When I first moved to Washington, I got some advice from a colleague (single, like me) who told me tht I should never, ever go out with any man who lived on a boat at the Soutwest Marina.  "They're all weird!"  she exclaimed. Years later, I ignored that advice for a few weeks, and discovered this whole community of people who lived on boats.  And, yes, they were a bid odd, but it was an interesting experience. One thing I've learned to love about this little corner of the city is the fish market.  It's set up as dozens of barges full of fresh seafood.  Some of them even cook it for you.  So whether it's crabs, lobsters, halibut or whatever, this is a fun place to come to get it! The fish market is on Maine Avenue, under the overpass where I-95 funnels traffic into Washington. .         ... 08/23/2008

Back in the late 1800's, the federal government was looking for a guy to design an urban oasis in the nation's capital.  So they tapped Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed New York's Central Park.  Rock Creek flows into the Potomac in Georgetown, and the park follows Rock Creek Valley up into suburban Gaithersburg.  The creek gets its name from, well, rocks!  There are lots of them along the creek bed.  Some of them were used to construct a narrow bridge that I cross several times a week driving from my house to points north.  This photo is courtesy of the National Park Service. Where I live, I have to use Rock Creek Parkway every day to drive to work and to listings across town.  I took this photo from the Buffalo Bridge in Georgetown.  It's an incredibly beautiful drive during ev... 08/23/2008

Don't know what you are going to do this weekend? Don't have a clue on what you are going to do? Here are some events to attend in Washington DC this weekend. FRIDAY MUSIC       En Vogue -R&B stars of the 90"s best known for hits "Hold on","My loving"(You're never going to get it)" and 'Free your mind" will be performing at the Birchmere Music Hall 3701 Mt.Vernon Ave Alexandria,VA 703-549-7500.      Young Jeezy -Def Jam Recording Platinum rapper out of Atlanta performs at H20. 800 Water St SW Washington DC 202-484-6300.      Once Okay Twice with Ra Ra Rasputin and the Frustrations will be at the Rock and Roll Hotel. 353 H St NE Washington DC 202-388-7625. SATURDAY       Still Black,Still Proud- The African Tribute to James Brown with music directors Pee Wee Ellis and Fred Wesley featuri... 08/21/2008

Anacostia Washington DC (Zip code 20020)is a neighborhood in Southeast Washington DC. Last month,10 homes sold in this neighborhood Washington DC Market Report Statistics Zip code 20020 in July 2008. There are currently 70 houses for sale in Anacostia Washington DC. Out of the 70 houses on sale. 53 of them are townhouses,single family homes and a ground rent. 17 of them are condominums. Five of the houses for sale in Anacostia Washington DC are one bedroom houses. The lowest priced one bedroom house is $85,900. The highest priced one bedroom house is $199,500. Twenty of the houses for sale in Anacostia Washington DC are two bedroom houses. The lowest priced two bedroom house is $69,922. The highest priced one bedroom house is $310,000. Twenty four of the houses for sale in Anacostia Was... 08/20/2008

Neighborhood Profile: Columbia Heights The Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC is the city’s model for urban revitalization. With more than half a billion dollars of development since Metro’s arrival in 1999, the city is attempting to maintain diversity and affordability, while attracting new business and residents. If the increased foot traffic since the opening of DC USA, the city’s largest retail complex, is any indication then the investment has paid off. Columbia Heights Real Estate There is a complete menu of real estate options in Columbia Heights, from affordable to luxury; fixer-upper to renovated; and historic to modern---sometimes all within the same block. Real estate values vary widely, with new and renovated properties near the 14th Street retail and Metro stat... 08/20/2008

Once again, Virginia nails the top position in Forbes list of "Best States for Business". Maryland is #12, and DC...well, DC didn't get tabulated, though it would certainly be in the lower quadrants. While I don't have much use for generic politicians, Virginia has had a number of pro-business people, including Mark Warner, who went to Richmond after some real work in the northern Virginia area. Why does a Realtor® care to write about this? There's a strong causality between pro-business, income and home prices. Pure and simple. If I could wave my wand and solve the excess supply problem, we'd all be happier. 08/20/2008

