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by John Ince, President Charlottesville Country Properties, LTD.
 How many of you home sellers have buried a statue of St. Joseph near your home to bring a blessing upon the prospect of a sale? How many of you Realtors have bought a case of statues so you can bury one at every listing? I just found a half dozen on the top shelf of my office supplies that were purchased by a previous office manager about five years ago. Hmmm, properties were selling a lot faster back then.
My St Joseph statues were made in China and come with a pamphlet that describes Joseph as the patron saint of carpenters, thus houses. Therefore, he is bound to have a key interest in helping you sell or perhaps helping your buyer purchase your property. Are we grasping at straws here? It couldn’t hurt folks. It couldn’t hurt to feel a little more optimism about our housing market. Think about that big chunky rose bush, pruned down to the nub with big bulbous sprouts ready to burst forth this Spring. OK, that’s a little much but what we do have is a market with a lower inventory than last year, more pending sales and a very active new home market with rising prices. Distressed properties, priced to sell by lenders are being snatched up by investors who recognize great value. In the farm and estate world we have seen several good sales over the last six months in Albemarle and surrounding counties which hadn’t seen a large acreage sale in a long time. We are finding our new base from real data now giving us per acre values that carry some weight.
If you are looking for signs that recovery is imminent or already underway, they are not hard to find. What is still missing is the buyer confidence that makes any market sparkle. The first time a neighbor sells for profit will put these last four years in the rear view mirror in a heartbeat but that’s just about money. Home ownership has been an integral part of the American dream for generations and its very concept has been challenged lately. Here is where we need St. Joseph to go to work… to remind us of the carpenters, craftsmen, wood and stone that can be part of our lives and have a profound effect on ourselves and our families as we live and grow, to remind us that no place is more important than the home, holding moments and memories that will be with us forever. You probably don’t need to bury a St. Joseph statue to get your home sold, just hire a good Realtor and price it right. It’s worth thinking about though, the true richness and spirit of home ownership. I hope it doesn’t slip away.
www.charlottesvillecountry.com
by John Ince, President Charlottesville Country Properties, LTD.
We all have a picture in our mind’s eye of what home should look like. For my ex-wife, it’s a home in suburbia with neighbors and mini-vans, for my sister, it’s a charming home overlooking the C and O tow path in DC. For me, the land comes first and then the house works into it somehow. For each setting a different house would come to mind. If your picture is starting to take shape, give me a call and let’s look at some beautiful pieces of land. It’s a great time of year for it.
Click here and view at 100% for a brochure of this property.
www.charlottesvillecountry.com
by John Ince, President Charlottesville Country Properties, LTD.
 I’ve been known to take a week off to travel out to some great trout streams, trying to learn new waters and new fish. I find great comfort, however, in parking in my regular spot along the Conway, taking a wide path downstream to my favorite starting point and seeing if I can find some old friends behind boulders or in riffles where they’ve been before. I drool over those thousand acre spreads in Montana or Wyoming with miles of wild cutthroat rivers, but know I’m not a rich enough cowboy to make that happen. If you’ve always wanted your own trout stream but aren’t in the Ted Turner category, you might want to take a look a look at these nice photos of the South River in Greene County. It’s cold, winter water and stocked by Fish and Game with fat rainbows from Fall to Spring. It’s also yours for just $475,000 and comes with 17 beautiful acres and a lovely brick home offering complete privacy and a location just 30 minutes from Charlottesville and less than five minutes to golf, tennis and swimming at Greene Hills Country Club right down the road. Premium Brook trout fishing is just fifteen minutes away on the Conway or Upper Rapidan in the Shenandoah National Park and the George Washington National Forest. If you’d like to take a look at a great riverfront property and talk local fishing please give me a call. I’ll enjoy it as much as you will.
Click here for a brochure of this property. View at 100%.
www.charlottesvillecountry.com
by John Ince, President Charlottesville Country Properties, LTD.
Click here and view at 100% to see
CAAR 2011 4th Quarter and Year-End Market Report
We’ve got a real sharp looking market report with lots of great data. It will be dissected every which way by pundits who call it hopeful and those who call it gloomy. My take on statistics is that you can find what you’re looking for no matter what that is. I have it posted here for you so feel free to dig in.
