Blog – Page 10 – Charlottesville Solutions

A Charlottesville Home Buyer speaks out

Charles, Just wanted to let you know that we finally have a contract on our Fairfax house. Rob and I were really missing your technical expertise throughout the contract process — our realtor e-mailed me the contract, then I had to print it out to sign and scan it to e-mail it back, and every […]

Where is Charles?

You may have noticed an uncharacteristic lack of blogging on my part over the last week … there is a good reason for that. I am dictating this post for my wife to type from my hospital bed at Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville Virginia, where I am recovering from an unexpected surgery. Last Monday […]

Real Estate and Baseball

Baseball and Real Estate I remember reading an article in our local paper about how our Area’s high-priced homes are harder to sell. Well it got me to thinking about our local Association of Realtors – CAAR and how many agents are having a tougher year than in the past. Why baseball popped into my […]

I want a Paperless Real Estate Office in Charlottesville…. am I wrong?

Working with Charlottesville Real Estate Contracts can often lead to an overwhelming amount of paper. I try to go paperless as much as possible. This week I sent an HOA package that was 160 pages with a simple link to the PDF file. My home inspectors now do their reports totally on-line (or I would […]

The Real Estate Handoff

Why did I refer you to another agent? When you contacted me you were looking for a specific type of property in a certain area. Well I want you to know that that is not my expertise. However I know the agent you need to work with. We have agents that specialize in certain types […]

Can an Agent sell anywhere in Virginia?

Can an AGENT sell anywhere in the State? The answer is YES, But should they is the real question. To me the correct answer is that an agent should sell where they are the expert. I am licensed to Sell Real Estate in the Commonwealth of Virginia but that does not mean, I will sell homes […]

Top 20 Safest Places to Live

Farmers Insurance Group of Companies has released its third annual ranking of top 20 ‘Most Secure U.S. Places to Live’. The top 20 safest places to live among mid-size cities are: 1. Las Cruces, New Mexico 2. Rockingham County-Strafford County, New Hampshire 3. Huntington, West Virginia.-Ashland, Kentucky 4. Bellingham, Washington 5. Burlington-South Burlington, Vermont 6. […]

New Construction – Wear clean socks!

Clean Socks? When looking at new construction there are always a lot of things to consider. On a Home Inspection with my clients in Old Trail, we were greeted at the door with this sign: Please Remove Shoes Now this brings up a very good point. When you go out to show property (new or […]

Biscuit Run 2009

State Park Biscuit Run has officially been transferred to the state of Virginia to become a State Park. Prior Plans The previously planned residential development is a large piece of property in Albemarle County near Old Lynchburg Road and Route 20. After much debate, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors approved plans a few years […]

A Clients Place at a Home Inspection

A message for Clients When we do a home inspection we want you to be a part of it. But the truth is that it could take 2-4 hours for an inspection and it just slows down the inspector if you are looking over his shoulder. Good idea Here is the best way to handle this. […]

We will miss you Rocky…

Rocky is on the left and Buddy is on the right (they always slept together like this) Yesterday was a sad day for our family. We lost a loved pet of 16 years. I still remember the day we got Rocky and how much fun he was. As a kitten he would fetch a sock […]

Who is Crozet?

What is Crozet or should I say who is Crozet? The community of Crozet began as a whistle stop on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad in 1876 that was established at the request of the Miller Manual Labor School (the Miller School), which had been founded a year earlier. It was named for Colonel B. […]

Some agents make me laugh

I have been on a little trip and one of my associates and I were just talking on the cell phone about Buyer Agent Bonuses while I was driving through Tennessee… buy Wobble: The Weight of the Truth Old Joy dvdrip Frankie and Johnny We both agreed that it is rediculous to offer a “Bonus” […]

Crozet is concerned over growth

The Unforgettable Benny Hill movie Phantasm trailer Book of Love video Crozet residents will soon have a chance to weigh in on their concerns over growth in western Albemarle County. It seems that some long time residents are concerned. New residents to the area, do not see much change so they are not as concerned […]

Charlottesville Fifty Thing to do!

#1 4th of July Fireworks in McIntire Park There are two places in the country that must always celebrate the 4th of July – Philadelphia and Charlottesville. In the shadow of Thomas Jefferson’s home, Charlottesville hosts a fantastic 4th of July Festival at McIntire Park. The show is put on by the all-volunteer Save the […]

Charlottesville New Construction

Working with new construction and builders is a big part of my business. Many of my clients choose to build their dream home in Charlottesville and there are some excellent builder to choose from in our area. As your buyers agent I will help you though the process of finding the perfect building site and […]

Relocating to Charlottesville?

