Northern Virginia's Real Estate Blog

Great Places for Kids

2011-08-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate as a child to have a family that was invested in culture and the arts. Though we never had a lot of money, I was able to attend a great deal of concerts, plays, museums and arts camps, all of which helped to enrich my development and stimulate my creativity. I was similarly fortunate to have grown up in the DC area, as it is full of theatres and other art centers. It is easy to find places that are devoted to encouraging creativity and cultural awareness in young people regardless of their financial means, which is important in today’s uncertain economy.

Summer is drawing to a close, but there is still plenty of time to introduce the younger members of your family to something new and exciting. Here are a few places you can check out without having to drive too far.

Imagination Stage in Bethesda is one place I wish I’d known about as a kid. This theater company not only has a full and active, year-round play season; they also offer after-school programs, seasonal camps, and classes for kids from 12 months old up to grade 12. Their Early Childhood program is particularly impressive, focusing on each age group’s developing skills. It is Imagination Stage’s goal to be accessible to everyone, regardless of what difficulties they might face: for example, they offer scholarships based on financial need, and there are ASL interpreters for specific performances of each play they produce. August 14 is the last performance of their highly-praised adaptation of The Wind in the Willows. Their next play, Aladdin’s Luck, runs September 23 – October 30, and promises to be a wonderful lesson for kids about the value of being yourself. Check out their great website here.

As the nation’s capital city, DC is renowned for its collection of museums. The Smithsonian Institution is unrivaled for the comprehensiveness of its collections, spanning topics from American History to taxidermy. The area is also home to a number of smaller niche museums, less impressive in their collection sizes but fascinating in their focus. The most unique museum I have encountered so far is the National Pinball Museum. Located in The Shops at Georgetown Park, the building hosts about 300 machines, displayed in rotating featured exhibits that highlight iconic artists and eras of the game’s history. If you have older kids, the museum offers classes in pinball machine restoration, designing machine art, woodworking, and pinball electronics. These classes are only available to kids 15 and up, but the museum is a great place for parents to share their childhood memories with kids of any age. The Pinball Museum is being relocated soon, but you can take advantage of their lowered prices at their current location through September 5. Visit their website here.

The Children’s Science Center is a place to keep your eye on for the future. It has not yet opened, but planning for construction is underway, they already have a well-established internet presence, and they have booths at local events to engage the community. Their website allows and encourages community participation, so you and your kids can contribute ideas for what kinds of exhibits you would like to see. The museum is already listing exhibits they would like to include, such as an Outer Space area, a Chesapeake Bay exhibit, Environmental Science, and a Surgery Simulator. You can also get involved by having your family participate in Operation Firefly, observing and tracking local firefly populations. Their website is here.

Bethany Fuller
The Mike Webb Team, LLC

Cultural Festivals

2011-06-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

Being one of the nation’s busiest cities, Washington DC is host to many different cultures. DC and its surrounding towns are also host to a huge number of fascinating cultural festivals, the likes of which often cannot be found anywhere else.

Turkish Festival
Voted 2011’s Best Festival in DC, the American Turkish Association’s Turkish Festival brings the culture of Turkey to the streets of DC. Browse and haggle in an authentic Turkish Bazaar. Drink dark Turkish coffee and have fortune tellers read the grinds at the bottom of your cup. Watch artists perform traditional music and folk dancing. This year’s festival is on October 2, from 11 am to 7 pm. Metro accessible and with free admission, this is a perfect opportunity for the whole family to have a rich, educational experience in the nation’s capital. Read more here.

Fiesta Asia!
Fiesta Asia! is a month-long event that takes place each May throughout the DC metropolitan area. The different events, starting with the Fiesta in Silver Spring and ending with their famed street fair on Pennsylvania Avenue, cover fashion, music, film, traditional art and dance, martial arts, food, and much more. Kids’ activities include crafts such as henna painting, origami, and sari tying lessons. The festival encompasses all of mainland Asia, South Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the Middle East. Check it out here.

Festa Italiana
This October 9, help recreate Washington DC’s old Little Italy on 3rd Street NW. Every festival features cultural food created by street vendors and cuisine crafted by Italian chefs, such as gelato. Enjoy traditional and contemporary music and dancing, as well as Italy’s finest cars. Admire artisans while they give impressive trade demonstrations. Learn about this year’s educational topics: Risorgimento, the Italian unification, and Italian immigrants in America. There is even a family circus! Visit the festival admission-free, a block from Judiciary Square Metro stop. Learn more here.

Arlington Area Charity Events

2011-06-14T08:35:00.000-07:00

As a hub of activity for the tri-state region, the Washington, DC area is a great place to host charity events. Here are a few of the events that happen annually in the area, so keep an eye out for when they next roll around!

Sweet Charity
Sweet Charity is probably my favorite charity event so far. Participating chefs use donated chocolate to make any number of confections, from truffles to cakes to dessert sauces, in any creative way they can imagine. There is a silent auction that uses a huge number of donated items, such as jewelry and time shares. There is even a fashion show that showcases models wearing the chefs’ more out-of-the-box creations. The funds raised by this event go to the Heart of America Foundation’s Books from the Heart. This charity – commended by figures such as the Dalai Lama, Barbara Bush, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu – collects unused books and donates them to the libraries of schools in depressed areas, as well as to the children of impoverished families. Check out Sweet Charity and the Heart of America here.

National Capital Barbecue Battle
Voted a “Top Ten BBQ Event” by the Travel Channel and Discovery.com, the National Capital Barbecue Battle is taking place this year on June 25-26 on Pennsylvania Avenue. With major barbecue competitions, a sampling pavilion, cold beer, local celebrities and a huge entertainment tent, the Battle is considered by many locals to be a “must not miss” summer activity. The proceeds from the Battle go to benefit the Metropolitan Police Boys and Girls Clubs, which provides programs – in categories such as leadership, the arts, life skills, and sports – to help children develop into productive men and women. Learn more at www.bbqdc.com.

Taste of Arlington
Over 40 local restaurants participate in Taste of Arlington every spring. Held in the streets of Ballston, this festival showcases local flavor and entertainment. Patrons purchase tickets that can be redeemed for “tastes” of food and drink from participating restaurants, which compete in the categories of best Appetizer, Main Course, and Dessert. A pet friendly, easy-to-access, and Green event, the festival is truly in the spirit of the Arlington community. Some proceeds of the 2011 event were donated to the Virginia Hospital Center, Phoenix Houses of the Mid-Atlantic (an addiction treatment and counseling organization), and the Arlington Community Foundation. For information about the participating restaurants and entertainment for the 2012 Taste of Arlington, click here.

Education in DC

2011-06-02T10:53:00.000-07:00

Not only is the Arlington area a fantastic place to get around easily, find inexpensive entertainment, and spend time with your family, it is also a great area for educational immersion for all ages.

Artisphere

With concerts, galleries, a theatre, film festivals and classes, the Artisphere may be one of Arlington’s most valuable resources for the arts. It is open long and late and has reasonable ticket prices (averaging $15, with many free events). Their mission is to “Connect people to the fun and wonder found in creativity, celebrate diverse human expression, and advance art that explores the ideas and issues of our time.”

What is going on right now? There is a Woody Allen film festival throughout the month of June. An ecological art exhibition called “Contain, Maintain, Sustain” investigates creative ways in which we can create a more sustainable environment for ourselves. Use a giant Etch-a-Sketch to create stereoscopic 3D images. Use special scanners to translate numbers on packaging barcodes into music.
For more information, visit www.artisphere.com.

National Book Festival

Held in September on the National Mall, the Library of Congress’ annual event celebrates authors, readers, and the worlds of imagination accessible through books. With pavilions and presentations in the categories of Children, Teens & Children, Fiction & Mystery, History & Biography, Contemporary Life and Poetry & Prose, readers will find something interesting for them no matter what their favorite genre. There is a sales pavilion run by Borders, featuring books selected by the given year’s featured authors. There is also a Pavilion of the States, honoring each US state’s literary tradition.

For more information, dates, and a list of featured authors, visit www.loc.gov/bookfest/.

Filmfest DC

Simply a festival for people who love movies the world over! 2012’s festival will be held April 12-22 in theatres throughout the District of Columbia. Films featured participate in juried competitions for various awards, ranging in topic from social justice and popularity to humanity and films deserving of increased recognition. Check out www.filmfestdc.org to see if the festival will be running a film that might inspire you.

Bethany Fuller
The Mike Webb Team, LLC

Regional Home Sales Take a Dive in April.

2011-05-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

The April real estate market across the inner suburbs of Northern Virginia took a steep dive compared to last April. According to Scott McCaffrey of the Sun Gazette, while median sales prices in the overall region were up slightly, total sales were down 24.5%, and transactions in Arlington county itself were down 28%. In the 22204 ZIP code, there were 34 transactions, compared to 67 last year. This does not look good for the state of local real estate.

But why such a marked difference? Last year, homeowners were able to take advantage of a federal tax credit for first time home buyers. "First time" was defined simply as not having owned a home for three years prior, which gave broad allowances to people whose living situations may have changed. The tax credit was to amount to up to 10% of the cost of the home, capping at $8,000, and provided buyers remain in the home for three years they are not required to pay back the credit.

This variable makes market analysis difficult. It may be unwise to compare this April's market to April of last year. Perhaps it would be better to compare it to before the tax credit was put into place to determine whether the market is truly suffering.

Bethany Fuller
The Mike Webb Team, LLC

Arlington's "Car-Free Diet."

2011-05-13T09:36:00.000-07:00

I am from a small town in Southern Maryland, where the closest grocery store was 15 miles away, the closest mall 30 miles away, and the closest airport 60 miles away. We had to drive everywhere. When I moved to Arlington, a friend of mine suggested that I go “car-free” and take advantage of the public transportation that is available instead.

Why go car-free? As carfreediet.com says, “Each time you leave your car at home — choosing instead to ride ART or Metro, bike, walk or telework — you can save money, improve your health and clean our environment.” This is all true; I am still paying for my car insurance, but I fill my gas tank about once a month. I’ve lost a pants size in the last month just from walking to and from bus stops (kind of amazing what that little bit of extra activity can do). And so far this year, car-free dieters have apparently saved over 44 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. It feels great to be contributing to Arlington’s smaller carbon footprint.

I am certainly no expert on public transportation yet, but I can still share a few things I have learned so far.

The first thing I picked up was a SmarTrip card from the Commuter Store. These cost $10 - $5 for the card, with $5 fare already loaded onto the card. You can load more fare onto the card on the bus, online, or at any Metro station – I find it easiest to add more fare at a Metro station because there is no risk of falling in front of a bus full of people. You can also register your card online in case you like to load a lot of fare onto it, so that if you lose it you can cancel your previous card and order a replacement. Using a SmarTrip card is easy: just tap it on the card target below the money slot on the bus, it beeps, and you know your fare has been subtracted. One of the great things about SmarTrip cards is that they keep track of whether you are transferring from another bus or Metro train. If you transfer within two hours, you get a discount on your fare.

I also picked up bus schedules for buses that run near my house. Even better to use than the paper schedules is wmata.com. You can plug in your address, the destination, and what time you would like to leave after or arrive by, and the website will generate itineraries to tell you several ways to get to your destination. wmata.com also takes delays into account while calculating your route. It includes Metrorail (the Washington metropolitan area public train system), Metrobus (red, white and blue buses), and ART buses (the green and white buses).

Finally, it is just healthier to walk or bike than it is to drive. Arlington has been named a Walk and Bike Friendly Community, and all the crosswalks and smooth sidewalks prove it. There are over 100 miles of multi-use trails to use in the county, so get outside and leave your car at home. You will thank me for it!

Bethany Fuller
The Mike Webb Team, LLC

Free Music

2011-05-09T10:44:00.001-07:00

My recent theme of how to live affordably continues! The possibilities for free entertainment in the DC / Arlington area are enormous. There are free movies, free museums, free theatres, and as I am covering today, free music.

In the Grand Foyer of the Kennedy Center for the Arts in Washington, DC lies the Millennium Stage. Every day at 6 pm, there are free performances for anyone who wishes to attend. The stage features everything from family entertainment to international culture. Tonight’s performance is organist Mickey Thomas Terry, performing “a program including works by Charles Tournemire, George Walker, Marcel Dupre, Horatio Parker, J.S. Bach, Thomas Kerr, and Franz Liszt.” All performances are broadcast live at kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium.

The 16^th annual Columbia Pike Blues Festival is on June 18, at Walter Reed and Columbia Pike. The Mike Webb Team, LLC has sponsored this event for several years! Cold beer and hot Blues make for a great day in the streets of Arlington. This year features Tinsley Ellis, who has played internationally alongside such greats as Stevie Ray Vaughn and Gov’t Mule. Learn more at columbia-pike.org.

Voted the top tourist attraction in America, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival is more than just music. Every year different countries and American states or regions are featured, with food, music, theatre, stories, crafts, professions and more being spotlighted. This year, the programs feature Colombia, the Peace Corps, and Rhythm & Blues music. The 45^th annual festival takes place on the National Mall, from June 30 – July 4 and July 7-11.

Bethany Fuller

The Mike Webb Team, LLC

Volunteering

2011-05-05T10:36:00.000-07:00

Need something to do but don’t have any cash? Try volunteering! Community service does not have to be dull drudgery. There are plenty of cool places to suit your interests.

King Street Cats is a self-described “free-roaming cat orphanage” that rescues felines and gives them a warm, loving place to stay until they can be adopted out to proper homes. They maintain an average of 30 cats at any given time, and are run and supported entirely by volunteers. You can help them with wide variety of tasks, from volunteering medical expertise and fostering newborn kittens, to jobs as simple as playing and cuddling with the kitties. They also have an annual theatre event that serves as a fundraiser and public awareness promoter. This year’s event is the play Move Over Mrs. Markham, which will be staged at the Little Theater of Alexandria, with tickets $40 in advance or $50 at the door. Check them out at kingstreetcats.org.

