April 2010 has felt like more listings have been coming on the market and more have been staying on the market than in previous years. But, feelings don’t necessarily matter so I’d rather look at the data. Looking purely at the data , a greater percentage of active listings in the Charlottesville MLS have gone under contract this year versus 2009. … Should you rush out and buy a home today because the tax credit is ending?
Date Archives April 2010
My Newest Favorite Blog – Discovering Urbanism
He writes about transportation, transit, growth, growth politics, smart growth (not necessarily “smart” growth, but smart growth – as in, intelligent, thoughtful, considered growth), new urbanism, human settlement patterns … all of which contribute to my insatiable need to learn about everything relating to real estate.
… There may been no shortage of monday morning quarterbacking over the housing crash, but University of Virginia planning professor Bill Lucy sits in a unique position to offer a more comprehensive analysis of how the recession may be reshaping our communities. Having studied for over thirty years the spatial ebbs and flows of the housing market, and publishing in 2006 with colleague David Phillips Tomorrow’s Cities, Tomorrow’s Suburbs , he is prepared to fit this event into the longer view and wider frame of the contemporary situation. … We’ve already heard all of the blame being poured onto predatory lenders, credulous homebuyers, negligent oversight agencies, and maybe a corrupt politician or two, but we’re left with the feeling that there must be some deeper undercurrent to all of this.
The Tax Credit is Ending! The Tax Credit is Ending!
Thank Goodness. Now maybe the government will stop trying to prop up the market and let us try to find out what “normal” means.
Thanks to Jessica Jaglois at the Newsplex for calling me yesterday.
Some Great Insight and Advice on Today’s Real Estate Market
What does this mean to you?
Don’t make a decision based on the headlines over the next few days. If you are considering selling, realize your home is worth more today than it will be tomorrow or next week or next month. … Buyers, be unemotional, considerate and thoughtful about your decisions.
Thursday Links – 29 April 2010
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 .
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.