With all of the buzz in the media regarding the increase in foreclosures across the country, I get frequent inquiries from clients about foreclosed properties in Central Virginia.  While the Charlottesville area has been fortunate to not have the large number of foreclosures that are being experienced in some parts of the country we have started to see an increased number of  forclosed homes in our local market over the last six months. In glancing through the local mls today I quickly pulled up several foreclosed homes ranging in price from $175,000 - $474,900; so you can see that we are seeing homes going into foreclosure in a variety of price ranges.  These are in no way the entire spectrum of foreclosures in the area; we have seen homes listed for much lower prices and have also see... 11/20/2008

I know you've heard this joke; "I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out." Well, during the VAR Buzz Blog Brawl 2 competition our Dakno client went from combatant to giver. Talk about reverse engineering on a grand scale! Don't get me wrong, Charlottesville Real Estate Blogger Brian Chase remains very competitive but now with a different agenda. In Case You Missed It! Charlottesville real estate agent Brian Chase has his real estate blog entered in the Virginia Real Estate Blog Brawl 2 sponsored by the Virginia Association of REALTORS®. Brian made it through round 1 in a tightly contested competition. Shrewd use of bribery was the ticket to advance to round 2. You must read Brian's post on Picking a Fight with fellow Virginia Bloggers. With Round 2 voting quickly coming to a close ... 11/19/2008

Come home for the holidays to Thomas Jefferson's Charlottesville.  This year's  Jeffesonian Thanksgiving Festival will take place on Saturday, November 22.  The first event of the day will be Governor Jefferson's  Parade which goes from 10:00 am to noon.  The route starts at the ice park and ends up at the Pavillion downtown.  The participants will be in historical dress and include a pipe and drum corp, musket firing, dancing, music and historical characters.. The Holiday City Market will kick off on Saturday as well and will run every Saturday through December 22.  The market will be held from 10:00-5:00 on the east end of the downtown mall.  Shop for unique gifts, holiday greenery and holiday goodies from local venders. You can also enjoy horse-drawn carriage rides from 10:00-4:00 on... 11/17/2008

The Charlottesville Calendar is packed from Thanksgiving through New Years: here are some fun events for your enjoyment   The Jeffersonian Thanksgiving FestivalFriday, Nov. 21 and Saturday, Nov. 22Enjoy battle reenactments, period music, games and craft demonstrations, carriage rides, dancing, concerts, lectures, and more.Including Santa's Arrival and the Grand Illumination on Friday 11/21 Charlottesville Downtown Mall.  5 - 8pm.      The Holiday City MarketNov. 22 through Dec.  22, Fridays and Saturdays     Offering crafts, baked goods, toys, greenery and more: locally made treats and great gift ideas. At the Downtown Mall City Hall Plaza.  10am to 5pm.  The 27th Annual Turkey TrotNovember 27, Thanksgiving DayCome out to the Boars Head Inn on Thanksgiving morning to work up an appetite... 11/16/2008

After a long morning of looking at Charlottesville Virginia homes, it was time to find a kid friendly place for lunch.  The perfect choice was Bodos on Emmet Street.  At lunch time the restaurant is always packed with a mixture of moms and children, professionals and UVA students.  Bodos, which is locally owned has three locations to choose from.                                                                The restaurant specializes in bagels, which they make on premises.  You can get almost any kind of sandwhich that you can think of on a bagel, as well as a variety of cream cheeses.  The children had sesame bagels with plain cream cheese which was the favorite of miy children growing up.  The adults enjoyed avocado on whole wheat, and ham and cheese on an everything bagel.  Of cours... 11/11/2008

Charlottesville Real Estate is great, but there are a lot of places that make Charlottesville a grand place!    We have the University of Virginia!    It is fabulous "grounds" with all it's beauty and history! There is so much activity there, it is very exciting!    Then there is the Downtown walking mall with shops and nice places to eat. This is a must see if you like the small town feel! A great place to stop at is the Mud House, a coffee shop on the downtown mall! There are a lot of events this time of year and with Fall here the colors are fantastic!   Then there is the home of our Third President, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello! Now this is an interesting stop if you have time when visiting Charlottesville! Charlottesville is a great place to tour! While you are out you might even ... 11/09/2008

