Todd R
@toddrhbg.bsky.social
Consumer of information and ideas, preferably with a sense of humor. Local > National interests. Striving to be civil.
This is honestly hilarious when you think about it and how grossly dysfunctional the Albemarle land use and housing market is compared the the entirely of non-NOVA Virginia
Quick look at why growth is happening outside of Charlottesville + Albemarle.
Median price of sold single family new construction home in 2025:
- Albemarle: $944,625
- Wayensboro: $367,485
- Augusta: $452,437
- Greene: $454,563
- Louisa: $452,113
- Fluvanna: $402,578
Median price of sold single family new construction home in 2025:
- Albemarle: $944,625
- Wayensboro: $367,485
- Augusta: $452,437
- Greene: $454,563
- Louisa: $452,113
- Fluvanna: $402,578
October 2, 2025 at 7:00 PM
This is honestly hilarious when you think about it and how grossly dysfunctional the Albemarle land use and housing market is compared the the entirely of non-NOVA Virginia
My literal heroine! This is the local politics we need in all our communities to supply abundant housing. How students should be treated in a major university town and how housing is about “yes” where every single material project faces nimby opposition.
🔥
@nat4cville.bsky.social spent 10min during the discussion about demolition of a historic house on Wertland Street to talk about the urgent need for affordable housing.
I clipped 6min of it. This is part 1/3.
I clipped 6min of it. This is part 1/3.
September 3, 2025 at 10:06 PM
My literal heroine! This is the local politics we need in all our communities to supply abundant housing. How students should be treated in a major university town and how housing is about “yes” where every single material project faces nimby opposition.
Sound familiar?
Just give me the NIMBY who will say "the thing." You don't like change. You don't like poor people near you. You have a hysterical fear of traffic or lost parking. Fine, whatever. Don't waste time with this nonsense about developer profits, or sewer capacity, or your right to be consulted.
June 18, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Sound familiar?
The 2023 Geoaccounting presentation also made it very clear that the most fiscally impactful zoning in the City is its core B-1 district with broad permitted mixed uses and no minimum parking requirements or large setbacks.
In 2023, planning commissioner Brent Finnegan invited geoaccounting analyst Joshua McCarty to give a presentation to the Harrisonburg Planning Commission about how we can improve our land use policies.
April 16, 2025 at 8:37 PM
The 2023 Geoaccounting presentation also made it very clear that the most fiscally impactful zoning in the City is its core B-1 district with broad permitted mixed uses and no minimum parking requirements or large setbacks.
We interrupt these tariffs to bring you amazing native Virginia Blue Bells. Many in glorious bloom at Grand Caverns Park in Grottoes. Red buds in full bloom along the South River as well. Perfect for mental health this weekend
April 6, 2025 at 3:57 PM
We interrupt these tariffs to bring you amazing native Virginia Blue Bells. Many in glorious bloom at Grand Caverns Park in Grottoes. Red buds in full bloom along the South River as well. Perfect for mental health this weekend
Excellent summary of why tariffs always have been and always will be a bad idea. History and Economics are clear.
Some light reading for the weekend:
A short history of tariffs
Why they haven't worked in the past and won't work this time either
awealthofcommonsense.com/2025/04/a-sh...
A short history of tariffs
Why they haven't worked in the past and won't work this time either
awealthofcommonsense.com/2025/04/a-sh...
A Short History of Tariffs - A Wealth of Common Sense
Widespread tariffs have never worked in America.
awealthofcommonsense.com
April 5, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Excellent summary of why tariffs always have been and always will be a bad idea. History and Economics are clear.
Why is the administration begging the Fed for rate cuts? Wasn’t it last week when they said the Fed should be abolished? Let the market set the rates, quit running to Jerome Powell.
* Powell: Tariffs Highly Likely to Generate Temporary Rise in Prices
* Powell: It Is Also Possible Effects on Prices Could Be More Persistent
(via DJ)
* Powell: It Is Also Possible Effects on Prices Could Be More Persistent
(via DJ)
April 4, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Why is the administration begging the Fed for rate cuts? Wasn’t it last week when they said the Fed should be abolished? Let the market set the rates, quit running to Jerome Powell.
No one could wrap their head around the implementation of a policy that had not been implemented at scale since 1930. There was no frame of reference in the markets beyond a theoretical discussion of how tariffs caused/exacerbated the Great Depression.
Markets are future discounting mechanisms that get priced TODAY based on where profits will be next quarter/year. Prices today reflect future profits (now lowered) multiplied by a ratio (also lowered) primarily based on sentiment/psychology....
