The I Love CVille Show With Jerry Miller! - Does Owning A Biz Offer Louder Voice On DTM?; Does Paying More Taxes Offer Louder Voice?

Episode Date: August 2, 2024

The I Love CVille Show headlines: Does Owning A Biz Offer Louder Voice On DTM? Does Paying More Taxes Offer Louder Voice? 10th & Page 3BR: $4300 Per Month For Rent Will 10th & Page $4300 Push Other Rents Up? Barcelona Doing Away With Short-Term Rentals “Virginia Business Magazine” Sold To PE Firm Greenbrier Resort To Be Courthouse Auctioned UVA Football Pick Second To Last In ACC Read Viewer & Listener Comments Live On-Air The I Love CVille Show airs live Monday – Friday from 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm on The I Love CVille Network. Watch and listen to The I Love CVille Show on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, iTunes, Apple Podcast, YouTube, Spotify, Fountain, Amazon Music, Audible, Rumble and iLoveCVille.com.

Good Friday afternoon, guys. I'm Jerry Miller. Thank you kindly for joining us on the I Love Seville Show. So much to cover on today's program. The week has just been, it's been an awesome new cycle for hosting a talk show. I've enjoyed connecting with you guys. Wherever you get your content, your social media, your podcasting content, I'm grateful for you. I mean, we've had the Habitat for Humanity, Carlton Mobile Home Story to talk about.

We've had 303 Alderman Road to talk about. We had Joe Thomas in a courthouse brouhaha, broadcasting brouhaha with Monticello Media, my former boss, my former employer. We know Habitat has now officially made an offer. We don't know what that number is, but they said it is competitive with the $7 million offer that an unnamed potential buyer has made for six acres that is currently home to a mobile home park. This topic is going to come up on Monday City Council meeting. Monday City Council meeting is going to be on fire. Monday City Council meeting will have the Carleton mobile home park storyline, the 303 Alderman Road storyline, and we'll have the storyline that's gaining momentum on Twitter where activists are calling for an organized, galvanized, and strategized presentation effort

against downtown stakeholders who are encouraging the city to clean up the most important eight blocks in Central Virginia, the downtown mall, when it comes to the houseless population. The Supreme Court ruling that gives local jurisdictions autonomy with how they manage the houseless sleeping in public places is gaining momentum nationwide. We talked yesterday about the governor of California, Newsom Judah, trying to clean up San Francisco, utilizing taxpayer resources,

San Francisco Police Department, public utility vehicles, and public utility workers to go to homeless encampments and take the belongings of the houseless and throw them in dump trucks and either arrest or cite citations those that refuse to leave the encampments. We've seen in the city of Charlottesville a fence constructed around the transit center preventing the sleeping around what was used, a fence constructed around the transit center, preventing the sleeping around what was used to be, what was previously the visitor center. So this will be a topic that comes up Monday. Deep Throat highlights via DM that mortgage rates could end the week 30 basis points lower

than last week. I've talked on today's program, I've talked on this program, and days pass, weeks pass, months pass, that when mortgage rates start dropping, buyer demand is going to uptick dramatically and values are going to increase big time. Smith online at realtalkwithkeysmith.com offered this statistic on today's talk show. July 2016 versus July 2024, an eight-year period of time, homes in the Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors footprint have increased 80% in value. Do you have the put up the... You have the graph? Yeah. You have the data points? God, you have the KPIs with you? Put the graph on screen. Put the data points on screen. Judah Wickauer, should I give you a flying chest

bump? Right now. Okay, no flying chest bump right now. Eight years and 80 percent increase. Volume has dropped 23 percent, but values of uptake 80 percent%. Go ahead, Judah. Yeah, here's slide one. First slide is on screen. Take a look at the data.

Real talk with Keith Smith, courtesy of the institution and the broadcasting baller, Keith Smith himself. Look at this. I mean, this is this is how would you characterize this, Judah?

I mean, I'd say it's kind of troubling, right? You say troubling. Wow, it's funny you go with the troubling, the bearish outlook. Why not the bullish outlook? We have a strong economy. We have great jobs. We have fantastic quality of life. People want to move here. They want quality of life. People want to move

here. They want to work here. They want to live here. As a result, the housing ecosystem is stronger than ever. Why the bearish outlook? Two-shot Judah, please. Little verbal fisticuffs, if you may, Judah Wickauer. You know I like the verbal fisticuffs. I mean, you know what? Okay. Here's as succinctly as I can put it. I like succinct from you. Unchecked growth.

Do you know what that's called? Tell me. Cancer. Cancer? Yeah. I'll stop talking. Wow. You got me sitting back now. I mean. Unchecked growth cancer. I think we've been seeing it in a lot of sectors. Housing. Okay, great. Everybody who owns a house has made money on paper, but how sustainable is it that housing prices keep going up like this? Like you said, 80%. In eight years. In eight years. How sustainable is that? What about, I mean, we're seeing some problems with the stock market right now.

