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.