I shared a beer with with longtime local real estate developer Frank Nichols yesterday evening. Frank was instrumental in creating two extraordinary local developments, Shasta Forest Village, and the active adult community, The Vineyard in Redding.
With Shasta Forest Village in Shingletown, Frank explained he had been building rural on properties scattered across the county for mostly urban buyers unfamiliar with the requirements for water wells and other utilities. He reasoned that if he could cluster some rural lots with paved roads, underground utilities, and a community water system, he could fulfill an unmet demand. From that vision, the innovative Shasta Forest Village was born in the early 1970s, and remains a popular development even today.
Then, Frank envisioned an active adult community that offered residents gated security, a social clubhouse, and a beautiful setting with good access to city amenities. Frank undertook the devilishly complex 208 home project that became The Vineyard. That housing development has gone on to exceed all expectations for quality of life. Homes there are in high demand, similar to homes available from a real estate firm similar to Saussy Burbank among others. Residents truly love living there. If you are looking for a house development company, or if you are looking at moving house you maybe want to learn about New Homes in Charlotte NC or a real estate company more local to you.
These days Frank is quite busy refurbishing and reselling existing homes in need of repair. Some of his properties have found themselves on the listings on the Inboundrem Real Estate Website comparison site due to their quality. But he would rather be building a more ambitious project. We both ruefully agreed that the current economic environment would make a new large, visionary project problematic in our region. But I asked what he might build, if things were different. He described a 4 story condo project for active adults. “As long as it had a view of the river, it would be fabulously successful.” I have to agree. If all this talk of real estate has got you feeling tempted to make an investment of your own, you might want to take time to first learn about the complexities of the industry. There are some excellent educational courses out there such as Roofstock for example so do not be afraid to do some research to find out what works for you.
Thanks for the beer, Frank. And thanks for being a visionary with the proven chops to make stuff happen. To take it from vision to reality. That’s Really Redding.
Norway in our thoughts and prayers
Mesmerizing rush hour time lapse short video
This looks so alien to my Redding eyes. Like so many daredevils. Here’s a brief video I felt compelled to watch multiple times.
Turns out this YouTuber has posted similar videos made in snow and rain too, though presumably not in 100 degree sun. Still, I just watched it again. And I keep looking for fat people, or anyone on a motorized wheelchair. Where are all the people on motorized wheelchairs in this Dutch town? It’s so unfamiliar looking.
Bicyclists in Redding had best wear helmets. Armor is appropriate, actually. Recent local stories like this, and this one from one of my favorite columnists in our local newspaper give one pause. Justifiably. There’s a reason why most of the bicycles you see in Redding are attached to the back of cars and trucks going somewhere else.
Isn’t Shell Oil a Dutch company? What’s up with that? Today it was announced that we are tapping into our Strategic Oil Reserve to temporarily bring gas prices down a few pennies. Wouldn’t want anyone to start seriously looking for alternate forms of transportation, now would we?
A bittersweet final countdown
This final Shuttle mission is set to launch July 8. Mission countdown rehearsal and related training is underway. You can follow along at your NASA website. The end of an era approaches.
Oil wars get ramped up, while our spacefleet gets retired. That’s Really Redding.
Feeding trolls as a business model
Are we going this direction?
40,000 “patients” of the 17 local marijuana collectives, we are told. Economic activity that remains mostly untaxed, while we as a community close fire stations and lay off cops. Economic activity fueled by artificial demand, since the war on drugs only serves to increase their black market value.
This isn’t local, but I think it should be more widely seen.
“Five men were in a base of pirate taxis which was apparently about drug sales were shot by gunmen in two vehicles going in the La Estanzuela, south of Monterrey.” A kindergarten teacher calms and protects her students, while the gunmen outside shoot 5 people within earshot. Is this our future too? Drug money changes everything…
English translation: “Yes my love, everyone on the floor. Mandy, no, nothings happening just put your little heads down. Precious put your little heads on the floor, nothing is happening, just don’t put your heads up please!..Lets sing a song? Class says yes, Lets sing…I know which!
“/The rain drops are made of chocolate, I would love to be there, who wants chocolate!? Opening our mouths to taste the flavor/Put your heads down yes? Now put your heads on the floor and lets open our mouths /(Aahh sound)/ Are you guys opening your mouths? You have your little mouths open facing up? So the rain drops can fall into your mouths! Miguel you havent opened up your mouth?”
What to do when the gas runs out?
Check out these actual local fuel prices:
Fuel has been going up steadily. Today we hear of riots in Saudi Arabia to add to the Middle East storm brewing. Stocks are in the tank, even if gas isn’t. What if…?
Hey, check out the latest in rail transportation from Japan. The high speed Hayabusa.
You don’t build a life raft after a flood. You plan ahead. This train was terribly expensive, but will serve Japan for generations to come. They planned ahead.
There was a huge earthquake in Japan yesterday. Thousands, perhaps millions of lives were saved by the most strict building code regulations on the planet. They didn’t wait for the 5th strongest earthquake in history. They planned ahead.
Meanwhile back home, we aren’t planning for the coming energy shock. Rail improvements here make no sense. Unless, you know, we as a culture were planning ahead for an unavoidable and abrupt end to our oil addiction, or something. Gosh, we’ll always have airlines, won’t we?
High Speed Rail will never be cheaper
We could use the jobs. The infrastructure construction will boost the economy and leave behind a transportation system that will serve long after the oil runs out.
And one way or another, the oil will run out.
Facebook is the new AOL
That’s the conclusion of this article about Facebook by John Dvorak, a columnist I often agree with. Coincidentally, local blogger Marc Beauchamp brings up the point about how businesses are using Facebook, perhaps to the detriment of the economy. Perhaps even more ominous, Henry Blodget does a good job of pointing out how the US Treasury is blowing up a Facebook valuation bubble via Goldman Sachs, using your money of course. We all know how government sponsored bubbles end.
I use Facebook, because it’s required in my line of work to be out there interacting with people, and if people are on Facebook, so be it. (Friend me!) It’s work related. But every time I log in, I confess to being baffled by the attraction. And I am very disturbed at how easily ordinary people give out so much personal information to a privately held corporation who has repeatedly shown their intent to profit by it. Of course, now if the planned profit doesn’t appear, a “too big to fail” firm will want a bailout from the government. We let this happen. Again.
A Collective sigh of relief
No doubt they sparked some celebratory fattys last week at Redding’s many marijuana “collectives.” And at hydroponic shops. And perhaps among beverage distributors, who learned their special interest campaign money was well spent.
Druglords in Mexico laugh it up, too. All of the above groups formed a cynical alliance. The statewide failure of Prop 19 to end prohibition enables the underground and untaxed economy. The black market profiteers and the “herbal medical” community will continue to prosper, at least for a few more years.
Gettin’ all preachy on a Sunday. It’s Really Redding.