From Your NW Washington, DC Agent -- Catarina's Blog

This Amazing Woman Who Is Our Broker

Catarina Bannier (Evers & Co. Real Estate) — Mon, 07 May 2012 07:03:51 -0700

One thing almost everybody in our firm--at least those that have been affiliated with other brokerages before--is very much aware of is how incredibly fortunate we all are. We have a broker who is smart, inspiring, supporting, no-nonsense and a fiercely protective and caring mama lion all at the same time: the absolutely amazing Donna Evers.

I've never heard her whine (although she likes to wine!), and I've never heard her say a bad word about anything or anybody else--even though, surely, she gets to listen to such things a lot.

Perhaps all these are things are reasons the local radio and TV crews love her so much. Donna has a tendency to come to the point in two sentences. She combines hope and analysis effortlessly.

If you want to get an idea what i'm talking about, just check out what Chevy Chase Patch wrote about her latest business plans. It's not a profile, but it's a different way to look at the state of the market. Way to go, Donna!

www.BannierHomes.com

www.DCHouseCat.com

Can A Professional Appraisal Help You Price A Listing? Sometimes.

Catarina Bannier (Evers & Co. Real Estate) — Thu, 03 May 2012 20:59:10 -0700

Pricing is harder than ever in a market that has become less predictable for many of us. Less predictable for home sellers as well--no wonder that so many of them are looking for advice from "zestimates," tax assessments, or -- professional appraisers...

Read my latest contribution for the Washington Post real estate blog here.

www.BannierHomes.com

www.DCHouseCat.com

Washington DC Metro-Area Market Update

Catarina Bannier (Evers & Co. Real Estate) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:30:24 -0700

DC area real estate is still going strong (or even stronger, depending on exactly where you are), as in reflected in our wrap-up of the March 2012 trends:

The Evers & Co. March 2012 Real Estate Report

In the close-in Metro area, the spring real estate market started in March. While there was almost no change in either the dollar volume of sales or the average price from March of last year, there was a dramatic change in both numbers in just one month, between February and March of this year. The area averaged an impressive 43.6% increase in dollar volume of sales and a 8.6% change in average price, with Montgomery County leading the way with a 61% rise in dollar volume of sales and an 11.5% increase in average price.

The Metro area marketplace has been steadily advancing in recovery from the bottom of the market in late 2008 and early 2009, and since there has been little or no construction and sellers have been reluctant to enter the market, there is a shortage in properties that show well and are well-priced, contributing to the growing frequency of multiple bids on both condos and houses, especially in the $300,000-$1,000,000 range. This shortage will probably continue through the spring and summer which, in turn, could drive prices higher at a faster rate.

* Statistics are taken from the Metropolitan Information System for three areas: Washington, D.C., Montgomery County, Maryland; and Fairfax County, Arlington, Alexandria and Falls Church in Virginia

(Also: Chevy Chase market statistics 2011 versus 2010: fewer houses for more money.)

www.BannierHomes.com

www.DCHouseCat.com

10 Great Things To Do When you Move Into Your New Home- FREE CUSTOMIZEABLE FLIER

Catarina Bannier (Evers & Co. Real Estate) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:45:19 -0700

Changing filters and batteries? Not the first thing new buyers will think of when they move into their new home. Nor are most of the other ones on home inspector Chrissy Doremus' list. You should, though!

Via Chrissy Doremus ~ U.S. Inspect ~ Home Inspections (U.S. Inspect):

I had a great reaction to my recent post of the same title, so I thought it was a great candidate to be featured in my print library. As always, being in the library means that I've added the capability to add your logo and use in your marketing!

The 10 Great Things To Do When you Move Into Your New Home blog is also pasted below.

Flier Description: Congratulations! You’ve purchased a new home and are all moved in! There’s been a lot to take care of, like emptying boxes, loading up cabinets and drawers, and maybe even painting and decorating, but here are 10 around-the-house tasks you may not have thought of that are essential to starting things off on the right foot when it comes to caring for your new home.

---ORIGINAL BLOG ---

Congratulations! You’ve purchased a new home and are all moved in! There’s been a lot to take care of, like emptying boxes, loading up cabinets and drawers, and maybe even painting and decorating, but here are 10 around-the-house tasks you may not have thought of that are essential to starting things off on the right foot when it comes to caring for your new home.

The secret to a well maintained home is to start your maintenance early, ahem, that means now. Now, don't get nervous, it's not all work, work, work. Doing your home maintenance bit by bit is a great way to accomplish it all, but over time so that there's plenty of room for relaxing too. Also, preventative maintenance now, will reduce the liklihood of unwlecome (many times costly) surprises down the road.

Here are ten great things to do when you first move in!

Change the locks, reprogram garage door opener codes, and check that all window locks operate properly. If there's a security system, learn how it operates and sign up for any maintenance or monitoring plans that that yours requires.

Locate emergency shut offs. Know how to shut off the power, water, and gas in your home. Also, know the location of your main and any sub electrical panel boxes.

Create a "fix it" kit. If you don't have one already, buy a toolbox and stock it with all your frequently used home repair tools and supplies. Click here for ideas about what you should include in your kit. Not only is it a good idea to have tools gathered together for home repairs, but it's also important to have first aid supplies on hand too. We think it's a great idea to combine the two and have a small first aid kit within your toolbox--that way, if injuries do occur, you won't have far to go in order to properly tend to them.

Service smoke alarms and CO monitors. Smoke alarms and CO monitors need fresh batteries twice annually and full replacement regularly in order to function properly. (Replace smoke alarms, minimum every 8-10 years, and CO monitors minimum every 5 years) Since you may not know the exact age of the devices and batteries in your new home, it's a great idea to start fresh. Learn more about how often batteries and devices should be change (as well as some additional fire prevention tips) here.

