Their real name is Lagerstroemia, but we know them as crepe myrtle trees.  They get their name from the crepe-like texture of the flowers at the end of their branches.   There must be a dozen of them on my block, with colors ranging from white to a deep red.  They seem to love the heat here in DC, and they even seem to thrive on neglect.    Crepe myrtles originally came to this country via Korea and China back in the 1700’s when a Frenchman named Andre Michaux imported some to Charleston, South Carolina.  Today, there are many varieties, and some are perfect for the compact yards and gardens in downtown Washington, many of them get quite large – as some of my neighbors are discovering!    So, Andre!  Thanks for the trees!  Over the few hundred years they’ve added a lot of beauty to thei... 07/03/2010

Washington, DC’s July 4th Celebrations In our nation’s capital, we really know how to do the 4th of July.   Over the weekend, residents and visitors alike will paint the town red, white and blue.  The celebrations will include everything from great food and music to amazing fireworks.  And most of the action centers around the National Mall. The country’s birthday bash starts off with a parade,  complete with floats, marching bands and lots of flags.  It starts at 11:45 and runs along Constitution Avenue from 7th to 17th Streets NW.  Then you can walk over to the Mall to enjoy the food and crafts at the Smithsonian’s annual Folk Life Festival.    At 8:00 pm, the National Symphony presents A Capitol Fourth Concert  on the US Capitol lawn.  The concert is free, and it’s a good idea to sho... 07/02/2010

  Fourth of July Fireworks 2010 in Washington DC The Guide: Washington DC is the place to be and celebrate July 4th! The National Mall, with Washington DC’s monuments and the U. S. Capitol in the background will be filled with people starting early in the morning. This is the nation's capital and it is not just a one hour celebration with a few fireworks. . This is an all-day event that begins with a parade along Constitution Avenue and ending with a spectacular display of fireworks over the Washington Monument. Here's the perfect plan to enjoy the festivities: #1 Arrive early and take the Metro. . .nothing worse to get stuck in traffic after an all day outing. . Caution: The Smithsonian Metro station will be closed on the Fourth. .plan accordingly! #2 Washington, DC’s Independence Day ... 07/01/2010

07/01/2010

    BUYER'S REMORSE PILLS When you're ready to move to France, even Kandahar to get out of your real estate purchase, take three of these with a little Gray Goose.  And keep in mind that the feeling will pass.  If you are planning a little househunting in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area, I can help.  You may call or text me at 202-549-5167 or email me at housepat@mac.com.   06/30/2010

Inman News has just reported that the House of Representatives has passed a stand alone bill that would extend the settlement deadline on the $8000 Federal tax credit for first time homebuyers.  The bill must now go to the Senate because it's not the same bill that the Senate already passed, and Senator Byrd's death will probably delay passage.  Still, I would be amazed if the Senate didn't pass it soon and send it off to the White House for the President's signature. There were a lot of buyers, especially buyers mired in the short sale approval process, who were under contract in time but are still waiting for their "cleared for closing".  And luckily for homebuyers, Congress will probably take less time to get this through that a Bank of America short sale negotiator will take to appr... 06/29/2010

Every how-to-buy-a-house book I’ve seen, including The Irreverent Guide to Real Estate, suggests that, somewhere at the beginning of the process, you find an agent to represent you.  And part of that search involves interviewing several agents. Once you start looking for a buyer broker, agents will show up in your space, happy to be “the one”.  And friends and family members might have a few suggestions they’ll throw your way.   When I get a call from a would be buyer,  I suggest a face-to-face meeting.  This gives us a chance to interview each other and see if we both think it’s a good fit.  This is something you might request of agents you meet or who are referred to you. What I look for in a client is someone who is ready, willing and able to buy and who passes the Fun Test.  You hav... 06/28/2010

In this weather, I think Willie the Hyperactive Labradoodle certainly has the right idea! If you are thinking of buying a home in the Washington metropolitan area, I can help.  I'm licensed in DC, Maryland and Virginia, and after more than 25 years in this business, I know the territory.  Contact me by phone, email or text message. 06/27/2010

The US Capitol Dome Designed by Thomas U. Walter, the fourth architect of the Capitol, this cast iron US Capitol Dome cost $1,047,291 to build.  That's about the price of a small house in Georgetown with no parking.  It's 288 feet tall and weighs in at over 8 million pounds!  And that includes the Statue of Freedom at the top.  I took this while sitting in traffic on 3rd Street NW.  It was a very long light. 06/25/2010

A Little Extra In My Tool Kit:  St Anthony and Real EstateLast Sunday, I packed my bag for my Open House at my new listing.  And I checked off the list of stuff I needed to bring with me: Printed fact sheets – check Laptop – check I-Phone – check Sentrilock card - check Sign-in sheets – check Other inventory information - check Cookies and organic lemonade - check Open House arrows – check St. Anthony Statue – check Whoa!  St. Anthony?  Isn’t St. Joseph the guy whose statue you’re supposed to bury upside down in the front yard to get your listings sold?Well, St. Joseph is really, really busy these days, with so many of the short sales and all.  So I’m personally giving him a break.St. Anthony is the patron saint of things that are temporarily misplaced.  This includes car keys, earnest ... 06/25/2010

