Charlottesville Real Estate-Top 10 Home Buys In Charlottesville-2008

I know, I’m a little behind.  Here it is the middle of October and I haven’t given you my Top 10 Home Buys.  I’m sorry! Thank you for writing to remind me!  I’m on it.

Charlottesville real estate sales, while off from last year, still show activity:

July Closed Sales                 212
August Closed Sales             156
September Closed Sales       118

So without further delay, here are my Top 10 Home Buys for October in and around the city of Charlottesville, and Albemarle County, Virginia.

And remember that my 20% Buyer Rebate Offer is still in effect!

GoTo:  http://www.BuyerRebateOffer.com

1. Shepherds Ridge

Sometimes it IS just about the numbers.  And many of these homes are aggressively priced and offer good value if you just take numbers into account.  Most ALL of them have been on the market way too long and need a new family to help them feel like a home again. I’m sure sellers would gladly negotiate.

Take this house.  Gorgeous.  4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, 5,339 sq ft, 3 fireplaces!, 8 years old, and in coveted Dunlora! At $675,00 and sellers ready to talk–well, TALK!  And with my Buyer Rebate = $4,050 back to you at closing!

2. North Pantops Dr.

3,870 square feet at a cost of $549,900 after sellers instituted a HUGE price drop.  AND, they just installed hardwood floors and granite counter tops!  5 bedrooms, 4 baths, and a finished basement.  Large screened porch and private decks with incredible views.  Seconds to I-64 and downtown.  Buyer Rebate = $3,299

3. Dellwood Rd.

This home gets included because of the pure value–if you can overlook that it’s a Tudor style colonial.  Trust me, it’s worth a look, pictures are NOT always the best thing to rely on.  My wife knows that because she hated our house by looking at the pictures the Realtor posted–she almost didn’t go see it.  She’s very glad she did.

Here’s a home with 3,100 square feet, 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths on an acre and a quarter. Bridge over a babbling brook, trees, expansive lawn, $469,900.

10 miles out in the country? Nope, in Northfields, a minute from the Fashion Square Mall!  Believe it. Take a look.  Seller says make an offer. Buyer Rebate = $2,820

4. Old Forge Rd.

Location.  This home is in an established neighborhood close to Barracks Rd shopping and UVA.  Brick style home with 3,092 sq ft @ $416,000.  Do the math.  That’s a low $135/sq ft for 4 bedrooms and 3 baths, hardwood floors, fireplaced living room, and a screened porch.  Buyer Rebate = $2,496

5. Huntington Rd.

3,268 square foot house in Northfields with master suite on 1st floor, 3 more bedrooms and bath upstairs, finished basement with full in-law apartment (or to host huge Football parties!), Italian tile counters and maple cabinets, built in 2002.

Nice big 1 acre yard, and complete with a 2 car garage.  THAT’S why it made the list! Buyer Rebate = $2,670

6. King William Dr.

And it came to pass that he exalted his servants and said unto them “Let there be massive kitchens in which people can entertain their friends and nourish their families” so he built THIS kitchen.  Just look at it.  That’s what it’s all about.  Standing around the kitchen picking at a pizza or sharing homemade ice cream sundaes on a hot summers eve.

Build your own family memories in this wonderful kitchen.  The home is priced at $550,000 with 3,823 square feet, 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, 2 car garage, full finished basement, in Dunlora.  WOW!  They had me at the kitchen!  Buyer Rebate = $3,300

7. Bedford Hills, Earlysville

Is that a gorgeous backyard or what?  I could just sit and enjoy the coming spring forever.  And a great value per square foot with 3,792 and a price of $575,000 = $152 per sq ft.

Oh yeah, it’s got a pool!  3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 3 car detached garage, home theater, and a beautiful pool.  You have to take this property in.  WOW!  Buyer Rebate = $3,450

8. Ambrose Way

OMG, 6,100 square feet, 6 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, $699,500 built in 2002 ? “Honey!  Remember you said you wanted a large family?  Well, here’s the house…now let’s get crackin’!”

This list is all about value and MORE value!  Value in finding gorgeous homes with good location, low price per square foot, with the amenities you want, all in good condition.  More value by searching out sellers possibly more willing to talk, and even more value with my 20% Rebate Offer!

