Questions/Curious about the Crozet Real Estate Market?

If you are curious about the market, and googling isn’t doing it for you, come talk to two experts about the Crozet real estate market.

Questions about the Crozet real estate market? Curious about the new construction or resale market? Stop by NestWest in Piedmont PlaceThursday from 5 to 7, grab a drink Blue Ridge Bottle Shop, a bite from Morsel Compass, dessert at Crozet Creamery, and chat with David & Jim!

NestWest is right next to Over the Moon Bookstore & Artisan Gallery!

Results of the Crozet Survey in 2017

via Crozet Gazette

If there’s one broad, irrefutable conclusion to draw from the 2017 Crozet Community Survey it’s that the people who live in the Crozet area really, really like living here. They treasure the history of the area and are complimentary of many different facets of present-day life in Crozet. Yet the survey also reveals that local residents recognize, quite clearly, that the area is rapidly growing, and with that come both opportunities and challenges.

Read the results. They’re interesting.

Notes From a Crozet Coffee Conversation

Ongoing series continues. A few notes I took that are relevant to Crozet, but don’t necessarily have a topic other than “relevant to Crozet.”

In the context of, ” why can’t Albemarle County control growth”?

  • A few things came up in conversation 
  • Dillon Rule
    • “… Dillon’s rule limits the powers granted to local governments to those expressly granted by the state, implied by the state, or essential to a locality. More importantly, Justice Dillon ruled that if there is any reasonable doubt whether the state has granted a power to a locality, then it has not been granted. Simply put, towns and cities derive their authority from the state. “
    • Albemarle County’s Land Use Law Handbook – a fantastic resource.
    • Adequate Public Facilities legislation
      • A sample, failed bill from 2008.
        • Adequate public facilities. Allows any locality to adopt provisions in its subdivision ordinance for deferring the approval of subdivision plats or site plans when it determines that existing schools, roads, public safety, sewer or water facilities are inadequate to support the proposed development. Such deferrals cannot extend beyond 12 years. A locality may also consider the adequacy of public facilities in the preparation of its zoning ordinance. Amends § 15.2-2242, § 15.2-2280, of the Code of Virginia. Read the Bill »
    • Impact Fees
      • A bill in the 2018 General Assembly
        • Impact fees for residential development. Repeals provisions that limit existing impact fee authority to (i) localities that have established an urban transportation service district and (ii) areas outside of such service districts that are zoned for agricultural use and that are being subdivided for by-right residential development. The effect of the repeal will be to make the existing impact fee provisions available for use by any locality that includes within its comprehensive plan a calculation of the capital costs of public facilities necessary to serve residential uses.
      • Proffers
        • These used to be something somewhat useful to extract some costs to allocate towards paying for growth. Proffers ceased in 2016.
        • If interested, read some of the proffers news at Charlottesville Tomorrow.
        • Read this whole thing from 2016.
          • A new law recently enacted by the Virginia General Assembly, which goes into effect July 1, 2016, will dramatically change the way cities and counties address re-zonings for residential projects.The law, known as Senate Bill 549, was signed by Governor McAuliffe in March.  It restricts both the subject matter and manner in which localities may accept proffers in residential zoning actions.  The new law is causing local governing bodies, such as the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors to revamp their policies on proffers – policies that had become fairly objective, even lending some predictability for investors and developers in recent years.
          • What are proffers? Proffers are essentially conditions that apply in a rezoning that are intended to mitigate a new project’s impacts to public infrastructure or facilities. For example, if a new development were projected to increase traffic at a particular intersection, a new traffic signal or lane widening could typically be expected from the developer of that project. Other frequent examples include improvements to schools and fire stations.  Under current law, proffers have been used to help improve local transit, even to promote affordable housing. Proffers can be in the form of direct cash contributions, or physical improvements installed by the developer itself.
        • My opinion:  in many ways, Albemarle County makes the development process onerous, expensive, and way too time consuming for the rezoning/former proffer process. In doing so, many developers go the path of least resistance – by-right – and often, that end result is not what is best for Albemarle.
        • Related story: County development areas attracting growth, but homebuilders see room for more
        • And this: New proffer era has begun for Virginia localities
    • Richmond Sunlight
    • VPAP
      • See who’s giving our elected representatives money, and a whole lot more information.