Habitat for Humanity is an organization determined to eliminate homelessness by building better housing for those in need. Candidates for new homes live in unsafe or inadequate housing, make much less money than the average local, and are willing to commit to hundreds of hours of volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. Whether the project is building a home from the ground up for disadvantaged families, or remodeling old homes for those unable to do so themselves, the organization relies almost entirely on the generosity of volunteers. Visit habitatnova.org to get more information about how you can help!

The Red Cross is part of a movement devoted to international disaster relief. They are present at the scenes of tornados, earthquakes, hurricanes and wars. Their logo is the most recognizable one in the world; where you see it, you know help is on the way. Your skills are needed to help with everything from nursing and administrating blood donations, to rescuing pets and distributing food to disaster victims. You can read up on the National Capital Region chapter of the Red Cross at redcrossnca.org.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is the country’s largest mentoring program, pairing volunteers (or “Bigs”) with children in need of guidance (or “Littles”). Bigs and Littles spend time together a few times a month in order to establish a meaningful, trust-based relationship. By participating in fun activities with their Littles, these role models encourage development of values that will hopefully last a lifetime. According to the website, a study concluded that Littles are 46% less likely to use illegal drugs and 52% less likely to skip school. Check out bbbs.org if you are interested in becoming a Big!

Bethany Fuller

The Mike Webb Team, LLC

May Activities

2011-05-04T08:54:00.000-07:00

May is a great month to spend time with your family. While there is plenty of sun, the weather is not yet too hot, and since kids are getting antsy for the end of the school year they have a lot of energy. Here are three ideas to help you get out of the house and make memories with the family near your Arlington home.

Learn to Play the Ukulele

Want to bring a smile to people at your next party? Have everyone learn to play the ukulele. The ukulele is a surprisingly versatile instrument. Did you know, for example, that while most types of ukulele are strung and tuned like a lute, the baritone ukulele mirrors a bass guitar instead?

If you join the Northern Virginia Ukulele Ensemble, you will get discounts on music and instruments at stores like NoVA Music Center and the House of Musical Traditions. There are several meet-ups every month as well; upcoming is the “Night of 1000 Dylans” at the Creative Alliance in Baltimore.

If you are not sure about the versatility and appeal of the ukulele, check out Victoria Vox at www.victoriavox.com. If you like her sound, she will be at Night of 1000 Dylans, as well as the IOTA Club and Café meet-up on May 26.

Bike DC

This year’s Bike DC is on Sunday, May 22. Thousands of people will gather to bike the streets of DC, closed to traffic for the duration of the event. Beginning on the National Mall in front of the Capitol Building, the route is 20 scenic miles, with plenty of rest areas to stop and take in the sights of our nation’s capitol city. If 20 miles seems a bit too long for your family, worry not! There will be several short cuts for you to take advantage of. Kids 12 and under bike for free. Learn more about the event at www.bikedc.net.

Kayaking

For more unique views of Washington, DC, try kayaking. There are several boating companies that will not only rent out kayaks, but teach you to use them as well. Potomac Paddlesports offers everything from quick how-to’s to in-depth classes on rolling your kayak. They also offer Guided Tours for scenic areas of the Potomac River, C&O Canal, the DC monuments, and more.

Mother's Day

2011-04-28T17:13:00.001-07:00

Mother’s Day is May 8^th! My mother always says she does not want anything for Mother’s Day and that having me as a child is gift enough, but I know better! Buying gifts for Mom can be a lot of fun if you do not wait until the last minute, but in case you do, there is no need to panic. Here are a few ideas to help you along.

Flowers

Bouquets are the go-to Mother’s Day gift. Fragrant and colorful, they can brighten up the room for days. Check out Buckingham Florist, Inc. on Glebe Road. Their website lists beautiful bouquets in pots, baskets, and vases from $29.99 up.

If your mother keeps a garden, why not go for a potted plant or flat instead? Every year, I buy a flat of a different type of annual flower (one that has to be replanted each year) and plant them around the house for her. This gives her yard lasting color without needing to get grubby in the dirt herself! Campbell & Ferrara garden center, on Little River Turnpike in Alexandria, offers a huge selection of plants.

Tea

Another great gift is the gift of a good experience. Take Mom out to tea!

Teaism, on Connecticut Avenue in DC, is an Asian-inspired tea house with a wide variety of teas and gourmet foods to choose from. If heading into the city is not her idea of fun, you can order loose teas and scone mixes from their website and make a classy high tea for her with your own hands! It’s easy!

A truly excellent day would be taking her to a Tour and Tea at the National Cathedral, offered every Tuesday and Wednesday at 1:30. The highlights of each tour are displayed on the cathedral’s website. The tour is followed by a high tea with traditional English foods, at a table located in the Pilgrim Observation Gallery. Follow up the tour and tea with a walk through the beautiful cathedral gardens. At $25 per person, this is an affordable and very fun experience for you two to share.

Home Furnishings on a Budget

If, like me, you have been hit by the downswing of the economy, there are still plenty of very affordable and interesting gifts to be found. Check out the World Market, which has four locations in the Arlington area. They have a great selection of international foods and gifts under $30, from games and wine racks to throw blankets and blown-glass bottle stoppers.

Bethany Fuller

The Mike Webb Team, LLC

Arlington, Virginia: National History. Local Flavor.

2010-05-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

U.S. v Czech Republic (Soccer Friendly)

2010-05-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

The United States Men's National Soccer Team plays their first World Cup warm-up game today in a friendly against the Czech Republic at Rentschler Field in Hartford, Connecticut.

Coach Bob Bradley will use this game to test some of the fringe players and whittle down the 30-man preliminary roster to the final 23 that will make the plane to South Africa for the World Cup, just three weeks away. Bradley will probably use another friendly, on Saturday against Turkey at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, to fine-tune and build chemistry within his starting eleven and subs he will most likely use at the tournament.

Bradley probably has most of the squad penciled in already, but will look for a few fringe players to shine tonight to grab the last few spots. A few key areas he will have to watch are at forward, where Brian Ching, Edson Buddle, Hercules Gomez, Eddie Johnson, and Robbie Findley are all fighting for 2 or 3 slots, midfield, where a similar battle is waging between DeMarcus Beasley, Sacha Kljestan, and Alejandro Bedoya, and defense, where it will be important to see just who is fit with several injuries popping up at the recent camp at Princeton.

The Czech team will feature just 4 players that were on the 2006 World Cup roster when they defeated the Americans 3-0 in the group stage. The Czech Republic will be watching the games from home as they failed to qualify for this summer's tournament. Czech stars Tomas Rosicky and Milan Baros are out with injuries.

Arlington, VA; Stress-Free

2010-05-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

Feeling stressed? Move to Arlington.

According to the Associated Press Economic Stress Index, which measures counties with populations of at least 25,000, Arlington County was the 14th least economically stressed county in the entire country in the month of March.

So if you've been feeling strained, tense, and/or worried lately think about buying a house in Arlington, Virginia; one of the least economically stressed places in the United States. After all, what causes general stress more than the the economy and finances?

Most Endangered Places in D.C.

2010-05-19T07:08:00.000-07:00

The D.C. Preservation League has announced annually a list of the Most Endangered Places in Washington, D.C. since 1996.

It does so in order to draw attention to historically, culturally, and archetecturally signifant places which are threatened by what it deems to be ill-advised alterations or demolition due to neglect or abandonment.

The 2010 list includes Anne Archibald Hall, the District of Columbia Historic Firehouses, the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, and several buildings in the Anacostia Historic District.

The Anne Archibald Hall, on 19th Street and Massachusettes Ave NW, was nominated by the Capitol Hill Restoration Society. It was constructed in 1931/1932 and was the Nurses' Residence for Gallinger Municipal Hospital (later renamed DC General Hospital) which served the area's poor. The U-Shaped brick structure with limestone trim is the last intact example the hospitals Colonial Revival buildings. It was successfully nominated to the DC Inventory of Historic Sites in 2006 in response to a redevelopment plan that called for the removal of all hospital buildings. Since that time rehabilitation of the Hall ceased to materialize and it now suffers from deferred maintenance and water damage. Unless the District government takes to secure and stabalize the building, it's potential role in any future redevelopment plans for Reservation 13 could be compromised. The building was renamed Anne Archibald Hall in 1952 in honor of the local philanthropist and advocate for the hospital's nurses and patients.

The District of Columia Historic Firehouses were nominated by Sally Berk and D. Peter Sefton. The designers of these buildings include Leon Dessez, the firms of Wood, Donn, and Deming, and Hornblower and Marshall, as well as the Office of the Municipal Architecture. These structures, like Engine Company 22 on Georgia Ave NW, have been in use for over 100 years. They are victims of long-term neglect, delayed rehabilitation, and ill-advised alterations, and threatened by unsympathetic modernization plans. The DCPL would like to focus attention on these important works of public architecture and ward off complacent assumptions that designated landmarks are too self-evidently significant to be remodeled or are invulnerable from neglect or harm.

The Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, at 1518 M. Street NW, was self-nominated. It is home to D.C.'s oldest African Methodist Episcopal congregation. The Gothic style brick building, designed by Samuel G.T. Morsell, has been a bastian of civil and human rights since it's dedication in 1886 and was rooted in opposition to slavery and the belief that African Americans are entitled to equality. Frederick Douglass's funeral service was held at the church. The building is in need of extensive repairs and renovation. The exterior walls suffer from cracks and water infiltration and outdated mechanical systems are taxing the already limited financial resources of the congregation. The DCPL aims to marshal the expertise and resources of the preservation community needed to assist the congregation.

The buildings nominated by the Historic Anacostia Block Association and David Gerber include 2228, 2234, and 2238 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE as well as 2253 Mount View Pl SE. These structures date back to the turn of the 20th century. They are currently in very poor condition and several are for sale which could lead to demolition in order to make room for commercial use. The DCPL and HABA hope to team with the current owners in order to stabalize these structures, provide basic maintenance, and return them to properties of productive use.

The mission of the D.C. Preservation League is to preserve, protect, and enhance the historic and built environment of Washington D.C. through advocacy and education.

If You List It, Will They Come?

2010-05-14T06:07:00.000-07:00

The property that was featured in the 1989 Field of Dreams movie starring Kevin Costner is up for sale. The land, listed at $5.4 million, comes complete with the iconic two bedroom, one and a half bathroom farmhouse with the wrap-around porch, 193 acres of surrounding farm land, six outbuildings, and the baseball diamond (Shoeless Joe Jackson not included).

The site, near Dyersville, Iowa, has been in owner Don Lansing's family for more than a century. He and his wife Becky are ready to retire and give up the property, which has been a popular tourist destination. They have maintained the baseball field built by Universal Studios and there is even a concession stand.

The movie was based on a book by W.P. Kinsella, called Shoeless Joe.

Twelve Home Design Trends

2010-05-13T09:16:00.000-07:00

12 Hot Home Ideas

From induction cooking to relaxation retreats, these home-furnishings trends are catching fire.

By Barbara Ballinger February 2010 (REALTOR Magazine)

People today seek to personalize, economize, and make the most of their space—inside and out.

Today’s home owners seek style and comfort, but they’re ever mindful of the toll that our choices can take on the environment. These 12 home-furnishings trends reflect current priorities and aspirations. Some of these phenomena will inevitably fizzle, while others will become mainstays of the home, but for now they are attracting lots of industry and consumer buzz. Here’s a rundown:

#1 Induction cooking
Why trendworthy: Thirty percent more efficient than gas or electric.
Cropping up in more and more homes, induction cooking uses a power coil to produce a high-frequency electromagnetic field that heats only the contents of a magnetic pan, leaving the surrounding surface cooler to the touch. By maintaining a precise temperature, it immediately stops heat generation when the cook element is turned off or cookware is removed, and it doesn’t produce an open flame that heats up a kitchen, says Malte Peters, product manager for cooking products at BSH Home Appliances, parent company of Bosch and Thermador. One downside: Special cookware must be used. Retail prices range from $1,500 to $4,399.

#2 Environmentally friendly cabinetry
Why trendworthy: Popular with green movement.
With sustainable products continuing to draw fans, more kitchen and bathroom cabinets are expected to be fabricated from green materials, says John Troxell Jr., director of design at Wood-Mode Inc., a large manufacturer (www.wood-mode.com). But it’s not materials alone that make consumers pick one line over another, Troxell says. "Where materials come from, how cabinets are manufactured, and whether they’re finished without pollutants will be more important. While bamboo is renewable, it comes from halfway around the world, so is it environmentally friendly given transportation costs?" asks Troxell. He predicts greater interest in indigenous walnut and cherry, less in endangered mahogany and rosewood.

#3 Energy-sipping refrigerators
Why trendworthy: Pares the electricity consumption of a standard guzzler.
Future refrigerators will be better insulated to improve energy efficiency. The challenge is to add insulation without reducing interior space, says Matthew Kueny, senior manager of product development at Miele, which is working to provide a solution (www.miele.com). Also on the horizon: New interior lighting that’s more energy-efficient and that better illuminates dark corners without distorting the look of the food, which is common with the blue hue cast by LED lighting. Miele refrigerator-freezers start at almost $7,000, while simpler conventional models start at $600.

#4 Integrated stone composite sinks
Why trendworthy: They blend seamlessly into a countertop for a cleaner look, plus they’re more durable and easier to clean.
Stainless steel sinks are still common, but stone composite designs built into a countertop are coming on strong, says Tim Maicher, director of marketing at Blanco (www.blancoamerica.com). The prime motivator is growing consumer demand for easier to clean, more durable surfaces that don’t scratch or stain. Blanco’s Silgranit II line offers another perk: multiple colors and textures. The designs will reflect demand for longer, deep models, yet not so deep that aging home owners have trouble setting down or removing pots and pans.

