Charlottesville Horse Farms and Country Homes

Small Virginia Horse Farms For Sale

Small Virginia horse farms for sale are in demand.

If you have a small Virginia horse farm and have been considering the idea of selling, but have been waiting to put it on the market it may be a good time.  I have gotten three requests this week from new buyer clients who are looking for a  Charlottesville horse farm or hunt box.  By small we are talking about the 5-15 acre range.  Of course, like most of the buyers in todays market, price is an important consideration.  This is not the time to put on an over priced listing.  However, there is a market for competitively priced small Central Virginia horse properties.

A few tips:

• If your small horse farm has accesss to trail please let us know.  A buyer may purchase a smaller property if there are neighboring places to ride.
• Make sure that your agent describes all of the equestrian features in the agent notes.  This info may determine if a buyer will choose to view your farm over others that are on the market.
• State on the listing how much of the property is open and in pasture.
• If the land is all woods it is not a horse property.

And the most important tip is to hire a REALTOR who is experienced with horses and horse farms to help you with the sale of your Virginia horse farm.  Be sure to choose a horse property expert for the job.

Contact

Pam Dent

, e-PRO, SRES, NHD, REALTOR®, Real Estate III, Charlottesville, Virginia at 434 960-0161 to buy a property in the following areas in Central Virginia: Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Keswick, Glenmore, Ivy, Crozet, Earlysville, Free Union, Cismont, Scottsville, Fluvanna County, Palmyra, Lake Monticello, Louisa County, Louisa, Mineral, Spring Creek, Orange County, Gordonsville, Orange, Barboursville, Greene County, Ruckersville.

 

View all of the Charlottesville Virginia homes for sale.

 

View my website Charlottesville Horse Farms or visit my other blog Charlottesville Real Estate Talk  for more information on

Charlottesville

Virginia

horse farms, homes, events and real estate. 

 

Copyright © 2009 by Pam Dent, all rights reserved, "Small Virginia Horse Farms For Sale".

 

 

How Do You Decide Who Is The Best Realtor To Sell Your Home?

How do you decide who is the best Realtor to sell your home?

There are so many Realtors in Charlottesville Virginia and they all are marketing themselves as the best, but what are the points that you need to focus on to figure out which agent would be the best fit to list your home for sale.

One of the first things you should make sure is that your Realtor is working full time in the Real Estate profession. 

Should you choose the agent who has the most listings?  Not necessarily.  Sometimes that agent with all of the listings is so overloaded that he doesn't have the time to devote to selling your home that an agent with fewer listings would.

You will want to know what the agent will do to market your home.  With over 85% of the buyers beginning their search for a home on line you will want to hire a Realtor with a strong internet presence.  One of the first things that you can do is to Google the agent's name.  Unless it is a very common name it should come up in multiple places on the first several pages for that name.  Where else is the agent active on line?  Are they on Active Rain, Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and do they have a blog?

Of course, your home should have a sign, be put in the mls, have flyers  and be on Realtor.com.  But there should be more such as virtual tours, multiple photographs, email flyers, listing syndication which will submit the listing to a large number of websites as well as Craigslist.  If your home is a niche property there are niche websites that it can be on as well.  And your agent should have their own personal website as well as putting your listing on the company website.

You will also want to make sure that your Realtor is available to communicate feedback.  Also make sure that they respond to your phone calls and emails in a timely fashion.

Other things that you will want to discuss are whether the agent will hold public or Brokers open houses.  Public open houses do not usually sell the home, but broker open houses can give agents the opportunity to preview your home and may result in more showings.

If you have a niche property, it is important the your agent have knowledge regarding that particular type of property.  For instance, if you are selling a Virginia horse farm, it is particularly helpful if the Realtor if familiar with horses and all of the features that are found on a horse farm.  If the agent is part of the equestrian community, he will know how to talk with that particular type of buyer.

There are a lot of Charlottesville homes for sale in the current real estate market, so it is important to do your homework and choose the best agent for the job of selling your home.

