Says Bryan McKenzie today.There are some serious concerns our community needs to address and not just with another study and another consultant but with real, shirt-sleeves up, kick butt and take down names attitude…
Browsing Category Politics
Three thousand square feet
That could be the threshold after which homeowners start to lose their mortgage interest deductibility…. Dingell’s bill would:Phase out the mortgage interest deduction on large homes. These homes have contributed to increased sprawl and longer commutes. Despite new homes in and of themselves being more energy efficient, the sheer size, sprawl and commutes lead to dramatically more energy use – or to put it more simply, a larger carbon footprint.He has a point.Specifically, the proposal:Phases out the mortgage interest on primary mortgages on houses over 3000 square feet.Exemptions for historical homes (prior to 1900) and farm houses.Exemptions for home owners who purchase carbon offsets to make home carbon neutral or own homes that are certified carbon neutral.An owner would receive:- 85% of the mortgage interest deduction for homes 3000-3199 square feet- 70% for homes 3200-3399 square feet- 55% for homes 3400-3599 square feet- 40% for homes 3600-3799 square feet- 25% for homes 3800-3999 square feet- 10% for homes 4000-4199 square feet- 0 for homes 4200 square feet and upFor a summary of the bill, go here.Hmmm3,964 single family homes have sold in the region* since 1 January 2006.
Community Forum on Lending – Why do African Americans pay more in Central Virginia? Part 4
None of the loan officers in attendance, as one observant participant noted, included any “brown faces.â€As our Realtors are typically the gateway to home ownership, Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors should play a large part…. Now is the time to start the public discourse, find out where we agree, compromise where we don’t and shine the light on those who are reluctant to improve our industry’s practices.Congress has several bills under consideration right now…. I’m not claiming to be a saint, mind you, I’m just glad that our company’s vision, which encourages all clients to be treated fairly and equitably, actually was met.Finally, loan officers need to involve ourselves in our community. We must get out of our comfort zone and meet people who are unlike ourselves, either because of race, national origin, age, marital status, sex, color or any other of the traits that differentiate us. We should forge relationships in Charlottesville that will benefit all.
Community Forum on Lending – Why do African Americans pay more in Central Virginia? Part 3 of 4
If communities can share in the knowledge base (remember, many African Americans do not have parents that have owned a home), understand that they can seek out additional loan options and fully understand the loan product that they are considering, the individual members will make wise decisions…. As much as Alex Gulotta would like to credit for pushing for licensure of loan officers and brokers (By the way, Alex, brokers are licensed, requiring experience level among its owners, must pass an oral exam and be examined by the Commonwealth every 18-24 months), Central Virginia Mortgage Professionals (CVaMP) is way ahead of you…. In that case, he or she is prohibited from telling the appropriate agency, whether it is Housing and Urban Development or Veteran’s Administration or Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae about the violation.Finally, many states are enacting a “tangible benefit†law…. Tomorrow I will list the action items that I will propose to our legislators, to Piedmont Housing Alliance and other community organizations, to the Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors, to CVaMP and to our own brokerage, Compass Home Loans.
Community Forum on Lending – Why do African Americans pay more in Central Virginia? Part 2 of 4
Peggy Deane, VP of Mortgage Services at UVA Community Credit Union uvaccu.mortgagewebcenter.com/Default.asp?bhcp=1 and Member Options, LLC (plus CVaMP’s secretary) suggested, correctly I believe, that we have an awareness problem, that community programs are needed and an informed borrower is a powerful borrower…. Valid point and that should be presented to a client, but a potential home buyer should make that decision, not the loan officer.Phil d’Ornozio, President of Pilot Mortgage and President of CVaMP was invited as a local loan officer and one who actually originates high cost loans on a daily basis…. If there are issues that are specific to Virginia, like Charlottesville, Lynchburg, Tidewater and Richmond landing in the top 30 MSAs in this study, we need to act in Virginia.Finally Dana Wiggins, Responsible Lending Coordinator for VaPerl/Virginia Poverty Law Center www.virginiafairloans.org/pages/AboutUs/CoalitionMembers.htmlpresented…. Bell or a supervisor was asked.Next up, I will provide the perspectives from our table, during the roundtable discussions.Ed Note: This is part two of a multi-part series of posts authored by Matt Hodges, a mortgage broker in Charlottesville.
Growth issues abound in Charlottesville and Albemarle
Free Enterprise Forum’s October newsletter – they attend more meetings than almost anyone else Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) Program still seeking tractionAh, the “greater good” argument:The request creates a conundrum for the Board, a conundrum most succinctly spelled out by Slutzky at that September meeting: “We’re weighing the individual property owner’s wishes appropriately, but we should be weighing them against ultimately what’s the objective of this master planning process.â€At that same meeting, Wheeler offered her own view: “To propose a change in property rights or the land use for my property without contacting me is unconscionable,†she said during the public comment. “The property rights for the people who live in that area should be the concern of the people who live on that land.â€Is a conservation easement not an option?At least one of the candidates is going door-to-door.Cato Institute scholar talks zoning.Dr. Van Doren outlined three points on zoning’s inefficiency, “Zoning reduces some property values (land that could be used more intensely), more than it increases other property values; zoning is not necessary to ‘preserve’ wealth; and the market for change in zoning is political rather than explicitly economic.â€How Houston gets along without zoning.Meadowcreek Parkway moving forward. I couldn’t agree with Dave Norris more:“I would like to see a much stronger emphasis be put on getting a commitment by the County and setting an expectation from the County to really step up on the issue of transit, bike and pedestrian connections,†he said.I would add only that to emphasize the need to coordinate transit plans with all the stakeholders, not just the City of Charlottesville, County of Albemarle and the University of Virginia.
Collaborating in real time
In working on this presentation on blogging for the past week or ten days, we used Google’s Presentation (Powerpoint for the unenlightened) to work together. Chatting within the presentation making changes was mighty efficient.I’ve said before, and this is a clear example, effecting change needs to be at least a two-pronged approach. Working from outside the aging gorilla’s reach is effective, but working within the behemoth’s reach in tandem with those outside efforts should prove much more effective…. Influencing their conversation is but one way to get things done.In an example of the Web 2.0 world, I’ve spoken to Ben Martin dozens of times, (only a couple of times on the phone, the rest on IM or Skype) worked on this presentation for a couple of hours, and have yet to meet him, but have full confidence that today’s talk will go smoothly.