Relocating to Charlottesville? You may have just found out about Charlottesville or maybe you went to the University of Virginia and have decided to move back to this fine area. What you need to know is that you are in for a treat. Charlottesville offer something for everybody. We have a lot of young families […]

It Feels so Good!

Today is a good day This morning I got to attend the closing of a client who was a “First Time Home Buyer” FTHB. Working with a FTHB is always a bit of an adventure. More Detail First of all we have to “usually” go over things in greater detail. This is actually good for […]

DUAL AGENCY-STOP IT

Ok, this, I know is a touchy subject but here it goes… I do not believe that we should allow Dual Agency. Here is how Dual Agency is decribed in Virginia: Dual Agency Occasionally a buyer will wish to make an offer on a property listed by the buyer agent’s firm, or even by the […]

Why is my Agent so Vague?

Schools – It may sound vague when an agent talks about schools but Buyer and Listing agents can not “steer” a client to or from a school. Crime – I hear it all the time, how is the crime in this area. Again an agent will be vague and refer you to a website […]

CA to VA Success Story

I followed some dear friends to Charlottesville who moved here in April and, since Charles was the realtor who sold them their house and they were very happy with their experience of working with him, they referred me to him. I cannot say enough good things about him. He is so knowledgeable, responsive, supportive and helpful, I feel lucky that I could buy my house with his help. He went above and beyond at every stage of the process because he knows this market so well and, in fact, had sold this house to the previous owners 14 years earlier. He was so available, very involved every step of the way, and readily answered the phone whenever I called. He was even willing to research topics about the local area that were not within the scope of his job and he made sure the house and garden were in the best condition when I moved in several weeks after the previous owners had moved out. To that end, he helped me with connecting all the utilities and recommended various people he knows to help with cleaning and maintenance. I highly recommend Charles to anyone interested in buying a house in and around Charlottesville. He is an outstanding ally in the process of buying a house.

Dr Jane C

Superb Negotiation

We are so fortunate that Charles McDonald was highly recommended to us. He is simply FANTASTIC. Professional, honest and incredibly responsive, he helped us get a wonderful home in a crazy, competitive market. We moved from out-of-state on a very tight timeline, with 8 weeks to get the kids into our desired school district and zero rental options available. He personally CUSTOMIZED HIS WEBSITE to highlight the features we were needing (schools and cable/fiber internet). His KNOWLEDGE of the area is incredible and he saved us innumerable hours by knowing the pros/cons that are never listed on a website (proximity to a dump, internet dead zones, floor plans with too-small bedrooms, traffic patterns, “to-be-built” homes that don’t even exist yet, neighborhoods with great but unmarked walking trails). The home we bought was on the market for 1 day and had multiple offers. We only got that home because of his professionalism, foresight and superb negotiating,…he made our offer highly attractive and still got us a good price. Amazing. We also love the home. When there is that much time-pressure to buy something, it would have been easy to make a bad purchase or overpay. Charles was honest and upfront when attractive homes had major issues that would have been long-term headaches or a money pit. He made the nearly-impossible a complete success. He has my highest recommendation.

Dr. Renee W at UVA

Charles found us there perfect place

Charles McDonald came highly recommended to us, and he more than lived up to the hype! Moving from out of state is always a challenge, with limited opportunities to travel and see homes, but it was doubly so in the current sellers’ market. Houses were receiving multiple offers and going under contract within days of listing, but Charles still took the time to get to know us and find out exactly what we were looking for in a home. We thought we had struck gold on our first week, but the house we had offered on went for a price well above what we were willing to pay. After the first offer, we struggled to find another candidate, but Charles stayed patient with us, keeping tabs on the market and staying in constant communication. He was always available to detail the pros and cons of all the houses we saw online, preventing us from taking unnecessary trips back and forth to Charlottesville. Ultimately, he found the perfect place for us, which had flown under the radar in our online search, and he worked quickly to get our offer accepted. He remained available throughout the closing process, ensuring everything ran smoothly and the deal closed on time. We couldn’t be happier with our experience working with Charles, and we would strongly recommend him to anyone buying a home in the Charlottesville area!

Alan F and Jackie Z - Albemarle County

Great Experience in Selling

It was an absolute pleasure working with Charles to sell our property. He provided practical, thoughtful recommendations to enhance the curb appeal of our home while being very discerning when qualifying potential buyers. His goal is to make it a great fit and a great experience for everyone involved. Charles is professional, candid and approachable. I would highly recommend him to anyone seeking to sell or buy property in Albemarle County.