Perform necessary seasonal maintenance. Winter, spring, summer, or fall, there are tasks around the home that, when completed, help the whole season run more smoothly. Get your checklists here, and be off to a great start no matter what time of year you move.

Change filters in your HVAC system. This will not only help clear out all the dust that’s been kicked up during the move, but a clean filter also helps your system function more efficiently and extends its lifespan.

Check pilot lights. Check pilot lights on stove, water heater, gas fireplace, and furnace.

Be sure that hazardous items are stowed away safely (that includes cans of paint). Flammable substances should be kept away from pilot lights, stoves, or water heaters (don’t forget gas dryers). Also, be sure that you are aware of and have identified any substances left behind by the previous owner.

Learn how to operate and properly maintain any items in the home that are new to you like appliances, fireplaces, the septic tank, garbage disposal, hot tub, etc. You may be unaware of vitally important operation or care instructions that are necessary for proper function and safety. If you don’t have manufacturer owner’s manuals, look them up. Virtually any product manual out there can be downloaded right from the Internet.

Address the items mentioned in your home inspection report. You may have already addressed big issues, but did your inspector mention any necessary maintenance or smaller repairs that would be necessary upon moving in? That's now! Remember that proactively caring for your home with maintenance and service is the primary way to prevent unwelcome surprises down the road. Reread your report and don’t hesitate to call your inspector to clarify his recommendations or to answer any questions you may have.

Posted By: Chrissy Doremus, U.S Inspect Blog

www.BannierHomes.com

www.DCHouseCat.com

Kit House Of The Week--A 1925 Sears "Maywood" in Chevy Chase

Catarina Bannier (Evers & Co. Real Estate) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:50:11 -0700

Funny--I discovered this house just a couple of months ago when I was driving by. Because I have a passion for historic mail-order houses, I tend to roll down the window (or even get out of the car) to take a pictures in such situations.

Last weekend, the house hit the market, and it's cooler and more authentic than you could wish for.

(Original post: The "Maywood" On Broad branch -- Cottage In The City)

Today’s Kit House Of The Week, located in Chevy Chase, DC, is a 1925 Sears “Honor Bilt” model with a very distinctive and unusual shape–the “Maywood.” It’s listed by TTR/Sotheby’s for $899,000.

What’s so special about it is that it retains much of the original…everything. There are those beautiful casement windows on the first floor, the siding, fireplace, hardware, the two original porch benches just as they looked in the Sears mail-order catalog. (You can see the Realtor’s virtual tour here.) None of the modifications seem destructive, either. The large porch off the dining and living room was finished and turned into a den — we have seen this in a couple of other area “Maywoods” as well.

The “Maywood” was not the largest or most luxurious model Sears offered, but certainly more elaborate than others and, in its “cottage” style, out of the ordinary. Both the winged floor plan and the hipped roof that continues its lines through the second floor add some neat architectural interest.

By the way, more often than not, neither the agent not the owner are aware that the house they're selling is a kit house. In this case, the agent actually emphasized it in her marketing!

(Image scan courtesy of AntiqueHomeStyle.com)

www.BannierHomes.com

www.DCHouseCat.com

Tenant won't let you in? No problem!

Catarina Bannier (Evers & Co. Real Estate) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 22:46:15 -0700

The case of the Sears kit houses in College Park that couldn't actually be shown (while being offered for sale) does not have to be a lost one after all.The sellers--or their agent--of a listing in DC's Shepherd Park neighborhood show us how to handle the situation:

"BANK FORECLOSURE BEING SOLD AS IS. HOME DOES NEED SOME MINOR TLC BUT OTHERWISE IN GREAT CONDITION," say the agent remarks in the listing. And then comes the kicker: "PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY OCCUPIED BY A TENANT THAT IS REFUSING SHOWING, BUYERS WILL HAVE A CHANCE FOR INSPECTION WITH WALK AWAY ONCE OFFER IS ACCEPTED."

The house is offered for a stately $975,000. And, at least in the pictures, it looks like a place with lots of potential. So, who cares what that needed "TLC" will cost you. Just write down a number for your offer, and you'll find out later!

Who says there couldn't be an easy solution?

(Picture courtesy of Champion Realty and MRIS.)

www.BannierHomes.com

www.DCHouseCat.com

The Elusive Sears House Saga Continues

Catarina Bannier (Evers & Co. Real Estate) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:15:38 -0700

(Original Article: Listings The College Park Way)

Last week, I made a promise I couldn’t keep: an inside look at the 1923 Sears “Vallonia” that had hit the market in College Park, Maryland. As it turned out, we couldn’t get in. And neither could anybody else, according to the listing agent–the tenants are defending their fortress! You can read the whole story here. It’s quite ludicrous, actually.

To make up for it, here is the Vallonia’s interior as depicted in the 1926 Sears catalog: Surely, the furnishings will look differently (after all, the tenants are supposed to be a group of students), but perhaps there’s a lot of the original trim and other detail preserved.

Perhaps we’ll find out one day. As of now, the 7-bedroom house has been “on the market” for almost 4 weeks and the agent yet has to gain access for potential buyers (I’m still waiting to hear back from her). Maybe the hope is that somebody will send a large check without having seen the place from the inside.

In any case, as I was nearby last weekend, I couldn’t resist the temptation and drove by. I didn’t have the heart to knock at the door (somehow I suddenly imagined 7 large, angry college athletes on steroids).