Contact

Pam Dent

, e-PRO, SRES, NHD, REALTOR®, Real Estate III, Charlottesville, Virginia at 434 960-0161 to buy a property in the following areas in Central Virginia: Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Keswick, Glenmore, Ivy, Crozet, Earlysville, Free Union, Cismont, Scottsville, Fluvanna County, Troy, Palmyra, Lake Monticello, Louisa County, Louisa, Mineral, Spring Creek, Orange County, Gordonsville, Orange, Barboursville, Greene County, Ruckersville.

 

View all of the Charlottesville Virginia homes for sale.

 

View my website Charlottesville Horse Farms or visit my other blog Charlottesville Real Estate Talk  for more information on

Charlottesville

Virginia

horse farms, homes, events and real estate. 

 

Copyright © 2009 by Pam Dent, all rights reserved, "How Do You Decide Who Is The Best Realtor To Sell Your Home?"

Virginia Horse Farms For Sale - It Won't Sell If I Can't Tell It's A Horse Property?

Yesterday I was searching the mls for Virginia horse farms for sale to email to a client, but how can I sell your farm if I can't tell it's a horse property.  And how can I tell it's a horse property if the agent doesn't put the equestrian details in the listing information.
The first thing that struck me was how hard it was to sort out the true horse farms from the other properties with acreage.  The equestrian amenities were ofter burried somewhere in the agent notes after all of the details on the house.  One listing didn't even mention that it had a barn until I looked at the additional media and "voila" there was a picture of a 9 stall barn.
If you are selling a Virginia equestrian property, it is important to hire a Realtor who understands the importance of the horse facilities to horse people.  They will want to know the size of the barn, how many stalls, kind of fencing and whether there is a ring.  That information needs to be at the beginning of the notes, even before the information on the home.  After all the true horse person will want to make sure that his horses are happy and then if that is perfect he will often try to make the house work.
Remember that if you list your Virginia horse farm for sale, I need to be able to find it among all the other listings so that I can put it in my tour to show my clients.  Please make sure that it is easy to see on the listing that it is a horse property in order that it does not get overlooked as I scroll through all of the properties that are currently on the market.

Contact

Pam Dent

, e-PRO, SRES, NHD, REALTOR®, Real Estate III, Charlottesville, Virginia at 434 960-0161 to buy a property in the following areas in Central Virginia: Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Keswick, Glenmore, Ivy, Crozet, Earlysville, Free Union, Cismont, Scottsville, Fluvanna County, Troy, Palmyra, Lake Monticello, Louisa County, Louisa, Mineral, Spring Creek, Orange County, Gordonsville, Orange, Barboursville, Greene County, Ruckersville.

 

View all of the Charlottesville Virginia homes for sale.

 

View my website Charlottesville Horse Farms or visit my other blog Charlottesville Real Estate Talk  for more information on

Charlottesville

Virginia

horse farms, homes, events and real estate. 

 

Copyright © 2009 by Pam Dent, all rights reserved, "Virginia Horse Farms For Sale - It Won't Sell If I Can't Tell It's A Horse Property."

Central Virginia Real Estate Market Reports - March 2009

This post will be a compilation of market reports focusing on Central Virginia home sales during the month of March 2009.  If you are considering either buying or selling a home in one of these Central Virginia real estate markets, you will want to know the home sale statistics of that particular area.

Charlottesville Virginia Real Estate Market Report - March 2009

Albemarle County Real Estate Market Report - March 2009

Fluvanna county Real Estate Market Report - March 2009

Louisa County Real Estate Market Report - March 2009

Charlottesville Virginia Real Estate Market Report Condominiums - March 2009

Contact

Pam Dent

, e-PRO, SRES, NHD, REALTOR®, Real Estate III, Charlottesville, Virginia at 434 960-0161 to buy a property in the following areas in Central Virginia: Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Keswick, Glenmore, Ivy, Crozet, Earlysville, Free Union, Cismont, Scottsville, Fluvanna County, Troy, Palmyra, Lake Monticello, Louisa County, Louisa, Mineral, Spring Creek, Orange County, Gordonsville, Orange, Barboursville, Greene County, Ruckersville.

