Asking Permission: Pat’s Blogging Etiquette Reminder - 07/30/09 08:27 AM
When I first began to blog, nothing was sacred.  Anyone at any time could become blog fodder.  This included friends, colleagues, family and clients.I never really thought about it until I wrote a post about one of my oldest, dearest friends who bought his first place – the 64-year old property virgin.  And his name was in it.  He is a journalist with a popular blog of his own, and his employer closely tracks his hits and his Google juice, and of course my blog showed up on their daily search under his name.  His colleagues teased him mercilessly.  Another best … (66 comments)

History Matters: A Local Business For When It Really Does! - 07/30/09 06:46 AM
History Matters:  For When It Really Does!
There is wise advice often given to people who are trying to figure out what to do when they grow up:  fiocus on something you are passionate about, and a career in that area will make itself happen.Edna Johnston, founder of Washington’s History Matters is the perfect example of how great this advice can be.   With doctoral work at the University of Virginia and her expertise in 19th and 20th century American history, Edna created a business to address the needs of individuals and corporations who own historic properties - and in this town, … (5 comments)

Wordless Wednesday at the Foggy Bottom Farmers' Market - 07/29/09 09:42 PM

© 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 certianly 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.
… (17 comments)

Posh Washington: Georgetown Market Update - 07/29/09 10:04 AM
Posh Washington:  Georgetown Market UpdateFor many decades, Georgetown has been a favorite Washington neighborhood for many of the politicians, journalists, lawyers, and all the other charachters who make life in this city so interesting.   So when I meet new buyers who are relocating here to DC, this historic place is often at the top of their list.Houses in Georgetown come in all shapes, sizes and price points.  Right now, they range from a low of $644,900 for a little 2-bedroom near the old C&O Canal to a high of $39,500,000 for a magnificent 9-bedroom mansion on a 3.5 acre estate.  Of … (11 comments)

Ghosts In Blogland - 07/28/09 11:31 AM
I just finished reading  Jan Whitlow's post about one of the newest services that entrepreneurs are trying to sell us, Paying Others to Write Your Blog - Honest, Ethical - There Is a Question.
We live in a culture where plagiarism is strongly frowned upon.  College students who do it and get expelled.  Newspaper reporters get fired, usually with lots of pubic humiliation, especially if they work for a big publication.  At the same time, there are many, many people around the country who make a living writing for others, both with and without attribution.
Presidents have speech writers, and some … (32 comments)

What is ActiveRain? - 07/27/09 03:26 PM
When friends and colleagues ask this question, this is a great post to show them!
Via Jonathan Washburn (ActiveRain Corp):
Intermixed with the daily struggle of running a company that is grasping for revenues, in what seems like a never ending attempt to bridge that last little gap to profitability, I am blessed with inspiring messages from the members of this network about how ActiveRain is impacting their lives.
My most recent inspiration came from an article authored by Russ Ravary and the accompanying comments on it. Whenever I am in a certain mood, and read one of these posts, I am reminded that … (4 comments)

Horse Heaven in Silver Spring - 07/26/09 10:05 PM
Since I first put together my "Bucket List", learning to ride a horse was close to the top of the list.  I've been riding lots of time, but somehow whenever I did, the horse was in charge.  So I recently started to check out stables, and, like many home buyers, I started my search on line.
The Woodland Horse Center in Silver Spring, Maryland caught my eye with the offer of a free riding lesson every Sunday at 1:00 pm.  So I played hooky from real estate and showed up at horse school.
The whole thing was pure fun.  I loved … (9 comments)

Silent Sunday: Washington's National Cathedral - 07/26/09 06:06 PM

© 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 certianly 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.
… (16 comments)

