Month in review: April
[Previous months in review: Mar, Feb, Jan, Dec-05.]
April was the busiest month, at least in terms of traffic (averaging 2,900 unique visitors a day — thanks!),
and covering a wide range of topics, starting with political and policy hijinks from
Consider the dice throw from his point of view:
· If he loses, then the pledge cost him nothing.
· If he wins, then
o If he cancels his pledge, he has still been re-elected.
o If he fulfills his pledge, it comes out of the hide of those who opposed him anyway.
o If he seeks to fulfill his pledge but is blocked by his opponent, he recoups his political capital and can use it again.
Playing politics to the bitter end.
Here at home, there was housing news from:
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One of my Rules Of Property Management is, “every resident gets a rent increase every year, even if small.” Now
Shoulda raised the rents sooner …
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Just as all politics is local politics, most real estate is local, so when politics and property meet, localities can flare up, as in the case of taxation (Enlightening self-interest?) and Zoning and the righteous snobs:
Like the bigot who likes ’some of your kind,’ Wellesley is perfectly willing to embrace upscale economic immigrants; it’s those slightly dirty downscale types we want to keep out altogether or at the very least out of sight:
There are also other Dunkin’ Donuts franchises, though they are well out of view, in outlying corners of the town, or, in one case, tucked inside a Mobil gas station.
Good thing those people know their place.
The new Dunkin’ Donuts shop was all the more alarming to town officials because it seemed to slip, for a time, below the radar.
What skullduggery. What deceit.
Sir, we’ve completely lost track of that rogue Dunkin’ Donuts.
Several posts looked at alternative physical tenures, starting with the ultimate in mobile living, on the water (P O Box anywhere), visiting the World’s first affordable housing: English almshouses (complete with picture of attractive wife for scale), and extending that into the future in The evolving modern home.
You’re not merely reimagining your past — the last fifty years have experienced an evolution in housing so rapid it might almost be called a mutation, driven by seven profoundly significant trends:
Here come the McMansions!
1. Households are smaller.
2. Rooms are more specialized.
3. Houses are more technological.
4. Rooms are bigger.
5. Houses are bigger.
6. Lots are smaller.
7. Densities are higher.
How big yours seems depends on how big your neighbors are.
Sherlock Holmes discoursed percipiently on two important housing-finance principles in The capital stack: the missing three-quarter,
and Affordability implies financial complexity, which concluded with musings on the unattainable will-o-the-wisp of efficiency:
“You lugs from GAO think you’re efficient, I’ll show you efficiency!”
“Efficiency.” He drew the word out slowly. “A most complex subject, doubtless worthy of a future monogram. Tell me, Watson, about which do you wish to be efficient? The use of capital? The long-term property value? Targeting of the affordability? Transference of risk to the private sector? Compliance with program rules? Enforcement? You know, the absolute most efficient charity is to hand ten dollar bills on the street — but is that the most effective?
You never know to whom you’re actually giving money.
In news-related posts, we explored the rising political imperative that Workforce housing *is* affordable housing, and saluted the Cradle of apartment living: New York City:
Why did the apartment flourish first in
1. A city’s economy. With the 1825 Erie Canal,
2. Demographic growth (through Ellis Island) drove demand upwards, especially in the mid-nineteenth century.
3. Hard boundaries to expansion.
4. Granite foundation. Almost unique among Eastern seaboard cities,
5. No sanctuaries from development. Unlike Beijing (with its Forbidden City) or Tokyo (with its Imperial Palace), Manhattan was from the beginning a blank slate on which could be scored grid lines, its leaders willing to tear out the railroad tracks to make Park Avenue. Even today, the city is seemingly a continuous construction site.
We also questioned why so few non-profits take the logical step of merging with one another in Who’s afraid of the big bad charity? Part 1 and Part 2:
The seven keys to merger compatibility include the following:
Seven little steps to the throne of heaven?
Keys to a successful non-profit merger
1.
2. Compatibility of values.
3. Viability of each non-profit on its own.
4. Complementarity of business lines.
5. Consolidatability of headquarters.
6. Cultural harmony at both directorial and managerial levels.
7. Synergistic new business line that could not be accomplished simply via a joint venture or friendly independence.
Business imperatives overruling egos is a mark of organizational maturity:
On the personal level, AHI said hello to the ultimate out-of-owner, rising young Australian housing analysts Jarrod Gitsham Up from down under, and we bade an affectionately exasperated farewell to ornery expatriate urbanist Jane Jacobs, 1916-2006:
Ms. Jacobs appeared however to be uninterested in the doing, only the advocacy to do. Delighting in the role of outside provocateur, she removed herself from her native
As always, thanks for stopping by, and please continue to send me story ideas!
