However, it is not just the tax credit that makes this the best time in a long time to pull the trigger on the home of your dreams. … The cost is a combination of the price and the mortgage interest rate you will pay over the life of the loan. — You Just Bought a Home; Did you Plan for Expenses? — More homebuyers in the Charlottesville area are using FHA loans to purchase homes; did you know that FHA loans tend to be more stringent in their property condition guidelines? … The moral of the story is that, if you’d like to be treated professionally and with respect (which you should expect for sure), karma would suggest you do the same in return. … Not only will your experience be infinitely more enjoyable and productive, but you can prevent the birth of a shady broker in the process, benefitting generations of renters and buyers to come. — The Easy-To-Understand 2010 Home Buyer Tax Credit Program Summary — It’s Impossible to Judge Housing Now — More evidence that walkability has a positive impact on housing values .
Posts Published by Jim Duncan
Woolen Mills – Streets are Made For Walking
These Streets are Made for Walkin’ (not fire engines) .
I talked about Woolen Mills a couple years ago in my Charlottesville Neighborhoods series:
Topography: Gently rolling hills, sidewalks in many places
Housing Prices: Unfortunately, there is no good way to search for homes for sale in the Woolen Mills area, other than looking at the results and knowing which streets are within the Woolen Mills ‘hood. Generally, prices range from $225k to $550k.¨
House Styles: More varied than most neighborhoods. Bungalow to Cottage to traditional single family to the occasional townhouse to a small new “green development.¨
Proximity to Green Spaces: Good. Meade Park is quite close¨
Broadband Internet Coverage: 100%¨
Schools: Check out the City’s interactive (school district) map, generally Woolen Mills kids will go to the Burnley-Moran elementary school.
Update – check out the Blair-Seay house, and the accompanying history.
City of Charlottesville Reviewing Zoning Matrix
Zoning determines what you can do with your property – from building a garage to what you can do with an accessory apartment (R1-S) to whether you can have chickens in your backyard . … Zoning is commonly controlled by local governments such as counties or municipalities , though the nature of the zoning regime may be determined or limited by state or national planning authorities or through enabling legislation [4] . … Zoning may include regulation of the kinds of activities which will be acceptable on particular lots (such as open space, residential, agricultural , commercial or industrial ), the densities at which those activities can be performed (from low-density housing such as single family homes to high-density such as high-rise apartment buildings ), the height of buildings, the amount of space structures may occupy, the location of a building on the lot ( setbacks ), the proportions of the types of space on a lot, such as how much landscaped space, impervious surface , traffic lanes, and parking must be provided. … Peter Hedlund, representing the Fry’s Spring Neighborhood Association, said it was difficult to review the documents on the city’s Web site and that the notice of the meeting was late.
Getting Rid of the Crappy Stuff
That this video and Steve Jobs’ advice is getting so much attention as being insightful is … a bit sad to me.
… Shouldn’t it be every person’s and every company’s goal to not produce crappy stuff? … Or a customer experience?
Of course, there’s a lot of money to be had by making and selling crap .
Interested in Helping with the Crozet Farmer’s Market?
The Crozet Farmer’s Market is starting this Saturday … (Please) get involved – they need some community support .
Craigslist Rental Scams in Charlottesville
He writes that he would be willing to rent this property but that he has the keys with him in South Africa where he will be for the next two years. Basically, it’s a scam, and I’m grateful that so many people have been doing their due diligence and not been taken in by this. … Nigerian scammers find homes listed for sale on these public search sites, copy the pictures and listings verbatim, and then post the information onto Craigslist under available housing rentals, without the consent or knowledge of Craigslist, who has been notified. … The Nigerian scammer will state that they had to leave the country very quickly to do missionary or contract work in Africa and were unable to rent their house before leaving, therefore they have to take care of this remotely. … If you have questions about it, search the MLS to ensure that the house is in fact listed and then contact the listing agent to verify that they are in fact trying to rent the house …
Is Charlottesville the Best Live Music Town in the Country?
There is no hassle getting to shows or getting into shows or even getting up to the front of the stage at shows. … I live just outside the city limits and it takes me 10 minutes to drive to any of the venues I listed above on a show night. I have plenty of time to go home after work, play with the kids, put the youngest to bed, and then go back out in time for dinner and a show. … When I lived in DC, I saw less music because of the traffic and time involved to get to and from the venue.