Top Reasons Why Charlottesville Should Be Your Next Place To Live Charlottesville has been at the center of some much-deserved attention in the press – the most recent news was being named the “Happiest City in the Nation,” according to the Harvard Gazette. Our area has drawn the attention of university students who stay after […]
Tips for saving on Winter Energy Bills
How to Save Energy This Fall & Winter As the cooler days and nights of fall turn into full blown winter, thoughts turn to how to keep your house warm and snug. Here are some strategies to help you save energy. Some of the tips below are free and can be used on a daily […]
A Visit to Charlottesville’s Historic Downtown Mall
A Visit to Charlottesville’s Historic Downtown Mall Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall has become THE destination for visitors to our area – right up there with Monticello and the University of Virginia. Many travelers mention similar pedestrian malls in Burlington, VT – the Church Street Marketplace – and Boulder, CO – the Pearl Street Mall – but […]
Exploring our Monticello Wine Trail
Exploring our Monticello Wine Trail As many of our area residents and visitors have discovered, Charlottesville is surrounded by top-notch wineries – many of which are a short 25-minute drive away through our beautiful countryside. Many in the know would also point out that two are owned by celebrities – singer Dave Matthews (Blenheim Vineyards) […]
Process of Moving Out and to Another House
Here in the Charlottesville area many residents often remark that we have a transient population as people move here for either work or schooling at UVA for several years and then move on, or come to work for many local businesses and then get transferred to another area in Virginia or out of […]
Charlottesville Solutions Party
For most agents, Fall means that the real estate market slows a little. So what do we do with a little extra time on our hands? We take advantage of it by having a party for our friends and colleagues. This year was no exception and we had a wonderful time. Betty, my wife, loves to cook up […]
How to pick a home builder in Charlottesville
Here at Solutions we get asked questions all the time about working with area home builders. When thinking about building your dream home, you have your choice between the larger companies and several well-established smaller local builders. If you prefer the “hands-on” approach, working with a small builder may be your best option, and selecting […]
Getting to know the Belmont Neighborhood
Here at Solutions we get asked a lot of questions about the different neighborhoods in Charlottesville. The area known as “Belmont” comes up a great many times in conversation as it’s near the Downtown Mall, has lots of charm, boasts wonderful examples of architecture from the late 1800s to modern day, is the perfect neighborhood […]
10 DIY Home Maintenance Tips
We’ve all watched those Do-It-Yourself Home Repair Shows and thought that the repairs seemed too complicated and that it might be better to hire a professional contractor. This can get expensive, however, so it might be a great idea to look again at those DIY projects and see if you can handle some yourself. Having […]
12 Reasons to “Fall” in Love in Charlottesville
The Charlottesville area is blessed with true four-season weather – from snow showers around January and February to the first buds of spring in mid to late March and April, through the typically humid summer months, we then arrive at fall in September/October. Many people agree that they love the warm days and cooler nights. […]
5 Pet Problems to Fix Before Listing Your House
As many of our Solutions listing clients know, selling their house is hard enough, but trying to do so when you have pets is even more difficult. We all know pets add so much to our daily lives, but, did you know that owning a pet can significantly reduce your home’s value? When left to […]
What’s the Difference between a Pre-Qualification Letter and a Pre-Approval for a Loan?
Here at Solutions we get many questions from our Buyers about how to best prepare ahead of time for purchasing their dream house. Our local housing market has very low inventory right now, so, when a great listing comes on the market that is in the right location and is priced well, you can almost […]
Questions Buyers should be asking their Agents
Here at Solutions, we get asked lots of questions by clients in their search for their dream home. Because of Equal Housing Laws, there are some we’re prevented by law from answering, but there are a number of answers we can find out or sources we can point you towards to look up the info […]
Costs To Add Into Your Budget When Buying a Home
Ever wonder how much a house truly costs? You can crunch the latest mortgage rates, estimate your tax & insurance payments, and take a realistic look at how much house you can afford after getting pre-qualified with a lender, but there are more expenses involved in home buying than just the property costs. And those additional […]
Why use a Solutions agent to help sell your home?
When it comes to selling a home – whether it be because you are moving for a job, downsizing or have finally found your perfect dream home and you need to sell the one you’re in to make it work – having your Solutions agent by your side to help you through the process can […]
Why use a Buyer’s Agent to Help With Your Home Purchase?
