The Real Estate Weekly | 12.7.2022

BY CARLA HUCKABEE

CHARLOTTESVILLE ALBEMARLE, FLUVANNA, GREENE, LOUISA, MADISON, NELSON, ORANGE, AUGUSTA

WOODLANDS ROAD

A casually elegant, top quality, custom built home. One floor living. Set on a beautifully landscaped 1.6 acre lot with circular driveway. Home offers; a bright open great room with fireplace, dining room, hardwood floors, oversized 2 car garage, full basement level and a 600 sq. ft. in-law suite. Meriwether Lewis school district. $750,000

CHURCH PLAINS DRIVE

Beautiful 2.15 acre lot set in a quiet neighborhood, in the western school districts. A bright open floor plan with vaulted entrance and a turned staircase. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, full unfinished basement plus a large 2 car garage. Hardwood floors throughout the first floor. Large, bright kitchen with island, pantry, and terrific breakfast room. The kitchen looks into the family room that features a wall of windows and a fireplace. The wrap-around front porch takes in the lovely setting.The rear deck overlooks the large yard with room to play and a great place to garden. $625,000

CALL SHARON

Over 25 years of Real Estate experience. email: callsharon.today@yahoo.com cell: 434.981.7200

325 STONE ORCHARD

• NELLYSFORD

DIRECTIONS: From Charlottesville or 64 West - Take 151 to Stoney Creek Wintergreen entrance on the RIGHT. Turn Right onto Stone Orchard Dr. 325 is on the LEFT.

‘Tis the Season to LIST Your HOME

BY CARLA HUCKABEE

Katelyn Mancini loves Christmas.

“It’s my favorite holiday and I look for ward to the smells, the sights, the shopping, and being with family. All year long.”

And all those traditional ways of cel ebrating.

‘Tis the season of twinkling lights in the trees and a pine wreath on the door. Candles in the windows and a menorah on the mantlepiece. The smell of rugelach or pie in the oven. Presents ‘neath the tree and the whole house is ready for a celebration.

If that all seems too idealized and cliché, let’s add one more platitude to the list - the holidays are a terrible time to sell your home.

Mancini says “Don’t believe it.”

She should know. Mancini is a REAL TOR® with Howard Hanna Roy Wheeler Realty Co., and she has had her share of holiday closings over the years.

The winter holidays, from Thanksgiv ing to after ringing in the New Year, can

be the very best time of year for home sell ers. And they’re getting better every year.

Less Competition

Savvy sellers are eager to take advan tage of what life deals to them. And some times that involves an end-of-year move. Dan Corbin, REALTOR® with RE/MAX Realty Specialists, says, “If that happens, don’t worry. It’s never a wrong time to be in the market. And if circumstances call for it, whether as a buyer or a seller, a winter-time move can be advantageous.”

Homeowners may think there aren’t any buyers and may be tempted to fore stall the hassles of putting their home on the market until after the holidays. “Don’t,” says REALTOR® Lori Click, also with RE/MAX Realty Specialists. “It’s the best time for a seller. You have low supply and high demand. And with fewer houses for a buyer to choose from, it can mean even more money for the sellers.”

In fact, in an already low inventory environment, Virginia REALTORS® reported that the for-sale inventory across Virginia fell by nearly 25% from

December 2020 to December 2021. While the inventory numbers from the third quarter of 2022 are showing a bit of a bounce-back, the competition a seller will face remains low this holiday season.

Another barrier hampering buyers during the super-hot real estate market of last year was just how busy mortgage lenders were. REALTOR® Clareen Eberly, with Find Homes Realty, LLC, reports that lending has slowed down a bit, and buyers may be able to find a better deal than an off-the-shelf standard mortgage. Ultimately, this should clear the path to a smoother, quicker closing.

And that translates into more success for the seller. So embrace the challenge of less competition, and see it as the gift it is.

Serious Buyers with Time to Look

Moves happen year-round, for sellers and for buyers. Life changes, households shift, and new opportunities arise, not only in the late spring and summer. Sometimes the holiday moves are more time sensitive than at other times of the

year, making for eager buyers.

Whether staring down a deadline or trying to take advantage of market foibles, a holiday home buyer is more likely to be one that follows through with an actual offer.

“People who look at homes during the holidays tend to be more serious,” says Click. “If they are taking time out of their holidays to look at homes, they usually mean it.”

Many buyers will take advantage of extra time off at the end of the year to find their new home. Workers take extended holiday breaks. The kids are home from school. The end of the year becomes the perfect time to explore a new destination, whether that’s a new state, a new town, or just around the corner. That extra time allows potential home buyers to fit all the homebuying steps into a normally too-busy life.