#5 White and beige color palettes, some grays and pinks, bold accents
Why trendworthy: Less intense colors to calm jittery nerves.
Color seers may disagree about which palette will dominate, but they note that softer backdrops are everywhere—offering serenity to soothe frayed nerves as the economy remains turbulent. Mary Lawlor, color stylist with Kelly-Moore Paints (www.kellymoore.com), thinks whites and beiges will remain most popular and that bright colors will provide accents. Anne McGuire and Sue Kim, affiliated with Valspar Manufacturing Co. (www.valspar.com), see the most popular colors as water-inspired blues and greens, along with underwater corals. And Sylvia O’Brien, founder of Colour Theory (www.colourtheory.net), notes that earth tones provide tranquil reactions to the technical coldness in our midst and pink, especially with a pearlized finish, is popular as an accent because of its perceived healing power.

#6 Condo home offices
Why trendworthy: To help home owners maximize small spaces—and obtain a tax deduction.
Owners of single-family homes have long been able to convert a bedroom, den, or basement to an office, but down the road more condo buyers and apartment renters will find homes with small, dedicated spaces for business use, says Robert Kaliner, president of the Ascend Group, developer of the luxury Georgica condominiums in New York, where each glass-wrapped unit will have a home office (www.georgicany.com). Steve Kliegerman, executive director at Halstead Development, which is marketing units with home offices in another New York building, The Fitzgerald (www.thefitzgeraldcondos.com) in Harlem, sees a couple of factors behind the trend: Older, retrofitted office buildings tend to come with nooks that lend themselves to becoming small offices, and the home office tax deduction gives these spaces special appeal.

#7 Interior wall treatments besides paint
Why trendworthy: Easier to install; more personalized patterns, colors, textures.
Less popular in recent years, wall treatments other than paint are making a comeback, says Atlanta-based interior designer Brian Patrick Flynn, who cites several reasons: new bolder graphic wallpaper patterns, some in shiny metallics and textured leathers, and easier and less costly application due to new primers. Wallpaper is cropping up on a single focal wall, which saves money. Flynn predicts more home owners will cover an entire wall with an enlarged photo printed in sections.

#8 Do-it-yourself projects
Why trendworthy: Less costly, more personal.
The DIY trend keeps growing as home owners look to cut costs and return to basics. Instruction is readily available in classes, on the Web, and in books. Example: Designer Fu-Tung Cheng (www.chengdesign.com), who helped make concrete a chic, green material for interior surfaces, is now helping even nonhandy home owners construct concrete countertops with his book and DVD, Concrete Countertops Made Simple (Taunton Press, 2008). "The DIY movement represents a trend away from overly complex projects that require professional expertise. The simpler designs are also more timeless and individualistic and more likely to touch the heart," Cheng says.

#9 Outdoor curtains
Why trendworthy: Even backyard "rooms" require some privacy.
As more people construct "rooms" in their backyards for purposes such as swimming, cooking and eating, and relaxing under a pergola, the need for curtains has arisen. New fabrics stand up better to outdoor conditions and visually soften hardscape surfaces. They also screen out nosy neighbors, says designer Flynn. Fabric runs $12 to $80 per square foot, plus installation.

#10 Dual-flush, environmentally efficient toilets, plus more healthful designs
Why trendworthy: Greater recognition that liquid and solid waste have different flush requirements.
Though widely available abroad, dual-flush toilets—with separate mechanisms to handle liquid or solid waste—are gaining attention here, says Lenora Campos with Toto USA, a leading toilet manufacturer (www.totousa.com). The main challenge isn’t convincing home owners to buy the models, she says, but getting them to remember to use the right button. More companies may follow Toto’s lead to construct toilets with glazed concave rims and water nozzles that repel bacteria and wall-mounted models that make cleaning underneath easier. Toto’s Aquia II dual-flush models run from $457 to $686, while the company’s conventional single-flush models range from $350 to $525.

#11 3-D HDTV
Why trendworthy: Images are becoming more lifelike.
HDTVs display a beautiful picture, but they can’t offer a 3-D presentation like your local IMAX movie theater does. The reason: True high-definition 3-D in the home currently lacks a standard and is still too expensive for most consumers. That should change, in part because electronics manufacturers are developing a standard format. When that happens, prices should drop, says Dave Pedigo, senior director of technology for CEDIA (the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association), a national trade association.

#12 Relaxation retreats
Why trendworthy: Increased need to unwind.
Who cares about a home being a castle when most just want a place to unwind? Atlanta architect Johnna Barrett (www.barrettdesigninc.com) has designed several relaxation rooms, where creature comforts include natural materials, color kinetics, programmable LED lighting, candlelight, aromatherapy, a sound-blocking machine, flat-panel TV with DVD player, refrigerator with purified water, and a door. Depending on room size and amenities included, a retreat room could cost from $3,000 to $10,000.

U.S. World Cup Preliminary Roster

2010-05-12T06:37:00.001-07:00

Bob Bradley, coach of the United State Men's National Soccer Team, announced the list of 30 players who will train at Princeton before the World Cup in South Africa next month. The squad will need to be widdled down to 23 before their first game against England on June 12th.

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton), Tim Howard (Everton)

Breakdown - Howard is the undisputed number one netminder leaving Guzan and Hahnemann to duke it out for second choice. Guzan backs up American keeper Brad Friedel at Villa and has seen limited action this season in a handful of Carling Cup and F.A. Cup games while Hahnemann, at age 37, usurped Wayne Hennessey in December as the number one choice for Wolves. In any case, all three will be taken to South Africa. Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake) could have been brought into camp to compete but it wasn't necessary since the three already listed stood head and shoulders above both Rimando and another candidate in Troy Perkins (DC United).

Defenders: Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes)*, Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jay DeMerit (Watford), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Jonathan Spector (West Ham)

Breakdown - The biggest question mark for the American back four, aside from Onyewu's health, is at left back. Pearce has been less than impressive in his performances for the national team while his MLS compatriot Bornstein has been extremely inconsistent; going from hero, as his game-tying goal against Costa Rica clinched America's first place spot in CONCACAF qualifying, to goat, in a friendly against the Netherlands where he was responsible for both Dutch goals, giving up a penalty kick on a careless foul and also deflecting a shot into his own net.
A few other options would be to play Spector on the left side where is comfortable, playing there for his club in England, or sliding left-footed captain Bocanegra from central defense. Both have capable backups at their preferred position, Cherundolo at right back and DeMerit at central defense respectively, but Spector may be the best choice because of Bocanegra's lack of pace.
The 6'4" defenseman known as "Gooch" is probably the best defender on Bradley's team but is coming off a major injury that saw him miss most of the Serie A season for the Rossoneri. With nearly no playing time with his club it will be important to see if he can get back to match fitness. Goodson provides depth in the center.
Notable exclusions include fan favorite Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew) and former Mexican national Edgar Castillo (UANL).

Midfielders: DeMarcus Beasley (Rangers), Alejandro Bedoya (Orebro), Michael Bradley (Borussia Monchengladbach), Ricardo Clark (Eintracht Frankfurt), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Benny Feilhaber (Aurhus), Stuart Holden (Bolton), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), Jose Francisco Torres (Pachuca)

Breakdown - This unit his headed by America's greatest footballer of all time, Landon Donovan. He will probably start on the left as he has done since last summer, but may switch to the right where he shined in a loan stint in England at Everton.
This would largely depend on whether Bradley shifts Clint Dempsey from right wing to a forward position, which I will discuss in the next paragraph. However, should Dempsey move up top another option to replace him is Stuart Holden, a promising youngster who moved overseas in January and is also coming off an injury.
Another question is who will partner with Michael Bradley, the coach's son, in central midfield. The choice is between Edu, who has performed well for his Scottish club since recovering from injury, and Clark who stepped in admirably during Edu's absence from the national team. Clark had a recent injury spell after signing for a German club in January (have you noticed the pattern yet?).
Feilhaber and Torres can provide depth in the center and out left where a familiar face is back in the fold after losing Bradley's favor at the Confederations Cup last June. Beasley has made it back onto the roster after a terrible blunder on an American corner kick led to an embarrassing counter-attack goal for the Brazilians.
Missing the cut were Freddy Adu (Aris Thessaloniki), who has failed to live up to his expectations as a youth, and talented Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04) who switched affiliation from Germany but had several setbacks in his rehab from a leg injury.

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Villarreal), Edson Buddle (LA Galaxy), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake), Hercules Gomez (Puebla), Eddie Johnson (Aris Thessaloniki)

Breakdown - The only sure thing in the list of forwards is Altidore. All five other candidates, three of which will probably be on the final roster, could make or miss the plane to the World Cup finals.
Brian Ching is a familiar face but shares a lot of the same attributes as Jozy and is also coming off an injury.
Findley and Johnson have the pace to compliment Altidore, but have been virtually unnoticable as of late when given the chance to prove themselves at the international level.
The most in form strikers at the moment are Buddle and Gomez. Buddle is having a career season in the MLS playing alongside teammate Donovan while Gomez tied for most goals scored in the Mexican Clausura, mostly coming on as a substitute.
Something Bradley has probably been thinking about is moving Dempsey or Donovan up top as a support striker. This is Donovan's natural position and Dempsey plays there for his club and has shown a knack for scoring when placed in this situation.
Unfortunately, the extremely promising Charlie Davies (Sochaux), who broke out at the Confederations Cup, failed in his efforts to make the World Cup roster after suffering extensive injuries and undergoing an intense rehab following a fatal car crash in Washington D.C. the night before the team's final qualifying game in October. Also not making the list was a regular from the past year, Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids).

Taste of Arlington

2010-05-11T08:16:00.000-07:00

Taste of Arlington® is an annual event that transforms the Ballston area into a lively street festival, complete with local entertainment, lively sponsors, children's activities, and lots of noteworthy restaurants. Over 40 restaurants participate in this spectacular community event, which draws an average of 15,000 people each year who live in the greater Washington, D.C. area.

This year, the event will expand its footprint by providing a deeper flavor of Arlington, showcasing the county's urban villages such as Ballston, Clarendon-Courthouse, Columbia Pike, Rosslyn and Crystal City.

The Ballston Partnership is the host and owner of the event and is organizing it in partnership with the Clarendon Alliance, Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization, Rosslyn Renaissance and Crystal City BID.

The event will take place Sunday May 16th, rain or shine, from noon to 5 p.m. on Wilson Boulevard near Ballston Commons Mall. Parking is available at the Ballston Public Parking Garage for $1/day and the event is also located on the Metro Ballston-MU station (Orange Line).

There are no age restrictions for entry but you must be 21 to purchase or consume alcohol. Pets are also welcome but please do not bring food or beverages to the Taste of Arlington as per Health Code stipulations.

There is no admissions fee for the event but tickets need to be purchased to sample food and beverages. Tickets can be purchased here at a reduced price or at the event.

Tax Credit Extension for Military and Fed Employees

2010-05-10T07:31:00.001-07:00

The $8,000 tax credit for first time homebuyers that expired April 30th was extended a year for military personnel and Federal employees.

Members of the uniformed service, members of the Foreign Service and employees of the intelligence community serving on qualified official extended duty services outside the United States for at least 90 days starting December 31, 2008 and ending May 31, 2010 are eligable for the tax credit if a binding contact is entered into by April 30, 2011.

Undisclosed Address

2010-05-07T06:15:00.000-07:00

Why not display an address when marketing a property for sale? Two common reasons are:

1) To protect privacy or fear of theft.
2) It's used as a marketing tool to generate more calls on the listing.

This often times backfires because people sometimes are annoyed by the lack of data or discount the property altogether because it's location is hidden.

Research shows that the percentage of inquiries a listing receives is the same whether the address is shown or not. The extra interest generated by buyers wanting to know the address is most likely counterbalanced by those who immediately skip over the listing.

However, some technological advances that would enhance the prospect of selling with a shown address include:

1) Online Map Search - Most real estate websites now have options to search for homes for sale by listings or by an interactive map. For most, when the address is not given the location given to the listing is the zip code of the area it's in and a search is not really possible.
2) Mobile Real Estate Search - There are applications for mobile devices that can tell you what listings are in the area you're at using GPS technology. Properties with hidden addresses will likely not be included. This use will become more important over time.

Cinco de Mayo

2010-05-05T10:32:00.000-07:00

Cinco de Mayo, or the 5th of May, commemorates the Mexican army's victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. The holiday is observed mainly in the state of Puebla and in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. It is often confused with Mexico's Independence Day, which is September 16th.

In 1861 Benito Juarez, then President of Mexico stopped paying interest payments to countries that Mexico owed money to. France, in order to force payment of the debt invaded Mexico. The French, having superior arms, were largely successful until May 5th, 1862 the outnumbered Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin defeated the French army at the Battle of Puebla.

While this victory merely delayed the French occupation of Mexico the Battle was important not only because of the remarkable odds Zaragoza's men overcame against an army that had not been defeated in almost 50 years but also because no county in the America's has ever been invaded by an army from another continent since.

Arlington, VA: New Resident Checklist

2010-05-04T07:42:00.000-07:00

While exploring Arlington's website today I came across a new resident checklist which I thought would be great to share with people moving into the area.

NEW RESIDENT CHECKLIST:

Note: Consumers are now able to choose from several competitors for broadband, electric, gas, telephone (both local & long distance) and television service. Ask your local utility distributor about what choices are available to you.

Cable TV
Comcast of Arlington
Phone: 703-841-7700

Verizon
FIOS TV in Virginia : 866-788-3814

Community Involvement
Find out about civic associations, neighborhood organizations, volunteer opportunities and other ways to become involved in your new community.

Electricity
Dominion Virginia Power provides the regulated delivery (distribution) of electricity to your home or business. Ask your local utility about what electricity supplier choices are available to you.

