as does the Cville theme park meme, thanks to the National Trust for Historic Preservation:With a captivating blend of colorful history, distinctive architecture and Southern hospitality, Charlottesville, Va., is a destination unlike any other. In the shadow of the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains in Albemarle County, Charlottesville still reflects the revolutionary ideals of the founding fathers who once called this place home. Here visitors can walk in the footsteps of Jefferson at his beloved University of Virginia and at Monticello, the home he designed and redesigned, built and rebuilt over the course of four decades….”When you combine the spectacular natural beauty of the region with Charlottesville’s architectural and cultural heritage, it’s easy to see why this is such an ideal destination,†said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “Jefferson loved his home here more than any place on earth, and two centuries later, visitors are just as captivated by Charlottesville’s charms.”
Date Archives March 2007
Subprime mortgages in Charlottesville
There has been a lot of furor the last several weeks about subprime mortgages and the impact that they might/will have on the housing market and the economy as a whole…. The table below can help us ascertain the potential risk (taken in the context of the entire report -pdf):From the report:This study provides the first comprehensive and systematic look at the geographic variations by region and metropolitan area for the soon to be released federal government data covering lending activity in 2005…. These loans are generally more expensive for borrowers with interest rates higher than prevailing prime rates, presumably to compensate lenders for the added risks associated with lending to borrowers with weaker credit histories…. Be prepared.Check out the third slide in this excellent post on tightening lending standards.Business Week’s Map of Misery shows the statewide averages of subprime woes.I have asked a couple of local lenders where I might find this sort of data, with not luck.
The simplicity and power of thank you.
I have written numerous times before on the power and importance of customer service. Few places in this world does “thank you” carry as much weight as the open source community.If you’re curious, start here to see unreasonable expectations and then here to see what a simple “thank you” can elicit.For those of you who blog, take the time to thank those who support us. When you’re at the DMV (as I was last week) say “thank you.” It is amazing what a those two words combined by a smile can accomplish.Geico may have the cavemen, but Liberty Mutual have a better commercial.
Tuesday Links 03-06-2006
(not a local story … yet)5 common mistakes that make you look dumb. Unfortunately, due to the prevalence of these mistakes, it is probably just a matter of time before they become “alternative spellings.” And from the comments comes this great site.
Charlottesville Neighborhoods – Martha Jefferson
The Martha Jefferson neighborhood, bordered by North Downtown, Woolen Mills and Belmont, is facing a significant transition – Martha Jefferson is leaving the neighborhood.  This neighborhood is a prime example of how quickly a neighborhood can change, and also why it is important for a buyer to do his or her own due diligence when shopping for a home.From the C’Ville Design Center’s excellent site:The Martha Jefferson Hospital is the major center of activity and employment in the plan area, which generates some related uses in the neighborhood, including a number of doctor’s offices….  Fairfax Taylor and his family lived in the neighborhood during the mid 19th Century.Homes’ ages range from the early 1900’s to the 1970’s with the odd new, in-fill home here and there.Garages/Basements: Finding a garage would be rare.  Finding a functional (clean, dry) basement – not so difficult, but your definition of functional may change from “livable” to “I could do laundry here.”Home prices and Architecture: the gamut.
CPI increases mortgage payment?
Maybe one of the mortgage folks can help out with this question from a reader in Charlottesville. I have never heard of such a thing before:I recently received an escrow statement from my lender telling me that my monthly contribution to escrow was going to increase because the CPI (consumer price index) was up 2.1%In response to my query questioning whether this was in relation to the recent reassessments:Citibank (they bought the original mortgage) holds the note.I thought about the recent reassessment, but 1) It’s not yet ‘official’, right? Isn’t there a comment period before it’s set in stone? 2) The lender didn’t mention it as a reason for the increase – just cited CPI.
Friday links 02 March 2007
Why invest in student housing? I noted the other day how UVA’s population is growing …Subprime pain starts to spread.The Free Enterprise Forum’s March newsletter is out.Go to the gym, create some energy (HT: slashdot)Go Green, get richThe Budget WinoWorried about privacy? The Government will take care of that.