Gorgeous home. Great value.

9. Belle Vista Dr.

Because I always wanted to be a Mob Boss, and living in this swank, luxurious mountaintop stronghold, would be a great first step.

115 acres with absolutely gorgeous mountain vistas, in-ground pool with cascading waterfalls, a 7,000 square foot absolute stunner. Seller has drastically dropped the price to $3,850,000 and check this out, with my Buyer Rebate you’d get $23,000 back at closing–enough to buy a LOT of cement galoshes!

Sunken 8 person hot tub in the sunroom with views and a full bar.  “Honey!! Pinch me and put the Sopranos DVD in.”

10. Woodlands Rd.  My wife made me put this one on the list.  But actually we both love this house. 60 rooms, 17,000 square feet, 50 acres, pool, tennis court, reflecting pools, and…

dual staircase.  How cool is that? $9,950,000, close to UVA.  Talk about your show stopping dream home?

Oh come on, it’s got fountains?

“Yes President, right this way into our parlour…”

Oh, you’re curious about the Buyer Rebate?  You purchase this home using my services and receive $59,700 rebate at closing !

For more info, comments, questions, or to schedule a showing for any property listed for sale in Central Virginia, and to sign up to receive your 20% Buyer Rebate, call or e-mail me:

Fulton Gaylord–Assoc. Broker
Keller Williams Realty
434-220-2228 (leave a message)
Fulton@kw.com

http://www.CharlottesvilleHomeSellingTeam.com

THANK YOU !

“Licensed to Sell Real Estate in Virginia”

“Each Office Independently Owned and Operated”

The Ruckersville, VA Master Plan? Ugly Is As Ugly Does!

Ugly is as ugly does. Let’s discuss the commercial corridor of Rte 29 in Ruckersville, Greene County, VA, and its inclusion in Greene County’s Master Plan for sustainable growth.  Because somethin’ ain’t workin’.

Drive south down Rte 29 from Madison, and you come to a lighted intersection with Rte 33 east/west.  You just passed an area on your right leveled to make way for Lowe’s and Wal-Mart. On your left is a broken down old shack that, if it’s July, is joined by a carnival style hawking booth where fireworks are sold to unwitting bargain seekers.  Your eye wanders to two more rundown buildings with huge signs describing rare antique finds and books are to be found inside.  Scanning around more, you see a Burger King, a gas station, and an old music store in a little hovel. You consult your map and it pin points you in the middle of Ruckersville, Greene County, Virginia.  And you realize, Ruckersville is ugly.

Ruckersville is Capitalism at its worst.  No regard for community planning.  No greenery or any thought for aesthetics.  Nope, build the cheapest, the fastest, and capitalize on the location right on 29. Ruckersville needs the taxes generated by its commercial base to support a small population.  It delights in allowing a Lowe’s and a Super Wal-Mart to come in and level the area so that we can enjoy convenience at bargain prices. Ugly is as ugly does.

Now the road expansion of Rte 33 up to the mountains and Skyline Drive was done very nicely.  Greene County got THAT right. Of course it’s become a huge source of easy funds for the local coffers as the county and state have seen fit to police this section of road with at least 6 unmarked vehicles of various sizes and colors as well as a slew of state and local troopers.  Wow!  That’s tax dollars hard at work.  Do you think we could possibly cut back on over-policing this high crime corridor and perhaps put some of that money into subsidizing an after school program for kids whose parent perhaps can’t afford it?

How about requiring a higher level of site aesthetics for all new construction here on out, and any sites that either change hands, rebuild, tear down, or improve current buildings–require them all to invest X amount of dollars towards bringing property up to a pre-set, planned expectation, in exchange for a tax credit.

Greene County officials reassure us that they DO have a plan. They could pull out a multi-page line by line plan and show us what tax revenue is generated, what it’s earmarked for, and their vision for the town going forward. But you know what? I can SEE the visible signs of their plan right before my very eyes, and I’m telling you, it’s ugly! The plan needs to be redone.

