Well...Little Aubrey Lynn was born May 9th, 2008 and she has been a wonderful baby!  She is our first child and being a mom really is a full time job!  It's tough to work between naps, but I have tried to start getting creative!  My latest marketing idea was to send out a direct mail that looked like this: When I Grow Up I Want To Be A REALTOR Just Like My Mother!       Until Then, She'll Be Taking My Calls...   www.nakedrealestate.org (Rated G) It was just mailed out so I have yet to get any feedback.  :)  She's really cute isn't she!?  Not only did I just have a baby, but I also recently moved from Florida BACK to Virginia, so getting back into the VA market has proved fairly difficult when working from the nursery.  There aren't as many foreclosures here as there are in FL, but the n... 08/22/2008

Do you have a borrower that is high net worth that needs to close fast?  I have the perfect option for you!  The Fast Cash Asset Portfolio Loan!  I can close the loan in 5 days and we are able to lend in multiple states!  Asset Portfolio Loans (Stocks, Bonds, T-Bills, CDs, etc.) $1,000,000 and up, NO LIMIT!    No credit check or employment required. "No monthly payment" option available. For expedited approval (within 48 hrs), the following documentationwill be required:   1) Itemization of Assets to be pledged for this transaction (Stocks,Bonds, CD's, T-Bills etc) 2) Copy of the instrument (CUSIP #s) 3) Copy of the most recent statement showing where the instrument isheld and the ISIN #   Interest Rates between 5.5 to 7.5 Please submit name, number, state where you are located and best... 08/22/2008

I have to say that I love this market. My Buyers have so much inventory to choose from and the prices are great!!! This is a buyers dream, we (buyers) have been waiting for this for a very long time. The Charlottesville Real Estate market is ever changing but with over 3600 residential and over 2300 land listings in our MLS there is something for everybody... Come get your piece of the pie while there is plenty ot choose from!!! I know I am looking for deals right now, are you? 08/22/2008

Don't miss the concert event of the Autumn as Alanis Morissette comes to the Charlottesville Pavilion on Sept. 18th in a benefit concert for the Charlottesville Free Clinic. Twelve years after her breakthrough album, Jagged Little Pill, Alanis returns to the concert stage in advance of her new work, Flavors of Entanglement. Morisette has won seven Grammy awards and sold over 55 millions albums worldwide since her debut and is one of the highest selling female rock artists in history. The Charlottesville Free Clinic is a volunteer organization offering health services to the working uninsured population, which would otherwise have no access to care. The best live music and a caring community: two more reasons why Charlottesville, Virginia is a great place to live!     If you enjoyed this... 08/21/2008

Call me a pessimist, (or a Bear), but I am of the school that sees the current housing crisis/sluggish market, as part of a longer trend into some tough economic times, perhaps the worst of my (44 year) lifetime.  I know that is not good news, but I think it is realistic...and better to be prepared than caught by surprise! Moreover, as a Realtor, I believe my job is to understand, accept and work within the context of the economic REALITY my clients ( both buyers and sellers ) are living through. I cannot help them buy and sell property if I am living on Planet High Hopes while they are living in Virginia!Here is a great article Fortune just posted about the next bubble expected to burst: the consumer credit crunch.           Pretty as I am, they don't pay me to stick my head in the san... 08/20/2008

...with Jott.com ! If you haven't heard about Jott yet, you may need to clean your ears out !!  but even if you have, take another look!!   Jott has just introduced a new wave of features.  Yes, you can still get a free account  - though of course they are offering "for fee" services too!...but even with the free account, I can "Jott" myself by calling a toll free number on my cell phone and speaking a message to myself which can 1) show up in my email inbox 2) show up in my google reader and homepage 3) be emailed to someone else 4) be posted to my Blogger blog,  and so forth and so on..... I initially got Jott as a safety precaution and convenience  - so that I could leave myself verbal messages easily instead of trying to write things down while driving, walking or otherwise engaged.... 08/20/2008

