sellers: The Seller's Right To Be Stubborn - 02/05/13 12:55 AM
So, you have bought a house, and you're eager to prepare for your move. Less than a month until closing, the contingencies have been removed, and there is sooo much to do.
It's a big house that needs quite a bit of work, a lot of which is better done before you move in: refinishing wood floors, stripping flaking paint that's potentially laced with lead, opening up a couple of walls, removing asbestos insulation in a crawl space that needs waterproofing, and even replacing the 80-year old cement shingle roof that is now covered by a pretty ecosystem of moss and … (8 comments)

sellers: Drain, Drain, Go Away... - 11/04/10 08:28 AM
Help!!  This one is for you house doctors, you diagnosticians of home anatomy. 
It happens all the time, especially in the DC area where former swamp land and clay soil have formed a hostile union:  mold in the basement, wet carpets, rotten doorposts, peeling paint, a nasty, mildewy smell, and all the  other indications of chronic water intrusion.
Such we found in an otherwise beautiful and well-kept house.  The inspector thought that a detached downspout/drain extension pipe might have been the reason water was standing at that corner of the house, and a visit to the property in the rain seemed … (6 comments)

sellers: The Shark on The Kitchen Counter - 11/02/10 04:41 PM
Here we are: It’s late in the day, and I’m trying to pick out properties for a buyer I’m going to meet in the morning. It doesn’t help when all the places look alike in that price range, does it?
Next on the list is just one more renovated condo, number 17 of 23, or something like that. It’s in a nice place in a charming landmark DC building on 16th St, but the interior looks rather non-descript. I must have seen this a thousand times: blonde cabinets, black granite counters, stainless steel appliances, stackable Euro-style washing machine, exposed duct work—you … (25 comments)

sellers: The Not-So-Similar Twin: How Shepherd Park Differs - 10/18/10 09:13 AM

Earlier this month, we examined the 3rd Quarter market statistics for the upper DC neighborhood of Colonial Village. Today, we will take a look at Shepherd Park.
The two neighborhoods, divided only by 16th St, are often seen as a unit, as they share many characteristics as well as a very active citizen's association. Since their real estate profile and 20th century history are somewhat different, however, it makes sense to separate them for the purpose of market analysis.
To begin with, the homes and lots are--on average--a little smaller on the Shepherd Park side.  Although the neighborhood has calm, … (0 comments)

sellers: Mansion Murder Mystery - 08/30/10 04:29 AM
My jaw dropped when I started reading. This was not what I had in mind when I was looking for some cool old stories or trivia around the house.
I had just come back from a listing appointment with smart and pleasant sellers. The “subject” was an old house, and--as always—it tickled my curiosity. DC is an old town with lots of history, and many of the homes have seen fascinating events and/or have had fascinating owners. As buyers and sellers alike love to learn about the history of their houses, I often go through a variety of sources—picture archives, newspaper … (9 comments)

sellers: The Pentagon, Peter Rabbit , and 9/11 – A Personal Real Estate Story - 09/10/08 06:41 AM
Unlike many of our friends, I hadn’t actually known anybody in person who was on one of the planes, or in one of the buildings. Strangely, the closest I ever got to a victim was through real estate.
But this is Washington, and here you’re always in the middle of the news. My husband covered Flight 93 for the Washington Post, and our house near downtown Washington was only a few miles away from the Pentagon. (Yes, I admit it, I went there as soon as I could and as close I could get.) The shock, the pain and the anger … (7 comments)

sellers: Great article on pricing in a crazy market - 03/29/08 11:13 AM
Today, the Washington Post came out with its annual Real Estate "Mega Section."  It was all about what houses are really worth in a confusing market.  The opening article on the cover page was really exciting because it featured our brokerage quite prominently.  It described --using a current example-- the way we do our pricing at Evers & Co.--a pretty unique team approach.  (This is why I think my broker, Donna Evers, is unusually hands-on: In my old company, the last manager I was working under had not even looked at a single one of my listings for the entire two … (3 comments)