Denise Y - Western Albemarle

Selling during Covid-19

Charles was indispensable in the speedy sale of our home during the 2020 pandemic (under contract in 11 days). He provided sensible advice for pre-sale repairs and upgrades to increase marketability; considerable assistance with placement and arrangement of internal and external elements for maximizing appearance; professional and diligent pre- and post-listing marketing; and extensive effort in our compressed closing process. For us, Charles’ undeniably strongest attribute was maintaining a high level of communication to minimize our stress and anxiety. Charles earned and deserves our highest 5 Star recommendation in all aspects of our home sale.

Steve and Robin - Meriwether School District

Learn about Charlottesville with Charles

I have never seen a real estate web page that had so many other interesting topics to read about. This website has so much about Charlottesville, the beauty of the city, the history of the area, and we were very interested in the school information. Of course, we are interested in the prices of homes and the different kinds of homes available in the Charlottesville area but didn’t expect to learn so much about the area. I have made this page a favorite so that I don’t lose it. I have revisited the site several times to learn more about the area and to be honest I have visited the site just to be entertained. We are in love with Charlottesville and feel that Mr. McDonald has a great knowledge of real estate and will be calling him when we travel to the area.

Candy and Bruce from CA

Google Charles

When I first googled specific areas we were considering in Charlottesville, Charles McDonald (Charlottesville Real Estate Solutions) appeared and it said “Broker.” In the “normal” real estate world, I have always attributed this to an expert opinion on the area . . . someone who has a really good handle on the market . . . one who knows the listings really well . . . While this is all very true about Charles, the experience that my husband and I had (traveling from PA to VA three weekends in a row), was exceptional and truly refreshing. Charles is one-of-a-kind. His knowledge and ability are always riding right along with his sincere approach to the “buyer’s” needs. He is absolutely a “buyer’s” agent and someone with good intentions that we trust. We certainly only needed to contact one agent. And, that was the number we called. Thank you, Charles, for your time and continued support in the development of our Charlottesville real estate project. We would highly recommend Charles as the “agent” to work with when choosing to shop for Charlottesville real estate. Google should really allow more stars.

Dr. Steve and Julie - Keswick VA

Confident in Charles

When I first met Charles, we started to talk about real estate. I felt so comfortable and confident in him that soon we were looking at investment ideas and I now own my first investment property. Charles’ analytical approach helped me evaluate the benefits of investment real estate. I will always recommend him highly.

Update… Charles is extremely knowledgeable of the Charlottesville and surrounding area real estate markets. I met Charles about 12 years ago when looking for an investment property. He has since been my go-to Realtor when selling a home and most recently, purchasing new construction. He has also been a great friend throughout the years and has continued to make himself available to me with any real estate questions I have had. He is the consummate professional and a wonderful person to work with. I refer all of my friends and coworkers to Charles to assist them in all their real estate needs.

Loren W - Crozet VA

Perfect Slice of Land

My wife and I live in Florida, and we were searching for the perfect slice of land in Albemarle County. After contacting Charles, we made a three-day visit to Charlottesville to meet with him and try to make the vision come true. His charisma, personality and sheer knowledge of Charlottesville and the surrounding area was, not only a delightful experience but a time that we will never forget. He started out as our realtor and quickly became our friend. We found that perfect slice of land in Crozet and he helped us sincerely from the first showing all the way through the closing. He went out of his way to visit the property, meet with a builder, take pictures and continually keep us up to date on the purchase. His knowledge of the business, his love of the area and his dedication to his clients is unsurpassed. We had a great experience and we would recommend Charles to anyone. And after all, we made a good friend in the process! Thanks, Charles

William and Cindy from Florida

Horse Property

Charles, I just wanted to say thanks! You were a most excellent advocate for us and always available. You were patient with our lack of expertise, and your knowledge allowed us to rest comfortably in your dealings with the selling party. It wasn’t an easy deal by any means, but you got us there. You were prepared for our responses each time. Thanks for taking the time to get to know us and what we wanted and could manage. This will be a great property for us, our family and our horse.

Calvin and Marianne in Northern Albemarle

Learned about Charlottesville

We wanted to thank you for your time, insight and support during our visit. It’s understandable how people spend some time in C-Ville and end up not leaving. It combines a scenic, bucolic lifestyle with nearby areas of activity through the schools and downtown providing an attractive combination. This along with the school system, recreational programs and general cost of housing provide an overall great quality of life for families.

Chuck and Nancy from Northern VA

Military Relocation

Charles, In all our military and government travels we have never been so happy as we are in this house. It is so perfect for us. We like living here better than anywhere. Thank you so much for making this house a reality!!

