All Posts Tagged With: "zoning"
How Investment Discrimination Powers Real Estate Taxes
For the past several years real estate prices in my community, like many, have risen with a speed and certainty that has been a delight to behold. Now the government is getting even with vast assessment increases that will lead to steeply-higher property taxes. What’s interesting about the projected tax rises is that they are [...]
17Sep2008 | Peter G. Miller | 0 comments | Continued
Should We Put An End To Cul-De-Sacs?
Some things in life ought to be certain. We should be able to rely on the fact that gravity exists, the world is round, and also that cul-de-sacs are one of the better concepts to emerge from suburban planning. Alas, the latter notion is now under attack. According to Governing magazine, city planners in Austin, [...]
16Sep2008 | Peter G. Miller | 0 comments | Continued
Oh No — Suburbs Cause Obesity
Here’s a real shocker — several recent studies now say that if you live in a suburban community which relies on cars and SUVs you’re likely to weigh more and die earlier than those who reside in cities where people walk more frequently. The general idea seems to be that when you locate schools, shopping [...]
14Sep2008 | Peter G. Miller | 0 comments | Continued
What are “transfer development rights?”
Transfer development rights (TDRs) are a zoning tool used to control land usage. Suppose you have a farm. The local government wants you to keep the farm intact and not subdivide. So, to encourage the retention of open farm land, the local government will allow you to sell your right to subdivide to someone else [...]
26Aug2008 | Peter G. Miller | 0 comments | Continued
Can zoning laws be used to limit group houses?
This is a complex issue and cannot be resolved specifically without the assistance of a local real estate attorney. In 1995, for example, the Supreme Court ruled in a case involving Oxford House, a non-profit organization that provides group housing for alcoholics, that the city of Edmonds, WA could not enact zoning regulations limiting the [...]
24Aug2008 | Peter G. Miller | 0 comments | Continued
Should I Build By Myself Or Use A Builder?
All construction projects are unique so it can’t be said that one approach is always better than the other. For instance, it may seem cheaper to erect a home without a builder, but a builder may have systems, workers and equipment that can produce significant economies. And, it may be argued that if you build [...]
22Aug2008 | Peter G. Miller | 0 comments | Continued
Zoning Versus Consumer Choice
The closest Wal-Mart from our little shack is about 30 minutes from here, tucked away on an obscure road but not so hidden that the parking lot is empty. Whatever it is that Wal-Mart sells, a lot of people seem to want it. When last I looked, store owners were in business to serve the [...]
17Aug2008 | Peter G. Miller | 0 comments | Continued
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