The Final Post
If you reading this, you likely have an RSS feed set up to my blog. If that is the case. Get rid of it, and re-set the RSS feed. Up to this point, the domain DirtAroundGrounds.com has been directed toward this blog site. However, the site just isn't very good at letting me blog and comment and edit and link and everything else that you want a blog to do... So, I've made the switch to WordPress. Which is great, but it means that you will receive no more RSS feed info from this blog. Type In www.dirtaroundgrounds.com and you will have the option of creating a new RSS feed there. Hope you enjoy the change.A Wise Man Indeed
Every once in a while I have a post that I think about for a long time, make some notes, pick out other things to add and it kinda festers. This is one of those posts. Click to read the whole post.Change is Coming
OK, So I've been blogging about a lot of change recently, but I have finally had it, and need to change this blog. BIG TIME. Gone will be this wimpy backbone to my static site, in will be a full WordPress blog that stands alone. I have noticed that my comments are not even being registered now, and none of the comments are even making it to the admin side... I'm done. Within 14 days all this will change. I have been trying to figure this out for a while, but now is the time. I can't keep blogging away with this... Give me till March 4 at the latest.Top 5 City Deals of the Year
Taking a quick break from my series on my principles of Nest Realty, I retreat back to some more info on the City Tax Assessments. I have been studying the city tax records and the implications to buyers for a few days now, and I have some fun findings to publish. My hat is off to five agents who negotiated the deals of the year. I have looked at the homes in my prior study, 284 in all, and compared 2008 tax assessments to sales price. While I don’t think this is always a perfect study of a “good buy”, I do think it’s the most objective way to create my top five deals. A quick read of my Parts 1 and 2 in Tax Assessment stories is also a good place to go along with these 5 Deals. Read on for the Top 5.Read all of Top 5 City Deals of the Year
An Agent Representing the Agent, aka Dual Agency
To understand how Dual Agency has come about, one needs to think just over a decade to the days where every real estate agent worked for the seller. There were numerous reports done that showed that most buyers thought their agents worked for them, but they were wrong. Every agent worked for sellers, either as the listing agent, or as a “Sub-Agent” to the seller. This also helps to explain why commission is typically paid by the seller to both the listing agent and to the selling agent. (Look for an future post on Divorcing Commissions) Read on to see why Dual Agency should be called Non-RepresentationRead all of An Agent Representing the Agent, aka Dual Agency
Coming Home to Nest (or, My Most Important Blog Post Ever)
Today marks a huge shift. For me, and I believe, for Charlottesville real estate. Today marks the official launch of Nest Realty Group, a team of four experienced Realtors who believe that the consumer has changed, the market has changed, and its time that Realtors change as well. I hope that you will click to read the rest of my where we are heading.Read all of Coming Home to Nest (or, My Most Important Blog Post Ever)
City Assessment Data... Part 2
OK, so I have continued playing with the City Assessment data and 2008 pricing... Read on for info on the ratio of assessments and sales prices. I had told a reporter that it was my gut belief that the majority of homes sold in 2008 in the city sold for less than assessed value. Well, I was wrong... but not by much...Read all of City Assessment Data... Part 2
City Assessment Data... Part 1
Ever since I wrote a few days ago that it bothered me that I didn’t have on-line access to my city assessment history, I have been fixated on this. To the point that yesterday, I went and plopped down a check in the City Assessor’s office. In return they were kind enough to sell me a CD of 2008 and 2009 data in Access form. I have had to re-establish a broken relationship with my PC as the Mac is simply not a data friendly machine. This relationship is taking time to mend, but I’m getting there. This study has about 10 points, each of which will need to be its own blog post, so I am going to see if I can get along with my PC long enough to put it down the first bit for you now. Read on...Read all of City Assessment Data... Part 1
Foreclosure or Comeback Kid
OK, so I'm not sure I fully understand the article / posting I just read. So, I throw it out to others in hopes that someone can enlighten me. I regularly read a blog called Seeking Alpha which is fantastic in its financial analysis of things current. They just posted an article about Hovnanian, the massive homebuilder who just lost their development in Greene County to foreclosure. Read On...Read all of Foreclosure or Comeback Kid
What is the City Hiding?
Lots of news in the last week about City and County Assessments. Well, I wanted to take a look for myself, and well... I can't. If you go to the County of Albemarle web site, you can pull up any property and see at least a five year history of the assessments. What is it that the City of Charlottesville is afraid we will find if we look at their history? The City lists only the current assessed value. So, despite my hearing that Belmont went up, or Greenbrier went down, I can't verify any of that.Read all of What is the City Hiding?
