Gazette says economy has hurt the remodeling business
The recession and real estate slump have taken their toll on not only the homebuilding industry, but remodelers, too.
The number of residential remodeling jobs in Frederick County has fallen slightly this year from 2008, from 808 jobs to 765, according to a report by the Frederick County Office of Economic Development. The average remodeling industry salary in the county is $44,758.
Remodeling jobs overall, including commercial work, have fallen slightly in the county, from 10,951 jobs in 2008 to 10,936 this year, according to county data. Remodeling industry jobs statewide are down less than 1 percent from 2008, from 211,975 jobs in 2008 to 209,089 this year.
Real Estate Live
Washington Post Real Estate blogger and columnist
Friday, October 30, 2009; 1:00 PM
Post Real Estate columnist Elizabeth Razzi discussed the local housing market — from condos and investment properties to contracts and mortgages on Friday, October 30, at 1 p.m. ET.
Transcript Excerpts:
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Elizabeth Razzi: Hi, everyone. Happy Halloween eve…which I guess would be the eve of all-hallows-eve, if you want to get particular about it. Let’s dig in.
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Fairfax, Va.: Can you share some thoughts about “over improvement”? We plan to be in our recently-purchased 1980 townhouse for 5 to 7 years, and we’d like to remodel a bit (bathrooms, significant lighting upgrades) for our own comfort. But, our purchase price already was near the top of the range for our community because the seller had made major improvements, relative to the other houses. Unless there’s a rash of remodeling in the neighborhood, we expect our house to stay near the top of the range — although, looking at the market, the range itself may fall. What should we keep in mind as we start to budget for improvements?
Elizabeth Razzi: You’re wise to be concerned about over-improving. But 5-7 years is a long time to be squinting, if you find the lighting to be inadequate. I’d think you’d want to set your budget and prioritize your fixes. Maybe just replace the sinks and faucets in bathrooms, for example. Install new lighting only where it really counts–and search for cheaper alternatives at places like Ikea. I wouldn’t spend big dollars installing recessed lighting, for example. And don’t do anything trendy!
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Arlington, Va.: I received a solicitation from one of the local schools for a fundraiser. Problem is, the contact was one of the plaintiffs who sued against the Views at Clarendon project. I told the solicitor there was no way I was going to support the fundraiser, as the money spent on the lawsuit on both sides far dwarfed the money the fundraiser would raise. And THAT’S how you deal with NIMBYISM
Not In My Back Yard-ISM nimbyism [ˈnɪmbɪˌɪzəm] n or “the practice of objecting to something that will affect one or take place in one’s locality”
Elizabeth Razzi: Well, I’m sure that felt satisfying. But what about the kids at that school? I might look for another way to support the school–very deliberately bypassing that solicitor. If you want to rub it in, you might even ask him/her for someone ELSE you could contact.
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Maryland vs. Virginia: We live in D.C. and want to move to either Arlington County or Montgomery County next year, but don’t know much about either place. Both seem similar in terms of quality of schools. Housing costs seem similar. What other factors should we consider? Are there any huge pros or cons we may not know about for either one?
Elizabeth Razzi: I’ve always been intrigued by the Maryland vs. Virginia choice. Good for you for considering both. For some people, it’s a matter of politics. Maryland tends to be more liberal; Virginia tends to be more conservative. (Though Arlington and Alexandria can hardly be considered conservative-dominated.)The taxes are different. And the commute is different. Va. tends to be handier to federal office buildings; Maryland is handier for uptown offices. Why not just spend a few weekends in both and see which feels more comfortable? I’d love to hear from other chatters about how they made the Md/Va/DC decision.
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