Mancini sees this frequently. “If buy ers are moving to a new town, the whole family can go and look at their top choice together. If the move is local, perhaps mom is in town to be that second opin

540 Sunrise Ln | Earlysville

396

Sycamore

178 Bryan Ct | Charlottesville

Don’t miss seeing this great layout in the coveted neighbor hood of Mill Creek. This 3 bed, 2 1/2 bath home has a brand new Deck with built-in seating, new roof, new VELUX SKY LIGHTS, new gutters & paint with UPGRADED GARAGE.

$509,950 | montaguemiller.com/632520

Gaffney Saadut Team | 434.760.2160

156 Spring Mountain Rd | Charlottesville

Versatile builders custom “Copperstone” design high lighted by French doors to Sun Room, 4 BRs, skylights, formal living & dining rooms. All kitchen appliances convey. Located in a fantastic Mill Creek neighborhood. $398,000 | montaguemiller.com/632284 Alice Nye Fitch | 434.981.4562

869 NW Buck Mountain Rd | Earlysville

Located on desirable Buck Mountain Road northwest of Charlottesville, this charming 1900 farmhouse is set on 2 acres with streams and mountain views in a private rural setting. You’ll enjoy the large rooms & mountain views.

$360,000 | montaguemiller.com/631814

Anita Dunbar | 434.981.1421

Bellevue Ln | Rockbridge Baths

Springs---A fully renovated farmhouse in an idyllic setting in northwestern Rockbridge County. Charming older home with standing seam roof, screened porch, gorgeous heart-pine

ion or reinforce a warm and fuzzy feeling you get from a certain house.”

Another common scenario in the Charlottesville region is having parents from afar who want to move closer to their adult kids. The holidays are a perfect time for parents to do double duty, mixing a family visit with an excursion to explore what’s available for them on the market.

Sellers shouldn’t worry too much about people invading their homes at inopportune times. A walkthrough is the last step before making an offer. The bulk of the home viewing takes place online with buyers viewing pictures and videos of the home and learning about the neighborhood.

If the home hasn’t passed muster through that screening process, the po tential buyer won’t bother with a walk through. And if a buyer does request a walkthrough, the seller should be pleased because that’s typically the last step be fore they make an offer.

Dressed Up for the Holidays

For those buyers that do make it to the final step, make sure to take advantage of the winter wow factor.

Homes are all dressed up for the holi days and tend to put on their best airs. The pre-holiday cleaning can do double duty as the pre-showing cleaning. Owners trade out daily clutter for decorations. And with a home staging in mind, the decorations can send a “make this your home for the holidays” message to po tential buyers.

“Sellers should take full advantage of the season to make the sale,” says Mancini. “Pull out all the stops, but that doesn’t mean going overboard with decorations. Simple, warm, and inviting win the day. You want to make sure the buyer can see themselves in your home enjoying the holidays.”

That starts with the online presence. There are different strategies.

One alternative is to have the photos taken before decorating so the buyer can experience the home both ways, without decorations online and all dressed up for the walkthrough.

If you expect a quick sale and start your prep work early on, you may want pictures of your house decorated. Man cini says, “Holiday decorations make for great photo ops. And if the online listing shows decorations and it is still December, a buyer will assume it hasn’t been on the market for very long.

“And don’t forget the oldest trick there is, having the smells from the kitchen trigger memories of home and family. Cookies, hot tea, mulled cider, oranges, potpourri. These subtle touches

can influence a buyer, as long as they aren’t overwhelming.”

Owners who have land for sale, with or without a home on it, can also take advantage of the holidays to sell. Corbin says, “Winter is a great time of year to look at land and see the product. You can more clearly see the lay of the land and some areas might be more accessible during winter.”

Even for a Christmas lover like Man cini, a skillfully decorated and staged home may not be enough to clinch the deal if the finances aren’t right or the house has problems beyond the potential buyer’s comfort level.

other time of year. Make sure the exterior of the home is in tip-top shape.

Pay particular attention to gutters and water flow on the property so that water flows away, and ice doesn’t accumulate.

The drip-drip-drip from a misaligned gutter can be a red flag to buyers.

Details like having trash and recycling containers put away and a fresh floor mat set a good first impression.

With the sun setting before five o’clock, there is a good chance that a walkthrough will happen at dusk or dark. Make sure the exterior of the home and entryway are well-lit. Nothing spells doom and gloom like a dark, depressing walk from the drive to the front door.

love with your house over the holidays but the price point and the monthly mortgage payment are just a little too high, there are ways to bring it into their reach. Sometimes by using unique loans with a rate buy-down, a skilled mortgage advisor and REALTOR® team may be able to close the gap.

“A listing agent can team up with a local lender and include figures for the current buy-down rates in the MLS alongside the listing. This can help buy ers realize the home may not be out of their price range and they really can afford to give themselves the gift of a home this year.”

