Charles McDonald - RE/MAX Realty Group

Our beautiful area, local events and neighborhoods. Fine Charlottesville Real Estate in Albemarle County.

http://www.mycharlottesvilleblog.com

About Charles

Many of my clients know that I moved to Charlottesville just 8 years ago Charles McDonaldfrom the Bay Area. I searched for a place to raise my children in a area that has the values of a small town and the excitement of a big city. In a nutshell, I was searching for the quality of life we all deserve. After extensive research I found Charlottesville.

If you are looking to move and are considering Charlottesville, please give me a call. I would love to share with you the wonderful experience I have had in finding Charlottesville and the various reasons that I decided to live in Charlottesville over all other choices from coast to coast!

Regards from Charlottesville

Charles McDonald

Recent Updates
Charlottesville Real Estate Blog
The Quality of Life you deserve


Morning Coffee in Charlottesville with Charles
Meetings, Meetings off to show Charlottesville Real Estate with clients and then yet another meeting! Wow, I feel like I need another cup of coffee! Do not forget, If you see me on the road, be sure to Honk! Let me know if you need anything? Charles Charles McDonald Associate BROKER at RE/MAX Assured Properties, Licensed to sell Real Estate in [...]

Morning Coffee in Charlottesville with Charles
This is one of those mornings where I can take a little breather. You see yesterday was back to back to back meetings dealing with Charlottesville Real Estate. The Spring Market has begun and it feels like it took longer than ever. Maybe I am feeling my age? Looking out my office window I can see [...]

Forest Lakes is a Charlottesville’s favorite
Forest Lakes is located in Albemarle County near Charlottesville, VA.  It is conveniently located off US Route 29, just five minutes from the Charlottesville/Albemarle Airport and extremely close to NGIC Real Estate and DIA. With over 1,400 homes it still feels small. There are 6 lakes and miles of walking and biking trails. Here are a few [...]

What is Crozet or should I say who is Crozet?
What is Crozet or should I say who is Crozet? The community of Crozet began as a whistle stop on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad in 1876 that was established at the request of the Miller Manual Labor School (the Miller School), which had been founded a year earlier. It was named for Colonel B. Claudius [...]

you little cutie!
How cute are your local Buses? San Francisco has the cable cars and large cities have their trolley and street cars but I think for a small town, Charlottesville is doing just fine! Take a look at our Charlottesville City Buses" Now that has Style! One way trips are only 75 cents!           Kids under 5 [...]

Cone of Silence
When we are working with a client we must keep our conversations "private" One of my clients who I am currently working with was telling me about their financial situation and wanted if I would tell another agent or my principle broker about it. I responded with "absolutely not, everything we discuss is private"… My client responded [...]

The Rocks – located in the Charlottesville Real Estate area
$2,099,000 640 ROCKS MILL CT, CHARLOTTESVILLE $1,750,000 3485 ROCKS MILL LN, CHARLOTTESVILLE $1,495,000 3515 ROCKS MILL LN, CHARLOTTESVILLE $949,900 3150 ROCKS FARM CT, CHARLOTTESVILLE Disclaimer: Copyright ©2004-2010 Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors®. All rights reserved. Information deemed to be reliable but not guaranteed. The [...]

You do not need to apologize for success….
No need to apologize for success because it is our nature to compete Great words of wisdom. I hope that some of our Charlottesville Real Estate agents get the message… Via Richard Weisser Coweta Fayette Real Estate:   There is a school of thought that believes that competition is primitive, and that an enlightened society should strive to [...]

Building with Clients in the Charlottesville Real Estate market
Building with Clients in the Charlottesville Real Estate market  Today I drove out to see one of the homes I am having built with my clients in Old Trail. Seeing a home go from conception to plans to foundation to framing (you get the picture) is very exciting. Since my clients are not local to the [...]

Charlottesville Real Estate Twitter update
Why did my County Assessor call me? http://post.ly/R94P Sat Mar 06 19:17:35 +0000 2010 Assessed vs Appraised (Know the difference) http://post.ly/R8U1 Sat Mar 06 18:09:18 +0000 2010 Just posted on ActiveRain: So you think you are a Big Shot? http://activerain.com/t/1530923 Sat Mar 06 18:03:32 +0000 2010 Charlottesville Real Estate put into perspective… http://post.ly/R8No Sat Mar 06 17:58:44 +0000 2010 The Calm after the [...]