The Series

  1. The Beginning – A Conversation with a friend over coffee
  2. Prologue – Support local journalists & journalism
  3. How Much Money for Infrastructure Has Crozet Gotten?
  4. Crozet Population Numbers Keep Growing
  5. Crozet Acronyms – What do They Mean?
  6. Crozet Water Supply
  7. Notes from a Crozet Coffee Conversation
  8. Ongoing Crozet Projects of Note
  9. Getting Involved in Crozet – Where to Start?
  10. … I don’t yet know …

Fire Behind Westlake & Western Ridge Last Week

via email (my apologies for taking so long to post)

by Spencer Elliott

I was returning home at around 10:30/10:45 and noticed a glow in he woods between two houses, which I thought peculiar. It looked like a fire, but at first I was in disbelief. It took only a moment more for me to realize it was in fact a fire. I immediately rushed into my house to tell my parents, and we then called 9-1-1 to alert them. Giving them directions was difficult because the fire came from the clearing behind western ridge, which is undeveloped land.
Here are a few pictures, not that they’re amazing quality, but its what we were able to capture.

Water Line Work Being Done 16 Jan in front of Western Ridge

via email:

Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority, along with Faulconer Construction, will be performing water line repair work on Tuesday January 16, 2018. The repair will take place on Route 240 near Park Ridge Drive in Crozet, VA and is scheduled to begin at 8:00 am. Traffic control will be present and will consist of a lane shift into the painted median, to minimize the impact on through traffic, however speeds may be reduced in the work area. Work is scheduled to end at 4:30pm and the normal traffic pattern will be restored.

Continue reading “Water Line Work Being Done 16 Jan in front of Western Ridge”

CCAC Meeting – 17 January 2018

Make 2018 your year to get involved in Crozet. #CCAC0118

CROZET COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Crozet Library

Wednesday, Jan 17, 2018 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Agenda

1. Agenda Review (Dave Stoner – CCAC chair)

2. Approval of Minutes

3. Crozet Survey Results Presentation & Discussion (Crozet Survey Committee – Shawn Bird, Tom Guterbock, and Tim Tolsen – 90 min)

4. CCAC Discussion follow-up: WAHS Wireless Tower SUP (tentative – possibly push to Feb)

5. Items Not Listed on the Agenda

6. Announcements

7. Potential Future Agenda Items

a. Feb – Albemarle County Stormwater Utility Plans (Greg Harper, Env.
Services Chief)
b. Feb – Western Park Master Plan Update (Bob Crickenberger, Albemarle
County)
c. Feb – WAHS Wireless Tower SUP supplemental information (ACPS,
Milestone)
d. Mar – Follow-up discussion on Crozet Survey and Master Plan Update
e. Mar – Crozet Drinking Water Infrastructure Plan Update (Mr. Mawyer
ACSA/RWSA)
f. Mar – Officer Elections
g. TBD – Old Trail Historical Recap
h. TBD – Albemarle County Economic Development Authority Invite

 

 

This will be the first meeting I’ll recap without the use of Storify; I’m not yet sure how I’ll do that. Suggestions welcomed. 

Is the survey truly “unchallengeable”?

Getting Involved in Crozet – Where to Start?

Being a Citizen Takes Effort. And Sacrifice.

I was talking to an acquaintance about public meeting attendance, and she recounted how she had attended meetings for years. Her husband would come home from work to watch the kid, sometimes, they’d get a babysitter, she’d forego other opportunities, in order to be a participating member of the community. She, and her family, sacrificed to be citizens.

If you do go to that one meeting because it directly affects you? Go to the next one. And the next one, even if the material affects only the community in which you live, and not your particular back yard, or street.

Where to get involved in Crozet?

What interests you?

How much time are you willing and able to commit?