Dominion Virginia Power
Apply for service by calling 1-888-667-3000/(TTY 800-552-4015)

Gas
Washington Gas delivers natural gas to your home or business and responds to any emergency involving your gas service. Ask your local utility about what natural gas supplier choices are available to you.

Washington Gas
Phone: 703-750-1000/ (TTY 703-750-7975)

Pet Licenses
Dogs must be vaccinated against rabies and licensed with the County. Phone: 703-228-3081

Residential Permit Parking
Residential Permit Parking Zones have been established in residential neighborhoods adjacent to major corridors or traffic generators. Red and white "Permit Parking" street signs indicate if a neighborhood is a residential permit area. Only neighborhood residents with County issued permits and their visitors may park on these streets during restricted parking hours; drivers without zone permit stickers (decals), a free FlexPass or a short-term visitor pass risk ticketing and towing. More information is available at the Residential Permit Parking webpage.

Schools
Student Registration: Parents should enroll school-age children as soon as they arrive in Arlington County. Register your child at the school he or she will attend. To determine the appropriate school(s), call 228-7600 and then call the Intake Center at 228-7663 to make an appointment. More information is available at the Arlington Public Schools website.

Taxes and Bills
Learn the local tax rates on personal property and real estate as well as filing requirements for personal property such as vehicle, motorcycles, and boats.

Telephone
Verizon provides and maintains the telephone network to which your home or business is connected. Several competitors provide telephone service (both local and long distance).

Verizon
Phone: 703-954-6222 for residential service. 1-800-826-2355 for business service. (TTY 800-564-0999).

Trash & Recycling/Water/Sewer Services
Call the Arlington County Utilities Services Office 228-6570 (TTY: 703-228-4611). Homeowners, and possibly renters, need to establish a County utilities account for these services.

Vehicle Registration

State of Virginia: New Virginia residents must register their vehicles within 30 days after becoming a resident in Virginia. Immediately upon registration a vehicle safety inspection is required; there is no grace period. In addition, an emissions inspection is required before the vehicle can be registered. The Arlington branch of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office is located at 4150 S. Four Mile Run Drive. You may title your vehicle in Virginia, register for state license plates, and apply for a Virginia driver's license there. Title and registration services are also offered at the DMV Select office in Courthouse Plaza. For complete details, visit DMV online or telephone them at 1-866-368-5463 (TTY 800-272-9268).

Vehicle Registration, Arlington: After you complete DMV registration, the next step is to register your vehicle in Arlington County. New Arlington residents must register their vehicles with the County within 60 days after moving to Arlington or immediately upon display of permanent Virginia state tags. To register your vehicle with the County, fill out the online form or simply bring your state registration papers to the Office of the Commissioner of Revenue, 2100 Clarendon Blvd., Suite 218. Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays. Your first County windshield decal will cost $25.00. With this registration, you are automatically registered on the County's personal property tax rolls. For more information, telephone (703) 228-3135.

Voter Registration
If you are a new Virginia resident, you must register in order to be able to vote in Virginia. If you moved to Arlington from another Virginia jurisdiction, you must transfer your voter registration to Arlington County. Both tasks may be accomplished at the Office of Voter Registration, 2100 Clarendon Blvd., Suite 320. Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays. Or, you may register to vote when you register your vehicle with the Department of Motor Vehicles. Registration forms also are available in Arlington Public Libraries and Arlington Public Schools. You must register at least 29 days before a primary or general election or 14 days before a special election. Telephone 703-228-3456.

D.C. United 2010 Campaign

2010-05-03T07:23:00.000-07:00

After a disappointing 2009 season for D.C. United, once an elite team in Major League Soccer, the fans were promised major changes at the underachieving club. The team finished 4th in the Eastern Conference but missed the playoffs due to the fact that the eight spots available were given to teams with the highest point totals regardless of conference. They also finished runners-up in the U.S. Open tournament. But this was not enough for the fans who are used to seeing the team bring home silverware including 4 MLS Cups, 4 MLS Supporters' Shields, 2 U.S. Open Cups, a CONCACAF Champions' Cups, and an InterAmerican Cup.

So during the offseason head coach Tom Soehn was replaced by Kansas City Wizards coach Curt Onalfo and star players including Luciano Emilio, Fred, Christian Gomez were let go and fan favorite Ben Olsen retired to be replaced by newcomers Troy Perkins, Danny Allsopp, and Adam Cristman.

Unfortunately, D.C. United is off to a bad start to it's 15th campaign in the league. They have lost their first five games in the league. The team is dealing with injury issues on the defensive backline and a stale offense leaving them with a mere total of 2 goals and 13 goals against in league play. They have brought back Luciano Emilio on a three month loan at a much lower salary to try to add a spark, but he was let go after last year for a reason as he could not get back to his 2007 form that saw him win the MLS Most Valuable Player Award, MLS Golden Boot Award, MLS Newcomer Award, and earn a spot on the MLS Starting XI.

Hopefully as the team becomes more familiar with one another they can turn around their performances and begin getting better results and picking up some points. It's a long season that will also be interrupted by the World Cup in South Africa in June, so they will have plenty of time to try to work out the kinks.

Georgetown's Halcyon House for Sale

2010-04-30T06:56:00.000-07:00

The Halcyon House, one of Washington D.C.'s most historic properties, is on the market and listed for $19.5 million.

Built in 1787 by the first Secretary of the Navy, Benjamin Stoddard, the Halcyon House in the heart of Georgetown was the center of much of Washington's social life in the early 1800's.

Stoddard eventually transferred ownership to his daughter, Elizabeth Ewell, who with her husband Thomas had a child. Richard S. Ewell later became a noted Confederate General in the American Civil War under Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee.

Over the years the house has had many renovation and many owners including Albert Clemens (Mark Twain's nephew), Dorothy W. Sterling (wife of a U.S. Ambassador to Sweden), Georgetown Univesity (used the building as dormitory), and John Dreyfuss (sculptor).

Amazing Ride Cap'd by Dissappointing Defeat

2010-04-29T07:30:00.000-07:00

The number one seed Washington Capitals were beaten 2-1 last night by eighth seed Montreal Canadiens in game seven of the Stanley Cup first round series and now how the rest of the offseason to ponder what could have been.

The Caps team that won the Presidents Trophy after collecting the most points in the regular season and were hyped as the top contender for the Cup in 2010 gave up a 3-1 series lead on the "Habs", an original six franchise that is probably the most decorated in league history but hasn't won hockey's biggest prize since 1993.

The Capitals were plagued in the postseason by star player Alexandre Semin's vanishing act (0 goals and 2 assists while leading the NHL in the playoffs with 44 shots), an ineffectual power play (1 for 33 in the series), and in the last three games, a brick wall of a goaltender by the name of Jaroslav Halak (131 saves on 134 shots in that span).

The Canadiens move on to play Capitals' rival Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. The Capitals will have to decide what direction to take the franchise in the offseason. Do they dismantle and overhaul the roster? Fire coach Bruce Boudreau?

In my opinion, they shouldn't do either of these things. These players are still young and have several great years of hockey ahead. Coach Boudreau has coached many of them up from the minor leagues as coach of the Hershey Bears so they already know his system and how to execute it. This team seems to have great chemistry and could probably use only minor tweaks to the roster at this point.

The first thing they must do is resign Nicklas Backstrom. The talented 22 year old Swedish center is a restricted free agent this offseason. The second thing General Manager George McPhee must do is find a defensive veteran leader in free agency. Adding a player like Scott Niedermayer or Sergei Gonchar, both of whom are available, could go a long way in helping to develop youngsters Mike Green and John Carlson. Finally, the team needs to figure out what their plan is for next year at the goalie position. They can resign free agent Jose Theodore but would probably be better off letting him go in order to free up salary cap space. If that's the case they can opt to bring in another free agent on the cheap or decide to rely on prospect Michal Neuvirth. Either way, Semyon Valamov should start next year.

It was a great year for the Washington Capitals with a tremendously disappointing finish for the team and fans. But after the initial pain wears away and the media frenzy over the next couple weeks quiets down, looking ahead to next season is going to seem pretty bright I think.

March Sales Date in Northern Virginia

2010-04-28T11:10:00.000-07:00

From Northern Virginia Association of Realtors:
March Sales Data

Look How Far We Have Come in One Year: 2010 is On Solid Ground So Far: We Are Headed Out of the Danger Zone, the Statistics Show

News outlets have been reporting that our economy is expanding, inventories have been restocked, and a growth pattern is quantifiable.

So how is the local housing market doing now that the first quarter of 2010 is complete? The snapshot results in mostly good news:

March 2010 realized a net increase in homes sold of about 5 percent. We can conclude that the tax credit, housing affordability and the continued low interest rates fueled this gain.
Interestingly, First Quarter home sales in 2010 are on par
with last year's number, with only a .12 percent increase (12/100 of 1 percent). Statistically speaking that is a push.

The big dip came in days on the market, which dropped 42 percent. Such a negative number in March this year means an average house sold in 52 days, rather than the 89 days it took to sell last year. Months supply dropped too. We now have a five-month supply compared to last March’s six-month supply: statistical evidence that houses are selling.

Average March sales prices rose 10 percent compared to last year, with a nearly 12 percent year-to-date average sales boost.

Casting a wider net across the Greater Northern Virginia market, the average sale price in March rose 18 percent. For the first quarter, sales prices rose almost 19 percent. The overall year-to-date homes sold dropped almost 12 percent, which means sales activity has been slower in the western and southern surrounding counties.
Days on market numbers declined about 43 percent, in a similar trend as Northern Virginia. Adding in days on the market for Greater NoVA, homes sold in 55 days in March, rather than the 95 days it took one year ago.

CNN Money.Com Reports That People Have Growing Confidence

Consumer behavior shows recession is over
By Chris Isidore CNN Money.Com April 7, 2010

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Economists have been saying for a while that the Great Recession has ended. Now, there are signs that the general public is finally starting to agree.

Though still pitifully low, consumer confidence is improving.

But some of the positive economic news of recent weeks, like the best job gains in three years, the continued stock market
rally and early signs of a turnaround in home values, is starting to make people more hopeful.
It's a growing optimism that can best be seen in consumers'
actions, not their answers to various polls.

"If you look at what they're saying, they're still very nervous," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com. "But if you look at what they're doing, they're more convinced that things have turned the corner."

Voting with their wallets Consumer spending is improving at a faster pace than many had expected at this stage in the recovery.

March 2010 Regional Home Sales

Northern Virginia: March 2010
The Northern Virginia Association of Realtors® reports on March 2010 home sales activity for Fairfax and Arlington counties, the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls Church and the towns of Vienna, Herndon and Clifton.

A total of 1,448 homes sold in March 2010, an increase of almost 5 percent above March 2009 home sales of 1,384.

Active listings decreased by about 10 percent from last year, with 7,232 active listings in March, compared with 8,069 homes available in March 2009. The average days on market (DOM) for homes in March 2010 decreased by around 42
percent to 52 days, compared with 89 days in March 2009.

Sales prices rose compared with those realized last year. The average sales price in March increased by 10 percent from March 2009, to $435,359, compared with last March’s
average of $395,512.

The median price of homes sold in Northern Virginia in March was $372,500, which is an increase of 11 percent compared with March 2009’s median price of $335,000.
The number of pending home sales in Northern Virginia in March was up 12 percent at 2,594 compared to 2,306 contracts pending in March 2009.

Greater Northern Virginia: March 2010
Sales activity in Greater Northern Virginia (NVAR jurisdictions plus Prince William, Loudoun and the Greater Piedmont counties) for March 2010 also shows a slight decrease from March 2009, although average sales prices continue to remain higher.

The number of Greater Northern Virginia region homes sold
in March was 2,656, just under a 4 percent decrease from March 2009’s total of 2,755 sales. Pending home sales remained constant with 4,584 in March 2009 compared with 4,561 in March 2010, a difference of less than one percent.
The average sales price of $373,592 in March 2010 increased by about 18 percent over March 2009’s average sales price of $317,158.

Across Greater Northern Virginia, the number of listings continues to decrease, with 13,831 listings active, which is around 11 percent less than this time last year, when 15,508 homes were available. The average DOM for a home sold in March 2010 was 55 compared with last year’s 95 DOM, a decrease of around 42 percent.

2010-04-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

Take a look at this slideshow from the New York Times that depicts residential homes with uncoventional architecture. The homes that are highlighted in this piece include a renovated church, a design inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright crafted with the use of seven shipping containers, a residence in a cave, a house made out of materials salvaged from Boston's "Big Dig" construction project, and a converted water tower.

Washington Redskins Draft Analysis

2010-04-26T06:54:00.000-07:00

The Washington Redskins draft analysis from NFL.com's Draft Tracker.

Round 1, Pick 4: Trent Williams, Offensive Tackle, Oklahoma (6'5", 315 lbs.)
Pick Analysis: The Redskins opt to take the ultra-athletic Trent Williams over Russell Okung. Williams, who logged starts at both tackle spots and center during his collegiate career, gives the team a nimble athlete to play left tackle in their zone-based blocking scheme. Although there were some concerns about his work ethic, his ability to cutoff blockers on the backside on running plays made him a better fit for Washington.

Round 4, Pick 5 (103): Perry Riley, Linebacker, LSU (6'1", 239 lbs.)
Pick Analysis: The Redskins pick up a stout linebacker in Perry Riley to add depth to their linebacker corps. As an instinctive player with good awareness, Riley gives Jim Haslett a versatile player to line at one of the inside linebacker spots in their new 3-4.

Round 6, Pick 5 (174): Dennis Morris, Tight End, Louisiana Tech (6'2", 265 lbs.)
Pick Analysis: Morris is a tight end that the Redskins will play at fullback. He's a blocking tight end that will be their lead blocker in the zone running scheme that Mike Shanahan implements. He figures to compete with Mike Sellers for playing time.