 

View all of the Charlottesville Virginia homes for sale.

 

View my website Charlottesville Horse Farms or visit my blogs Charlottesville Real Estate Talk and Charlottesville Horse Farms and Country Homes for more information on

Charlottesville

Virginia

horse farms, homes, events and real estate. 

 

Copyright © 2009 by Pam Dent, all rights reserved, "Central Virginia Real Estate Market Reports - March 2009".

 

Selling A Charlottesville Horse Farm

You are considering putting your Charlottesville horse farm on the market for sale.  One of your first tasks will be to choose a Realtor to market your property.  Many area Realtors will be very well qualified to explain the various features of the house to potential buyers.  However most of them will know nothing about the equestrian amenities.  When I am looking for horse properties to show to clients very few of the listings describe the features for the horses in very much detail.  However it is precisely those details that will determine whether the serious rider will even want to look at your farm. 

The listing for your farm should paint a detailed picture of why this is the perfect horse property.  It may be cross fenced and have a ring with all weather footing for the showring rider.  It may have a runin and access to miles of trails for the pleasure rider.  It may be close the area hunt country for foxhunters.  What kind of fencing does your farm have, how many stalls, wash rack, hay storage?  What size is the ring, will it accomodate a course of jumps or is it dressage size.  These are all facts that your agent needs to be comfortable with in order to market your farm.  Afterall the horseman wants his horses to be comfortable and if the horses will be happy, then he will consider the house and try to make it work.

As a former professional in the horse business I understand all aspects of horsefarms.  I foxhunted, horseshowed and trail rode.  As someone who understands horsepeople and their particular wants and needs, I an especially suited to market your Charlottesville, Virginia horse farm.

Also since 84% of buyers now start their search for a home or farm on line, it is important to hire an agent who has a strong internet presence.  I would be happy to discuss my internet marketing strategy with you to draw up a marketing plan for your particular property.

Contact

Pam Dent

, e-PRO, SRES, NHD, REALTOR®, Real Estate III, Charlottesville, Virginia at 434 960-0161, pam@JumpintoGreenerPastures.com, to list your property for sale or to buy a property in the following areas in Central Virginia: Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Keswick, Glenmore, Ivy, Crozet, Earlysville, Free Union, Cismont, Scottsville, Fluvanna County, Troy, Palmyra, Lake Monticello, Louisa County, Louisa, Mineral, Spring Creek, Orange County, Gordonsville, Orange, Barboursville, Greene County, Ruckersville.

 

To view all of the Charlottesville, Virginia and Central Virginia Homes for Sale click here and click on the mls search button.

 

 Visit my website  Jump into Greener Pastures or read my other blog Charlottesville Real Estate Talk

for more information on Charlottesville homes, farms, events and real estate.

10 Steps For Preparing Your Home For Sale

Charlottesville, Virginia has a large number of homes on the market right now giving homebuyers a lot to choose from.  In order for your home to sell, in addition to being priced properly, it is important that it is in the best possible condition.  What should you do before you put your home on the market to help it make a good first impression?  Here are 10 tips to help you make sure that your home is the one that buyers will want to make an offer on.

1.  Clean the entire home from top to bottom.  Don't forget the garage, inside closets, cabinets and the pantry.  Remember buyers will examine every nook and cranny.

2. Polish and wax floors.  If you have carpets, clean any dirty carpets and restretch if necessary.  If the carpet is worn, it should be replaced.  Even if you are thinking of offering a carpet allowance most people would rather not be bothered with having to replace it themselves.  Remember to choose a neutral color.

3. Repaint.  Nothing makes a house look new and bright like freshly painted walls.  Again neutral colors are important.  It is easier for people to imagine their possessions in a home if the walls and carpets are in a neutral shade.

4. Fix any nailholes and blemishes on the walls before painting.

5. Make sure all closets and cabinets are neatly arranged.  You may want to put items that you are not using in storage.  If closets are not crowed it will give the impression that you have plenty of storage space.

