And that leads to lower electricity usage, lower home heating usage — and those are the facts that I think make cities seem, at least to my eyes, significantly greener. … … And let’s just go through this — more than 85 percent of single-family detached houses in this country are owner occupied. … If you rent out single-family detached housing, they depreciate on average, more than 1 percent a year, according to some studies. And that’s quite easy to understand: renters don’t do the maintenance that homeowners do, to keep taking care of their homes.
Date Archives March 2011
Monday Links – 14 March 2011
Dear National Association of Realtors: I hereby volunteer to serve again. 🙂 – How 20-somethings (and really, most of my buyer clients) approach the home-buying process . – In Heart and Mind, not brand, I apparently am a Redfin agent. … Numbers 8 and 9 are dead-on advice for the Charlottesville real estate market. #10 is telling as well, particularly coming from one of the most disruptive forces in the real estate space in a decade.
…When you over-price by $10,000, you can lose much more: after a month the listing loses its luster, mortgage and staging costs pile up, and price-reductions signal buyers to ask for more reductions .
– The Landmark continues to be an eyesore (and now tagged with unsavory, not for kids’ eyes graffiti ) – Great comments and discussion at cvillenews about Trader Joe’s merits . – My favorite recent search terms to bring visitors to this here Charlottesville real estate blog:
Albemarle May Have a Higher Tax Rate
Snow told supervisors this morning that he’s willing to support a tax rate of 75.2 cents per $100 of assessed value, up from the 2010 rate of 74.2 cents. … Rooker, an independent, proposed the rate increase to provide funding primarily for about a $1 million local transportation fund that could be matched with state funds, doubling its value, and about $450,000 to provide the first year of annual financing of a new Crozet library. I’d be inclined to support this if I trusted the politicians/bureaucracy/system to dedicate the increased revenue to specific projects. But I don’t.
Question Everything – Especially Real Estate Reporting (Friday Chart)
All of the MLS (about 30+ counties)? – In Charlottesville/Albemarle in February 2011, 66 homes sold. – In Charlottesville, Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Nelson, 106 homes sold. – In Charlottesville, Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Nelson, Louisa, 133 homes sold and 172 went under contract. – In the entire MLS , (which is mostly irrelevant to my readers) 455 homes sold. For a better representation of real estate data that is relevant to real estate buyers, sellers, voyeurs, consumers in the Charlottesville MSA: 
Same information, different display: 
(I like this one as it gives a good understanding of the total volume we’re dealing with) As always, raw data is at the bottom of this post. … For the sake of accuracy, I typically discount/ignore aggregate days on market; they are so easily manipulated (such as by those entering new construction with 0 days on market to make their numbers look better, realtors gaming the mls , etc) – Even More about Days on Market – Days on Market Matter in Charlottesville – For consistency, I am excluding Louisa County. … Looking at this broad of a dataset is not useful when considering what your home may be worth. 
Raw data, inclusive of inadequate short sales and foreclosures: .
5 Ways Trader Joe’s is Going to be Good (or bad) for Charlottesville