But for years, we've seen insane growth. Corporations, you just can't grow forever. I think it is sustainable. You think it is sustainable? I think it is sustainable. I think it's sustainable for population increase purposes, for population increase reasons. I think it's sustainable because the people commuting to this market, choosing to move to this market,

choosing to bring their Scroogeman duck bags of money to this market have incredibly deep pockets. I think it's sustainable because of the influence of the University of Virginia, Northrop Grubbin, Rivanna Station, the spies being kept in Albemarle County by what Donna Price called former Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, the greatest economic investment in Albemarle County history, save the University of Virginia. I think it is sustainable. And as Deep Throat highlights, 30 basis points by the end of the week when mortgage rates drop.

I had this conversation with my father-in-law, my fantastic mother-in-law and father-in-law stayed at our house. We recently moved and they came down for about a month to help us. And my wife and our two boys get set at home. Their visit was welcome. I love having them. Have the best in-laws out there. And we had this conversation. You know what happens when mortgage rates drop? Yeah, I mean, you've already said. Values increase. Yeah. Deeper buyer pull.

More multiple offer situations. I think it is sustainable. Okay. And we're going to talk about on today's program, 10th and Page. 10th and Page. 10th and Page. When I went to college, when I was at the University of Virginia from 2000 to 2004, you didn't leave the UVA bubble. You didn't venture into 10th and Page. When Tim Longo was the police chief in the city of Charlottesville,

it was common knowledge that portions of 10th and Page, Bob Shotta, we love when you watch the program, it was common knowledge portions of 10th and Page were an open-air drug market. Almost like from the HBO show The Wire, where Bunny Colvin created Hamsterdam. That existed in the Tenth and Page neighborhood.

Now Tenth and Page has a three-bedroom home listed online right now by a noteworthy property manager and Airbnb manager with a monthly rental asking price of $4,300 a month. For someone to be able to rent this house due to Wichauer, they would have to come up with first month's rent, $4,300. Last month's rent, $4,300.

We're at $8,600 plus a $4,300. We're at $8,600. Plus a $4,300 security deposit. $4,300 times three is $12,900. If someone wants to rent this house at 10th and Page, they would have to put $12,900 down. That's nuts. $12,900 down. $12,900. What?

It's five. I'll be conservative. Seven years ago was the down payment on someone's house. Think about that. Yeah. The down payment on a crib. A lot we're going to cover on today's program. We're going to talk about that 10th and page listing today.

I'm going to ask you this question. This is TJ's Leaky Roof. Oftentimes, spars with me goes after me on Twitter. I hope TJ's Leaky Roof is hearing this. I appreciate TJ's Leaky Roof on Twitter, his content. We are in absolute stark disagreement on just about everything. He posed this question on the Twitterverse. Does owning a business in downtown Charlottesville offer you a louder voice than those who do not own a business in downtown Charlottesville.

He posed this question. Does owning a business, excuse me, does owning real estate, if you're a landlord in downtown Charlottesville, do you have a louder voice when it comes to trends and news and happenings downtown than if you do not own real estate? He basically asked this question. If you are a tax revenue generator of more significant or deeper proportions in downtown Charlottesville, does that offer you more influence or a more heard platform than those that just happen to be patrons or passerbys or heck,

even someone who just walks the ball and spends no money. I want to talk about that on today's program. I want to talk about Barcelona doing away with short-term rentals. Barcelona, one of the top tourist destinations in the world, is saying we are done with short-term rentals. They are screwing Barcelonians from an affordability standpoint, short-term rentals. We'll talk on today's program, Virginia Business Magazine, now being acquired by a private equity firm,

a private equity firm, ladies and gentlemen, that is nowhere close... To Virginia? To Virginia. I want to put that in perspective. A private equity firm, not in Virginia, has purchased Virginia Business Magazine. This PE firm is based in Los Angeles,

California. Transom Capital Group. Complete opposite side of the country. And we'll talk about the Greenbrier Resort being auctioned off at the courthouse steps. You've got the governor of West Virginia that's making a push for U.S. Senate

in a key position in the Senate as power may shift from Republicans to Democrats. The governor of West Virginia, Republican, in some financial difficulty, he straight up is calling out Jamie Dimon and J.P. Morgan Chase saying they sold my loan for the sole purpose of making me look bad as they make a push for the U.S. Senate. That's what he said. He issued a statement. The governor of West Virginia said, the reason I'm in this position with the Greenbrier Resort and a historic vacation destination on the cusp of being auctioned on the courthouse steps in West Virginia is because the loan he had with J.P. Morgan, the banking provider that he and his family have utilized for a long period of time,

these are all his words. He said, J.P. Morgan, despite me doing well by them for a long period of time, sold my loan to somebody else for the sole reason of making me look bad during a U.S. Senate run. A lot we're going to cover on today's program, including Tony Elliott and the University of Virginia football team, finish to pick, finish in a preseason reporter poll, pick to finish second to last in the conference, Judah. Which headline intrigues you the most, Judah B. Wickhour? Like I said, I think the decision being made in Barcelona is one that a lot of localities

will be taking a look at and maybe deciding if that's right for them as well. Is it right for Charlottesville? That's a good question. Is banning Airbnbs right for Charlottesville? Viewers and listeners, how about we start by actually policing Airbnbs?

