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Blacksburg Transit Provides Election Day Transportation

Need a ride to the polls this election day, or want to continue the theme of Sustainability Week and encourage the use of public transportation while exercising your right to vote?

Blacksburg Transit is providing "Election Day transportation service to voting locations within the Town of Blacksburg. Service will operate from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday November 4, 2008 to the following voting locations:

• Blacksburg Library, Blacksburg Middle School
• Blacksburg Community Center on Patrick Henry
• Gilbert Linkous Elementary
• Luther Memorial Lutheran Church
• Margaret Beeks Elementary
• Slusser Chapel
• St. Michaels Lutheran Church

For detailed information regarding your district and voting location please visit the Montgomery County Registrar's Office at www.montva.com or call (540) 382-5741.

For up to date detailed information regarding Election Day Service visit the Blacksburg Transit Website at www.btransit.org or call (540) 961-1185 for service questions."

They also have an Election Day route schedule:

We're Connected - Whether We Know It Or Not

Anne Clelland of Handshake 2.0 has a guest writer on her blog today, talking about finding connections - online and offline - in places you never expect to find them.

Are we connected?

Ask Appraisal Questions of Leslie Frantz THIS WEEK!

I had a video session scheduled today with Leslie Frantz, owner and operator of Hometown Appraisal Services here in Blacksburg, and we FORTUNATELY had to cancel the appointment. 

I wanted to talk with Leslie about how the current market has changed her appraisals, and what she's seeing on a daily basis because, truthfully, if there's anyone that sees more homes in the New River Valley it's probably Leslie - this woman is BUSY!  I say that it's a fortunate delay for all of us, then, because it gives you an opportunity to ask Leslie questions directly ... are you a buyer in today's market, who just put an offer on your first home and are waiting for the appraisal to come back?  Or, perhaps you're a seller getting ready to put your home on the market, and want to make sure your agent has accurately analyzed the market ... regardless of your situation, if you have  questions for Leslie, email me (jeremy at nrvliving.com) and I'll do my best to work them into the next appointment with Leslie.  We're scheduled to meet later this week, so email them as soon as possible!

Pandapas Pond - There's No Comparison

I went to Pandapas Pond a few weeks ago and wandered around, took a couple of pictures and put them into a service I've been using more and more called Real Estate Shows.

<------  That's NOT my picture.

There's no secret I'm an amateur with a camera - but the guy who took this picture, he's no amateur.  Beautiful photos of Pandapas Pond - check out the links here, here, here and here.  Absolutely beautiful, Sean; don't know of many other photographers who can showcase the New River Valley in quite the same way.

Have You Considered Biking To Work?

It's Sustainability Week in Blacksburg, which means we should be focusing a little bit more on minimizing our impact in the communities we live in. 

One of the ways to do that is to bike around Town.  Have you ever tried it?  Blacksburg is a pretty bike-friendly town, at least more than most, and it's pretty easy to get around from place to place via pedal power.  It's great exercise, the main corridors of Blacksburg (Main Street and Prices Fork Road) have bike lanes, there are bike racks around Town (although not enough, in my opinion) to lock your bike to, and if you decide you've had enough pedaling and need a ride, most Blacksburg Transit buses have bike racks.  The current Huckleberry Trail takes you out to the Christiansburg mall, and will eventually go even further than that expanding the number of retail, grocery and entertainment options you can reach by bike (if you decide you don't want to visit the new First & Main).

What about riding your bike to work?  Sure, it's getting colder and most of us aren't going to head out into the cold for a commute to work - it's hard to signal, ride and drink coffee all at the same time (and until they get seat heaters for my bike seat like they have for my car, I'm tempted to stick with my routine thank you very much)!  One of the unintended benefits of higher gas prices this summer though, was an increase in the number of people using their bikes to commute to work.  I know I did, and my wife did as well.  And when the winter weather breaks a bit and we have that balmy winter day, I'll get the bike out and do it again.  It's a great way to get around, and just in my industry there are more and more real estate agents - like Dru Bloomfield, Jim Duncan and Tony Arko - who are using their bikes more and more. 

