Posts tagged Albemarle
Tom Tom Founder’s Festival in Charlottesville
If you haven’t seen or read about the Tom Tom Founder’s Festival, now would be a good time to start. Inspired by South by Southwest (SXSW), it aspires to be something it seems Charlottesville has not yet seen. Offering various tracks from biotech startup to a locavore expo to Charlottesville as a startup hub, there’s something for any and everyone interested in being and becoming involved in Charlottesville.
(what’s this have to do with Charlottesville real estate? Nothing other than this is but one more thing that makes living in Charlottesville fantastic … if one can make time to participate and get involved. “Real estate” is about life and lifestyle. This Festival looks to complement and accentuate life in Charlottesville – for the better)
Have a look at their various Tracks –
– TTFF’s “City as a Canvas” Track
– And then there’s the Tom Tom Founders Festival Music Track offering a remarkable lineup of music.
– The one about which I’m most excited – TTFF’s Innovation Track, in which they seek to explore Place Based Innovation, something about which I think Charlottesville really does (and should) excel. The Sustainable Design panel looks to be exceptional:
Our “Place Based Innovation” continues with an acknowledgement of the ways the well-being of future generations will be built on this generation’s choices. Charlottesville is home to groundbreaking pioneers looking at design, infrastructure, and resource development. These decisions not only help achieve ecological and cultural diversity; they help us stay productive. This discussion focuses on local innovations in sustainable design and product development, revealing the successes and barriers to increasing sustainable practices in our community.


Panelists:

Oliver Kutner, CEO and Founder of Edison2

Joey Conover, CFO of Latitude 38, LEED Professional

Andrew Greene, Sustainability Planner at the University of Virginia

Teri Kent, Founder of Better World Betty and the Better Business Challenge
Vacant Homes in Charlottesville MSA – 2012 Update
I’ve tracked the housing vacancy rate for homes actively on the market in the Charlottesville MSA irregularly over the past several years; it’s an indicator as to the health of the housing market. More occupied…
Charlottesville’s Getting a Hyatt. And a Residence Inn
Three new hotels coming to Charlottesville (assuming they all get approved) …
Stonefield (at the corner of Hydraulic and 29) is getting a Hyatt.
West Main and Mcintire is getting a Residence Inn.
And a Homewood Suites on Rio Road and 29.
The question is – can Charlottesville and Albemarle support three new hotels?
1st Quarter 2012 Charlottesville Area Real Estate Market Report
As always, pay attention to the segment or segments that affect you. There is no “the market is up” or “the market is down.” Condos in the City of Charlottesville near the Downtown Mall are different than single family homes in Greene County – different trends, different factors affecting them, different economic engines and hubs, different schools, different property taxes … you get the picture.
I’ll be adding to this post this evening but wanted to get this out before my afternoon appointment. (priorities, you know?)
Nest Realty’s First Quarter 2012 market report (download the pdf)
Another New Neighborhood Coming to Crozet?
Westlake Hills is proposing to build 145 new homes in Crozet. I hope they include some kind of connectivity to other neighborhoods besides roads built solely for cars. (the data show that people prefer walkability) I suppose it can be argued that developers choosing to move forward with previously-dormant neighborhood proposals is a sign of a recovering economy.
City of Charlottesville to Launch GIS Website
The City of Charlottesville will on Tuesday launch their new Geographical Information Services (GIS) website, joining Louisa, Albemarle, Nelson, Greene (which requires Internet Explorer) and Fluvanna in offering GIS to the public.
In my practice, I use GIS at least three times a week and probably recommend its use to my clients at least as many times – investigating properties’ histories, zoning, adjacent properties (but really, that’s up to the buyer) .. if Charlottesville’s GIS solution is accurate, it’s going to make neighborhood fiscal analysis‘ practical.
Until they launch it, I’ll reserve judgement other than to say, it’s about time.
Update: Here’s the City of Charlottesville’s new GIS site.
I still say, it’s about time.