Matrix

Matrix


New rental listing in tanglewood. Very neat and clean with newer appliances.

Subaru Repairs

Elizabeth took her subaru to the dealer today because the muffler was making that good awful noise that speaks of decay. They quoted her $1,300 to replace the entire system and said it had to be done.

I talked her into taking it over to my friend Hi at Colesville Exxon who said he would patch it up for $125 and it should be good for at least two more years. He said if he had to replace the exhaust system it would cost just over $600......

I think it would be wise to avoid repairs at the dealer in the future.

Women's Collective

This year my Silver Spring office has been gathering up gifts for kids who normally could not expect to get gifts. We have as an office been doing this for about 15 years now. The program is part of the Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church "Angel Gift Tree" program which I am proud to say has been one of my wife's major undertakings over the past few years. I have done my little part by getting my fellow agents to each take a kid's name (or three) and then go out and buy a gift for that child. This has worked very well over the years and usually my office has been able to take care of about 40 or more children. I have to admit it is pretty satisfying to do this, and it provides me with a sense of purpose over the holidays.

This year and for many years in the past, my office has been buying gifts for children associated with the Women's Collective in Washington DC. -an organizations that helps women, girls and families that are coping with HIV/AIDs. This is a great organization and like so many foundations of this type they are constantly short of funds to provide the demands of Washington's AIDs epidemic. We can't do enough for them. If you are interested in helping, you can contact me or just pay a visit to the Women's Collective web site.

Ouch!

Here is a good one. My neighbor had part of a large tree hit his roof in one of this past summer's thunderstorms. Damage was not severe but there is a hole in the roof and some interior damage due to water and such.

Yesterday he got a letter from his insurer stating that he must at his own expense remove all limbs and trees that are over his home or can potentially fall on his house in a windstorm. To be verified by one of their agents. If he does not comply then they are threatening to cancel his policy.

Well, our neighborhood is thickly laden with 100 year old oak trees a few of which are in his yard. Anyone of these trees could potentially fall on his house-not to mention any number of trees in his adjoining neighbor's yards. Does this mean he will have to denude his whole yard of these precious trees? Talk about a load of crap. If they can do it to him they then can do it to all of us. There may be 100 old oak and popular trees in my immediate neighborhood that have the chance to hit one the homes there.

Stay tuned to see how this one plays out.

Fall market report

There has not really been a whole lot of chance in the metro real estate market in the past few months. At best it activity remains slow and it looks as if the housing market will be slow for at least the next year.

It is not a good time to be a home seller and many sellers are meeting disappointment when they find out what their homes are actually worth. Still, some folks have to sell in this market and I want to address what you as a seller can do to improve your chances.

I think the most important thing is that you have to be realistic about what your home is worth today. You can't look at what your neighbor's house sold for two years ago and expect your Realtor to perform the same miracle for you. I would have to say that the biggest obstacle facing home sellers today is that too many people are overpricing their homes. Don't do it. An overpriced home in a hot market is not such a bad thing, but in this market it is the kiss of death.

The second biggest mistake that sellers are making today is not putting enough effort into making their home presentable. This is a no-brainer. In a market where there is a surplus of homes and a shortage of buyers, homes that show the absolute best will still sell rather quickly and for a few dollars more while "average" homes will linger on the market for ever unless they are sharply discounted. Buyers today have the luxury of "cherry picking" and can afford to look at homes until they find the one that has a new kitchen and updated baths. Everything you can do matters. If your appliances and baths are dated, then you better make sure everything is in perfect condition and spotless. The yard is important too. I don't think a beautiful home needs staging but if your home is a little tired then perhaps you had better pay the money and have a professional come in and stage it for you.

The last thing is that in this market you had better be ready to negotiate. Buyers hold just about all the cards and it is important that you as a seller realize this. I am not saying you have to cut your arm off to keep a buyer happy but you should be prepared to give a lot and be willing to make the buyer think that you value that they like your property.

