Easy: When we bought our home several years ago, one of my requirements wishes was that we live close to a soccer field. … At the time, I was coaching my older daughter as she began her U-8 soccer career, and I was (and am still) playing in an adult soccer league. … Coaching soccer is one of the ways I choose to participate in my community, and more importantly, my kids’ lives. Seeing the kids in the hallways of the schools, in coffee shops, in grocery stores, and knowing that for that little time of their lives, I had a impact, is something I encourage every parent to do.
Posts Published by Jim Duncan
Father, husband, Charlottesville real estate agent, bicycle rider & soccer coach. And more. Lots more.
WalkScore is Getting (even) Better
I love what WalkScore is doing – making it easier for consumers to see how walkable (I'm still waiting for bikeable) properties and areas are.
… Once the changes are live on your site (you'll notice the new iPhone style lists), you can visit our Amenity Map Wizard to see how larger sizes would look on your site.
…Our new commute reports show commute time and distance for driving, public transit, walking, and biking from a home or apartment listing to a work address.
…var ws_address = ‘616 mcintire road, charlottesville, va’;var ws_width = ‘600’;var ws_height = ‘286’;var ws_layout = ‘horizontal’; #ws-walkscore-tile{position:relative;text-align:left}#ws-walkscore-tile *{float:none;}#ws-footer a,#ws-footer a:link{font:11px/14px Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;margin-right:6px;white-space:nowrap;padding:0;color:#000;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none}#ws-footer a:hover{color:#777;text-decoration:none}#ws-footer a:active{color:#b14900} What's Your Walk Score?
Slightly Less Development at Cherry/Ridge Intersection
From the Daily Progress : Charlottesville’s City Council rejected a proposal Tuesday that would have modified the development plan for the William Taylor Plaza mixed-used project at the corner of Cherry Avenue and Ridge Street. The council voted 3-2 to reject changes proposed by the developer that would have expanded the project’s overall size and modified an affordable housing agreement included in the original plan. … The rezoning application filed by Southern Development would have increased the number of residences from 50 to 80 units and expanded the project’s size by 10,000 square feet, bringing its total to 110,000 square feet.
…While I appreciate the sentiment, this statement shows a disconnect from reality: “I think affordable housing should come from the heart, and not for the need for low-income tax credits,†saidCouncilor Holly Edwards.
Real Estate Data and Analysis is Local. And always will be
If you haven’t been paying attention to the national real estate data world for the past week, you might have missed the National Association of Realtors responding to claims that it has been inflating housing sales .
…While some I have spoken with today call the claim by CoreLogic (a housing data provider) that the Realtors overestimated home sales in 2010 by almost 1.5 million, “overblown,” the Realtors themselves admit there is a problem.
… This is a big and important conversation because the NAR’s data, along with Case Schiller, are important, widely read, and depended on by many to ascertain the psychology of buyers, sellers – real estate consumers.
…I’ve said it before, when you’re evaluating the Charlottesville real estate market, ignore the national data ; it will only cloud your opinion .
A Visitor From Texas sums Up Buyer/Seller Tensions
Poking around in my search analytics again reveals this gem:
“Home buyers who want everything their way” Not all buyers do, but it’s certainly a common perception.
Friday Chart – Charlottesville MSA Real Estate Update – First 47 Days
I'm always trying to get a handle on what's happening in the Charlottesville real estate market**, and while anecdotal evidence is useful, data is mighty helpful as well.
… Today we're looking for trends; as I've said for years, looking at data from any level other than this house (whatever that house is) can be misleading.
…key=0AsdZ2NoUfJTrdGRFQUxzbUJfYmNjc2FVbENkbnhsOVE&range=A1%3AM4&gid=8&transpose=1&headers=1&pub=1″,”options”:{“displayAnnotations”:true,”showTip”:true,”nonGeoMapColors”:[“#0000ff”,”#DC3912″,”#FF9900″,”#109618″,”#990099″,”#0099C6″,”#DD4477″,”#66AA00″,”#B82E2E”,”#316395″],”reverseCategories”:false,”titleY”:”Volume “,”dataMode”:”markers”,”maxAlternation”:1,”pointSize”:”0″,”colors”:[“#0000ff”,”#DC3912″,”#FF9900″,”#109618″,”#990099″,”#0099C6″,”#DD4477″,”#66AA00″,”#B82E2E”,”#316395″],”smoothLine”:false,”lineWidth”:”2″,”labelPosition”:”right”,”is3D”:false,”logScale”:false,”hasLabelsColumn”:true,”wmode”:”opaque”,”title”:”Single Family Homes in Charlottesville MSA – Listed, Contract, Sold”,”legend”:”bottom”,”allowCollapse”:true,”reverseAxis”:false,”isStacked”:true,”mapType”:”hybrid”,”width”:700,”height”:393},”refreshInterval”:5}
… Every time I see just how dead 2009 was, I'm a little surprised, and thankful to have made it through that time period.
Fluvanna County’s Fiscal Pickle
Arguably, local governments have an equal and in many cases more significant impact on homeowners’ lives and property values – schools, fire and rescue, transportation infrastructure, snow removal … what happens if the tax rate rise so dramatically, and the budget becomes unmanageable? … Currently the real estate tax rate in Fluvanna County is $0.54 per $100 of assessed value ; the County is proposing a four cent increase in the tax rate in 2012 … and calling for a $1.22 per $100 rate in 2016 .
…With the pending reassessment, the audit calls for a fiscal year 2016 real estate tax rate of $1.22 per $100 to meet all expenditures and capital improvements.
…The tax options were part of a larger FY 2012 budget proposal that currently calls for a four-cent increase in the real estate tax rate, to $.58 per $100 of assessed value.