NRVLiving - Real Estate. Simplified.

When Vanilla Ice Said He Was Rollin', I'd Bet He Wasn't Referring to This ...

Somehow, when Vanilla Ice was spewing the lyrical genius that was "Ice Ice Baby" (I couldn't write that without chuckling, have you seen these lyrics?), I've got to imagine this wasn't what he was referring to when he spoke of the wind blowing his hair ...

The Roanoke Times' Lerone Graham tried out one of these low-speed vehicles recently; I'm certainly no fan of the idea, and I thought some his quotes were telling enough to give Councils who are considering allowing them on public streets pause.  Consider:

"Because the E-Merge has no doors and is lower to the ground than normal-size vehicles, I felt exposed when vehicles would fly past me."

"... most of the time they will do about 18, which is only a little more than half of the speed limit."

"Though it was a very routine turn, a person in a sport utility vehicle who was several hundred feet behind me in the same lane soon had to brake to keep enough distance from me."
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They have no exterior protection for passengers, only do half of the maximum speed posted on the streets they're allowed to drive on, and will be passing hazards for even the most attentive of motorists.  Still smells of dumb, to me.

What's an insurance agent think of the plan? I asked Jon Hannah of State Farm Insurance what his thoughts were, and this was his response in an email ...

"As long as these vehicles are maintained with the proper equipment, according to state law, and are being operated in areas that allow these types of vehicles, per the Virginia Code, we have no issue with them being used.  However, vehicle owners should make sure they are properly licensed and insured.  I would encourage them to contact their agent, or any State Farm agent, for information about their insurability."

"Safety in any vehicle is a concern regardless of the size or how fast it goes.  A recent Virginia Tech study showed that 80% of all vehicle accidents and 65% of near accidents involved driver inattention.  I would encourage readers to log on to www.statefarm.com or www.drivesmartva.org for more information on driving safety."

Rule of thumb?  Be careful.  My hope is that the Christiansburg Town Council sends this one back to the golf course, but if they don't, be sure to call Eric Johnsen and get that thing insured.  And don't be bothered by helmet hair - it's for your own protection.

This Just Smells of Dumb

Christiansburg's Town Council has approved the use of low speed vehicles on Town streets.

Just because the Commonwealth allows it, doesn't mean it makes it a good idea <insert sound of your Mother's voice here>.

They're called low-speed vehicles for a reason.  Putting them on streets with vehicles that travel at HIGH speed, when they have no exterior protection or safety features, is just asking for trouble.

Councilman Huppert has it right, I think, but why did he give in?

"... should the vehicles become a problem."  How will we determine that they're truly a problem?  When someone loses their life? 

New River Valley Renters - This Post Could Save You Thousands of Dollars!

Scams abound, and one I just read about really hit home to me - wanted to share it here.

We have a lot of renters here in the New River Valley, particularly centered around Blacksburg (Virginia Tech) and Radford (Radford University), but in many other areas of the Valley as well.  The summer is a hot season for renters, as people move in and out around the various school systems and universities.  That hot rental market is also a great place for scam artists to move and "work", as evidenced by this story by Maggie Dokic in Miami FL.

I plan on sending this post to some local law enforcement to see if they have any updates they can provide on how renters can protect themselves, but Maggie makes a couple of good points.

• Check property records online to verify the person signing the lease is truly the owner, or is authorized to sign leases on behalf of the owner.  Each County has its own record system, here are a few:
  
  - Montgomery County (including Blacksburg & Christiansburg records)
  - City of Radford
  - Giles County
  
  
• Be sure to know exactly where the checks will be mailed, so there's a physical address to track.
• If they don't verify your credit, be very WARY!  If they want first and last months rent in cash, RUN!

I'd add that working with a property manager is a must for making sure a property is above board, and I'm happy to hook you up with some of the best - just email me for a list.  Most landlords in the New River Valley are above board and honest, but that's not to say there aren't unscrupulous folks out there as well.  Hopefully some of these tips will help renters in the New River Valley protect themselves a little more, and not experience what this poor family in Miami is up against.

Updated July 1 11:00am - received an email from State Farm agent Eric Johnsen this morning as a follow-up to this post, wanted to share it in its entirety.  He wrote:  "with two large universities we do have a number of student renters.  That's one of the nice things about being a landlord here, we have a large pool to advertise rental properties to.  However, many students are either forced or conned into buying renters insurance.  I am an insurance agent, obviously, and I have something to say about this.  Some property managers require renters insurance, and if that's the case it's hard for the renter to overcome.  Some insurance agents sell it, and this is where we can run into a problem with unscrupulous business practices.

If the student lives with their parents when they are NOT attending school, and the parents are homeowners, it is very unlikely that the stdent needs additional coverage.  Their personal property is covered under their parents' policy, subject to the policy deductible.  The liability coverage would extend from the parents' policy as well.  If the student had to evacuate and live elsewhere (such as when Katrina hit New Orleans and students were scattered), the policy wouldn't extend for THAT additional living expense. 

Insurance agents who are selling this policy to those students who already have coverage is a bit questionable.  If that person is no longer a student, out of their own living the big life now, THEN it's time ofr renters insurance.  Otherwise, as long as they fit under mom and dad's umbrella as a permanent resident of the household than they should be covered under their parents' homeowners policy."

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Crime Statistics In The New River Valley

The Roanoke Times wrote me this morning to tell me of a new service they're providing on their online site.

It's a crime aggregator, basically - they're compiling crime statistics from across the New River Valley and posting them on Roanoke.com.  Right now, it appears that they've got limited statistics, but they tell me that they're adding stats as quickly as they can. 

I'd love to say that there's no crime throughout the Valley, but the unfortunate truth is that's impossible to say anywhere.  Farmers Insurance thinks we're pretty safe, and I do too, but if you're interested in tracking just how safe your area ... or that new neighborhood you've been thinking about ... is, then this just might something you want to bookmark.

Thanks to Preaprez for the image.

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New River Valley Home Expo

Don't forget, the 2008 Home Expo will be held this weekend at the Christiansburg Rec Center on North Franklin Street.  Admission is $4, and will offer more than 140 booths, a silent auction and more!  I know Auz-Bloc will be there, you can meet Bill and check out this amazing product while you're there!

Download home_expo.pdf

Here's a video I did earlier this winter about the thermal mass of the house at 153 Gracie Lane:

Kwikset's SmartKey - The End To LockBumping?

It's just been announced that Kwikset has come out with a SmartKey, supposedly eliminating Lock Bumping as we know it.  At least, that's according to them.  I've written about lock bumping before, and truthfully had never really known it was a problem. 

I'm thinking about putting the SmartKey on my new home, though.  If I do, I'll give you a report on whether or not I've been impressed.