That would be good. Here's something for activists to focus on. Use your influence to encourage council and local government to actually appropriately police, and by police I mean enforce, rules and regulations tied to homestays and short-term rentals like Airbnbs. It's not being done right now. That's one place to start. Use your influence to encourage council, local government to put some pressure or to broker a deal with the extorting emperor of empty lots Johnny Dewberry, grew up at Waynesboro, played quarterback for the rambling wreck

of Georgia Tech, now a developer in Atlanta, to actually do something with the skeleton on the downtown mall. No doubt. Just suggestions for you. All right. First headline, Ray Cadell. In fact, I'll read Ray Cadell's comment right now. Key member of the family.

His photo on screen. Not that I'm necessarily a fan of Mr. Justice. He's the owner of the Greenbrier Resort, the governor of West Virginia. But I do know him personally, and this auction will not occur. I 1,000% agree. I 1,000% agree. I 1,000% agree on that. But Ray Cadell, and why he's saying that is he's saying Mr. Justice will dot the I's and cross the T's with his financing in the Greenbrier Resort and never let this historic vacation destination leave his family's ironclad grips.

That's what he's alluding to. I will say this, Ray Caddow. It does make Mr. Justice look bad in his U.S. Senate push. No doubt. And that was what he alludes to was the reason that J.P. Morgan, Jamie Dimon, and everyone else. I mean, he's basically calling collusion here. He's calling lone collusion for the sake of PR tarnishing. That's what he's saying here.

Yeah. Did you read the article? Yeah. He says nothing more than the latest political stunt by the Democrats to undermine the next Republican senator from West Virginia. Do you buy that, Ray Caddell? RC, I'm curious of your opinion. You know I value your opinion. Mustache Dan Pettit watching the program.

His photo on screen. He said, get rid of short-term rentals with minimum rentals of at least six months. We don't have him on here. Mustache Dan Pettit needs to be a part of the viewer and listener power poll. Dan Pettit, a valued member of this family. He was a part of the first real estate deal I ever did, Villas of Southern Ridge. Dan Pettit, you know that three bedroom, two bathroom condo with a den purchased in 2006 for about 180K is now renting Dan Pettit for $2,100 a month all day, every day, and twice on Sunday.

Bananas, DP. And speaking of rents, how about a tenth and page, if you want to get the photo on screen, or if you want to get the lower third on screen, $4,300. Ray Cadell says people love Mr. Justice in West Virginia. He is not worried.

I understand that. I understand that, Ray Cadell. $4,300 a month asking for a 10th and Page 3 bedroom. Judah, where do you want to go? Where do you want to go? Unpack this, please. Judah Wickower. I mean, the obvious question is, will other people see that and start raising their rent prices? Keep going. I mean, is this the new comp for Charlottesville? That's a great question.

Judah's basically asking, you have a neighborhood in a 10.2 square mile city that historically is lower income. There are few historically lower income neighborhoods left. On that very tight short list, Fifeville, 10th and Page, part of the Star Hill neighborhood.

Give me another historically low income neighborhood in the city. Maybe throw Prospect in there. You got four. Four historically lower-income neighborhoods in a city that is going through massive gentrification. One of the four has a three-bedroom, very small home that is commanding, asking $4,300 a month in rent. That means if you were to rent this house on a one year lease, you potentially would put $12,900 down, first month's rent, last month's rent and security deposit. And what's more, when investors see this, are they going to start going door to door in

Tenth and Page and those other neighborhoods offering a deal you can't refuse kind of money? A deal you can't refuse? I'll give you cash for your house. Yeah. In its current shape. Quick close. No fees. No commissions. Go in.

A little rehabilitation. And put it back on the rental market. For $4,300 a month. Are you familiar with the BRRRR method? The BRRRR method? The BRRRR method. B-R method? The BRR method. B-R-R-R-R. No, I'm not.

You ready for it? Yeah. Buy a property. That's the B. Rehab it. That's the first R. Rent it. That's the second R.

Refinance it. That's the third R. Repeat. The fourth R. Buy. Rehab. Rent. Refinance. Repeat. You buy something distressed. You improve it. You get market rent, you go to your bank and say, look, I bought it at low. Look at the rent roll now. Look at the rehab I did to it. Restructure your debt.

Pull some money out. Do it again. The property is the collateral. Do it again. Do it again. Brr. 4,300 for 10th and Page due to Wickhour is 100% on point. It's a future barometer of where this very expensive market is going.

If the University of Virginia is creating new schools and they're doing that with data science and biotech school and they're doing that with data science and biotech school, and they're expanding its enrollment, they're going to have to hire more talent to service the additional students, right? No doubt. We also know that there's a number of new employers that are driving job growth locally. Weldon Cooper has highlighted the increased population scheduled for this area. There's only so many places for people to live. That's why you saw a builder locally spend $835,000 on a beat-up rancher in the Lewis Mountain neighborhood. $835,000 to tear the thing down. And an unknown company willing to offer $7 million for what?

A trailer park. I believe the land is worth $2.2 million. Assessed. Yeah. Assessed. Now, assessments are behind market value. We know that. But not that kind of delta.