Deanwood Washington DC (Zipcode-20019) is a neighborhood in Northeast Washington DC. Last month,9 homes for sale in Washington DC were sold in the Deanwood neighborhood Deanwood Washington DC Market Report Statistics Zip code 20019-July 2008. There are currently 168 Deanwood houses for sale. Out of the 166 houses for sale in Washington DC (Deanwood) 19 of them are condominiums. 2 of them are co-ops. 147 are homes. 10 of the Deanwood Washington DC Houses for sale are one bedroom houses. The lowest priced one bedroom Deanwood Washington DC house for sale is $45,000. The highest priced one bedroom Deanwood Washington DC House for sale is $164,900. 54 of the Deanwood Washington DC Houses for sale are two bedrooms houses priced from $45,000-$280,000. The lowest priced two bedroom Deanwood Wa... 08/19/2008

In 1935, when Harry Truman rented a 2-bedroom apartment at the Kennedy-Warren, his rent was an outrageous $150 per month.  Today, there is one available for a montly rent of $7,500.  This Art Deco landmark is located at 3133 Connecticut Avenue NW, sitting on about four city blocks between Klingle Valley and the National Zoo.  Architect Joseph Younger designed the building for Edgar Kennedy and Monroe Warren, and soon after it opened in 1931, the Depression caught up with them.  At that time – and since then – the Kennedy Warren has been a bank owned property.  And B.F. Saul, the local lender that took it over when Kennedy and Warren bellied up, completed the building according to Younger’s original plan (the plans turned up after being lost for decades).  They started the project in 200... 08/18/2008

We've known for a long time that Baltimore's Mount Vernon neighborhood is super convenient for DC commuters, but today we decided to put it to the test! My partner, Catrin Davies, agreed to start in "ms. davies takes the train," a video short showing the ease of the Marc Train commute.  Just one of the many things that makes Baltimore City, and Mount Vernon a terrific place to live!   08/18/2008

If you or one of your clients is looking for a great house in Georgetown, there's a pretty Victorian bayfrong for sale at 1331 30th Street NW.  The agent, Lupe Rohrer, will be holding it open Sunday, August 17th between 1 and 4 in the afternoon.  Like many agents who blog on Active Rain, I sometimes write posts about agents behaving badly.  I try not to rant.  I try to make them funny. Well, this post is the exact opposite of a rant.  Lupe recently brought in an offer on one of my listings.  It was not a slam dunk for her.  While I was trying to get her offer to my clients, who were out of the country with dubious communications possibilities, another offer came in.  She was a total pro, and her quick action and good advice got her buyers the house. Now, I'd like to return the favor and... 08/16/2008

Whether you are visiting Washington, DC or you live here, the National Zoo is one of the city's favorite attractions for children of all ages. The zoo opened in 1889, and a year later it became part of the Smithsonian.  The oldest building now standing is the old monkey house (recently renovated and reopened as The Think Tank).  Today, the zoo is home to about 2000 animals, not counting a large population of mice who hang out in the gorilla cages. The best time of day to visit the zoo is in the morning.  The animals are pretty lively then, and for most of them, it's mealtime.  In the morning, you'll find the cheetahs racing around their area after a white rag on a pulley - they think it's a rabbit.  When they're exhausted from their run, the caretakers throw meat at them - sort of like ... 08/16/2008

                                              Despite total home sold dollar volume down 29.82% from a year ago,people are still buying homes in Washington DC. 506 houses for sale in Washington DC were sold compared to 550 last month. Out of the total 506 of the houses for sale in Washington DC that sold in July 2008,221 of them were on the market from 1-30 days. That shows that if you price your home right based on recent solds and market activity,you have a very good chance of finding a buyer who is going to buy your house. There are also 3363 houses for sale in Washington DC. This amount of inventory creates a lot of buying opportunity for buyers who are talking about buying a house or have already started the home buying process.   Washington D.C. From: 07/01/2008 to 07/31/2008     ... 08/15/2008

I think most of us have seen pine cones. These pretrified cones found at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History are amazing. I can not imagine how big the trees would have been to have cones like these. The Museum can be found downtown at the National Mall. There is something for everyone to see at the National Mall from space to plants. Plan a few days to see all of the sites.       08/15/2008

