Monday, December 31, 2007

Happy New Year

The New Year is upon us…

Make your New Year’s resolution and enjoy prosperity all year long. Simply make it a habit and you can stick to it. I know, easier said than done, so buddy-up and let your buddy support you in your efforts, and you do likewise…

As the year in real estate draws to a close in our area, the market can best be stated as “normal” with the prognosticators calling for a good 2008. The number of sales for 2007 was down from the near record year of 2006 by 17%. Average sales price was up 3.4% over 2006 and 14% over 2005 – good for your home’s value.

It’s always a good time to buy or sell…

Happy New Year from my family to your family!

Visit my web site to learn more about me and my company – put the “Power of the Rock®” to work for you and let me be Your Family’s Real Estate Consultant “…for your family’s next move, and the next…!”

Friday, December 28, 2007

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas


Hope all had a Merry Christmas! We enjoyed Christmas Dinner with our good friends the Cary’s – friends always make the food taste better. What a joy!

My son has a new roommate – a chocolate Lab… hope the cats and the rat get along with the new arrival – Ha!


While the Mortgage issue hasn’t been a major factor for the Richmond area, the Presidents signing of the new bill forgiving tax on mortgages forgiven on principle residences will be a help to those unfortunate enough to find themselves in that situation. Thank goodness it is not that many of us experiencing that problem.

Visit my web site to learn more about me and my company – put the “Power of the Rock®” to work for you and let me be Your Family’s Real Estate Consultant “…for your family’s next move, and the next…!”

Monday, December 24, 2007

Life is Good!

Life is good! My daughter is home from the left coast and my son will journey across the river for the holidays. Our Christmas will be full with family and friends – we hope your Christmas will be likewise. Happy Holidays.

Well 2007 is drawing to a close and my friend Darryl Ellyson reminds me that the national trends in real estate are up –
see his news letter – and 2008 will be a good year for your home value. Of course as I’ve said before, the Richmond area has done well this year and is expected to end as another good year for your home’s value and the market in general.

Visit my
web site to learn more about me and my company – put the “Power of the Rock®” to work for you and let me be Your Family’s Real Estate Consultant “…for your family’s next move, and the next…!”

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Intro and "The rest of the story..."

Hi, welcome to my web log. Please visit frequently and I will try to Blog my impressions of the real estate market overall for Richmond, VA and the surrounding area. Of course, you can search for homes and find much more information at my web site, charlie-realtor.com, or my company’s web site – Prudential Slater James River REALTORS®.

I was encouraged to start this blog when I attended one of the many classes I attend each year to stay current with the market, real estate practice and code changes.
Dick Betts was the instructor and I found his class very interesting and motivational.

And now for my comment to start...

While our friends on the news channels would have us think the real estate market is in the dumps, (and, for some areas in other parts of the country, their market is depressed) the Richmond area is reasonable. While not as strong as last year – a record year – your home prices are still holding reasonably well and the projections are that 2007 will still be a strong year. Of course, psychologically, after several extraordinary years, it’s easy to fall prey to the naysayers.

CVRMLS (Central VA Regional Multiple Listing Service) Statistics:

2006
Sold Properties 18,478
Avg List Price $268,769
Avg Sold Price $265,985
Avg DOM (day on the market) 44

2007 (as of 12/9/07)
Sold Properties 14,559
Avg List Price $279,985
Avg Sold Price $275,007
Avg DOM (day on the market) 50

Yes I know, these are simple statistics, but they are the facts from
CVRMLS.

By way of introduction, I have lived in Chesterfield County since 1961 and firmly believe the entire Richmond area is a great place to live, raise a family and even retire. Visit my web site to learn more about me and my company – put the “Power of the Rock®” to work for you and let me be Your Family’s Real Estate Consultant
“…for your family’s next move, and the next…!”