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FAAR Speaks Out on Proposed Louisa County Lot Size Changes
FAAR has submitted a letter to the Louisa County Board of Supervisors expressing concern about proposed increases to minimum lot sizes on agriculturally zoned land. The Association is urging the Board to reject the changes because of their potential impact on private property rights, rural land values, local builders, and housing affordability.
FAAR will continue advocating for policies that protect property owners while supporting a healthy supply of attainable housing throughout our region.
FAAR Releases August 2026 Housing Statistics
The Fredericksburg Area Association of Realtors® (FAAR) is pleased to release the latest housing market statistics to keep our community informed on local trends in home sales, prices, and inventory.
Gary Gardiner, FAAR President-Elect, provides the following comments on the current market.
“August 2026 showed signs that our local residential real estate market is moving in the direction of a buyers’ market. Sellers are experiencing wide fluctuations in sales pricing within many localities. Expect longer days on the market with multiple price improvements to achieve a ratified sales contract. Buyers achieved more opportunities to negotiate within the contingencies, but mortgage interest rates remain elevated and affordability is still the main challenge for many buyers despite the steady increase in months of inventory.
Sellers still have great opportunities to sell but must remain focused on home pricing strategies to appeal to most buyers entering the market. Buyers have more homes to choose from coupled with improved negotiating ability to save money through seller concessions.
Strategically, sellers must remain patient as we are experiencing much lower buyer demand which has led to a significant decrease in overall scheduled showings. Buyers have more opportunities as it relates to the number of homes available and negotiating power within the contingencies.”
FAAR Announces 2027 Board of Directors
Kati Bock
Denise Benedetto
Nate Ferguson
Allison Graves
Amal Hall
Sheronica Thompson
Affiliate Director
Javier Sanchez
No One-Size-Fits-All “Data Center Effect”
With data center development continuing to be a major issue in Virginia, new research from the National Association of REALTORS® offers useful context for REALTORS® and local decision-makers.
NAR’s 2026 Data Center Impact Report finds that the effect of data centers on housing varies significantly by community. Counties with large concentrations of data centers often have higher home values, incomes and job growth, but NAR cautions that this does not mean data centers caused those trends. Many of these areas were already strong technology and employment markets.
REALTORS® surveyed by NAR also reported mixed residential impacts. Concerns included energy costs and water use, while commercial real estate impacts were viewed more positively. Importantly, NAR notes that county-level statistics cannot show what happens to an individual property located near a data center, reinforcing the importance of local market knowledge and credible data when communities evaluate these projects.
For REALTORS® working in a region where data center proposals are increasingly part of land-use and economic development discussions, the full report is worth a look.
Read NAR’s 2026 Data Center Impact Report and associated research documents to explore the findings, county-level data and REALTOR® perspectives.
FAAR Opposes Proposed Stafford BPOL Tax
09/16/2026 Update: BPOL was defeated on a 5-2 vote at 1:00am after a lengthy public hearing!
FAAR has submitted a letter to the Stafford County Board of Supervisors opposing the proposed Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) tax.
Our concern is simple: adding another tax on local businesses increases the cost of doing business in Stafford and could weaken the County’s reputation as a strong place to invest, grow, and serve clients. For real estate professionals, that means another potential cost layered onto an already challenging business environment.
REALTORS® who want to weigh in are encouraged to attend the Stafford County Board of Supervisors public hearing on Tuesday, September 15 at 6:30 p.m. in the Stafford County Board Chambers.
This is an important opportunity for members to share their perspective on increasing taxes on the real estate industry and other local businesses. Your firsthand experience matters, and elected officials need to hear how these decisions affect your business, your clients, and the broader housing market.
22401 Buyers May Qualify for Up to $10,000 in Assistance
For buyers struggling with the upfront cost of purchasing a home, the City of Fredericksburg Direct Homeownership Assistance Program may help bridge the gap. The program provides qualifying low- and moderate-income households with $1,000 to $10,000 in assistance toward eligible closing costs and/or up to 50% of the required down payment. The home must be a primary residence located within 22401, the City of Fredericksburg.
What REALTORS® should know
Eligible households generally must have income at or below 80% of the area median income, based on household size. Applicants also need to have begun the financing process with a lender and provide documentation showing the costs associated with purchasing the property.
Assistance is provided as a forgivable loan secured by the property. The loan is forgiven over five years at 20% per year as long as the buyer continues to occupy the home and meets program requirements.
Why this matters for your buyers
A buyer may have enough income to manage a monthly mortgage payment but still struggle to assemble the cash needed for a down payment and closing costs. That is where knowing about programs like this can make a difference. If you are working with a buyer considering a home in Fredericksburg, encourage them to speak with their lender and the City early in the process to determine whether they qualify and how the assistance can work with their financing.
Important: Funding, income limits and eligibility requirements can change. REALTORS® and buyers should verify current program availability and requirements directly with the City before relying on assistance as part of a transaction.
Learn more and access the application through the City of Fredericksburg Housing Programs page.
Preparing to Vote this November
November midterm elections are just a few months away and we’ll also see some local issues on some ballots. Everyone will see Members of Congress on their ballot and Spotsylvania will be voting for the Commissioner of the Revenue and have a bond referendum so make sure you’re able to vote on these important issues!
Here is how you can prepare using direct online voter portals and tools:
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Registering to Vote or Updating Details: You can complete your voter registration, update your legal address, or submit absentee requests online using the Virginia Department of Elections Citizen Portal. Voting requirements and registration deadlines vary by local jurisdiction, so be sure to check the specific regulations set by your state or local election board.
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Finding Your Polling Location: Voting precincts are assigned based on your residential address. You can confirm your assigned location using the official Virginia Department of Elections Polling Place Finder. Because polling sites can change or adjust operating hours, verifying your location on a government portal before heading out is always recommended.