One of the most important decisions facing clients relocating to Charlottesville, Virginia and Albemarle County is the school that their children will be attending.  Although we have many good schools in the Central Virginia area, each one has some different programs and offerings; one may be a better fit for your child than another.  If you research schools and are able to decide on a school before beginning to look at homes, your REALTOR will be able to narrow your home search to a specific school district.  This post will provide you with information to enable you to research Albemarle County public middle schools. Albemarle County Public Schools Jackson P. Burley 434 295-5101  J T Henley 434 823-4393  Jack Jouett 434 975-9320  Sutherland 434 975-0599  Walton 434 977-5615  Community ... 11/09/2008

Lets talk turkey...Thenksgiving turkey that is.  You may know that a significant part of the Charlottesville, Virginia and Piedmont Virginia green movement has been the Buy Fresh Buy Local Campaign, but you may not realize that the program includes more than just fruits and vegetables.  Consider ordering your holiday turkey from one of the Piedmont Virginia turkey farms.  Your family will appreciate the flavor and freshness of a locally raised turkey, while supporting the area economy at the same time.  Remember that locally grown meats and produce do not use the fuel for transpotation of foods that must be shipped in over longer distances. Think green, buy Local!       _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Contact Pam Dent... 11/08/2008

So the numbers for DOM (Days on the Market) are telling a story: Albemarle County (where Charlottesville is located): 2002 - 76 2003 - 72 2004 - 79 2005 - 55 2006 - 59 2007 - 92 2008 - 109 (YTD) This is staggering. The DOM is now greater than five years ago. Remember as a Buyer..... Information is power! About The Author Charles McDonald, Associate Broker at RE/MAX Assured Properties and dedicated Buyers Agent is the author of this blog, and several other sites on the Internet. Charles and his team of experts in the Charlottesville area are always available to help you with your Real Estate needs. Call our team anytime at 434-981-1585 or to search for homes visit: Charlottesville Real Estate  Copyright © 2008 Charles McDonald, All Rights Reserved.        11/06/2008

November 5th, WednesdayCompañía Flamenco José Porcel.8pmThe Paramount Theater215 E. Main St.979-1333A troupe of traditional flamenco dancers pair classic Spanish styles with contemporary movements and choreography. November 7, FridayFall Festival with UVA Recreatonal SportsBring the entire family to the North Grounds Recreational Center, where enthusiastic youth instructors will provide activities for all ages. Parents welcome to stay for the fun, or take a couple of hours off. Sign up required. 6-8pm.  $10 Family (Parents and Children)/ $20 (Only Children).  For more info call: 434-924-3791. November 8, SaturdayRivanna Trails Foundation Saturday WorkshopCome out to help with trail maintenance. Great for older kids or the whole family. Tools provided, but bring shears or clippers if you... 11/02/2008

Going on at UVA this weekElection Night Viewing Party Nov 4th 7pmMiller Center Forum: The United Nations and International PeaceNov 5th at 5:30pmNine Inch NailsNov 5th at 7pm at the JPJMcCormick Observatory Public NightNov 7th at 7pmMen's Soccer vs. Wake ForestNov 7th at 7pm5K Race for Autism AwarenessNov 8th at 10amCharlottesville & University Symphony Orchestra: Music of RedemptionNov 8th at 8pm You can find a comprehensive UVA Calendar linked through my website Go Virginia Homes, a real estate resource for UVA Professors, Staff, Graduate Students, Doctors, Medical Residents, Fans, Alumni and more.  This great site also includes links to the UVA Homepage, UVA Health Systems, Darden, The Sabre and more....Enjoy! 11/02/2008

This post is continuing our examination of real estate activity in the Charlottesville, Virginia area.  In order to make our comparisons as accurate as possible, we need to compare similar types of homes.  This post will look at sales of condos and townhomes in Charlottesville, Virginia and the surrounding Albemarle County. In October 2008, 10 Charlottesville - Albemarle condos and townhouses were under contingent contract.  The average list price was $228,460 and the median was $237,400 with an average of 87 days on market. 3 condos and townhomes had contracts pending.  They had an average list price of $358,283 and a median of $325,000 with an average of 202 days on the market. In October of 2008, 7 condos and townhouses sold in Charlottesville, Virginia and Albemarle County.  They so... 11/02/2008

We all hear daily via our tv sets about the national real estate market, but what is happened locally?  It's the first of the month and we will explore the real estate activity in our local market.  This post will cover the figures of detached single family homes in the city of Charlottesville during October 2008. In October of 2008, 13 Charlottesville homes had pending contracts.  The average list price was $267,093 and the median was $265,000 with an average of 83 days on the market. 1 Charlottesville home had a pending contract.  The list price was $299,990 and it was on the market for 12 days. In October 2008, 13 homes in Charlottesville, Virginia were sold.  The average sales price was $290,999, with an average list price of $305,471 and a median of $249,900.  The homes had been on... 11/02/2008

