Real Estate Archives

Albemarle County Goes Green – Should Albemarle County Allow Wind Turbines?

Albemarle County could allow private wind turbines on private property within the next six months. At this time zoning in the county prohibits the installation of wind turbines. However the Albemarle Planning Commission is studying whether to permit small personal turbines at private county residences. These turbines may not be a cost effective way to generate power, but they could help with the reduction of greenhouse gases, which is a long term goal for the county. Whatever the commission decides regarding personal turbines, there will definately not be commercial wind farms in the counties future.

Charlottesville, Virginia and Albemarle County have increasing numbers of green built and energy efficient homes for sale. If you are considering buying or selling a “green” home in the Central Virginia real estate market, contact me and I would love to discuss how I can help you with your real estate needs.

Search the Charlottesville and Central Virginia homes for sale.

Foreclosures – Not Your Typical Real Estate Transaction – Part Three

When a foreclosed home does not sell at auction, it becomes a (REO) real estate owned or bank owned property. Since the banks are not interrested in keeping assets, like homes, that require maintenance, they will probably be interested in selling the property. Usually the banks will get an asset managemant company to handle the sale and this comapny will then retain a local real estate agent to list the property. The property will usually be listed to sell for whatever the market will bear.

In a purchase of a foreclosure, it is important for buyers to be represented by a
REALTOR who understands the unique processes and paperwork involved in that particular kind of transaction. Each lending institution has their own addendums and special forms. Buyers of foreclosed homes should realize that it is necessary to have a great deal of patience as delays, problems and a lot of red tape are the norm. It is important for these buyers to also realize that the whole transaction is slanted to favor the bank. In a typical foreclosure purchase the buyer waives many of the rights that they may have in a traditional home purchase. For that reason, it is a good idea to have the advice of an experienced real estate attorney as well as a buyer’s agent who understands the foreclosure process.

However, for the educated buyer the purchase of a foreclosed home may present a very good opportunity.

If you are considering the purchase of a foreclosed home, I will be happy to talk with you about this unique process. I would also be happy to help you find foreclosed homes in the Charlottesville and Central Virginia real estate market that may suit your particular wants and needs.

Batten Down the Hatches – Glenmore Braces for Hannah

The horses at Shadowfax LLC at the Glenmore Equestrian Center in Keswick, Virginia are all snug in their stalls as we wait to see which way tropical storm Hannah will go. Early today the storm was predicted to head up the coast and Albemarle County was forecast to get a total of about an inch of rain. However things have changed, the storm is tracking further west, and as of 6:00 p.m. the forecast was for 4-7 inches of rain with maybe 3 inches in a hour. Needless to say we made sure that all of the horses stayed in their stalls for the night.

Luckily the Glenmore Equestrian Center is on publick water. This is very important because if the storm knocks out the power there is still water for the horses. Most farms are farther out in the country and are on a well. Wells need power for the pump; so if the power is out for several days there is no way to pump the water. One of the things that I used to do whenever a bad storm was forecast was to fill up every spare bucket, tub and water trough so that there would be a supply of water for the horses. That works okay if you don’t have a very large barn, but since Shadowfax has 26 stalls it would be hard to store enough water to tide the horses over for very long.

The horses at Glenmore are safely tucked in for the night with plenty of water, a supply of feed and bedding, and since Baily who owns the business lives in the barn appartment, there is always someone on site to make sure that all is well.

The Glenmore Equestrian Center which is run by Shadowfax LLC is a full care facility offering boarding, training, instruction and horse sales. It adjoins the Glenmore Community located in Keswick Virginia just east of Charlottesville, Virginia.

If you are looking for an equestrian community which offers elegant Charlottesville homes and all the amenities of a gated, golf development, I would love to show you Glenmore.

Or perform your own search of all of the Glenmore and Albemarle County homes on the market.

Relocating to a Charlottesville Virginia Horse Farm – Feed Stores

If you are relocating to a Charlottesville Virginia horse farm or one in the surrounding area of Central Virginia, it is important to know where to go for horse feed and farm supplies. Listed below are a selection of feed and farm supply stores.

Augusta Cooperative Farm Bureau Inc., Scottsville 434 286-2650

Southern States Charlottesville Cooperative, 810 Harris St., Charlottesville 434 296-6191
Proffit Rd., Charlottesville 434 974-6147

Tractor Supply, 921 River Rd., Charlottesville 984-2190

Spangler S G Farm Supply, 16103 S Constitution RTE, Scottsville 434 286-3200

Pet Food Discounters, 607 Woodbrook Dr, Charlottesville 434 974-6060

Southern State Co-op, Orange 540 672-2977

If you are buying or selling an Albemarle County horse farm or a farm in the Central Virginia area, I would love to help you. My years as a professional in the horse business give me the specialized knowledge necessary to understand what is important to the equestrian buyer. Couple this with my knowledge of the Charlottesville Virginia real estate market, energy and attention to detail and it is obvious that I am the perfect choice to market and sell your existing farm or find the perfect Central Virginia horse propertiy to suit your particular needs. I would love to work with you.

Search all of the Central Virginia horse properties currently on the market.

Albemarle County Horse Farms – August Market Report for Albemarle Farms

Its the beginning of a new month, and time to take a look at what the current trends are in the Albemarle County real estate market. In this report we will take a look at what happened regarding sales of farms in Albemarle County, Virginia. This report will track properties that were listed as farms in the CAAR mls.

In August of 2008 there were not any farms with contingent or pending contracts.

4 Albemarle County farms were sold in August of 2008. The average sold price was $5,587,250, with an average list price of $6,524,750 and a median of $7,250,000. The farms had been on the market for an average of 154 days and sold for an average of 85.63% of list price.