6. Remove any pieces of furniture that you can do without.  Also put any pieces that are oversized for the rooms in storage.  It is important to make the rooms look as spacious as possible.

7. Clean all of the light fixtures, ceiling fans and wash the windows.

8.  Take down family pictures.  You want potential buyers to imagine themselves and their family living in the home.

9.  Declutter.  Remove knick knacks from shelves and table tops.  All of these objects can make a room appear smaller.  Also if you have many interesting objects around your house, a buyer can get distracted from looking at the actual features of the home.

10.  If you have pets, make sure that the house does not smell like pet odors.

Your realtor will be able to walk through your home with you and give you tips on what you can do to your particular home, to ensure that it is the one that sells.

Reasons To List Your Farm Now

Many of you may be struggling with the decision of whether to list your Charlottesville farm for sale now or whether to wait until spring.  I realize that there is a lot of uncertaincy right now.  In my personal business the reality is that I have seen an increase in business over the past several weeks.  Of course this discussion is based on the assumption that you have a desire or need to sell in the near future.  If this is not the case then you may want to make the decission to wait until there is a shift in the market.

There are several factors that support the decision to list at this time.  To begin with, while we have a lot of inventory on the market now, these numbers will only increase in the spring when all of the people who are waiting will add their homes to the market.  

One of the strongest points for listing now are interest rates.  They are amazingly low and could very well be going lower.  If you list now, you can catch the buyers jumping into the market to take advantage of those low rates.  Also, you will be able to take advantage of those same rates when you buy.

Yes there may be fewer buyers at this time of year, but if someone is out looking at homes over the holidays they are usually motivated buyers.  There will be fewer lookers, but a higher percentage of those lookers will be buyers.

If you believe that we are not at the bottom yet, then home prices may have fallen further by spring.  Does it make sense to wait and sell at a lower price?  I have not seen any predections that support a model calling for higher home prices by spring.  As a seller this may work to your advantage when you buy.  You may end up getting less for your home, but this could even out with the opportunity for you to buy your new home at a great price.  These savings could work out especially well if you are buying up with the low interest rates.

Christopher and Stephanie Sommers have written an excellent blog post discussing the pros of listing your home now.  They are real estate professionals serving the Philadelphia market.  The points in their well written post apply equally well in our market.

If you do decide to sell at this time, remember that it is important to price your home well and to have it in as good condition as possible.  You will want to make sure that your home is the one that buyers want to see.  A key step is to hire an agent with a strong internet presence.   Afterall if over 85% of homebuyers are beginning their search on line, that is where your home needs to be.

Contact

Pam Dent

, e-PRO, SRES, NHD, REALTOR®, Real Estate III, Charlottesville, Virginia at 434 960-0161, pam@JumpintoGreenerPastures.com, to list your property for sale or to buy a property in the following areas in Central Virginia: Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Keswick, Glenmore, Ivy, Crozet, Earlysville, Free Union, Cismont, Scottsville, Fluvanna County, Troy, Palmyra, Lake Monticello, Louisa County, Louisa, Mineral, Spring Creek, Orange County, Gordonsville, Orange, Barboursville, Greene County, Ruckersville.

 

To view all of the Charlottesville, Virginia and Central Virginia Homes for Sale click here and click on the mls search button.

 

Visit my website  Jump into Greener Pastures or read my other blog Charlottesville Real Estate Talk  for more information on Central Virginia homes, farms, events and real estate.

Will Remodeling Increase My Home's Value?

Many homeowners have opted to remodel their existing home rather than buy up into a new home.  However since they may still be planning to sell in the future it is important to them that their remodel brings a good financial return.  In addition some homeowners are viewing the remodel as a means to spruce their home up for sale with the hope of getting a better price and making their older home more desirable in today's market.  According to NAR studies many exterior remodeling projects such as new siding or adding a deck bring a higher return than a lot of interrior remodels such as a new kitchen. For more details read what Inman News has to say in their recent article about remodeling returns.