Round 7, Pick 12 (219): Terrance Austin, Wide Reciever, UCLA (5'11", 172 lbs.)
Pick Analysis: The Redskins made clear before the draft they were interested in acquiring some more depth at the receiver position, and Austin helped himself during the pre-draft process with an impressive pro day. Austin does not have the size typically preferred by Mike Shanahan, and is extremely thin, but he can potentially earn a roster spot if he shines as a slot receiver or returner in training camp.

Round 7, Pick 22 (229): Erik Cook, Center, New Mexico (6'6", 318 lbs.)
Pick Analysis: The Redskins grab an interior offensive linemen that has good size and is a natural knee bender. Unlikely to make an immediate impact, Cook has the ability to develop into a versatile contributor in the future for coach Mike Shanahan.

Round 7, Pick 24 (231): Selvish Capers, Offensive Tackle, West Virginia (6'4", 308 lbs.)
Pick Analysis: The Redskins came into the draft looking for help at offensive tackle, and after drafting Trent Williams fourth overall, they add Capers in the seventh round. Capers is a great value in the seventh round, and will compete for a spot at an area in which Washington is very thin -- right tackle.

Introduction to Arlington, VA

2010-04-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

2010-04-22T07:24:00.000-07:00

The 2010 NFL Draft takes place today at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. It offers a chance for teams to retool their rosters with the addition of college footballs best players. The Washington Redskins have the 4th overall pick this year after a disappointing 4-12 season. With a front office overhaul and the help of new coach Mike Shanahan and new general manager Bruce Allen the 'Skins are expected to wheel and deal, with defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, quarterback Jason Campbell, and linebacker Rocky McIntosh on the trading block, to add the four alloted selections they currently have.

David's Mock Draft:
1. St. Louis Rams - QB Sam Bradford (Oklahoma)
2. Detroit Lions - DT Ndamakah Suh (Nebraska)
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - DT Gerald McCoy (Oklahoma)
4. Washington Redskins - OT Russell Okung (Oklahoma State)
5. Kansas City Chiefs - OT Trent Williams (Oklahoma)
6. Seattle Seahawks - OT Bryan Bulaga (Iowa)
7. Cleveland Browns - S Eric Berry (Tennessee)
8. Oakland Raiders - OT Bruce Campbell (Maryland)
9. Buffalo Bills - QB Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame)
10. Jacksonville Jaguars - LB Rolando McClain (Alabama)
11. Denver Broncos - WR Dez Bryant (Oklahoma State)
12. Miami Dolphins - LB Sergio Kindle (Texas)
13. San Francisco 49ers - CB Joe Haden (Florida)
14. Seattle Seahawks - RB C.J. Spiller (Clemson)
15. New York Giants - DT Dan Williams (Tennessee)
16. Tennessee Titans - LB Derrick Morgan (Georgia Tech)
17. San Francisco 49ers - OG Mike Iupati (Idaho)
18. Pittsburgh Steelers - WR Demaryius Thomas (Georgia Tech)
19. Atlanta Falcons - LB Sean Weatherspoon (Missouri)
20. Houston Texans - S Earl Thomas (Texas)
21. Cincinnati Bengals - TE Jermaine Gresham (Oklahoma)
22. New England Patriots - DE/LB Jason Pierre-Paul (South Florida)
23. Green Bay Packers - S Taylor Mays (Southern Cal)
24. Philadelphia Eagles - CB Kyle Wilson (Boise State)
25. Baltimore Ravens - DT Jared Odrick (Penn State)
26. Arizona Cardinals - DE Brandon Graham (Michigan)
27. Dallas Cowboys - OT Anthony Davis (Rutgers)
28. San Diego Chargers - RB Ryan Matthews (Fresno State)
29. New York Jets - DE Everson Griffin (Southern Cal)
30. Minnesota Vikings - CB Devin McCourty (Rutgers)
31. Indianapolis Colts - C Maurkice Pouncey (Florida)
32. New Orleans Saints - DE Jerry Hughes (Texas Christian)

New EPA Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rules

2010-04-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

On April 22nd, 2010 all residential renovations and/or remodeling in the United States will have to be done by EPA certified contractors. This includes interior, exterior, large, and small projects on any home built before 1978 that may contain lead based paint. Fines for neglect of the law may be up to $37,500 per violation.

Known as the Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule requires the use of lead-safe practices and other actions aimed at preventing lead poisoning. This new law affects a wide range of people including contractors, homeowners, property managers (landlords), Realtors, and training providers. For more information, view the EPA website.

Regional Groups Launch New Foreclosure Network

2010-04-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

Article from the Washington Business Journal:

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington launched on Wednesday the Capital Area Foreclosure Network, a group funded by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that will work to prevent foreclosures in the Washington area.

The group, comprised of local governments and nonprofits, as well as larger organizations such as NeighborWorks America, plans to conduct marketing and outreach campaigns and support existing nonprofits and coalitions that work with residents at risk of foreclosure.

CAFN released preliminary data from the Urban Institute that found a 2.9 percent foreclosure rate in the region, where foreclosure rates range from 1 percent in Arlington to 6 percent in Prince George’s County.

The institute found that 9.5 percent of all area mortgages were 30 days delinquent or more.

The Urban Institute plans to conduct further research of legal services, housing counseling and social services in the area to help the CAFN better connect at-risk residents to services.

The group will co-host an event May 6 with the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and Fannie Mae about new federal protections for renters whose landlords have gone into foreclosure.

It also plans to host an event with Freddie Mac about working with loan servicers.

Redskins Update

2010-04-14T07:43:00.000-07:00

Do not try to call Washington Redskins General Manager Bruce Allen this week. After trading picks to the Eagles for star quarterback Donovan McNabb less than a fortnight ago he can't rest and wait for the NFL Draft to arrive. He's still got plenty of work to do.

Last year's starting quarterback in Washington, Jason Campbell, has signed a $3.1 tender with the 'Skins, taking him off the market as a restricted free agent but opening up the possibility (or probability) of a trade. He has stopped attending voluntary workouts with the team. Other franchises that are rumored to be interested include the Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, and Buffalo Bills.

The Redskins are also exploring opportunities to trade highly paid defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. The former Titan signed a huge contract with the Redskins as an unrestricted free agent last year but has not seen eye to eye with coach Mike Shanahan and his staff. Albert has made public his disappointment with the teams decision to tranform into a 3-4 defense, as he has always played in a 4-3 scheme, and has also refused to show up for voluntary work outs with the team.

Though it is believed he would report to mandatory camps, the situation seems to have built up too much tension to be resolved soon. Shanahan is trying to change the culture of players being too empowered at Redskins Park. Haynesworth is also said to have a strained relationship with many of his teammates and removing him would endear the head coach to his new squad and spread positive chemistry throughout the locker room.

The only team likely to be a suitable trade destination would be his former team, the Tennessee Titans. However, the Redskins would probably want some return on the $21 million bonus they paid to Haynesworth last month. The Titans are not historically the kind of team to throw around money and that may be too rich for their blood, but something might be able to be worked out since Shanahan has a good relationship with Titans coach Jeff Fisher.

The NFL Draft is April 22 and the Redskins biggest needs are an offensive tackle, developmental quarterback, and nose tackle.

Going Green? 10 Tax Break for 2010

2010-04-13T07:34:00.000-07:00

From Urban Trekker:

Looking to fix up your house? Here are the 10 tax breaks for going green,
via Forbes.

1. If you fix up your house. $1,500 off your tax bill - a 30% credit for the first $5,000 you spend in 2009 or 2010 for improvements to your house energy efficiency. (for further reading: Energy Efficiency Home and Vehicle Tax Credits)

2. Buy a new refrigerator. States are rolling out $300 million worth of rebates for home owners who replaced their clunker apps with new energy-efficient models.(check out Department of Energy approved Energy Efficiency Rebates)

3. Get hot water from the sun. Solar hot water system to heat your shower or radiators (not hot tub or pool) qualify for a 30% federal credit with no dollar cap.

4. Install a solar energy system. Uncle Sam will give you a tax credit equal to 30% of the price of a solar system you install to generate electricity in your home. For a $60,000 system, that's a whopping $18,000 off your taxes.

5. Take the bus. Bus, train, subway, and van-pool commuters can now get equal tax benefits with those who drive solo to work an pay to park. (up to pre-tax $230 for employers sponsor plans).

6. Buy a Ford hybrid. Taxpayers stuck paying the AMT can finally claim the credit for hybrid cars purchased in 2009 or 2010, but only if they buy Ford motor hybrids. (FYI: Honda and Toyota no longer qualify). Check out Alliance to Save Energy for Vehicle Tax Credits for more info.

7. Plug In a Chevy Volt... slated later for showrooms in November with projected price of $40,000, qualifies for federal tax credit of $7,500. Nissan Leaf coming out in December, should also qualify for the credit.

8. Bike to work. A new law lets your employer reimburse you $20 a month for bicyle commuting as tax-free fringe benefits. Can't take both with train, it's one of the other.

9. Dig for heat. Uncle Sam will give you a tax credit for 30% of the cost of geothermal heat pump system that feeds off the warmth in the ground to heat your home.

10. Put a windmill in your yard. A basic residential windmill runs $40,000, but you can get a federal tax credit equal to a full 30% of your windmill cost.More on tax tips "How to Save Money on Going Green" and watch video on 'Tax Tips for 2010.'

For further reading you can check out few sites:
Alliance to Save Energy: Energy Efficiency Home and Vehicle Tax Credits
Energy Savers Rebates, Tax Credits, Financing: Approved Energy Efficient Appliance Rebates
Virginia Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program
Maryland: Residential Incentives and FY 2010 Comprehensive Program Guide
Green DC: Energy Star Appliance Rebates
DSIRE: Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency

Caps v Habs in Round 1 of Cup Playoffs

2010-04-12T07:43:00.000-07:00

The Washington Capitols now know that the first stop on the road to the Stanley Cup is in Montreal. The number 1 seeded Caps will meed the eighth seeded Habs in a best of seven series in the first round of the NHL Playoffs.

Coach Bruce Boudreau and his squad have learned over the past two seasons what the playoffs are about. And after playing back-to-back seven game series last year, eventually going out at the hands of the eventual champion Pittsburgh Penguins, they know how important a good start is in order to stay fresh and have some gas in the tank in the later rounds. They will want to smother the Canadiens early.

First Round Schedule (Home Team, Date, Time, TV Network):
Game 1: @ Washington, Thu. 4/15, 7 p.m., TSN & Versus
Game 2: @ Washington, Sat. 4/17, 7 p.m., TSN & Versus
Game 3: @ Montreal, Mon. 4/19, 7 p.m., TSN
Game 4: @ Montreal, Wed. 4/21, 7 p.m., TSN
Game 5*: @ Washington, Fri 4/23, 7 p.m., TSN & Versus
Game 6*: @ Montreal, Mon. 4/26, 7 p.m., TSN & Versus
Game 7*: @ Washington, Wed. 4/28, TBD, TSN
* = if necessary

Arlington Market Trends

2010-04-08T07:14:00.001-07:00

Arlington, Virginia
2010 Home Sales = 383 (-17.5% from Mar. 2009)
2010 Median Sales Price = $413,500 (+$6,000 or +1.5% from Mar. 2009)

Homes on the Market = 835
Foreclosures on the Market = 168
Average Listing Price = $632,518 (-$5,469 or -.09% from last week)
Average Price per Sq. Foot = $381 (+2.4% from Mar. 2009)

Popular Neighborhoods = Highland Park - Overlee Knolls, Yorktown, High View Park, Donaldson Run, Cherrydale, and Rock Spring

Statistics found on Trulia Real Estate Search

NHL Awards Predictions

2010-04-07T07:22:00.000-07:00

With the 2009-2010 NHL season wrapping up this weekend, here are my predictions of award winner at the NHL Awards Night in Las Vegas on June 18th.