I did make another discovery at the end of the block: a perfectly preserved Sears “Brookwood” with original siding, windows and trim (no idea what the bar and cloth and the roof are). Somebody had added an unfortunate little portico to the gabled front at some point, but other than that, it was quite sweet.

When I noticed the For Sale sign on th
e fence, I looked up the listing but couldn’t find any. I called the agency and asked to see the house. They hoped to have the paperwork ready “tomorrow” and would then enter it in the MLS.

That was more than a week ago though. Do I need to mention that agent hasn’t called me back, either?

Normally, I would now say, if you’d like to see one or both of these homes for sale, just give me a call. But I probably couldn't keep that promise, either.

www.BannierHomes.com

www.DCHouseCat.com

This House Is "On The Market?" Really??

Catarina Bannier (Evers & Co. Real Estate) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 12:12:57 -0700

"Call 1-st Lister," said the showing instructions. So I did. I left a message on the agent's voice mail, that is, requesting a Friday afternoon or Sunday showing.

She called back quickly. "Sorry," she said, "but I don't have a key."

"So we have to make an appointment with the sellers?”

“The sellers are out of state. But they have promised to send me a key.”

“But the house has been on the market for two and a half weeks. And nobody has been able to see it?”

“I haven’t seen it, either. The tenants are kind of, ehm, hostile.”

“But it’s in the MLS?”

“Well, yes.”

“Do you have some interior pictures?” There weren’t any online.

“No. Can I take your information and call you back?”

Later on Friday, she called back. She had been to the house and talked to somebody who lives there. They were “not happy” about the house being sold. They were not willing to give her a phone number or email address, she said, or to accommodate showings.

The house is an 87-year-old bungalow on a 25,000 square foot, park-like lot. Maybe the agent secretly hoped somebody would buy it for the land?

What I didn’t tell her, and what she either didn’t know or didn’t care about was the fact that the house is a 1920s Sears kit home in a historic little neighborhood in walking distance from the University of Maryland’s main campus. (I had written about the house on another blog where I feature historic mail-order homes that are currently for sale in the DC area.) The buyer I wanted to take there is a professor at UMD.

Our MLS rules here say a home must be made available for showings within 48 hours of entering it. And otherwise, what’s the point?In any case, we’re not going to give up…

www.BannierHomes.com

www.DCHouseCat.com

Any Historic Sears House Pictures To Share?

Catarina Bannier (Evers & Co. Real Estate) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 10:42:27 -0800

Oh, once more I feel so flattered! The mighty Rose Thornton, national authority on the history and identification of the mail-order homes of the early 20th century and author of books such as "Finding The Houses That Sears Built,"kind of featured me on her blog yesterday. Well, actually, not me, but some of the catalog houses I identified in my favorite DC neighborhoods.

I have often written about the stories behind the houses I sold or came across, from discovering they had a famous first owner to the long-forgotten murder in the basement. DC certainly has a lot of history of any kind. Last year, however, I started paying more attention to a particular group of homes with history: kit homes.

Most of the close-in DC suburbs and uptown neighborhoods go back to the 1910s and 1920s, with the simultaneous expansion of government and the streetcar network. That's when most of the Sears, Lewis and Standard Co. pre-cut homes were built as well. DC had sales offices from the largest manufacturers, and there are a lot of these houses still out here. Often, the owners have no idea their house was once delivered by rail in thousands of pieces. In many cases, local builders bought nice lots and then put a catalog homes together as a spec house, taking all the credit for themselves!

In any case, one reason my business partner, Marcie, and I are so interested in those homes is that they tend to come on the market every so often, making it easier to "inspect" them for traces of the past and point them out to the fan community. Yesterday, for instance, I introduced the "Uriel" on my local blog, DC House Cat,--a fun little Sears charmer that's currently for sale in nearby Silver Spring, MD.

Occasionally I email the link to such a post to the listing agent. Turns out that more often than not, the agent is just as surprised as the owner. We owe it to Rose and a few other kit house historians that this chapter of American residential history is not forgotten.

Therefore, if you have any kit house pictures to share, send them to Rose Thornton. (And if the houses are in the DC area, send them my way as well!)

The pictures show a 1920s Sears "Fullerton" I found in Shepherd Park, DC as well as the same model depicted in the 1922 Sears catalog. The Shepherd Park house has, at least from the outside, remained completely intact, with the original siding. The only "customization" --Sears allowed for variation orders--is the position of the chimney which was put in the "piano" space rather than the center of the house.

www.BannierHomes.com

www.DCHouseCat.com

10 REASONS NOT TO STAGE YOUR HOME

Catarina Bannier (Evers & Co. Real Estate) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:52:30 -0800

This is my second re-blog within a few days, but I just couldn't help it. Beautifully wrapped up words of wisdom -- I couldn't say it any better.

Via Janet Jones, Kihei, Maui, Hawaii Home Staging/Interior Redesign (Just Your Style Interiors, LLC):

1. We want to test the market for 90 days. And on the 91st day? Price reduction--and 90 days worth of potential buyers who have already eliminated your property.

2. It costs too much money. I have never seen a home where the staging costs would have exceeded the first price reduction. And that doesn't even factor in the monthly carrying cost of the home.

3. We can't stage the house, we're living in it. One common misconception is that staging is only for vacant homes. Every home/condo can be staged, and you can actually live in it after staging.

4. We didn't have to stage any of the other properties we sold over the years. Yes, once upon a time you could generate three offers by 5 p.m. on the same day your Realtor put the For Sale sign in your yard. Not now. Buyers are picky and they have a lot of homes to choose from.

5. Everyone loves our house so buyers will love it, too. What you, your friends and relatives love about your house may not be what today's buyer wants. Sellers are often baffled by the feedback they get after showings--amazed that buyers have found things they don't like about the property.

