Question:  At what point do we get to hit the streets and look at real houses? Answer: Once you've established the price range for you new home, it will be time to start looking at homes that might work for you. After you have shared your basic criteria with me, I will set up a computer search for you, and you will get updates each day.  We can go over the possibilities and pull out the the best ones.  As we go through each place, this is what I'll ask you to do: I will furnish you with printed information on each home we visit.  It will help you keep the details of each one straight if you take notes and save the sheets, perhaps in a binder. If you hate a house, don't just tell me that you hate it.  Spell out what doesn't work. If you like a place, same thing. What is it that you love ... 05/29/2012

Question: how can we get information about the local inventory quickly, and how can we get inside the ones we like? Answer: once we can narrow down your criteria (location, price and must have features), I can set up a search of the inventory on our multiple listing service (MRIS). Then you will get daily updates.  You can cull the list and mark the ones you might want to see. Then we can cull the list together and choose the best possibilities, and I will arrange to see them by appointment. Every day, our system will send out two emails with new listings and other listings that have had any changes - usually price changes.  You are able to mark each one with a yes, no or maybe. and I will be able to see which ones you like and which ones don't work.  You will get a list of homes, and e... 05/26/2012

Question:  The Washington Metro area is huge!  How do we narrow down neighborhoods to consider? Answer: Yes, there is a lot to choose from.  And the combination of your price range and other criteria will help you make choices. Your price range and the type of home you want will be the major driving factors.  And to help me figure out what to show you, I will ask you to consider the following: Do you prefer stand alone homes, townhouses and condominiums.  And all of these come in a wide variety of shapes sizes and price ranges. Are there children and schools to consider? Where will you be working and how far are you willing to commute? Do you want to rely more on your automobile or on public transportation?  Is walkability to fun stuff important? Finally, your needs and wants list will ... 05/26/2012

Question:  once we hire you as our buyer broker, what it the first step to buying our new home? Answer:  before I can help you decide on a location, I have to know how much you want to spend and where the funds will be coming from. Not too many people can sit down and write a check for the purchase price of a DC area home.  Normally, buyers use some combination of: A mortgage they get from a lender A loan from the Bank of Mom and Dad Proceeds from the sale of another property Money from savings Assuming you are getting a mortgage, I will have you talk to a loan officer from a local bank so you can get pre-approved.  They will verify your income, assets and debts, check your credit score, and put you through their underwriters who will give you a the magic number - how much you can spend... 05/25/2012

For the fifth consecutive week, conforming 30-year fixed rate mortgage rates have dropped to new all-time lows. According to this week’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey from Freddie Mac, “prime” mortgage applicants willing to pay 0.8 discount points plus closing costs can secure a mortgage rate of 3.78%, on average. This is a small improvement in rate over last week when the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate was 3.79% with 0.7 discount points. 1 discount point is equal to 1 percent of your loan size. Like everything in real estate, though, mortgage rates are local. Freddie Mac reports that the mortgage rates available to consumers varied by region. Northeast Region : 3.78% with 0.7 discount points  West Region : 3.74% with 0.9 discount points Southeast Region : 3.79% with 0.7 disc... 05/25/2012

Ledroit Park, DC short sale expert Dan Rochon and real estate negotiator Darius Bradford talk about if you should just give your keys to the bank instead of short sale. Lawyers, lenders, mortgage professionals, bankers, brokers, agents, and other real estate professionals agree. Lots of people are walking away from their mortgages these days for varied reasons such as losing a job. A certified short sale expert can and often will settle with the lender as your representative to make sure that you are completely launched from future financial responsibilities. Stop foreclosure in Ledroit Park, DC!   05/24/2012

I took this photo from the tea room area of DC's National Cathedral.  On any trip to Washington, the National Cathedral is a great place to visit.  The church itself is amazing.  So is the gift shop - a great place to stock up on gargoyles.  But don't miss the tea room!  It's a quick elevator ride to the most spectacular views of Washington from anywhere in the city.    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! 05/23/2012

Falling mortgage rates and stagnant home prices are making a positive effect on home affordability nationwide. Never before in recorded history have so many homes been affordable to households earning a moderate annual income. Last week, the National Association of Home Builders reported the Home Opportunity Index at 77.5 — its highest reading of all-time. The index indicates that more than 3 of every 4 homes sold last quarter were affordable to households earning the national median income of $65,000. Last quarter marks the 12th straight quarter — dating back to 2009 — in which the index surpassed 70. Prior to this run, the index had never crossed 70 even once. That said, like most real estate statistics, the Home Affordability Index has a national purview. National data is of little v... 05/22/2012

I was just going through my last import from my I-Phone and found this peony.  They are all up and down my street in Crestwood, the legacy of a sweet old lady who lived in the corner house on my block for many decades.  By the time she moved on, her back yard was completely overgrown with peonies.  The young couple who bought the house dug them up and gave them to the neighbors, so my block is distinguished by far more peonies than usual.    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! 05/17/2012