Here is a great site from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency on reducing the toxic chemicals in your home and garden.  The advice on this website is practical and easily achievable without a major effort or life change!You don't need to run out and invest in a solar panel system for your home in order to impact the environment positively: Instead, why not start going green by improving the quality of the air and materials you breathe and touch everyday?Take a simple step like choosing to buy products in spray pump containers instead of aerosol or buying a mercury free thermometer.Even taking off your shoes when you come into your house can have a significant impact on the level of pesticides, lead, cadmium and other chemicals in your home! The site has a ton of great advice for clea... 08/20/2008

Just a quick recognition of our appearance on yet another "Best" list: National Geographic's "Best Adventure Towns" The renowned magazine “selected 50 innovative towns that aren’t just prime relocation spots right now, but smart choices in the future”. Come have a look yourself! If you enjoyed my post, I invite you to subscribe to my blog! Amy Bender WebbReal Estate IIICharlottesville, Virginiavisit me online at A Home in CharlottesvilleLicensed to sell real estate in Virginia   08/19/2008

If your thinking about buying a home, you have a lot of financial decisions to make. Your Lender and your Buyer’s Agent can assist you in "running" some numbers to figure out▪ how much you can afford to pay monthly▪ what size mortgage you are comfortable taking▪ how much in closing costs you are going to be paying above and beyond the cost of the home.But one practical question the sometimes gets overlooked is: How much cash will you need to have on hand to buy a home??Though it is possible to buy a home with little or no cash on hand by pursuing 100% financing and folding the closing costs into your purchase, this is becoming more uncommon in times of tightening credit, and it is helpful to understand how a more typical transaction works:About the terms Good Faith Deposit, Down Payment... 08/19/2008

Whenever you go to a new area, the key to finding the best places to eat is to discover the local hangouts.  So in Charlottesville, Virginia where might that be?  Well one of the best places for lunch is the Bellair Market. The Bellair Market is sited on route 250 just west of Charlottesville in the Exxon station just across from the Bellair development.  That's right...in an Exxon station.  The market does a large takeout business, but there are also several tables to eat in and the food is delish.  I stopped in yesterday to get a sandwich and ordered turkey on a 7 grain baguette with avocado, lettuce, tomatoe and herb mayonaise.  The extensive menu of specialty sandwiches is always popular offering favorites such as the Farmington and Ednam named after nearby neighborhoods.  While the... 08/14/2008

As a Realtor, I am committed to working in the best interest of my clients when they are buying or selling a home.  Often, particularly in the kind of market we currently have in Charlottesville, Virginia and elsewhere, that means explaining to my clients how critical it is to price their home correctly from the day it goes on the market.  I recently blogged about a post by Lori Lincoln from Nebraska entitled How To Sell Your Home For Full Market Value by Pricing Under Market ( see below for that post ).To elaborate on that same point from another perspective, let's take a look at What happens if you overprice your home?You will lose the excitement that a new listing generates. Most activity on a listing comes within the first 30 days on the market. An initial high price can discourage ... 08/14/2008

Purge, Declutter and OrganizeGetting ready to sell your home is a perfect excuse to go through paperwork, magazines, outgrown clothing and toys, sports equipment, bric-a-brac and all manner of miscellany….this is the time to turn a critical eye towards closets, drawers and storage areas and really get cleared out and organized. No matter how large your home, a cluttered space will always seem too small to a buyer, while an immaculately organized home is always appealing to prospective purchasers.A Little Paint Can Go a Long WayWhile your home may not need a complete paint job, you might consider freshening up high traffic areas…hallways, stairwells and possibly the walls of the kids’ rooms. And if you did let your teenager paint his room black, now is probably the time to neutralize!Let... 08/13/2008

  The media scares people to death. All I hear is "foreclosure", "bubble busting time", "when will the bottom be hit"..... What so many forget about real estate and it will always be true is .... location, location, location. The state's housing and development authority stated that the National estimate for the foreclosure rate is 2.47 percent. Virginia'snumber of foreclouses is almost half of that at 1.3 percent. And best of all.....Charlottesville came is at 0.55 percent which is approximately one fifth of the national average. Mortgage are still available. Interest rates are still low. Inventories are still plentiful. If you don't plan on using your home as an ATM machine.... Then it is a great time to buy a home in Charlottesville. 08/12/2008