Key factors in this report are the sharp increase in pending sales, (those under contract and set to close) at the end of 2011 compared to the end of 2010. There is also a 7% drop in our inventory level year to year which will bode well for sellers (eventually). The median price of a home dropped 3.75% year to year. That’s a little bit of a surprise to me, but might dovetail with the fact that expired and withdrawn listings (those that didn’t sell during their listing period) dropped about 7% which may indicate that sellers and listing agents are coming to terms with this new market and pricing their properties where they will sell. Foreclosure and short sales were both up slightly, but we still have a market dominated by conventional sales, (80.9%) which puts us in the “good” category nationwide.
I was recently interviewed about this report and made the comment that real estate valuation is part analytical and part subjective, especially country property. Averages and medians are important factors to be aware of but every property is unique in quality and character. What is that “million dollar view” really worth, what’s the value of 150 year old heart pine flooring or that 200 year old oak in the front yard. It’s not a number you can pin down or ignore, but it is what makes country property more fun.
www.charlottesvillecountry.com
by John Ince, President Charlottesville Country Properties, LTD.
Our website concentrates on extolling the wonderful virtues of the Charlottesville area to potential buyers and has, until now anyway, ignored our local audience. Naturally, you are already aware of the superb quality of life we have here, and in nearly thirty years of selling real estate in the Charlottesville area, I have never once heard as a reason for selling, “I don’t like living here.”
 Why Sell?
Circumstances change as families grow or become smaller requiring a move within or without. When we are called to help with the sale of a country property, it is most often a matter of needing to downsize to a lifestyle with less maintenance. It’s true, owning a country property will keep you busy with fencing, maintaining acres of land, perhaps livestock. It consumes a lot of energy, joyful energy for the most part, but sometimes there comes a time to turn over the reins to those with more abundant energy be they family or a new owner ready to embrace this rewarding lifestyle.
Charlottesville Real Estate Agents
When I travel about the country or browse the internet looking at real estate sites, it’s clear that there is a high bar set in Charlottesville for professional real estate services. Charlottesville Realtors are tuned in and like our CAAR, (Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors); we are frequently noted as being on the cutting edge both statewide and nationally. Having a highly ranked website is the most effective way to attract new buyers today and allows us to expose our listing for our sellers in ways that print advertising never could. When it comes to marketing property these days, the website is very important, but that is just the beginning.
 Choosing a Charlottesville Realtor
I am often asked to refer a client to a Realtor in another town, often one I am unfamiliar with. We are not a franchise, so I’m beholden to no one and can easily find, (by using the internet) which Realtors are most active in the segment of the market that my client is interested in. I’ll look at their website, and then I’ll call to ask how long they have been in the business and what they know about a particular area. I would never, ever call a large company and ask for an agent. Sorry to all those new agents hoping for that great floor call. You have not earned it! Actually, Greene County home for sale that is how most people find their Realtor and the key reason why disappointment is more typical than not among sellers. So…ask a friend, ask a neighbor who has their home listed and browse the internet to find an experienced Realtor who specializes in your type of property.
What Should I Expect?
More than you were expecting. You’ll have your questions, but your Realtor will have more and will be prepared to educate you on market conditions and the fair market value of your property. Your Realtor will not be afraid to tell you the good, the bad and the ugly and will not ask you what you want for your property. Your Realtor should provide you with a written report including a Market Analysis Report to ascertain fair market value and a marketing proposal spelling out what they will do once they list your property. You’ll have many choices including discount brokers who will just charge you a fee for putting your property in the MLS and leave all the rest up to you; franchise brokers who will plug your property into a template and let their system do the work; or independent brokers like us who rely on their local reputation, their ability to network with the other veterans of the Charlottesville real estate world and their own unique personality and creative sense to make your property stand out among the thousands on the market. We are not the only firm delivering a high level of real estate professionalism and results. That is good for you. It keeps us all on our toes ready to leap over anyone resting on their laurels.
 Charlottesville Country Properties Ltd. Market Analysis Report:
When you call us for a proposal we will schedule a visit to see your property and will ask you for a tour and a chance to hear your thoughts and expectations. We will not want to hear what price you are hoping for. After our visit we will prepare a Market Analysis Report utilizing all the data available on current offerings, properties under contract and properties like yours that have recently sold. We’ll schedule another appointment to go over the report and interpret the data as it applies to your property and with current market trends. We’ll conclude with a recommended price range and then go over our marketing program for a property like yours. We’ll leave you with an understanding of how your property fits into the current market dynamics and how Charlottesville Country Properties Ltd. can help you make the most of it.