Not that kind of delta. Bill McChesney watching the program. A lot of the 10th and Page neighborhood is already gentrified. He's right. I got a card in the mail yesterday from a Richmond firm wanting to purchase my home. Bill McChesney, it's funny you brought that up. My wife and I, within the last 30 or 40 days, closed on a house. We sold a house in Keswick.

The buyer of our house, all cash, no inspections, no contingencies, quick close. Literally the buyer of our house in Keswick, doesn't matter the condition it's in, we'll give you all cash. We'll close quickly. No contingencies. Here's the bank statement showing the money. I get those postcards. We said, hold that thought. And I want to hear your thought. We said, all right, let's go giddy up. We did a little negotiating and said, let's go giddy up. Then we asked for a 90-day lease back. Sure, Then we asked for a 90-day lease back. Sure, no problem. Take a 90-day lease back.

No problem at all. Use that 90-day window and the cash that we got at closing. Remember, we bought in March of 2020, maybe the best time in American history. March of 2020, paid a certain amount of money. Took that, doing some quick math here, to talk about the appreciation we got.

75% appreciation in four years. 75% appreciation in four years. Said, okay, we're going to Scrooge McDuck it over here to this side of town. Yes, we're buying in a higher interest rate environment, but we know we can refinance once rates go down. Why don't we refinance when rates go down and buy when values are a little bit more steady than when values pop, when rates drop,

and there's a deeper buyer pool. We'll save my wife two hours and change of driving every day. Keep our boys closer to where we're spending most of our after school time. Be closer to the school that our oldest goes to. And cut down the commute for Jer, for me, and have a little more amenities around the house. Sold. Done. Let's rock and roll. Buy the house. Get a pretty good deal on it. Within 14 days, and then I'm going to pass the mic to you. Within 14 days of closing, three postcards in the mail from two out-of-market buyers, one in-market buyer, offering straight-up cash, 10-day close,

no contingencies for the house that we purchased. Within pretty much asking price of what we did. We went in there, we redid the floors, redid the kitchen, painted the entire house, did a new deck, new screen porch, did some other fixes that need to be done, had an agent come in and looked at it, and the agent that came in and looked at it said, if you wanted to go on market right now,

you've owned it for less than a month, you could come on a market at a 25% to 30% higher price than what you paid for. And it would sell all day and twice on Sunday. It's effing bananas. The show is yours. I mean, yeah, I get those postcards all the time. Were yours personalized or do you think they were just ones that end up in that mailbox?

One of them was handwritten. Wow. Now, part of that is the reputation that's known locally that I like to make a deal. Handwritten by the potential buyer. Yeah. 4,300 per month. Now, you should offer the subplot of this tethered page listing. Give them the subplot here. Well, it was listed by I believe an out of town-town company.

In town. Was it? 100% in town. A reputable and noteworthy Airbnb and property manager. Local. Started by a founder who had success with an Airbnb in Scottsville. The listing originally had a, let's see, a note. Please note that Page Street is located near a low-income neighborhood. So when they were advertising the 10th and Page, Ivy, Dan Pettit, when they were advertising the 10th and Page 4,300 a month rental, in the copy of the rental, they said, give it verbatim literally what they said.

Verbatim. I want you to read verbatim. Please note that Page Street is located near a low-income neighborhood. Our location is very walkable to UVA grounds and downtown, but we recognize that not everyone will feel comfortable. Don't say that. Don't put that in there. I'd say, you know, ask Lisa Herndon, the former president of CAR, a fantastic real estate agent who teaches real estate in person. She's one of the instructors that gives in-classroom lessons and tutorials and classroom time to folks looking to pursue their real estate license. She's a pro's pro. She said, I'm pretty sure this is a violation of fair housing. The folks who listed this house in 10th and Page for $4,300 a month rent said this. This is next to what? What do they say? Low-income neighborhood.

Real estate 101. Do not violate fair housing. Stay away from terms like that, crime-related terms, school-related terms, race-related terms, socioeconomic demographics. If your clients ask you, encourage them to do the research on their own

by pointing them to online portals like the police department that archives its data where crime is happening. Encourage them to do research with the Board of Education to look at SOL scores. Encourage them to visit Weldon Cooper. Encourage them to park their car and walk around the neighborhood at morning, noon, or night and use the eye test or common sense to come up to their own conclusions. Do not in writing on a listing say this is next to a low-income neighborhood. That has since been pulled. Not sure if they've been reported or not, Dan Pettit, but that language has since been

pulled from the listing, the rental listing. That's a major no-no. The point is this, and it's the two points we want to make here. Point number one, $4,300 a month rent in 10th and Page is a barometer for future rents, not only in 10th and Page, but a barometer for future rents on Rugby, a barometer for future rents, not only in 10th and Page, but a barometer for future rents on Rugby, a barometer of future rents on 14th Street, on West Main, North Downtown, Belmont, Woolen Mills, you name it. Because if a neighborhood that has not historically commanded $4,300 a month in rent can now command $4, dollars a month in rent what's going to happen to a neighborhood that was already commanding forty three hundred a month in rent that neighborhood is going to say oh marketplace dynamics suggest that i could increase my rents yeah dot the i's and cross the t's on this before we go to the owning a business owning real estate

does it offer you a louder platform or more influence? Then I'll go to John Blair. Then we'll jump in with Deep Throat. The feed is popping right now. Judah Wickauer, the show is yours. I think we'll be watching home prices and rental prices in the coming weeks and months. And I think we're going to be seeing more of these offers like is going on with Carlton and what we saw with the company buying the house in Lewis Mountain. This is an attractive market.