There are currently 23 farms actively listed on the Albemarle County real estate market. The average list price is $2,868,283 and the median is $2,200,00. They have been on the market for an average of 195 Days.

In July of 2008 1 Albemarle County farm sold. The sales price was $14,600,000 and the list price had been $13,900,000. It had been on the market for 39 days and sold for 105% of the list price.

In August of 2007 1 farm sold in Albemarle County for $1,350,000. It had been listed for $1,485,000, was on the market for 49 days and sold for 90.91% of the list price.

As you can see from these figures the market for farms in Albemarle County has been soft for the past year and this trend continues. If you are considering buying, this would be a very good time to find a great value for your money. There is alot to choose from, interest rates are low and many farms have been on the market for a long time. Give me a call and I would be happy to go over the inventory with you to help locate that perfect Central Virginia horse property.

If you are thinking about selling, I would hold off unless you absolutely have to sell now. If you do need to sell, it is important to price the property right in the beginning. Agressively priced farms are getting shown. I would be happy to do a free CMA to help determine what would be the best price for your property in today's market.

Search all of the Albemarle County Farms currently on the market.

Albemarle County Neighborhoods – Keswick, Virginia

Keswick is located in Albemarle County just east of Charlottesville, Virginia. This area has some of the most beautiful real estate in Central Virginia. The countyside consists of rolling hills and fields bordered by the southwest mountains. It is a residential area with farms, estates and country homes. Many of the farms are in conservation easement with creates a large amount of contiguous open countryside. Keswick is also the home of the Keswick Hunt and offers some of the best foxhunting country in Virginia. If you are looking for the perfect Central Virginia horse farm or Charlottesville equestrian property, see what Keswick has to offer.

Two featured Keswick communities are Keswick Estates and Glenmore. Both are gated communities with excellent golf courses, country clubs and exceptional homes.

If you are considering a move to Albemarle County, don’t miss looking at Keswick.

Click here to search all of the homes for sale in Keswick.

Living Green – How Do I Measure My Carbon Footprint?

Everyday in the course of our normal lives each of us is adding to the emission of greenhouse gases. One of the main factors changing the earth's climate is greenhouse gases. The choices that each of us makes in how we live our lives has a direct impact on how much carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are created each year. Choices in home construction, the foods we eat, energy consumption, what we buy and what we throw away have a direct impact on the environment.

The Nature Conservancy has an online carbon footprint calculator designed to measure how your personal lifestyle contributes to the global climate. Click here to use the calculator.

We are seeing an increase in awareness of how our home choices affect the environment. As a result we are seeing the construction of more "green" homes. If you would like information on energy efficient or "green" homes on the Charlottesville, Virginia real estate market, contact me. I would love to help you in your search for the perfect green home.

Click here to search all of the homes on the market in the Charlottesville area.

Comparison of Real Estate Taxes for Central Virginia

When you are considering a purchase of a home, one of the necessary things to know is the real estate tax rate for that particular area. In the Central Virginia real estate market there are considerable differences in tax rates among the various counties that make up the region. For some purchasers these rates are still very low compared to the section of the country that they are relocating from. However, many purchasers will need to carefully consider the tax rate, because it may impact whether they can afford a particular home.

The following are the real estate tax rates for the Central Virginia area:

City of Charlottesville – $.95/$100 of assessed value

Albemarle County – $.71/$100 of assessed value

Louisa County – $.62/$100 of assessed value

Fluvanna County – $.48/$100 of assessed value

Greene County – $.72/$100 of assessed value

Orange County – $.47/$100 of assessed value

If you are considering a move to Central Virginia, I would be happy to talk with you about the different neighborhoods that make up the Central Virginia real estate market.

Click here if you would like to search the homes for sale in Central Virginia.

Virginia Now in Top Ten States for Foreclosures

According to the July Foreclosure Market Report just released by Realty Trac, the leading online foreclosure market report, Virginia is now among the 10 states with the most foreclosures. The three states with the highest foreclosure rates are Nevada, California, and Florida. The additional states in the top ten are Arizona, Ohio, Gerogia, Michigan, Colorado, Utah and Virginia.

In Virginia the areas with the most foreclosures are Northern Virginia, Prince William County and Fredericksburg. We are lucky that the Charlottesville area, although we are seeing an increase in foreclosure activity, is still seeing much less than many parts of the country.

However some foreclosures are starting to come onto our local market. These can present a valuable market for the savy buyer.

To read the entire article click here.

Contact me if you would like to discuss the possibility of finding a foreclosure or would like information on the Charlottesville real estate market.

Click here if you would like to search all of the homes currently on the market.

Enjoy the Trails at Glenmore

The extensive system of walking and riding trails is a key feature that sets the Glenmore neighborhood appart. Glenmore is a gated community located in the beautiful Keswick countryside just east of Charlottesville, Virginia. The neighborhood has the usual amenities of country club, golf course, pool, tennis and fitness center. However, it is the dedication to providing numerous opportunities to enjoy the countryside outside of the residential areas, but still inside the gates that sets this community appart.

Glenmore currently has 8.5 miles of trails, which is slated to grow to almost 13 miles by 2012. These trails are enjoyed by walkers, joggers, photographers, birdwatchers and equestrians from the adjoining Glenmore Equestrian Center, managed by Shadowfax LLC. Maintaining the trails has been a tru community effort with more that 50 volunteers participating in the upkeep of the existing trails and the opening of new areas.

It is very special to have so much access to nature, yet be a few minutes away from Charlottesville. Please contact me if you would like a tour of Glenmore, to see how you could experience the Glenmore Lifestyle.

Click here to search all the homes for sale in Glenmore and the Charlottesville area.

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