What? No Takers For The Watergate Hotel? - 07/25/09 05:56 PM
I have some fond memories of the old Watergate Hotel, notably the second most romantic dinner of my entire life at Jean-Louis’ Restaurant.  So a few years ago when this Washington landmark was about to become condominiums, I did sort of think about what it might be like to live there.But the condos never happened.  They had the location, location, and location thing down.  It was the timing, timing and timing issue that gave the developers fits.The Watergate Hotel was a favorite of world-renowned musicians coming to perform at Kennedy Center and lobbyists coming to perform before Congress.  If you were … (13 comments)

A Home Inspection Surprise - And It Was A Nice Surprise - 07/25/09 04:55 PM
One thing that has always made me feel a little pit in my stomach is anticipating a home inspection with an inspector I don’t know.  It may even be worse than anticipating one with an inspector I do know who is a little goofy.Today’s inspection is on a really old Victorian house, built somewhere around 1914.  And I have to say, it appears that Jack Reilly, the inspector my buyers selected, is very much an old house guy!   He’s an inspector who also has a lot of knowledge about architectural history, and he knows exactly what to look for.What a relief!In … (11 comments)

Memories Of My Childhood Home: My Parent's First House - 07/24/09 10:28 PM
In 1953, my father was transferred to Topeka, Kansas, when my parents bought their very first house.   They loved all 900 square feet of that little place, and soon after we moved in, my father designed and built (by himself) a big garage in the back yard.  Between the house and garage, he put in a patio with and planted a rose garden.  The neighborhood was filled with young families and lots of children.   Our yard backed up to the Shawnee Country Club, and a group of children moved in to several of the big old trees that formed the border … (17 comments)

Dear ActiveRain, My Daddy Says You Are Awesome, Will You Help me Out? - 07/24/09 03:32 PM
If you want to see something really adorable, click the link - and you'll feel totally compelled to cast a vote for the beautiful Isabelle!
Via Isabelle Blanton (Kelan's girl):
Dear ActiveRain,
My Daddy, says that the members on this network are awesome & are the best people in the world.  Well, just the other day, my mommy & daddy entered me into a contest.  If I win, I will get a whole $200 & get published in the newspaper.  So, Daddy said that if I ask you nicely, that you would vote for me so I can win.
Right now, I am … (6 comments)

Wordless Wednesday: Taken With My I-Phone! - 07/22/09 05:24 PM

© 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 certianly 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.
… (17 comments)

Selling a Blog Buddie's Listing! - 07/22/09 09:45 AM
Last week, I got a call from some clients who were on vacation.  They were going to be back Saturday evening and had a house they wanted to see on Sunday morning.  OK, I can do that!
When I checked the MRIS information and showing instructions, I recognized the listing agent' name - a fellow blogger right here on Active Rain!  And he's one I've met on several fun occasions.  The agent was none other than Long & Foster's John MacArthur!
This, and the fact that it looked like a terrific house, made me really want to sell the place.  When … (38 comments)

Patience: A Virtue I Try In Vain To Practice. - 07/21/09 05:59 PM
My stomach is in a huge knot.
My favorite buyers are at the gym distracting themselves by lifting weights, and I'm going to guess that they are using the really heavy ones.
Why?  Because we have spent the past 36 hours in that awful limbo between the time the offer is presented to the listing agent without yet being presented to the sellers.  It's the time during which several other offers have come in on "their" house, and my clients had to agree to raise their price to make theirs as competitive as they could without doing something stupid.  And it's … (17 comments)

Silent Sunday: The Dog Paddle - 07/19/09 10:21 PM

© 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 certianly 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.
… (27 comments)

Remembering Walter Cronkite - 07/19/09 08:50 AM
Back in the 1960's, whenever there was something important or alarming or just plain scary going on in the world, my father would always wait until the CBS Evening News came on to see what Walter Cronkite had to say about it.  And somehow, I got the message that for the real deal, I should go to Channel 9 at 7:00 pm.
It is said that Cronkite totally ruled the newsroom at CBS, and he did.
Unlike today's anchors, Cronkite wrote all of his own stuff.  And if you were a correspondent with CBS News, Cronkite, not some producer, decided whether … (20 comments)