Stanley Cup
Awarded to: NHL Playoff Champion
Holder: Pittsburgh Penguins
Prediction: Chicago Blackhawks

Prince of Wales Trophy
Awarded to: Eastern Conference Playoff Champion
Holder: Pittsburgh Penguins
Prediction: Washington Capitols

Clarence S. Campbell Bowl
Awarded to: Western Conference Playoff Champion
Holder: Detroit Red Wings
Prediction: Chicago Blackhawks

President's Trophy
Awarded to: Most Points in Regular Season
Holder: San Jose Sharks
Winner: Washington Capitols

Hart Memorial Trophy
Awarded to: League MVP
Holder: Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitols)
Prediction: Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitols)
Also Running: Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins), Ryan Miller (Buffalo Sabres), Henrik Sedin (Vancouver Canucks)

Vezina Trophy
Awarded to: Best Goalie
Holder: Tim Thomas (Boston Bruins)
Prediction: Ryan Miller (Buffalo Sabres)
Also Running: Ilya Bryzgalov (Phoenix Coyotes), Martin Broeduer (New Jersey Devils), Craig Anderson (Colorado Avalanche)

James Norris Memorial Trophy
Awarded to: Best Defenseman
Holder: Zdeno Chara (Boston Bruins)
Prediction: Mike Green (Washington Capitols)
Also Running: Duncan Keith (Chicago Blackhawks), Drew Doughty (Los Angeles Kings), Chris Pronger (Philadelphia Flyers)

Calder Memorial Trophy
Awarded to: Best Rookie
Holder: Steve Mason (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Prediction: Tyler Myers (Buffalo Sabres)
Also Running: Matt Duchene (Los Angeles Kings), John Tavares (New York Islanders), Jimmy Howard (Detroit Red Wings)

Jack Adams Award
Awarded to: Best Coach
Holder: Claude Julien (Boston Bruins)
Prediction: Dave Tippett (Phoenix Coyotes)
Also Running: Joe Sacco (Colorado Avalanche), Terry Murray (Los Angeles Kings), Cory Clouston (Ottawa Senators)

Lady Bing Memorial Trophy
Awarded for: Sportsmanship
Holder: Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit Redwings)
Prediction: Brad Richards (Dallas Stars)
Also Running: Martin St. Louis (Tampa Bay Lightning), Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks), Patrick Marleau (San Jose Sharks)

Conn Smyth Trophy
Awarded to: Playoff MVP
Holder: Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Prediction: Jonathan Toews (Chicago Blackhawks)

Art Ross Trophy
Awarded to: Points Leader
Holder: Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Leaders: Henrik Sedin - 107 (Vancouver Canucks) and Alex Ovechkin - 106 (Washington Capitols)

Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy
Award to: Most Goals
Holder: Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitols)
Leaders: Alex Ovechkin - 48 (Washington Capitols), Sidney Crosby - 48 (Pittsburgh Penguins), Steve Stamkos - 47 (Tampa Bay Lightning)

NHL Plus-Minus Award
Awarded to: Highest +/-
Holder: David Krejci (Boston Bruins)
Leaders: Jeff Schultz - +44 (Washington Capitols) and Alex Ovechkin - +43 (Washington Capitols)

Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award
Awarded to: Highest Save Percentage
Holder: Tim Thomas (Boston Bruins)
Leaders: Tuukka Rask - .930 (Boston Bruins), Ryan Miller - .928 (Buffalo Sabres)

William M. Jennings Trophy
Awarded to: Team Least Goals Against
Holders: Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez (Boston Bruins)
Leaders: Martin Brodeur - 186 (New Jersey Devils) and Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask - 194(Boston Bruins)

Not Listed: Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy (Perseverance, Sportsmanship, Dedication), Lester B. Pearson Award (Outstanding Player as voted by Players Association), Frank J. Selke Trophy (Best Defensive Forward), King Clancy Memorial Trophy (Humanitarian Leadership), NHL Foundation Player Award (Community Service), Mark Messier Leadership Award (Leadership), NHL Lifetime Achievement Award, Scotiabank Fan Fav Award (Fans' Favorite Player)

Arlington Home Show & Expo

2010-04-06T06:55:00.000-07:00

The 4th annual Arlington Home Show & Expo will be held Saturday, April 10 at the Walter Reed Community Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This event will offer one-stop shopping for a wide variety of home improvements. Admission is free as well the parking and shuttle at Arlington Career Center just minutes away.

You can learn a lot about remodeling kitchens and baths, finishing or waterproofing basements, replacing windows and doors, as well as flooring, siding, gutter, and paving solutions, security systems, insulation, landscaping, shelving, decks, and more. There will be information on how to make your home more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

There will be more than 50 exhibitors offering advice and services to add beauty and value to your home, as well as Realtors, local banks, Master Gardeners and Tree Stewerds, and Arlington County representatives to answer questions regarding permits, zoning, and inspections. There will also be free classes available on a variety of subjects that would be of interest to homeowners.

Look on the Arlington Home Show & Expo website for more information.

McNabb Traded to 'Skins

2010-04-05T07:32:00.000-07:00

Donovan McNabb became the newest Washington Redskin on Easter Sunday. The Philadelphia Eagles traded the Pro Bowl quarterback to their NFC East rivals for a second round pick in the upcoming 2010 NFL Draft and a third or fourth round selection next year.

McNabb, the number two overall selection by the Eagles in the 1999 NFL Draft, had a very successful career in Philadelphia; playing in five NFC Championships and one Super Bowl in 11 years, while being named to six Pro Bowls.

McNabb joins a crowded Redskins team under center, who already have three year incumbent Jason Campbell and Rex Grossman; another quarterback with Super Bowl credentials, formerly of the Chicago Bears. The Redskins have also been scouting quarterbacks before next month's draft, where they sit at number four overall, including Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen and Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, who is scheduled to visit with the team on Tuesday.

It's reported the McNabb chose the Redskins over the Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills, who also made offers. The Eagles also rejected an earlier offer of highly paid defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth from Washington.

The Eagles were disappointed in McNabb's performance last year after he missed several weeks early in the season due to a cracked rib and poor displays in losses to the Dallas Cowboys in both Week 17 and the Wild Card playoff game. Philadelphia seem to be comfortable going with youngster Kevin Kolb, drafted out of Houston in 2007, and the electrifying former Atlanta Falcon, Michael Vick, who is attempting to revive his career after a conviction on charges related to dog fighting and his subsequent prison stint.

Donovan McNabb leaves as the franchise leader in yards passing (32,873), completions (2,801), attemps (4,746), and completion percentage (59.0) and with a 92-49-1 record as a starter. He has the third highest winning percentage among active quarterbacks behind the Indianapolis Colts' Peyton Manning and the New England Patriots' Tom Brady. He holds many other NFL and franchise records. He will now hope to help coach Mike Shanahan lead the Washington Redskins back to the playoffs and beyond.

National Cherry Blossom Festival Events

2010-04-02T07:48:00.000-07:00

Earlier in the week I wrote about the Cherry Blossom Festival. Below is a list of coming signature events:

April 2: Cherry Blast: A Night of Comtemporary Art + Music

April 3: Fireworks Show

April 4: Lantern Lighting Ceremony

April 8: Gala Dinner and Cruise aboard the Odyssey

April 10: National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade

April 10: Sakura Matsuri - Japanese Street Festival

April 11: Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10-Mile Run

You can find out more about these events here or view a more exhaustive list of events here.

Making Home Affordable Program

2010-04-01T07:36:00.000-07:00

The Obama Administration's Making Home Affordable Program includes opportunities to modify or refinance your mortgage to make your monthly payments more affordable.

In February 2009, the Obama Administration introduced a comprehensive Financial Stability Plan to address the key problems at the heart of the current crisis to get our economy back on track. A critical piece of that effort is Making Home Affordable, a plan to stabilize the housing market and help struggling homeowners get relief and avoid foreclosure.

The Home Affordable Modification Program provides eligible homeowners the opportunity to modify their mortgages to make them more affordable. Over one million homeowners have already gotten help under the program. The program is on track to help 3 to 4 million homeowners by 2012.

On March 26, the Obama Administration announced expanded flexibility for mortgage servicers to assist more unemployed homeowners and homeowners who are underwater through the program.

The Second Lien Modification Program (2MP) offers homeowners a way to modify their second mortgages to make them more affordable when their first mortgage is modified under the Home Affordable Modification Program.
The Home Affordable Refinance Program gives homeowners with loans owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac an opportunity to refinance into more affordable monthly payments.
The Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program provides opportunities for homeowners who can no longer afford to stay in their home but want to avoid foreclosure to transition to more affordable housing through a short sale or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure.
For more information visit www.MakingHomeAffordable.gov.

Homes Are Selling Fast in Arlington

2010-03-31T08:17:00.000-07:00

For most people selling their house the second most important thing, after netting the highest offer price, is selling the house fast.

Research done by realtor Brian Block shows that most homes under contract in Arlington and Alexandria have been on the market for less than 60 days. In some price ranges, it's as low as 36 days on average.

The only price ranges to average more than 60 days are $700-800 thousand and homes listed at over $1 million.

Of the 1,223 active listings in the MLS in the Arlington and Alexandria only 441 have been listed for more than 60 days, accounting for just 36%.

National Cherry Blossom Festival

2010-03-30T06:28:00.000-07:00

This week is the 98th National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. which commemorates the gift of Japanese cherry trees from Yukio Ozaki, Mayor of Tokyo, on March 27, 1912.

The festival, being held between March 27 and April 11 this year, includes activities such as the Opening Ceremony on March 27, a fireworks display April 3, and a parade and Japanese street festival known as Sakura Matsuri on April 10. Other events include a 10-mile run, arts and crafts, kite festival, and other perfomances and events. You can check dates, times, and locations on the National Cherry Blossom Festival website.

About 700,000 tourists visit Washington D.C. annually during these weeks of celebration.

Among the interesting facts about the cherry trees are that the United States government responded with a gift of dogwood trees to the people of Japan, the festival was suspended during World War II and resumed in 1947, 3,800 more trees were accepted in 1965 by Lady Bird Johnson, Japanese horticulturists took clippings of the trees in Washington D.C. in 1981 to replace Yoshino trees in Japan that had been destroyed in a flood, and in 1999 plantings were made from clippings of a famous tree in Gifu Prefecture believed to be 1,500 years old.

Caps Beat Pens in OT

2010-03-25T07:24:00.000-07:00

The Washington Capitols beat rivals Pittsburgh Penguins in a shootout Wednesday night in the second overtime between the two teams at the Verizon Center this year. The club tie their record points total for a single season at 108.

Penguins forward Jordan Staal tied the game at three with 3:06 remaining in the third period. After the five minutes of 4-on-4 overtime hockey failed to produced a result for either team Pittsburgh then went up 2-0, off the sticks of Kris Letang and superstar Sidney Crosby, in the ensuing shootout.

Russian duo Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin deked Pens goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to net the goals that tied the affair before Mike Knuble scored his first career shootout goal giving the Caps their second straight win. He was 0-4 in the extra time situation before last night.

The excitment down the stretch was intense as the Caps overturned a 2-1 third period deficit due to a shorthanded goal by Semin and a deflected goal by Eric Fehr less than two minutes apart.

The game's three stars included Semin and Staal who were joined by Capitols goalie Jose Theodore who came away from the game with 39 saves in 65 minutes and a .929 save percentage. The game was Theodore's seventh straight win and also extended his regulation unbeaten streak to 19 games, going 17-0-2 in that span.

Washington now has a chance to clinch first place in the Eastern Conference with a New Jersey Devils loss to the New York Rangers in their meeting Thursday.

Scoring Summary:
1st:
None

2nd:
[Washington - 1:02] Knuble (26) A: Backstrom, Ovechkin
[Pittsburgh - 2:21] Talbot (2) A: Orpik, Adams
[Pittsburgh - 14:39 - PPG] Guerin (19) A: Crosby, Ponikarovsky

3rd:
[Washington - 5:36 - SHG] Semin (34) A: None
[Washington - 7:32] Fehr (21) A: Green, Belanger
[Pittsburgh - 16:54] Staal (21) A: Kunitz, Leopold

OT:
None

SO:
[Pittsburgh] Letang (Goal)
[Washington] Backstrom (Save)
[Pittsburgh] Crosby (Goal)
[Washington] Ovechkin (Goal)
[Pittsburgh] Guerin (Save)
[Washington] Semin (Goal)
[Pittsburgh] Kunitz (Save)
[Washington] Knuble (Goal)

Now is the Time to Sell Your House

2010-03-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

In the real estate industry timing is everything (aside from location, location, location of course). The evenflow of market trends relies on the basic principle of supply and demand. If supply is low and there aren't a lot of houses for sale then those few that are selling can demand a higher price for their home.

A normal or balanced inventory is 6 months of houses on the market. If there is more than six months it favors the buyers, who have more options. Less than six months favors the sellers, who will see more interest from buyers.

Right now there are around 635 houses for sale in Arlington County. In the last six months there have been 1,182 home sales. Therefore, Arlington County has only 3.2 months of inventory.

This means that it is a seller's market, and if you have been thinking about selling your house or moving now is the time and the market is just right for you to get a bigger offer on your home.

St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T07:55:00.000-07:00

While a lot of people celebrate St. Patrick's Day, it seems that very few know why the holiday is celebrated.

For many, St. Patty's is a day for celebrating Irish heritage, wearing green, and drinking Guinness. It's day where "everyone is Irish" and an excuse to get fall-down drunk without consequences. But the real reason behind the holiday is much more subdued.
Celebrated every March 17, St. Patrick's Day began as a Catholic holiday but evolved into a more secular celebration of all things Irish.

St. Patrick was the most commonly recognized patron saint of Ireland. He was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16. He later escaped back to Britain and became a priest, returning to Ireland to convert it's people to Christianity. According to folklore, he used the shamrock to teach about the holy trinity.

Today, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of all ethnicities and religions all over the United States. Boston has the longest-running parade, dating back to 1737, while Chicago uses vegetable-dye to color it's river green, and Seattle paints the traffic stripe green along the parade route. Several professional baseball and basketball teams, notably the Boston Red Sox and New York Knicks, have special green jerseys they wear in games around the holiday.

2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

2010-03-15T07:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Sunday March 14, was Selection Sunday, when the 65-team field is announced for the NCAA college basketball tournament. Here's a recap of the Virginia/D.C./Maryland teams:

School (Seed/Region)

Georgetown (3rd/Midwest): The Hoyas will play Ohio in the opening round. They were ranked #22 in both the AP and coaches poll after finishing 23-10 (10-8 Big East). The Hoyas have been coached by John Thompson III since the 2004-2005 season. He is the son of John Thomspon Jr., the first African American head coach to win a major collegiate championship when his Georgetown Hoyas won the NCAA Men's Division-I Basketball Championship in 1984.
Georgetown lost to West Virginia in the final of the Big East Men's Basketball Tournament.

Maryland (4th/Midwest): The Terrapins will play Houston in the opening round. They were ranked #19 in both the AP and coaches poll after finishing 23-8 (13-3 in the ACC). The Terps are led by senior guard Greivis Vasquez, averaging around 20 points and 6 assists per game. Vasquez is a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, given to the country's best point guard. Maryland lost in the quarterfinal of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament to Georgia Tech.

Richmond (7th/South): The Spiders play St. Mary's in the opening round. They head into the tournament unranked, finishing 26-8 (13-3 A10). Richmond lost to Temple in the final of the Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament.

Old Dominion (11th/South): The Monarchs play Notre Dame in the opening round. They head into the tournament unranked, finishing 26-8 (15-3 CAA). Old Dominion won an automatic berth by winning their 2nd Colonial Athletic Association Men's Basketball Championship.

Morgan State (15th/East): The Bears play West Virginia in the opening round. They head into the tournament unranked, finishing 27-9 (15-1 MEAC). Morgan State won an automatic berth by winning their 5th Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Championship.