Pay Attention to the Details

Even over the holidays, when listing a home, it needs to be in the best shape possible and listed at an attractive price to the buyer.

Winter brings on special challenges as the home may look stark without blooming flowers, bushes, and trees. Greenery and holiday lights can perk up spent landscaping.

If you do have an attractive high-qual ity photograph of the home in the spring or summer with more lush landscaping, include that online or in a packet at the house for in-person buyers.

Decorations can catch the eye and emotion, but they don’t overcome any deficits the home has. Start at the curb. With potentially bare shrubs and trees, any peeling paint or damage to the ex terior may be more evident than at any

Same with the rest of the house. Let the buyers experience every room in its best light, even at night.

Sticker Shock

This holiday season buyers are deal ing with both higher prices and higher interest rates than they are accustomed to seeing. It can be tempting for a buyer to take a wait-and-see attitude. A seller needs to be sensitive to that reality and list her home at the right price.

That doesn’t mean slashing the price. It means working with an agent to price it right based on comparable sales.

But the listing price is only one part of the equation.

“Many buyers purchasing with loans, have been forced to look at a lower price point or have paused their search en tirely,” says Eberly. “If a buyer falls in

Sellers need not fear that listing a home over the holidays means all of the hassles of a holiday move. There will likely be at least thirty days between going under contract and closing. So it may be that closing will fall after the first of January anyway. “If not,” says Mancini, “a seller can always negotiate the closing date and can add in rent backs, if necessary.

“A good agent will be able to structure the deal in your best interest.

“I had a closing on December 23 and it ended up being a great Christmas for both the buyer and the seller. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief that the process was over, the uncertainty was behind them, and they could all truly enjoy the holidays secure in the future they had just created.

“What better way is there to celebrate the holiday season?”

Homes are all dressed up for the holidays and tend to put on their best airs. The pre-holiday cleaning can do double duty as the pre-showing cleaning. Owners trade out daily clutter for decorations. And with a home staging in mind, the decorations can send a “make this your home for the holidays” message to po tential buyers.

Coming from a large family of contractors; my “job” growing up was to be the “helper” which gave me a “hands on ” approach from building walls, demolishing old structures, designing layouts etc This foundation is part of what drove me to begin in Real Estate in the area of Charlottesville, VA

Living in Charlottesville, VA for 20+ years I have been able to see and appreciate all it has and continues to offer with all of the new developments Charlottesville has been a place about building friendships, community, and having fun!

This is the heart of where our business comes from We provide our clients the best of our time, devotion and attention to detail Every single person has an individual need and desire; and we enjoy being the voice they need to accomplish their goals in Real Estate!

As we leave last year behind let s look forward to 2023 & continue building a relationship rooted in trust service & community.

Impeccable country property with an attractive, well designed and self-sustaining 5,525 fin. sf residence on 38± acres with 3-car garage, barn and Blue Ridge Mountain views. A peaceful oasis easily accessible to Charlottesville and Washington DC. MLS#634846 $1,550,000 Charlotte Dammann, 434.981.1250

HATTON RIDGE FARM

A most tranquil and private 278+ acres with approximately two-thirds mile of James River frontage. The centerpiece of Hatton Ridge Farm is an impressive brick Georgian home, built c. 2000. The residence is constructed with expert craftsmanship, and many significant architectural details. It is in like-new condition - a testament to the architects, Stoneking/VonStorch. A spectacular offering: pastures and hay fields, surrounded by deep hardwood forest, along with fertile James River bottomland for gardens. MLS#634311 $3,675,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076

A private 18 acre horse farm, with 4-bedroom main residence, 1-bedroom cottage, beautiful 8-stall center aisle barn, outdoor riding ring, and several fenced pastures and hay fields. With access onto 570 plus acres of parkland with trails. MLS#632164 $1,295,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076

RAGGED MOUNTAIN FARM

Two wonderful estate parcels comprised of 185.01± acres in coveted Ragged Mountain Farm. Excellent elevated building site, complete privacy, and beautiful views. Murray/Henley/Western school district. MLS#621083 $1,895,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

317

MLS#631962 $8,875,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

ROUND HILL

Panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and sce nic Rivanna Reservoir frontage is offered from this 120acre Albemarle County estate featuring a 5-bedroom manor home. Excellent location, close to the city limits and Charlottesville-Albemarle airport! MLS#625402 $5,450,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

WOLFCREEK FARM

Situated near the Blue Ridge Mountains in Madison County on 333 acres. Currently runs as a grazing farm for beef cattle. There are 2 homes on the property and a complement of necessary farm buildings. NOT IN CONSERVATION EASEMENT! MLS#630435 $3,200,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076