April 4, 2025 at 1:13 PM
No one could wrap their head around the implementation of a policy that had not been implemented at scale since 1930. There was no frame of reference in the markets beyond a theoretical discussion of how tariffs caused/exacerbated the Great Depression.
Spending tons of volunteer work time on CTC projects helped me get outside and survive/retain sanity during Covid from April-July 2020. If you need to escape Tariff world, I can think of no better activity if you are in Crozet.
We have opportunities to build bridges, dig holes, or clear debris from creeks. What's your pleasure?
April 3, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Spending tons of volunteer work time on CTC projects helped me get outside and survive/retain sanity during Covid from April-July 2020. If you need to escape Tariff world, I can think of no better activity if you are in Crozet.
I hope this Liberation Day goes better, but the history of tariffs says otherwise.
April 2, 2025 at 2:03 PM
I hope this Liberation Day goes better, but the history of tariffs says otherwise.
Final Four! Let’s go Harrisonburg. Take a minute and give us your vote 🙂
On Monday, March 31, Final Four voting for the Strongest Town Contest opens!
Learn about all the towns and cast your vote when the time comes at strongesttown.com 🏆
Learn about all the towns and cast your vote when the time comes at strongesttown.com 🏆
March 30, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Final Four! Let’s go Harrisonburg. Take a minute and give us your vote 🙂
The Trails are Crozet’s unique treasure. Right outside of most people’s back door. And best enjoyed without headphones! Almost no traffic noise and plenty of wildlife and running water sounds.
Sometimes it’s nice to walk without headphones and just appreciate what’s around.
The Crozet trails must be defended and protected at all costs
The Crozet trails must be defended and protected at all costs
March 30, 2025 at 1:29 PM
The Trails are Crozet’s unique treasure. Right outside of most people’s back door. And best enjoyed without headphones! Almost no traffic noise and plenty of wildlife and running water sounds.
The easiest place for Americans to increase their disposable income is in the auto budget. That means building housing in areas that are less car dependent. Not much room to cut in most of these major expense area. Tariffs will encourage this by making cars more expensive.
American households already spend 17% of their budgets on transportation
Making vehicle prices more expensive on purpose w/no legitimate benefit is...something
Making vehicle prices more expensive on purpose w/no legitimate benefit is...something
March 27, 2025 at 1:22 PM
The easiest place for Americans to increase their disposable income is in the auto budget. That means building housing in areas that are less car dependent. Not much room to cut in most of these major expense area. Tariffs will encourage this by making cars more expensive.
Harrisonburg deserves and needs your Strongest Town votes! It’s a great community committed to a broad range of housing and quality of life initiatives!
Harrisonburg won the first two rounds of the @strongtowns.org Strongest Town Contest, and we're competing in Round 3 this week. www.strongesttown.com
March 17, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Harrisonburg deserves and needs your Strongest Town votes! It’s a great community committed to a broad range of housing and quality of life initiatives!
I really like this data. From first hand experience, the OZ is a fantastic vehicle for increasing affordable housing in lower income census tracts. A productive tax incentive scheme
Interesting new research from @innovateeconomy.bsky.social shows that Opportunity Zone policy increased these Census Tracts share of housing construction agglomerations.substack.com/p/opportunit...
March 12, 2025 at 5:37 PM
I really like this data. From first hand experience, the OZ is a fantastic vehicle for increasing affordable housing in lower income census tracts. A productive tax incentive scheme
All these people getting fired from jobs (whether their jobs are inefficient or not) are going to get angry and take to the streets. When you lose societal norms, populist direct action and violence tend to follow. It’s a slippery slope out there.
March 9, 2025 at 8:30 PM
All these people getting fired from jobs (whether their jobs are inefficient or not) are going to get angry and take to the streets. When you lose societal norms, populist direct action and violence tend to follow. It’s a slippery slope out there.
Reminder that Albemarle County subsidizes a relatively small number of wealthy large landholders to the tune of approximately $17mm annually under “land use” tax subsidies. The County produces around 1% of Virginia agricultural production. Very expensive open space - limited public benefit.
Care about affordable housing?
Come to the Albemarle Board of Supervisors meeting on Wednesday next week at 6pm!
Come to the Albemarle Board of Supervisors meeting on Wednesday next week at 6pm!
Albemarle County Housing Advocacy Opportunity:
Please show up to the Board of Supervisors meeting on Wednesday, March 5th at 6pm!
The BOS will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget for FY26. It currently provides only $4.2 million in dedicated housing funding, far below what is needed.