So ... what's your commute look like?  Here's mine:

Less wear and tear on roads, less vehicle emissions, less fuel usage, more caloric burn ... We talk about the high quality of life we have here in the New River Valley, isn't the opportunity to do something that's good not only for our bodies but the community we live in just another way we can support the mission of Sustainability Week, and make it, as Jim calls it, a lifestyle shift.

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Stuart Mease On Supporting Local Business in the Roanoke and New River Valleys

Rackspace, and it's webmail division of Mailtrust - which, coincidentally is Blacksburg-grown - IPO'd in August 2008, yet very little was written about it in the local paper.  Stuart's contention is that success stories like Mailtrust, and so many others located throughout our region, need the support and publicity that all of us can provide.

This is important to real estate for a couple of reasons.  First, Stuart mentioned the term "creative-class" jobs when he referred to Mailtrust's initiative to bring 100+ new jobs to the Blacksburg community within the next 18 months.  I'd not heard the term "creative-class jobs" before, but I like it ... creative class jobs are in demand in what has rapidly become a global economy, and the workforce created by these jobs encourages not only new businesses creation in the region, but also the relocation of existing businesses - and therefore their jobs as well - into the region.  These are not positions that are outsourced; they are jobs that are created, maintained and promoted within the region, and Mailtrust is but one example of this local talent.

Thanks to Handshake 2.0 for sharing the video.

Emergency Preparedness Training in Radford

Just a note to all you folks living and working in Radford tomorrow, Wednesday the 22nd of October.  There will be an Emergency Preparedness Exercise going on that appears to involve some pretty life-like emergency situations, so just wanted you to know.  I just received the following press release ...

FROM THE CITY OF RADFORD _______________________________________________________

Please be aware that there will be an Emergency Preparedness Exercise going on tomorrow, October 22nd that involves City rescue crews, Radford University, Norfolk Southern, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, the Health Department, three area hospitals, neighboring jurisdictions, and a host of other organizations.  This drill will be treated as “the real thing” and is designed to evaluate the policies and procedures associated with responding to a large-scale emergency involving hazardous materials.  If you hear sirens, see evacuations, or lots of other commotion, please remember it is just a drill.  If you receive calls from concerned citizens, please help us in reassuring them that it is only a drill.

Please contact Chief Simpkins at the Fire Department or myself if you have any other questions or concerns.

Thanks,
Becky Hawke
Public Relations Coordinator
Deputy Clerk of Council
City of Radford
619 Second St.
Radford, VA 24141
Phone: 540.731.3603
Fax: 540.731.3699

They Call It The Tower of Power

Coal-fired power plants.

Critics say they're dirty, that it has enormous leave-behinds in the form of ash, pollutants like sulphuric acids, arsenic and loads of carbon dioxide, not to mention the costs - both quantifiable and non-quantifiable - for mining, disposing of leave-behinds, and illnesses in the local communities.

Doesn't sound like a really pleasant thing to be around, does it?  Did you know that Virginia Tech has it's own power plant, and that it's fueled by coal, that dirtiest of fossil fuels?

Before you jump up and start making picket signs, check out this article by 16 Blocks Magazine - it might just give you a different perspective on new ways that 800 pound gorilla we call Virginia Tech is discovering to serve an increasing demand while minimizing its' impact.  Think it isn't working?  The systems installed in the Virginia Tech facility have resulted in "a ninety percent reduction in emissions and a smoke stack that hardly seems to smoke at all. By industry standards, an emissions opacity of ten percent is considered good. VTPP's opacity hovers between two and three percent, a level of smoke invisible even in broad daylight."

THAT's making a difference.

More photos of the plant on Flickr.

Just announced today, Tech's new energy initiatives.  It's all part of Sustainability Week here in Blacksburg.

16 Blocks Magazine supplied the photo.

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Dazed & Confused Concerning Affordable Housing in Blacksburg

The Current yesterday ran a "forum" piece regarding the proposed Blacksburg workforce housing project that's been hotly debated; it appears that the forum was a response to this October 5th editorial. 

Please tell me this was a joke.  Honestly.  I'm confused as to the message this sends to community residents.