Laura and Gary in Lake Monticello

Discovering Charlottesville

While doing many years of business, it is a rare opportunity that you meet someone of genuineness, kindness, knowledge, and caring that you continue to stay in touch with them after the business comes to completion. My husband and I found such that person in Charles. He led us through every aspect of searching for the property we needed and followed through with us long after we found the home of our dreams. It is a wonderful feeling to know that there are still people in this world like Charles who lead from his heart, as well as his mind. Thank you, Charles

Dr. William and Heather from The Outer Banks NC

Building with Charles

Dear Charles, Now that our beautiful new home is complete and we are about to move in, we wanted to take the time to thank you for everything you have done to help make this possible. Your service has gone way beyond anything we could ever have expected, or have ever experienced, from a real estate professional. You spent many hours driving us around Charlottesville, over several different weekend visits, and patiently showed us different neighborhoods and houses. As we worked together, you figured out what we were looking for, and brought us to the development where we ultimately put an offer on our new house. You expertly helped us with our negotiations with the builder, from the offer stage, while the house was being built, and all the way through settlement. Since we live 2 hours away, we were comforted by your keeping an eye on the construction for us. You always stayed calm and found solutions to everything and every issue that came up.

We are very excited about our move to Charlottesville, and, again, want to thank you for being there for us every step of the way. All the best,

Mitch and Doreen in Glenmore

Northern VA to Charlottesville

Hi Charles, Just wanted to let you know that we finally have a contract on our Fairfax house. Rob and I were really missing your technical expertise throughout the contract process — our realtor e-mailed me the contract, then I had to print it out to sign and scan it to e-mail it back, and every time I sent it, her mailbox was full so I had to call her to have her clear it out. Since we went back and forth with the buyer a few times, this was quite a process. I can’t tell you how many times Rob or I said: “this would never happen with Charles!”… If we ever know anyone buying or selling in this area, we will definitely pass your name along. You made a stressful process go so much more easily. Take care –

Nancy and Rob from NVA

CA to VA and Loving it

When I was planning a move to the Charlottesville area from the San Francisco Bay Area, Charles came highly recommended, and it wasn’t without reason. He listened to everything I wanted in a home, and we spent a day together looking for homes that met my needs and my price range. He was so spot-on that I ended up buying the very first house that he showed me! He negotiated well for me and made the process very easy from searching for a mortgage broker to the final closing. Charles has been open to my questions even after my closing, and I feel taken care of in the community because of how available he is. I’m a happy first-time homeowner for nearly two years now, and I will definitely go to Charles again next time! I’ve recommended him to friends, and will continue to do so!

Carrie in Crozet

Gold Standard

Having used many realtors in the past, I have to say that Charles is the gold standard. We were lucky enough to meet him when my parents were selling a home. His professional and friendly manner and the way he worked with and advocated for his clients was impressive. Our extended family has now bought and sold homes with his help multiple times, and have been grateful for his guidance, knowledge and As our latest purchase of land to build on shows, he sometimes knows what you REALLY want, even when you start out looking for something completely different. He listens very carefully and seems to understand better than you do, what your needs are.

Paula S in Earlysville VA

Retired to Charlottesville

Hi Charles, Charlie and I so enjoyed our time with you! Your love of Charlottesville is infectious. We didn’t feel like we were with a real estate agent, but rather with a friend, passionate about his community. We felt heard and understood, the result of your masterful listening skills; you continually checked understanding of our requirements, refining as needed, which assisted us in gaining clarity as well. Your broad knowledge base and brilliant engineering mind left us feeling confident that we were in good hands. Thank you kindly for your generosity of spirit; we are blessed to be working with you. All the best.

Irene and Charlie in Rosemont

Relocated from CA, Found a Dream Home

Charles is a delight to deal with! To start with, his website allowed us out-of-staters to search homes, get an idea about areas and become familiar with the town – all without a requirement to provide contact information and getting a call from a realtor before we were ready.

Upon meeting with Charles in Charlottesville – it just got better. We had identified potential prospects and with his help, we narrowed it down to a manageable list to go and see. Any information I needed was either instantly available or he would follow up very quickly with more data. He knew, for example, that the house we now own was in a neighborhood where no more subdivision was permitted – thereby assuring us that the protected view and privacy were permanent. Charles pointed out details which I had missed as we went along (like an irregular roof line which is a higher cost to replace) and it really felt like he was our “agent” in that we knew he was looking out for us. He has the most amazing talent for listening and helping a home buyer crystallize their requirements for their ideal home. As he did that, he further narrowed down the list to exclude items like “on a busy road”, or “small, outdated kitchen” so we ended up visiting only homes which were candidates. What a great use of time!