As a born and bred New Yorker, I still read The Times daily, including the Real Estate Section, though in most ways, New York real estate is a world apart from Charlottesville real estate. Still, it is always interesting to read what is going on in the big city..and sometimes the trends and dynamics translate well to life in a much smaller place! Here is an interesting article about Neighborly Competition! To quote the article:"In the current Manhattan market, it is taking longer for apartments to sell, and it is not uncommon for apartments next door to each other or on different floors to hit the market at the same time. Some brokers say that there is more to be gained by (cautiously) working with the competition in setting prices and marketing strategies than by going it alone. In the... 08/11/2008

The following is the report of the activity in the Charlottesville, Virginia real estate market for July, 2008. In July 38 homes were under contingent contract in Charlottesville, Virginia.  The average list price was $302,855 and the median price was $247,840.  The average days on market was 98. 12 homes were pending at an average list price of $310,258 and a median price of $294,000.  They were on the market for an average of 182 days. 68 homes sold in Charlottesville in July with an average list price of $324,799 and an average sales price of $307,817.  The median price was $290,500 and they had been on the market for an average of 128 days.  The homes sold for an average of 94.77% of list price. There are currently 351 homes actively listed in the Charlottesville, Virginia real esta... 08/10/2008

Here's another twist for this months' entry:  we're going to talk about the Top 10 Charlottesville Homes that SOLD between July 1st and August 8th of 2008, and why. We also want to compare the current market against the same time period last year. So much is being made of this sluggish housing market, with the media constantly filling us with their crys of doom and gloom.  Is it really that bad?  Should we be scared, worried sick, and possibly suicidal? Well, here in Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Central Virginia, 101 detached homes (no condos or attached homes considered here) sold between July 1st and August 8th this year.  Let's take a closer look and compare the numbers: Market Comparison DATE RANGE                                       Average Sale Price      Price/Sq Ft   ... 08/10/2008

In a market tightening mortgage market it is critical, as a potential home buyer, that you understand your Credit Report and Credit Score and how they impact your ability to buy a home!Simply put, a "credit report" is a collation of information that the credit bureaus collect about you, such as your payment history on loans, your credit card accounts, how many times lenders have requested information about your credit (inquiries), and how many times lenders have turned your account over to a collection agency (collections). Your "credit score", the most notable of which is the "Fair Isaac" or FICO score, is a number calculated based on the raw information reported on your credit report(s) which indicates your "loan worthiness" from the lender's standpoint, directly affecting how much a ... 08/10/2008

Charlottesville, Virginia has the honor of being named number six on Country Home magazine and Sperling's 2007 Best Green Places to Live in America. The magazine cites the fact that Charlottesville values trees, streams, parks and greenspace.  The community is seaking to preserve biodiversity, while keeping a balance between nature and growth, and practicing sustainability.  To acheive these goals the city is leading the way by means of its encouragement of the adoption of green roofs, rainwater harvesting, porous paving and rain gardens. Click here to read more. Charlottesville and Albemarle County have had the honor of being included on many lists of best places to live in America.  If you would like to enjoy the Charlottesville lifestyle, click here to search all of the homes for sal... 08/09/2008

Country Home magazine, in conjunction with Sperling's BestPlaces, reveals that Burlington,has named Charlottesville on of the Best Green Place to live in America. The Yahoo article notes that Charlottesville specifically "puts a value on trees, parks, greenspace, streams and biodiversity. In an effort to balance the natural and built environment and practice sustainability, Charlottesville encourages the use of green roofs, rainwater harvesting, porous paving and rain gardens. These concepts are being demonstrated by the city to encourage adoption in parks and public spaces" Even our bricked downtown mall is a green oasis in the city center! 08/08/2008

The following is the report of sales of condos and townhomes in the Charlottesville, Virginia real estate market for the month of July 2008. There were 16 contingent contracts on condos and attached homes in July.  The average list price was $198,668 and the median price was $177,450.  The homes were on the market for an average of 108 days. There was one pending contract in July and the home was listed at $289,000 and had been on the market for 520 days. In the month of July 29 condos and townhomes sold.  The average list price was $279,694 and the average sold price was $263,038; the median price was $217,500.  The homes had been on the market for an average of 175 days.  The homes sold for an average of 94.04% of the list price. There are currently 136 condos and townhomes actively l... 08/07/2008