Please show up to the Board of Supervisors meeting on Wednesday, March 5th at 6pm!
The BOS will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget for FY26. It currently provides only $4.2 million in dedicated housing funding, far below what is needed.
February 27, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Reminder that Albemarle County subsidizes a relatively small number of wealthy large landholders to the tune of approximately $17mm annually under “land use” tax subsidies. The County produces around 1% of Virginia agricultural production. Very expensive open space - limited public benefit.
www.dhcd.virginia.gov/governor-you...
The City of Harrisonburg and City of Charlottesville being rewarded with a highly successful state affordable housing award process for initiatives in their communities.
The City of Harrisonburg and City of Charlottesville being rewarded with a highly successful state affordable housing award process for initiatives in their communities.
Governor Youngkin Announces Over $139 Million in Affordable and Special Needs Housing Loans | DHCD
Virginia DHCD - Gov. Youngkin Affordable and Special Needs Housing (ASNH)
www.dhcd.virginia.gov
February 26, 2025 at 10:10 PM
www.dhcd.virginia.gov/governor-you...
The City of Harrisonburg and City of Charlottesville being rewarded with a highly successful state affordable housing award process for initiatives in their communities.
The City of Harrisonburg and City of Charlottesville being rewarded with a highly successful state affordable housing award process for initiatives in their communities.
Reposted by Todd R
Auckland went all in on YIMBY, and the results are clear: 43,500 new homes in 10 years, and rents down 28% relative to peers.
www.population.fyi/p/beyond-ske...
www.population.fyi/p/beyond-ske...
Beyond Skepticism: Data Confirms Auckland's Zoning Reforms Delivered on Housing Promises
Three rigorous studies, 43,500 new homes, and a 28% drop in rents: The data is in on Auckland's great housing experiment
www.population.fyi
February 15, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Auckland went all in on YIMBY, and the results are clear: 43,500 new homes in 10 years, and rents down 28% relative to peers.
www.population.fyi/p/beyond-ske...
www.population.fyi/p/beyond-ske...
It is very clearly “not fine” on so many levels.
Everything is not fine.
“It is the water consumption, it’s the impact on groundwater, it’s the impact on our grid,” Schlossberg said. “There is no other industry in the history of mankind that has consumed this many resources, including power.”
www.marketplace.org/shows/market...
“It is the water consumption, it’s the impact on groundwater, it’s the impact on our grid,” Schlossberg said. “There is no other industry in the history of mankind that has consumed this many resources, including power.”
www.marketplace.org/shows/market...
January 9, 2025 at 1:20 PM
It is very clearly “not fine” on so many levels.
Fantastic note. Jim always finds ways to humanize the data which makes up the Charlottesville real estate market.
Last note of the year, and I fit almost everything I wanted.
This month: quick market roundup, value, negotiations with clients and/or children, finding market equilibrium, Reddit AMA, and true transportation freedom.
https://realcentralva.substack.com/p/recapping-2024-charlottesville-market
This month: quick market roundup, value, negotiations with clients and/or children, finding market equilibrium, Reddit AMA, and true transportation freedom.
https://realcentralva.substack.com/p/recapping-2024-charlottesville-market
December 4, 2024 at 11:35 AM
Fantastic note. Jim always finds ways to humanize the data which makes up the Charlottesville real estate market.
Grass roots, Incremental Redevlooment!
Here's a piece about trading three parking spots for outdoor dining in #Harrisonburg that got republished by @strongtowns.bsky.social
www.strongtowns.org/journal/2024...
www.strongtowns.org/journal/2024...
From Parking Spot to Dining Space: Letting Land Use Fit Local Needs
The evolution of a parking lot in Harrisonburg, Virginia, shows how cities allowing land usage to shift alongside community needs creates more productive and appealing places.
www.strongtowns.org
November 30, 2024 at 2:27 PM
Grass roots, Incremental Redevlooment!
Very well stated. Zoning should avoid being arbitrary and subjective. Not everyone agrees on aesthetic choices. A zoning code is not an HOA ARB.
My sense is people’s emotional reaction to the built environment is arbitrary and not universal and therefore government should stay out of it entirely.
And that health, safety, and mobility should have primacy.
If you don’t have sidewalks or bike lanes yet shut up about colors or massing.
And that health, safety, and mobility should have primacy.
If you don’t have sidewalks or bike lanes yet shut up about colors or massing.
November 28, 2024 at 2:57 PM
Very well stated. Zoning should avoid being arbitrary and subjective. Not everyone agrees on aesthetic choices. A zoning code is not an HOA ARB.