April 14th, 2005 issue #0415
April 14th, 2005
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Bubble-proof?
Could it happen here? Could the area's astronomical housing prices plummet with a sickening thud like the stock market in 2000? "No, we definitely don't see any bubble bursting here," says Dave Phillips, Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors CEO. It's Econ 101: high demand, low supply. "If your price range is $300,000," explains Phillips, "there may be 10 houses in the entire market and 40 people looking." -
House poor: Are prices about to plunge?
Economist Dean Baker was so worried about a housing bubble that he sold his Washington, D.C., condominium– at three times the price he paid for it– and rented an apartment instead. Now, about two years later, he's still waiting for the bubble to pop. The danger of a bust is "absolutely getting worse," says Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington. -
Sales jumps: One place where Albemarle lags
locality median price Increase 2003 2004 Albemarle $250,000 $262,975 5% Charlottesville 175,900 218,500 24% Fluvanna 165,000 185,000 12% Greene 164,000 181,450 11% Louisa 149,900 174,900 17% Nelson 179,575 235,000 31% Ch'ville area $229,154 $247,250 8% Virginia $134,248 $146,750 9% (figures from 2004 to 2005) sources: Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors, Virginia Association of Realtors # -
Sky high: Is county government to blame?
At this moment, the number of houses listed for sale in Albemarle County for over $1 million is 63. The number under $150,000? Zero. The down side to a "best place to live," as any teacher, police officer (or reporter) can attest, is that Albemarle housing is not affordable for anyone earning a typical paycheck. And one school of thought holds that government regulation is to blame. -
This new house
This spread was republished, with permission from Mother Jones magazine.GRAPHIC BY NATHAN FOX #
4Better Or Worse
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The week in review
Biggest scandal: Two Charlottesville police officers are arrested April 8 on bribery and conspiracy charges. Officers Charles Saunders and Roy Fitzgerald are indicted in fe...
The Dish
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Local Polo: Spice trader offers fragrant wares
Did you ever stop to ponder exactly how much oregano is consumed at Christian's Pizza each week, or how much fennel seed they blend into the sausages at Foods of All...
Essays
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Helter shelter: A whole-house checkup checklist
Just like your family, houses are full of things that need annual (and sometimes more frequent) checkups. Gutters crack, septic tanks leak, and furnaces stop working...
Question of the Week
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How big is your dream house?
The Infamous LOG (Lincoln Barbour): "A 4,000-square-foot warehouse with a two-story photography studio and a loft apartment." Dave Munn: It doesn't need to be that...
Real Estate - $old
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$old
CHARLOTTESVILLE 11/18 Harriet Handsfield to Douglas J. and Phyllis A. Yenson, 107 Warren Lane, $285,500. Belmont Loft Co. to Bonnie L. Holmberg, unit in Belmont Loft condo...
Real Estate - On the Block
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Update
APPEARED IN THE HOOK: January 20, 2005 in issue 0403 of the Hook ADDRESS: 2401 Fontaine Avenue ASKING PRICE: $399,500 SELLING PRICE: unknown DAYS TO CONTRACT: 180 days SELL... -
Zen den: Living the Zoloft life
ADDRESS: 106 Vincennes Court NEIGHBORHOOD: Key West ASKING: $349,900 YEAR BUILT: 1973 SIZE: 2,932 fin. sq. ft., 628 unfin. LAND: 1.978 acres CURB APPEAL: 8 out of a possibl...
Real Estate Property auctions
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Property auctions
April 14 at 11:30am at the Albemarle County Courthouse Property: 2.134 acres at 4590 Plank Road, North Garden Debtor: Ralph W. Oliver Amount owing: $115,902.49 Bidder bring...
DR. HooK
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Med monikers: What's in a drug's name?
Mary Poppins said the longest word in English is supercalifragilisticespialidocious. I think the longest-named medicine is Hydrochlorothiazide. (And if you say it lo...