6. We can clean the carpets and declutter without someone telling us how. Yes, you can (and should) do this, but it is a tiny piece of staging. Do you know what separates "clutter" from "asset"? And what about all the other things that staging encompasses, like traffic flows, highlighting architectural features, updating, and appealing to your target market?

7. We have no desire to remove/change our _______________ (wallpaper/mirrored tile/gold faucets/paneling/dated light fixtures . . .). And neither do buyers. Better to keep your home or be ready to sell at a deep discount.

8. The view alone will sell this place. Then why many months later are these great view homes/condos still on the market? Could it be that buyers want something to go with the view--like a comfortable, move-in ready home?

9. We would rather let the buyers makes their own paint/flooring choices. And that equals a price reduction. If buyers do make an offer on your home they will double or triple the cost of these items and reflect that in their discounted offer price--which includes a deduction for the inconvenience.

10. Our home is professionally decorated. A professionally decorated home is tailored to the owner's particular needs. Does it work for the new buyer's needs? You could see #1 above . . . .

These are all great reasons--

for price reductions

for extended time on the market

for buyers not coming to look at your home

for buyers not coming back for a second look

There are dozens of reasons not to stage, but only one good reason to stage--getting your home sold faster for the highest possible price. Staging is preparing your home for sale and creating a home that buyers want to buy. If you want to be in the best competitive position in this market today, consult with a professional home stager before listing your property for sale.

www.BannierHomes.com

www.DCHouseCat.com

The Funniest House-Staging-On-A-Budget Photos Ever (Not These! Read First!)

Catarina Bannier (Evers & Co. Real Estate) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:27:59 -0800

Maybe somebody slipped something in my coffee--I hope not--but I haven't laughed this hard in a long time.

I have a pretty nice collection of weird real estate pictures myself by now (most of them are unpublished), but then there is Julia, the author of the Hooked on Houses blog, who has taken this to another level. Her collection really is fun. I couldn't tell you why, but my all time favorite is her description of this virtual tour in which the same flowers/vases were used in every single room. She has a lot of other examples on her site that are way stranger, but this one tickled me pink.

Perhaps it's that we can all relate to the desperation. Make it look nice. Get it done. Quickly.

(Full disclosure: I have these fabulous, fake red flowers that I have used in many a photo tour for years now, almost like a good luck charm. In the pictures here, they're in different houses, different neighborhoods, different years. You won't see them in more than one or two places in a house, though. Actually, from now on, never in more than one spot.)

www.BannierHomes.com

www.DCHouseCat.com

Ten things to remove before listing...

Catarina Bannier (Evers & Co. Real Estate) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:40:14 -0800

Most people know it's not a good idea to leave money sitting around when you show your house, but there are more things you might want to remove before inviting strangers in. Some of them you might not have considered this way. Here's a handy list:

Via Lindsey Hasford (Coldwell Banker Vision):

Everyone has heard rumors of de-cluttering when it's time to sell your home. But, what does that really mean? Before going hog wild and moving out... here's a few of the most important things to consider removing before you list your home for sale.

10. Personal photos. I don't always recommend removing photos of the 'family' but if you have hallways filled with photos or photos on every end table it is probably necessary. Buyers really DO get distracted by them. They will take them all in as they walk down the hall. Not only do they take away from the home, but it's really disturbing when a buyer is excited to 'know' the sellers. And, the buyers do look at them.

9. Bills and personal papers. I understand that you cannot remove these document from the home all together, but please take the time to organize them, box them up and put them out of sight. If you have bills laying out on the counter or kitchen table it's like an invitation for the buyers to 'peek' at them. Believe me - I discourage it - but it still happens. And as a seller you just don't want to leave the temptation behind.

8. Money. I would love to say that every buyer (and Realtor) going through every home is honest, but I really don't want to test those waters. If you have cash, cash boxes or coin jars sitting out in the open... put them away. It's just better for everyone if it's out of sight. As Realtors we do what we can to protect your home, but your help makes a difference!

7. Valuables. Jewelry, watches, valuable antiques.... anything that might be worth a bit of money that you wouldn't want to lose. Out of sight, out of mind. If buyers don't know they are there they won't think about it. I can't tell you how many homes I've been in where the jewelry is left on the dresser.... somehow it's uncomfortable. At least put it away.

6. Guns and ammo. I don't care if they are in a case or out laying around or under a bed. It's better if you just plain old remove them from the home prior to listing. For some reason they make buyers (in my experience) feel really insecure.

5. Shoes! If you have a pile of shoes at the door... ask yourself why. A pile of shoes gives a buyer two impressions. The first? That there isn't enough storage in your home. 2. That there are too many people living in the home. So, in order to avoid wondering on the part of the buyer... just put them away.

4. Medicine. Take it out. Don't store it on the counter. Don't store it in the cabinet. Don't store it in the bathroom. Remove it. There have been many complaints over the years of potential buyers 'stealing' the medicine out of the cabinets. I have never had it happen on my time clock, but to avoid any trouble it's best to simply remove it.

3. All things on your kitchen counter. Everything? Really? Yup. The cleaner you can leave the counter, the more buyers dream of being in there. Have you ever been in a cluttered kitchen? Does it feel inviting? How about a cleaned up kitchen? Does it make you wanna spend time there? Also, if you store things on the counter it gives the appearance that you do not have enough storage space.

2. No more junk drawers. Seriously. Clean 'em out. There is nothing more tacky than a potential buyer opening the cupboards and drawers and having things sticking out everywhere. Box up all the notes, pens, tacks, and odds and ends and put them away. Chances are you don't dig in the drawer often anyways.

