Go Green With a Whole House Fan.

In my community of Hillandale, Maryland a lot of the homes were built in the 1950s and 1960s.  Back in those days air conditioning was not too common and considered an expensive luxury. Many homes instead had "whole house fans" installed. Typically you see a whole house fan installed in the ceiling between the upper level of a home and the attic. They are pretty big and when turned on the force of the fan opens up louvers in the ceiling and pulls fresh air into the house through open windows and vents it out through the attic. Not only does it cool the house with fresh outside air but the fan also pushes hot air out of the attic space. This actually benefits the home in two ways as an attic without ventilation can get very hot in the summer and force your cooling system to work harder. You really do not see whole house fans installed in newer homes and I can't figure out why. Even with a central air system in place, a whole house fan can save a homeowner a wad of cash. It is estimated that a modern whole house fan uses about 1/10th the electricity that a central air conditioner would. You can still run your AC in the hottest days but when the outside temperature is below 80 and the humidity low, a whole house fan will keep you house just as cool. Here is a nice little video that I found that explains the principal of whole house fans in a quick nutshell.

Whole house fans are not too expensive but if it is not in your budget you can get yourself a high quality window fan that can just about do as good of a job as a whole house fan. I have an "Air King" window fan that goes into my window in the spring and comes out in the fall when the weather cools. It is bit noisier than a installed whole house fan but it is a "brute" and does a great job of ventilating my home.

Grace Church Rd in Silver Spring MD.

I took a minute yesterday and walked through the cemetery located on the Grounds of Grace Episcopal Church. Located on Georgia Avenue just out of downtown Silver Spring. Grace Church has a long history in Silver Spring dating back to before the American Civil War.

Back when I lived in North Woodside my wife and I liked to walk our dog in the neighborhood and would on occasion visit the cemetery. I sort of like old cemeteries but this one is unique in that there is a marker there for 17 unknown Confederate soldiers who lost their lives nearby in the summer of 1864.

In July of 1864 a Confederate force under the command of Jubal Early moved into Maryland near Sharpsburg and raised heck in Maryland. Eventually they ended up marching through Silver Spring up  to the very gates of Washington DC. Although, the region was thrown into a panic the attack proved to be just that, "a raid" and posed no serious threat to the eventual outcome of the conflict. Once the Confederate troops bumped up against the strong fortifications of Fort Stevens (located just over the DC line near where 13th Street meets Georgia Avenue) they really could not go any further. After two days of noisy skirmishing the Confederates pulled back and melted back into Virginia. Probably the most significant achievement of the raid in Silver Spring was the burning down of Montgomery Blair's home on July 12, 1864

I often wonder who these soldiers were and how they met their fates. I assume that most were killed in the fighting around Fort Stevens and not near the church. According to a earlier blog post by Allen Brown the bodies were buried at various sites around the area and gathered up for reburial well after the battle. Ironically Montgomery Blair contributed funds to this effort. Visiting the monument brings home the tragedy of the Civil War. It is hard to imagine that 150 years ago Americans were fighting and killing one another over the very ground that we live, work  and play on today. If you get a minute you should stop by the church and visit the memorial.

Streetcars are coming back to DC

This Sunday I held an open house on Potomac Street in Georgetown. It was one of those priceless Washington fall days and I took the long route back to my parked car so that I could enjoy some of the wonderful architecture unique to the neighborhood. I chanced to walk down P St. near Georgetown University and discovered that the street still had it old cobblestone pavement with a single streetcar track running down the middle.

I really loved the look of the street and if I was a resident of the city it would be just the kind of street that I would want my home on.

 I am old enough to remember the old DC Transit streetcars which were still running when my family first moved to Washington. As a small child I found them fascinating and it always exited me to go downtown with my parents and see them working their way across town. They were kind of cool looking with the ugliest green paint on them. Sad to say, I never got to ride on one before they were taken out of service.

The great news is that we will  have a new streetcar system working in the District of Columbia. It will be limited at first but I am hopeful that we will eventually see more viable streetcar lines connecting our communities. The first line along the H St corridor is slated to begin operation n 2014. Eventually the plan is for the new system to consist of 8 lines covering a total of 32 miles. The new cars are modern looking and will be mostly bright red. I am voting for the old green color but then again, I wanted the Washington Nationals to be named the Senators and nobody paid much attention to me on that matter either.