In this market price matters. If your home has been on the market for 60 days and nobody is coming to see it then you had better take a hard look at your asking price. You may think it is a deal but the market is going to deter min the value of your home. You really have two choices, lower the price or get out of the market and try again next year. I know this sounds harsh but it is that kind of market and will be for some time to come. Good hunting!

Acorn Park in Silver Spring, MD

I took this from the offical Silver Spring web site.

Acorn Park1190 East West Hwy, Silver Spring, MD 20910Categories: Public Art in Silver Spring Historic Sites Parks and Plazas Public Art map it
Acorn Park is thought to be the location of the spring that looked silver in the sunlight, thus the name Silver Spring.
Murials of Historic Silver Spring
Artist: Mame Cohalon
Acorn Park is all that remains of Francis Preston Blair's estate, "Silver Spring," named after his discovery in 1840 of a nearby mica-speckled spring. This park might be small, but it is chock-full of good stuff to see. Nestled up to the first Silver Spring Discovery building (the old Caldor) is a quaint little park with an acorn gazebo and beautiful murals. Discovery Communications is trying to rid us of the bad habit of referring to the building as the "old Caldor," but in this case it was actually the Caldor Company that commissioned the five-panel mural by artist Mame Cohalon and restored the gazebo and park.

FDA at White Oak Continues to Grow

The growing FDA campus at White Oak has passed the projected halfway mark. There are now about 5,400 employees located on campus out of a projected total of around 9,000. Construction and planning continues on the project that is not slated to be completed for a few years yet. There was a lot of controversy over this project but in the end, it has proved to be a good thing overall for the East County and Hillandale area in general. Yes, traffic is heavier on New Hampshire Ave, but we have seen a influx of new businesses-especially restaurants over the past few years. Those who have lived here for a long time know just what a wasteland for good dining this area has been. The FDA has worked hard to be good neighbors and for the most part I don't have much to complain about.

Pizza Neopolitan Style

Yesterday, I heard a piece on NPR about best new pizza places in the Washington Area. One place that got a good rating was Pacci's Pizza on Georgia Avenue in downtown Silver Spring. (close to where Gifford's use to be) So last night after watching the excellent movie "Circo" at Silverdocs we walked the four blocks to Pacci's and gave it a try. We were not disappointed. The Pizza was just out of this world and I only regret I could not try two or three other types. We also shared a first rate salad that could, with a piece of bread, serve as a nice lunch meal on it's own. With my love for the AFI, I know that we will be eating a Pacci's a lot more in the future. This is great Neapolitan pizza cooked in a wood burning oven. Just the way I like it.

New limits to FHA allowable closing costs.

One of the major benefits to seeking an FHA (Federal Housing Authority) insured loan over a conventional loan is that the allowable closing costs contribution by the seller could be as high as six percent of the value of the home. With a conventional loan the maximun allowable amount is usually three per cent.

Well under new guidelines proposed by FHA this allowable closing help is going to be reduce to not more than three per cent. This will have an impact on home sales as many first time purchasers are short on cash and need the maximum closing assistance to buy a home. I don't think the impact will be serious but it is not going to help in this slow market that we are currently mired in. The date is not set in stone but look for this change to come about in the next month or so.

Frog grow old with dignity

Shot at the recyling center in Rodanthe NC. I sort or regret that I did not take them home.

Where are we going?

Well, there is not much I can say about the housing doldrums that we are going through right now. However, I caution all against using this recession as a gauge for analysing the housing market in Montgomery County and the metropolitan area. Housing prices go up and down with the economy-there is no secret about that and with the large recession of the past few years prices are down. I have seen it before and know that you cannot allow a few years of recession to bias your thoughts about property ownership. I tell all my clients that real estate should always be looked upon as a long term investment. If you happen to buy at the right time and reap the benefit of a rising market, so be it. However, you can also get caught with your fingers singed if you purchase at the wrong time and are looking for a quick gain.