1. Nothing but magnets.... and maybe not even that. Take a photo of your fridge, take everything off, wash the front (and side), and take another photo. It is really refreshing to walk into a home that has a clean fridge. The kids pictures are beautiful (believe me... my fridge is covered in them) but buyer's can't imagine their own children's drawing on there if it is covered with yours. And, the magnets... If they aren't decorative (and even then) they are generally more of a distraction to the room than a help. Consider it.

There are many more ways to declutter a home for sale... but these are some important things to consider. For more information on selling your home in Minnesota... give me a call.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

                 In the meantime... if you are looking to move into the area... I'll wait for you to call!

Selling Real Estate in Minnesota!

If you are looking for professional real estate services I am only a ring away! I am looking forward to working with you. And, please feel free to share my name with anyone that you know who needs assistance buying or selling a home ~ I love referrals!

                                                   Lindsey Hasford, REALTOR
                                                        Coldwell Banker Vision
                                             231 Main Street - Elk River - MN 55330
                                          763-241-5488 (office) 763-218-1347 (cell)
                                         lindseyhasford@coldwellbankervision.com
                                                  http://www.hasfordhomes.com

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Kit House Of The Week: 1928 Sears "Americus" in Chevy Chase, DC

Catarina Bannier (Evers & Co. Real Estate) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:41:57 -0800

As we skipped the Kit House of the Week feature last week, I'm making up for it by presenting you with two historic mail-order homes for this weekend. Both are on the market for sale, and both will be open this weekend.

Number one is a somewhat modified but still recognizable Sears "Americus" on Morrison Street in the historic part of Chevy Chase, DC. While unfortunately much of the original woodwork on the exterior has fallen victim to "modernization" efforts, presumably during the 1980s, there's a lot of it left inside. (Note the crude little wooden rectangles at the junction of baseboard and stair trim--this was a peculiar Sears feature to make this connection less awkward for the amateur home builder.)

Preceding the current sellers' ownership, there were two additions made to the original house: a smaller one on the left added extra space (and a fireplace) to the living room, as well as a full bath behind it. The other addition is in the back. It's a spacious family room with a vaulted ceiling that was conceived as a music room by previous owners. (Dear colleague and fellow Rainer, Pat Kennedy, who is a musician, fondly remembers the amazing acoustics from house concerts at this place in the 1990s.)

Check out the picture of the front porch corner: you can still see where the two missing members of the characteristic "Americus" triple columns used to be.

You can find the listing, courtesy of Mary McGuire/Long & Foster, here. It was just reduced from its original asking price of $939,000 to $899,950. As always, let me know if you're interested in seeing it.

House number two to follow in the next post.

(Front Photo courtesy of MRIS/L&F)

P.S.: After digging a little more in MRIS, our local multiple list system, I found this picture from an old listing of 3500 Morrison St. In 2001, the house still had all its colums and the original porch railing!

www.BannierHomes.com

www.DCHouseCat.com

New East Bethesda Listing: Sweet Colonial, $699,000 -- Open Sunday 1-5 pm

Catarina Bannier (Evers & Co. Real Estate) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:48:53 -0800

Live at last, and we're finally throwing ourselves into the well-deserved weekend (until Sunday, that is). Come see:

www.BannierHomes.com

www.DCHouseCat.com

At The End Of The Week

Catarina Bannier (Evers & Co. Real Estate) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:53:35 -0800

The year has started strong, and we have a lot to look forward to. It seems like I haven't been as excited about real estate since I first started out more than a decade ago!

Mainly, that has to do with my new business partnership. We're truly feeding off each other. Just take this week; it's been busy and fun for Marcie and me.

For once, we're getting close to the launch of our new shared website, dchousesmarts.com, and we've loved developing and tweaking the concept.

Then, I have once more into development and grassroots neighborhood politics, this time the discussion is about the urban redevelopment of the 100-year old, huge Walter Reed Army Medical Center that closed its doors last summer. (I took the photos here earlier this week.) You can read all about it here, in my guest blog for the Washington Post.

The kit house of the week, this time a modified 1924 Sears "Americus" that's on the market in DC, will be introduced this weekend. Stay tuned!

Last but not least, we're listing the East Bethesda home of a lovely family. Open Sunday from 1-4 pm. Priced at $699,000. See you there!

www.BannierHomes.com

www.DCHouseCat.com

Yes! Blue Grease Pencil! -- My Historic Mail-Order Home Of The Week

Catarina Bannier (Evers & Co. Real Estate) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:20:34 -0800

Oh, what thrill it was! The one-hundred-percent, doubt-free identification that we so rarely get to see! But just wait; we will get to that later.

This week's historic kit home is actually a rare find, at least for Washington, DC (correct me, if I'm wrong--I'm always looking to make new discoveries). Once more, we located it in the Shepherd Park neighborhood in the northern tip of DC.

The bright home with its rather unusual roof line (worked-in layered arches above the windows) is a spacious Sears "Honor," was built in 1926 (model number P13071), and it's currently for rent through our company. (You can find more pictures at the listing link. I will link to a virtual tour later.)

The interior woodwork, floors and other details are pretty much intact and have been preserved nicely. Some modifications to the house appear to be original (Sears allowed for customization), such as the pantry and back porch addition off the kitchen that still features an original ice box that could be loaded from the outside. That way, a larger eat-in kitchen was created.

Likewise a possibly original modification is the configuaration of the three front bedrooms on the floor plan that have been made into two huge bedrooms (the dividing wall is now between the two windows that appear to belong to the middle bedroom).

But there have been modernizations as well: the bedroom above the kitchen for instance is now a generous master bath and walk-in closet.