 Charlottesville Real Estate Market Conditions
It will be a relief when the real estate market is not in the headlines every week. Clearly these are challenging times for sellers but can be offset by becoming a purchaser in this buyer friendly environment. I believe that market trends are moving into positive territory and a backlog of demand will be making itself apparent soon. It is no time for rose colored glasses but doom and gloom are not in our forecast. Market trends develop slowly, (relatively) so paying constant attention to sales in our area and other key sectors of the US are good indicators of the slow but sure changes taking place. Please call 434-964-0406 or email <john@charlottesvillecountry.com for an appointment to discuss your real estate needs.
Look for this article on our webpage at: http://charlottesvillecountry.com/sellers.php
www.charlottesvillecountry.com
by John Ince, President Charlottesville Country Properties, LTD.
 US history practically began in Virginia. 1607, Remember? Colonists got a foothold in the Tidewater and the rest is well, history. Around 1720 settlers arrived in what is now Albemarle County, and the County was actually formed in 1744. The town of Scottsville on the James River was an important trading port and served as the County seat until 1761 when it was moved to Charlottesville. Scottsville continued to thrive as a major port for the bateau’s that carried goods from as far north as Lynchburg to their ultimate destination in Richmond. A re-creation of those bateau days happens each year at the Bateau Festival in Scottsville, not to be missed if you like Bluegrass, barbecue and beer. During the hay days of Scottsville many spectacular plantations arose, raising tobacco, wheat, corn and cattle. The town of Scottsville bustled with commerce with great brick warehouses along the river and shops, mercantile and banks along Main Street. About 1830, James Mason, President of The Bank of Scottsville built a fine brick home on Harrison Street among the existing churches and other prestigious homes. First known as the James Mason house and later as Old Hall, this fine old home, built to entertain in the grand style of the early 19th century exists today in near perfect condition thanks to the dedicated stewardship of Mike and Penny Phelan. Charlottesville Country Properties is proud to represent the Phelans in the marketing of this important Virginia home. You’ll not find a massive granite kitchen here or spa in your bathroom, but you will find a story in every brick, in every foot fall on the heart pine stair treads and with every turn of the original Carpenter Patent locks. Old Hall is not for everyone but for those who appreciate history and timeless architecture Old Hall is a rare opportunity to acquire a landmark home in one of Virginia’s most charming small towns at a truly remarkable price.
Click here for a link to the brochure-Open PDF at 100%
www.charlottesvillecountry.com
by John Ince, President Charlottesville Country Properties, LTD.
 As land values have risen so has the tax burden for those properties with significant acreage. In order to encourage continuous agricultural and forestall land use many Virginia counties provide a break to those land owners who commit to continuing the agricultural use of their land whether they farm it themselves or lease the property to a farmer to manage for his benefit. In short, the county will assess the land, minus the home site for its agricultural value based upon a formula derived by the USDA. In most rural areas in Albemarle County and the surrounding counties around Charlottesville the land use valuation is significantly lower than fair market value. To qualify for land use, (agriculture and horticulture) the minimum parcel size is five acres exclusive of the home site. The land must have been in continuous agricultural use for five years prior to qualification on the sixth year. (affidavits required). The land must produce a minimum of $1,000 in gross receipts, ( a farmer’s affidavit that he harvested $1,000 worth of hay will suffice). Most legitimate farming uses will qualify including equine businesses though keeping horses for strictly pleasure use will not qualify. When a property that is enrolled in a land use program is taken out of land use, roll back taxes are assessed which amount to the difference between land use taxation and non-land use taxation for five years. This can amount to a significant tax bill which is why we have a paragraph in our standard real estate sales agreement specifying who will be responsible for roll-back taxes, if any.
Land use assessments are available for qualifying agricultural, horticultural, and forestall land uses requiring an annual application. Additionally, those properties placed under Open Space Easements automatically qualify without further application. These programs are in place to assist farmers who could not bear the tax burden placed in land who’s value has far exceeded its agricultural production value. It is also a significant incentive to keep rural land productive and a disincentive to sub-divide or develop rural land. Below are links to those counties with on-line applications. The Commissioner or Revenue for each county is responsible for administrating the programs and can answer specific questions for you.
Albemarle County Department of Finance
Fluvanna County Commissioner of Revenue
Greene County Commissioner of Revenue
Louisa County Commissioner of Revenue
Nelson County Commissioner of Revenue
Madison County Commissioner of Revenue
Orange County Commissioner of Revenue
www.charlottesvillecountry.com
by John Ince, President Charlottesville Country Properties, LTD.