Open Your Doors and Close Your Drawers

2010-03-10T07:20:00.000-08:00

Realtors that are holding open houses should be vigilant of a man in search of prescription pills according to Northern Virginia Association of Realtors.

Members are cautioned to advise their seller clients to remove all jewelry,
valuables and prescription drugs from their homes and to double check cabinets
and drawers for those items prior to Open Houses.

This past weekend, two local Realtors® hosted a Fairfax County Open House
and observed suspicious behavior by a visitor. One of the agents remembered this
house hunter from a past Open House where prescription drugs were stolen. He
observed the person looking into the medicine cabinets after requesting to be
alone in the bathroom “to make a call.”The alleged suspect is a white male,
about 5'11", approximately 180 lbs., with light-colored hair, shoulder-length in
back. His vehicle was a late model F150 royal blue pick-up truck, with “4 x
4” in white letters on the back end.

Should you come across this person, it is advised that you do not attempt a confrontation. Please call police authorities immediately.

Largest Home in U.S.

2010-03-09T07:48:00.000-08:00

The largest home in the United States is located in Sagaponack, NY. Sitting in a 63 acre compound in the Hamptons, the 29 bedroom, 39 bathroom waterfront estate at 281 Daniels Lane belongs to billionaire Ira Rennert.

The 66,395 square foot Italian mansion includes a staff wing, indoor theater, gym, lounge, game room, billiard room, two bowling alleys, two tennis courts, two squash courts, a handball court, a basketball court, and a 17,000 square foot garage large enough to hold 100 vehicles.

The property is estimated to be worth around $203 million.

Redskins Roster Overhaul Begins

2010-03-08T06:47:00.000-08:00

As NFL free agency begins, one would expect the Washington Redskins to be making a lot of headlines this offseason. The team has a new general manager in Bruce Allen, a new head coach in Mike Shanahan, and perhaps a new philosophy for a team known for signing past-their-prime talents to huge mega-contracts.

The first headlines came Thursday when the Redskins made room on their roster by releasing wide reciever Antwaan Randle El, cornerback Fred Smoot, defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin, kick returner Rock Cartwright, guard Randy Thomas, quarterback Todd Collins, and running back Ladell Betts.

Offensive tackle Chris Samuels retired this offseason, leaving Derrick Dockery the only offensive lineman left on the roster among last years opening day starters.

With no salary cap this year, owner Dan Snyder should open up the purse strings this offseason, as he usually does. It being an uncapped year, he has no ceiling to worry about as far as player salaries go. The team has already signed Artis Hicks, an offensive guard from the Minnesota Vikings. Hicks is 31 years old and began his career with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Arlington Stats

2010-03-05T08:12:00.000-08:00

I recently came across Sperling's Best Places website, which researches, studies, and posts information about specific places, such as the 22204 zip code in Arlington, Virginia.

I found out that the 22204 zip code's population in 2009 was 52,189, an increase of 4.6% since 2000. The cost of living is 29.53% higher than the U.S. average. Public schools spend $9,270 per student while the national average is $6,058, and there are 11 students per teacher. The unemployment rate is 4.4% (national average is 8.5%), while job growth is up .9%.

The medium home cost is $358,600 and home appreciation was -16.8%. The average age of a home is 46 years (national average 27). Interestingly, only around a third of the homes are owned by the occupants and the property tax rate ($8.53) is well under the national average ($13.28).

More information on Arlington (22204) can be found here.

NHL Trade Deadline Wrap-Up

2010-03-04T08:38:00.000-08:00

The annual swap-meet has come and gone, with the NHL trade deadline passing at 3 p.m. yesterday, March 3, 2010. The Washington Capitols made some moves to bolster their roster for their inevitable playoff run and my Buffalo Sabres wheeled a few deals as well. Overall, however, it was a relatively tame day when compared to years past, with most of the big splashes around the league coming before the Vancouver Olympics began.

The Capitols picked up a familiar face in defenseman Milan Jurcina, coming back from the Columbus Blue Jackets just 6 weeks after being traded away with former captain Chris Clark for Jason Chimera. The Caps were also talking to the Carolina Hurricanes much of day, acquiring right winger Scott Walker early in the day and later sending the rights of blue-liner Brian Pothier and minor-leaguer Oskar Osala in exchange for those of Joe Corvo, another veteran defenseman. Finally, Washington brought in center Eric Belanger from the Minnesota Wild, adding depth down the middle of the ice.

While the Capitols were expected to bring in a veteran, shutdown defenseman they instead ended up adding attack minded blue-liners to their already potent offensive roster while not sacrificing too much in the process, a few fringe players and late round draft picks aside.

My Buffalo Sabres, currently sitting comfortably in fifth place, ended up standing pat for the most part, although they did bring in forward and power-play threat Raffi Torres from the Columbus Blue Jackets, who immediately becomes the leading goalscorer on a defensive roster that boasts Olympics MVP goalie Ryan Miller. The Sabres sent oft-scratched defenseman Nathan Paetsch and a second round pick to Columbus in exchange. The acquisition of Torres made the services of underachieving Clark MacAurthur no longer necessary, and he was traded away to the Atlanta Thrashers for a third round draft pick next year.

The Sabres general manager Darcy Regier feels pretty comfortable with the players he currently has and a day that ends up with basically a swap of MacAurthur for Torres can be seen as a significant upgrade. While they didn’t add any depth, the front office feels that several youngsters at minor league affiliate Portland are close to contributing on the big stage.

Puck Daddy’s 2010 NHL Trade Deadline Report Cards

The two teams met last night in a hum-drum game in which Washington won 3-1. None of the new faces were in their sweaters just yet and many of the players that were on the ice still seemed to be on vacation after coming off the Olympic break. Mike Green scored the winning goal midway through the third period and the Sabres were finished off by an empty net goal scored by Boyd Gordon. Ryan Miller looked fresh, however, after getting a break against the Pittsburgh Penguins last night in a 2-1 loss in which Patrick Lalime played in goal.
With around 20 games remaining for both teams, the final stretch of the regular season begins and once they get their skates under them and the postseason looms closer things will get pretty exciting on the ice in these two cities.

By: David

Weatherize D.C.

2010-03-03T07:56:00.000-08:00

WeatherizeDC is a campaign of the DC Project. They are hoping to weatherize 200 homes by the end of March in order to save homeowners 30% on their energy bills and offset 3,645 metric tons of carbon.

Weatherization Process

The process of having your home weatherized can be confusing. WeatherizeDC breaks down the process into four simple steps you can take to reduce your energy bills and create a more comfortable home.

1. Home Energy Audit

Every weatherization begins with an energy audit to assess how your home consumes energy. A certified energy auditor will come to your home for 3-4 hours to evaluate every area and pinpoint where your house is losing energy.

Your energy audit will evaluate the performance of your home's building envelope including the walls, ceilings, floors, doors, windows, and skylights. energy loss often occurs in places where you can not see or feel it.

2. Audit Report or Audit Review and Recommendations

After the energy audit, you will receive a detailed report from your auditor that will prioritize your home's efficiency upgrades according to the greatest to least cost effective opportunities for energy savings. If you've already had a home energy audit you can participate in an audit review with your auditor to confirm and update efficiency upgrade recommendations.

3. Weatherization

Every home is different and your energy audit will dictate which weatherization improvements make the most sense for your home. In Northwest DC, frequent recommendations include sealing air leaks and adding insulation, improving heating and cooling systems, and improving ductwork.

With the WeatherizeDC Community Discount, you can typically spend $2,000-$4,000 to achieve a desired 15%-30% reduction in energy use.

4. Enjoy Your Energy Savings

After completing your weatherization you will immediately enjoy reduced energy consumption with improved comfort, health and safety.

Cash for Clunkers (Appliances)

2010-03-02T07:20:00.000-08:00

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Virginia has been allocated $7.45 million from the U.S. Department of Energy in order to set up a new appliance rebate program set to launch in April 2010.

USA Hockey Takes Silver from Olympics

2010-03-01T07:03:00.000-08:00

In the men's hockey gold medal game on Sunday, the U.S. were beaten by Canada 3-2 in overtime. Sidney Crosby scored the game winner seven minutes into the extra period.

Canada took an early lead off the stick of Jonathan Toews in the first period and extended it to through Corey Perry in the second. The U.S., who had beaten Canada in the earlier group stage of the tournament, showed great resiliance as Ryan Kesler took a point back later in the second to bring the game to a score of 2-1 and Zach Parise tied the score at two with 24 seconds left in the third period to send the matchup into extra time.

Unfortunately, the Cinderella story ended as tournament MVP and American goalie Ryan Miller was beaten by "Sid the Kid" to seal the gold medal for the Canadians. The Americans, however, had a spectacular two week jouney in Vancouver.

They were an afterthought before the games began. USA general manager Brian Burke fielded the youngest team, averaging 26 years old, and had only 3 players, Chris Drury, Jamie Langdenbrunner, and Brian Rafalski, on the roster with previous Olympic experience.

Team USA and coach Ron Wilson can hold their heads high with pride after winning the silver medal in 2010. They can also hang their hats on the great performances of Miller (Tournament MVP, Best Goaltender, Tournament All-Star), Rafalski (Best Defenseman, Tournament All-Star), and Parise (Tournament All-Star).

Touching Up Your Hardwood Floors

2010-02-26T05:58:00.000-08:00

If you have hardwood floors you know that with the steady foot traffic scratches, scuffs, and and chips are bound to happen. While most people won't be able to notice the imperfections it can be enough to drive you crazy knowing it's there.

If you don't want to camoflauge the blemish with an area rug or cover it with a piece of furniture here's a few suggestions for fixing the normal wear and tear on your wood floors.

#1: Marker It

You can pick up a wood stain marker from your local home improvement store. You'll probably want to get an assortment to make sure you get the right match. Even if you normally feel confident in eyeballing it, it's better to have a few options. You can test the markers on a corner of the flooring where it won't be noticed. Then cover the scratched area and watch it disappear.

#2: Oil It

Light scratches may go away when treated with lip balm or even a pecan or walnut. The oil will fill the space quickly and cleanly.

# 3: Sand It

If the cut is too deep for superficial treatment lightly take a fine sand paper to the area. Rub gently in the direction of the wood's grain. Then you wipe the area down with a cloth a mineral spirits, making sure to remove any dust created from the sanding process. Finally, using a cotton swab or soft paintbrush, lightly brush over the surface with the original stain. If you don't have the original, check your local store for a close match, making sure that you blend very carefully with the rest of the floor around the spot you're touching up. Let the stain dry for an hour, making sure that no one will walk in the area.

After taking these steps you should once again have beautiful hardwood floors that you can be proud of.

Top 50 Highest Paid Soccer Players

2010-02-25T07:41:00.000-08:00

A list has been compiled by Futebol Finance, a Portuguese marketing agency, which comprises of the top 50 highest paid soccer players based on their club salaries for the 2009-2010 season alone. Sponsorship and advertising dollars (or Euros or Pesos) are not included. It can be quite surprising if you are a fan of the game.

Rank/Name/Country/Club/Salary

1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Real Madrid, $17.5 million)
2. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden, Barcelona, $16.1 million)
3. Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona, $14.1 million)
4. Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon, Internazionale, $14.1 million)
5. Kaka (Brazil, Real Madrid, $13.4 million)
6. Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo, Manchester City, $11.4 million)
7. Karim Benzema (France, Real Madrid, $11.4 million)
8. Carlos Tevez (Argentina, Manchester City, $10.8 million)
9. John Terry (England, Chelsea, $10 million)
10. Frank Lampard (England, Chelsea, $10 million)

11. Thierry Henry (France, Barcelona, $10 million)
12. Xavi (Spain, Barcelona, $10 million)
13. Ronaldinho (Brazil, AC Milan, $10 million)
14. Steven Gerrard (England, Liverpool, $10 million)
15. Daniel Alves (Brazil, Barcelona, $9.4 million)
16. Michael Ballack (Germany, Chelsea, $8.6 million)
17. Raul (Spain, Real Madrid, $8.6 million)
18. Rio Ferdinand (England, Manchester United, $8.6 million)
19. Kolo Toure (Ivory Coast, Manchester City, $8.6 million)
20. Wayne Rooney (England, Manchester United, $8 million)

21. Robinho (Brazil, Manchester City, $8 million) *1
22. Iker Casillas (Spain, Real Madrid, $8 million)
23. Victor Valdez (Spain, Barcelona, $8 million)
24. Frederic Kanoute (Mali, Sevilla, $8 million)
25. Deco (Portugal, Chelsea, $8 million)
26. Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast, Chelsea, $7.4 million)
27. Gianluigi Buffon (Italy, Juventus, $7.4 million)
28. Francesco Totti (Italy, Roma, $7.4 million)
29. Luca Toni (Italy, Roma, $7.4 million) *2
30. David Villa (Spain, Valencia, $7.4 million)

31. Arjen Robben (Netherlands, Bayern Munich, $7.4 million)
32. Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany, Bayern Munich, $7.4 million)
33. Ashley Cole (England, Chelsea, $7.4 million)
34. Fernando Torres (Spain, Liverpool, $7.4 million)
35. Gareth Barry (England, Manchester City, $7.4 million)
36. Patrick Vieira (France, Internazionale, $7.4 million) *3
37. Charles Puyol (Spain, Barcelona, $6.6 million)
38. Andres Iniesta (Spain, Barcelona, $6.6 million)
39. Sergio Aguero (Argentina, Atletico Madrid, $6.6 million)
40. Andreas Pirlo (Italy, AC Milan, $6.6 million)

41. Willy Sagnol (France, Bayern Munich, $6.6 million) *4
42. Frank Ribery (France, Bayern Munich, $6.6 million)
43. David Beckham (England, AC Milan, $6.6 million) *5
44. Wayne Bridge (England, Manchester City, $6.6 million)
45. Lassana Diarra (France, Real Madrid, $6.6 million)
46. Dimitar Berbatov (Bulgaria, Manchester United $6.3 million)
47. Andrei Arshavin (Russia, Arsenal, $6.3 million)
48. Nicolas Anelka (France, Chelsea, $6.3 million)
49. Ryan Giggs (Wales, Manchester United $6.3 million)
50. Alessandro Del Piero (Italy, Juventus, $6.3 million)

Players in BOLD are on new teams from the 2008-2009 season

*1 = Robinho now plays for Santos
*2 = Luca Toni is on loan from Bayern Munich
*3 = Patrick Vieira now plays for Manchester City
*4 = Willy Sagnol has retired
*5 = David Beckham is on loan from L.A. Galaxy

Transit Patterns in Art

2010-02-24T06:19:00.000-08:00

How are people getting to work? The link below leads to an artistic way to show how people commute to their jobs. It is the the product of artist Martha Kang McGill and is based on the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey.

