homes sold for 99% of the list price.

6 homes sold in Greene County VA during the month of January 2010. The average sale price was $264,673 with an average DOM or 121. They sold for an average of 102% of the list price.

15 Greene County homes had contracts that closed in December 2009. The homes had an average sale price of $200,540. They were on the market for an average of 79 days and sold for 97% of the list price.

Today 3/5/2010, there are 142 Greene County VA homes for sale. They are listed for an average price of $350,063 and a median of $285,000. The homes have been on the market for 152 days so far.

From 1/1/2010 - 2/28/2010, 12 homes sold on the Greene County real estate market. To compare, 10 Greene County homes sold during the same time frame in 2010. This represents an increase in sales of 20.0%.

The January and February real estate market this winter has been particularly challenging as a result of the heavy snowfalls. There has been an increase of new inventory in anticipation of the spring market. March should see an increase in sales leading up to the strong spring season.

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

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Greene County VA Real Estate Market Report - January 2010

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:29:48 -0600

This Greene County VA real estate market report will examine the sales of single family detached homes during January 2010.

6 Greene County homes sold in January 2010. The homes sold for an average of $264,673 after spending an average of 121 days on the market. The homes sold for 102% of the list price.

15 homes sold in Greene County VA during the month of December 2009. The average sale price was $200,540 with an average DOM or 79. They sold for an aberage of 97% of the list price.

16 Greene County homes had contracts that closed in November 2009. The homes had an average sale price of $287,906. They were on the market for an averagae of 97 days and sold for 102% of the list price.

Today 2/18/2010, there are 133 Greene County VA homes for sale. They are listed for an average price of $324,644 and a median of $275,000. The homes have been on the market for 159 days so far.

During January 2010, 3 homes sold on the Greene County real estate market. To compare, only one Greene County home sold during January of 2009.

As we would expect the sales of Greene County homes have been slow during the month of January. At the same time we have seen quite a few new homes come on the market for sale. Before we will be back to a balanced market we need to see inventory sell down.

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

View all of the Charlottesville Virginia homes for sale.

Fluvanna County VA Real Estate Market Report - February 2010

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:58:12 -0600

This Fluvanna County VA real estate market report follows the sale of single family detached homes during February 2010.

12 Fluvanna County homes sold during February. The average sale price was $231,635 after being on the market for an average of 133 days. The homes sold for an average of 96% of the list price.

23 homes had contracts that closed in Fluvanna County during January of 2010. The homes had an average sale price of $223,835 and had been on the market for an average of 67 days. They sold for an average of 100% of the list price.

17 homes sold in Fluvanna during December 2009. The homes sold for an average sale price of $200,363. The homes were on the market for an average of 95 days and sold for an average of 98% of the list price.

Today March 4, 2010 there are 245 Fluvanna County VA homes for sale. They are listed for an average of $317,823 with a median of $249,900. The homes have been on the market for an average of 159 days so far.

From 1/1/2010 – 2/28/2010, 32 homes sold on the Fluvanna County VA real estate market. During the same time frame in 2009 only24 Fluvanna County homes sold. This is a 33.33% increase in sales over the same period last year.

Real estate activity in Fluvanna County picked up in January this year, but then dropped off with the snowy weather in February. Like much of the Central Virginia real estate market, we have a lot of inventory that needs to be sold down before we can return to a balanced market.

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

Albemarle County VA Real Estate Market Report

Charlottesville VA Real Estate Market Report

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Albemarle County VA Real Estate Market Report - February 2010

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:57:35 -0600

This Albemarle County real estate market report will examine the sales of single family detached homes during February 2010.

34 Albemarle County homes sold during February 2010. The average sale price was $451,455. The homes had been on the market for an average of 165 days and sold for an average of 92% of the list price.

27 Albemarle County homes had contracts that closed in January 2010. The homes had an average price of $371,240 after an average of 165 days on the market. They sold for an average of 93% of the list price.

53 homes in Albemarle County VA sold during the month of December 2009. They had an averagle sale price of $711,108 and an average DOM of 126. The homes sold for an average of 94% of the list price.

Today, 3/2/2010, there are 546 Albemarle County homes for sale. They are listed for an average price of $972,335 and a median of $445,000. The homes have been on the market for an average of 165 days so far.

This year so far 58 homes have sold on the Albemarle County real estate market. During 2009 during January and February 54 Albemarle County homes sold. This is an increase in sales of 7.4% over the same time period last year.