Why did my County Assessor call me?
Good question!   In the past I have posted about the difference between Assessed vs Appraised and we all know the difference (if not follow the link for a quick refresher). Recently I received a call from our local Albemarle Assessor's office. I was a little taken back as I have never been called from then before and [...]

Assessed vs Appraised (Know the difference)
Are you selling your home? What is your home worth? Most people need to know the difference between Assessed vs Appraised. Many people feel that their homes are worth at least what these are assessed at by the county assessor's office. Keep in mind that this number is used to generate taxes and is also [...]

Charlottesville Real Estate put into perspective…
So how big is that land you are looking at in Charlottesville? There is always more than one way to look at things… Charles McDonald Associate BROKER at RE/MAX Assured Properties   Brought to you by that guy who sells Charlottesville VA Real Estate  Search for Charlottesville Real Estate 22901 or Search for Crozet Real Estate 22932 [...]

The Calm after the Storm – Charlottesville Virginia!
I just love the sky after a storm!!! Charlottesville Virginia  seems to get the tail end of hurricanes (from the South) and the Northern storms that come from Canada seem to hit a lot harder in the DC area (and New England) than they do in our area. Did Thomas Jefferson pick a great place to live or what??? If [...]

Morning Coffee in Charlottesville with Charles
Dealing with Charlottesville Real Estate, every morning is quite unique. You see my clients (next to family) are my priority but some days I get so busy that I do not have time to touch base and I really wish I could. This morning I got a message from a client who reminded me [...]

Why SRES and Charlottesville Real Estate do mix!
SRES (Senior Real Estate Specialist) is a designation given to agents who have training to work with the 55+ real estate clients. Since the baby boomers are becoming more and more tech savvy, working with this group of clients is critical for most agents. Not all agents undergo this training but maybe they should (at lease [...]

Land – “Buy land, they’re not making it anymore” but be careful ….
  We have all heard the famous quote by Mark Twain : “Buy land, they're not making it anymore” Well that may be true but you certainly need to be careful…    Recently I have seen a couple of interesting situations. 1. I had a prospect call me saying that they wanted 5-10 acres for less than 100K and wanted to [...]

Farmington Country Club – Charlottesville Virginia
Located just West of Charlottesville (actually just minutes) is Farmington Country Club. The Club's Mission Statement says it all: "Farmington Country Club is a traditional, family-oriented private club with a proud history, rich traditions and commitment to the customs of southern hospitality and gracious living." Read the entire Mission Statement here Features include: 27 holes of golf 15 [...]

I want a Paperless Real Estate Office in Charlottesville…. am I wrong?
Working with Charlottesville Real Estate Contracts can often lead to an overwhelming amount of paper. I try to go paperless as much as possible. This week I sent an HOA package that was 160 pages with a simple link to the PDF file. My home inspectors now do their reports totally on-line (or I would consider not [...]

To Buy or to Build – That is the Question
It’s always a tough call to make when you’re shopping around for a home – to buy or to build is a dilemma that persists, especially if both options seem to be equally viable. But if you take some time to ponder the decision based on the following aspects, you may [...]

Morning Coffee in Charlottesville with Charles
Well believe it or not they are calling for snow in Charlottesville this evening…. As I drink my coffee, I realize that my schedule is full and that is the way I like it. I have the pleasure of going to Henley Middle School today to meet regarding High School schedules… WOW, I am feeling old [...]

Charlottesville Ice Park takes a fall… now on the block
Charlottesville Ice Park goes on the market for $4.1 million by Brendan Fitzgerald, March 1st 09:07am This weekend, Charlottesville Ice Park owners Bruce and Roberta Williamson sent a letter to staff members, longtime skaters and local media announcing the sale of the local skating rink, which they bought for $3.1 million in 2003. After two years of [...]