If you are planning a trip to Washington D C make sure you stop in the US Botanic Garden at the Nation Mall. The flowers and plants are incredible. Saturday August 16th is One Planet Ours Family Day from 10:00 am -4:30 pm. There will be cooking demonstrations, tours, and activities.  The US Botanic Gardens got it's start in 1816. It contains a collection of plants from all over the globe.  Here are a few pictures of orchids that you can see in the Conservatory.                       08/15/2008

So just how open are any of you to networking and marketing yourselves/brands to RE professionals ASIDE from other agents/Realtors?? You mean you don't have a separate set of business cards to hand out to a title agent, or occasionally take lunch to a small mortgage office? What are you in this business for?!!? It takes a village to put a family in a home! (LOL) Often, I hear and read from agents and Realtors how important it is to network and get your name out there, etc...Well who better to network with than others who are instrumental in the home buying/selling process as well as yourselves? The same process we come up with to get tactics to sell homes and get listings are some of the same things we can gather to attract others in the RE community, getting on a first name basis with ... 08/14/2008

As you cross the Taft Bridge heading north on Connecticut Avenue, you’ll see a mural of Marilyn Monroe.  This is your welcome to Woodley Park, one of Washington, DC’s most popular neighborhoods. Builder and real estate developer, Harry Wardman (1872-1938), left a large footprint in the neighborhood with his Wardman Towers.  He also designed many of the brick townhouses that are famous for beautiful oak floors with mahogany inlays and for their dysfunctional galley kitchens.While most of the houses have had their kitchens redone over the decades, you can live in Woodley Park and never cook or wash a dish.  Between the Metro stop and your home, you’ll find restaurants serving up cuisines from around the globe, and most offer takeout or home delivery.For runners and cyclists, there is an e... 08/09/2008

Now as agents, I know a lot of you are not in the business of staging yourselves. Some of you are probably on sales teams that may have a couple of people who do staging. But have any of you considered going that little extra mile for some of your sellers and staging their patio? It's not as extensive as staging an entire home, in which an expert would be an order. If it's not something you haven't considered before, maybe this free e-book will give you some ideas for your next open house. The idea is that even if the showing/open house doesn't result in a sale that soon, the sellers will be so impressed with your willingness to give them something extra, they will have no problem recommending you to someone...good luck!   To get the free e-book just google: Staging fabulous patios Davi... 08/07/2008

OK, all you stagers out there!  Today, I learned beyond a doubt how important your role is in getting a home ready for the market. I started off my first day back at work on a high.  And not from having just gotten off an airplane.  I was going to show a fabulous house to some favorite clients, and I really thought it would make their hearts skip beats. Last year, I showed this Wardman bayfront townhouse in Woodley Park to some friends who were coming back to town.  The place had been beautifully restored by owners who obviously had great respect for Harry Wardman's original work.  Last year's buyers loved it, but their timing was a little off.  This had been our first outing, and their home in California wasn't even on the market yet.  By the time they were ready to buy, someone else h... 08/06/2008

  Ever since I began say...back to taking my classes last summer, I became the queen of getting free stuff! Most of it, in the form of e-books! I will be more than happy to share these with you, of course upon the understanding that I will only be passing along things that are authorized to be shared, reproduced and passed along as per the original authors and distributors. I am a "googling" champion, anything I want, I find several ways to phrase it and wind up with a wealth of information, some of what I am looking for, and some good stuff I tripped upon! Magic phrases like: "free stuff for realtors" or "free stuff for real estate agents" usually bring a lot of great stuff. You pretty much learn your way around by being creative with various words and phrases.  The FREE e-book realm f... 08/06/2008

One of my biggest challenges is the inevitable website. I have tons of ideas and have seen LOTS of various offers from companies who give free hosting, a free template, etc. Make no mistake, it's always tempting to take advantage of something free, so naturally my curiosity gets the best of me and I give it a look. W/O naming names, the offer for the free hosting turned out to be true...HOWEVER, it was a wash when it came to the "extras" they offered...at a cost. Then there are the few free templates that are given, but, they are limiting in that you can only upload but so much non-text content to the pages and you don't get many pages as per the proposed content you will want to have on. Does anyone use anything other than their company supplied websites? What benefits do you have with... 08/06/2008