Charlottesville Real Estate Blog

As a Charlottesville Realtor, I find the comments and statements of outsiders visiting the Charlottesville area fascinating. By now many of you may have already read what NY Times Travel Blogger Joshua Kurlantzic wrote in his post about his “36 Hours in Charlottesville, VA” on 10-26-08. If you haven’t, I believe it to be an even-handed view of Charlottesville. In it he calls to his readers attention those local Charlottesville landmarks, attractions, and outstanding local eateries we all tend to take for granted. When you live in the shadows of such natural beauty and history, one tends to loose sight of its significance and grandeur.

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Does anyone know where the bottom is in the Charlottesville real estate market?  How about the national real estate market?  If I had a crystal ball, I would feel better about picking out the exact day of the bottom, but since I don’t, let’s review a few facts.  I know there are thousands of would-be buyers of Charlottesville homes who have been window shoppers over the course of the past 3 years and who have yet to make a purchase.  I’m also guessing that some are feeling a little sheepish about waiting so long if they have significant assets positioned in the stock market; indeed, recent stock market activity is making real estate look like a really safe and dependable investment!

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Cool Off in Our Albemarle County Lakes

It’s hot and the kids are bored …. Yes! It feels like the “Dog Days of Summer” even if the calendar doesn’t agree.  The kids are bored, and gas is more or less $4/gallon – so what do you do?

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Did you know that our 5th President lived right behind Thomas Jefferson in Albemarle County?  President James Monroe owned an estate property known as Highland, which today is called Ash Lawn – Highland.  As our 5th President of the United States and a friend and compatriot of Thomas Jefferson (TJ as Cvillians refer to him), Monroe was originally from Westmoreland County, which runs along the Potomac River.

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Why Live in Downtown Charlottesville?

As I stated in my previous post, I told you where to find those desirable homegrown fresh vegetables in the downtown City Market. Many Charlottesville home buyers are actually looking toward downtown for all the right reasons. There are lots of things going on in downtown Charlottesville, from live arts and live music to fine cuisine, and small shops. Wouldn’t it be convenient to live in Downtown Charlottesville especially if you could walk to work? Think of all the money you could save on gas! There are a number of lovely condos available just steps away from Downtown Charlottesville.

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What Do They Have in Common?

Often people relocating to Charlottesville, VA will call our office or contact The Chase Team from our Charlottesville real estate website. One of the first things they ask is; “tell us about the area.” They also inquire about Charlottesville area schools and ask about interesting things for their family to do once they move to Charlottesville. Quite often we talk about dining opportunities in the Charlottesville area too. It seems everybody is a foodie these days whether you love to cook or dine out.

Yummy Home Grown Veggies!

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Because the wants and needs of every buyer are different, it’s important Charlottesville real estate agents ask deep probing questions. This is even more imperative if a buyer is seeking specialty properties like Albemarle farms and estates. No doubt, these buyers have discerning taste and a very unique set of wants and needs. It would be easy to simply allow an Internet property search tool to compile a list of possible Charlottesville properties. Doing that, in my humble opinion, is a terrible mistake and disservice to clients. Nothing can ever replace the interaction between a home buyer and a real estate professional particularly one who specializes in specific niche real estate markets. That’s why Albemarle County farms and estate properties are my passion.

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Guest Post by Chase Team Member – Lauri Powell

Spring time in Charlottesville is a beautiful sight with the redbuds, dogwoods, azaleas and a host of other trees, shrubs and flowers blooming. As you drive through the Charlottesville area along the farms and estate properties you are amazed at the colors that abound. To celebrate this explosion of color we have a Dogwood Festival.

Popularity of Dogwood Festivals

When I Goggled “Dogwood Festival” to get some history for this post, I was surprised to find on the first page dogwood festivals in Atlanta, GA; Fayetteville, NC; Winchester, VA: Orleans, Indiana; Farmville, NC; Tyler County, TX; Knoxville, TN and that was just on the first page!

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Guest Post by Lauri Powell

Not to Be Missed Bi-annual Charlottesville Social Event

Charlottesville has many annual events but none that hold more allure than The Foxfield Races. Held twice a year (the last Saturday in April and the last Sunday in September) in the middle of Albemarle farm and estate country, this event has been a favorite for tailgaters since 1978. Rivalled only by UVA football game tailgating, there are tents set aside for those who wish to have their parties catered and open areas for those who wish to bring their own gourmet tailgating affairs.

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The Changing Face of Charlottesville Real Estate

During last month’s regional housing conference titled “Finding Common Ground“, lunch plenary session keynote speaker Joe Molinaro discussed how future demographics will change the way Charlottesville homes will be built and real estate development should be planned. Mr. Molinaro is Managing Director for Smart Growth and Housing Opportunity for the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). By using trends in demographics, Mr. Molinaro identified numerous changes in future real estate development. These changes are targeted in several high-growth regions which includes the East Coast “megalopolis”. Charlottesville is included in this East Coast megaloplis region. Population increases and demographic changes identified by Mr. Molinaro include:

• Total growth in population in the US. Based on the 2006 census, the U.S. population hit 300 million. It will hit 400 million by 2035
• The growth of the “Boomer Generation” will occur every year from now to 2025
• Historic changes in the number of single person households from 13% of households belonging to singles in 1960 to over 30% in 2040
• Households with children will continue to shrink from 48% in 1960 to 27% by 2040

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