Movie Reviews
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<I>Sahara</I>: Testosteroni and cheese
Remember when Matthew McConaughey was The Next Big Thing? He was never a bad actor, but his 15 minutes ran out before he established himself as a box-office draw. Wh...
Music Reviews
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Fair weather: But Bums keep fans inside
Published April 14,2005, in issue 0415 of the Hook The Fair Weather Bumsat Miller'sTuesday, April 5 BY MARK GRABOWSKI [email protected] -
Rockin' soul: Pure and simple southern sounds
Mofro at Starr Hill Music HallSunday, April 10 Imagine Blackwater, Florida. Probably on the panhandle of the state, or maybe in the less explored regions of the northern n...
News
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70 units: Big plans for KappaSig spot
How many lawsuits does it take to sell a frat house? If the house is Kenridge, and the fraternity is Kappa Sigma, the answer is "a bunch." Just a year after the Virg... -
Book her! Outback goes up stairs
All Cheryl Longnecker wanted was to return some borrowed books. Instead, she ended up a media spectacle when she accidentally backed her car up the front steps of the main ... -
Gagged: Clifton says 'pipe down!'
Two months after Clifton Inn celebrated its reopening following a deadly 2003 blaze, its lawyers are requesting a closing of sorts– a closing of mouths. "They ... -
Gilmore & Warner: Two guvs talk relief
If anybody could judge the merits of the dueling homeowner tax-relief proposals offered up by Tim Kaine and Jerry Kilgore, it should be former Virginia governor Jim ... -
Puritans' passion: Band riffs off Prince Charles' wedding
What does a local band have to do to get a little international attention? For hard-charging rock trio the Naked Puritans, the answer is simple: record a song about ... -
Up with people: But On Our Own dollars down
"We're not a flophouse," says Will Gallik. Since he took over running On Our Own four years ago, Gallik makes clear that no sleeping or drugs are allowed in the place once... -
Wine roots: Lost history gets marker
There's a gap in Charlottesville's wine history. Between Thomas Jefferson's efforts to establish vineyards and the spate of wineries sprouting over the past couple of decad...
The Brazen Careerist
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Not happy?: Maybe you're the problem
Happiness in your career is not as elusive as it might seem. In fact, there's plenty of research to tell you exactly how to find happiness– but most people ign...
Sports Doctor
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SPORTS WRAP
The Week in Review Best Milestone: Consistent winning is the minimum standard for the UVA lacrosse program; however, the men's 15-9 triumph over the North Carolina T...
Strange But True
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Milk shake: Too bad cow can't squat
DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK Q. A cow takes shelter under a large tree during a thunderstorm. To minimize chances of injury in case of a lightning strike to t...
Facetime
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Supreme choice: Albemarle grad gets plum post
Less than ten years after leaving Albemarle High School, Allison Orr is headed for the Supreme Court. "It was really more normal than you would imagine," she says, r...
Hotseat
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Networking: How Burchett got those TV stations
Roger Burchett could argue he didn't know what he was getting into. The general manager of Charlottesville's three– count 'em, three– new television stat...
Letters
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Buddy's no bastion of segregation
Again comes that false characterization, "the staunchly segregated Buddy's Restaurant on Emmet Street." Lisa Provence's excellent profile of Paul Gaston [April 1 Hotseat: "... -
Sabato money's for kids
A point of clarification for your readers: In a letter to the editor last week ["Sabato's self-serving," April 7], Robert Butler of Albemarle criticized Larry Sabato's mill... -
Sacrifice is voluntary
In his April 7 letter to the editor/tirade against individual freedom ["I thought Ayn Rand died," April 7], J. Blair Reeves commits his most grievous error of logic (of man...
Cultural preview
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Cultural calendar, April 14-21, 2005
THURSDAY, April 14 FAMILY Tales for Tots: The 5 and under crowd can hear fairy tale favorites at Barnes & Noble's preschool story time. 10:30...