My Fun New Book Group! - 07/18/09 10:08 AM
Last night was our first meeting. 
On many Friday nights, my neighbors and I get together at my neighbor, Jean's, house for a meeting of the Webster Street Cocktail Club.  But last night, we did something different, turning it into a book club.
We started off reading Christopher Buckley's memoir about losing his parents.  The book is a beautiful tribute to his eccentric parents and their marriage, and he writes about something that many baby boomers have or will soon face with their own parents.
Part of the fun was, of course, the food and the sugar-free Mohitos!  Everyone brought something, … (14 comments)

Hanging Onto Listings - 07/18/09 09:16 AM
Now that houses are taking a whole lot longer to sell than they used to, learning how to hold onto the listings we have is crucial to any Realtor's® business plan.  So this week's training session at Evers & Company focused on just that.
Linda Chaletzky, on of my favorite colleagues and an expert on this subject, gave the seminar.  And it was attended by, not just newer agents, but mostly by those of us who've been around the block a few times and needed a refresher course. 
And Linda did not disappoint!
Here are some of the major points she … (16 comments)

Um, It's About Your Wall-to-Wall - 07/16/09 09:19 PM

It was a pretty house in a wonderful neighborhood, built sometime around 1915.  It had a lovely fireplace mantle, beautiful crown mouldings, and lots of charm and character.  But something was off.
Then I realized that it was the thick, beige wall to wall carpet throughout the house.  Every square inch of the place had this carpet that made it look like something from "That 70s Show".
The property description mentioned that the house had been lovingly cared for by the current owners for the last 50 or so years, and part of that care was, I'll bet, leaving the … (13 comments)

And It's Only 20 Minutes From.... - 07/16/09 02:01 PM
Today, I found a little Realtor® spam in my email.  It was about what looks like a stunning historic home for $389,900.  And wait!  It's only twenty minutes from Capitol Hill!  So I checked it out further and found that it may indeed be 20 minutes from the Hill - by personal helicopter!  Oh, and that assumes you can find a place to land the thing within the highly restricted air space here in DC!
This place is in a pretty far out suburb ourside of the Capital Beltway.  If you give the name of the town, anyone at all familiar … (7 comments)

Wordless Wednesday: Dried Flowers at the Bethesda Farmer's Market - 07/15/09 09:45 PM

 
© 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 certianly 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.
… (16 comments)

Putting the "Social" in Social Networking - 07/14/09 10:16 PM
I love any excuse to get together with bloggers, and today Chris Ann Cleland, Cindy Jones and I met at Springfield, Virginia's Mike's American Grill.  We talked about our adventures in real estate, blogging and our lives.  
We both owed Cindy lunch.  She blogged about a great Falls Church neighborhood where, after reading her post, I sold a house.  And she sent Chris Ann a referral.
Based on what I've read in Chris Ann and Cindy's blogs, I know I can refer my favorite people to them.  These ladies are terrific agents who work hard for their clients.
And I can't … (20 comments)

Who is the Oldest Active Rainer? - 07/14/09 06:49 AM
For a while, I thought that I was the oldest blogger on Active Rain.  Liz has me beat by a few years here.  Will anybody admit to being in the run for the honor of AR's Oldest Blogger? 
And Liz,  Happy Birthday, Girl!
Via Liz Loadholt- AgentOwned Realty- Covering SC:
Who is the oldest Active Rainer? It occurred to me, as I was celebrating my 69th birthday last week, that I just may be the oldest active Active Rainer I decided to start a campaign to find out.
 

 
If you would let me know if any of you … (11 comments)

Sorry, But Elvis Does Not Convey! - 07/13/09 07:36 PM
Yesterday, I held open a pretty house in Crestwood, the neighborhood where I live.  And while people oohed and aahed over the pretty house, the fabulous family room, and the screened in porch, there was one feature of this fine home that got lots of comments.  And that was this guy at the top of the stair well between the first and second floor!
So does he convey?

