With all the recent rain in Virginia lately, not to mention the damaging flooding in the Mid- and Southwest, a homeowner’s mind naturally turns to thoughts of what to do if it happens to you? One of the most damaging and devastating things you can ever experience as a homeowner is a flood. There are […]
Remodels That Make Good Resale Value Sense — and Those That Don’t
When faced with knowing you need to remodel your home, actually beginning the project sometimes can end up being pushed back time and time again because it’s difficult to know when is the best time to begin and what makes the most sense in adding value to your home. Decisions can lead to new dilemmas, […]
Common Bathroom-Layout Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Putting in a new bathroom can be costly, so you’ll want to be sure that it delivers. Although that striking freestanding tub or statement tile may be all the fashion today, it’s the layout that largely determines how well the space works and whether you can get a great return on your investment. What are […]
How to Determine a Home’s Value
Many Home Buyers believe the physical characteristics of a house will lead to increased property value. But, in reality, a property’s physical structure tends to depreciate over time, while the land it sits on typically appreciates in value. Although this distinction may not appear to be much, understanding how prospective land values influence property returns […]
2019 Real Estate Tax Rates
(Updated May 6, 2019) While the city of Charlottesville’s tax rate has remained steady, Albemarle County’s just increased from 83.9 to 85.4 cents per $100 of assessed value. Our City and local Counties set their own tax rates and then you pay your taxes based on the assessed value of your property at these rates. […]
The Salary Needed to Buy a Home in 50 U.S. Metro Areas
Have you ever wondered how much you would have to earn to be able to afford in a home in your area? And, how does this compare to other areas around the country? The Salary Needed to Buy a Home in 50 U.S. Metro Areas Here in the greater Charlottesville area, the latest first quarter […]
Spring 2019 in Charlottesville
Dogwoods and redbuds are in full bloom after the recent rains and spring is once again here in Charlottesville. One could argue there really isn’t a prettier place to be than in this area for spring – neighborhood streets boast a riot of colors, from small plants to bushes and trees that drape over the […]
Historic Garden Week 2019
Each spring visitors are welcomed to over 250 of Virginia’s most beautiful gardens, homes and historic landmarks during “America’s Largest Open House.” This year marks the 86th annual time that visitors can tour the beauty that is Virginia in the spring. Garden Week features 31 tours over an 8-day statewide event – from April 27 […]
UVA Cavaliers win NCAA Championship for the First Time in School History!
In an unbelievable ending that began a year ago with one of the worst losses ever in the NCAA tournament, the University of Virginia Cavaliers pulled off an incredible titanic win in Minneapolis, MN, on Monday, April 8, 2019, to take their place in school history as the first team ever to come back home […]
FRIDAYS AFTER FIVE celebrates its 32nd Season!
Charlottesville’s Fridays After Five Free Concert Series is set to begin its 32nd year on Friday, April 12 – right in the middle of another annual tradition around here, the Tom Tom Festival. Residents and visitors alike enjoy going Downtown on Friday evenings after work to enjoy free music and meet up with friends and […]
Charlottesville’s Annual Dogwood Festival celebrating 69 Years in 2019!
There are very few certainties in life, but we can say, here in Charlottesville, once you see the hillside along both sides of Route 250 near the Hydraulic Road intersection ablaze in blooming forsythia you just know the redbuds and dogwoods are not far behind. And then, we all know what dogwoods around here mean […]
Millennials Taking Over in the Home Buyer Field
We’ve seen this trend building momentum in the past year or two, but now there is irrefutable proof that millennials are taking over the homeowner leaderboard. They’re getting older and finding stable careers, their household income has increased to $88,200, and they’re looking to buy their first homes. This works out perfectly for them as […]
Ways to Spruce Up Your Home For Spring
Now that we have begun Daylight Savings Time once more, you can also begin sprucing up your garden and house as Spring is around the corner. Even though it feels like we have had nothing but rain since the beginning of the year – with the odd snow shower here and there mixed in – […]
Mortgage Interest Rates – On the Rise?
Lenders in our area have been talking about this issue for some time – mortgage interest rates are on the rise again after years of being at a standstill. Interest rates are projected to increase to an average of 5% for a 30-year mortgage and 4.4% for a 15-year mortgage. So, what does this mean […]
Real Estate in 2019 – What’s ahead?