Now, just look at Montgomery County and the long term projections for population growth. With just over a million residents now, it is projected that the population of the county may double within the next 25 years. With this influx of people comes job growth and most importantly demand for housing. People have to have homes and the fact is that much of the county has already been built out. There are two predictions that are of interest. One, is that due to the lack of suitable housing more people will be forced to live further out from their jobs (Frederick, Howard, Anne Arundel Counties) and commute longer distances. And as a result, the demand for homes that are in Montgomery County will be very high. So high in fact that the long term concern is that there will be a critical shortage of housing in the county far into the future and that home values "will go up" to the point where new residents will be priced out of the market.

In short, more people and not enough homes. What does this tell you about the overall value of homes in Montgomery County? This is not rocket science. If you can look beyond the current recession then you will see that over the long term this is a great place to buy property. It has been for the last half century. Recessions come and go but for the long term, owning a home in Montgomery County is a good thing. I would think that this data applies to the Washington Metro Area in general and expect the housing market for the overall area to be strong once the economy gets back on track. In short, buy property and plan on holding it. Property in the area is cheap now. It won't be for long

Energy audit of my own home.

OK, after 20 years of hiding from my problem I decided to bite the bullet and have an energy audit of my house. Mind you my house was built in 1938 and is probably the poster child for wasted energy. It can get pretty drafty and cold in the winter and I have always been aware of a number of defect and leaks that have been costing me money. We invited Stephen Bloie of A to Z Energy Auditors (240-676-2091) if Clarksburg, MD to come out and evaluate our home. Stephen is a licensed home inspector and brings a lot of experience and knowledge to the table. As a realtor, I have been to a lot of home inspections over the past 25 years and know my way around houses pretty well. There is a lot about my home and its energy defects that I already know but Stephen's audit showed me that there are a lot of things I did not know about my home.

The audit process is very interesting to watch. Basically, he puts up a temporary nylon barrier that seals your front door. The barrier has a high speed fan that blows air out of your house and creates and vacuum inside of the home. Air from the outside then works into your home through any holes that you might have. By locating the most serious air leaks with a thermographic camera and a small smoke maker, and then sealing them up you can save significantly on your heating bills and pay for the cost of the inspection and repairs in about a year or two. Stephen's philosophy is that most homeowners need not pay for high end repairs and remediation but that by simply sealing the most obvious air leaks for a low cost, you can have the biggest impact.

And I did learn a lot. First and foremost was that my house was built with balloon framing. My impression was that balloon framing was only found in all-wood houses but apparently my solid brick home also has balloon framing. And, from an energy loss standpoint this is not a good thing as when balloon framing is present the whole house tends to act like a giant chimney-with the open wall framing causing air to flow through the house and every hole that might penetrate the walls, up into the attic. Typically balloon framing opens into the attic all around the perimeter of the house. This all needs to be sealed and will stop the most serious air leaks. In addition, my switch plate covers, heating duct vents, ceiling fans, light fixtures and a lot of other penetrations into my walls are places where cold air is entering the home (and in summer hot air) will need to be sealed off. I was amazed to see how many holes my house actually has.

Well, I recommend that everybody do an energy audit of their homes-even newer homes. There are three steps to making your home more energy efficient. The first consists of minor easy to do things like swapping out your light bulbs or turning down the thermostat. Second comes a simple energy audit to locate the places in your home where air is penetrating and then sealing off those holes with caulk and weather stripping. The third step involves high end investments in alternative energy solutions such as solar heating or high end insulation. I recommend that you at least do the first two steps as this will give you the most return for your money. I have to be realistic in that my house is an older home and will never really be a tight energy efficient home without a serious outlay of money. However, with an energy audit and a modest outlay of money, I will be able to greatly reduce my energy bills and carbon footprint.

Why I want to kill my lawnmower.

Yes, I just want it to die. My old mower is just like that guy in "Blood Simple" who just keeps moving around in the grave and no amount of mayhem will do it in.