Quotes include:

• "Residents ... would have the convenience of having elementary, middle and (proposed) high schools; churches; parks; recreation fields; and grocery and other shopping located one mile or less from their neighborhood"
• "Blacksburg Transit service would be extended to the site ..."
• the residents would enjoy "social and environmental benefits of living in an EarthCraft designed and certified community -- the first such proposed project in Virginia"

Why is the Blacksburg Housing and Community Development Advisory Board determining that the best place to put an affordable housing project is outside the Town limits?  At least on the Harding Avenue site we were attempting to annex the property so that it'd be within the Town boundaries and it has easier access to downtown, but to say the Merrimac Road location is the best solution is crazy.  The whole goal of the project is to find a location where residents can easily interact with things happening within the Town while utilizing current roads, public transportation and walking and biking trails, but as it is now the Merrimac Road location is outside of Town limits, and provides no easy alternative to get in and out of the downtown area other than Price's Fork Road.  I haven't driven it - yet - but I'd guess the Merrimac Road location is nearly 5 miles from Main Street and College Avenue, widely regarded as the "center" of downtown.  The Harding Avenue location is maybe half that, and for the most part follows established bike paths and suburban streets?  Furthermore, to extend Blacksburg Transit just to serve this community smacks of "thank us for our generosity."  The Harding Avenue had a bus stop literally yards away, eliminating the need for heavy rerouting of buses and scheduling. 

The forum goes on to say that the project will be green and efficient, and will be the first such project proposed in Virginia.  If they're referring to affordable housing that may be the case, but I don't think it's the first EarthCraft certified community in the state, nor is it the first in Blacksburg.  

I have a hard time understanding why Merrimac Road makes more sense.  I think it just reeks of elitism and ulterior motives, and I hope you can work it out with the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors to fix this one.

Dazed and confused.

The Ever-Evolving Nature of the Blog

Thanks for your patience as I continue to change things around on the blog.  Several things have been added over the last couple of weeks, and the theme is obviously different as well (and hopefully make some of the additions more helpful).  If you find something that's not working correctly, let me know ... we've still got some resizing issues I'm trying to work out.  Improvements include:

1. implementation of a mobile version of the blog
2. links to Twitter, Flickr photos and my LinkedIn profile
3. Text Me link (this still needs some work)
4. Instant Chat via Meebo
5. Skype link
6. NRVLiving TV, our exclusive videos from our YouTube Channel

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Through The Seller's Eyes - The Home Inspection

Last month, I wrote "What Is A Home Inspection?"  I fully intended to write more ... but I didn't.  

Then Jay Thompson in Phoenix wrote about the home inspection from the Seller's point of view.  I think he wrote it better than I could.

The seller should be looking at the inspection in much the same way as the buyer is:

"A home inspection for the purposes of this Contract is RESTRICTED TO DETERMINING ONLY that the plumbing (including well, well pump and septic systems, if any), heating, air conditioning (if any), electrical systems and appliances are in safe working order, there are no structural defects, and the roof is free of leaks. The home inspection and any subsequent inspections shall be at Purchaser's expense."

In our area of Virginia, if you agree in whole or in part to the repairs requested in the home inspection Amendment, make sure there is a completely ratified (signed and initialed) Amendment.  The home inspection contingency is then removed and you can move forward with the Contract.  As a seller, you want to make sure there's a specific dollar amount specified for repairs (it varies on what that amount is, sometimes as little as $500, but the Contract should state very clearly what that amount is.  If you can't come to an agreement with the buyer regarding which repairs will be completed, then the Contract can be terminated (again, in writing), the buyer can get their earnest money back, and your house can be put back up for sale.

I can't say that we see many deals fall through over home inspections, but sometimes negotiations just don't work out as planned and the house has to go back on the market.  Remember - if one buyer didn't like that the roof was falling apart, it's probably that another buyer's not going to like that either.  If you can make some of the repairs suggested in the report prior to putting the house back up for sale, it might be a good idea.  Another even better idea might be to have the house inspected prior to listing it; then you can provide potential buyers a little more confidence that yours is one they need to seriously consider.

Thanks Jay, for the great write-up.

Bifocals and Anderson.