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Previewing Your Sample Ballot: To research candidates and local ballot measures before you enter the voting booth, check your sample ballot. You can look up your specific precinct’s ballot details through state portals or independent non-partisan resources like Vote.org Ballot Information.
For jurisdiction-specific questions, voting dates, or photo ID policies, always consult your local registrar or your state’s election commission portal.
Stafford County Considers New BPOL Tax: What REALTORS® Should Know
UPDATE: A public hearing on this issue is expected to occur on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at the 6:30pm Stafford County Board of Supervisors meeting located at 1300 Courthouse Road, Stafford, VA, 22554.
Stafford County is considering establishing a Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) tax, a new local tax that could affect some real estate businesses beginning in 2027. At this stage, the proposal is not final. The Board of Supervisors has moved forward with consideration of a public hearing, and the agenda materials specifically note that advertising a hearing does not commit the Board to adopting the tax. FAAR will provide an update when the public hearing is scheduled.
Under the proposal, real estate, financial and professional services would be taxed at $0.16 per $100 of gross receipts, with a proposed $2 million gross-receipts threshold. Real estate services specifically include agents, brokers, property managers, appraisers, rental agents and certain property lessors. For many individual agents and smaller businesses, the $2 million exemption could mean no gross-receipts tax is owed. However, the proposal could still create new licensing and reporting requirements, including an annual declaration of gross receipts.
FAAR will continue monitoring the proposal and advocating for a tax structure that does not unnecessarily burden REALTORS®, small businesses or housing production. Read full information on the proposed BPOL tax below.
Louisa County Considers Major Changes to Rural Residential Development
Louisa County is considering a series of zoning changes aimed at directing more residential development into designated growth areas while preserving rural land, farms, forests, and open space. For REALTORS®, property owners, and buyers, several of the proposed changes deserve close attention because they could significantly affect how land outside growth areas can be divided, developed, marketed, and valued.
What REALTORS® Should Watch
Among the biggest proposed changes:
- 15-acre minimum lots in A-1 and A-2 districts outside growth areas. Family and estate divisions would remain at 1.5 acres.
- 250-foot front setbacks from primary and secondary streets for A-1 and A-2 properties outside growth areas.
- Increased road frontage and lot-width requirements for A-1 and A-2 properties outside growth areas.
- Removal of an existing three-lot density bonus in A-1 and A-2 Growth Area Overlay zoning.
- 2.5-acre minimum lots in R-1 and R-2 districts outside growth areas, while family and estate divisions would remain at 1.5 acres.
- New restrictions on family subdivisions, including a minimum ownership period before a family subdivision can occur and a longer retention period after the parcel is deeded.
- Elimination of two-lot private lanes as a way to access and develop property.
The proposal would also change Planned Unit Development standards, including permitted density and minimum commercial space requirements within a PUD.
Why This Matters to Real Estate
Larger minimum lot sizes, deeper setbacks, greater road frontage requirements, and fewer private-access options could reduce the number of lots that can reasonably be created from some properties. That may affect development potential, future resale options, land values, and the expectations of owners who have held property with plans to divide it later.
Family subdivision rules are especially important in a rural county. Families often rely on these provisions to transfer land to children or relatives for homes. Additional ownership and retention requirements could limit flexibility for those property owners.
For REALTORS®, these changes also reinforce an important rule: zoning today does not guarantee development rights tomorrow. Agents working with land, farms, acreage, or potential subdivision property should carefully verify zoning, access, frontage, subdivision rights, and growth-area status before representing development potential to a client.
This Is Still a Draft
These amendments have not yet been presented as final regulations. County staff is currently asking the Planning Commission for feedback on what should be revised, clarified, or removed before the proposal moves forward.
FAAR will continue watching the discussion with a focus on private property rights, housing opportunity, reasonable growth management, and clear rules that allow property owners and real estate professionals to understand what can and cannot be done with a parcel.
For REALTORS®, this is exactly why local land-use policy matters: a zoning amendment that looks technical on paper can directly affect a property’s use, marketability, and value. Access the entire Planning Commission document with full details on changes below.
FAAR Releases July 2026 Housing Statistics
The Fredericksburg Area Association of Realtors® (FAAR) is pleased to release the latest housing market statistics to keep our community informed on local trends in home sales, prices, and inventory.
Denise Smith, FAAR Treasurer, provides the following comments on the current market.
“The market for July was still busy considering mortgage rates remain slightly elevated. When listed homes are renovated and priced correctly, they are moving faster than those that are not.”
Press Releases
FAAR Releases August 2026 Housing Statistics
The Fredericksburg Area Association of Realtors® (FAAR) is pleased to release the latest housing market statistics to keep our community informed on local trends in home sales, prices, and inventory.Gary Gardiner, FAAR President-Elect, provides the following comments...
FAAR Releases July 2026 Housing Statistics
The Fredericksburg Area Association of Realtors® (FAAR) is pleased to release the latest housing market statistics to keep our community informed on local trends in home sales, prices, and inventory.Denise Smith, FAAR Treasurer, provides the following comments on the...
FAAR Members Partner with Habitat for Humanity for Community Garden Project
On July 6, a group of local Realtors® from the Fredericksburg Association of REALTORS® (FAAR) spent the day volunteering with Greater Fredericksburg Habitat for Humanity to support a neighborhood garden project. Despite the warm July weather, the volunteer team...
FAAR Releases June 2026 Housing Statistics
The Fredericksburg Area Association of Realtors® (FAAR) is pleased to release the latest housing market statistics to keep our community informed on local trends in home sales, prices, and inventory.Sheronica Thompson, FAAR Board Member, provides the following...