If pictures say one thousand words, this organization has and will have a lot to say.The press conference held today at the Paramount announcing their launch was attended by several members of their Board of Directors, politicians and, of course, the media…. They are a refreshingly non-biased organization whose goal is to educate the public on issues in a clear, concise manner that will foster discussion, public knowledge, involvement and action.Realizing that young people are not involving themselves due to choice or apathy, yet expect to have conversations about growth, environmental issues, transportation, issues, etc., the site has a blog. Blogs have proven to be an excellent and efficient format to engage young people and the public in general.Seeing Mitch van Yahres pitch his idea for a Ruckersville Parkway, Meredith Richards pitch cvillerail.org and Connie Brennan of the Nelson County Board of Supervisors ask for a regional partnership showed the level of interest and head start this group has already.In the words of Chairman Michael Bills, Charlottesville Tomorrow aims to be “profoundly non-partisan,” provide information that is “lucid, graphic and compelling” and an “advocate that people act.” Brian Wheeler mentioned the barriers to the public getting involved and their goal to help remove those barriers and that they want to “enable the public to learn more about the issues.”This group has high aspirations, more than adequate funding and superior leadership.
Browsing Category Charlottesville
Affordable housing
I will have to find time to listen to this today. Affordable housing does pose a great challenge to our region. More than likely, more government involvement is not the answer.
New listing in Belmont
Betty just put this home on the market in Belmont this morning. More information is at our website. This is one of the homes in Belmont that, when advertised as being walkable to the Mall, truly is. I hear that La Taza is within walking distance too!
Who lives and works in C’Ville?
Charlottesville Podcasting Network has a new podcast today that is particularly relevant to our local regional real estate market. The podcast features the Charlottesville Young Professionals, a local networking group that was founded to bring young professionals together and to help companies retain their talent.This demographic is important, as it is part of the future of Charlottesville and its real estate market…. I am sponsoring this podcast in the hopes of building local business, grass-roots style, but also hoping to get more of these professionals before they move to the area…. He represents a larger and larger part of our market and one into which I am diligently trying to tap.
Brief market update
Our market is shifting, not bursting, not hissing, but shifting slightly. Many properties seem to be staying on the market for a couple, if not several, days instead of hours. For a good doomsday analysis, read this RealEstateJournal article. How to prepare for a downturn (hint: buy a house primarily as a place to live in and not as a stock!)
This should prove interesting
in the wake of the larger trend of the vanishing-downtown, that portions of mall parking lots and/or sidewalks (infrastructure often paid-for thru proffers and government-aided gimmes) remain public spaces, free to those that choose to speak out within agreed-on modes of behavior…. Redistribution of this power remains wrong, even if the “victim” is “the little guy being able to have a place to meet the public.â€The VACLU says“Shopping centers, particularly in suburban areas, have for all intents and purposes replaced the traditional town centers where people shop, mingle and exchange views,†said ACLU of Virginia executive director Kent Willis. “The framers of the Virginia Constitution clearly intended to protect free speech in such places.â€â€œIf the free speech clause of the Virginia Constitution protects my right to hand out campaign literature outside a store in Charlottesville’s downtown mall or Old Town Alexandria, then I should also be able to stand outside a store in a large shopping center and do the same. One space may be publicly owned and the other privately owned, but they are both used in exactly the same way by the public.â€I don’t know; I remain open minded and look forward to reading the merits of both sides.
Condos in Charlottesville
Good article in the DP this morning about the vast number of condos in the area (if you want more information on these, please email me, rather than the Sellers’ agents!)Read the whole article, but take note of what Ted Koebel, director of the Virginia Tech Center for Housing Research says – it is something I say to all of my clients – “If it makes sense as a residence, that’s fine,†Koebel said. “But if you’re relying on speculative value, be careful.” This is the best advice I can give to my buyers. Perhaps when the public’s mindset moves back to seeing real estate as homes rather than stocks, the market will adequately correct itself.