East Bethesda:  CVS Minute Clinic Located on the corner of Cheltenham and Wisconsin Avenue one will find CVS.  It's open 24-hours a day, 7-days a week!  So the place is bound to come in handy for you one of these days.  One of my favorite things about CVS is the Minute Clinic.  If you are a dope like me and your kid's doctor is a 20-minute drive through traffic-ridden roads, then the Minute Clinic is a goldmine!  You can show up without an appointment and get tested for strep, get a flu shot, and inexplicably, diagnosed for Lyme's disease... go figure. Minute Clinic hours are pretty convenient:  Mon-Fri 8:30am to 7:30pm; Saturdays 9am to 5:30pm; Sundays 10am to 5:30pm.  But hold on... they take a lunch break from roughly 2 to 3pm Mon - Fri and 1 to 1:30pm on weekends.  They do take insu... 02/16/2010

East Bethesda:  World Market Every neighborhood has an anchor store.  For East Bethesda, it would be World Market... otherwise known as Vart's place, located on the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and Maple.  They've been in business for a long time... at least since I moved into the neighborhood, almost 15-years ago.    Vartuvar Ozbenian and his wife Takuhi (Armenian translation: Queen) are open for business every day of the week. They have a healthy offering of most convenience items, but are known mostly for their wine and beer selection AND their deli.  Vart has a really nice, broad collection of wines, and promises to order your favorite if you can't find it (I've done this myself, so I know it to be true!).  I let my kids go to Vart's long before I'd let them go anywhere else in Bethes... 02/16/2010

Bethesda MD Homes For Sale  Please share this information with your friends that wish to purchase or sell a home in the area. Do you qualify for a tax credit?  The Home Buyer Tax Credit now includes current home owners as well as first time buyers. The deadline for contracts is 4/30/10. This link provides the highlights of the program: http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/glance.php Homes for Sale, Pre-foreclosures, REO:   The following three reports show the properties that are active listings of homes for sale in the area. The properties are sorted by subdivisions. You may sort differently by clicking on the column headers. The first report shows the 240 active listings excluding the lender owned foreclosures (REO) and the short sale listings.   Click the following URL to see the li... 02/16/2010

BETHESDA MARYLAND SINGLE FAMILY HOMES FOR SALE FOR UNDER $1,000,000.  Bethesda Zip Codes are, 20814, 20816, 20817.   See map of Bethesda below for Zip Code locations.  Good news.  Bethesda has a few good homes available for sale that have 3 bedrooms or more and 2 full baths or more listed for under $1,000,000.  The homes below were all constructed in 1970 or later.  Click ListPrice for more information about these single family homes for sale. City   Zip5   ListPrice     BR   FB   HB # Gar Lot Acres   YrBlt Bethesda 20816 $759,000   3 3 0 1 0.221 1982 Bethesda 20814 $835,000   4 2 1 1 0.11 1999 Bethesda 20817 $879,000   5 4 1 2 0.565 1978 Bethesda 20814 $924,900   5 4 1 2 0.117 1996 Bethesda 20817 $999,000   5 3 0 2 0.565 1971                     The town of Bethesda, in Montgomery Coun... 02/15/2010

2009 Year End Review - Bethesda 20816 Units Sold: how many homes sold in the year. The chart on the left compares the years. The chart on the right tracks what % of the total each price range accounts for: Sales Volume: how much was sold for the year. The chart on the left compares the years. The chart on the right tracks what % of the whole each price accounts for: Average Days on Market: how long the property was on the market. The chart on the left compares the years. The chart on the right tracks the average days: Average Price= the average of the homes sold in the price range. The chart on the left compares the years. The chart on the right tracks the averages by price range: Median Price = the median price of the homes sold in the price range (the halfway point between the high an... 02/15/2010

2009 Year End Review - Bethesda 20817 Units Sold: how many homes sold in the year. The chart on the left compares the years. The chart on the right tracks what % of the total each price range accounts for: Sales Volume: how much was sold for the year. The chart on the left compares the years. The chart on the right tracks what % of the whole each price accounts for: Average Days on Market: how long the property was on the market. The chart on the left compares the years. The chart on the right tracks the average days: Average Price= the average of the homes sold in the price range. The chart on the left compares the years. The chart on the right tracks the averages by price range: Median Price = the median price of the homes sold in the price range (the halfway point between the high an... 02/15/2010

