Rain City Guide has a good post this evening. This response from the founder of Propsmart.com, one of the featured companies, sums up what I believe to be the argument – Who ultimately owns the listings? Ultimately, imho, the home seller. I know this isn’t the currently-accepted “legal†answer, but it’s the “right†answer. This hyper-protection of MLS listings will not help their system survive the internet age. Given time, market forces will beat bureaucratic forces every time: listings will be de-fragmented and freely available to everyone, consumers can pick and choose their favorite search tool, and brokers and agents who add value will (surprise!) continue to thrive and prosper.By the time NAR gathers its committees and experts, decides on resolutions on how to proceed, will it be too late? My question is this – is Realtor.com fighting a losing battle?
Date Archives January 2006
“The Greenest School in America”
Right here in Charlottesville. This is so cool. I wrote a bit more about the green movement when I was finishing up my Eco-Broker certification. I’m just glad to see C’Ville leading the way.The “best place to live in America” is on its way to featuring the “Greenest School in America.” Charlottesville Virginia’s new Charlottesville Waldorf School is in the midst of a $6.2 million capital campaign designed to help the school become the first LEED Platinum elementary school in the country. It will feature a completely integrated “green” design featuring straw bale construction, a rammed earth wall, a living roof, geothermal heating and cooling, water reclamation and passive solar technologies.LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification is awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council and reserved only for those projects and builders who adhere to the ultimate standards of environmental responsibility. The certification is based on a checklist of environmental factors in six categories: sustainable sites, energy and atmosphere, water efficiency, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality and innovation and design process.Courtesy of Yahoo.
The future of Realtor.com, etc.
Inman has a simple question:If Zillow competes with Realtor.com, will (and how will) some of the folks at NAR … position the Seattle company as bad for the industry?That is an interesting question. With such a vast number of innovative tools, which ones will survive and thrive?
Interesting transportation bills
Impact fees.Requires the Commonwealth Transportation Board to establish and apply an impact fee in any locality or region where pursuant to a comprehensive review, it determines that transportation needs are not being adequately met.Not a bad idea. Keep local tax money … local.Amendment:B. The governing bodies comprising the transportation district may agree to impose a local tax to be used exclusively by the district in order to accomplish its purposes. Prior to becoming effective, the tax shall be approved by two successive governing bodies of each locality, with an intervening election occurring between the votes of the governing bodies.
Hollymead Condos
Yet another apartment complex is being converted to condos. Is there even a market for rental apartments anymore?
Aim high and eminent domain.
You’d think they’d have something better to attend to.Real Estate Board; educational requirements for licensure. Provides that as a condition of licensure as a real estate salesperson or broker, an applicant must have at a minimum a high school diploma or its equivalent. The bill also provides that it does not apply to any person holding a valid license as a real estate salesperson or broker issued by the Real Estate Board before July 1, 2006.Thanks, M. Kirkland Cox.Clarifying eminent domain.
Transportation news links
Not THE Gas Tax, but a Gas Tax IncreaseAnother Round of Tax IncreasesAn Opportunity for Truly Smart Growth in VA”Over the long term,” Kaine told the General Assembly, “the most important single change we can make is to reform the way we plan at both state and local levels.” He added, “Our current system, in which local governments make land-use decisions and the state follows behind with transportation planning and funding, creates a situation where the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing.”The bad news is that, while the governor’s diagnosis is generally correct, his solution focuses too much on what not to do. The language about development and growth is not about wisely directing it, but rather about slowing it, curbing it, even halting it.In advocating more investment in transportation projects, especially adding lanes or building new roads, the governor has missed the opportunity to tie transportation investments much more explicitly to state, county and municipal land-use policies and practices.Kaine plan on Traffic Unleashes Swift BlitzIt “would in fact result in a complete moratorium in the construction of new housing in Northern Virginia,” (said) home builder W. Craig Havenner ……Havenner refused to give up: “We don’t believe that the right approach is to shut down the economy while we catch up from 20-plus years of a complete lack of funding, particularly in the transportation area.”Wrong.More on the two WP articles later.