Blog – Page 4 – Charlottesville Solutions

We Buy Homes for Cash (Seller Beware)

We Buy Homes for Cash (Seller Beware) You have seen these signs on telephone poles, but what exactly are they all about? Can they be legitimate? Maybe you’ve received a flyer in the mail that promises investors will buy your house – in any condition – and for all cash. Some of these signs say […]

Livability – 5 best places to live in Charlottesville

With a population now hovering around 44,500 and often the subject of Top Ten lists nation and world, the city of Charlottesville has a lot to offer locals and transplants alike. Greenbrier takes Number 1 spot According to a recent look at the five best places to live in Charlottesville, ranked by their livability scores, […]

Charlottesville Halloween 2017

Charlottesville Halloween 2017 Although Halloween decorations made their appearance in grocery stores around town back in late August, now is the time when people have finished decorating their yards and getting ready for a fun annual tradition in Charlottesville, even though it’s on a Tuesday evening this year. JMRL- Gordon Avenue On Friday, October 27, at 10:30 am, […]

Charlottesville 2017 3rd Quarter Market Report

Charlottesville Real Estate – CAAR 2017 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, 2017 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 […]

Charlottesville 2017 2nd Quarter Market Report (revised)

Charlottesville Real Estate – CAAR 2017 Second Quarter Market Report (REVISED) Revised reports are posted below for 2Q 2017, based upon a discrepancy in the current and historical inventory statistics. Upon review, a MLS data update in early June resulted in the inaccurate counts. While the current Greater Charlottesville statistic for “inventory of homes for […]

A Tour Around Charlottesville

A tour around our Charlottesville area Afton Afton straddles Albemarle and Nelson counties, and is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, about 20 miles west of Charlottesville. Its highest elevation is 1,362 feet and one of the most beautiful vistas of the area can be seen at the lookout at the top […]

Welcome to Crozet

Welcome to Crozet The community of Crozet began as a whistle stop on the Chesapeake and Ohio (C & O) Railroad that was established at the request of the Miller Manual Labor School (the Miller School), which had been founded a year earlier. Originally called “Wayland’s Crossing,” it was renamed in 1870 in honor of […]

Rivanna Trail around Charlottesville

Rivanna Trail around Charlottesville Here in Charlottesville, we have a true example of what happens when volunteers get together and work on a community project – the Rivanna Trail around the city. The Rivanna Trails Foundation (RTF) is a non-profit corporation founded in 1992 by area citizens with a dream to create a trail system […]

Ivy Creek Natural Area

One of our area’s greatest treasures is the Ivy Creek Natural Area (ICNA), a 215-acre preserve bordering the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir, which is located off Earlysville Road – just down the road from the Rock Store on the way to the Reservoir. Long a destination for those who really enjoy a walk in the […]

Open Houses – How Effective are They Really?

When it comes to listing your home, the idea of an “Open House” will most likely come up in a conversation with your listing agent. When the weather turns from Winter to Spring and Summer, newspapers and signs start appearing promoting the latest Open House opportunity – usually on a Sunday – but they’re not always the […]

Charlottesville 2017 2nd Quarter Market Report

Charlottesville Real Estate – CAAR 2017 Second 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, 2017 2nd 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 You May Want to Buy a Home in the Summer

Why You May Want to Buy a Home in the Summer The fact Summer is traditionally seen as having higher Inventory levels is good news for many would-be Charlottesville area Buyers as we’ve experienced a severe lack of inventory in town this past Spring. Other good reasons to buy in Summer? Buyers might have more […]

Jumping into Early Possession can be Risky

Early Possession – Is It a Good or Bad Idea? In a perfect world, moving into a new home is seamless for both the Seller and Buyer, and possession of a home typically transfers from the Seller to Buyer at closing. But, when you factor in such events as the Buyer also selling a home […]

Drones and Real Estate

Drones and Real Estate More and more these days, if you’re outside in a lovely spot admiring the view you might notice a steady buzzing noise also accompanying the peace and quiet and wonder, “What the heck is that annoying sound?” Welcome to the age of the drone – now, more than ever, they’re being […]

Charlottesville Real Estate Market Timing

Charlottesville Real Estate Market – Hot or Cold? As many of you know, the Spring 2017 market here in the Charlottesville area was hopping! With low inventory, there were many occasions when a house would come on the market and have several offers within a few hours and go under contract not long after. This can […]

