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jimduncan.bsky.social
Jim Duncan
@jimduncan.bsky.social
700 followers 380 following 23K posts
Charlottesville, Crozet real estate agent & partner w/ Nest Realty, husband, dad, bike rider, wishing for fewer cars, more bikes and sidewalks. I write JimsNote.com - one note a month about real estate market + stories, & RealCentralVA.com, RealCrozetVA
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jimduncan.bsky.social
What I'm reading this week - the Virginia Climate Report from George Mason University.

infocville.com/2025/12/04/g...
Screenshot with Charlottesville highlighted: Large temperature changes (3A) and increasing extreme heat events (2B) pose increased health risks, labor disruptions, and crop stress Virginia is experiencing larger temperature swings throughout each month. Last January (2024), for example, Charlottesville residents experienced a daytime high of 79°F (26°C) and a daytime high of 28°F (-2°C) within 11 days, the largest January range on record. Rapid and extreme temperature changes can adversely affect Virginia’s major economic outputs, especially related to crop production and livestock. As extreme heat events occur more frequently, adverse health effects, infrastructure failure, and ecosystem stress also become more common. The health risks increase the longer someone spends in direct sunlight and higher humidity, as it is more challenging for the body to cool itself as moisture in the air increases. When heat waves increase in duration, intensity, and frequency, disruptions to productivity, construction, recreation, and transportation will become more costly and more common. Virginia is experiencing wetter conditions overall, with more frequent and intense
December 4, 2025 at 5:18 PM
jimduncan.bsky.social
I've started a saved search for myself in the MLS to track properties that I think may be overpriced.

Wish I could make it public, but I'll probably write about it in my December monthly note.

Lower gray is when the properties last sold.
December 4, 2025 at 2:14 PM
jimduncan.bsky.social
One of the worst designs I have seen.

Switches work.

This works, *after* you stumble three more feet into the bathroom to find the light switch for the *other* light.
Photo of an LCD screen with icons for fan, light, a moon for something, a music icon, and at the bottom, a power icon. No tactile way to know what's what. Also, a receptacle with two plugs.
November 30, 2025 at 3:28 PM
jimduncan.bsky.social
“Thank you” is a good thing to say and acknowledge.

(I’d also argue trust “I’m sorry” can be equally valuable,)
MUTTS by PATRICK McDONNELL A man walking with good hands in his pockets. Dog running ahead of him. Title: Giving Thanks Caption: “ If the only prayer you say in your life is thank you, that would suffice.” - Meister Eckhart mutts.com
November 27, 2025 at 12:00 PM
jimduncan.bsky.social
9 total withdrawn so far in Charlottesville and Albemarle (really 8, as 1 is new construction and they're gaming the MLS; that unit will be back on the market soon).
Screenshot showing the days on market of withdrawn homes today so far in Charlottesville and Albemarle. 35, 56, 61 (that's the new construction one), 69, 109, 119, 150, 158, 167
November 25, 2025 at 12:27 AM
jimduncan.bsky.social
This is extremely important missing data in Albemarle County. If they aren't collecting/sharing building permit data, how are we supposed to plan/grow/implement? Vibes?

communityengagement.substack.com/i/179749788/...

Thank goodness for Charlottesville Community Engagement for tracking this.
The data in the 2025 build-out analysis is updated through April 2025. That’s the last time Albemarle County was able to update the “development dashboard” intended to provide a quarterly update of the development pipeline. “This data is currently being rebuilt due to the recent cyber security incident,” reads the dashboard website. For years, Albemarle County has provided quarterly reports on building permits as well as certificates of occupancy. However, this information only goes through 2023 and has not been updated since. Why not? That’s a question that I will ask on Monday.
November 23, 2025 at 10:03 PM
jimduncan.bsky.social
Is this really something people were clamoring for, dropbox?
Screenshot from a Dropbox popup that reads: Emojis in filenames are finally here! 🥳 You can now use way more characters in your Dropbox file and folder names across Web, Mobile, and Desktop. Your files will look the way you want them, everywhere. 🎉 More emojis like 🚀, 🎵, 🐱, 🏳️‍🌈, 🙏 ➗ Math symbols including 𝛑 and 𝔸 ✍️ New script characters 🤗 And many more!
November 23, 2025 at 7:47 PM
jimduncan.bsky.social
A good morning to climb a mountain. #FromtheBicycle
November 23, 2025 at 2:54 PM
jimduncan.bsky.social
Monthly note is out. One day I'll get better at writing more succinctly. Or maybe I should write more often.

