Hat tip to Outskirts.Low-tech productivity gains a following…. Whenever someone asks me what the best gadget is for x task, my answer has always been “whatever works for you.” It just might not be the new Palm with all the bells and whistles…. In one way, blogging is much like real estate – mutual collaboration is a major factor in one’s success. Despite my disdain for anything labeled a “buzzword” I think I like co-opetition. Locally, the cvilleblogs aggregator has contributed significantly to the local community.Growing traffic touches everyone.I changed the name…. I would love to know more about the goings-on of Walker Square. This marks two very negative stories I have heard (both first-hand) about Walker Square.
Browsing Category Transportation
Morning reading 04-04-06
dysfunctional layout of their physical environment — the separation of land uses; the physical disconnect between houses, offices and stores built in pods; the stringing of those pods along feeder and arterial roads — that they take it for granted…. What is a “successful” blog?A smart growth book and review.There is more to the debate over sprawl than just anti-Wal-Mart hysteria and anger over traffic…. The decentralizing trends in living and working patterns, first in suburbs and later in exurbs, have been deeply problematic for the Democratic party and the American left. So have the decentralizing patterns of the American economy in the last several decades, and the ongoing decentralization of information and media.Same with framing an argument as “left -v- right.”… That’s why I read both sides as often as possible and read between the lines. New math on homes.Calculating what to pay for your home.You look at the “comps,” of course. A real estate agent will tell you what comparable houses in the neighborhood sold for. Web sites like Zillow.com or HomeValues.com value homes the same way.
April’s Forum Watch
The Free Enterprise Forum’s April Forum Watch is out. Take the time to read it. It’s long, and chock full of good information.
Morning reading 03-24-2006
Homeowners’ Insurance Premiums set to rise – and you thought you weren’t affected by Katrina, et. al?Higher standards for Realtors – with so many Realtors clamoring and calling for higher standards for their profession, when will their (my) association (NAR) listen? In a nutshell, the association is more powerful lobbying with 1.2 million members who may or may not be professional than with 500,000 (or some other arbitrary number) who are professional? It’s all politics. All of it. Conservation easements and the law of unintended consequences – I hadn’t thought of this – Once a parcel of land is protected from development, it increases the attractiveness of neighboring parcels for development. The knowledge that the original parcel will not be developed, and that the landscape will not change, makes housing in the neighboring tract all the more desirable.
A gas tax?
A gas tax has been tossed around quite frequently as a method to both pay for transportation needs and encourage the use of other forms of transportation (e.g. walking, biking …)This post explains how many Americans may be in favor of a gas tax. The best part of the story is this comment – Yes, the idea is that the gubb’mint would spend the extra tax money on The Best Alternatives(tm). The theory here is that thousands of years of tradition of government blowing the vast majority of its tax revenues would suddenly be cast off and you could sleep easy knowing that clueless politicians are disbursing your hard-earned dollars better than nobel prize winning energy physicists (or so the government says and wants you to assume).What he said.I don’t think a gas tax is necessarily a bad idea. Trusting the government to implement said tax and use it as directed is the problem. Maybe all we have to do is wait for the politicians to not run for reelection, and then they’ll “do the right thing.”
Portland as “the” example?
Portland is often used as “the” example for how to manage growth effectively and efficiently…. Land use regulations affect housing affordability, sprawl, congestion, etc. Pretty much everything. How does Portland fit in?Did the Portland experiment work? After more than twenty-five years in operation, the results of the Oregon experiment are controversial and puzzling. Growth control in Portland, like the text of the Bible, seems to provide almost anyone studying it evidence to bolster a pre-existing viewpoint.Hmmm. How do we apply what they have learned in Portland to how we want the Central Virginia area to grow?… Where does the vaunted Neighborhood Model fit into the grand scheme?This Google search yielded some interesting results …… What seems to be neglected is an understanding of how all localities interact and connect.
Morning reading 02-16-06
I went to the General Assembly yesterday for the Realtors’ Day on the Hill. Thus, I have a great deal of catching up to do, as well as write my thoughts about the experience.The House Transportation PackageDriven to DespairSuing a real estate agent for misrepresentation. Bottom line: do your due diligenceMore mortgage data than you can shake a stick atPlaces29 – public input?