The Royal Mile Pub in Wheaton, MD

I love Scottish food (insert beer here) and music. So why have I never been to the Royal Mile Pub in Wheaton MD. We paid a vist last night on the invitation of my brother who was playing with a local band there. The pub, a Wheaton fixture for 30 years, closed down in late 2011 due to financial trouble but reopened with a new owner in January of 2012. I am glad they did and we are glad that we finally discovered the place. The food is Scottish traditional fare-solid and soulful. We split a great fruit salad with walnuts and goat cheese and then dove into their famous Scottish beef stew. It was kind of funny because my wife's stew was full of beef and my bowl did not have one single piece of beef in it! But somehow I did not mind. The stew was so darn good that I would not have cared. However, my willing wife sent some of here ample beef cubes my way and I just let the matter pass. I had a Belhaven Scottish Ale which was smooth as silk and served only slightly chilled which is the way it should be.

I highly recommend that you give the Royal Mile Pub a look. It is located on Price Ave., near the new Safeway in Wheaton. Take my word for it,  downtown Wheaton MD is destined to be the next real estate hot spot in Montgomery County. With it's own metro station and it walkable core of fine inexpensive restaurants it would not be a bad place to look for a home. If you want to see some of the homes for sale near the Wheaton Metro then click in this link.

It's all happening at the Zoo

We did the Zoo thing today with my great niece. It was a lovely fall day for a visit and we saw lots of wonderful things. We really do have one of the best zoos in the world right here in Washington, DC and it just keeps getting better. Today the place was decorated up for the zoo's annual Boo at the Zoo Halloween celebration. There are some amazing skeleton displays there. Somebody has a great sense of humor and had a good time setting them up. I highly recommend that you make it a point to get down to the zoo this week. Check the schedule though as times have changed due to the Halloween events. And remember that the Boo at the zoo requires you to pay admission.

Am I the only one in Washington unaware of the incredible new carousel that was built right in front of the big cat exhibit? Apparently, the Speedwell Conservation Carousel  opened last November and I have to admit that it is one of the most lovely carousels that I have ever seen. Admission to the zoo is free to all visitors (quite a deal these days) but a ride on the carousel will cost you three dollars. And, it is worth it as you "must" see the unique animals on the carousel up close. They are finely crafted and unique from most other carousel rides. I am telling you, go to the zoo. You can thank me later....

Short Sales-Still lurking around out there.

The improvement in home values over the past two years has greatly reduced the number of short sales on the market. For the investor or home buyer who is not pressed for time, a short sale can be a good buy. Generally you can purchase a home for below market cost because of the distressed nature of the sale. However, in many areas including the eastern and outlying portions of Montgomery County, home values have yet to appreciate above the dizzying heights achieved around 2005-6. This means that there are still many homeowners who have mortgages where the principal owned is still higher than the value of the home. For this reason, don't expect short sales to completely disappear for a few years yet. In the community where I live Hillandale MD there are now only four properties listed as short sales. This is far below the average numbers for the past few years. If you were to look in some communities in Howard or Prince George's Counties you will a greater proportion of short sales. In DC and West Montgomery County short sales have all but dried up.

There is good news in these numbers. The reduction in short sales on the market indicate a growing economy and improving housing market. This will help us all as equity in our homes in probably the biggest investment that most Americans will ever have. If you would like to explore distressed homes for sale in your community you can go to my own listing search engine. There you can use filters to find distressed homes or set up an alert to let you know when a distressed home comes on the market in your community.

The Silver Spring Library Continues to Grow

I can't help but get a little excited when I drive up Wayne Ave and see how the construction on the new Silver Spring Public Library is progressing. It will be a while before it opens (perhaps a year) but from the design and photo published it is going to be a lovely structure and add to the excitement of downtown Silver Spring. The new Metro Purple Line  is slated to go right by the library and there is to be a stop there. Hopefully, that will draw a lot of patrons as the Purple Line will run from Bethesda through Silver Spring and on to parts of Prince Georges County. My local library is the old White Oak Branch located near the intersection of New Hampshire Ave. and Colesville Rd. That particular branch has gotten a little old in the tooth but I love it dearly and spend a lot of time there. I have always loved libraries ever since I was a little kid. Lately I have been checking out a lot of books on tapes and the movie collection at the White Oak Branch has grown quite extensive. I expect the new branch will offer a whole lot more for all county residents.