Fourth of July Charlottesville 2017

Fourth of July events around the Charlottesville Area The United States of America is celebrating its 241st Birthday this year and many of our surrounding communities, including the city of Charlottesville, are planning fun celebrations. Here’s a short round-up of what’s available. Crozet The July 4th weekend will start on Saturday, July 1, in Crozet […]

Private Schools near Charlottesville

Private Schools near Charlottesville Our area has grown by leaps and bounds over the years. For those who feel like they want their children to be in an atmosphere that offers the smaller class size not commonly seen these days in the public school systems – both city and county – there is a slew […]

Summer 2017 in Charlottesville

Summer 2017 in Charlottesville Memorial Day is the unofficial start to summer and 2017 is rapidly filling up with fun activities for the entire family to enjoy. From farmer’s markets to hiking, tubing and vineyard tasting, to music at various venues around town, there’s truly something for everyone. Farmers Markets Long a favorite as a […]

New Charlottesville County Schools on the horizon?

The Charlottesville/Albemarle County area has grown by leaps and bounds over the past decade. This has led to some growing pains for the county schools, in particular, Albemarle High School, and many developers are taking that into account, especially in the popular Rt. 29 North corridor. As of Sept. 2016, Albemarle High School had a […]

How to Sell Your Home to Baby Boomers

Last week, we talked about what Millennials are looking for in a home, but now it’s time to look at Baby Boomers and see if their needs are changing. This group spans two decades, from 1946 to 1964, with the oldest nearing 70, and the youngest just passing AARP’s 50-year threshold. More than one-third are […]

How to Sell Your Home to Millennials

How to Sell Your Home to Millennials Much has been made about the different generations of Buyers and how they approach purchasing a home. Baby Boomers have ceded space to Generation X, and now the Millennials are jockeying for their place in the real estate market. Numbering around 80 million, Millennials now represent the fastest-growing […]

40th Annual Foxfield Races – Saturday April 29, 2017

40th Annual Foxfield Races – Saturday April 29, 2017 We’re nearing the end of April and so that means it’s time once again for the the Foxfield Races, officially known as the Foxfield Racing Association (FRA) and Race Course. Held, since 1978, twice a year, in late April and in late September, the bi-annual event […]

All About Albemarle Barracks

All About Albemarle Barracks When anyone mentions “Barracks Road” today, everyone immediately thinks about the shopping center located a few minutes away from UVA and within minutes of Downtown and points north and south. Barnes & Noble also comes to mind, as does Ben & Jerry’s for a quick ice cream fix, or any of […]

Charlottesville 2017 1st Quarter Market Report

Charlottesville Real Estate – CAAR 2017 First 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, 2017 1st Quarter. This report comes out Quarterly and gives us a good idea of the current Real Estate Market in the greater […]

Home Trends for 2017

Charlottesville Home Trends for 2017 Every year, it’s always interesting to see what designers are looking at in the way of trends for the home. Although everyone has their own personal style, many trends do end up either coming back in style, expanding their reach or quietly going back into the past again, until the […]

Best House Hunting Strategies

Best House Hunting Strategies Searching for your dream house can be a daunting task, and most of the homes you see won’t be what you’re looking for. Below are some great strategies to use to help you weed out the houses that are just not right for you and help you avoid common house hunting […]

All about Keswick

Keswick When you live in Charlottesville, going for a “Sunday” drive in the country takes a matter of minutes. Keswick offers some of the most beautiful views to enjoy as you meander by on Route 22/231, which has often been cited as one of the most scenic roads in America. Film buffs know the 1956 […]

All About Spring Creek

All About Spring Creek, Louisa Va For many people, being able to live in a gated community that offers a well-rated 18-hole golf course just 20 minutes drive outside Charlottesville, and with easy access to Rt. 64 and points east and west, brings them to Spring Creek as the perfect choice. Located just off Rt. […]

Staging Mistakes

Staging Mistakes To Avoid So You Can Sell Your Home Faster When Sellers ask us here at Solutions for advice, it’s usually because they’ve read the latest magazines or watched HGTV and the many shows targeting fixer uppers or DIY projects, but just don’t know where to begin when it comes to listing their own […]

All about Belvedere Neighborhood – Charlottesville VA

Like Old Trail out in Crozet, Belvedere – just off Rio Road and next to Dunlora – was designed to be a self-sustaining neighborhood that would include plenty of green spaces, and provide a blend of houses near retail and business centers. Founded on the principles of sustainability, healthy living and great streets, Belvedere is […]

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

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 T

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 Highlander

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 Corr

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Paphitis

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

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

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

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

Highly Recommended

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.

Renee W

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 Baker

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 (via Google)

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

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

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