As we saw in 2018 in the Charlottesville area, the spring market seemed to begin in early January, when it usually starts heating up in mid-February. Sales seemed to slow down a bit in mid-summer as there still wasn’t enough actual inventory – either resale or new construction – to supply the increasing demand. […]
Ways to Prevent Winter Mold and Mildew in Your House
Although humidity levels are lower during winter, if you live in a cold climate, kicking up the heater during winter months doesn’t just keep you warm — it also helps to create a perfect environment for winter mold and mildew. The wet season in the winter months is one of the best times of […]
Is This the Right Time for Remodeling?
With the recent government shutdown and uncertainty about rising rates, homeowners might start to think twice about tackling a remodeling project this year, unless they have the skills and knowledge to do the work themselves. Despite a strong 2018 in our area, and after several years of booming business, home remodeling growth is expected […]
How to Prevent Your Pipes From Freezing
With this morning’s single digit temps in the Charlottesville area, our thoughts quickly turn to a topic on everyone’s minds this time of year – how to make sure your pipes don’t freeze. When temperatures plummet, the risk of your pipes freezing and bursting skyrockets. In fact, burst pipes are one of the most […]
Was it Easier to Buy a Home before the Internet?
It’s difficult to imagine buying a house in the years before the Internet, but it did happen and there are plenty of anecdotes to prove it. Back in the late 1940s and early 1950s, the GI Bill was instrumental in helping former soldiers and their families go back to school and also thereafter purchase a […]
Celebrating 25 Years of the Book this March! – Virginia Festival of the Book
If you hear a buzz of excitement on the Downtown Mall and around town this time of year, you know it’s almost time once again for the Virginia Festival of the Book (VFB), which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year! The 25th annual Virginia Festival of the Book will be held Wednesday, March 20, through […]
All about The Lodge at Old Trail
Charlottesville is on a number of Top Ten lists – Best Place to Live and Best Public University for UVA – so it makes a great deal of sense that it is also known as one of the Best Places to Retire. It offers Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care residences in a rustically […]
Consumer hoaxes and scams – what to do if it happens to you
Consumer hoaxes and scams – what to do if it happens to you When you are in the middle of purchasing or selling a home, it is difficult to be prepared for every type of scenario that might pop up, which is why we always recommend working with a real estate agent to help guide you […]
On-line lenders and Real Estate
We are often asked at Solutions whether it makes more sense to go with a local lender in the Charlottesville area that knows the local market and is available to answer calls beyond regular office hours, or go with an online mortgage lender. We see the commercials all the time about being approved in eight […]
National Home Prices
National Home Prices – Oct 2018 The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) produces housing statistics on the national, regional, and metro-market level where data is available. It is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.3 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries, and releases national and regional existing-home sales […]
Charlottesville Halloween 2018
With Halloween about a week away, many houses around town are already sporting skeletons, cobwebs and other decorations, but there is still time to pick up a pumpkin and candy for the trick or treaters. It’s time once again for a fun annual tradition in Charlottesville, even though it’s on a Wednesday evening this year. […]
Does your Homeowner Insurance cover you in a Natural Disaster?
Does your Homeowner Insurance cover you in a Natural Disaster? With the recent arrivals of Hurricanes Florence and Michael through our area – although a bit east of Charlottesville – it is understandable for local homeowners to wonder if their home insurance policies are up to date in the event we get a direct hit […]
Charlottesville Real Estate – CAAR 2018 Third Quarter Market Report
Charlottesville Real Estate – CAAR 2018 Third Quarter Market Report Our Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors has just released the latest real estate market report showing stats for sales in our area, 2018 3rd Quarter. This report comes out Quarterly and gives us a good idea of the current Real Estate Market in the greater Charlottesville Area. The specifics are […]
Why is the Listing Agent Present at a showing when I have a Buyers Agent?
Here at Solutions, we often let our Buyer’s clients know that when they are going to open houses and a listing agent approaches them to let that agent know they are working with a Buyer’s agent. This is to protect the potential Buyer as the listing agent is loyal to their Sellers FIRST and might […]
Household Items that can be Recycled
Household Items that can be Recycled Did you know that the average person in the United States generates around 4.5 pounds of waste every single day? Multiply that by around 300 million, and you can see why garbage has become a serious problem in this country. This is just one reason why recycling is so […]
Is the Current Real Estate Market at a Top?
In 2017, a majority of Americans began worrying that the real estate market was going to crash. In fact, 58 percent of those surveyed agreed that there will be a “housing bubble and price correction” in the next two years. As a result, 83 percent of them believed it was a good time to sell. […]