I want a Mule for my Charlottesville Real Estate… What the heck is Charles thinking?
Mule or Gator, this is the question and I know many of you are wondering what in the world is Charles talking about now? When I moved to Virginia (going on 10 years ago now) I went from .25 acres to now 14 acres of land. Well there is a lot to do on a piece [...]

Charlottesville Real Estate and Twitter
Morning Coffee in Charlottesville with Charles http://post.ly/Q1u3 Sun Feb 28 14:07:48 +0000 2010 Just posted on ActiveRain: Speechless Sunday – a few of my Twitter Friends http://activerain.com/t/1518694 Sun Feb 28 13:04:01 +0000 2010 Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood in Charlottesville? http://post.ly/PrZD Sat Feb 27 11:57:04 +0000 2010 If you are looking at Charlottesville Real Estate yuo may [...]

Sunday Chart regarding Charlottesville Real Estate (any questions?)


Morning Coffee in Charlottesville with Charles
Sunday Morning and the kids are busy doing their Bible Study. I am looking at my To-Do list and it seems to be growing…. We are having an open house today in Ivy, please stop by between 2-4pm.  I am seeing signs of the market moving, at least better than last year and looking forward to [...]

Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood in Charlottesville?
A FAIRYTALE GATHERING Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, and other famous fairytale characters come together for an interactive 45-minute ballet performance aimed at small children. http://www.albemarlefamily.com/family_events_and_festivals.htm#156 Posted via email from Charlottesville Virginia

Why Charlottesville looks to REMAX year after year?
  NOTICE: I joined RE/MAX in 2008 and it was a great decision! RE/MAX Assured Properties is independently owned and part of the RE/MAX franchise. They are highly respected and some of the finest agents in our area. This is one of the main reasons I joined RE/MAX, but there are others. RE/MAX is a company [...]

Historic Homes near Charlottesville under 1 million
This was from a recent client request. Charles I wanted to know if there was a way to search for historic homes near the Charlottesville area (built prior to 1900) under one million?I know this is a odd request, but knowing you, I bet you have a way. Answer: Of course, here is a link: Charlottesville [...]

Charlottesville Real Estate presents a great new listing in Ivy
Why use a Spread-Sheet for searching Charlottesville Real Estate?
Excellent question. Let’s use Glenmore as an example. Looking at the photos of these fine homes is all well and good but what if you want to compare prices, number of bedrooms, number of baths, acres and even DOM. What is the best way to do this? Try using a Spread-Sheet. This is one of the options [...]

Now this is a price cut for Charlottesville Real Estate
Kluge Estate Sale Price Cut in Half to $48 Million The price on the Kluge Estate has been cut in half to only $48 million. Patricia Kluge put her 300-acre estate on the market for $100 million back in October of 2009. Email Address: news@newsplex.com Read the full [...]

Charlottesville Real Estate presents Lake Monticello Virginia
 (YTD Feb 2, 2010) Are you considering Lake Monticello? one of my associates is the expert in the area. They lives there, play there and work there. Always use an expert when buying (ask me why). Fluvanna County is located South East of Charlottesville. One of the main draws to Fluvanna is the Lake Monticello Area. Here you [...]

Charlottesville Real Estate presents Louisa Virginia
 (YTD Feb, 24, 2010)  Have you been to Louisa County? Located within minutes of Charlottesville Virginia the county of Louisa is known for open spaces and country settings. The old saying is true, “Things are less expensive in the county” There are great deals to be made on property in Louisa. (Photo taken of a horse [...]

Charlottesville Real Estate presents Nelson Virginia
 (YTD Feb 24, 2010) Looking for Views? Skiing? Privacy? located just South West of Charlottesville is the incredible county of Nelson. With graceful roadways and the Blue Ridge Parkway Nelson is a truly magical place. The Afton area is truly amazing! We also have Wintergreen Resort for Snow Skiing and great golf! When you are [...]

Greene County Sales including DIA and NGIC Real Estate
Greene County is just North of Charlottesville and offers beautiful properties at great prices. Greene County is an excellent choice for clients moving to NGIC. See NGIC Real Estate I recently compared the cost of new construction from Greene to Albemarle and was shocked at the difference (my clients are made aware of these comparisons). When you [...]