Washington DC Really Nice Homes For Sale SEARCH FOR THE LATEST LISTINGS NOW Current available nice homes for sale in Washington DC now..  3331 N ST NW,  WASHINGTON,  DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 20007Price: $7,900,000Located on historic Cox's row, this Federal townhouse was built by Colonel John Cox circa 1805. With ...View Photo Gallery (12)Save PropertyVirtual TourListing#DC7752138MLS:MRISBedrooms:6Bathrooms:6Partial Baths:3Square Ft:7889Acres:0.1074843303 WATER ST NW #A-7,  WASHINGTON,  DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 20007Price: $7,777,777Reside at Georgetown's most prestigious address. This 7th floor condominium presents 6,650 square fe ...View Photo Gallery (30)Save PropertyVirtual TourListing#DC7791011MLS:MRISBedrooms:7Bathrooms:5Partial Baths:2Square Ft:66502446 BELMONT RD NW,  WASHINGTON,  DISTRI... 05/16/2012

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 wh... 05/07/2012

If you live on Capitol Hill, what you pay for your house probably had a lot to do with how close it is, not to our nation's Capitol building, but its proximity to DC's Eastern Market.  Built in 1873, Eastern Market is the oldest continuously operated farmer's market in the city. It's a great place to buy meat, seafood and produce.  You can also find beautiful flowers and a fix for that sweet tooth. The lunch counter is famous for its crab cake sandwiches, a treat that I enjoyed just this past Friday coming home from a morning listing appointment. On weekends, the outside area hosts a fabulous flea market.  And local artisans set up tables to sell everything from original paintings and hand made jewelry to pottery and other crafts.  Much of this is locally made. On April 30 2007, the mar... 05/06/2012

  Yesterday, I had a listing appointment on Capitol Hill.  And I couldn't pass up the opportunity to stop off at DC's Eastern Market for some lunch and a few shots on my I-Phone.  Not only do they have stalls with great food.  You can also find beautiul flowers.  And the crab cake sandwiches at their lunch stand are just amazing.    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! 05/04/2012

Every week this spring, another type of flower has just shown up.  This week it was the irises.  I found this one across the street from my house at my Crestwood neighbor, jean's.  I loved the combination of the reds and yellows.  I'm wondering what it will be next week! 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!   05/02/2012

Selling Your Home in Washington DC’s 2012 Spring Market! Spring 2012 is looking to be a banner year for real estate sales in the DC Metro area.  The key word this season is LOW – as in low interest rates and low inventory.  The great news for home sellers is that real estate buyers are back in droves.  Many who were waiting for the real estate market to hit bottom are realizing that the bottom has passed and in most neighborhoods prices have already started their climb upwards.   In addition, after many months of lots of houses for sale and few buyers, inventory of homes in many DC neighborhoods is extremely low.  There are just not that many houses on the market, and even less renovated/updated properties.  So, when a really nice move-in ready home that is priced well comes on the mark... 04/27/2012

      I was looking at Facebook earlier and Roy Kelley inspired me to look at my pictures that I had taken when I travelled to Washington D.C. last year. I love our Nation’s Capital, although; I cannot live there. I was what Roy Kelley had posted about the top 1% in our Nation’s Capital. I feel all you Washingtonians are so lucky and you have all those wonderful museums. I thought I would share some of my photos of The National Monument! 04/25/2012

Friday night, we had a wonderful dinner of grilled salmon on my neighbor, Jean's, rear deck.  As we were enjoying the fish, a salad and some wonderful wine, I noticed the light from the setting sun reflecting on Washington's Grace Lutherine Chruch's stone spire, with the pink lit clouds behind it.  Ah!  Another I-Phone moment! It's a good thing I was rude enough to bring it to my hostesses dinner table!   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!   04/22/2012

This week, we had a pricing party at a beautiful house in Chevy Chase.  It's going on the market very soon.  And it's a great house with everything I would want.  There's great entertaining space, a kitchen that would be really fun to cook in, a home office that could turn even a lazy slob into a hyper producer, and I was in love, grabbing my client list.  And then I went up to the second floor and looked out the rear window.  This is what I saw.  It was a dogwood in more than full bloom with multi-colored azaleas.  And I had an "AHA" moment. Washington has a spring market every year.  Home buyers go a little bit crazy.  They get involved in multiple offers and have to win.  And they are not buying a fabulous house, but the dogwoods and azaleas that convey with the property.  And when I... 04/20/2012

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 p... 04/20/2012

When I had my geriatric dog, Sparky, I always said that once he met his maker, I was going to sell my house and move to a condo at 2500 Q Street, also known as "Gateway Georgetown".  Then I fell in love with Willie the Labradoodle, a mere puppy with a long life span.  As they don't allow dogs, I'll have to be satisfied to visit my friends who live there. The building was constructed in the early 1940's, and when Pearl Harbor was bombed, they had to scurry to obtain the scarce materials they need to complete the building.  So they made a deal with War Department:  they could use the building to house military officers who were stationed in Washington, DC during the war.  It worked. I'm a total sucker for views, and there are lots of great ones in this condo.  Many of the units overlook R... 04/18/2012