Cautiously optimistic about the country property market after seeing three important sales in surrounding counties. A spectacular 528 cattle farm in Greene County just sold for $3.25 million, a 248 acre vineyard and winery in Madison County just sold for $1.5 million. A classic Madison County farm near Syria with 105 acres, a 165 acre farm near Rapidan and Red Horse Farm near Stony Point in Albemarle County have all gone under contract in the last two weeks. Today we see three nice estate properties come on the market one in Keswick, one in Whitehall and a grand 1930’s home in Meadowbrook Heights for $2.25 million. These prices make me think the sellers are optimistic once again but time will tell. There were 14 sales posted today with an average price of $245,000 and 9 properties under contract with an average price of $378, 953, well above the median . Ask me about my new favorite listing near Earlysville that oozes Virginia charm, has complete privacy and is priced well.
by John Ince, President Charlottesville Country Properties, LTD.
11-11-11 Veteran’s Day
November 11 has always had a double meaning to me. First, it’s my mother’s birthday which we almost always had off from school and second, it’s Veteran’s Day. Growing up in a Navy family, surrounded by active military, it seemed more like a day when “we” were being recognized than a day to pay tribute our veterans. As the years have gone by and my lifestyle developed completely unmilitaristically, I’ve come to appreciate November 11th as a day to recognize “them”, with my father, a retired Rear Admiral and Class of ’49 Annapolis alumni as the iconic veteran, not just to me but to all who know and respect him.
My mom died in January of ’09 and is buried at the Naval Academy cemetery in Annapolis. My father, now 85 and living in Madison asked if I might be free to drive up to Annapolis with him today and visit my mom’s grave with him on her birthday. I first thought that I must be too busy. I can’t take a whole day off. Then I thought there is nothing Mom would rather have on her birthday than my Dad and I spending the day together. Thanks Mom.
We began the day at St Clair, my father’s home in Madison County at 8:00 sharp, both of us knowing in the back of our minds that we had not spent a whole day together, just the two of us, ever. It was a crystal clear, flag snapping day as we headed north to my dad’s alma mater. The questions in my mind about what we would talk about vaporized as we talked about Mom, my sisters, his old dog Meg, Madison County politics. Time passed quickly and pleasantly and well before 11 we were entering the gate at the Naval Academy, the sentry saluting with extra flourish when he saw the two stars on my dad’s front bumper. The cemetery overlooks the water and my mom’s marker has a spectacular view across the river to the parade grounds below. We wished her happy birthday and left a small bouquet of flowers. My father’s name is on the marker beside hers to be filled out in full when he joins her someday. All of the grave markers had fresh American flags for Veteran’s Day and they are a fascinating lot. Reading the stones is mesmerizing with many 19th century sailors and officers who went down with their ships or served gallantly in this famous engagement or that. It now starts dawning on me that this is not an ordinary Veteran’s Day for me as my father starts telling anecdotes as we pass markers of officers he had known.
The Naval Academy is one of the most beautiful college campuses in the country. The chapel will take your breath away and the uniformed Midshipmen on their way to class make you marvel at their vigor and readiness to serve. We decided to go to the Naval Academy museum before lunch, a marvelous museum worth hours and hours chronicling the history of the US Navy with dioramas, artifacts, ship models, uniforms, swords and documents. As we reach the WWII section my dad starts talking as we move from display to display. WWII ended just days after he was sworn into the Navy but he lived the history we only studied in school. “That’s Nimitz” he told me pointing at a photo of the Japanese surrender on the USS Missouri. “Have I told you about meeting him?” Then on to Korea where he pointed out a model of the single engine bomber he flew off a carrier. “She was a tough old bird” Finally on the way out we stopped at a display of all the class rings. The class of ’49 was the last class to ever have any human form depicted on it. It had a bare breasted mermaid on each side.” I did that” he told me. “I was the head of the ring committee and I got the bare breasted girls on our ring. It never happened again!” He also was Director of the Naval Security Group which intercepted and translated coded Russian transmissions during the cold war, living a clandestine life under the highest security clearances. We’ve only just begun to hear stories about his adventures thirty years after his retirement.
At lunch Dad told me about receiving the letter from his Indiana Congressman informing him that he was his first appointment to the Naval Academy. My dad was in the V-12 program at UVA at the time and was thrilled with his appointment. He told me about Plebe year, how he was paid twelve dollars a month but only had liberty on Saturday afternoon. My dad went to flight school after he graduated, was a flight instructor for a while, flew in Korea then got into intelligence and cruised the Pacific with the 7th Fleet while we lived in Japan. He served as aide to Admiral Moorer who later became Chairman of the Joint Chiefs then rejoined the Naval Security Group to become its Director before retiring in 1980. He had a rewarding 30 year career in the Navy then dedicated the next 30 to living happily ever after with my mom in Madison County.