Canada Average Akron, OH Alabama, AL Alaska, AK Albany, NY Alberta, AB Albuquerque, NM Allentown, PA Anchorage, AK Arizona, AZ Arkansas, AR Atlanta, GA Austin, TX Bakersfield, CA Baltimore, MD British Columbia, BC Birmingham, AL Boise, ID Boston, MA Bridgeport, CT Buffalo, NY Calgary, AB California, CA Charleston, WV Charlotte, NC Chicago, IL Cincinnati, OH Cleveland, OH Colorado, CO Colorado Springs, CO Columbia, SC Columbus, OH Connecticut, CT Corpus Christi, TX Dallas, TX Dayton, OH Delaware, DE Denver, CO Des Moines, IA Detroit, MI Durham, NC Edmonton, AB El Paso, TX Florida, FL Fort Worth, TX Fresno, CA Gary, IN Georgia, GA Grand Rapids, MI Greensboro, NC Halifax, NS Hamilton, ON Hartford, CT Hawaii, HI Honolulu, HI Houston, TX Idaho, ID Illinois, IL Indiana, IN Indianapolis, IN Iowa, IA Jackson, MS Jacksonville, FL Kansas, KS Kansas City, MO Kentucky, KY Knoxville, TN Lansing, MI Lexington, KY Lincoln, NE Little Rock, AR London, ON Long Island, NY Los Angeles, CA Louisiana, LA Louisville, KY Madison, WI Maine, ME Manitoba, MB Maryland, MD Massachusetts, MA Memphis, TN Miami, FL Michigan, MI Milwaukee, WI Minnesota, MN Mississippi, MS Missouri, MO Mobile, AL Modesto, CA Montana, MT Montgomery, AL Montreal, QC Nashville, TN Nebraska, NE Nevada, NV New Brunswick, NB Newfoundland, NF New Hampshire, NH New Haven, CT New Jersey, NJ New Mexico, NM New Orleans, LA New York, NY New York, NY North Carolina, NC North Dakota, ND Nova Scotia, NS Oakland, CA Ohio, OH Oklahoma, OK Oklahoma City, OK Omaha, NE Ontario, ON Orange County, CA Oregon, OR Orlando, FL PEI, PE Pennsylvania, PA Philadelphia, PA Phoenix, AZ Pittsburgh, PA Portland, OR Providence, RI Quad Cities, IA Quebec, QC Quebec City, QC Raleigh, NC Regina, SK Rhode Island, RI Richmond, VA Riverside, CA Rochester, NY Salt Lake City, UT San Antonio, TX San Bernardino, CA San Diego, CA San Francisco, CA San Jose, CA Saskatchewan, SK Saskatoon, SK Scranton, PA Seattle, WA Shreveport, LA South Carolina, SC South Dakota, SD Spokane, WA Springfield, MA St. Louis, MO Stockton, CA Syracuse, NY Tacoma, WA Tallahassee, FL Tampa, FL Tennessee, TN Texas, TX Toledo, OH Toronto, ON Trenton, NJ Tucson, AZ Tulsa, OK Twin Cities, MN Utah, UT Vancouver, BC Las Vegas, NV Ventura, CA Vermont, VT Victoria, BC Virginia, VA Virginia Beach, VA Washington, WA Washington DC, DC Waterbury, CT West Virginia, WV Wichita, KS Wilmington, DE Winnipeg, MB Wisconsin, WI Worcester, MA Wyoming, WY Time Period:
… Canada Average Akron, OH Alabama, AL Alaska, AK Albany, NY Alberta, AB Albuquerque, NM Allentown, PA Anchorage, AK Arizona, AZ Arkansas, AR Atlanta, GA Austin, TX Bakersfield, CA Baltimore, MD British Columbia, BC Birmingham, AL Boise, ID Boston, MA Bridgeport, CT Buffalo, NY Calgary, AB California, CA Charleston, WV Charlotte, NC Chicago, IL Cincinnati, OH Cleveland, OH Colorado, CO Colorado Springs, CO Columbia, SC Columbus, OH Connecticut, CT Corpus Christi, TX Dallas, TX Dayton, OH Delaware, DE Denver, CO Des Moines, IA Detroit, MI Durham, NC Edmonton, AB El Paso, TX Florida, FL Fort Worth, TX Fresno, CA Gary, IN Georgia, GA Grand Rapids, MI Greensboro, NC Halifax, NS Hamilton, ON Hartford, CT Hawaii, HI Honolulu, HI Houston, TX Idaho, ID Illinois, IL Indiana, IN Indianapolis, IN Iowa, IA Jackson, MS Jacksonville, FL Kansas, KS Kansas City, MO Kentucky, KY Knoxville, TN Lansing, MI Lexington, KY Lincoln, NE Little Rock, AR London, ON Long Island, NY Los Angeles, CA Louisiana, LA Louisville, KY Madison, WI Maine, ME Manitoba, MB Maryland, MD Massachusetts, MA Memphis, TN Miami, FL Michigan, MI Milwaukee, WI Minnesota, MN Mississippi, MS Missouri, MO Mobile, AL Modesto, CA Montana, MT Montgomery, AL Montreal, QC Nashville, TN Nebraska, NE Nevada, NV New Brunswick, NB Newfoundland, NF New Hampshire, NH New Haven, CT New Jersey, NJ New Mexico, NM New Orleans, LA New York, NY New York, NY North Carolina, NC North Dakota, ND Nova Scotia, NS Oakland, CA Ohio, OH Oklahoma, OK Oklahoma City, OK Omaha, NE Ontario, ON Orange County, CA Oregon, OR Orlando, FL PEI, PE Pennsylvania, PA Philadelphia, PA Phoenix, AZ Pittsburgh, PA Portland, OR Providence, RI Quad Cities, IA Quebec, QC Quebec City, QC Raleigh, NC Regina, SK Rhode Island, RI Richmond, VA Riverside, CA Rochester, NY Salt Lake City, UT San Antonio, TX San Bernardino, CA San Diego, CA San Francisco, CA San Jose, CA Saskatchewan, SK Saskatoon, SK Scranton, PA Seattle, WA Shreveport, LA South Carolina, SC South Dakota, SD Spokane, WA Springfield, MA St.