Either way, November's Note is here.

realcentralva.substack.com/p/jims-note-...
Jim's Note | Do I need a Realtor to see a house? November 2025 - realcentralva.substack.com Set on a background of a gravel road with morning sunshine
November 19, 2025 at 12:52 PM
jimduncan.bsky.social
Pretty much.
Squirrel says, “OH, MIGHTY SHPHINX, TELL ME WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IGNORANCE AND APATHY.” Sphinx cat says, “HMMм... I DON'T KNOW...” And concludes, “...AND I DON'T CARE.”
November 18, 2025 at 10:56 AM
jimduncan.bsky.social
Morning light was nice today. #fromthebicycle
Mountains in Crozet illuminated by the morning sun. Framed by buildings and Crozet pizza and bluebird books on the right. Powerlines cluttering up the view
November 17, 2025 at 7:22 PM
jimduncan.bsky.social
Dammit. Too long, don't care.

When I'm finished, I'm still going to email it.

JimsNote.com :)
screenshot of my substack note. "Post too long for email." picture of my notebook on a metal table. Showing November 2025 note. - Do I need a Realtor - 2026 - better? Worse - 18 months - Disconnect hoses - settling down - predicting the future - trains - what I'm reading - what I'm hearing
November 13, 2025 at 4:37 PM
jimduncan.bsky.social
Got curious.
“Line chart showing the median age of first-time U.S. homebuyers from 1981 to 2024. The age begins around 29 in the early 1980s, stays mostly between 28 and 32 through the 1990s and early 2000s, then rises steadily after 2010, reaching 35 by 2019 and climbing sharply to 36–38 in the early 2020s. By 2024, the line peaks at approximately 40 years old, illustrating a long-term upward trend over the 30-plus-year period.”
November 13, 2025 at 3:08 PM
jimduncan.bsky.social
This is bonkers.
Chart showing median age of US homebuyers is 59.
November 13, 2025 at 1:26 PM
jimduncan.bsky.social
Drink it Forward tomorrow.

Nest + Community Bikes - great pizza and beer, great NA as well. Supporting Charlottesville Community Bikes.
Drink it Forward, Thursday 13 November 4:30pm to 6:30pm at Random Row Brewery in partnership with Charlottesville Bike Club and supporting Charlottesville Community Bikes What is Drink It Forward? Drink It Forward is an opportunity for you and your friends to enjoy a drink (on me!) while supporting a local organization that is providing an invaluable service to our community. In lieu of purchasing drinks, you are encouraged to donate! About Cville Community Bikes Bikes are good. No, great. Community is great, too. Come for both! We had this event last year, and Random Row had some great NA beers, too. Charlottesville Community Bikes is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) bicycle shop that promotes environmentally sound transportation, recycles bicycles, and makes cycling accessible. In 2024 they distributed over 1400 bikes to families in our community! Beyond this, they offer bicycle repairs & classes, host volunteers, offer job training for local teens, and run a youth bike club. Come help us tap the keg and raise money for an important local organization! Can't attend the event? Consider clicking the link below to donate!
November 12, 2025 at 8:50 PM
jimduncan.bsky.social
I'm signing a listing agreement that I sent to a client to sign via Docusign. This pops up --

Answer: Abso-fucking-lutely-not.