And it's becoming less viable, I think, for locals. John Blair, a couple of notes for you, Jerry. First, as to Greenbrier, I can only point out that Massanutten just added a roller coaster. Rockingham County approved it in 2023. I think resorts are having a tough go of it. Lack of snow hurts ski season. He also says John Blair and Massanutten is leading the way in adding an amusement park element. Second, as to Barcelona, they are looking to be cutting their nose off to spite their face. The EU is falling further behind the states on an annual basis since 2009. The past few years have seen an extreme variance between the US and the EU with GDP growth rates. Americans have taken advantage of this as well as the euro's collapse in relation to the dollar to vacation in Spain.

I'm not sure it's a great idea for a city to choke off one of its only economic growth engines, American tourists. I'm going to respond to that, Judah Wickauer. Those are great points. I don't know that I necessarily agree with what they're doing, but it's six of one, half dozen of the other. They obviously have a problem and they're trying to figure out how to solve it. And it's just another situation where there may not be any good answer. Should the city of Charlottesville follow Barcelona's lead?

I don't think so. I think you're right. Better keeping watch, actually upholding the laws you've got in place already, I think would do more than making such a drastic change. Here's a question I have for you. Are Airbnbs driving up the cost of housing in the city of Charlottesville? I don't think it's specifically Airbnbs.

I just think it's the mentality that property, that housing is a good investment. And since Airbnb has become so big, it's a great way for people to make money on their investment properties. A better way to make money than just putting it up as a rental. Though obviously it comes with its own sets of challenges. I'll push back. I think Airbnbs are driving up the cost of housing. Someone buys an Airbnb and they can get greater margin short-term running it than one year leasing it. It takes a piece of inventory off the market and puts it in the hands of an investor. Someone who's going to be focused

on profits over people, your phrase. It's the free market. Property owners have rights, Neil Williamson's phrase. The city of Charlottesville, however, should not, should not ban airbnbs we have a hotel issue here and that's why we see hotels still being built yeah that's why we're seeing a hotel being built in the shadows of the omni hotel in the downtown mall despite the omni hotel going through a 15 or 20 million dollar renovation have you been into the omni hotel lobby have you seen the renovation of its restaurant? No. It's beautiful. It is gorgeous. The lobby bar they have in the atrium at the downtown Omni Hotel is sexy.

And it's so sexy. I'd have anything wet at that bar and just watch people pass by. What is it about hotel bars that have so much appeal? I think it's the transient nature of the hotel bar. I can be at the Mill Room. I can be at the Omni Hotel Bar, the Clifton Hotel Bar, which you know well. You may be paying a premium on price because you're drinking at a hotel bar but there's something about the transient nature, locals

and guests all coming and going and stopping at one place for something wet that has some kind of like energy to it and the Omni radiates that kind of energy. Interesting. There's a man that owns a bar

and that bar is called the livery stable. And the livery stable is a fantastic dive bar. Came up in conversation last night. The livery stable is the building been owned by the family for a long period of time. That building primed for a potential hotel. Initially thought to be apartments. Prime for a hotel now. Why are we building hotels?

Because there's a demand for hotels. And if there's a demand for hotels, then there's a demand for... For... Housing for... Short-term rentals. Yeah, coming in for... Airbnbs.

Short-term rentals. Barcelona. Short-term rentals. Yeah, coming in for... Airbnbs, short-term rentals. Barcelona, the city of Charlottesville, saying inconvenient, making it more inconvenient for tourists to visit is pissing in the wind. And you're also going to hurt a lot of, there are, I'm sure, a lot of local people in Barcelona who own those rental houses, rental properties, and what are they going to do? Tati Rios.

Like John said, it's cutting off your nose to spite your face. There it is. Tati Rios watching the program. Tati Rios, you're a new viewer and listener to the program. You're watching on the I Love Seville Facebook page. I like when you offer commentary on the show. Tati Rios, she says, Airbnb monthly rentals have a steep premium due to the flexibility they offer. It's impossible to find other rentals that offer less than a six-month lease in Charlottesville. I moved here two years ago during the height of the real estate buying spree, and the monthly rental and Airbnb was the only option available since we did not want a six-month or one-year lease. Great comment. She's talking about flexibility.

Yeah. Dan Pennett, that's exactly right. Appreciate you watching the program, Mustache Dan Pettit. Sherry Wilcomb, thank you for watching the program. Viewers and listeners, if you like the show, hit the like button and share it. Ginny Hu, thank you for the retweet. $4,300 in 10th and Page. Think about that, folks. Next topic. The top two or three lower thirds. Ask those questions back to back to back to back for the viewer and listener.

