Many of you have seen the articles in the paper about the increase in assessed value of Stafford County homes. The paper said the average assessment increase will be about 20% with some homes increasing as much as 50%. This increase in assessed value is a double edged sword. On the one hand, an increase in assessed value generally translates into a direct increase in resale value. On the other hand, you will pay more in taxes. For many families, the single largest item of personal worth is their home. We need to do what we can to insure that our home values increase. I do not have exact figures, but I would guess the average age of an Aquia Harbour home is about 20 years. I know many of you have recently replaced a roof, updated the heating and cooling system, replaced windows, and/or updated you kitchens. All these items are necessary for general maintenance and to increase your enjoyment of your home. However, these improvements also directly affect the re-sale value of you home. I will suggest that there are three elements that directly affect your home value. The improvements that you directly make to your house greatly increase it value. The condition of your neighbor?s home will also affect your re-sale value. It is interesting that I have recently received some complaints about our Code Violation Officer?s letters and renewed enforcement efforts. These efforts are for the good of the whole community. A third item that greatly influences your home value is the general condition of the community. In this renewed area of concerns about security, Aquia is more and more attractive to buyers. And, our security force and front gate are critical. But, the general condition of our community also has a significant effect. If the average age of an Aquia home is 20 years, the average age of most of our facilities is greater. It is time for us to make some significant improvements to our pools, golf course, marina, stable, and walking paths. It is your home owner?s assessments that update, maintain, and renew our community. I have many comments about the article in last month?s Harbour View about our dues. So, I am asking the basic question, ?What does it take to have a first class community?? We are just starting the budget process for the next year. We will be meeting at 6:00 PM on most Wednesday evening at the Business Office. Responsible Government requires community oversight. I invite you to these meetings and I invite your input. |