First a little background. My wife and I got married in 1982 and bought our first house at the same time. Well, we needed a mower so we went to Sears to buy one. Not having much money, we settled on the cheapest mower that Sears had at the time. It happened to be the year that they started to put those safety lever on the handles of mowers so that you could not leave the mower without the engine cutting off. Man, I just hated that. Apparently, the premise being that we are just too stupid to step away from the mower to pick up a stick or dog toy without somehow cutting a few toes off. Heck, I have been knows to leave the mower running while I go inside to have lunch. Just ask one of my neighbors about this. So somebody in our government dictated this new safety device to help protect us all from ourselves. However it was just my luck that the cheap mower that we bought was left over from the last year and did not have this annoying safety device. Tea parties hell! Every time I step away from my running mower to go inside to use the bathroom, I feel like I am "sticking it to the Man." That and the fact that it was the only mower there for under $100 made the decision easy for me. The engine was white and the housing blue. Not much else to it.

As mowers go, it was pretty basic for even way back in the 1980s. It was all metal, (see if you can find that now) and had four hard plastic wheels. The engine was your basic stripped down 3.5 HP version with no bells and whistles. And it has always worked just fine. At first, being young and naive, I was pretty diligent about changing the oil once a year and keeping the air filter clean. I also sharpened the blade once in a while. As time went by, the oil changes became less frequent. Now, 28 years later, I have not changed the oil or looked at the air filter in over a decade. The spark plug is the original and I have never removed it for cleaning.

No need to do all this really. The mower was getting old and my wife started making noises about replacing the mower with something more environmentally friendly around 1995. Apparently, a mower built 25 years ago is a bad thing for the environment. Studies show that one old lawnmower puts more toxic waste in the air in one afternoon than than your average rust belt factory will in a year. (Seriously, look it up. It's on the net.) The deal was that I would just run it into the ground and we would then get something with a 200 foot long extension cord or that ran off of clean burning cow pies to satisfy my wife.

The problem is the damn thing won't die. It has been 28 years (about 240 years in lawnmower time) and the thing still works just fine. About five or six years ago a crack appeared on the metal housing and is slowly working its way towards the motor mount. Who knows if this will kill the mower or not. It certainly vibrates a little more these days but still cuts the grass.

This spring after a winter of neglect, (Yes, you are correct, I never drain the gas tank like you are supposed to do over the winter.) I pulled the old girl out to the driveway for a test fire up. Seriously this mower makes more noise rattling and vibrating as you pull it over the ground than when the motor is actually running. Well, the motor fired up on the first pull. No lie! My wife was in the yard with me and without a single glance towards her, I could sense the look of disgust she was making behind me. I could not help just backing away into the cloud of blue smoke and admiring the old thing for it's sheer willpower. Because, any more than a dozen pulls of the cord and it off to the junkyard. There she was, roaring like a young tiger cub and shaking like a threshing machine. Then I cut the grass.

So there you have it. Every once in a while I go to Sears and look over the new mowers. They are all bright and pretty. The seem to have a lot of plastic in them. That really makes me wonder how they work without melting. Supposedly they are more efficient. Some are self propelled and have big wheels on the back. some have grass catchers and bear the promise to not just cut your grass but mulch it as well. There are a lot of weird safety devices on mowers these days. I wonder if I do buy one if I can duct tape that safety lever so that it is always closed and the motor will still run if I step away from the mower. One thing I do know. If I do buy a new mower, it will undeniably just like every other piece of crap that I buy these days beak real soon and have to be tossed out because the cost of fixing it will be more than replacing it. Now I know that I am really sounding like an old man here but it is true. Perhaps my desire to kill my mower stems form the knowledge that I won't ever see the likes of this mower again, and I just can't stand the thought.

I have beat the heck out of this old mower for almost three decades and never had to spend an hour and a half talking to some call service center in India about getting it fixed or replaced or reprogrammed. Never had to box it up to send back for repairs or because it turned out to be incompatible with the type of grass I am cutting. So I guess I am trying to kill it because it reminds me too much of what a product is supposed to be, reliable, simple and long lasting.........and I can't stand the thought that when it is gone I will have lost another grip on the the way consumer products use to be and never will be again.

