If you are buying or selling a home or happen to be a Realtor – pay attention to this – Risk-based pricing. Why exactly hasn’t been this done in the past?Like it or not, if you’re going to be in just about any business these days, you’re going to be considered both a producer and publisher of content.Its time to admit that the US is a global superpower in hock to parts of the world that should make us nervous. That’s the story of 2007.Can you spot the self-interest?
Browsing Category Thoughts, etc.
Growth, wine and 2 billion dollars
ASAP’s take on population growth in Albemarle – how many people is “too many”?You want wine? We’ve got wine in Virginia. (pic courtesy of)2 Billions dollars to increase UVA’s research stature?A major report by the Washington Advisory Group consulting firm found that UVa will have to spend an estimated $1 billion over the next five to seven years to hire rising star faculty researchers in an effort to improve the overall quality of its research.Might any of these star researchers want to buy houses in the Charlottesville area? 🙂 The University’s impact on the Charlottesville region – economic, social, cultural and psychological – cannot be underestimated.A very good (and unusual) use of Realtors’ lobbying efforts.
Friday links 12-14-2007
What’s so wrong with gravel roads? A great post about the value of rural gravel roads – and the values in keeping them that way.Right now I hate paying taxes because I feel like I’m giving money to a known crack addict. However much you give, its not enough.
Toy Lift 2007 in Charlottesville
We need volunteers from December 5th through December 9th to help us set up, collect, sort, and distribute Toys and Books!You can make THE difference in the lives of over 2,300 area children…. Papa Johns Pizza and Pepsi products will be served!Contact Walker Duncan or 975-TOYS for more info.Thanks also to the Corner radio station for publicizing this meeting and event.If you are in the Charlottesville area and have never participated in this charity, please consider it this year. Working the Toy Lift is a humbling and rewarding experience.Be aware that no used toys will be accepted this year due to the waves of toy recalls this year.Note: this post is because this charity is near and dear to my wife. She gives an immense amount of time and energy to this every year, and I admire all that she and the other Toy Lift leaders do to ensure that the area’s children have a holiday.
Make sure you open all the doors
Kerri and Jason Brown discovered a secret room behind a bookcase containing a homeowner’s worst nightmare – mold. Also in the room was a handwritten note: “You found it!” What the Browns found was a mold problem so serious the previous owner was forced to move, according to the note….”Hello…. One that actually made my children very sick to the point that we had to move out,” Kerri Brown read from the letter.Not to make light of this clearly troubling situation, but – wow.
NAR does good
With all the NAR-bashing of late, it’s nice to see the NAR do something big and good. From Inman:The National Association of Realtors is donating $500,000 to assist victims of the Southern California wildfires and has called upon its members to contribute to its Realtors Relief Foundation.
Square footage, Bankruptcies and Campaign funds
Learning to love the not-so-big house. It’s not hard (and it’s cheaper, too!)I’d love to get my hands on a copy of this “Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2008” (hat tip: Toronto Real Estate Intelligence)The art and science of figuring out square footage: (hat tip: Matrix)Real Estate Video by – Real Estate BloggerWatch the whole series – it’s fascinating – in the various methods and results.Who has the most money in the local races?Going green by raising greenWe need more bridgebuilders – within and outside the Realtor world.I don’t know whether Central Virginia is in the Western or Eastern district, so bankruptcies between 2nd Quarter 06 and 2nd Quarter 07 are up either 8% or 37%, respectively.