My Home of The Week

It can be tough to find this kind of value in such a highly sought-after Crozet neighborhood! This home is an absolute gem for anyone wanting to live in the heart of town, right across the street from Crozet Park, while soaking up all the luxuries of a fantastic, family-friendly community. I have a huge soft spot for this neighborhood because it was crafted by Craig Builders. That's right... it's me. Just kidding! Man, it would be awesome if I owned Craig Builders, but alas, here I am writing to you lot. :)

162 Agatha Ridge Ln
Crozet, VA
5 Bedroom - 3.5 Bathroom - 3,777 Total Sqft
8 Days on the Market | Asking $900,000
Listed by Avenue Realty

What I’m Watching

Mortgage Rates!

For three years, we’ve watched interest rates bounce from 5.5% up to 8%, down to 7%, and now finally to 6%. As if we needed any more stress from the constant roller coaster rates have been on over the years! Seriously, sometimes rates would drop half a percentage point, only to shoot up a full 1% literally the next day. How are buyers supposed to plan ahead when rates are in such wild flux?

But I have good news: rates are holding steady right around 6%. And when I say holding, I mean it, they aren't fluctuating drastically every single day. This is fantastic news for buyers. It means you can actually plan ahead without the fear of jumping on one rate, going under contract, and then being forced to accept a higher rate just because the market changed overnight.

What The Local Market Is Doing

Listings are up and homes are getting multiple offers??

This past weekend, a home in Ivy went up for sale for under $500k. Yes, it was a home in need of many updates, but it was under half a million! Naturally, that sparked an absolute buyer frenzy. What happens when homes hit the market priced below market value? They get multiple offers and go for way more than they were listed for.

As a listing agent, I always say that the starting price is just the invitation to come tour the home. It is not the final number. If that same home had started at $700k, would it have gotten 9 offers? Definitely not. Because inventory is still scarce, pricing it low generated a ton of interest. That competitive environment pushes buyers to spend more than they originally planned because they are bidding blindly against everyone else.

In other news, our overall inventory is up over 400 for the first time since August! This is totally normal and exactly what we expect to see as the spring market finally kicks off.

Albemarle & Charlottesville

Homes Listed This Week - 81 | Last Week - 56
Median Sold Price - $515,000 | Last Week - $512,000
4.5 Months of Inventory | Last Week - 4.75
Today’s rate - 6% with a 30 Yr. fixed conventional mortgage - Last Week 6.05%

Local Spotlight

Crozet Inspiration Station

Crozet Inspiration Station is a local gem that I really need to spend more time checking out! If you’re wondering why the name sounds so familiar, it was formerly Rose's Inspiration Station. The original owner recently sold it to Xenna Belfield, and now it’s officially Crozet Inspiration Station.

If you have preteen kids, this is absolutely a place you need to check out. Located right in Piedmont Place, it’s half hands-on craft studio and half specialty toy shop. You can drop in to whip up a quick craft with the kids, grab an art kit to-go, or browse their shop full of sensory-friendly toys, and cool science gadgets.

My boys have been begging to go check it out since new ownership so let me know if you want to get a playdate on the calendar! I’m ready if you are. Just reply to this email and let's set it up!

My Final Thoughts

The housing market is fiercely local, and locally, it has become unaffordable. I mean this in all sincerity, the housing market right now is simply not affordable for the working class. Unfortunately, while the recent drop in interest rates definitely helps give buyers some breathing room, it won't solve the root of the problem.

The only way we actually fix this is through local legislation that allows builders to build faster and for less money. Builders aren't the March of Dimes, they are running businesses, and they aren't going to build cheaply if the math destroys their bottom line. Cutting through the red tape so builders can actually afford to create more housing that is the true "affordability" fix we need.