Date Archives February 2008

Thursday thoughts – 2 February 2008

I wonder if local builders will employ these tactics?As the housing slump drags on, some builders have a deal for potential buyers: Sign a contract, and if the cost of comparable homes drops before closing, you get the lower price.Localizing the national pending home sales index for Charlottesville/Albemarle – 2007 – 80 residential properties went under contract – 22% fewer than 2006.2006 – 1032005 – 1122004 – 1372003 – 103For a better analysis visit CR, with the fun quote – “The NAR forecasts are always amusing.  The recovery is always just around the corner!”  Can’t you just smell the credibility?Good job, Northern Virginia Association of Realtors.  Way to alienate your members.

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Rural Area Protection measures pass in Albemarle County

Channel 29 says it all:What you do with your land is no longer entirely your decision if you live in Albemarle County.  After many rewrites over several months, supervisors have come to terms on three ordinances….  Comprehensive coverage at Charlottesville Tomorrow.Personal property rights have taken a blow for the greater good.  The ramifications and unintended consequences of these anti-growth measures will be felt for years, for better or for worse.

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The CNBC curse?

Last year CNBC did a story on the “million dollar home” market in Charlottesville (actually Albemarle County, or “CharlAlbemarle”), and specifically referenced this house in Western Albemarle.  The property has now dropped from its original asking price of $1.19 million; the current asking price is $895,000.Two things jump out when looking at this (temporary) MLS link – 1 – The property is now listed with a new agent and firm.2 – The previous agent stripped most of the information from his listing – all photos, ad copy, etc – harming the quality and value of the MLS.

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Proffers, impact fees, market update, pricing land and more

There are few better motivators than fear of sounding unprepared and unintelligent – due to the last-minute call from Coy, I am now very up to date on all of the below issues.- If you’re pricing a property, price it to sell….  Solds may matter little, and what the seller paid for the property is irrelevant with regards to market value (as is the assessed value).- We discussed the current state of the Charlottesville market.- Declining markets and “Jingle Mail” – here is an excellent article on this from a professional appraiser’s point of view.- Property rights and Ron Paul (briefly)- Several callers called in and discussed the rural area ordinances that are up for a vote this evening in Albemarle County.  This is a passionate debate between property rights advocates, “greater good” opinions, preservationists and more.We didn’t get around to discussing Senate Bill 768 – which would either destroy or fix the current proffer system, depending on you perspective , but I encourage any and all to learn more about it….  They’re talking about taxes, but the word “tax” isn’t used until the last page – page 12 if you happen to print it out.As soon as the podcast is posted, I’ll post it.

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Daily Progress has a commuter’s update

It’s popped up in my feedreader the past two days.  I wonder if there’s a feed just for the commuter information.So roll down your window, let the wind blow back your hair and enjoy the 63-degree weather while we have it.Here’s the rundown so far this morning:Charlottesville-Albemarle Urban Area: No incidents reported.I-64 from Richmond to Staunton: No incidents reported.U.S….  29 from Lovingston to Madison: No incidents reported.U.S….  15 from Madison to Buckingham: No incidents reported.Route 20 from Orange to Scottsville: No incidents reported.I wonder also what the source is for the data (maybe 511?), and whether anyone actually commutes from Lovingston to Madison.

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