Results for ‘In the Field’ Category

MAY DAY!

May 28th, 2009

This is section of my blogging is never what I would call official but conversational with regard to the remarks I add about Real Estate related thoughts.  I’m not going to wow anyone with statistics but report from “The Field” the general mood and feelings of things.  The title here is enough of a cry for help.  I’d say things have gone from worse to even more disheartening.  What i had hoped to see a vibrant spring of folks shaking off a miserable winter collapse and just a few brave buyers emerging and willing some sellers into making deals happen.  I’ve seen very little if any of this happening.  I can reference a couple transactions personally but must acknowledge that May was a let down from the hope that the mood would brighten.  As we move into Summer and transactions are few and far between I must say the outlook until next fall is bleak.  Precious little happens in the summer months and all reports are negative.  Alas, this market teaches us about ourselves - like a man looking into the abyss, I rely on character to see me through.

In other news, we’ve had substantial rains this spring and quite a bit of cool weather in Virginia.  That should bode well for hay cuttings this year, most I’ve talked to have too much hay on their hands already. Nights are warming now and Virginians are comforted by sweaty evenings, bullfrogs by the ponds and honeysuckle you could practicly taste as you breath it in on an evening walk.  There are worse places one could find themselves in a recession.

From the field I encourage all to look hard at buying property in Virginia.


[Read more →]

April - Thoughts about “The Market”

April 15th, 2009

There is the outside possibility of a slight “up-tick” in the country property market which for all intents and purposes has been DEAD.  If you Wall Street is an parrallel and it often is to the luxury real estate action, the feeling of free fall with no end is not as strong as it was in February and March.  All signs would point to taking a breadth at least for now but I can’t say that I see a strong rally of farm sales happening this spring but I stand ready to be corrected.

Virginia Country property feels like one of the last things people decide they want to unload when times get tough.  It’s special and they know it.  A boat or a beach house or any variation of a significant asset might get trimmed off the balance sheet before that refuge of rolling pastures and farmland in Virginia.  That said, when it’s gotta go it’s gotta go! Under this logic we’re likely to see several sales with signifacant gap between list price and sale price.  Foxport, in Barboursville may be a good example of this.

From the field, I drive around in search of opportunity.


[Read more →]