Sustainability Week in Blacksburg - October 20-25

I mentioned Sustainability Week recently, but there wasn't much information available. 

Now, there's a lot more.

• What is Sustainability Week?
• What's happening?  Short version or long version.

Why is this important?  Taking care of our environment is more than a fad, it's the right thing to do.  We have a legacy to leave - what will it be?

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The State of the Market - September 2008 (Renamed: A Slow And Steady Approach)

August has come and gone, and September has as well.  The leaves are changing ... it's one of my favoritest (can I say that?  Sure I can) times of the year here in the New River Valley.  September has NOT been nice to the stock market, however - there's no secret there, we've passed a bill with economic implications that are really beyond comprehension to try and stabilize it, and oh yea, there's a presidential election going on as well.  Wondering how it all effects housing?  My best guesses here, here, here and here.  As I said last month however:

"a slow, steady and calculated approach to the market is going to be important as we move forward towards 2009."

I believe that, more than ever.  If you look at the first half of the year you'll see prices being soft during a time of year that's typically a much stronger market, and then as we've gotten further into the fall that trend has continued.  According to figures pulled from the New River Valley MLS, volume across the entire New River Valley (which my absorption rate statistics does not cover in its' entirety) is down about 14% from this time last year, the average sold price is down about 11% from this time last year, but the list to sale ratio is 96.3% (compared to 96.2% last year).  That tells me that while prices are down from this time last year, sellers are pushing for lower list prices as well - this is a good strategy.  In a market that's soft, don't rely on the price your neighbor got six months ago.  Stay ahead of the knife and price it right the first time.  One more cautionary tale, and I mentioned it last month ... if you are in an Adjustable Rate Mortgage, and your rate adjusts or expires at anytime in 2009, please contact me immediately.  There are serious implications for many homeowners who will find their payments jumping by hundreds of dollars a month, let's find a local lender who can act quickly to help you refinance and keep your payments low.

When it comes to absorption rates, we're looking at how long it would take to sell the existing residential inventory in a particular area, if nothing else came on the market until supply was exhausted.  Anything over 5 months is typically a buyers' market, and anything less than 5 months is typically a seller's market.

Area	# of Active Properties	# of Sold Properties	Absorption Rate	Buyer/Seller Market
Blacksburg	206	19	10.84 Months	Buyer
Christiansburg	272	17	16.00 Months	Buyer
Montgomery County	68	8	8.50 Months	Buyer
Floyd County	127	2	63.50 Months	Buyer
Giles County	60	8	7.50 Months	Buyer
Pulaski	101	5	20.20 Months	Buyer
Dublin	116	7	16.57 Months	Buyer
Radford	79	7	11.29 Months	Buyer

A full and complete shift into a buyers' market through September, which again is no surprise, it's part of the cycle.  Certainly, news from Wall Street and an election are playing into this, as well as just the typical slow down that happens every year about this time.  I was asked on Monday if I was worried about my job.  Let me be clear ... NO.  People are going to buy and sell during turbulent times.  The market will be different, it will be rocky at times, but if I know how to navigate it and put the pieces in place, it all works out in the end.  Let me repeat - a slow, steady and calculated approach to the market is going to be important as we move forward towards 2009.

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Send Me A Text

Email's too slow, and you don't want to use the Plugoo chat feature because I'm not at my computer.  Well, if you'd like to chat about real estate and want a faster response, try out the Text Me feature on the right side of the screen. 

All you have to do is put in your cell phone number, type the message, and click "Send TXT Message".  Instantaneous access (Sheesh I hope this is a good idea!) and if I'm not with someone and can respond, I will! 

For now, the sizing is a little off but I'm working on it.  That'll be fixed, but the widget itself works fine so text away!

A Rebuttal From Radford University

 Radford University's been under fire a bit, and Michael Hemphill provided a response in today's Roanoke Times Editorial section.

There are three sides to every story - the truth, the lie, and the in-between - but I still contend that Radford's a university on the move; and that can only be good for the rest of the City.

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Bullseye.

Blowing Smoke? Not Hardly ...