For more information about the new downtown branch you can go to the Montgomery County Website associated with it.

Home Staging. Why it is so important.

Today I have posted a nice little video on home staging. Selling real estate has changed so much in the past five years. It is important for Realtors to adapt and make sure their sellers understand the philosophy behind selling a home in today's market. Frankly, staging was not such a big deal a decade ago. However, nowadays so much home marketing is dependent on the Internet. For this reason it is key to have you home in top shape the very first day you put in on the market. This means photo and video ready because with the move to high speed Internet, the average buyer is aware of your home within hours of it being entered into the local Multiple Listing Service. And, that means they are going to go on the Internet  to try and find visual images of your property. This is where staging comes into play because it is critical to make a great first impression with the buying public.

Remember the three Ds when getting your home camera ready. De-personalize, de-clutter, and decorate. Take a look at this nice, well made video that explains it all in just a few minutes. If you are thinking about selling your home, pay a visit to  my website and I will set up a free valuation for you.

Four things you need to do if you looking to buy a home.

If you have been looking for a home or are considering looking for a home in the District and most close-in Maryland communities you need to be prepared for a seller's market. This is especially true in DC, downtown Silver Spring and Bethesda where home inventory has been low for over a year now. We simply have too many buyers chasing too few homes. The result has been a steady increase in values and a lot of multiple contracts. There is no reason not to expect the same situation for the coming year. For home buyers this means difficult times ahead.

Many purchasers are losing out on homes because they are not prepared. They are either not getting into see the home in a timely manner or are not writing the best or winning offers. This can be very frustrating. If you are a buyer here are some suggestions that might help you.

1. Find an experienced Realtor and set up a buyer's consultation.
2. Select a lender and make your loan application now.
3. Find a good mobile real estate search app and download it onto your phone and pad.
4. Commit yourself to the process.

When I hold open houses, I am surprised at the number of potential buyers that are out looking at a home but have no affiliation with a Realtor. It tells me one of two things.  Either some of these prospective clients are not seriously looking or they do not understand agency and the importance of having their own advocate who will look out for their interests. A good buyer's agent will not only be there to advise you about the home and surrounding neighborhood but will be ready to act in your interest when you are ready and the need for speed is urgent. Find a good agent and put him or her to work for you.

You must have your ducks in a row as far as the loan process goes. As a listing agent, whenever there are multiple offers, the first thing I do is look for offers that can be weeded out of the process. This serves to help me and the sellers as well. The first offers to get rejected are those that are not perfect financially. To protect my sellers, I need to know with confidence that your loan will get approved. You the buyer must be working with a reliable local lender (forget about getting a loan over the Internet) and have already made application.  Along with your offer, you need to submit a signed financial information sheet, a solid lender's commitment letter and the name of a contact with the mortgage company that I can actually reach by phone. It is important that your lender and loan officer are available for questions from the listing agent. Sometimes a quick phone discussion about a minor detail will make the difference between acceptance and rejection.

If you have been looking at homes on Trulia and Zillow  now it is time to wean yourself off of these web sites and get a good mobile search app that is linked to the local MLS service. I get frequent complaints from clients about how out of date these large web sites can be. In a competitive market you need an app that works all the time and is completely up to date. We live in a world of instant information. In a hot market the quicker you know the better.  Why not start with Keller Williams new mobile app? Click here to download it. Then ask your agent to set you up with a listing alert that will send you new listings as soon as they are placed in the Multiple Listing Service.

This is not a time to be indecisive. Either you have a need to find a new home or you don't. I have seen so many times when a casual buyer walks into my open house on a Sunday and all of a sudden finds themselves in the home of their dreams. However so frequently this sort of buyer is just not prepared to act quickly and as a result they lose out on a home that the should have had.  Don't waste your time and set yourself up for heartbreak. Take the leap and commit to finding your home. Then give me a call. I will make sure that you will get the home that is the right fit for you.