Its the beginning of a new month and the perfect time to evaluate what has been going on in the local Albemarle County real estate market.  We have been hearing on the national news a lot about the state of the real estate market, but how does Albemarle County compare? The following data is for single family detached homes in Albemarle County, Virginia. In October 2008, 31 Albemarle County homes were under contingent contracts.  The average list price was $702,938 and the median was $349,248 with an average of 153 days on the market. 12 homes had pending contracts.  Their average list price was $1,119,563 and the median was $462,450.  They were on the market for an average of 98 days. In October 2008, 33 Albemarle County homes sold.  The average sales price was $637,347, with an average... 11/01/2008

Whether you believe in ghosts or not, its always fun to listen to a good ghost story.  Halloween night is the perfect time to treat yourself and take the Ghost and Murders Tour.  This 2 hour walking tour will cover about 1 mile and will discuss local hauntings and murders; all of the stories are based on historical fact. The Ghost and Murders Walking Tour is offered Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings from April 3 - November 1.  The tour meets at York Place on the Charlottesville, Virginia Downtown Mall at 8:00 pm. Have a scary good Halloween!!         _______________________________________ Contact Pam Dent, e-PRO, SRES, NHD, REALTOR®, Real Estate III, Charlottesville, Virginia at 434 960-0161, pam@JumpintoGreenerPastures.com, to list your property for sale or to buy a property in t... 10/31/2008

Although Charlottesville, Virginia and Albemarle County residents have an excellent public school system, for some families and their children a private school may be a better fit.  Charlottesville and the Central Virginia area offer a wide choice of private school options.  The following list is a selection of the private schools that sre available. Saint Anne's-Belfield is a co-ed school encompassing grades preschool-12.  The school is composed of two campuses with a total of 49 acres.  STAB is committed to fostering a lifelong love of learning as it prepares its students for admission to top universities. The Covenant School is a non-denominational Christian, coed school ranging from pre-K through grade 12.  Covenent has two campuses and is geared toward preparing its students for co... 10/29/2008

Cooler weather has come to Central Virginia and many of us are starting to turn on the heat in our Charlottesville homes.  Not only are we looking for ways to reduce our energy bills, but we also are aware that saving energy is the eco-friendly way to live. The following are some ways that you can increase the effiency of your heating system and conserve energy: Change your filter every one to three months depending on how quickly it becomes dirty. Seal leaky ducts in your forced air system.  This improvement offers one of the biggest impacts on the costs of operating your forced air system.  Heat leakage from ducts can result in 35 to 40% of heat loss from your home especially if the ducts are placed in unconditioned attics and crawlspaces. Balance the air distribution of your system. ... 10/28/2008

I guess the New York Times bus tour rolled through Cville this week, because here are two articles from that fine periodical about our fair city: The first one is about Keswick, the Keswick Club, Glenmore and the surrounding area from the NYT's Great Homes & Destinations "Havens" column.Today's artcie is  from their "36 Hours in..." series. The article,about a long weekend in Charlottesville, mentions the Mall, Ash-lawn, the Clifton, Feast, Monticello, Barboursville and other local highlights! If you have questions about the Charlottesville Area, want to search homes for sale in the Charlottesville-Albemarle, or are thinking about visiting, contact me anytime or visit me online at A Home in Charlottesville! Amy Webb 10/23/2008

Today I received an email from one of my clients requesting my thoughts on the Charlottesville, Virginia real estate market.  It has occured to me that some of the readers of my blog may be interested in reading this as well.  The following is my letter to a clent regarding the state of Central Virginia real estate: Dear xxxx I will attempt to answer your questions about the market.  As you have noticed the Charlottesville real estate market is very different from the market in many parts of Maryland.  Yes our prices are down and there is a lot of inventory on the market, but prices have not dropped to the extent that they have in some parts of the country, and they probably won't.  Most of the areas of the country with the lowest prices have a lot of foreclosures on the market which dr... 10/23/2008

Construction and Development are moving ahead at the National Ground Intelligence Center Charlottesville site in northern Albemarle County.  Rivanna Station will bring 1500 or more jobs to the area over the next few years and though the pace of the project has slowed a bit, we are still ready to welcome these new families to our area! If you are considering relocating to Charlottesville and want to search real estate near NGIC or the Charlottesville Area MLS, learn more about the area or need the assistance of an experienced Charlottesville Realtor, visit me online at NGIC Homes!   Amy WebbReal Estate III 10/23/2008