With every one of these localities moving forward with their own growth and comprehensive plans, doesn’t it make sense to have some sort of regional cohesion between the plans and planners? What impact does TJPDC have?Albemarle assesses residents’ opinions – was anybody surprised by the answers?“We noticed a decrease in satisfaction rates [for transportation] between 2002 and 2004,†Allshouse said. “We saw data line up that showed us transportation is becoming a more important issue, so the goals for [the 2007-10] strategic plan, which should be adopted in July, include expanding regional transit opportunities and accelerating transportation projects.â€Louisa’s Comp Plan moves forwardWithout the infrastructure, Tingler said, planning will not be effective. “If the county is concerned about bringing growth into designated areas,†said Tingler, “along with that goes modification to bring resources into those areas, water, sewer…. Fluvanna’s Comp Plan surveyNo details have been released regarding the results, but public concerns about “growth and taxes†are a leading theme, according to a planner who has seen a number of the responsesMadison County jacks up building permit fees “Last year was a tremendous year; it was so busy,†Grayson said…. CvilleTomorrow changes tack slightlyWatching how they balance this will be interesting. CvilleTomorrow is one of the most valuable information assets our region has. I personally hope that they use their influence for information dissemination rather than advocates for or against particular developments.
Browsing Category Politics
Craigslist, Google, Yahoo, and fair housing
One reason that Craigslist will have At stake is whether online sites should be compelled to actively police the postings of their users to ensure compliance with federal and state laws.
Towards representation
My wife called to me last week to watch a segment on the Today show (no link to the story) focusing on Sellers choosing not to have representation when selling their houses – some call them FSBOs…. There are several different business models available in today’s market that will simply post (usually accurate) listings in the MLS for a certain fee, but will not provide any negotiating, representation or any other assistance. There is a place for that – no question.The future of today’s Realtor is going to depend more and more on the representation aspect of real estate transactions. Any monkey can do data entry (look at some of the MLS listings and you will think that a monkey could easily have done better; there is no excuse for not putting in at least eight photos with a property)…. Representing the minutiae of a transaction – the seemingly little problems that can swiftly become seemingly insurmountable, managing the people and emotions involved, knowing about and doing those aspects of a transaction that can make a transaction a good or a painful memory – those are the parts of this profession that will Being able to successfully represent clients will define the future of this profession. There is much online competition for the real estate industry – Zillow, Trulia, Redfin, Google – that will fragment real estate search. Picking up the pieces by representing clients and their best interests will define the successful Realtor. No amount of online data will replace a walking into a basement and immediately knowing whether there has been water infiltration recently, or whether the wood floors are real 3/4 inch wood or a laminate-type product.
Eminent domain restricted?
Executive Order: Protecting the Property Rights of the American People Section 1. Policy. It is the policy of the United States to protect the rights of Americans to their private property, including by limiting the taking of private property by the Federal Government to situations in which the taking is for public use, with just compensation, and for the purpose of benefiting the general public and not merely for the purpose of advancing the economic interest of private parties to be given ownership or use of the property taken.If I am reading this correctly, this addresses the eminent domain threat quite mightily. What do you more knowledgeable readers think? Ever since the Supreme Court’s ruling last year, the general public has been in an uproar. I am somewhat surprised that somebody listened.Perhaps equally important is this question – what are the loopholes that some will try to exercise?
Property taxes, traffic and straw
What will localities do if/when property values level off and they will be forced to either 1) live within their means or 2) raise property tax rates or 3) find another source of revenue (tax)? Green trends continue their upward trend:Reasons for building green range from “it’s the right thing to do,” to increasing energy efficiency, staying ahead of the competition and attracting green-seeking home buyers.Can you imagine this? This is why green building will continue to take off – it makes sense. What I learned about straw bales is that they’re a cheap, renewable resource that gives you R-50 insulation in your walls.”The insulation bats that you put in most stick-built houses are rated at R-9 or R-11. When you consider the thermal bridging where every stud is and the gaps, the performance of the wall is probably not even R-7.”The Daily Progress reports.Do roads create traffic, or do traffic and developments necessitate roads? The one comment is interesting.
A thought on the Blogger’s Summit
Correct me if I’m wrong, but the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership is a moderately respected institution. They have put together a pretty impressive lineup of speakers…. And inviting everybody.There has been an awful lot of discussion about who was consulted and who wasn’t. There’s more out there; just click around a bit…. One reason that people blog is to express voices and opinions. This second Summit is an opportunity to expand that voice, to expand and develop credibility and influence – to contribute. This is an opportunity to demonstrate that bloggers can rise above the typical partisan flaming that has created so much division and distrust in today’s political environment…. I’ll bet you would have been interesting in person.For what it’s worth, these are my two favorite musings on the “situation” – Craig’s and Charles’.
Weekend links
“An Officer does not parade about with a pink umbrella.â€Whenever the government operates a facility in a way that negativelly (sic) affects the property interests of nearby owners, the question arises whether it has effected a taking.And sometimes you need a bit of positivity. I have just noticed that BizzyBlog has a habit of posting positive stories – refreshing.Contributing to the contracting market? Or creating opportunity for others?Some adjustable-rate mortgage borrowers, though, and especially those with below-median income, appear to underestimate or not know how much their interest rates could change.Direct to consumer marketing works.Don’t forget to listen to WNRN this Sunday morning.