Luxury Charlottesville Homes
Top 10 Best Buys November '09

There is nothing scientific about this month's lst.  I did NOT put a price range on it.  My parameters were this:

1.  On market over 600 days--which might mean either large price corrections, a stressed seller with motivation to sell, or both.
2.  Basement--houses with basements hold value better because they have more utility
3.  Garage--as is case with basements, garages add a definite dollar amount when determining value
4.  Albemarle County

That's it.

And here's the list of Top 10 Luxury Charlottesville Home Buys for November 2009:

3813 Greenville Dr. Charlottesville--Reduced to $775,000

                          
Sometimes sellers want to speculate with their pricing--trying to push the high end hoping they'll get it.  And sometimes, especially when markets start to drop, they get caught with their high price and pants down. So the property sits and sits and sits and pretty soon develops a stigma.  There may be nothing wrong with the home. But because it was overpriced and therefore sat too long on market in comparison to others that sold, it ultimately sells for less (if at all) than if it was priced right from the start.

Built in 1988, this contemporary has 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths in 3610 square feet with a partially finished basement, 2 car garage, tennis court, all on 13+ acres. It advertises deep wood views from every window and even winter Blue Ridge views. Offered by McLean Faulconer and reduced by hundreds of thousands $$.
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5105 Blenheim Rd., Charlottesville--Reduced to $799,000

Here's a new construction spec home that boasts  "The Best Value in Albemarle!"  With 3688 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, unfinished full basement, 2 car garage on 25+ acres. It has the customary up-grades like Anderson windows, Moen fixtures, ceramic tile, hardwood floors, quartz countertops, and even 2 laundry rooms for the perennially dirty family.  Offered by Roy Wheeler.

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1780 Bentivar Rd., Charlottesville

Bentivar is a secluded smallish sub-division that has all like and kind homes located off Rte 29 about 2.5 miles (east) and 1 mile to Profitt Rd (west).

This particular home was the builder's own.  It was built in 2004 and has 4100 square feet with 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, 2 car garage, full unfinished basement on 5.5 acres.  It has water frontage on the Rivanna River below and from the front, mountain views. Top-of-the-line appliances and up-grades throughout. Still overpriced even though price has been reduced.  Offered by McLean Faulconer

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3256 Heathcote, Keswick

Finally, a home where the wet bar is almost as large as the custom kitchen! 

Built in 2008 as a spec house in the gated community of Glenmore, this house has 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths in 4800 square feet.  It has a full unfinished basement and top-of-the line up-grades like Carribean nutmeg floors, butler's pantry, etc.

Glenmore has been particularly hard hit by the recent economy slump with prices dropping and market times increasing.  I'm pretty sure this builder would like an offer on this home--he's even offering it as a lease purchase!  Too bad they've kept with the same crummy front photo--I think it needs to be changed, especially this long!

Offered by RE III @ $1,398,000
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3615 Blandemar Dr., Charlottesville

This home needs to be re-marketed with some fresh pictures.  It's a gorgeous home.  Built in 2000, it's an extraordinary brick Georgian on 21  landscaped acres in the gently rolling fields of Blandemar. The home was custom designed and built using local craftsmen for paneling, cabinetry and exterior wrought iron lanterns. Includes 2 bedroom guest cottage. 

I cannot believe that in close to 3 years no one has bought this home.  The luxury home market hasn't dried up that badly.  In fact, since the first of this year 48 homes between $800,000 to $7.2 million have sold in Albemarle County.

Offered @ $1,595,000 by Roy Wheeler and Co.
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1701 Bundoran Dr., North Garden

Bundoran is a 54+ acre estate in North Garden, Virginia just 15 minutes south of Charlottesville. Constructed in 1952, this Georgian Revival manor house is situated on a park-like knoll featuring mature English boxwoods, formal gardens and magnificent oaks and shade trees. The estate is privately set in the rural countryside of rolling hills, mountains and other large farms. This property and the surrounding 2,300 acres of the Bundoran Farm community are protected under a Declaration of Preservation Covenant to preserve the area's agrarian character.

Offered by McLean Faulconer @ $3,750,000
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200 Seven Oaks Farm, Greenwood

Historic Albemarle estate c.1847 listed on the National Register of Historic places and a Virginia Historic Landmark. Colonial Revival restored and enlarged in 2001 with gardens and landscape designed by Rachel M. Lilly. A Colonial compound at the base of the Blue Ridge mountains with numerous nineteenth-century structures, the property offers complete privacy with outstanding mountain views. Features a 2,870sq.ft. pool house with vanishing-edge pool, four tenant houses, studio, gym, stables & vineyard.

Another similar property was also listed at over $10 million and sold for $7+ million.  So there are deals to be made, deals to be had!

This home offered by Stevens and Co @ $10,500,000

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741 Woodlands Rd., Charlottesville

This property is listed in our MLS multiple times offering it in many different packages--more or less land, etc.  It's a spectacular property, just overpriced.

This is what's in the MLS:  Close to town and only 9 min to airport. Dramatic entry leads to 60 room brick manor home, Palladian in style, with exceptional finishes throughout. Additional structures on the property include Carriage House, Garden House, Log & stone cabin, Gate House, Working barn. Pool, deck, formal garden, Pavilion, tennis court, covered bridge, brick walkways, orchard, several ponds. Magnificent Estate property w/in 5 min of Charlottesville. Property is NOT under conservation easement.

Offered by Frank Hard and Assoc.
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2262 Old Keswick Farm Rd., Keswick

O.K., they dropped their price almost $3 million.  Time to take a look!

547+ ac. country property in Keswick. Renowned for breeding & raising some of the finest thoroughbred horses in the industry. Equestrian facility includes yearling, broodmare & racing barns & a total of 36 stalls plus board fencing. Historic home has 11 ft ceilings, original woodwork & graciously proportioned rooms. Also a summer kitchen, pool complex & several cottages. Property under VOF conservation easement.

Offered by Frank Hardy and Assoc
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Gordonsville Rd., Keswick

Country property in the Keswick Hunt with 514 acres under easement. Manor,3 additional cottages, carriage house, 16 stall barn w/ tack room and wash stall and "walker". All weather riding ring large paddocks and lots of trails for riding. Property is under easement and joins with some 37,000 acres in the Southwest Mtns Historic District, with appx. 15,000 of which is permanently protected, just east of Charlottesville and the University of Virginia.

Offered by Frank Hardy and Assoc @ $18,000,000

Presented by:

Fulton W. Gaylord--Assoc Broker, SRES, ABR, e-Pro
Authorized HUD Representative, Certified REO Specialist
Keller Williams Realty
1885 Seminole Trail, Suite 100
Charlottesville  VA  22901
434-220-2228

Fulton@KW.com

Luxury Charlottesville Homes