A big win for homeowners

Virginia senators, delegates hold favorable views toward housing.

Virginia homeowners will be well-served by the representatives who were elected to the state Senate and House of Delegates in early November.

That's according to the Virginia Association of REALTORS®, which endorsed and supported a record number of successful candidates.

The association, representing the interests of both REALTORS® and homeowners, researches housing issues, reviews candidates' positions and track records, contributes to political campaigns and helps candidates communicate their views to voters, all with the aim of garnering support for housing.

Most housing matters are federal, not state issues. But the state government can—and does—affect property rights, property taxes, recordation fees and more.

One important example of a state-level issue is zoning, a system of rules that dictates what types of structures can be built where. While some people believe zoning is an infringement of property rights, REALTORS® understand that zoning serves a valid purpose and, in fact, protects property owners' land rights. Homeowners who live in residential subdivisions have zoning laws to thank for their distance away from office towers, big-box retailers, farms, gas stations, strip clubs and other neighbors that aren't desirable in an urban setting.

The bottom line is that homeowners can sleep easy with the knowledge that a solid majority of Virginia's lawmakers understands and has a friendly attitude toward their priorities at least insofar as housing issues are concerned.

Click here to learn about other issues affecting homeowners in Virginia.