During the purchase and move-in process, Charles and his office were ready to help with all kinds of details while we were across the country. Identifying qualified inspectors and repair staff, even down to contacts for home (and car) insurance and appearing for us during inspections made our purchase experience a lot more convenient and eliminated frustration. On move-in day, we were surprised to find our refrigerator stocked with essentials as a move-in gift. Nearly a year later, we still walk around the house and yard and comment on their beauty and how perfect the house is for us. We love it.

Because of all of these reasons, we are wholeheartedly able to recommend Charles and his staff to anyone purchasing (or selling) a home. Since that time, Charles and his family have enriched our lives by becoming treasured friends. I can’t imagine a better recommendation than that.

Catherine and Rocky in Whitehall VA

Built a Home in Western Albemarle

Charles is an absolute professional in the real estate business. My wife Laura and I began the process of building our first new home with Craig Builders. But first, we needed a lot…and we were clueless. Charles met us on site whenever it worked best for us and we poured through lot options, pros, and cons, drainage considerations, basement/no basement, you name it and he was thinking about the possibilities. Once we had a lot, we then had to choose a floor plan, pricing options, etc. His experience and guidance were invaluable. He has a very inviting and kind attitude towards us as the clients, the builders, etc. But don’t get me wrong, he’ll tell you when something isn’t right! 🙂

Despite me stopping by the home site an insane number of times during this building process, Charles was also there with me step for step thinking through practical considerations, checking for accuracy according to our customized plans and so forth. I can’t say enough about Charles experience and guidance literally from start to finish in the home buying process, specifically with our new construction process. We highly recommend him to anyone buying or building in the greater Charlottesville area.

Also: I remember I called you in Spring 2012 while I was still living in Charleston! about an imaginary (proposed) house listed on a lot in Western Albemarle. I then proceeded to ask you no less than 100 detailed questions. I recall being on the phone with you for nearly 1 hour that afternoon! And all because your name and number were at the bottom of that listing page! Thus a working relationship was born! Thanks again for everything.

Dr. Nick & Laura in Crozet VA

Finding the perfect home

My husband and I are beyond thrilled that we found Charles and Charlottesville Solutions. Charles is one of the most passionate and knowledgeable real estate agents we’ve met. He has extensive knowledge of the area and local market, and he is truly about finding the right home for his buyer, not just closing a deal on a house. Charles is caring, professional, responsive, and committed. We would highly recommend him to any buyer or seller!

Jessica and Jeff in Charlottesville VA

Like Family

My wife and I have known Charles from Charlottesville Solutions now for several years. He was recommended to us long ago when we were preparing to buy our first home as a newly engaged couple. 3 new and several sold houses (not to mention a wedding and two kids) later, Charles is practically family to us.

When it comes to real estate, he has the best eye in the business and he always has his clients best interest in mind. My wife and I can’t imagine working with anyone else…especially since our most recent home purchase—our DREAM home! Charles made this deal happen in the best way possible for us…he was creative and resourceful as was necessary to make the deal work on this very special property.

We are grateful, and although my wife and I are certain that we will live out our days in this house, should we change our minds at any time down the road, Charles will once again be our first call. We could not recommend him highly enough!

Jordan and Leah in Crozet VA

Charlottesville Relocation

Charles has been an absolute godsend to my husband and I throughout our relocation process to Charlottesville. From our first phone call to acquaint ourselves, we felt like part of his family and not like clients. His knowledge of Charlottesville and his real estate savvy are obvious benefits to any clients but his warmth, empathy and sincere interest in our best interests meant the world and made a stressful process fun. He is patient, informative and honest and he makes you stop and really think about things you maybe would have overlooked. He really listened to what we said, remembered it and sometimes had to remind us what we were really looking for in a house, area and overall.

Charles is a treasure and we would recommend him to anyone who needs a real estate “friend” in finding a home in the Charlottesville and surrounding areas. We will use him again if we ever tire of the perfect house he found for us!

Kathy and Matt in Shadwell VA

Cross Country Relocation

Charles recently orchestrated our cross-country move from a large city in California to Charlottesville. Beginning more than two years ago, in anticipation of an active retirement, our goal was to find a vibrant, yet more relaxed, community on the East Coast, close to family. From prompt responses to early email inquiries to multiple personal tours of the Charlottesville vicinity, we were privileged to develop a personal relationship with Charles so that by the time we had sold our house in California and it was time to move east, we were able to locate an ideal property just outside of town, negotiate a fair deal and get into contract in less than 48 hours. Once in contract, Charles arranged all of the inspections, oversaw the escrow process and provided invaluable local insights to make our move a seamless as reasonably possible. Truly, one of the best real estate experiences we have ever had. Thank you, Charles

David and Judy in Earlysville VA