Back to my thrilling moment: as the basement is still unfinished, we could go after the tell-tale signs and traces that might make it possible to truly authenticate the house.

My heart beat a lot faster when I discovered the blue grease pencil markings kit house historians always talk about! They were on different types of pre-cut lumber, behind the stairs for instance, or on some of the floor beams. The numbers all contained the sequence "13071" which was the catalog number in 1926.

Of course, there were a bunch of other Sears-typical identifiers, such as the vertical block between the baseboard and the stair trim at the bottom of the steps, that was thought to make the kit's assembly easier for the not quite so skilled do-it-yourself carpenter. But the grease pencil truly made my day!!

The property manager, Judy Meyerson, had no idea that this was a kit house. But I hope she will pass my post on to the owners who are diplomats somewhere out in the world and couldn't be asked yet.

And if you are a kit house enthusiast--here is your chance to live in one!

www.BannierHomes.com

www.DCHouseCat.com

Just How Much Can We Tell Our Buyers About Schools?

Catarina Bannier (Evers & Co. Real Estate) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 09:29:47 -0800

(Modified version of original source: Good School, Good Neighbors, Bad School, Bad Neighbors?)

Last week, my first contribution to Where We Live, the Washington Post's new buzzing real estate blog, dealt with a stormy issue: neighborhood involvement in the site selection process for the planned Middle School #2 in the Bethesda-Chevy Chase cluster. Some of the comments posted by readers there reminded me of the thin ice realtors often have to walk on when it comes to the school question.

How much advice can your real estate agent give you when it comes to choosing the school district in which you should buy?

Ideally, none. At least that's what fair housing laws require. Realtors must not steer you to, or away from, certain school districts or clusters. Clearly, that's an acknowledgement of the strong relationship between the quality of the public schools and the house prices in a neighborhood. (Certain attractive, pricey urban areas might be exceptions to this rule, but that's a whole different issue.)

The theory here is that we should not push the wealthier clients towards the already better schools and the lower-income buyers or renters toward areas with weaker schools. There's a good reason for that: agents shouldn't unwittingly promote further inequity. This is even more complicated by the fact that the weaker schools in a district often have a higher percentage of "classes" protected by federal and local fair housing legislation such as minorities, kids from single-parent families, or recipients of government assistance.

Many of our buyer clients, however, are surprised and sometimes even outraged when they ask where the "good schools" are and we tell them that we can't tell them. Especially when they're new to the area, buyers actually expect this kind of advice from us.

Usually, I will suggest that they talk to friends or colleagues. I will point them towards official as well as independent websites to get scores, demographics, boundary maps and parent reviews for a number of schools in neighborhoods where the homes fit their other criteria (such as size and prize).

But whether we like it or not, the other criteria often sort of take care of the question. At a minimum, they will limit the options of those concerned with schools. In the DC area, it often comes down to the choice between a small house tied to a home school with great overall scores and high parental involvement or a big house within the boundaries of a weaker school.

And thank goodness, that's not a choice your realtor has to make.

www.BannierHomes.com

www.DCHouseCat.com

My First Contribution To The Washington Post's New Real Estate Blog! And They Even Credited Active Rain!

Catarina Bannier (Evers & Co. Real Estate) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 23:49:52 -0800

This is going to be so exciting!

Yesterday, the Post started its new real estate blog, Where We Live, and it looks great--lots of interesting features and series, and hopefully a very lively discussion are coming up. Apart from the Post's own editors and reporters, there will be a bunch of real estate professionals writing for it, including some Rainers (such as my dear friend and colleague Pat Kennedy).

It's a great opportunity for us to be heard and to weigh in -- no more blaming the media!

My first contribution ran today--please check it out. What an adventure!

www.BannierHomes.com

www.DCHouseCat.com

How Not to Renovate Your Historically Significant Home

Catarina Bannier (Evers & Co. Real Estate) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 01:18:30 -0800

Seeing the house in person was a bit like an encounter with a vampire: A once charming creature, full of life, adventures and stories, had turned into a bloodless, lifeless shell, generic, functional, and ... dead.

Not that I ever have encountered a vampire, but you will get my point here very soon.

For the past few weeks, I have been scrutinizing new listings in our area--in particular, houses built in the 1920s--for their kit home potential. Imagine my excitement last week when I came across a 1923 Sears "Fullerton" that's for sale right now--in a NE Washington D.C. neighborhood near Catholic University.

According to Mary Rowse, a much-quoted expert on mail-order homes in the DC area, there are only a couple of confirmed Fullertons left in the area. That was one of the reasons for the (unsuccessful) initiative to save the Palisade's Jesse Baltimore house from getting torn down. (This website explains in detail the significance of the Sears "Fullerton" model.) The multi-year fight was lost in 2007, and as of that date, four Fullertons remained. As it turned out, one of them happened to be the one at 2115 Monroe St NE that is now for sale.

The MLS listing promised a "totally renovated" house which even the "pickiest buyer' would love: "NEW NEW NEW!! Everything is brand new." Of course, this should have been a tip-off.

Yes, we were warned by murky pictures that raised the suspicion the narrow cypress siding might have been replaced by vinyl. Much of the wood trim and molding seemed to have been, ehm, modified. The fireplace looked like generic builder's issue, but perhaps that picture was taken in the basement? (The 'blue" picture, taken from an old listing,

shows the house in 1998--still with its original windows and and trim.)

In any case, nothing could curb our enthusiasm when we took off to look at one of DC's last Fullertons. And nothing prepared us for what we got to see. It was incredibly sad.

