Four Corners Rule Versus Neighborhood Fiscal Analysis

in Buyers General Real Estate on

Foreclosures and Short Sales impact home values in the neighborhood, especially when there are 3 of them, and those three are the ONLY sales in the neighborhood in a 6 month rolling basis period of time.

…Some of the factors considered in evaluating a neighborhood’s financial health: – # of foreclosures – # of short sales – # of original owners – # of homes purchased in past two-three years – # of homes purchased in past three-five years. – Financial health of the HOA – how much cash do they have on hand? … The concept of evaluating a neighborhood goes against the “Four Corners” principle , whereby the Realtors and the sellers are responsible only for what is contained within the four corners of the subject property and this different perspective ok.

As a Buyer’s Agent, I can tell you about what is contained within the four corners of the property and can (and do with the appropriate caveats) speculate about what may happen outside those four corners.

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Albemarle County Set to Improve Two Roads

in Albemarle Charlottesville Transportation on

I’ll believe it when I see it .

…- Jarman’s Gap Road in Crozet will be widened and will get sidewalks and bike lanes – Georgetown Road in Charlottesville will get a sidewalk. And my favorite part of the article: (bolding mine) Boyd asked the board if they would consider bringing the Western Bypass back before the Metropolitan Policy Organization . The MPO has never authorized funding for construction of the road, though it has accepted $47.2 million in state and federal funding for design and the purchase of right of way .

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What I think about WikiLeaks

in sideblog on

Can be summed up in these two posts: Wikileaks and the Long Haul Like it or Not, Wikileaks is a media entity . … 3 – I am deeply troubled, and have been for years with the direction our government has taken. In short, I do not feel represented ; in fact I feel as if I am seen as an obstacle by those who presumably represent me (and my clients). 4 – I give and demand honesty of my clients; are my expectations out of whack for those whom we elect?

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A Good Real Estate Agent is Like …

in General Real Estate on

Situation awareness (SA) involves being aware of what is happening around you to understand how information, events, and your own actions will impact your (clients’) goals and objectives, both now and in the near future.

…I swiftly put together a package for the condos that met his criteria , color-coded with maps and detailed information – and he was out the door in twenty minutes. … It’s surprising to think that I have been doing this for nearly ten years, have met the 10,000 hour rule , know those whom perceive to the the “right” people – the best in their respective fields – and still find myself learning something each and every day. Perhaps the two most important traits to success in the real estate (or wider) world: – An Insatiable desire to learn. – Ability to know when and whom to ask for help.

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Mortgage Interest Deduction On the Chopping Block?

in Politics on

My argument against the Mortgage Interest Deduction being negated is less about its fundamental nature to the stability of the housing market and more to the point that politicians wield power that we should not permit them to have.

… Proposed : 12% non-refundable tax credit available to all taxpayers; Mortgage capped at Mortgage Interest $500,000; No credit for interest from second residence and equity But for now, I’ll be contacting my politicians* who ostensibly “represent” me and telling them that my opinion is that they: 1) Leave the Mortgage Interest Deduction alone.

…In a nutshell, homes are more affordable because the majority of homes are used and are not taxed, the interest paid on new homes at a lower rate is untaxed, new home prices do not bear taxes imposed upstream, and the saving and investment needed to buy homes is not taxed multiple times.

…Educate yourself : – The Opening Salvo of the Housing War: Mortgage Interest Deduction – Realtors® Say Mortgage Interest Deduction Vital to Home Ownership, Economy – FairTax and Housing * But not Tom Perriello; he is no longer accepting email .

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Less is More + Smarter Conversations

in sideblog on

The world of social media and networking is much too consumed with numbers , and it seems at times, we are making sacrifices of our time and energy wading through piles of noise and indirect relationships in an effort to obtain the rare connections of serendipity that bring us value. … When Facebook launched their new messaging platform two weeks ago, putting an emphasis on the friends in the site having access to your in box, I started to have second thoughts about all these random people I’d blindly said yes to in the last couple years. For every great person who I would meet in the future and learn from, there were others trying to invite me to events and groups that were a waste of time, or whose updates were never catching my eye.

…You don’t do that because your accountant told you to, you do thatbecause that’s who you are.

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