I miss when homes had actual personality in Charlottesville
I miss when homes had actual personality in Charlottesville
Feb 19, 2026
Feb 19, 2026
Why buyers are begging for houses on Facebook, and good news about spring inventory!
Why buyers are begging for houses on Facebook, and good news about spring inventory!
My Home of The WeekI'll be honest: I'm not a huge fan of most new construction these days. Don't get me wrong, I'd gladly live in one! But with the rising cost of materials, land, and simply doing business, builders have had to protect their margins by stripping away the personality, and I miss that personality. This home on Claremont Lane in the Old Trail neighborhood was built in 2013, and it actually has charm. I can hear you already: "But Craig, those columns in the hall!!" Okay, fair. Those columns were definitely a thing at the time, and practically every house in this neighborhood built in the early 2010s has them. But this place just feels different. It feels like a real home, rather than the rectangular boxes so many new builds resemble today. Is it just me who feels this way?? 217 Claremont Ln What I’m Listening ToThe Dwarkesh Podcast Specifically the Elon Musk episode that came out on Feb 5th. Look, I am not a fan of Elon. The dude in my mind ruined a lot of America advancement with Doge. But in this podcast he says that in 30-36 months it will be cheaper for us to build data centers on the moon... What?? Honestly what! He's crazy right? And that's the thing, I don't know.. The dude has built several multi billion dollar companies, he's advanced his ai in record speed. He's doing things that make money.. So maybe it is cheaper to build on the moon... I recommend listening if you want 3 hours of Elon telling you how he runs his business and hires, and just the advancement in ai. What The Local Market Is DoingINVENTORY!! WHERE IS IT! Look, it's tough to be a buyer right now. Not only is purchasing a home the most unaffordable it's ever been, especially if you're single and not part of a dual-income household, but here in Central Virginia, we have such staggeringly low inventory that buyers and agents are literally reaching out to friends and family on Facebook just to ask if anyone is considering selling. Right now, we have exactly 1,774 homes for sale in our area. And I'm talking across hundreds of miles, not just Charlottesville or Waynesboro. I'm talking Harrisonburg, Culpeper, and beyond. Oh, and that number is only for homes already built, not new construction. So, not only are buyers priced out, but we simply don't have enough houses to feed the current demand. And what does that do? That's right: it raises prices, plain old supply and demand. We need government intervention to step in and raise the capital gains tax exemption to $2 million so more Americans, who have their entire retirement tied up in their home's equity, are actually incentivized to sell. Albemarle & Charlottesville Homes Listed This Week - 56 | Last Week - 37 Local SpotlightCharlottesville Garage Parking System I recently went to the Violet Crown on the Downtown Mall to see the new movie Send Help with my wife. We parked in one of the city's parking garages and discovered they’ve rolled out a brand-new system: you just drive in and drive out. No more pulling paper tickets, and no more waiting in line to pay at the exit gate. Here is how it works: you simply scan a QR code before leaving to set up a quick account with your phone number, license plate, and credit card. From then on, you just drive in and drive out! The cameras track your time and automatically shoot you a text with your receipt when you leave. I know some folks aren't thrilled about this change. A lot of people don't love the idea of their names, cards, and license plates being stored in a new database. But the system is here, and I have to admit, it's incredibly convenient. My Final ThoughtsThe cold, frozen days of January are officially behind us, and sellers are finally starting to list their homes! With 56 homes listed this week compared to just 37 last week, we should see a steady increase in new properties hitting the market every single week between now and June. If the data trends from the last five years hold true, every week will bring a fresh influx of inventory as we head into the spring market. |
My Home of The WeekI'll be honest: I'm not a huge fan of most new construction these days. Don't get me wrong, I'd gladly live in one! But with the rising cost of materials, land, and simply doing business, builders have had to protect their margins by stripping away the personality, and I miss that personality. This home on Claremont Lane in the Old Trail neighborhood was built in 2013, and it actually has charm. I can hear you already: "But Craig, those columns in the hall!!" Okay, fair. Those columns were definitely a thing at the time, and practically every house in this neighborhood built in the early 2010s has them. But this place just feels different. It feels like a real home, rather than the rectangular boxes so many new builds resemble today. Is it just me who feels this way?? 217 Claremont Ln What I’m Listening ToThe Dwarkesh Podcast Specifically the Elon Musk episode that came out on Feb 5th. Look, I am not a fan of Elon. The dude in my mind ruined a lot of America advancement with Doge. But in this podcast he says that in 30-36 months it will be cheaper for us to build data centers on the moon... What?? Honestly what! He's crazy right? And that's the thing, I don't know.. The dude has built several multi billion dollar companies, he's advanced his ai in record speed. He's doing things that make money.. So maybe it is cheaper to build on the moon... I recommend listening if you want 3 hours of Elon telling you how he runs his business and hires, and just the advancement in ai. What The Local Market Is DoingINVENTORY!! WHERE IS IT! Look, it's tough to be a buyer right now. Not only is purchasing a home the most unaffordable it's ever been, especially if you're single and not part of a dual-income household, but here in Central Virginia, we have such staggeringly low inventory that buyers and agents are literally reaching out to friends and family on Facebook just to ask if anyone is considering selling. Right now, we have exactly 1,774 homes for sale in our area. And I'm talking across hundreds of miles, not just Charlottesville or Waynesboro. I'm talking Harrisonburg, Culpeper, and beyond. Oh, and that number is only for homes already built, not new construction. So, not only are buyers priced out, but we simply don't have enough houses to feed the current demand. And what does that do? That's right: it raises prices, plain old supply and demand. We need government intervention to step in and raise the capital gains tax exemption to $2 million so more Americans, who have their entire retirement tied up in their home's equity, are actually incentivized to sell. Albemarle & Charlottesville Homes Listed This Week - 56 | Last Week - 37 Local SpotlightCharlottesville Garage Parking System I recently went to the Violet Crown on the Downtown Mall to see the new movie Send Help with my wife. We parked in one of the city's parking garages and discovered they’ve rolled out a brand-new system: you just drive in and drive out. No more pulling paper tickets, and no more waiting in line to pay at the exit gate. Here is how it works: you simply scan a QR code before leaving to set up a quick account with your phone number, license plate, and credit card. From then on, you just drive in and drive out! The cameras track your time and automatically shoot you a text with your receipt when you leave. I know some folks aren't thrilled about this change. A lot of people don't love the idea of their names, cards, and license plates being stored in a new database. But the system is here, and I have to admit, it's incredibly convenient. My Final ThoughtsThe cold, frozen days of January are officially behind us, and sellers are finally starting to list their homes! With 56 homes listed this week compared to just 37 last week, we should see a steady increase in new properties hitting the market every single week between now and June. If the data trends from the last five years hold true, every week will bring a fresh influx of inventory as we head into the spring market. |