So, I think Ruckersville (Greene County) should take one year to develop a new Commercial Corridor Master Plan.  This plan would ensure that:

1. sustainable growth could continue well into the future, guaranteeing tax revenue to support a burgeoning community.

2. increase unique visitor stops by tourists as well as repeat visits from locals, thereby increasing business profits.

3. resources are appropriate for the needs of the community and being able to adjust accordingly (e.g. too many costly police monitoring a scenic by-way–is that the best use of our tax income?).

4. This plan would increase community pride—because we WANT to be proud of where we live.

5. empower citizens to dictate terms when negotiating with the Wal-Marts of the world, not the other way around, because their community now becomes the community of choice for businesses. Citizens don’t become slaves and answer to businesses beck and call just because the need for tax revenue to pay teachers, firefighters, and police is so desperate.

6. A plan like this would protect better against wild fluctuations in market values both for commercial AND residential interests

7. slow depreciation and erosion of values by requiring uniform property maintenance and construction standards that are clearly explained in the Master Plan.

8. build businesses with longevity and staying power. Bring in and support businesses that buy into the community’s vision for sustained development and health.

9. a master plan is equivalent to a business plan, and a community that has a plan that is fluid, all-encompassing, and pro-active has a better chance to attract matching state and federal funds as well as high bond ratings in order to raise capital.

–WE DON’T HAVE TO LIVE IN A DISPOSABLE SOCIETY–

We want our businesses to be community partners.  We don’t want them to be of the mind “here today, gone tomorrow”.

Communities too often sell their souls to the Devil just to turn a buck and get much needed tax revenue.  Too often towns and cities turn a blind eye to development regulation and zoning, and, as a result, poison our air and water and bulldoze any possibility for esthetically pleasing construction under the ground.

You see it all across America.  But you also see communities learning from their mistakes, you see communities able to change as the world changes.

So, is it too late for Ruckersville?

Green County doesn’t have the money to go develop a complicated new Master Plan.

And of course you have some who question whether one building is any uglier than the next? They don’t think the intersection area is that ugly.

And besides, many people would question how we can tell a business owner that he’s got to take from his profits to go gussy up his lot just so that he can fit in with some socialist Master Plan.  If a building IS ugly, it won’t attract any one, and it’ll go out of business soon enough–survival of the prettiest, right?

“We are what we are in Ruckersville”, they say. “ We’re at an intersection off Rte 29 in Greene County.  The American dream is all about taking opportunity and running with it.  Too bad for your weak business sense that has to have some government agency always come and make things right and equal for you, the less fortunate-BAH!”

“Keep it down there in Charlottesville with all them crunchy artsy-fartsy liberal wanna-bees.  We need to grow. We DON’T need someone who doesn’t understand business to tell us how to run ours!”

“And if you try, we’ll just go somewhere else.”

O.K. Alright. I understand. We all need to turn a buck. But hear this:

I had a commercial broker tell me the other day that if it gets too bad–or rather, WHEN it gets too built up and gross around here, he’ll just move.  He did it when it got bad down in Atlanta.  And before that, when he was in Jersey, too.

But this is my home.  I don’t WANT to pull up stakes and move.  I don’t want to live in a disposable community.

Can Capitalism and development go hand-in-hand with preservation of the heart and health of our community?

The one constant is the influx of more and more people into our area. More population pressure means eventually, limited space and resources, which causes a town’s infrastructure to suffer, which ultimately degrades our community.

That’s why planning is vital to the long term health of a community.

Planning means:

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>We must first identify citizen’s needs,

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>we qualify and quantify these needs, prioritizing them by popular vote,

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>we raise tax revenue to pay for these needs,

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>we solicit other possible funding sources—i.e. bonds, state and federal assistance,

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>our master vision for the community stretches far into the future, and protects our future generations,

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>and, we must also look to repair what is by developing a retro-active quality standard to help us bring a larger measure of beautification to the intersection of 29 and 33, now.

The intersection of Rte 33 and Rte 29 is horrifically ugly. But you know, we CAN do something about it. And the first thing we can do is develop a Commercial Corridor Master Plan with input from our citizens and broadcast its winning vision across the region. If we don’t?  Then ugly is as ugly does.