Ending Gridlock in Montgomery County

I went to my neighborhood association meeting this week and heard what I think it the most intelligent (and only) solution to our traffic woes in Montgomery County. Sponsored by Councilmember Marc Elrich, the proposal is a bus rapid transit system along all major roads in the county. It is not your daddy's bus line but a new sophisticated high speed bus system along contained routes. The good news is the buses are running in their own designated lanes and not interfering with the flow of traffic-a serious issue today. The even better news is the system takes advantage of existing routes and right of ways and is dirt cheap to install compared to other suggested solutions such as subways and light rail. This type of system is already in place in a few major cities in the US and Europe and has a proven track record for efficiency and reducing traffic.

Another major factor is that this system, with the correct political support can be up and running in five years vs decades for other more complicated systems. Click on Marc's name above for more details or click "here" for a look at the proposed routes.

Playdate at Tudor Place

For our birthdays, my wife and I try to find some hidden gems in Washington or surrounding areas to visit. Since it was her birthday this time I got to choose and picked "Tudor Place" in Georgetown for our visit. Built just after the turn of the 19 century by a granddaughter of Martha Washington, the house and grounds are quite impressive to see and well worth the trip. Go on a weekday and you are almost guaranteed a private tour. The tour takes about an hour. I tried but could not get them to let me go up into the attic. It was well worth an afternoon visit and there was plenty of parking on the street around the mansion entrance.

Next time I am going call ahead and work out a look see into the attic.....

Best Silver Spring Car Wash

Ok, so it is actually in Langley Park. However the New Hampshire Ave Car Was near the corners of New Hampshire and University Blvd is the only place to go. Price is reasonable and no other car wash takes care of your ride like they do. After your car gets the wash treatment, an individual worker takes your car over for a complete wipe down. Inside and out, seats, dash and windows. I have yet to see another car wash do a job like they do.

If you are going on the weekend get there early and take the paper (book, gameboy-whatever) as you are going to wait. The lines can get long and they take their time when wiping down your car after the wash. (Quality does not come quick). Best time to go is on a weekday morning as the lines are smaller but you still could be there for half an hour.

Take my word, it is worth it.

Live Nation and the Fillmore

Well, I am sort of, kind of excited about live music coming to Silver Spring. If you read the article about the coming of the Fillmore it just sounds too good to be true. However, I am worried that it is too large and the tickets are going to be too expensive. They say it will make money but I doubt that it will and we taxpayers will boot the bill. Still, I know some good music is going to be there and that can't be all bad, can it?

Montgomery County's Fiscal Woes. Part 1

Well, the county is pretty much out of money. They are looking for ways to raise revenues but the issue becomes where and how to squeeze the public without the public screaming and kicking back. The problem is that there is no way that they can raise property taxes. Already having sucked that cow dry when times were good they are now in a pickle as to where to turn. The solution seems to raise fees. Everywhere you look fees are going up. Parking, tickets, licensing fees, recordation fees, library fees and death fees. Not only is this happening in our county but everywhere. National, state and local governments used to feeding off property taxes have turned to increased fees to cover the shortfall. And I ask you who is not feeling these costs.

The big issue to me is how do they expect for any sort of recovery to occur if they are slamming consumers with burdensome fee hikes. I did not have a bad year this past year but am feeling the pinch of higher fees so both my wife and I don't feel like we can spend any money. I can't see how all of these fee hikes are going to do much for our household income. So nobody feels any wealthier and nobody feels like spending money. And getting people to spend money is how you dig yourself out of a recession.

This seems to happen every time we have a downturn. I wonder why the hell can't our elected officials figure this out when the economy is booming and set aside reserves for the slow times. I suppose it is just human nature and the way our system works. When we have it, we spend it all and then when we don't have it we fly into a panic. The public then suffers because there are few options to getting lost revenue unless they squeeze the cow a bit more.

Silver Spring Market

Yes, it cold out, but you can look forward to getting your fresh farm produce and other assorted goodies from the Silver Spring Farmers Market, a regular Saturday feature these past few years. Only problem is that it only runs from April to December so you will have to wait a few months. However, it is well worth the wait and now is the time to put the market on your calendar.