What?  Of course not!
But wait!  This is a super crappy market, and before I say that Elvis is not included as a "fixture" (he is, after all, attached to the wall)  … (30 comments)

Silent Sunday: The Dome At The National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception - 07/12/09 10:23 PM

© 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 certianly 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.
… (21 comments)

When Did It Get So Hard? - 07/12/09 08:50 PM
OK, I am the self proclaimed Queen of Crappy Markets. 
I got my license in 1983 - a really crappy market - and did really well.  Throughout my career, I've had this conversation that I loved "slow".  Slow means you have to be skilled and smart.  You had to know how to put together creative deals and make them work.  Yep!  That's me all right!
So right now I should be in real estate heaven!  This is the crappiest market I've seen since 1983, and it promises to stay that way for a while!
But I'm really not.  Every transaction right … (46 comments)

Wordless Wednesday: Willie the Labradoodle - 07/08/09 10:21 PM

© 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 certianly 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.
… (25 comments)

Falling Off The Bicycle - 07/08/09 09:34 PM
In my youth, I was a fairly avid cyclist.  So last year, when it came time to start to get serious about getting into shape, I had my cobalt blue Fuji 20-something speed refurbished and  for the next year it leaned against the wall in my messy solarium.  Until last week.
I started off with a couple of rides around the neighborhood so I could figure out the new gear configuration.  Then, on Friday, I went with a friend on a 20-ish mile ride from my house through Rock Creek Park.  After that ride, he raised my seat and handle bars … (17 comments)

The Broadmoor Cooperative: I Could Live There If They Allowed Pets! - 07/05/09 10:37 PM
Soon after I got my real estate license, I became fascinated with a monolithic brick building on the corner of Connecticut Avenue and Porter Street NW.   It was the Broadmoor Cooperative, one of the largest buildings in Cleveland Park.   Back then, 1983, there was one old guy who was sort of the real estate king of this lovely old building.His name was Nelson, and he must have been 200 years old.  He got all of the listings, and he put nothing into the multiple listing service, which was a fairly new thing back then.  If Nelson liked you, he'd call you … (16 comments)

Speechless Sunday - Bicycle Paths - 07/05/09 06:14 PM

© 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 certianly 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.
… (14 comments)

Please Welcome Nadia Nejaime To Active Rain - 07/02/09 07:17 AM
Yesterday, Nadia Nejaime, of DC Living Real Estate, wrote her first post on Active Rain. 
Now, Nadia is totally special.  She is so great to work with that I wrote a post about her called The Good Agent, on my pre-Active Rain blog, about how much she impressed me during a recent transaction.  That was almost three years ago.
Nadia is a broker with a law degree, I'm sure she will share a lot of knowledge and wisdom in her blog.  And I'm hoping that she becomes totally addicted and starts to post a lot, because I can't wait to read … (22 comments)

Wordless Wednesday: Onion Domes - 07/01/09 09:03 PM

© 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 certianly 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.
… (22 comments)

"Social Networking": Many Ways To Skin That Cat! - 07/01/09 06:59 AM
This is for all of you young whipper snappers out there who think that anyone over 50 is going to eat your dust because you do social networking!
I'm going to tell you a story with one of those "Respect Your Elders" messages - you can learn from them!  Um, from us!
There was an amazing agent at my old company who had social networking down!
She was a geezer agent.  Her obituary said that she was 79 when she died.  But she had to have been at least 90.  She was a pretty woman who wore Chanel suits to the … (37 comments)

 
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Patricia Kennedy

Washington, DC

More about me…

Evers & Company Realtors

Address: 4400 Jenifer Street NW, Washington, DC , 20015

Office Phone: (202) 364-1700

Cell Phone: (202) 549-5167

Email Me

Pat Kennedy -- author of The Irreverent Guide to Real Estate -- gives you a look at life on the streets as a real estate broker in our nation's capital. And her blog is peppered with great advice combined with humor!


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