Should Taxpayers Pay for a Subdivision’s Gratuitous Water Supply?

in Growth on

The Glenmore community has a single source of public drinking water, a 4-mile pipeline that runs along U.S. 250 east of Charlottesville. However, if Albemarle officials decide to add a backup storage tank, they will use $2 million of the county’s capital funds rather than ask the developers or Glenmore residents to pay for it.

“ It is not something that is needed to provide [water] for Glenmore,” said James Bowling IV, legal counsel for the Albemarle County Service Authority. “ It’s a convenience [but] one that you would certainly call a necessity if there was an emergency.”

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DIA Growing More?

in General Real Estate on

Charlottesville Tomorrow has the story : Hinting at potentially more growth of the local intelligence community, the man who is overseeing the relocation of more than 800 Defense Intelligence Agency employees to Albemarle County said he expects the transition to be completed by March. “The largest single group of DIA people outside of the Washington metropolitan area will soon be in Charlottesville,” said Phil Roberts, chief of field support for Rivanna Station and a 29-year agency veteran. I’d wager that about half of those moving here for DIA purchased homes. … Related : – NGIC and DIA – What’s the Impact on the Charlottesville Real Estate Market? – May 2010 – NGIC and DIA coming to Charlottesville – October 2009 – NGIC and DIA – Who’s Moving Here? – November 2010 – Some Homes for sale near the NGIC and DIA facilities

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Remember the Home Buyer Tax Credit? It’s Still Good for Veterans

in General Real Estate on

Thanks to IRS.gov : Additionally, there are new benefits for members of the military and certain other federal employees: • Members of the military and certain other federal employees serving outside the U.S. have an extra year to buy a principal residence in the U.S. and qualify for the credit. … It applies to any individual (and, if married, the individual’s spouse) who serves on qualified official extended duty service outside of the United States for at least 90 days during the period beginning after Dec. 31, 2008, and ending before May 1, 2010. … This relief applies where a home is sold or stops being the taxpayer’s principal residence after Dec. 31, 2008, in connection with government orders received by the individual (or the individual’s spouse) for qualified official extended duty service. … Qualified official extended duty is any period of extended duty while serving at a place of duty at least 50 miles away from the taxpayer’s principal residence (whether inside or outside the U.S.) or while residing under government orders in government quarters.

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Shutting Down a Successful Train?

in Politics Transportation on

There has to be a way … shame the success is in the hands of politicians. Beginning service Oct. 1, 2009, in its first year the train brought in close to $6.4 million in revenues, far exceeding the $2.58 million that officials expected it to garner. Courtney Ware, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, said Amtrak estimated that the train’s annual operating costs would be roughly $5.48 million. “The train is making a profit,” Richards said.

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A Charlottesville Accidental Landlord Story

in Albemarle Charlottesville General Real Estate on

As a result, we decided to rent out our old house, which is easy to do in Charlottesville with so many people moving in and out every summer for sabbaticals at the university or one-year placements at the JAG school. … We included very specific information on our expectations for how they would maintain the house and yard while they lived there and also what we expected of them when they moved out — including patching nail holes, thoroughly cleaning the house from top to bottom, and steamcleaning the carpets because they had pets. … There were a few minor repairs needed throughout the year and each time, we decided together whether they would take care of it or we would.  If we were going to take care of the repair, we agreed on a mutually convenient time that we’d come over to handle it. … Yes, the tenants had small children, but so did we when we lived in that house and we can promise you that jam was wiped off the wall shortly after it was left there by toddler fingers.

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