 


The Series

  1. The Beginning – A Conversation with a friend over coffee
  2. Prologue – Support local journalists & journalism
  3. How Much Money for Infrastructure Has Crozet Gotten?
  4. Crozet Population Numbers Keep Growing
  5. Crozet Acronyms – What do They Mean?
  6. Crozet Water Supply
  7. Notes from a Crozet Coffee Conversation
  8. Ongoing Crozet Projects of Note
  9. Getting Involved in Crozet – Where to Start?
  10. … I don’t yet know …

Crozet Real Estate with David & Jim – Start of 2018

We went for a shorter, tighter segment this time. What do you think?

Mark  your calendars – 18 January from 5 to 7 at the Rooftop. Come talk about the Crozet real estate market with David & Jim.

Questions? Ask David or Jim.

Read all of the real estate posts here on RealCrozetVA.


Transcription is in the works; I’ll update this post then.

Legal Disclosure: David and I are real estate agents with Nest Realty in Charlottesville.


Quick data points from our notes

* 150M vs 129M
* 313 vs 282 up 11%
* New construction – 113 vs 90 – up 26%
* Resale market – pretty flat 200 sold in 2017 w/ 61 DOM vs 192 in 2016 with 57 DOM
* 55 sales over 1 acre vs 52 – people want small yards
* 21 land sales
* 5 distressed

Tight inventory continues
New construction continues to do extremely well.

In Old Trail, in 2016 87 sold, and 2017, 80 sold

Fun Fact – 55 new construction sales in Old Trail both years

Fun Fact – Trails mentioned 5 times in 2007, 35 in 2016 and 40 times in 2017

December 2017 – 29 ratified contracts in 2017 vs 17 in 2016.

 

 

Transcript

 

Crozet Real Estate Market – Starting 2018

Jim: Hey there. Jim Duncan with Nest Realty.

David: David Farrell with Nest Realty, sitting here at Nest West.

Jim: Do a little bit of Crozet real estate. Looking back at 2017, Crozet had 115 million dollars of real estate sales, versus 129 million in the previous year.

David: It was a heck of a year, Jim. We had 313 sales. That was up 11% from last year — the most ever in Crozet. Remember we’re defining Crozet by the Brownsville —

Jim: And Crozet Elementary.

David: — and Crozet Elementary school district.

Jim: New construction?

David: Was also up. 113 new homes build in Crozet last year, up from 90 the year before in 2016, so that a 26% increase, new home constructions.

Jim: Heck of a year for new.

Resale, actually, was kind of flat. I think, driven by the new construction taking it. 200 sold in 2017 with 61 days on the market, and 192 sold in 2016 with about the same, 57 days on the market.

David: Still impressive though.

We had 55 sales on an acre or more. Those are typically a couple of the older subdivisions in town, but mostly properties outside of the area.

Jim: Right.

David: There were 21 land sales overall for the year, which is the same as in 2016\. The good news is, we only had five distressed sales over the whole year — short sale, foreclosures — there were 7 in 2016\. So we’re thrilled to see that.

Jim: That’s a great thing.

David: Good to see that figure drop.

Jim: Looking forward to 2018\. We’re going to have continued tight inventory. It’s going to be hard to buy a house for a lot of people. New construction is going to continue to kill it, I think.

David: Yes.

Jim: — but for those looking for stuff under 500 in Crozet…

David: It’s getting hard.

Jim: It’s going to be hard, getting harder.

David: Attached home in Old Trail or lock into a resale.

Jim: Yes.

Old Trail, 2016, 87 sold, and 2017, fewer — 80 sold.

David: I thought it was extremely interesting in Old Trail that 55 new construction sold in 2017; the exact same as in 2016\. So even though we see dirt flying over there constantly, the build-out rate seems to be around 55 — between 50 and 60…

Jim: Which is good. A good stable rate of new construction.

My fun fact for this one is that in 2007 in the MLS, trails were mentioned as a selling point five times; 2016, 35 times, and last year, 2017, 40 times. So huge kudos to the Crozet Trails crew for all that they do.

David: Great growing trail system.

Jim: Yes.

And, busy, busy December. In Brownsville and Crozet there were 29 ratified contracts in 2017, only 17 in 2016.

David: Pretty impressive.

Jim: Very.

David: Busy drinking beer around here also?

Jim: Oh, there’s lots of places to drink beer.

