HARDING REPORT – FEBRUARY 2005

*** News from Jefferson County WV Property Market ***

Each month The Harding Report will include the latest news and information from the Jefferson County, West Virginia property market. This is a free service compiled by Thomas Harding, a licensed real estate agent with Greg Didden Associates in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

For additional local information or any other property   enquiry contact:

Thomas Harding

www.tharding.com

thomas@tharding.com

304 671 7292 (cell-phone)

304 876 6400 (office)

 

 

CONTENTS

 

1. The Here and Now
2. Jefferson County Market News
3. Planning ordinance making changes
4. Finding a Good Home Inspector
5. Selling a house with a leaky roof
6. Twelve Ways to lower your Home Owner’s Insurance Costs
7. Upcoming Events

 

 

1.      The Here and Now

 

The groundhog has seen his (or was it her?) shadow, winter is here to stay for another six weeks. This is both good and bad news for the real estate market. The bad news is that new construction is slowed down by the cold weather, particularly when trying to get permits for septic fields, setting foundations or working on exterior finishing. This may have a negative effect on the new homes market, slowing delivery times and frustrating new customers.

 

The good news is that we can promote the area as a winter wonderland. Whitetail Ski Resort is only 45 minutes away, Wisp, Snowshoe, and Timberline are not that much further. I had know idea when I moved to Jefferson County that we were so close to such great skiing, what a great bonus! I have taken my seven year old many times to Whitetail. Mostly at night, after school is finished and the lines are short. He can now ski down ‘blue square’ slopes all by himself, which is exhilarating for him but terrifying for me. I’m hoping the weather turns before he joins the jacketless teenagers and learns hot dogs on the snow board park.

 

 

2.      Jefferson County Market News

 

The Harding Report provides market stats as soon as they become available. Here are the stats for December 2004

 

 

December 2004

	2004	2003	% Change
Total Sold Dollar Volume:	$ 23,460,274	$18,762,982	25.03 %
Average Sold Price:	$ 260,670	$ 220,741	18.09 %
Median Sold Price:	$ 238,900	$ 195,000	22.51 %
Total Units Sold:	90	85	5.88 %
Average Days on Market:	50	73	-31.51 %
Average List Price for Solds:	$ 264,096	$ 224,297	17.74 %
Avg Sale Price as a percentage of Avg List Price:	98.70 %	98.41 %

 

(mris.com)

 

 

3.      Jefferson County Planning – Planning ordinance making changes

 

The Jefferson County Commission has set the public hearings to consider three possible revisions to the County’s zoning ordinance. The commission will hear public comment at 7pm feb 16 and 17^th in the basement of the old charles town public library.

 

The first proposal is for a zoning ordinance that the commission has worked on with the director of the county’s Department of Planning, Zoning and Engineering. This would replace the county’s current zoning and development review ordinance.

 

Paul Burke, a local resident, has made two other proposals. One of these would introduce limited changes to the commissions drafted proposal. In a second proposal Burke has offered his own full-scale version of the ordinance. Among the many changes proposed are removing consideration of the availability of public water and sewer from the Land Evaluation Sight Assessment.  His proposal would also give a break to people hoping to put commercial and industrial uses in sites where the zoning normally bars such uses.

 

His proposal has two main planks. First, he is suggesting drastically scaling back how many homes would be allowed if a development gets through the conditional use permit process. Those passing this process would be limited to no more than 3,000 square feet or the interior building space per every five acres. This would allow just 5 percent of the number of homes that are currently allowed when residential development are granted the permits.

 

Burke’s proposal focuses on placing maximums on number of square feet of interior building space per certain acres. By comparison the county’s current ordinance focuses on the number of units per certain number of acres. In his proposal, in the rural zone up to 3000 square feet of housing would be allowed per 10 acres. Alternatively, one house of any size could be built per lot. If the affected schools would accommodate children and area roads would remain completely uncongested, then up to 4,500 square feet of housing would be allowed in this acreage.

