Date Archives August 2005

Bloggers summit/code of ethics

Bloggers’ legal responsibilitiesTechnology has always has the edge over regulations and laws…. This is similar to the honor code at my alma mater, VMI, except for one key component in VMI’s – nor tolerate those who do…. Those bloggers who make it a habit of posting libelous or slanderous posts will make names for themselves and respectable bloggers will take note…. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

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Demographics

Demographics and the real estate marketOn the demographic front, Rosenberg notes that the demographics aren’t favorable to housing, and certainly less favorable than was in the case in the 1970s. He notes that the growth rate in household formation among 35- to 44-year-olds have stagnated for four years now. The heyday for demographics was back in the mid-1970s and 1980s when annual household formation was between 3% and 6% growth. Now, total household formation is growing at less than 1% — one of the slowest growth rates in the past four decades.What impact will this have on growth in Charlottesville?

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Hurricane Katrina and the housing market

the nation’s premiere oil and gas support services facility–and right now it lies within 12 miles of Hurricane Katrina’s CAT-3 or CAT-4 bullseye…. …Put another way, there is no other dot on the map that is more important to the nation’s energy supply …I am not an economist, nor a fortune teller, but I know that if gas goes to $3 or $3.50 a gallon, we will see many significant changes in all aspects of our lives, not the least the housing market and how people work and live. The next few days, weeks and months will be fascinating and historical, if the blogs and news are right.Development may slow. There may be people unable to drive the 20 minutes to and 20 minutes from work, consolidating errands may not be sufficient.

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Albemarle Redistricting

This part is stunning – However, this report does not include Old Trail Village or Wickham Pond (two developments in Crozet submitted after the committee started its work). It also does not include the proposed development at the Breeden Farm (south of I-64 near Mill Creek and 5th Street). The Breeden Farm alone could be larger than all of the growth projected for Crozet (i.e. there could be housing for more than 12,000 people, the number projected for Crozet)…. People choose homes frequently based solely on school districts and they should have some faith that their kids will have some semblance of stability in their public education.

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