Forbes has an interesting interactive mapping tool that lets you see how many people are moving in or out of any county or area of the country.  I stumbled upon this or rather was directed here by Lani Rosales of Agent Genius magazine. The site provides a map of the United States and then allows you to click on any county.  It will then display a series of black and red lines of various thicknesses.  Black means net inward migration to an area and red means net outward migration from an area. If you hover on any of the highlighted counties, you can see exactly how many people migrated from or to there in connection with the destination county.  It's a pretty neat tool for determining where people are going and what areas of the country seem to be desirable (or at least have the jobs!) H... 06/21/2010

© 2009 Patricia Kennedy. Unless otherwise noted, the content, both written and in pictures, is the property of Patricia Kennedy . If you would like to use this image, please  email me (housepat@mac.com) with your request. I'll almost certainly say yes, and ask only that you provide a link back to my original content as well as an acknowledgment.  The same thing applies to any other material you see posted here on Active Rain or on any of my other blogs. 06/20/2010

Please give me a call at 202-378-0283 if you are in the market to buy your first Adams Morgan rowhouse for sale? And please click on this link if you are looking to get pre-approved for a home loan in DC get pre-approved for a home loan in DC.   06/20/2010

Lazy Agent?  Overextended Agent?  On Vacation Agent?  Or Limited Service Agent?  As I was sitting in front of my computer waiting for inspiration for a blog topic, the phone rang and gave me one.Me:  Hi!  This is Pat.Caller:  My name is Joe Buyer and I just saw your new listing on the Internet.  When can I see it?Me:  Well, are you working with an agent?Caller:  Yes, I am, but he can’t show it to me.Me:  Not to worry.  I’m having an Open House on Sunday afternoon and you are welcome to come by then.Caller:  I can’t make it on Sunday.Me:  You really need to make the arrangements through your agent or whoever is covering for him if he’s out of town.Caller:  What if I can’t?Me:  Then you need to find another buyer broker.  I mean, um, getting clients into new listings is a pretty basic par... 06/20/2010

Development of Colubmia Heights began shortly after the end of the Civil War, and some of the residential and commercial buildings reflect the architecture of that period.  A major revitalization came to Columbia Heights in 1999, the year of the opening of the Columbia Heights Metro station.  Shops, restaurants, and other busnesses are scattered between 16th Street and Georgia Avenue.  Detached, row-style, condominiums, and apartment buildings make up the area residences. Unique buildings here include the Ecuadoran Embassy and the Mexican Cultural Institute. Columbia Heights is roughly bounded on the north by Quincy Street, the east by Park Place, the south by Irvington Street, and the west by 16th Street. 06/19/2010

House For Sale in DC's Palisades:  Calling All Bungalow Lovers! Every once in a while, I walk into a house that just flirts - shamelessly!  And last Tuesday morning when my office previewed Nancy Hammond's new listing at 5400 Galena Place NW, my heart did a flip flop! This home has been renovated and expanded with total respect for its original craftsman style.  The beamed ceilings in the living and rooms look like they were part of the original 1928 plan.  Same with the mahogany inlays in some of the floors. The addition includes  a wonderful kitchen that is state-of-the-art and so well laid out that it could turn me into a cook!  It could be a perfect setting if you wanted your own show on the Food Channel!  There is informal dining space and a large family room. When you walk upstai... 06/19/2010

I took this during a quick downpour in DC's Chinatown.  Chinatown is a part of the city that has completely reinvented itself over the past ten or so years.  When I first moved to Washington back in the 1970's, it was full of wonderful funky restuarants, funny inport stores where you could buy a real wok, and falling down buildings. Today, the falling down buildings are luxury condominiums, many with innovative materials and styling.  The Chinese restaurants are a lot less funky and there are lots of new cuisines joining them.  And the funny import stores?  There are still a few around, and I was able to find a real wok recently - not one of those flat bottomed Teflon numbers. Here is a sampling of some of the downtown DC condos currently for sale.  If you would like help buying one, p... 06/18/2010

For the past couple of days, one of my favorite colleagues has been helping his sellers choose among three good offers on their house.   And like many multiple offer situations, each buyers had strong and not so strong elements to the contracts they had written. In this case, an otherwise strong offer was weakened by, not just the financing, but also the choice of lender.  With an escalator clause, this offer had the best price - quite a bit higher than the asking price.  But it also had FHA financing with a gigantic nation-wide lender who has been giving agents all over town fits when it comes to appraisals.  It was not until these buyers agreed to go with a local community bank that the sellers were willing to seriously consider their offer. If you are trying to buy a house with FHA f... 06/18/2010

06/17/2010

Blog Buddie Ed Schneider and I have just listed a house in American University Park that started out as interesting and has morphed into a huge flirt.  Last week, we had our office come through to help us price it and to act as more sets of eyes to suggest cost-effective fix-ups. One thing that everyone voted to change was the front door.  It had a heavy security door that is hardly necessary in AU Park to begin with.  And it didn't look like decorative grill work.  It screamed "Burglar bars!"  Behind it was a black door that just looked sort of, well, boring. So we had our fix up guy remove the security door, sand the trim, and paint the front door red.  Red front doors are supposed bring good fortune.  We're hoping it will bring a buyer! 06/16/2010