 

Several commissioners have said the county should jettison the LESA and the conditional use permit process and go to traditional zoning process. It might take a couple of years to get to another ordinance to replace the one soon

 

 

 

4.      Finding a Good Home Inspector

Be sure to retain a home inspection company with top credentials, a Licensed Professional Engineer is a good credential. If you want your home inspection conducted by a Licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.), be sure that your home inspection report will be stamped with the home inspector's licensed P.E. seal. The practice of engineering is State regulated and licensed; the P.E. seal on the home inspection report is the key to your protection.

Consumers who retain the services of a home inspector who is not a P.E., may be faced with paying a second home inspection fee if the home inspector uncovers a problem, such as a structural defect, that requires the opinion of a Licensed Professional Engineer. Shouldn't you retain the services of an inspection company licensed to practice engineering right from the start? Makes sense, tell me more.

A lot of information will be provided to you at the time of inspection, it's difficult to absorb it all. Terminology like heat exchanger, over fused circuit, plumbing vent stack, steel flitch plate, etc. may not sound like oven, sink, and entrance stairway, but these are terms that are part of a home. That is why you should be sure that your home inspection report will be a detailed written report, not a hand written checklist that is given to you at the conclusion of the home inspection. A checklist may not provide all of the information and engineering advice you need.

Home inspectors come in various shapes and sizes with a multitude of backgrounds. Be sure that the home inspection company you retain has professional affiliations, such as NABIE (National Academy Of Building Inspection Engineers) and NSPE (National Society Of Professional Engineers). Unlike home inspection trade societies (and there are many), NABIE and NSPE accept only Licensed Professional Engineers as members. Members of NABIE need to meet tough entrance requirements, are highly qualified in the home inspection profession, and adhere to a strict code of ethics.

Don't be confused by home inspector "certifications" offered by, or sold by trade societies or companies, or obtained via home inspection home study courses, certifications are available to anybody, a high school diploma is not a requirement

 

(www.hsh.com)

 

4. Selling a house with a leaky roof

Old roofs are prone to leaks for a variety of reasons, and even a thorough going over by the best professional roofer might be able to successfully predict where the next one will occur. But as far as it being illegal to sell a house with a faulty roof, my answer is, it is news to me. If you, as a seller, know the roof is faulty and then sell the house as is without disclosing the problem, you should be prepared to spend time in court.

When the typical roof leaks, the solutions are easy: If you're handy, you get out the ladder and the shingles or roof tar. If you're not, you grab the Yellow Pages. Roofs of modern houses are usually made of asphalt or fiberglass-reinforced asphalt shingles. They can last 25 years, are readily available, and are easily repaired or replaced.

But a lot of roofs of very old houses can actually be a series of roofs of different materials, including slate and tin. So repairing it is all the more difficult and expensive. Many older houses were designed on paper, and a lot of times, the architects had little knowledge of how water would flow in rainstorms.

As houses changed hands, succeeding owners might not have had the financial resources of the original ones. So they took shortcuts. For example, when leaks appeared in galvanized metal roofs, many homeowners coated the tin with asphalt. Asphalt wasn't an ideal choice to begin with: Sulfur in asphalt attacks metals, creating an acidic reaction that accelerates rust.

Tin will last indefinitely if it is painted every five to seven years with a primer that is 50 percent linseed oil and 50 percent iron oxide, roofing experts say. When roofs are properly maintained, the system works. But, as many sellers find when they put their house on the market, deferred maintenance can cost a bundle. Remember that the source of a roof leak is usually not all that obvious. Sometimes, roofers have to come back again and again because they repair the obvious and don't look for the real cause.

Enough on old roofs, and now back to complete disclosure. Any real estate agent worth his or her salt will tell you that "disclose, disclose, disclose" is as important to the future of a seller as "location, location, location" is to a buyer. The number-one source of litigation in home transactions has been the failure to disclose property defects. The era of caveat emptor -- let the buyer beware -- is over. Agents need to spend more than a couple of minutes convincing the seller that his or her failure to disclose such defects will come back to haunt them.