 2009 Year End Review - Bethesda 20814  Units Sold: how many homes sold in the year.  The chart on the left compares the years.  The chart on the right tracks what % of the total each price range accounts for: Sales Volume: how much was sold for the year.  The chart on the left compares the years.  The chart on the right tracks what % of the whole each price accounts for: Average Days on Market: how long the property was on the market.  The chart on the left compares the years.  The chart on the right tracks the average days: Average Price= the average of the homes sold in the price range.  The chart on the left compares the years.  The chart on the right tracks the averages by price range: Median Price = the median price of the homes sold in the price range (the halfway point between ... 02/13/2010

Here are some no-cost/low-cost energy efficiency tips for anyone looking to reduce home heating costs while maintaining comfort. Conduct a "draft check." Your heating dollars could be going out your windows, doors and electrical outlets. Check for air leaks throughout your home; check around doors, windows, fixtures, electrical outlets, wiring, plumbing and fireplace dampers. Draft-proofing is the least expensive energy efficiency investment with the biggest payoff. Plug those air leaks. Seal leaks between doors or windows and their frames with weather stripping and between window frames and walls with sealant or caulk. Install door sweeps on the insides of exterior doors. Cold air can seep in under doors. Solution: Door sweeps are cheap and keep the draft out. No sweeps available? Even... 02/13/2010

Bethesda is home to a wide variety of housing styles and single family homes in this price range are available in most neighborhoods. The homes won't be large or new but many of them are typically 3 - 4 bed/2 bath houses. 2009: For zip code 20816 in Bethesda the total sales in this price range accounted for 32% of the market in 2009 (out of 173 sales) and accounted for 22% of the total sales volume (out of $167,122,628). This is a price range that is very competitive and if the condition is good these houses tend to get scooped up quickly. The lure of great schools and such easy access to downtowns is too powerful. You can see by the sales volume charts below that this range and the one right above it make up the bulk of sales in Bethesda.  If you are looking in these categories, the i... 02/13/2010

There are 88 homes on the market FOR SALE or RENT within 1 mile of the Bethesda Metro Station at the time of this report (2/13/2010). The least expensive RENTAL is a studio apartment listed at $1250/month, and includes all your utilities.  The most expensive RENTAL in the area for this report is a five-bedroom four full bath detached home with three fireplaces and a two car garage listed for $5,500/month.   The least expensive unit FOR SALE in the area is one bedroom high-rise apartment listed for $157,000. While there is a seven bedroom home on the market, the most expensive home FOR SALE is a five-bedroom five full bath two half baths detached home with four fireplaces and a four car garage listed for $3,999,000. If you or anyone you know would be interested in one of these homes, or ... 02/13/2010

Bethesda is home to a wide variety of housing styles, from modest 2 bedroom homes to multi-million dollar renovations or tear downs. Close in downtown living, with Metro access and lively shopping or urban, tree lined streets with neighborhood schools and older homes.   But single family homes under $500,000 are difficult to find!  As you can see by the chart below they  only make up 1-2% (out of 173 units sold and $167,122,628 total sales volume in 2009) of the total units sold and of the total sales volume for the year.  There are a few, and they tend to be clustered in either the neighborhoods close to Western Avenue or off Old Georgetown Road closer to the Beltway.  If you don't mind a smaller home, you can still have the great schools and other fine amenities that Bethesda brings. ... 02/13/2010

       4510 Wetherill RoadBethesda, MD 20816Just listed by WFP for $995,000    Isn't this Cape Cod in Westmoreland Hills, just off Massachusetts Avenue an absolutely charming home? Located on a corner lot with 10,879 square feet, it has been completely renovated/remodeled.  The living room with its woodburning fireplace is just made for cozy nights, and the separate dining room with its built in china cabinet makes you dream of family holiday dinners.  The gleaming white tablespace kitchen has french doors leading to the garden which is waiting for your green thumb and warm summer breezes.  Need a place to hide from your family? There is a sunroom, family room or 3rd bedroom,  and an office.  Don't miss the first floor powder room and the breezeway to 2 car Garage.  The upper level has ... 02/12/2010

Every real estate agent has dealt with a difficult client.  There is really no way around it.  Anyone in business has challenging clients - even Best Agent Business! How you handle tough clients is a great indicator of your overall abilities as an agent.  Good agents, just like good service providers, know how to handle all types of clients.  They understand that in the end, it is all about customer satisfaction.  No matter how difficult the client is, you have to make sure they are happy while also doing your job to the best of your ability.  Here are some common types of difficult clients and how you should handle them: The "I know everything" Client -   This client seems to know everything about everything.  You can't tell them anything because they already know it.  They want thing... 02/11/2010

