Salvation comes to Colesville

When you think of fine dining, Colesville does not come to mind that often. The whole New Hampshire Avenue strip from the beltway out to Cloverly leaves much to be desired as far as good eats go. When we moved to Hillandale 25 years ago it was so bad that we were unable to get pizza delivery to our home. With the passing of time and the addition of the FDA White Oak campus the availability of eating choices has improved but that does not mean that the situation is that great. Your choices seem to range from the good, the bad and the ugly and most recent additions tend to be franchises and fast food restaurants. There are a few exceptions-usually ethnic restaurants. Most of the better new restaurants are located close-in, around the White Oak and Hillandale shopping centers. However, there is a great new Mexican Restaurant located in the lowly Colesville Shopping Center at the intersection of Randolph Rd. and New Hampshire Ave.

I discovered Pollo Mex about four months ago although they have been in their location for about a year. They are in a store front that has seen a few failed eateries come and go over the past decade but I think this one is a keeper and will be there to stay for a while. There are plenty of Hispanic restaurants in the area but not so many in Colesville. But it is not just the Hispanic menu that is drawing crowds but the excellent quality of the food and service to be found there. The place is a notch about the competition both in ambiance and taste. The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful-mostly because it is the new owners waiting tables. Service is slower than you would expect but that is fine when you are getting the right service and food.

My favorite menu item is the Mexican Tacos made with pork, and fresh red onions. Marinated in lime juice and coming with three types of sauce, these things are just heaven. It is not on the menu but if you ask they will make you fresh lemonade or limeade, served without ice. Don't be bashful about asking them to make it for you. It is worth it. You had better give this place a try soon. It is getting noticed and the crowds are starting to get large.

Sears Catalog Homes

This home is located in my old neighborhood of North Woodside. I always admired this cedar sided home and was surprised to find out that it was a Sear's Kit Home. Usually, Sear's homes in Silver Spring look more like bungalows and this is one of the only examples of this type that I know of in this area. When I lived in North Woodside over 25 years ago the home was run down and in need of repairs. But it has since been lovingly restored and shines like a jewel.

There are quite a few Sears homes in this neighborhood. Sears catalog homes are found in many neighborhood in our area. The homes were usually ordered directly from Sears and the home plans and all of the parts were shipped by rail. For this reason most Sears homes are found near a railroad line. You can find them in towns such as Takoma Park, Hyattsville and Rockville as well as Silver Spring and the District of Columbia. It was not unusual for the buyer to construct the home on their own but most purchasers hired a local contractor to put the home up for them. The homes are unusually well built and durable. Most are all wood construction but Sears did sell a variety of homes including some high end homes that featured brick and stone.

Is your home a Sears home? You can go the the Sears Archives and check out the various models and years that they were offered for sale. However, you have to be careful as there were other stores offering catalog homes in competition to Sears. JC Penny and Montgomery Wards also sold home but not as many and not for as many years as Sears. Many of these homes were very similar to those sold by Sears.

Oh, almost forgot. In the catalog this home was called The Cedars and sold for $2236.00

Silver Spring's 4th Annual Zombie Walk

This past Saturday night (October 27) we went to downtown Silver Spring to visit our favorite restaurant Thai Derm and to check out the annual Zombie Walk. It really is a blast and the event has grown exponentially over the past four years. It is a grass root event but a lot of the local merchants are beginning to buy into it. Even the AFI Silver hosted some great spooky films. Well, we had a great time checking out the multitude of zombies parading around the downtown area. Some of the costumes were just brilliant-including a few interesting pet zombies. If you have never been there you should put this event on your calendar for next year. It is a kid friendly event until 9 PM and there were lots of kids there in costume. After 9 PM it becomes an adult only event and kid zombies have to be put back in their cages for the rest of the evening.

This great event put me in a mind to compare downtown Bethesda to downtown Silver Spring. Both downtown areas are great and exciting places to spend time these days but it just seems to me that the crowds in Silver Spring are more relaxed and like to have more fun. One need only to walk past the fountain on Saturday night to see the incredibly diverse crowd of kids and adults dancing  together to some great hip hop/cha cha music. Well, I have said if before, downtown Silver Spring Rocks. I am glad that we can be a part of it.

What Buyers Want

It is hard to say where the market is going these days in this area. One thing I know, is that we currently have a shortage of good listings. There are still plenty of short sales and distressed homes coming on the market but what is missing is an inventory of homes that show well. Buyers are out there in droves. There has been a lot of pent up demand built up over the past few years. The strong local economy combined with  mortgage interest rates that are so low that it is obscene has generated a large pool of folks wanting to buy a home. However, with the recent recession under their belt many young buyers are choosing to be very picky about the homes they look at. We are not seeing the rush to plop down good money on just anything that comes on the market. Most buyers who are not investors want more bang for their buck when considering a home purchase. I would have to say that one of the biggest factors is the age of the kitchen. New or refurbished kitchens are in high demand with new bathrooms being a close second. If you are selling a home with a 20-30 year old kitchen  then you are going to have to be patient and price it correctly. There are two factors driving home sales these days- product and price. Exposure is not necessarily the issue. Any good Real Estate Company is going to get your home exposed on the Internet. But if your product (home) is not in top shape then your only choice is to consider the asking price. You must measure what the competition has to offer and act accordingly. I realize that this is not rocket science. But many sellers are having a hard time adjusting to the realities of the market. Yes, we are in a competitive market with hungry buyers. However, the buyers out there are looking for value and passing up on the average or the overpriced. They are limiting their choices to homes that are in exceptional condition and/or have an attractive low price.

Shotgun Shack?

Many of you who regularly drive on Jones Bridge Rd. in Bethesda are familiar with this home. For thirty years I have driven by the home and wondered about it. It seems so out of place in Bethesda where so many of the homes are upscale. There is a history to this home and the neighboring community that I will perhaps write about at a later date. The question for today is exactly what style of home is it? I have been doing some research but have come up with a few style descriptions that this home might fall under. I kind of think it is a two level "shotgun" style home.  Shotgun homes are more typically found in the South and generally consist of one level only. However, I did find a few examples of two level shotgun homes. If you want to see some great examples do a search for images of  shotgun homes in New Orleans. You can get a good idea of what the style is like from the many examples found in that city. The most important thing in defining a shotgun home is that there are typically no hallways. The houses lead from front to back and one room (generally the living room first) leads directly into the next, usually through a single door.

I asked my friend Gordon Bock, the former editor of  "Old House Journal" and author of a few books on renovating historic properties, and he was not sure if it is a true shotgun house. However, Gordon admitted that he was not sure which style the home could be classified under as well. How about you? Want to take a stab at it. I would be interested to hear your comments and opinions about this home.

Move to Keller Williams Capital Properties

Hey all,

I have been away from this blog for a while. Primarily because I have made a move from my old company to Keller Williams Capital Properties in Bethesda. My new company is so appealing and exciting. The model is completely different from the old "brick and mortar" institution that I have work with for so many years, and I am convinced that the training and support  the company offers will help me move into the next age of real estate. As for you my clients and prospects the change will not be so dramatic in that the things that I have done and know to work over my 28 year career are moving with me. However, Keller William's culture will allow me to offer my customers and clients a more modern bent on their real estate transactions. There is a a lot for me to learn but I look forward to it with excitement.