To The Listing Agent Who Yelled At My Friend, John! - 03/30/12 08:53 AM
I am in the early stage of a transaction that has been a challenge, and one that might not work in the end. It's what we call a challenging real estate transaction. But the thing that is making it all fun is that the listing agent on the other side of the deal, Long & Foster's John Astorino, is absolutely wonderful. He is not only good looking, but he is highly professional, knows what he knows what he is doing. Oh, and he passes the fun test.
This transaction has issues. Now that we are ratified, the buyers think they paid … (26 comments)
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Last Week's Favorites: March18th-25th - 03/25/12 01:50 PM
This has been a beautiful week to be a Realtor in Washington, DC. With all of the flowers and trees in bloom, I am just so thankful that I don't have a desk job! And in between showing houses and snapping flowers, I did manage to find some time to read some blog posts, and here are some of my favorites:
1. Kathy Streib: Sometimes You Think You Have Your Ducks All in Order Until They Start to Fly Away and Go Quackers! Do we ever really get them in a row?
2. Greg Nino: Large Real Estate Team And Its … (38 comments)
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Another Red Light Moment: Urban Tulips - 03/23/12 08:28 PM
I was on my way to the cherry blossoms. Needed some good Friday Foto pictures. But something happened on the way to the Tidal Basin. It was a traffic light.
And there they were! The season's first tulips! Urban tulips! And of course, my camera was on the front seat, so I grabbed it and leaned over toward the passenger side and got them.
I had much better luck at the red light than I did at the Tidal Basin. It was bumper to bumper traffic and a sea of tourists. Maybe I'll go back first thing in the morning … (30 comments)
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February Showers Bring March Flowers! - 03/21/12 01:08 PM
This may be the most beautiful March I've ever seen here in Washington, DC. And it's not just the cherry blossoms.
The Tidal Basin with it's legendary Japanese cherry blossoms is amazing, and so are many of the neighborhoods in the city and surrounding suburbs.
Yesterday, a group of us were out previewing new listings, and we ran into this amazing scene in the front yard of a colleague's home in Chevy Chase near the office. I was blown away by the intensity of the color of two of my favorite flowering bushes and trees. And, of course, I had my … (28 comments)
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A New Twist To Staging - 03/20/12 03:21 PM
My latest Washington Post blog is up, and one thing about it makes me totally appreciate you bloggers here on Active Rain.
Here, we sort of take comments for granted. I mean, You write a post, and your blog buddies drop by to add their two cents. That doesn't happen so much blogging in other venues.
So here is the link: Skinny Mirrors: You Look Grealt And The House Does, Too. This subtle form of subliminal marketing seems to have reached this area, at least the Norhtern Virginia suburbs.
So should I find some of these mirrors for my new listing?
… (16 comments)
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Those Other Cherry Blossoms - 03/20/12 03:04 PM
When people think of Washington, DC and cherry blossoms, it's usually the beautiful blooms around the Tidal Basin that come to mind. But just north of District line, there is a neighborhood in Chevy Chase called Kenwood, and its cherry trees are truly stunning.
When the community was laid out in 1927, the developers planted the trees even before they built the beautiful homes in the neighborhood. And I wonder if they had any idea how gorgeous they would become!
To see these blossoms, drive out River Road, turning into Kenwood right after the Whole Foods and before the Kenwood … (10 comments)
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Last Week's Favorites: March 11th-18th - 03/18/12 09:16 AM
With no flares or fanfare, here they are!
1. Marianne Infusino: YESTERDAY! - a Challenge to Reminisce Read this, you newbie Realtors (that would be under 15 years in the business)!
2. Jay Markanich: It's A Very Small World! This business does bring some sweet flashbacks, especially for our own homegrown inspector.
3. Doug Bullwinkel: GOOD NEWS! IT’S EASY TO REFINANCE IF YOU’VE PLAYED BY THE RULES This is information to share with our former buyers.
4. DeeDee Riley: Kumquat Love Living in El Dorado Hills What a wonderful and yummy home-grown prosperity symbol!
5. Karen Crowson: I Don’t Want to … (17 comments)
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Fun with my new IPad 3 camera! - 03/16/12 06:29 PM
Today, my new IPad 3 arrived, and right after work, I headed down to the Tidal Basin to try out it's camera. The cherry trees are just beginning to bloom, way before they were supposed to, and it was late so the light was not ideal. Also, I haven't played with the photo editing feature yet. But here are some of the results:
I started with the Washington Monument reflected in the Tidal Basin.
Then the Jefferson Memorial
Barely budding cherry trees
I can't wait to go back in a few days when the light is better … (32 comments)
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The Art of the Open House: Collaborating with the Competition - 03/13/12 12:24 PM
The Art of the Open House: Collaborating with the Competition
We read it in lots of Active Rain blog posts: Open Houses are just a waste of time!
And I think that many of them are indeed. But as someone who has sold many listings at Sunday opens, I believe that Opens are an important element of any marketing plan.