My Dover reprint of the 1926 Sears catalog depicts the Fullerton living room interior with crown molding, picture molding, Arts-and-Crafts door frames and stair posts, and a traditional wooden fireplace mantle.

What we got to see last week, on the other hand, was unadorned drywall and awkwardly crafted arches; a dining room chopped in half by the insertion of a powder room; purple builders' carpet in the bedrooms; a wrought iron railing that replaced the massive wooden one; hollow-core doors; pre-assembled wood floors in the living room, a cheap folding door next to the fireplace.

But why? Why tear it all out?

I emailed the photos to Mary Rowse. "Oh, no," she said. And then, with a glimpse of hope: "Maybe they just put that vinyl on top, and the old siding and window moldings are still in place?"

I wouldn't bet on it. This poor old house has not only lost its soul. It has lost its body as well.

(If "new, new, new" is your preference: 2115 Monroe St NE is on the market for $469,000. I'll be happy to show it to you.)

www.BannierHomes.com

www.DCHouseCat.com

More From The Tip Of The Town

Catarina Bannier (Evers & Co. Real Estate) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 18:56:08 -0800

Following our look at the state of the market in Colonial Village, here comes the third quarter comparison for its twin neighborhood, Shepherd Park. And that turned out somewhat more interesting.

When it comes to listing activity, the trends are almost the opposite of those in Colonial Village: while there were no new listings in Colonial Village for all of the third quarter, Shepherd Park saw a record number of 15 new listings, triple that of the two previous years. As the houses were scattered about the neighborhood and very different in style and shape from one another, there's no obvious explanation for it. Mere chance perhaps? Or was it that some potential sellers finally got to a point where they no longer wanted to wait? Where they realized the low interest rates worked in their favor as well?

I'm not sure. The other interesting discovery, however, has to do with sellers as well: they finally seem to price their houses a little more realistically. The average closed price for houses in Shepherd Park was lower (about $550k, down from $580k), but it was skewed by one very small house and one fixer-upper. The real surprise here is the fact that there is practically no difference in average list- versus sold price! Some properties sold for less while others got bid up (in one case more than $30,000). So, there's definitely some stability here.

Another good sign: the average listing sells fast. It spends 17 days on the market (DOM), in comparison to the 85 days it took last year.

Of course, not every single house sells so fast. Of the 15 new listings, three are still active for sale, eight have closed their sales, and the other four were taken off the market.

www.BannierHomes.com

www.DCHouseCat.com

DC's Colonial Village: Once More, It's Slow But Stable

Catarina Bannier (Evers & Co. Real Estate) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:00:33 -0800

Last year, I took at special look at some neighborhood statistics for the third quarter. I’ll do the same now. Why? Because the third quarter is a vulnerable time where trends show up in a more pronounced way. The market typically isn’t as slow as it is at the end of the year, but late summer/early fall is relocation time and often reflects strategic and economic decision home sellers and buyers make--in reaction to the local as well as national economy.

Let’s start with the market activity in Colonial Village. What do we see here?

First of all, it seems that the number of closed sales has been stable (as compared to the same season in previous years). The fact that fewer properties went under contract is easily explained by the low volume, however. Not a single new listing came on the market in Colonial Village during the third quarter!

But there also is a bit of really good news: For those transactions that closed, the prices have not only been stable, but actually increased by 10% (average closed price was $775,000 versus an average original list price of 828,225, making for a sold-to-list ratio of 93.6%). The average time on the market was still a little more than 3 months before a property went under contract (99 days compared to 111 days last year). This number will be higher when we count the houses that have been on the market for a long time or that were withdrawn before they could sell, and it is higher right now.

Sellers continue to price their properties a little higher than they should, although a gap of 6-7% seems a lot more realistic than the numbers we hear from other markets.

(As always, Shepherd Park and Rock Creek Forest stats will be next.)

www.BannierHomes.com

www.DCHouseCat.com

When Men Were Still Handy, Part II

Catarina Bannier (Evers & Co. Real Estate) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 21:04:18 -0800

Well, turns out that--at least in Washington--the average middle class guy in the early 20th century might not have known that much more about house building after all. But we'll get to that later.

Yesterday, I promised more on kit homes. Here we go.

The next amazing discovery I made when I was browsing all kinds of libraries and websites to find out more about the other big pre-cut/catalog companies. (Sears, Roebuck and Co. has not only been the most written about, most well-known and largest in numbers of units sold; the term "Sears home" has also become more or less synonymous with "catalog home." But that's actually unfair, as there were seven major manufacturers as well as some off-shoots.)

In particular, the pictures of homes from the Michigan-based Lewis Manufacturing Co. seemed strangely familiar and reminded me of the neighborhoods I walk and drive through daily, namely Chevy Chase and Shepherd Park. I had seen Sears bungalows and colonials in other parts of town, but clicking through the Lewis pictures struck another cord.

I soon recognized a couple of impressive models I'd been in before, both larger, very solid Dutch Colonials. And then there it was! My friend's house!

It was impossible to miss the likeness because the house had a very unusual appearance, with an asymmetrical, sweeping roof line, a huge stone chimney and French doors to an uncovered raised patio in the front yard.

I had helped my friends buy the Shepherd Park house about three years ago, and while it had seen a bunch of owners and changing tastes in its 85 years, it hadn't lost its very special appeal.

We had no idea, however, that it had once arrived by train! (The stucco exterior, by the way, was offered as an option.)

And guess what, on Sunday I found another Lewis "Ardmore" across Rock Creek Park in Chevy Chase.