And then rotate those lower thirds if you could, please, sir. Does owning a business, in this case case specifically downtown, does owning a business offer a louder voice on the downtown mall, on what is done with the downtown mall, on what is done to the downtown mall? And does paying more taxes offer a louder voice? And? There's more. There's another question. Will 10th and Page?

The real estate one. If you own a business, if you're a real estate owner, or if you pay more taxes than others, when it comes to the eight blocks we call the downtown mall, does that afford you more influence or a louder voice than someone that is just a passerby along the mall walking from the Ting Pavilion to the Omni Hotel and back? Jude, I'm very curious what you have to say about that. I don't know how I feel about the paying more taxes than someone, but I do think

that owning a business on the downtown mall should give you a voice, perhaps a louder voice than someone who doesn't own a business on a downtown mall because your business is directly affected. And I think it's fair that someone in that position has a say in how the downtown mall is treated. I'm surprised you had this take. So you're saying if you own a business in downtown Charlottesville, you have a louder, you should, the word is should, important word, you should have a louder or more influential voice than someone

who is just walking their dog from the Tink Pavilion to the Omni Hotel, the Omni Hotel to the Tink Pavilion and not spending any money. Is that what you're saying? Yeah, I think so. Wow. I'm surprised you took that stance. Really? Yeah. Back up that argument. Break it down. I won't pick it apart. I may pick it apart. It's a pick it apart talk show.

I mean, let's take the argument off the downtown mall and just make it about a business. Should a business have a voice in what goes on in front of their doors, in front of their windows? If somebody is doing something inappropriate outside, do they have a voice? Should they have a voice in that? I think so. I think the same thing applies to the downtown mall. The businesses that are up, that are, you know, lining the downtown mall have a vested interest in the downtown mall remaining a place that people want to come to. Just as the businesses at Barracks Road or the businesses at Stonefield have a vested interest in what happens in those shopping areas. I think they should have a voice in decisions that are made that affect their livelihood. That's Spark Hill. Welcome to the program. Queen of Burleysville. Thank you for watching the show.

Local TV station down the road watching the program. I'll ask you a follow-up question, a very pointed follow-up question. You're saying a business owner in downtown Charlottesville should have a more influential voice than someone who is walking their dog and spending no money walking from the Omni Hotel to the Ting Pavilion. Am I hearing you correct? Yeah, I think so. Follow-up question.

If you're a real estate owner in downtown Charlottesville, should you have a louder voice than a business owner in downtown Charlottesville? I don't know that I would say a louder voice than the business owner. an interest in keeping the downtown mall looking good attracting not just shoppers

but obviously store owners I don't know if I don't know how I feel about one having a greater voice over the other follow up question to that should feel about one having a greater voice over the other. Follow-up question to that. Should a taxpayer that pays more taxes to the city of Charlottesville

than a real estate owner or a business owner? I'm talking someone like a Joan Fenton. Joan Fenton owns three businesses on the downtown mall and a handful of buildings on the downtown mall. Should a Joan Fenton have a louder say or greater influence or a more impactful platform before local government than, say, a Mike Rohde who owns Rapture Restaurant. Does not own the restaurant. Alan Kajin owns the building.

But Mike Rohde has a restaurant in Rapture that's quite popular and has been there for as long as I've been in the city of Charlottesville. I don't think so, at least not the way you phrased it. Then why does the business owner have a greater or more significant voice than the average Joe or average Sally walking their Labrador or their German Shepherd from the Omni Hotel to the Tink Pavilion. Because I think the business owner and or the property owner has a better understanding of the difficulties of just what's going on. They know what affects their business. They know what affects their property.

And I think they have a better understanding. You're talking about nuance. Yeah. Doesn't Joan Fenton, who's been on the downtown mall for three decades and owns multiple buildings and three businesses, have more nuance than maybe anyone in downtown Charlottesville? Probably. And as a result of that nuance, is she entitled to the loudest voice and the most influential platform before local government? She's paying more taxes than anybody. Not anybody.

That's a bit of a stretch. But she's in the upper stratosphere of taxes paid tied to these eight blocks. She's in the upper stratosphere of businesses owned tied to these eight blocks. She's in the upper stratosphere of real estate owned tied to these eight blocks. As a result of those taxes, those businesses, and the real estate that are in her holdings, is she entitled to the loudest voice before counsel? And if common sense, which you're using common sense here, if man of common sense says yes,

should what she presents or the Friends of Seville nonprofit lobbying group presents, which is a collection of the Joan Fentons in downtown Charlottesville, should that matter more than what someone like TJ's Leaky Roof is putting on Twitter, where he's marginalizing these stakeholders. I have no problem with TJ's Leaky Roof offering his perspective on Twitter. He and I clash often with very different perspectives. But he's basically saying on Twitter that on Monday in the city council meeting that happens this coming Monday, these folks are going to utilize their collective influence as business owners, taxpayers and

