Looking for some great Holiday Lights this year?  Let Charlottesville’s most innovative real estate brokerage save you a little bit of time.  Our Realtors done some legwork by scouting out some of the best neighborhoods in the Charlottesville area for Holiday Lights.  We’ll spotlight a few ‘Best Of’ lists over the next several days, but we’ll get things kicked off with Crozet. 

Honorable Mention: Grayrock

Grayrock is a beautiful single-family home community located along the western edge of Crozet. The first Grayrock homes were started in 1999. Between its two sections, Grayrock and Grayrock North, there are 152 single family homes, two ponds, a series of nature trails, and other amenities such as a gazebo, tot-lot, and basketball court. Grayrock also offers Blue Ridge Views and easy access to Downtown Crozet, the Old Trail Village Center, and King Family Vineyards.

5. Westhall

Westhall is a charming community of cottage-style homes in fresh, inviting colors set against a wooded backdrop in Crozet. All Westhall homes are ideally located within walking distance to Claudius Crozet Park and the community also features its own private tot lot, green space, and sidewalks. Westhall real estate options include town homes and single family homes.

4. Cory Farm

Established in 1997, Cory Farm is a 67 home neighborhood located in Crozet. Cory Farm homes are 8 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive, yet within walking distance to a variety of shops and restaurants, including the new Crozet Harris Teeter in the Blue Ridge Shopping Center.

3. Parkside Village

Located adjacent to Claudius Crozet Park and within walking distance to Downtown Crozet, Parkside Village consists of a combination of single family homes and town homes. With a traditional neighborhood feel, front porches and sidewalks create a friendly neighborhood environment. All Parkside Village homes are an easy stroll to Claudius Crozet Park, which offers a soccer field, playgrounds, baseball fields, and a community pool.

2. Old Trail

Nestled at the base of the Blue Ridge on over 800 acres, Old Trail Village is a traditional neighborhood development (TND) featuring a Village Center, a community pool, Old Trail Golf, walking trails, and acres of parkland. Old Trail real estate options range from townhomes to carriage homes to estate homes. The Old Trail Village Center includes a coffee shop, restaurants, a day spa, and ACAC Fitness and Wellness – conveniently located within walking distance of all Old Trail homes. Whether you are looking to buy an existing home, purchase a home site, or build your dream home, Old Trail is a must see if you are exploring Crozet real estate.

1. Western Ridge

As one of the most popular communities in Crozet, Western Ridge’s tree lined streets, sidewalks, and Blue Ridge views serve as a strong draw for residents. However, Western Ridge homes also offer access to the community pool, fitness center, tennis courts. nature trails, and pond. Social events abound in this neighborly community. Western Ridge real estate options are expanding with the new West End at Western Ridge phase by Craig Builders.

For more information on holiday lights in the Charlottesville area, check out RealCentralVA for an interactive map.

Established in 1997, Cory Farm is a 67 home neighborhood located in Crozet.  Cory Farm homes are 8 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive, yet within walking distance to a variety of shops and restaurants including the Shoppes at Clover Lawn and the Crozet Harris Teeter.

As a relatively small subdivision, Cory Farm doesn’t have a large number of sales from year to year.  After the final new homes were completed and sold in 2004, there have been a total of 28 sales between 2005 and 2008…meaning that about 42% of the homes have ‘turned over’ in that 4 year span.  Considering the average homeowner moves every 7 years, Cory Farms is in line with normal turnover rates.

As with most Charlottesville and Crozet neighborhoods, sales numbers and prices in Cory Farm peaked in the 2006-2007 timeframe and have backed off from peak pricing levels.  In 2004, the average price per square foot in Cory Farm was $120/sf.  As the Charlottesville real estate market took off, so did prices in Cory Farm.  At its peak in 2007, price per square foot was $164/sf – a 36% increase in just a few short years. 

However, this price per square foot number may be a little misleading, considering the average size of homes sold in 2004 was 2605 sf and the average size of homes sold in 2007 was 2257 (a 13% difference).  Comparing apples to apples, the average per square foot of a home is almost always more for smaller homes since each additional square foot is typically less expensive to build/reproduce than the previous one.  For example, a similar 5000 sf home most likely does not cost twice as much as a 2500 sf home to produce.

Since 2007, prices have backed off to (approximately) 2005 pricing levels…and, not coincidentally, Albemarle County average home prices are also at about the same levels as 2005. 

Through the first 8 months of 2009, there have only been 3 sales in Cory Farm.  While the neighborhood’s proximity to the new Harris Teeter may be appealing to some, it actually may be a bit too close.  Many homes that once looked over farmland now look directly at Harris Teeter.  In addition, the increased traffic on 250 (due in large part to Harris Teeter and Clover Lawn) may also be a detractor for Cory Farm.  Many people move to Crozet to get away from the traffic and congestion of 29N and the City of Charlottesville.  And with other Crozet neighborhoods still surrounded by more privacy, Cory Farm’s location may actually be hurting potential sales.

On the positive side, there has been a nice influx of new businesses and services coming into the Crozet area…making Crozet more and more ‘self-sufficient’.  These new businesses are increasing the popularity of Crozet because residents no longer need to drive to Charlottesville (or Waynesboro) for their daily needs.  Moving forward, I expect Cory Farm to continue to be a popular neighborhood mainly because a) it is easy to get to Charlottesville using I-64 and Route 250 b) it is built out and there is minimal construction going on (with the exception of neighboring Liberty Hall) and c) the community has desirable floor plans from several popular Charlottesville builders.