I want to read, and I want *them* to read the Contract.
Screenshot that says: AI Assisted. Summarize this agreement Generate a summary so you can focus on the highlights. This is a beta service. Generate Summary
November 12, 2025 at 8:25 PM
jimduncan.bsky.social
Immigrant detention firm seeks immunity in case before Supreme Court

Slavery. They’re taking about slavery.

wapo.st/4nXZlNK
One of the largest private companies profiting from President Donald Trump’s rapid expansion of immigrant detention centers says it should be immune from a legal challenge to its $1-a-day detainee work program because it was acting on behalf of the federal government.
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday in the case, in which a plaintiff representing a class of more than 30,000 former detainees of a Colorado Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center says they were coerced into participating in the “voluntary” work program at unfairly low wages. The government is protected from some lawsuits through a concept known as “sovereign immunity,” and some government contractors have attempted to claim that this immunity applies to them as well.
Geo Group, which derived more than half of its $2.4 billion annual revenue last year from federal contracts, is seeking to reverse lower-court rulings that denied its ability to benefit from the government’s immunity from lawsuits. A district court ruled in 2022 that Geo wasn’t legally shielded, partly because the government never instructed it how much to pay detainees for work.
November 11, 2025 at 10:40 AM
jimduncan.bsky.social
This is America.
Screenshot of an email From go fund me “How You Can Help: Support Families Facing Hunger” “Right now, millions of American families are at risk of delayed or reduced SNAP benefits. This could leave countless children, seniors, and parents wondering where their next meal will come from. But you’re in a powerful position to make a difference. GoFundMe.org’s Essentials Fund is supporting Americans who are turning to the GoFundMe platform to raise money for daily necessities, especially food. Donate now Through the Essentials Fund, donations are distributed directly to verified fundraisers on GoFundMe as emergency cash grants, in order to provide immediate relief. The time to act is now. Please donate now. Every dollar counts. With gratitude, GoFundMe”
November 8, 2025 at 10:55 AM
jimduncan.bsky.social
Just another morning, riding bicycles around Crozet
Still pond with reflection from the illuminated hill behind it Zoomed in of eliminated mountain with vivid leaf colors, and a bicycle rider in orange Colorful leaves illuminatedon the side of the road Beavercreek reservoir with moon and mountains, framing it
November 6, 2025 at 12:49 PM
jimduncan.bsky.social
WTF.

From UVA on Threads.
Screenshot of a post from UVA on Threads that reads "UVA Emergency Alert: 4:43 PM. Situation at Shannon Library is ALL CLEAR. After extensive investigation, police identified no evidence of attack or threat on UVA Grounds or nearby. Investigation into false report ongoing. Clear to resume normal operations.'
November 3, 2025 at 10:08 PM
jimduncan.bsky.social
I am inputting a new listing. I think my description of the Internet is reasonable. I'm not sure that is the type of answer they were going for.
Screenshot of MLS listing input. One of the data fields is "Describe Internet." So I wrote, "One of the best and worst things humanity has created."
November 3, 2025 at 7:52 PM
jimduncan.bsky.social
If you see this dog, say hi.
Scowling dog.
November 3, 2025 at 7:27 PM
jimduncan.bsky.social
A good morning bicycle ride.
red, orange, yellow leaves on a tree Mid-coffee, pink clouds, power lines, bus lights in the foreground, orange on the horizon.
October 31, 2025 at 3:07 PM
jimduncan.bsky.social
Done.
Me wearing a blue shirt with the “I voted today “ sticker
October 29, 2025 at 5:06 PM
jimduncan.bsky.social
What the hell is happening to Charlottesville traffic? Is it always like this?

And yes, I am traffic
Screenshot of a Google map showing the absolute shit show that is Charlottesville traffic right now with red everywhere indicating heavy traffic. Barracks Road, Garth Road, 250 bypass, Emmett Street, freaking everywhere.
October 28, 2025 at 9:12 PM