Charlottesville Police present CrimeView
TO: Local Media                                 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Crime Analyst Kristin O’Connell oconnellk@charlottesville.org             (434) 970-3274   CrimeView Community CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA – The Charlottesville Police Department recently launched CrimeView Community; a web based application designed by The Omega Group that allows citizens to view reported incidents and crime activity in their local community.  All residents can now easily access and [...]

Charlottesville Virginia Real Estate Information – (YTD Feb-23-2010)
We talk a lot about Statistics when it comes to real estate. Let’s look a little closer at Charlottesville Real Virginia Estate. Have you heard about Charlottesville Virginia? You deserve to have the quality of life that Charlottesville has to offer. We are a small town that has everything you want to enjoy life. Think [...]

YTD Sales for Albemarle from Charlottesville Real Estate
When you are looking for Charlottesville Real Estate remember that Charlottesville is in Albemarle County. We have grand estates and horse farms in Albemarle. The back roads will give you a feeling of peace and harmony as you drive by these beautiful properties. When you are ready to tour, just give me a call, it is my [...]

Charlottesville Real Estate presents Earlysville
Morning Coffee in Charlottesville with Charles
As I drink my coffee this morning all the events of today are playing out in my head. Yesterday I dropped my sister off at the Charlottesville Airport (CHO) and immediately went to show homes in the Charlottesville Real Estate market. Well we found the perfect home and long story short we are ratified on a [...]

My new Facebook photo for Charlottesville Real Estate Group
I took this photo driving in Albemarle County. What do you think? Posted via email from Charlottesville Real Estate

Charlottesville Real Estate twitter posts
A Stunning home in Charlottesville (and a little history) http://post.ly/Ortb Sun Feb 21 00:13:37 +0000 2010 Just posted on ActiveRain: A fine home in Charlottesville http://activerain.com/t/1505034 Sun Feb 21 00:11:52 +0000 2010 A message from HENLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL http://post.ly/Onww Sat Feb 20 14:10:52 +0000 2010 Should we have higher taxes in Albemarle to help schools? http://post.ly/Ong2 Sat Feb 20 13:23:10 +0000 2010 Dinner [...]

A Stunning home in Charlottesville (and a little history)
Recently I was honored to see a Fine Home in Charlottesville. Now this Historic Home is under a major renovation but the beauty and charm of the home is still outstanding! (Photos from my cell phone, please excuse the quality) Now the budget for this renovation must be unbelievable! When looking at these photos does the "White House" [...]

A message from HENLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL
Eighth grade parents, Many of you are aware of the budgetary challenges the school system is facing in the upcoming school year and the planned move to a 4 X 4 schedule next year. I’m sure that these changes have left you with some questions about what this means for your child as they move to [...]

Should we have higher taxes in Albemarle to help schools?
Albemarle County residents on Monday suggested class schedule alterations, an athletics district change and higher taxes — among a slew of other ideas — to cover as much as $13 million in school funding reductions…. read the whole story in the Daily Progress Posted via email from Charlottesville Real Estate

A few new listings in Charlottesville area
$333,500 - 1030 Martin St (charlottesville) $384,900 - 2210 Greenbrier Dr (charlottesville) $215,000 - 1344 Le Parc Ter $247,000 - 279 Tennis Dr $225,000 - 600 Whitcover Cir $399,900 - 421 Berwick Ct (albemarle) $425,000 - 1384 River Brook Ct from Charlottesville Real Estate

Morning Coffee in Charlottesville with Charles
We are seeing signs of the snow receding in Charlottesville this morning. Last night I picked my sister up at the Charlottesville airport after 11pm (she is visiting from California for a few days). It was obvious on the drive that the roads are clearer and even with the temps in the 20's I did [...]

Recent listings in Ivy
Presenting the Real Estate Handoff in Charlottesville!
Why did I refer you to another agent? (The Real Estate Handoff)   When you contacted me you were looking for a specific type of property in a certain area. Well I want you to know that that is not my expertise. However I know the agent you need to work with. I am not brushing you [...]