real estate owners to lobby council to use the police to clean up the houseless in the eight blocks we call downtown. Is there a question there it's a conversation um i mean i don't know how much of that accusation is is truth and how much is speculation are the are the owners really going to lobby the council to start arresting homeless people? I'd say Friends of Seville is getting more organized and pushing the tempo a bit more than it ever has when it comes to the houseless. And that comes in the wake of this Supreme Court ruling that is still on the tip of jurisdictional tongues and fresh and new cycles. Right. I think we're seeing the city having more pressure when it comes to the houseless than it's had in a long time. The statistic that Friends of CBO recently released from 2017 to,

was it 2023? There's a million people, a million less people that have patronized the downtown mall from 2017 to 2023. Think about that statistic. That's based on cell phone data, tracking IPs and phones on the mall. That's a damning statistic. And I'm going to tell you something right now. A million less people in the downtown mall over a seven-year period of time, that impacts all socioeconomic demographics. That impacts the property owner and the rents he or she commands. That impacts the business owner and the number of steaks and mojitos and spicy margaritas that they can sell or the number of boutique custom quilted blankets they can sell. And it impacts the busboy and the barback and the waiter

and the tip out they get at the end of the night. That's a big deal. It's a big number. Bill McChesney, the mayor of McIntyre. Business owners pay taxes to the city and collect taxes for the city. Businesses are also taxed on their furnishings and vehicles. A business property owner is taxed on the property building. They should be able to exert more influence because they are taxpayers, not panhandlers. That's from Bill McChesney. On that theory, doesn't the real estate owner get to exert similar influence, if not more.

It's a great topic from TJ's Leaky Ruth. It's going to come up on Monday's city council meeting. Tia, sorry, I'm messing your name up here. Tatia Rios. She said, some people don't want or need a six-month rental. There are nurses who come for short-term contracts and there are other UVA international students who come for short periods of time and would not potentially qualify for a short-term lease. Some locals do Airbnb monthly rentals as well. The couple that came to the apartment after we left was doing a short-term rental because they were doing top-to-bottom renovations in their home

and did not want to disrupt their lives. She of the value of Airbnbs, the value they provide the city of Charlottesville. Logan Wells-Claylow, welcome to the broadcast. Caitlin Person, thank you for watching the show. Susan Bashline, thank you for watching the program. Judah Wickhauer, the next topic, my friend. Let's see. Virginia Business Magazine sold? Yeah, this is one that I found fascinating. This is a good comment from John Blair before I get to Virginia Business Magazine. He says, Jerry, I wish someone could offer you some funding to do some investigative reporting. Two hours away, Winchester, Virginia, has a very nice pedestrian mall.

I would love for you to be able to do some on-site and investigative reporting comparing Winchester and Charlottesville's pedestrian malls. The cities are about the same size and the same malls. John Blair, I appreciate that comment. I would love if somebody like Sean Tubbs or Hal Spencer did that kind of investigative reporting. And John, I love this comment. What we very much enjoy doing is offer our commentary on the news cycle. That's my favorite type of content, offering commentary on the news cycle. This is maybe an indication of legacy media.

There's a publication that is of significance that's based in Richmond called Virginia Business Magazine. And Virginia Business does a great job of showcasing and covering the movers and shakers in business in the Commonwealth. Virginia Business Magazine was started by Media General, my former employer.

The first real job I had in life, I don't say real job. I shouldn't say real job. The first job I had while a student at, no, not even the first job I had while a student at the University of Virginia. I've just got to rephrase again. As a student at the University of Virginia, I worked at the Daily Progress. Daily Progress was owned by Media General, a company out of Richmond. Media General was, at the end, horrendous at running a company.

And went through multi-generations of family ownership, media general, family leadership. And it just went in the crapper. It was a brutal company to work for. Media general launched a publication called Virginia Business. And in 2019, Virginia Business was sold to Virginia Capital Partners, a private equity firm. And then Virginia Capital Partners sold in 2017 to a gentleman named Bernie Niemeyer,

who's the president and publisher of Virginia Magazine, of Virginia Business Magazine. Now, an individual who is the president and publisher of Virginia Business Magazine, a Virginia business magazine. Now, an individual who is the president and publisher of Virginia Business Magazine, who purchased it in 2017 from a capital, from Virginia Capital Partners, he sold the magazine to a Los Angeles-based private equity firm. So a company in LA, a private equity company in LA owns Virginia Business Magazine. That same company owns Virginia Lawyers Weekly. This is all in the Richmond BizSense. I love that website, Richmond BizSense. So we have an LA PE firm that owns Virginia Lawyers Weekly and Virginia Business Magazine.

I'm sure the idea is to vertically integrate the two. Business, lawyers, let's do events, let's compliment, let's find advertisers that want to appeal to both reader bases. Let's vertically integrate or use some efficiencies here. This private equity firm out of Los Angeles has like 60 different titles it owns. Here's the point I'm making. Legacy media, traditional media, print, radio, and television, it's losing market share and advertisers every day to podcasting, to social media,

to Facebook, to Instagram, to TikTok, to streaming. Too many choices. There's so many advertising choices out there. Because legacy media, print, radio, and television are losing share, revenue share, to these digital platforms, it's causing the little guy, even the regional company, to sell. And they're having to sell to conglomerates

or private equity firms or big corporations. So what we're seeing is the consolidation of media, print, radio, and television by few companies. And when a few companies, when a few private equity firms, when a few international corporations own the local news, the people that suffer are you and me. The folks on West Main, the folks on Market, the folks on Preston, the folks on Rugby, the folks on 10th and Page. When a private equity firm in Los Angeles buys a business magazine in Richmond, you raise your eyebrow. It's a reflection of where we're heading when it comes to legacy media.