Albemarle County home sales are typical of the winter real estate market. We would expect to see home sales down during January and February, and the record snowfalls have not helped. We can also see an increase in new listings coming on the market as we move nearer to the spring real estate market. At the sale time we very much need to see more of the inventory sold down.

Above figures are from the mls and while they are presumed accurate they are not guaranteed.

Charlottesville VA Real Estate Market Report

Fluvanna County VA Real Estate Market Report

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The Future Of Art In Virginia

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 07:19:17 -0600

The future of art in Virginia is uncertain.

I just heard on the morning news that Virginia lawmakers are considering an amendment that would stop funding for the Virginia Commission of the Arts from the state budget. Apparently the two houses are split on this decision.

If this amendment passes it would have a significant impact on the area arts community. Thanks to attractions such as the Staunton Augusta Arts Center the Central Virginia area has become a popular destination for culturly minded tourists. Thus investing in the arts is an investment in cultural tourism which is an investment in the local economy.

Having been a fine arts major in college, I have always had an interest in art in Virginia. One of the joys of living in the Charlottesville community has been the vibrant local art scene. I hope that the legislature will carefully consider this issue and decide to continue financial support of Virginia art.

State Budget Threatens Art if you would like to see this story in its entirety.

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First Time Homebuyers Filing For Tax Credit Must File On Paper

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 22:05:44 -0600

First time homebuyers must file for their tax credit on paper not on line.

The first time homebuyers filing for the $8,000 tax refund are required to use IRS form 5405 and must file on paper. There are instructions on the form outlining what documentation is needs to accompany the form. The stricter filing regulations are intended to prevent fradulent claims. According to the US Treasury 90,000 taxpayers falsely applied for the credit.

Realty Times had a comprehensive article today outlining the documentation that first time homebuyers will need to include with their return and also the documentation that existing buyers requesting the $6,500 tax credit will need.

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Is This Neighborhood Sate?

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:22:36 -0600

"Is this a safe neighborhood" is a question that I am frequently asked by buyers looking for a home in Charlottesville VA.

Buyers are frequently surprised that their Realtor legally can't give an opinion as to which is the safest neighborhood. However the safety of a neighborhood can often be subjective. What one person might consider safe, another might not; this partly depends on what the area was like that you are moving from.

Your real estate agent cannot tell you which community is the safest because that could be considered steering and is in violation of Fair Housing. So what can you do? There are several websites that a buyer can go to to find crime statistics so that they can determine whether they feel that an area is safe.

Below are some websites where you can go to research the crime statistics for Charlottesville Virginia and Albemarle County.

Spot Crime

Albemarle County Police Department

Charlottesville Crime Statistics

Information on sexual offenders

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Speechless Sunday - A Fluvanna County Morning

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 21:13:38 -0600

Like many of us this winter I am getting very tired of looking out of my window in the morning and seeing snow. This afternoon in the Charlottesville VA area we even had temperatures in the fifties and I spent the afternoon picking up tree limbs that had fallen during the various snowstorms. However despite the warmth I still have a foot of snow in my yard. Therefore I thought i would share an early morning picture without snow. In my dreams I am waking up tomorrow morning and looking out the window to morning fog over green Fluvanna County fields.

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Charlottesville VA Real Estate Market Report Attached Homes - January 2010

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 21:04:29 -0600

This Charlottesville VA real estate market report focuses on the sale of attached homes in Charlottesville and Albemarle County during January 2010.

15 Charlottesville attached homes sold during January 2010. The average sale price is $245,210 and the homes were on the market for an average of 96 days. They sold for an average of 98% of the list price.

21 Charlottesville VA townhouses had contracts that closed in December 2009. They sold for an average price of $240,887 after being on the market for an average of 75 days. The homes sold for an average of 99% of the list price.

48 Charlottesville Virginia attached homes sold in Novemver 2009. The homes sold for an average of $229,449. They had an averagae DOM of 114 and sold for an averagae of 101% of the list price.

Today, February 19, 2010 there are 132 Charlottesville VA townhouses for sale. They are listed for an average price of $250,987 with a median of $219,450. The homes have been on the market for an average of 193 days so far.

From these figures we can see that January sales of Charlottesville townhomes are down as compared with the previous two months. Several factors may have contributed to this slowdown in sales. The Christmas season and the winter are historically a slow time in the Charlottesville VA real estate market. In addition the Charlottesville area has seen unusually heavy snowfall this winter which has definately had an impact on the area real estate sales. Hopefully we will see some more seasonable temperatures and accompanying snow melting as we move into the later part of February and beginning of March.

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