Top 5 stories of 2007
The top 5 stories on this blog from the past year - Zillow steps it up - Zillow is just "hot" What I want in a real estate website - It worked; now I have most of what I was looking for. Google and Zillow…
Transportation in Virginia
If you live in or use the roads of Virginia and you're not paying attention to the potential remedies, or lack thereof, you need to be. To get you started: Republitarian Bacon's Rebellion (and here) Raising Kaine Charlottesville Tomorrow (and here) What would our area…
If the taxes are local …
... shouldn't the localities decide how to tax themselves? Bah. Requires each locality to lower its real estate tax rate for the forthcoming tax year, to produce no more than 101 percent of the previous year's real property tax levies when any annual assessment, biennial…
2007 Goals
If I don't write them down, it's almost like I don't make them ... - Relish fear and failure. I have experienced failure several times recently. One of these was in competing for a listing, another agent won (it was for a 35% referral fee,…
Tracking the market too closely?
One of the problems with the housing market is the constant tracking of the housing market. The market has never been an immediately-liquid investment, and it ought not be treated as such. How many of you read every line of your quarterly IRA or 401(k)…
Hiatus almost over
Batteries are almost recharged, planning is nearing completion, and most importantly - I spent two nearly uninterrupted days with my family, something I haven't done in nearly a year. The Charlottesville area market seems to be balancing out, and a bit of analysis is in…
Post-Christmas Links 12-28-2006
Housing Market at its worst since 1997. But it's been better than 1997 since then. See - there is a positive spin everywhere! :) Mortgage Rates may move like Elaine Benes. Darned consequences for one's actions. How dare students and faculty have to be -…
Friday links 12-22-2006
An example of mortgage fraud? Staging Q & A - staging/preparing one's house is becoming more and more important in this market. Fun with conservation My new favorite local radio station Mainstreaming of solar This guy says that the real estate market in 2007 will…
Perhaps my favorite post of the week – referencing eminent domain
Referencing eminent domain and the Kelo case: Here is my house that you did take From me to you, this spell I make Your houses, your homes Your family, your friends May they live in misery That never ends. I curse you all May you…
New website is finally up
Finally. After much turmoil *and 24 hours of lost email*, I have now fully opened up my new real estate website. If you get a moment, check it out. The time I have spent on this over the past week has completely drained me. Downtime,…