Charlottesville Real Estate Newsletter from Charles McDonald

January 2010 Charlottesville Real Estate Newsletter

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Message from Charles:

With the start of 2010 (wow that is hard to type) we always reflect the previous year. We have certainly seen some interesting market conditions in 2009. Most homes that are selling are below 300K, this is a shift for our area. December sales were actually up. Not to mention the 30+ inches of snow we got!

In December we had 103 sales in Albemarle (vs only 76 in Nov) yet only 22 sales in the city of Charlottesville (vs 34 in Nov). So the County properties seem to be getting quite a pop in sales for this time of year!

NOTE: See Market Trends and My Blog site for charts and Year vs Year comparisons.

Another interesting fact from 2009 is that our Remax office is out selling all other offices in our area. My associate and I have closed an average of over a home a week for 2009. I have to thank several of you, my friends who have referred me to your friends and family. When I look back on 2009, my referral business is the best it has even been.

Thank you so much!

Below are some of my recent blog posts that you may find interesting. Remember: comments are welcome. By the way, are you reading my Charlottesville Real Estate Blog?

As always if you need anything or have any questions about our market, drop me an email or call me anytime.

Charles

A Few Recent Posts:

The Highest Offer May Not Be the Best

By Charlottesville Real Estate on December 31st, 2009

Great piece of advice from Dian Hymer, Inman News:

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Sellers who get more than one offer should be aware that the highest offer isn’t necessarily the best offer, say experienced practitioners.

In this tough market, going with the buyer who has enough cash to pay a large down payment and who won’t be scared away if the inspection uncovers some needed repairs is often the wise choice.

Practitioners should encourage sellers to review all the terms and conditions of the sales contract. In some areas, the allocation of fees can take a big bite out of the net proceeds. While most contracts are written to reflect that, it isn’t always the case.

Also, the closing date in the offer should be considered carefully. A buyer who can close quickly can save a seller thousands. Offers contingent on the sale of another property are particularly suspect in this market.

Source: Inman News, Dian Hymer (12/28/2009)

Where to search for Charlottesville Real Estate

The best place to start is here: Charlottesville Real Estate
and for a great way to search by map try here: Charlottesville MLS Search

Moving to NGIC?

NGIC – National Ground Intelligence Center

Located in Northern Albemarle County Virginia, just south of Greene County Virginia is NGIC. This center provides scientific and technical intelligence (S&TI) and also General Military Intelligence (GMI) on foreign ground forces.

There are several agencies that work with NGIC, including and not limited to the CIA, NSA, DIA and FBI.

Working at NGIC is an honor and we are pleased to have new members to our community who are coming to work in our area.