Date Archives October 2010

Local Government Reading this Week – What Matters to Homeowners in Central Virginia

in Albemarle Charlottesville on

– City of Charlottesville School consolidation plan could mean tax hike – Daily Progress The city School Board voted Thursday night to consolidate Walker and Buford, the first large-scale change approved for the city’s public school system since the current configuration went into effect in 1988.

… What role, if any, should government have with respect to ensuring that our schools are high quality and are boons for economic development? – I’m kind of shocked that there are no comments on this piece in the Daily Progress, Will city-county tensions hurt residents of both? … Property taxes provide the bulk of the budget for the respective school systems, and school systems’ quality directly impacts property values . ( as discussed on RealCentralVA a few months ago ) The process of reassessing Nelson County property values for real estate tax purposes has begun again. … The relationship between the City of Charlottesville and the County of Albemarle is akin to that of divorced parents who really kind of hate each other but are able to keep it together justenough to keep the kids fed.

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Real Estate Technology I wanted Five Years Ago is Finally Here – Part 1 – Floorplans

in Technology on

When we were meeting a few weeks ago, they were looking at the faxes I used to send them, discussing the websites I used to put up for them – photos of neighborhoods, areas, houses, etc. and we were talking about how things have changed and evolved since then.

…I work with a lot of international and out-of-state buyers who are relocating to the Charlottesville area; I am constantly seeking out tools that will enable me to help facilitate our relationships and transactions. … I can’t tell you how many Interactive Floorplans: For years, I’ve wanted to have an interactive floorplan that showed the floorplan and pictures of the rooms at the same time . … This is a link to a floorplan , and I’m embedding it after the jump. (provided by Floorplan Online ; here’s a nice review of them ) This is a dead-simple implementation of something I’ve wanted for years, and I’m thrilled to offer it.

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Has Willoughby’s HOA Seen This Court Case?

in General Real Estate on

Residents of the Willoughby subdivision were invoiced in August for dues to a homeowners association that many did not know existed. … I’m wondering what, if any, impact this case could have : A Chesterfield County Circuit Court judge has found in favor of Romito, who sued his neighborhood’s homeowners association claiming he shouldn’t be forced to pay membership dues because he never wanted to be a member. … Gill Jr. affirmed that, noting that the dues were not in place 20 years ago whenRomito purchased his home in Bexley — an upscale Chesterfield community of 407 homes built in the 1970s. “To say a taxpaying citizen could buy a home and then be forced to incur financial obligations without prior notice is simply unjust,” Gill wrote in the ruling.

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Testimonial from an International Buyer Client

in Shameless Self Promotion on

I don’t often post notes from my clients, but this one is an exception: 1 – It’s a great note.

…We would like to take the time to express our gratitude for your outstanding service in the purchase of our home at [redacted]. In our estimatino, you went above and beyond to assist us with the initiation, execution and completion of the transaction. … In our estimation you have set the bar very high for future real estate transactions with other agents. it was one of the smoothest transactions we have ever experienced.

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Charlottesville and Albemarle Need to Stabilize Population?

in Albemarle Charlottesville Growth Politics on

ASAP says their research at this point is still insufficient to identify a specific optimal population for the community. However, faced with a limited supply of natural resources, Marshall said housing is the key piece of community infrastructure that needs to be limited to reduce demand.

I’m sure that Fluvanna, Greene, Nelson, Louisa and the other surrounding counties would love to have Charlottesville/Albemarle place caps on housing starts. … CharlAlbemarle would then have traffic coming into the urban ring without the benefit of property taxes (which don’t cover the cost of housing). – How does one define “optimum population” and what are the consequences for exceeding said optimum population ? – Maybe we could also institute congestion pricing as they have in London (really not a bad idea) instead of a moat. – Would we restrict services to residents if they weren’t in the urban ring and didn’t pay a fire or rescue fee ?

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