We need a revolution in Northern Virginia. (Richmond, Fairfax: house, neighborhood)

[fcyolo]

Houses are cheaper in less desirable locations. Just like dating it is harder to get the hottie.

[Bigfoot424]

Revolution? LOL

[MedvedActual]

Oh man, so it looks like the revolution fizzed out by page two. So since that turned out to be a non-starter, can we instead revolt against say birds pooping all over our cars? It's getting ridiculous... Time to take up arms and do something...

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by MedvedActual

can we instead revolt against say birds pooping all over our cars? It's getting ridiculous... Time to take up arms and do something...

Seriously!!! I am in!!!! I'm pretty sure the birds who bomb my car daily have a Taco Bell diet.....

[SmartMoney]

Okay, this seems to be a genuine thread, so I will attempt to answer why a revolution ain't gonna do squat. (But props for caring).

Fairfax County has priced itself out of the new construction business. You need to sit in on some zoning meetings to get a feel of what this County is demanding from builders before their project will be considered, much less approved. Literally, Fairfax has pretty much priced new builds out of the county. There's something called proffers, tit for tat, scratch my back, I will scratch yours. Proffers are what the builder is doing for the county for the privilege of building in Fairfax. This includes donating, at cost, a percentage of the finished units for the county's low income housing program. But don't stop there, it could include putting in a road, turn lanes, constructing ramps, bus stop shelters, overhead walkways, and on an an and on. The builder is not doing that for free, so it must go into the price.

You won't get a revolution until you get Fairfax Board of Supervisors off the free ride train. I don't think it will ever happen. Other, less expensive, counties are nearby and far more welcoming.

[FCNova]

Originally Posted by blindside

How about buying a used house ?

This idea is preposterous

[kevinm]

Originally Posted by kuntz

Have you noticed home builders are charging us excessively? We need to start a revolution and stop doing business with them until they price their home reasonably. Please spread the word around….

Houses are going to be at least 2.5 times the value of the land.

[MedvedActual]

Originally Posted by spencgr

Seriously!!! I am in!!!! I'm pretty sure the birds who bomb my car daily have a Taco Bell diet.....

Sweet. Glad our revolution (with a slightly new focus now) is gaining rapid momentum. We only now need a few more staunch anti bird poop revolutionaries and we will tackle this issue (hopefully by dinner time).

[MedvedActual]

Originally Posted by FCNova

This idea is preposterous

Totally. That is like buying a used lunch; ain't nobody got time for that...

[JD984]

Originally Posted by SmartMoney

Okay, this seems to be a genuine thread, so I will attempt to answer why a revolution ain't gonna do squat. (But props for caring).

Fairfax County has priced itself out of the new construction business. You need to sit in on some zoning meetings to get a feel of what this County is demanding from builders before their project will be considered, much less approved. Literally, Fairfax has pretty much priced new builds out of the county. There's something called proffers, tit for tat, scratch my back, I will scratch yours. Proffers are what the builder is doing for the county for the privilege of building in Fairfax. This includes donating, at cost, a percentage of the finished units for the county's low income housing program. But don't stop there, it could include putting in a road, turn lanes, constructing ramps, bus stop shelters, overhead walkways, and on an an and on. The builder is not doing that for free, so it must go into the price.

You won't get a revolution until you get Fairfax Board of Supervisors off the free ride train. I don't think it will ever happen. Other, less expensive, counties are nearby and far more welcoming.

The counter-argument would be that nearby counties "compete" by rolling out a red carpet for developers, and end up having to raise taxes later to pay for infrastructure and new schools, after the developers have moved on to the next development or county and are nowhere to be found. If Fairfax can get the builders - whether of new single-family homes or multi-family developments - to pay up-front proffers, and still leave them with some margin, I'm all for it.