Now back to the not-so-handy men. Searching the archives of the Washington Post, I discovered an article from February 12, 1922 in which the local representative of Lewis Manufacturing Co. in D.C. was interviewed. The ready-cut system, the sales director said, had become so popular that not only individual families ordered house kits from him, but builders and real estate developers as well! Lewis had sold $500,000 worth of homes in and around DC that year, which must have resulted in a couple of hundred houses. There were about 70 or 80 very different styles in the 1922 catalog, so many buyers might never have noticed.

And while Rosemary Thornton (The Houses That Sears Built) estimates that half the families who bought kit houses in the 1920s actually assembled them by themselves, I wouldn't vouch for that number to be nearly as high when it comes to the Lewis customers in Washington, D.C.

Catalog page image courtesy of Antique Home.

www.BannierHomes.com

www.DCHouseCat.com

When Men Were Still Handy

Catarina Bannier (Evers & Co. Real Estate) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 18:07:18 -0800

Original Source: The House In The Post

1917 Sears mail order bungalow in Washington DC's Shepherd Park neighborhood. Photo: Piers Lamb/Evers & Co.

Last week, my business partner, Marcie Sandalow, and I had a listing appointment at a great old house. The owner mentioned it had been a mail order home, not from the Sears catalog but rather from another, a little less well-known kit company.

That was a neat little fact because there is a growing fan base for these homes. There are dozens of them hidden in Washington’s old “streetcar suburbs” –such as Chevy Chase, Cleveland Park, the Palisades, and Shepherd Park, which rapidly developed in the 1910s and 1920s. Many more can be found in the Maryland and Virginia suburbs.

Do-it-yourself challenge: the Avondale's dining room with 12-foot beamed ceilings

The first catalog houses were sold and shipped by railway (and eventually horse cart or later truck from the station to the consumer) through Michigan-based “Aladdin” in 1906, and the probably greatest number was sold by the better known Sears Roebuck. They came, in thousands of pieces, with thick instruction booklets—think of a gigantic IKEA project! Families could either hire a contractor or roll up their sleeves and go to town.

Nobody really knows how many kit homes were built in the U.S. during the first half of the 20th century, but estimates exceed 100,000, in all 50 states. Of course, we don’t know how many of them are still standing. Sales records from the seven major kit home companies have been destroyed, and there is no searchable national database.

In our case, I was surprised as the house seemed exquisitely built, with large bright rooms and elaborate woodwork. But then I remembered other catalog houses—such as the 1917 Sears “Avondale” in Shepherd Park that is pictured here—and started searching through my books on kit homes, looked through catalog reprints and some great online fan sites such as antiquehomestyles.com until I found the house. It must have come from Lewis Manufacturing Co—more on the house itself hopefully later in this place.

I sent an email to Rosemary Thornton, America’s leading expert on the history of kit homes and author of numerous bestselling books about them (“The Homes Sears Built,” “Finding the Homes Sears Built”). There are so many fakes and copies out there that she often had to disappoint people who thought they had bought or inherited a kit home. I was excited to hear back from her—she confirmed the authenticity of the house!

(More to come…)

The picture shows a Sears “Avondale”, built in 1917 and one of the 10 oldest standing houses in Shepherd Park and Colonial Village in the tip of DC. Despite appearing not that large from the street, the house had 12-ft ceilings, a banquet-size dining room and extra bedrooms and bath in the attic. It was listed with our office a few years ago. Photos by Piers Lamb of Evers & Co.

www.BannierHomes.com

www.DCHouseCat.com

The Endless Gutter Clutter

Catarina Bannier (Evers & Co. Real Estate) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:19:43 -0800

Original source: DChouseCat--Over And Over Again

It's no fun, and one of those endlessly repeating things a homeowner has to put up with. But it’s so important that I will preach it here again: Clean out your gutters!

If the gutters on your house look like the one on my garage here in the picture, you should actually clean them out NOW! At least in our area, the trees are pretty much done shedding--even the annual leaf collection and cutter trucks have finally passed through most of our streets.

If there was only one thing I have learned from the many home inspections I have attended, it would be the fact that packed, broken, loose or blocked gutters and down spouts are a major reason for water collecting around house foundations and, as a result, wet basements. They’re also often responsible for water intrusion around windows; they cause wet and moldy walls and rotten woodwork.

If you are a home owner, chances are that you know all this, but you might still forget about it. Don’t! Go outside right now and think about what your gutters are going to do (or not) in the next heavy rain. As I said, keeping them free is no fun, and it can even be expensive if you live in a larger house, but it's really that important!

www.BannierHomes.com

www.DCHouseCat.com

Wow! What A Morning In Chevy Chase!

Catarina Bannier (Evers & Co. Real Estate) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:25:40 -0700

"What?!," asked my pre-teen daughter, "we are what?"

"Getting up a bit earlier and walking to school," I said. "October 5th is National Walk-To-School Day."

"You've got to be kidding."

My daughter normally takes the bus to a magnet school that is--according to Google--2.7 miles from our house. Walking allows for a cut through public park land--according to Google Maps 2.3 miles and an estimated 50 minutes.

When she heard that fresh croissants from a bakery on the way could be part of the picture, the kid came around.

We took off in perfect walking weather. It was a crisp, sunny morning in the Washington DC suburbs. A low sun and the first turned leaves where showing off the beauty of early fall. Cheerfully chatting, my daughter stomped on.

We passed neighbors walking their dogs, a couple of bikers on the Rock Creek Trail, the horses at Meadowbrook Stables, a bridge over Rock Creek (check out my cell phone pictures here!), and--of course--the legendary Brookville Market.

"Mom," she said when we were getting close to the school, "this morning was real fun."

She made sure to walk the last fifty yards by herself. I stayed back with the other few embarrassing moms and dads that had walked their kids to school.

We were all in a great mood.