Have you heard?  There are a few things happening in the financial sector that are probably giving you cause for concern.  Truth bet told, they've given a lot of us cause for concern ...

Just a quick note to let you know that there are home loans currently being funded, just as Mark Weddle and  Dennis Duncan said there were.  I'm not going to blow smoke and say that there a lot of companies out there that are having trouble providing credit to buyers, and the stock market is absolutely a scary place to be right now.  BUT ... the mortgage market is not mirroring Mountain Lake. 

In order to make it happen, you'll need three things:

• good credit. There are differing opinions of what "good" credit is, so let me help connect you with someone who can tell you exactly how you stack up.
• money to put down (and it DOESN'T have to be 20%).
• proof of monthly income. Gone are the days of what we called "no doc" loans (thank God).

If these items look familiar, it's because they're all things that lenders have looked for in the past, and that they'll continue to look for in the future.  The mortgage market isn't gone ... in fact, we're closing two properties THIS WEEK that were funded by a local lender just within the last two weeks.  Let me know if you'd like to review your individual situation.  It's not going to be the right time for everyone to buy, but if you can meet the three criteria above it just might be worth your while.

Blowing smoke.

Help The Huckleberry

They've determined how to cross Route 114, they've determined the route ...

But they need the money.  You can help the Friends of the Huckleberry by writing to express your support.  Brad Stipes tells us how ...

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The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 - What's It Say?

The bailout bill - also called the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 - has been passed, and I know you've been itching to get your hands on a copy. 

You can read the full report here.

But if you'd like a summary (and I'd suggest it might be a bit easier to digest) you should check out the Financial Planning Association's site.

Thanks to Eric for sending this in.

NEW! SWVABloggers.com

I JUST found out about a cool new site for Southwest VA that I wanted to make sure to put out there.  It's called SWVABloggers.com, and it's put together by a group of bloggers who want to offer a one stop to get information from all sorts of SWVA blogs.  From their site:

The idea behind the site is to pool the creative writing skills and wide variety of topics from local bloggers into one site. From local sports and business, to parenting and local governments; we’re looking to bring all the local bloggers under one URL. We’re not asking them to move their blogs here, SWVABloggers.com simply offers them another outlet to showcase their passions while at the same time, providing a centralized site with a wide range of topics related to this part of the Commonwealth.

A quick search through the site and I see information on pumpkin pickin', Virginia Tech sports, product reviews ... all kinds of stuff, even real estate (the screen shot above just happened to have a post I wrote yesterday, it was completely coincidental I swear).  Their list of bloggers includes:

• Stuart's Connecting People
• Heather's Desperately Seeking Reviews and Desperately Seeking Sanity
• Anne's Handshake 2.0
• My very own NRVLiving Real Estate Blog
• TechHoops.com
• Gary's TheGaryCope.com
• VTHokieFans.com

It's a great idea, thanks to those of you who took the time to put it together - they've even created a Facebook group and Twitter page!  If you'd like your blog to be a part of SWVABloggers.com (and membership is FREE), email Gary.

 

Bus Service In Christiansburg?

Perhaps.  From Blacksburg Alert today:

The Town of Christiansburg in conjunction with Blacksburg Transit, the Town of Blacksburg,  Virginia Tech, and Montgomery County* are working together to increase public transportation and commuting options within the Town of Christiansburg. The first step in this process is the completion of a survey that will be mailed to Christiansburg residents to determine the use/need of expanded bus service in the Christiansburg area.

The bus survey offers a unique opportunity for each citizen to contribute and help design the future of bus service in Christiansburg. The results of this survey, which will be sent to every household in the Christiansburg area, will serve as the foundation for the new service; hence every response is critical. Christiansburg Town Manager Lance Terpenny, commented  "The great thing about this survey is that it allows our citizens to contribute to the planning process; ultimately building their own service."

The survey will be mailed early October 2008, with the estimated implementation of the routes set for late 2009.

For further information regarding the survey contact Erik Olsen, Transportation Planner at (540) 961-1185 or email [email protected].

* Survey funded by the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Montgomery Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)

Christiansburg residents ... be on the lookout for these surveys.  Better public transportation options are likely going to be more and more important to our communities in the coming years.