How fortunate I was to spend a day like this with my father. I have memories of him in uniform as a Lieutenant all the way to Admiral and now at 85 he really is a veteran and with stories and memories that are part of our nation’s history. I’m lucky to know a man like this who served his country with pride an honor and set a fine example for those who served under him and for those he served. Thanks Dad. Thanks Mom.
www.charlottesvillecountry.com
by John Ince, President Charlottesville Country Properties, LTD.
CAAR 3rd Quarter Market Report
Still digging out
The CAAR has released its third quarter market report which shows another quarter of gradual progress towards lower inventory and a more balanced market. These are remarkable times my friends with distressed sales coloring our market and bringing real estate prices to levels that now reciprocate the overpricing rampant five and six years ago. Will this ever end? Of course it will. This glut of foreclosures will run its course. There are no bad loans being made anymore and caution is the catch word for bankers and buyers alike.
My crystal ball
Just as we Realtors cringe when prospective sellers tell us they bought their home in 2007, in 2016 we’ll understand that those who bought in 2010-2012 bought smart and are most likely in an excellent financial position. We’ll know that they qualified to purchase under strict guidelines, made a hefty down payment and got a fixed rate loan under 5%. Our buyers will be reluctant to give up their high seat but now find their low offers rejected and are in competition with a backlog of buyers competing in a rising market. Optimistic? I think not. Just as the run-up we experienced from 2003-2007 was unsustainable, so is this slide. This is indeed an historic cycle and as in all market economies, great opportunities exist in either extreme.
For now
Investors are hard at work picking up vulnerable properties with multiple bids common place when true values hit the market. Those who must sell realize value is king and careful pricing is paramount. Buyers are still sitting on the fence and their wallets waiting to trust the market enough to pull the trigger. High end buyers are sweating the stock market and putting off their dream till comfort returns. The fuse is lit folks.
www.charlottesvillecountry.com
Dear Friends: 
For most of us, understanding the real estate market is pretty important. Our fortunes are tied a little or a lot to our real estate assets, so we pay attention to the news about real estate and try to ascertain where we stand. Never has it been more confusing or important than today. I wanted to let you know about our new website. Although Charlottesvillecountry.com has been on-line since 1997 our new site is vastly improved and dedicated to giving you full access to the information most important to you. You’ll find it simple to search the Charlottesville MLS, and we hope you’ll enjoy all the local news and happenings on our “What’s Happening” page.
First thing each morning I check our MLS “Hot Sheet” for all the updates that have occurred in the last 24 hours. I’ll be posting “Hot Sheet Highlights” on our Facebook page whenever there is pertinent or exciting information. I hope this update is something that you’ll find interesting and helpful especially if you are considering buying or selling real estate any time soon. So…please take a look at our new website and Facebook page. If you “Like” our Facebook page you’ll get our “Hot Sheet Highlights” each day giving you my take on the local real estate world.
With best regards,
PS: Hats off to Kurt Pfund, our web developer, and our awesome and more techie everyday office manager, Linda Newman, for their skill and patience in putting this great new site together.
 by John Ince, President Charlottesville Country Properties, LTD.
As a 58 year old boomer trying to maintain and grow my company’s presence in the brave new world, (the wild, wild west) of technology and vast media outlets, I come face to face every day with energetic Gen Xers swimming confidently in the waters they created. I couldn’t be more impressed. They understood the tech before they entered real estate and have been the driving force that now allows consumers to access complete information about our real estate market and our community.
It’s not that we haven’t jumped in with both feet. In fact, our web site, www.charlottesvillecountry.com, has been on line since 1997 when tech was barely out of the DOS mode. We still make beautiful brochures for all our listings but create digital ones as well. Every print ad we run has a live link to our web page and blog and consumer friendly search options seem to have hit the mark with our site visitors.
So, what can I offer that they might not? Maybe a place where technology and humanity have just the right balance, where information comes with a voice of experience, where ethics training is not called “risk reduction” and mutual trust is assumed at the outset.
It’s easy to see the price we are paying as a society with the advent of this digital world. Our kids are texting rather than talking, we have hundreds, even thousand of “friends” we’ve never spoken too and we probably haven’t written a personal letter to someone in ages. The advantages are clear, but to me so is the next step, the critical step to make this organic once again, to blend this new frontier with the old fashioned human experience. That’s what we are trying to do.
If you  this post, please let us know.
john@charlottesvillecountry.com
www.charlottesvillecountry.com
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