I've written other posts about some of the things I do to maximize traffic from qualified buyers:
invite the "nosy neighbors" to come and bring a friend or colleague who might love my lisitng combine a print ad in the Washington … (21 comments)
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Speechless Sunday: Daffodils - 03/11/12 07:01 PM
Today I got to be a passenger for a change, and took in a hill that goes up from Rock Creek Parkway to Georgetown. This week, it is covered with bright yellow daffodils. Since I wasn't driving, I grabbed my I-Phone and got snapped this during a moment of slow traffic. This is just a beautiful drive!
Ah! Springtime in Washington! And we haven't even gotten to the cherry blossoms yet!
If you are planning a move to or from the Washington, DC area, I can help! I am licensed in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. You may … (15 comments)
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Politics and Prose: Bookstore of the Washington Cognoscente - 03/11/12 06:35 PM
Politics and Prose: Bookstore of the Washington Cognoscente
If you are having no luck at all finding a parking place near Connecticut Avenue and Fessenden Streets, it's probably because some Pulitzer Prize winner is doing a lecture and book signing at my favorite book store, Politics and Prose.
It's a book store.
It's a coffee house.
And oops! It's a cell phone free zone. Well, I do put mine on vibrate when I go inside, but then if it rings, I run outside to answer.
Whether it's a children's book for a friend's new baby or a volume on … (4 comments)
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Last Week's Favorites: March 4th-11th - 03/11/12 07:53 AM
Last week, there was a lot of good blogging on Active Rain, and here are some of my favorites:
1. Nick & Trudy Vandekar: Why you won't buy what you want...exactly. I'm forwarding this to all of my faovrite buyers this morning!
2. Michael Bolton: How To Measure A Finished Attic Area:The Fannie Mae 5' Rule (Fact or Myth) I never knew this!
3. William Johnson: Sunrise, Sunset, Swiftly Flow the Days William is one of my favorite photographers in the rain. See why!
4. Connie Harvey: Oreo Turns 100 Today! Makes me want to start singing Happy Birthday to my … (28 comments)
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Walgreens Brings Much Needed Competition to Connecticut Avenue! - 03/09/12 06:40 PM
For a long time now, one gigantic chain of drugstores has dominated the market (at least for legal drugs) here in Washington, DC. Over the last few years, they have expanded rapidly, buying out small independent pharmacies and opening stores in virtually every neighborhood in the city.
For a while now, their service has gone down the tubes. If you can't find what you walked in to buy, good luck finding an employee to come to your aid, and the few there are raise surly to an art form. And if you do manage to find your items, there will be … (18 comments)
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Friday Fotos: 30 Rock - 03/09/12 06:28 PM
On Monday's trip to New York, I stopped my my old stomping grounds, from back in the days when I was a ticket agent at Eastern Airline's Rockefeller Center office. We had lots of people drop by who were sort of famous and worked for NBC at 30 Rock. I took this one standing in front of the skating rink, but with the camera pointed up instead of down!
I wonder which window is for Tina Fey's office?
If you are planning a move to or from the Washington, DC area, I can help! I am licensed in the … (5 comments)
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Don't It Make My Brownstone Blue? - 03/07/12 01:27 PM
Yesterday, I spotten this one on New York's Upper West Side. My first thought was, who on earth would paint a brownstone? And then that old Crystal Gayle song worked it's way into my brain, and it won't leave!
If you are planning a move to or from the Washington, DC area, I can help! I am licensed in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. You may call, email or text me at:
Housepat@mac.com, 202-549-5167
SEARCH ALL LISTINGS IN THE DC METRO AREA
CHECK OUT MY LATEST BLOG IN THE WASHINGTON POST!
… (30 comments)
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Speechless Sunday: This Bird Left Me Speechless! - 03/04/12 08:07 PM
I saw him at dusk wading along the short of Occaquan Creek near Belmont Bay. Made me wish I had a tripod with me!
If you are planning a move to or from the Washington, DC area, I can help! I am licensed in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. You may call, email or text me at:
Housepat@mac.com, 202-549-5167
SEARCH ALL LISTINGS IN THE DC METRO AREA
CHECK OUT MY LATEST BLOG IN THE WASHINGTON POST!
… (13 comments)
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Last Week's Favorites: February -26th - March 4th - 03/04/12 12:14 PM
It's been a busy week with the spring market seeming to kick in, as the Washington area sees the first of the flowering trees. And while it was a challenge to find time to blog and read, I did manage to pick out some terrific posts. And there is a little OOPS with Active Rain this afternoon, so I may have to return later to insert all the smiling faces. So here goes:
1. Debe Maxwell: Who is YOUR Agent Working For? It Just May NOT be you! This is a reminder to help us remember who's the boss!
2. Tammie … (27 comments)
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The Washington Monument at Sunset - 03/03/12 06:24 PM
What do you do when you're stopped at a traffic light in front of the Washington Monument at sunset? Why, grab your camera - in this case it was my I-Phone - and get a photo!
If you are planning a move to or from the Washington, DC area, I can help! I am licensed in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. You may call, email or text me at:
Housepat@mac.com, 202-549-5167
SEARCH ALL LISTINGS IN THE DC METRO AREA
CHECK OUT MY LATEST BLOG IN THE WASHINGTON POST!
… (24 comments)
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