GATEWAY CIRCLE

Prime end-unit residence in a quiet Forest Lakes community. The main level has eat-in kitchen, great room with dining and living room with cathedral ceiling and fireplace, half bath and primary bedroom with bathroom and laundry. Upstairs are two bedrooms, full bathroom, walk-in storage and flexible loft area. Enjoy the outdoors through views from the many windows, miles of walking trails or recreational activities. Private living with easy access to Charlottesville. MLS#635657 $299,000 Charlotte Dammann, 434.981.1250

OWENSVILLE ROAD

5-bedroom residence on 2 acre lot in Meriwether Lewis Elementary District! Stunning home has top quality finishes and many features include: open floor concept on all levels; fully loaded chef’s kitchen; and so much more! MLS#632111 $1,675,000 Will Faulconer, 434.987.9455

EDNAM FOREST

Delightful, well-maintained, 2-story, 2,950+ sf home offers 3-bedrooms and 2-baths situated on two lots containing 3.60 acres (divisible). Totally private environment of mature plantings with lovely mountain views. MLS#636669 $1,745,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

PEA RIDGE FARM

acre estate that has it all: location, views, water, a spectacular 5-BR residence, event center and more! 15+ acre lake is centered among lush rolling fields of rich grass and unparalleled views. Additional acreage avail able. 25 minutes west of Charlottesville.

EVERGREEN HILL

BLACKBERRY HILL FARM

SOUTHERN ALBEMARLE

87+ acre pine forest property is a good investment tract, or use as a hunting and recreational tract, or with multiple division rights, a place to build a home or more than one home. Potential mountain views, and private settings. MLS#629213 $499,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076

820 CONDO

Well-designed corner condo consisting of an excep tionally bright great room with high ceilings, fullyequipped kitchen, ample space for both relaxed living and dining, 1-BR/1-BA, and inviting private balcony/ terrace. Views of the Downtown skyline and mountains. MLS#634496 $285,000 C. Dammann, 434.981.1250

SOUTHWIND ESTATES

3 separate parcels with commanding Blue Ridge Mtn. views, level building sites 15 minutes from Charlottes ville. Sites have been perked, have wells, and ready for your dream home. MLS#632482 $375,000 (7.8 acres), MLS#632490 $275,000 (2.4 acres), MLS#632487 $175,000 (2.0 acres), Court Nexsen, 646.660.0700

SIMMONS GAP/ESTES RIDGE

10 acres of mature woods. Property has long road frontage and consists of two parcels being combined and sold as one. No HOA! Design and build your dream residence on this very well-priced parcel.

MLS#621178 $189,000 Charlotte Dammann, 434.981.1250

GREENTREES

94+ acres 20 minutes from Charlottesville. Originally part of a 188-acre tract, two parcels may be purchased separately or together, with 2 developmental rights each. Mostly maturing pine and very long public road frontage.

MLS#635861 $700,000 Tim Michel, 434.960.1124

BRIDLEWOOD TRAIL

Private Keswick residence on 18.6 acres with views of the Southwest Mountains. 3-bedrooms, 1.5-baths with wood floors, screen porch and 2-car garage. Open and wooded land. Easy access to Charlottesville and UVA. MLS#634905 $695,000 Charlotte Dammann, 434.981.1250

MISSION

146.88 ac. in Albemarle & Greene County. Privacy & protection adjacent to the Shenandoah National Park! Full division rights & multiple home sites. Extraordinary timberland. Views of the mountains, along with easy access to trails & Skyline Drive. MLS#620276 $1,100,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

MEADOW FARM

436+ acre parcel of land in Southern Albemarle! 4 division rights; complete privacy; lush, gently rolling terrain; long road frontage; stream; 3-acre lake; 125135 acres of open land; mature hardwood forests. Under conservation easement. Owner/agent. MLS#634139 $2,985,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

GARTH ROAD

11.73-acre, buildable lot in Western Albemarle! One of a kind location and a rare opportunity to purchase a large lot in an estate neighborhood 10 minutes to town. 2 division rights and is gently rolling with a small stream bisecting the property. MLS#628219 $795,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

EDNAM FOREST

Wonderfully large 1.5+ acre building lot in Ednam Forest. Build your dream home on this elevated, wooded lot located in a single family community, minutes from UVA and within walking distance to Boar’s Head Resort. MLS#598537 $289,500 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

REDUCED

GIBSON’S HOLLOW

Ivy area! A 249 + acre hidden, private Arcadia controlling its own little valley up to the mountain ridge top building sites. Multiple parcels and subdivision rights make it a conservation easement candidate. MLS#634183 $4,000,000 Tim Michel, 434.960.1124 or Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

MURPHY’S

CREEK FARM

Wonderful gently rolling parcel of land with just under 26 acres, 18 miles south of Charlottesville. The land is wooded (mostly hardwoods) with an elevated building site, stream/creek, total privacy, and long road frontage. MLS#619394 $229,500 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863

HOME ROAD

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