In the Charlottesville real estate market you will see many resale homes on the market that have had upgrades and renovations.  While these homes will not always bring a higher price than comparable Charlottesville homes on the market, coupled with a good location, they will usually be the one to sell.

  Contact

Pam Dent

, e-PRO, SRES, NHD, REALTOR®, Real Estate III, Charlottesville, Virginia at 434 960-0161, pam@JumpintoGreenerPastures.com, to list your property for sale or to buy a property in the following areas in Central Virginia: Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Keswick, Glenmore, Ivy, Crozet, Earlysville, Free Union, Cismont, Scottsville, Fluvanna County, Troy, Palmyra, Lake Monticello, Louisa County, Louisa, Mineral, Spring Creek, Orange County, Gordonsville, Orange, Barboursville, Greene County, Ruckersville.

 

To view all of the Charlottesville, Virginia and Central Virginia Homes for Sale click here and click on the mls search button.

Visit my website  Jump into Greener Pastures or read my other blog Charlottesville Real Estate Talk  for more information on Charlottesville homes, farms, events and real estate.

Giving Thanks for a Little Good News

As we spend this Thanksgiving with friends and loved ones it is important to consider all of the things that we have to be grateful for.  I would like to share with you a bit of good news from Sandy Madison at Sun Trust Mortgage.

The points listed below by Sandy point out that the Charlottesville real estate market may be headed in the right direction.

1.  Nationally mortgage applications fell by 6.2% last week.

2.  Last week our office reported a 50% increase in applications over the previous two weeks.

3.  This week our office took more applications that we took in the two previous weeks combined.

4.  75% of the twenty-seven applications taken over the past three weeks were with purchase contracts.

5.  National home price affordability has reached a 4-year high.

6.  Home price affordability is expected to experience only a modest increase in 2009.

7.  Mortgage insterst rates have continued their downward movement.

8.  The Charlottesville real estate market is gaining momentum.

And more good news from Karen Seiarrino with T.Y. Mortgage.  Yesterday interest rates for a 30 year fixed fell to 5.5 with no points and 5.25 with one point.

The combination of low interest rates and lower home prices are making Charlottesville homes affordable again.  This is good news!

I wish all of my readers the best of Thanksgivings.  Cherish this time with family and friends.  Have a great holiday!

A Buyer's Market is the Perfect Time to Trade Up

Many people who are in the position of having to sell their current home in order to buy a bigger home or one with more amenities, are focusing on the fact that their current home will not sell for as much in the present market.  What they don't realize is that the money that they will save on their new home when buying up will actually more than offset the loss on their current home.

The graphics shown below illustrate this point.

As you can see when you sell and buy up, you are saving more on the purchase of the new home than you have lost on the sale of your old home.  In addition when the market does improve, and it will improve since the real estate market is cyclical, the larger home will experience greater appreciation.  For example if home values were to rise 10% in future years the new larger home's value would appreciate by $38,000 as opposed to the $19,000 increase of the smaller home.

If you are in the position to sell and buy up, the current market offers an opportunity that will not be available when the maket begins to shift back to a seller's market.

The above graphics and figures are courtesy of Shift and Gary Keller.

Contact

Pam Dent

, e-PRO, SRES, NHD, REALTOR®, Real Estate III, Charlottesville, Virginia at 434 960-0161, pam@JumpintoGreenerPastures.com, to list your property for sale or to buy a property in the following areas in Central Virginia: Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Keswick, Glenmore, Ivy, Crozet, Earlysville, Free Union, Cismont, Scottsville, Fluvanna County, Troy, Palmyra, Lake Monticello, Louisa County, Louisa, Mineral, Spring Creek, Orange County, Gordonsville, Orange, Barboursville, Greene County, Ruckersville.

 

To view all of the Charlottesville, Virginia and Central Virginia Homes for Sale click here and click on the mls search button.

 

Visit my other blog Charlottesville Real Estate Talk for more information on Charlottesville and Central Virginia homes, events, and real estate.