David: Third Thursday of the month, we’re going to be up at the Roof Top, so that’s Thursday, January 18th; we’ll be up there from 5 to 7 if you want to come talk about real estate. If you have any questions about heading into 2018, just stop by and have a beer, and we’ll be happy to chat with you.

Jim: If you’re thinking about selling your house, I think now is the time to start having the conversation about getting ready for the spring market, because it is really and truly right around the corner.

David: I’ve got listings coming on this week. I bet you do also?

Jim: Same too.

David: OK. I’m David Farrell of Nest Realty.

Jim: Jim Duncan of Nest Realty.

David: Good luck with your real estate in 2018.

Crozet Water Supply

Sort of part of a series of posts.

Most of Crozet’s public water comes from the Albemarle County Service Authority and Beaver Creek Reservoir. If you’re not on public water, you’re on well and septic.



Questions that need to be asked continually – do we have sufficient water and sewer capacity in the Crozet Growth Area?

Why is our water so cheap? Relatively.

Are they going to raise Beaver Creek Dam?

Continue reading “Crozet Water Supply”

Crozet Acronyms – What do They Mean?

I want to get involved in Crozet, but … What are those acronyms?

  • DCI – Downtown Crozet Initiative (the newest of the groups)

    • An offshoot of the CCA;  focused on guiding the development of Downtown Crozet, raising funds for grants, providing feedback to the developer, and disseminating what the developer is doing.
    • Their mission: “Our mission is to foster a high quality of life in Downtown Crozet by securing resources to ensure that future downtown redevelopment preserves the best of the original character while serving the needs of a growing population. To that end, DCI, Inc. will support economic vitality and community development in Downtown Crozet and facilitate many of the recommendations of the Albemarle County Crozet Master Plan.”
  • CCA – Crozet Community Association

    • This is not the CCAC.
    • Volunteer community organization. Useful for learning about what’s going on in Crozet, and meeting neighbors. Growth and development stuff, in addition to community matters.
    • “The CCA was incorporated in February 1985 by a group of local Crozet residents who saw the need to work together to protect, preserve, and enhance our Crozet community and establish a forum where all are welcome.We meet on the second Thursday of the odd-numbered months (e.g., January, March) at 7:30 PM at the Field School.”
  • CCAC – Crozet Community Advisory Committee

    • This is not the CCA.
    • Useful for learning about what’s going on in Crozet. Mostly focused on growth & development stuff.
    • Appointment by the Board of Supervisors.
      • The Crozet Community Advisory Committee (CCAC) is an advisory committee that provides assistance to County staff and the Board of Supervisors on civic/community issues related to implementation of the Crozet Master Plan in accordance with established county procedures. Members will communicate with their constituencies to increase understanding of and support for successful implementation of the Master Plan. The membership is broad-based to incorporate a variety of perspectives and ideas and to provide citizens, businesspersons and representatives of active community groups a chance to be engaged and be heard in a constructive and meaningful way. The Crozet Community Advisory Committee is guided by two key documents, the Fact Sheet and the Rules of Procedure.
      • The CCAC does not approve or deny anything; they can vote, but don’t have to.
  • PC – Albemarle County Planning Commission

    • Provide guidance to the BoS. Lots of projects are run through the CCAC, in part because many projects need to have public hearings. Often, that “community hearing” is fulfilled by going to the CCAC.
    • They “are appointed by the BOS and there are 7 of us. One for each district and an at large member. (Their) votes are recommendations passed onto the BoS. They meet at 6pm on Tuesdays … not all Tuesdays, but many and the schedule is online
    • PC is often attended only by those concerned about a project that affects their own backyard.

 

The Series

  1. The Beginning – A Conversation with a friend over coffee
  2. Prologue – Support local journalists & journalism
  3. How Much Money for Infrastructure Has Crozet Gotten?
  4. Crozet Population Numbers Keep Growing
  5. Crozet Acronyms – What do They Mean?
  6. Crozet Water Supply
  7. Notes from a Crozet Coffee Conversation
  8. Ongoing Crozet Projects of Note
  9. Getting Involved in Crozet – Where to Start?
  10. … I don’t yet know …