With over 30 years in the industry, Cynthia Viejo offers extensive experience and local area knowledge to clients looking to find that perfect home. This week in Nest’s “Meet the Agent” series, find out how Cynthia Viejo got her start in real estate and what it is she loves so much about the Charlottesville real estate market.
Nest Realty: Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, Cynthia! Let’s start out by chatting about how you got into real estate.
Cynthia Viejo: Believe it or not, it seems like a lifetime ago. I have a Masters degree in Archeology. I was the assistant archaeologist at Monticello under Dr. William Kelso. I needed to get my Ph.D. to increase my income. I was making $11,000 a year! Can you believe it? I have a lot of family that have been involved in real estate for years. I decided I would dabble in it at the time (1980- interest rates were 19% – there’s a whole other back story around that). Well, needless to say, I decided to leave the archaeology field and go into real estate full time.
I love history, historic homes, and architecture. I still have many friends in the field of archaeology so I get my fix vicariously through them. I love what I do and have for 33 years.
N.R.: Archeology? Wow! What was the first property you ever sold for a client after you made the transition?
C.V.: I listed and sold my first house in 1980. The price was $39,000. What a rush! Did I mention interest rates were 19%? I had to do a lot of thinking outside the box.
N.R.: It’s hard to believe how high rates were! I’m sure there are many reasons that you loved being a Realtor then and, still do, now. I love the hunt. I love meeting people and hearing about their dreams and their lives. I am a good listener so I always listen for what is in between the lines. I love being able to use my instincts. I am a problem solver by nature, so as issues arise, I figure out ways to solve the problems and hopefully create win/win scenarios.
N.R.: Why did you join the Nest team?
C.V.: I have been selling real estate for 33 years. I subscribe to WalkTheTalk.com and I had just received an email in my news feed that said —“You are one decision away from changing your life.”
I am an intensely loyal person. I had been at my previous company for over 27 years. I had been watching Nest and seeing how they were creating a team of associates that were a lot like me. Full time Realtors, passionate about what they do, active in the community and doing great things. When I met with Jonathan Kaufmaun (Editor’s Note: He’s Nest’s Principal Broker) I knew it would be like coming home. So here I landed. One of the birds in this creative Nest!
N.R.: We’re happy to have you in our Nest! Having practiced real estate for 33 years, how has technology changed the way you do business?
C.V.: I have always loved technology and have used it in my business for many years. Landing here at Nest, it amped up several notches…and I love that. It makes me more efficient. It makes me more available to do what I do best, counseling people about buying and selling real estate.
N.R.: What trend should we look out for in the Central Virginia market or in the real estate industry in general?
C.V.: I think we have been entering a new phase of pricing where inventory shortfalls are no longer the driving force behind changes in housing prices, both here and in many markets. In the spring of this year there were rapid increases, especially where there had been larger inventories in the hotter markets. As we enter the last quarter of the year and the absorption rate slows down, there are expanding buyer choices, which has helped to moderate price increases. This month’s Nest report also underscores the uneven nature of the housing recovery and its dependence on the strength of the local economy.
N.R.: What makes the Central Virginia market so unique?
C.V.: The Central Virginia market is unique because it is not dependent upon large employers that come and go from our area causing a glut of real estate inventory that now needs to be absorbed into our marketplace. Our local real estate market is definitely impacted by changes in the economy nationally, but in a lot of ways we stay somewhat artificially insulated from the trends. Not to say that Central Virginia was not, and is not, affected by the crash in our economy from 2007- 2010. I am just saying that the impact was not felt as greatly as in other areas where a town’s economy was directly affected by the loss of employment opportunities because of an entire industry collapse.
N.R.: Speaking of Charlottesville, what’s your favorite time of the year in C’ville? Why?
C.V.: I love spring, summer, and fall. Oh, I love all the seasons! I especially love April when so many flowers are in bloom and the Charlottesville City Market begins for the year. A happy day!
N.R.: We’re entering the home stretch here! What’s the one thing you would tell a new homebuyer to keep in mind throughout the process?
C.V.: The one thing I would say to a new home buyer is to understand that this is a process, a journey. It takes as long as it takes. I would always say partner with an experienced Realtor who understands this concept and will see you all the way through to the finish line.
N.R.: What’s the most important room in a house? Why?
C.V.: The kitchen. I always think of the kitchen as the soul of the house. It is the gathering place for you your life, your pets, your family. Whatever form that family takes. We all just hope it is not a galley kitchen. LOL. If so, gotta rethink my answer.
N.R.: Dream celebrity client?
C.V.: My friend Sissy. 😀 If I would go aspirational it would be the client who has the vision and the unlimited resources to create a wonderful sanctuary to house all the hurt and unwanted animals and a staff of compassionate people who will help them find forever loving homes. I took the opportunity to go for the ultimate dream!
N.R.: Besides having room for your sweet animals, what’s YOUR idea of the perfect home?
C.V.: A perfect home is a home where you feel safe. It makes you smile when you enter. It makes you feel like you are free from the craziness of the world.
Want to connect with Cynthia?
Phone: 434-981-2419
Email: [email protected]
Website: CometoCharlottesvilleVA.com