It's also, I should emphasize this, we should very much support the Sean Tubbs and the Neil Williamson's of the world. No doubt. Last story is the Greenbrier one. I agree with Ray Cadell. If anyone thinks that the Greenbrier resort,

this is the second to last story. The last story is, is, is Virginia football has been picked second to last in the ACC. This is a make orbreak year for Tony Elliott. Tony Elliott wins three ballgames again this year. I don't see him returning. Second to last in the ACC.

Tony Elliott's football team. I want to close on the Greenbrier. My wife and I stayed at the Greenbrier. We brought our son when he was like two years old I did a speaking engagement there on the value of digital and social media for like

the National Painters Association and the National Painters Association was generous enough to pay me a fee to speak before them and put my wife and I up in a hotel room for a couple of days and offer us a stipend to enjoy at Greenbrier, which they call America's Resort.

It is a fantastic place. It's got colorful wallpaper. It's eclectic. We were greeted with glasses of champagne when we pulled in. The gardening and the flowers are beautiful. The landscaping and the acreage are vast. It is a trip into yesteryear with its design. And it's a trip into tremendous hospitality and service by

its staff. The headlines now are the Greenbrier Resort is being auctioned off on the courthouse steps of West Virginia. Yeah. And Governor Justice, his family, the governor of West Virginia, who owns the Greenbrier Resort, bought the resort in a distressed scenario. He's pushing back on the narrative that they're broke and they're going to lose the resort. He's saying J.P. Morgan sold my loan to another loan provider and then they immediately called the note. Yeah. And he's saying they're doing that to make me look bad. After purchasing the loan,

Beltway immediately declared the loan to be in default and initiated the suit. And he's saying they're doing this to make me look bad because I'm a conservative running for U.S. Senate. That's what the governor of West Virginia is saying. If anyone thinks that the Greenbrier Resort is going to get out of the ironclad grips of the Justice family, you're not reading the tea leaves correctly. He was sued by Albemarle County for past taxes owed. Did you know

that? No. Albemarle County sued Justice for past taxes owed. And his representative came and paid those taxes in full. Wow. Must be nice. It's a despicable world that we live in. And then I'll close on this. I got this text from someone that I have a lot of respect for. Is she watching the program right now?

I think she is. I won't utilize your name in this scenario. I don't know if you gave me the green light to do it. I'm on the Seville Weekly Instagram. You should pull out your phone. Go to Instagram. Tell me when you're there, Judah Wicow. You there?

All right. Go to Seville Weekly. It's just Seville Weekly on Instagram. Look at the Dr. Bryce photo on the SIVO Weekly Instagram. Okay. Some of the comments under here are absolutely despicable. Good grief. Absolutely despicable. Good grief. Absolutely despicable.

We'll end on that. Yeah. I mean... Someone willing to put themselves out for a second time into the political ecosystem this time as an appointment by the governor Glenn Youngkin to the board of education and just being ripped

as a result here's a great comment from one of our viewers you think that's okay? please you think that's okay? please I'll just say the last part of it what happened to the tolerant left? what's that? what happened to the tolerant left?

what happened to just tolerance? what happened to common decency? what happened to just tolerance? What happened to common decency? What happened to the Ronald Reagan fan base and the JFK fan base when we were all so center aisle? What happened to being center aisle? What happened to being neutral and perspective? What happened to respecting...

Why does everybody keep saying that she agrees to eradicating public education? Because it's a buzzword. It's a buzzphrase. It's just something that's easy to say. It's like utilizing the word fascist. It's just a buzzphrase. It's word salad. You heard somebody else say it, so you repeat it.

It's the Friday edition. Aren't those ridiculous? I mean, yeah, some of the things that I've seen unhinged, I've read. As our viewer just texted. Yeah, they're unhinged.

Certainly intolerant. I would put a lot of them on the uh i'd say a lot of them are hateful extremely hateful disgusting extremely hateful can we can we no longer disagree with someone without... Deepfroat says it's the effect of social media. It is. Like, social media has created a, this is the line in the sand, and you either, you can no longer straddle the line. We used to be able to,

this is the line in the sand, and we used to be able to say, like, all right, I'm physically conservative and socially liberal. Now if you say you're physically conservative and socially liberal. Now if you say you're physically conservative and socially liberal, you're ripped for being physically conservative. And people say you can't be physically conservative

and socially liberal. You can't do that. You can't be both. But you could be both at one time. And people respected you for being both. And the fact of the matter is we all have differing opinions and you don't have to tow the party line on every single issue there are some things that that's that's how compromises are made and that's why having a different

perspective on the board of education is a good thing yeah exactly, exactly. If you don't, you know what you become? Charlottesville City Council. The Friday edition of the I Love Steve-O Show. For Judah Wickauer, my name is Jerry Miller. So long, everybody. Thank you.