… Canada Average Akron, OH Alabama, AL Alaska, AK Albany, NY Alberta, AB Albuquerque, NM Allentown, PA Anchorage, AK Arizona, AZ Arkansas, AR Atlanta, GA Austin, TX Bakersfield, CA Baltimore, MD British Columbia, BC Birmingham, AL Boise, ID Boston, MA Bridgeport, CT Buffalo, NY Calgary, AB California, CA Charleston, WV Charlotte, NC Chicago, IL Cincinnati, OH Cleveland, OH Colorado, CO Colorado Springs, CO Columbia, SC Columbus, OH Connecticut, CT Corpus Christi, TX Dallas, TX Dayton, OH Delaware, DE Denver, CO Des Moines, IA Detroit, MI Durham, NC Edmonton, AB El Paso, TX Florida, FL Fort Worth, TX Fresno, CA Gary, IN Georgia, GA Grand Rapids, MI Greensboro, NC Halifax, NS Hamilton, ON Hartford, CT Hawaii, HI Honolulu, HI Houston, TX Idaho, ID Illinois, IL Indiana, IN Indianapolis, IN Iowa, IA Jackson, MS Jacksonville, FL Kansas, KS Kansas City, MO Kentucky, KY Knoxville, TN Lansing, MI Lexington, KY Lincoln, NE Little Rock, AR London, ON Long Island, NY Los Angeles, CA Louisiana, LA Louisville, KY Madison, WI Maine, ME Manitoba, MB Maryland, MD Massachusetts, MA Memphis, TN Miami, FL Michigan, MI Milwaukee, WI Minnesota, MN Mississippi, MS Missouri, MO Mobile, AL Modesto, CA Montana, MT Montgomery, AL Montreal, QC Nashville, TN Nebraska, NE Nevada, NV New Brunswick, NB Newfoundland, NF New Hampshire, NH New Haven, CT New Jersey, NJ New Mexico, NM New Orleans, LA New York, NY New York, NY North Carolina, NC North Dakota, ND Nova Scotia, NS Oakland, CA Ohio, OH Oklahoma, OK Oklahoma City, OK Omaha, NE Ontario, ON Orange County, CA Oregon, OR Orlando, FL PEI, PE Pennsylvania, PA Philadelphia, PA Phoenix, AZ Pittsburgh, PA Portland, OR Providence, RI Quad Cities, IA Quebec, QC Quebec City, QC Raleigh, NC Regina, SK Rhode Island, RI Richmond, VA Riverside, CA Rochester, NY Salt Lake City, UT San Antonio, TX San Bernardino, CA San Diego, CA San Francisco, CA San Jose, CA Saskatchewan, SK Saskatoon, SK Scranton, PA Seattle, WA Shreveport, LA South Carolina, SC South Dakota, SD Spokane, WA Springfield, MA St.
Trader Joe’s is Coming to Charlottesville! (Maybe)
Located at the intersection of Hydraulic Road and Route 29, Stonefield will be anchored by a 65,000 square foot Regal Cinema, with 14 screens and stadium seating, making it the largest cinema within a 60 mile radius of Charlottesville. … “From the beginning, a state-of-the-art cinema has been part of our strategic plan as we create the foundation for a signature shopping and entertainment experience,” said Jessica Bruner, Vice President of Leasing for Edens & Avant. “In addition to Regal Cinemas, we are extremely excited to introduce Trader Joe’s to Charlottesville – a specialty grocer that we feel is a perfect fit for such a progressive community .” … Along with Regal Cinema, Edens & Avant is also assembling an eclectic mix of regional retailers and restaurants that will be characteristic of theCharlottesville community.
Crozet Might Be Getting its Own “Downtown Mall”
See the proposed plan at RealCrozetVA . Previously discussed: RealCrozetVA in August RealCrozetVA in November