The posts and articles here are an accumulation of thoughts and ideas, half-baked theories, analysis and opinions about housing and RVA. Having been born, raised and educated both in and around Richmond and the great Commonwealth of Virginia, we have done, seen, heard, figured out, messed up and otherwise experienced a lot since becoming Realtors 20+ years ago in 1992 and 93, respectively.
You may enter the blog page here…or below is a breakdown by category of the different post we have written.
Market Values – A lot of what we write has to do property valuations. We are firm believers that if an agent does their job correctly, their clients will have a greater understanding of their marketplace and the forces which drive it.
Financing – In many ways the financing articles we write go hand in hand with those about market values. As much of what happened during the boom/bust period was directly related to the over/under availability of mortgage credit, it tends to be a theme in much of what we write. Hopefully, as we move forward from the darkest days of 2010 and 11, there will be fewer and fewer articles about this topic. However, since DC has their hands on the proverbial money spigot, I have a feeling this topic will be oft discussed.
MLS – Anyone who has worked with us before knows how we feel about MLS. MLS is one of the best and most valuable databases in existence and will tell you pretty much everything you need to know…provided you know how to ask the right questions. There is an art to asking the right questions, but MLS in the hands of a skilled Realtor like giving a chef the best ingredients…
Design – While the analytical side of me likes to write about market values and financing (nerd), there is a part that really likes the design side of things. Design of housing, neighborhoods and cities…I love it all. I think that lost in all of the talk about ‘the market’ in general is that we forget to talk about how design is what impacts values the most. While it may be hard to see in the numbers, it is easy to see when you look at an individual property (or neighborhood…or city) and see how it interacts with those who use it every day.
Condos – We have sold a lot of condos. And when I say a lot, I mean a lot. Having been lead project rep for the Emrick Flats, The Reserve, The Cary Mews, The Ambrata, Ginter Place, The Marshall Street Bakery, The Prado, Ashley Terrace and several others, we know a thing or two about this oft misunderstood segment of the marketplace.