For most Americans, a home is the most significant and costly purchase they’ll make in their lifetime, with significant financial and emotional ramifications for the parties involved. Having proper representation, therefore, is critical. In this economy, and with ever greater access to the Internet, it’s easy to see why many people are looking to cut costs […]
How to Avoid a Refinance Nightmare
Recent historically low rates created quite a rush on refinancing activity, making brokers and lenders quite happy with the increased business. Refinancing your home can be a great way to lower your monthly payments, but not all refinance deals are good ones.Sometimes a refinance loan might seem like a money-saver at first, but you could […]
Give a Neighborhood a “Test Drive”
While your Solutions agent is going to provide you with all the available details on the home you are purchasing, there are a few items that cannot be shared as there are Fair Housing laws that any agent must respect. We talked about checking out a neighborhood in a previous blog, but now is the time […]
Tips for a Successful “Walk-Through”
You’ve made it through the home inspection process, have your loan commit letter and approval in hand, placed your calls to the utility companies to transfer the accounts into your name, so, what’s left to do now before you close?One of the most important steps – the “walk-through” – is the next to last thing […]
Can Your Garage be a Major Selling Point?
Garages aren’t typically known for more than a place to store your car and any extra stuff that won’t fit in the house, or didn’t make it past being unloaded from your car. Would you believe that, when it comes to preparing your house for sale, that an organized and sparkling clean garage just might be […]
First-time Homebuyers
What do you think of when you hear the phrase “first-time homebuyer?” Chances are you think of a couple fresh out of college and starting new jobs. Did you know that a first-time homebuyer means anyone who has not bought a home in three years? Yes, you heard that right. This can apply to anyone, whether […]
Can I Cancel a Real Estate Contract?
Even though this isn’t an ideal situation, every Purchaser and Seller in the Charlottesville area has to be prepared for a contract being released, or cancelled, at any stage of the process. It’s important for either side to go over the contract with their Solutions agent to understand the details before it’s signed and, in particular, […]
How to handle Purchaser repair requests
If you’re selling your home and have gotten an offer, you may be concerned about the Purchasers asking you to make costly repairs that potentially could cut into your profit Repair requests can be negotiated under most circumstances, but it’s important to recognize that a Seller’s ability to negotiate depends on the contract proposed by […]
What is a Kick-out clause
You may have seen the phrase “kick-out clause” and wondered what it meant. As used in a real estate contract, it allows a Seller to accept a Purchaser’s contingent offer to purchase his/her property, while allowing the Seller to continue to market the property. The length of time can be for 24-, 48- or 72 […]
Is Homeownership for me?
Renting Vs. Owning – How to Choose Homeownership Many potential buyers in our local market have already made their first steps towards homeownership – they’ve saved for a down payment, pored over the local listings for months, attended endless amounts of open houses, but time has passed them by and months, maybe even years, have […]
Broom-Clean explained
At Solutions, we’re often asked by our Sellers what it means to leave their home in “broom-clean” condition at closing. According to wording in a Virginia Association of Realtors® (VAR) residential contract, the Seller agrees to “deliver the Property to Purchaser at settlement, in its present physical condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted, but with such repairs […]
“Get Around To-It” Projects to Help Sell Your House
The Spring/Summer Market Season is upon us and many sellers around the Charlottesville area may also be wondering how to make their houses stand out above the rest. They may have done the staging and mowed the lawn, but what about the “Get Around To-It” projects that may not have bugged them while they lived […]
Buying New Construction? An Experienced Real Estate Agent is a Must on Your Side
When a Charlottesville area buyer wants to go the new construction route there are several factors to consider. While an existing house can be inspected and everything is already in view, it can be difficult to picture exactly what you think you’re going to get with a brand new home. Sometimes, what you see in […]
Always Check out the Neighborhood Before You Decide to Buy
Imagine shopping for your dream home in the Charlottesville area market in the springtime. It’s easy to get in an expectant frame of mind when all of the flowering dogwoods and azaleas are in full bloom and it appears that Open House signs are dotting every street on the weekends. You know that inventory is […]
The Perks of Being a Cash Buyer
Many Buyers these days want to find out how best to have an edge in the home buying process, especially during the hot spring market. Research by the National Association of Realtors on cash sales shows that about 30% of residential sales, in fact, are cash transactions, and, especially among investors and international buyers, more […]