Disclosure is often state law. In states where disclosure is not mandated, many major real estate brokerages provide disclosure forms. Your agent should insist that you as the seller disclose everything and tell the complete truth. If a buyer has a question about anything, the buyer should seek professional advice. It may seem like a cop-out on your agent's part. It isn't. It is simply good business, for the seller, the agent and the buyer.

(Realtytimes.com Published: February 3, 2005)

 

 

 

5. Twelve Ways to lower your Home Owner’s Insurance Costs

              I.      Shop Around: It'll take some time, but could save you a good sum of money. Ask your friends, check the Yellow Pages or contact your state insurance department.

             II.      Raise Your Deductible: The higher your deductible, the more money you can save on your premiums. Nowadays, most insurance companies recommend a deductible of at least $500. If you can afford to raise your deductible to $1,000, you may save as much as 25 percent.

         III.      Don’t confuse what you paid for your house with rebuilding costs: The land under your house isn't at risk from theft, windstorm, fire and the other perils covered in your homeowners policy. So don't include its value in deciding how much homeowners insurance to buy. If you do, you will pay a higher premium than you should.

        IV.      Buy your home and auto policies from the same insurer: Some companies that sell homeowners, auto and liability coverage will take 5 to 15 percent off your premium if you buy two or more policies from them. But make certain this combined price is lower than buying the different coverages from different companies.

           V.      Make your home more disaster resistant: Find out from your insurance agent or company representative what steps you can take to make your home more resistant to windstorms and other natural disasters. Older homes can be retrofitted to make them better able to withstand earthquakes. In addition, consider modernizing your heating, plumbing and electrical systems to reduce the risk of fire and water damage.

          VI.      Improve your home security: You can usually get discounts of at least 5 percent for a smoke detector, burglar alarm or dead-bolt locks

         VII.      Seek out other discounts: Companies offer several types of discounts, but they don't all offer the same discount or the same amount of discount in all states.

       VIII.      Maintain a good credit record: Establishing a solid credit history can cut your insurance costs. Insurers are increasingly using credit information to price homeowners insurance policies

           IX.      Stay with the same insurer: If you've kept your coverage with a company for several years, you may receive a special discount for being a long-term policyholder.

           X.      Review the limits in your policy and the value of your possessions at least once a year: You want your policy to cover any major purchases or additions to your home. But you don't want to spend money for coverage you don't need.

        XI.      Look for private insurance if you are in a government plan: You may find that there are steps you can take that would allow you to buy insurance at a lower price in the private market.

         XII.      When you’re buying a home, consider the cost of homeowners insurance: You may pay less for insurance if you buy a house close to a fire hydrant or in a community that has a professional rather than a

(from INSURANCE INFORMATION INSTITUTE, www.iii.org)

 

 

6. Upcoming Events

2/3/05-2/6/05:   Stephen Sondheim's Musical - Company
Shepherd University's Musical Theater Department will present Stephen Sondheim's Tony award-winning musical comedy Company, on Thursday, February 3 at 8 p.m.; Friday, February 4 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, February 5 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, February 6 at 3 p.m at the Frank Center Theater. Tickets are $15 for general admission, and $10 for students. For more information, contact the Department of Music concert line at 304/876-5555.

2/4/05:   Shepherdstown Film Society
Hate (French, 1995) by Mathieu Kassovitz will be shown at 7:00 p.m. in Shepherd University's Reynolds Hall. Admission is free. For further information contact 304-876-1837.

2/4/05-3/6/05:   A Very Long Engagement
Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet reunites with Audrey Tautou, his radiant star in "Amelie” Friday Feb 4 7:30; Saturday Feb 5 7:30; Sunday Feb 6 2:00 & 5:00 Tickets: $7.00 at the Opera House only

2/11/05:   Shepherdstown Film Society
Bye-Bye (French, 1996) by Karim Dridi will be shown at 7:00 p.m. in Shepherd University's Reynolds Hall. Admission is free. For further information contact 304-876-1837.