There are 57 homes on the market FOR SALE or RENT within 1 mile of the Medical Center METRO station in Bethesda Md. at the time of this report (02/11/2010), up from 49 at the time of last report on Jan 13, 2010. The least expensive of the 16 RENTALS is a one-bedroom high-rise apartment listed at $1600/month.  The most expensive at this time is a five-bedroom four and a half bath detached home with a garage listed for $5,500.   The least expensive of the 41 on the market FOR SALE is a one-bedroom one full bath coop listed for $157,000. The most expensive home FOR SALE is a six-bedroom six full baths one half bath detached home, with a two car garage, and one fireplace, on a .28 acre property listed for $1,990,000. If you or anyone you know would be interested in one of these homes, or lo... 02/11/2010

Bethesda Md. Grosvenor-Strathmore METRO station - Market Report - Feb 2010 There are 93 residences on the market FOR SALE or RENT within 1 mile of the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro Station at the time of this report (02/11/2009).  Thirty two of these places are FOR RENT. The least expensive is a studio high-rise apartment with utilities included all within 1 mile of the METRO station listed at $1099/month.  The most expensive RENTAL is a five-bedroom four full bath home one half bath detached home with a two car garage and four fireplaces on a .35 acre lot listed at $4,800/month.    The least expensive FOR SALE is a studio apartment like all others in this report within 1 mile of the METRO station, is listed for $140,000.  The most expensive home FOR SALE is a five-bedroom three full bath ... 02/11/2010

Your offer has been accepted... So, now what? Part X (Good Faith Deposit) As you'll recall, when you placed an offer on your future home, it was accompanied by a "good faith deposit" check.  Essentially, a good faith deposit serves as a monetary promise that you will move forward with your purchase of the property, or risk forfeiting the deposit. In different jurisdictions there are different rules about when and where your check will be deposited.  Suffice it to say that if you work with me, you will make your check out to Evers & Company Real Estate.  I will negotiate on your behalf to have the check deposited after the home inspection contingency has cleared (there might be some other reasons, and we can try to include these).  Typically, home inspections take up to 7 days, and there... 02/11/2010

One of the many joys of Westmoreland Hills in Bethesda Maryland is its great neighborhood park, tucked away in the back of the neighborhood.  Probably only a few people in Bethesda realize that there is a link to the Civil War in this wonderful neighborhood park with its playground, softball field, multi-use field and two tennis courts. Located at Westmoreland Hills Local Park, Battery Bailey was a man-made hill constructed to support cannons aimed at protecting the reservoir of water for the City of Washington. It was located between Fort Sumner and Fort Mansfield, constructed during the Civil War as a part of a circle of forts to protect the city. This Civil War fortification at Battery Bailey was one of a series of forts, batteries and entrenchments constructed at half-mile intervals... 02/10/2010

Council President Nancy Floreen shared the following public service announcement regarding the current snow storm.  It's full of great contact info along with information on shelters and ways to help.  Read on..... Important Information and Phone Numbers to Remember as we prepare for a Second Round of Snow I think everyone realizes that we are trying to overcome one of the largest snow storms in the Washington area history, and we know that the crews of our Department of Transportation and the utilities that serve County residents have been working tirelessly to help our residents.  We also understand the frustration of waiting for your street to be cleared or for electricity to be restored. This morning, Pepco and our Department of Transportation advised us that this second round of si... 02/10/2010

      Just north of the District of Columbia on Massachusetts Avenue is a very special community - Westmoreland Hills.     Composed of nearly 500 homes, this elegant community is placed among rolling hills and tall shade trees in close in Bethesda, MD.  The oldest house in Westmoreland Hills was built in 1923 - a charming clapboard NE style colonial at 4516 Wetherill.  However, most of the homes were built in the late 1940s and 1950s.  Traditional colonials are interspersed with a few split levels which give the neighborhood a little change.      Currently there are six properties on the market in Westmoreland Hills. The most expensive is $2.95 million for this large home right on Westmoreland Circle at 4521 Wetherill Road. This home was built in 1934 with four bedrooms, five and a half... 02/09/2010

Your offer has been accepted... So, now what? Part IX (Homeowners Insurance) Now that you are a homeowner, you need homeowners insurance.  This is true for single family homes as well as condos, co-ops and townhomes (the latter three will likely have partial policies in place already- though you'll need a supplementary policy to cover all the rest).  If you are taking out a loan on your new property the banks will insist upon it.  Who:  Check with family and friends to see if they have a favorite insurance agent.  If not, I can recommend a number of agents. What:  You need to get enough insurance so that your home can be replaced.  Most basic policies will provide coverage for damages caused by fire, smoke, theft, frozen pipes, ice and snow.  Additional items (swimming pools, jewelry an... 02/09/2010