2/11/05:   Night in New York Fundraiser
The Shepherd University Friends of Music will present a Night in New York dinner and silent auction at the War Memorial Building, Shepherdstown, Friday, February 11 at 6:30 p.m. to benefit the Wind Ensemble's trip to Carnegie Hall in April. For more information or reservations, call 304/876-5555.

2/11/05-2/13/05:   Closer
Jude Law, Julia Roberts, Clive Owen and Natalie Portman star in director Mike Nichols' new film, the story of four intense and passionate people who cannot seem to decide who belongs to whom. "Haunting, hypnotic, bruising laughs and dynamite performances." - Rolling Stone Fri 2/11 7:30; Sat 2/12 7:30; Sun 2/13 2:00 & 5:00 Tickets $7>00 at the Opera House only.

2/12/05:   Le Vent du Nord
Saturday's performance of Le Vent du Nord is a newly evolved traditional Quebecois band born of richly electric musical experiences and tastes. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for sseniors and SMD members, $5 children and free for Shepherd students with student ID.

2/13/05:   The Rolling Coyotes
A Live Concert & CD Release Party Sunday at 7:30 pm Tuckets $10.00 Adult $4.00 Youth Tickets available at the Opera House, The Sweet Shop Bakery and online via the Internet. Free cake for all to celebrate the event! Steve Warner - Vocals, guitar, harmonica Nancy Lynn - Vocals, autoharp, dulcimer, percussion Rob Shaw - Vocals, guitar, ukulele, mandolin, dulcimer, autoharp ... and other friends.

2/15/05-2/16/05:   The Vagina Monologues
Time 7:30 and tickets $15.00 Adult SU Student with Rambler Card is $5.00. Tickets available at the Opera House, The Sweep Shop Bakery and online via the Internet. To read more about “The Vagina Monologues” and the V-Day Shepherdstown initiative, please visit www.vdayshepherdstown.org.

2/18/05-2/27/05:   Vera Drake
Fri 2/18 7:30; Sat 2/19 7:30; Sun 2/20 2:00 & 5:00 Fri 2/25 7:30; Sat 2/26 7:30; Sun 2/27 2:00 & 5:00 Tickets are $7.00 and available at the Opera House only. "A powerfully moving film that is unmissable and unforgettable." - Rolling Stone

2/25/05:   The Mystical Arts of Tibet - Sacred Music, Sacred Dance
The Performing Arts Series at Shepherd presents The Mystical Arts of Tibet: Sacred Music, Sacred Dance -- 8:00 pm -- Frank Arts Center Theater, Shepherd University Tickets are $15 general public; $10 senior citizens or Shepherd faculty/staff; $5 for kids under 18. To reserve tickets, call 304-876-5497 or 304-876-5113.

2/25/05:   Shepherdstown Film Society
Mostly Martha (German, 2002) by Sandra Nettelbeck will be shown at 7:00 p.m. in Shepherd University's Reynolds Hall. Admission is free. For further information contact 304-876-1837.

2/26/05:   Blues Night
Saturday's performance of Blues Night will feature Piedmont Blues artists John Cephas and Phil Wiggins. Tickets are available by mail, from O'Hurley's General Store, or at the door. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and SMD members, $6 children and free to Shepherd College students with ID.

2/27/05:   Louis Lortie, Pianist
Pianist Louis Lortie At the Frank Arts Center Sunday 3:00 p.m. The celebrated award-winning Fazioli artist has performed with most of the major orchestras in the world today and has over 30 recordings to his credit. Come hear the artist that first performed on our piano in Carnegie Hall! Tickets are $25.00 for general admission and $20.00 for students. For more information call the concertime at 304-876-5555.

 

If you have news that you want to see passed around, please send by email
to thomas@tharding.com

 

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Though every efforts has been made to represent the facts fairly and accurately, the Harding Report and its Author do not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed. Some articles may provide links to other Internet sites for the convenience of users. The Harding Report and its Author are not responsible for the availability or content of these external sites, nor does Harding Report and its Author endorse, warrant, or guarantee the products, services, or information described or offered at these other Internet sites