Of the eight metropolitan areas in the United States that are included, Washington D.C. has the most proportion outcome among those who drive or use public transportation. Houston has the largest ratio of drivers while New York City has the most public commuters.

The other metro areas shown are Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Seattle. Orange represents drivers, red stands for those who carpool, purple are those who use public transportation, blue indicates those who walk, and all others (those who bike, work at home, etc.) are shown in salmon.

http://www.metrodcliving.com/.a/6a00d8341c5cb453ef01310f2a6ba0970c-pi

Man Bulldozes Home Ahead of Foreclosure

2010-02-23T07:48:00.000-08:00

A man in Moscow, Ohio has taken unique steps against a bank forclosing on the house he, himself built. Terry Hoskins tore his $350,000 home down with a bulldozer.

Hoskins has been in struggle with RiverHill Bank over his home for over a decade after the Internal Revenue Service placed liens on his carpet store and commercial property after his brother, and one-time business partner, sued him.

The bank claimed his house as collateral and went after both his residential and commercial properties.

Hoskins, who owed the bank $160k, said he'd gotten a $170,000 offer from someone to pay off the house, but the bank refused saying they could get more from selling it in foreclosure.

So Hoskins decided to present the bank with an ultimatum and told them he'd tear it down before he'd let them take it. And so that's what Terry did.

USA Hockey Upsets Team Canada

2010-02-22T06:41:00.000-08:00

The United States hockey team, competing in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, upset tournament favorite and home side Canada on Sunday night, in a 5-3 thriller of a game.

A young American squad, led by three olympic veterans all scoring goals including defenseman Brian Rafalski, Chris Drury, and Jamie Langdenbrunner, fought off a Canadian side that tied the game twice and stayed close throughout the game.

Ryan Miller made 42 saves in a lights-out performance that included a bevy of incredible stops, including the save of the tournament in flurry of the dying minutes while the Americans were hanging on to a 4-3 lead before Phil Kesler whacked in the game-clinching goal on the empty net.

The Canadians seemed to be cruising through the first two periods, content with turning on the burners when they had to in order to tie the game through Eric Staal and again through Danny Heatley, who leads the tournament with 4 goals along with USA's Rafalski, who netted two in this game.

The Americans led at every intermission, 2-1 after the first period and 3-2 after the second, but the viewer always felt that the depth of talent on Canada's roster suggested they could turn on the pressure whenever they wanted to. Unfortunately for them, it came too late.

Canada began the third period needing to kill off three consecutive penalties and the U.S. capitalized making it 4-2 with just under 13 minutes left. The Canadian's finally kicked into gear and the firing squad escalated on U.S. goalie Miller. While one goal by Sidney Crosby did slip by, Miller was up to the task, however, and made several amazing saves to preserve victory for the red, white, and blue.

This border matchup was sure to be a bruiser and it didn't disappoint as the two squads made up entirely of NHL players left it all on the ice. There was hard skating, huge hits, and immense passion on display as the teams battled for the top slot in Group A.

The spoils of the game for USA, are a first round bye in the playoffs where they will meet the winner of a game between Switzerland and Belarus. Canada will face Germany for the right to face another arch-rival; the Russians.

Referrals; a Realtor's best friend

2010-02-19T07:28:00.000-08:00

While most Realtors' business come from other means, most still cherish referrals. These types of leads are largely thought of as the least expensive and most promising to pick up in the industry. In most markets real estate brokers who focus on referrals are usually among the largest producers. While they don't aways come in vast quantities the quality of these leads are usually much better.

Here are 5 tips from HomeGain.com to help get more referrals:

1) Satisfied Customers

You won’t get too many referrals if you don’t provide good service. Clients who are happy with your service are more likely to refer people to you. Keep your name in front of your past customers consistently. They will forget about you if you don’t touch them often enough. Unfortunately, I have found this out the hard way.

2) Networking

Do you spend time at networking events? This can be a successful way to generate referral business. People do business with people they know and like. It is not uncommon to see several Realtors at networking meetings. Make networking fun and not a chore. If you get some business out of it that is great, if not at least you had a good time.

3) Vendors

How about getting referrals from an appraiser, interior designer, painter or handyman? These can be great sources for referrals. Buy these people lunch, give them gift cards or provide something else of value. Let them know that you are looking for referrals.

4) Don’t Be Frightened

Don’t be frightened to ask for referrals. You should not be ashamed to ask for them. Instead of asking, “Do you know anyone else who could use my services?” ask, “Who do you know who could use my services?”

5) Closing Gifts

This may be the last thing your client remembers about the transaction. A great closing gift could produce a few extra referrals every year. You may want to deliver the closing gift a week or two after the closing. This way you can check on your clients and make sure everything is hunky dory. They will most likely remember this and they will feel that you went that extra mile for them.

Top 10 Ultimate Bands (February 18, 2010 Edition)

2010-02-18T08:19:00.000-08:00

As I haven't written a music blog recently I decided today I would put down on paper (so to speak) a list that I've been working on for a while, but never quite stays the same. It's an exercise in both futility and the evolution of my musical tastes (though not always over time; sometimes it just depends on the day or my mood).

The list is my imagination's attempt at creating the ultimate band; lead singer, guitarist, bass, and drums. Nothing fancy (although occassionally I will add a pianist/keyboardist, DJ/turntablist, and/or brass section). I always have an extremely hard time widdling the list down to one person so I create a Top 10 at each instrument. The rules are, there are no rules. There are no constraints on time, genre, dead or alive, or even primary instrumentation. Now obviously I have to have heard their music, not as a rule but just general common sense.

Having laid down the background, here's my Top Ten Ultimate Bands for February 18, 2010:

Singer:
1. Bob Marley (The Wailers)
2. Jim Morrison (The Doors)
3. Marvin Gaye
4. Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin)
5. Arethra Franklin
6. Johnny Cash
7. Bob Dylan
8. Al Green
9. John Lennon (The Beatles)
10. Van Morrison

Guitarist:
1. Jimi Hendrix
2. Eric Clapton (Cream)
3. Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)
4. Jerry Garcia (The Grateful Dead)
5. Kirk Hammett (Metallica)
6. John Mayer
7. Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine)
8. Duane Allman (The Allman Brothers Band)
9. Jeff Beck (Yardbirds)
10. Keith Richards (The Rolling Stones)

Bassist:
1. Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
2. Les Claypool (Primus)
3. Geddy Lee (Rush)
4. Victor Wooten (The Flecktones)
5. Justin Chancellor (Tool)
6. P-Nut (311)
7. Bootsy Collins (Parliament)
8. Aston Barrett (The Wailers)
9. John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin)
10. Phil Lesh (The Grateful Dead)

Drummer:
1. Carter Beauford (Dave Matthews Band)
2. John Bonham (Led Zeppelin)
3. Neil Pert (Rush)
4. Keith Moon (The Who)
5. Danny Carey (Tool)
6. Dave Grohl (Nirvana)
7. Travis Barker (Blink-182)
8. Phil Collins (Genesis)
9. Lars Ulrich (Metallica)
10. Jon Theodore (Mars Volta)

By: David

First Time Homebuyers Seminar

2010-02-17T07:21:00.000-08:00

Low prices, low interest rates, and the federal tax credits have many people wondering if now is the right time to start thinking about buying their first home. If you are among this group you may be interested in a class for first time home buyers.

It is taking place at the Arlington County Library on March 3. The event, a free educational session to provide information and answer any questions you might have, will take place from 7:00 to 8:15 p.m. The library is located at 1015 North Quincy Street near the Ballston Metro on the Orange Line. The class will take place in the 2nd Floor Meeting Room.

It will cover a recap of the market, current trends, and market stats including days on market, average sales prices, and inventory levels. There will also be a discussion on the home purchase process, the federal tax credit, common pitfalls, financing basics, and a how-to-get-started chechlist.

There will be a specific focus on:

1. local markets (Northern Virginia, D.C., and Montgomery County)
2. Mortgage basics (rates, points, and fees)
3. Financing basics (FHA, conventional, conforming, and "jumbo" loans)
4. Calculating the tax benefits of homeownership
5. Short sale, foreclosure/REO/Bank Owned basics
6. Search tips
7. Fees and closing costs

Again, there is no cost or obligation to attend this class.

2010 Winter Olympics - Men's Ice Hockey

2010-02-16T07:59:00.000-08:00

While the 2010 Winter Olympic's opening ceremony was four days ago, the sport I've been waiting to see has it's first games being played today.

The men's ice hockey tournament begins today when teams in Group A face off against one another, including USA vs Switzerland and later Canada vs Norway. The teams in Group B are Russia and Latvia (who also play one another today), Czech Republic, and Slovakia while Group C is comprised of Sweden, Finland, Belarus, and Germany.

As a Buffalo Sabres fan I am excited to see Ryan Miller as the starting goalie for Team USA, as well as Henrik Tallinder (Sweden), Toni Lydman (Finland), Andrej Sekera (Slovakia), and Jochen Hecht (Germany). You Washington Capitols fans may have a harder time rooting for your home nation as both Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, and Semyon Varlamov are on the Russian roster. Other Caps competing are Tomas Fleischmann (Czech Republic) and Nicklas Backstrom (Sweden).

Olympic ice hockey is great because not only do you get to see great NHL veterans you wouldn't normally get to see play together, but you also are able to see emerging young talent from "across the pond" and former NHL stars who are now back playing in Europe such as Jaromir Jagr (Czech Republic), Sergei Federov (Russia), and Peter Forsberg (Sweden).

Here's the scheduled Group A games for the United States: Switzerland (Feb 16 at 12 pm), Norway (Feb 18 at 12 pm), and Canada (Feb 21 at 4:45 pm).

Like a Good Neighbor...

2010-02-15T06:24:00.000-08:00

What ever happened to the ancient ritual of knowing your neighbors? It seems to me that now-a-days the only contact people living in the same area have with one another is through an arbitrator for the homeowner's association when a conflict comes up between these strangers living next to each other.

Growing up, I knew everyone that lived around my parents' house and the kids around my age would spend all day outside running from one house to another and playing in one yard or another. The house you were at around 1 o'clock was where you ate lunch. I'd bring home the weed wacker Mr. Waldorf borrowed from my father and then return the sewing kit my mother had borrowed from Mrs. Aldridge. Our mothers would gossip with each other at the bus stop (which was at the end of the street, as we didn't get picked up at our individual house's) and our fathers would talk shop over droning lawn mowers.

It might be that I haven't noticed that still happens because I've been changing addresses (or cities) almost yearly since graduating college or that people don't have time to get to know the people that live adjacent to them because more homes have two members working full-time but it seems to me that good neighbors are a dying breed.

But then again, what is a good neighbor? Maybe a good neighbor is someone who allows you to live as privately or sociably as you wish. How do you, yourself, be a good neighbor to those around you?

First; meet them. You don't have to come over with a pie or casserole when someone moves into the neighborhood or go door to door saying hello whenever you change addresses. It can be as simple as introducing yourself while grabbing the mail at the same time or meeting someone while walking the dog. Give a wave, nod, smile, anything to the people you see during your day outside your home.

Second; keep them informed. Contact them before making any changes that would affect them, such as hosting a big party around the holidays, putting up a fence, or cutting down a tree. This so rarely happens these days that it will probably squash any uncertain feelings they may have had about the project and gain you some respect in the process.

Third; be aware and understanding of your differences. Age, faith, ethnicity, or marital status can drastically affect lifestyles. You have to come to grips with the fact that not everyone lives like you and open dialogue about issues that come from these differences will probably alleviate any problems or complications. But also be aware of things you have in common. If you share a passion for gardening, biking/jogging, or you both have pets this could be something that could draw you closer.

Also, be candid and assume the best. People generally don't create problems intentionally. Therefore, feel free to discuss an issue that comes up with those around you. You can assume they are unaware that their actions are annoying you. And if you are approached by them, remain calm and congenial. You don't have to justify your behavior. If you refrain from acting defensive there is a greater possibility for resolution through communication.
Remember the golden rule; treat others as you would like to be treated and love thy neighbor as yourself.

By: David

Ciudad Real Madrid

2010-02-12T06:45:00.000-08:00

Real Madrid F.C.'s training facilities, known as Ciudad Real Madrid (Real Madrid City), was opened in 2005 and covers 1.2 million square meters. It is also known as Valdebebas, the name of the district in which the complex is located. So far construction cost the club around $101 million and only about 1/3 has been completed.

It contains 13 1/3 soccer fields, including, Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano, where the reserve team, Real Madrid Castilla, play it's home matches. The youth squads are designated 3 synthetic turf fields (115 x 75 yards), 2 natural grass fields (approximately the same size), and 2 small sided synthetic turf fields for the youngest age groups (70 x 45 yards). The first team is allocated 2 natural grass fields, 1 synthetic turf field, a small sided natural grass field (60 x 35 yards), a small sided synthetic turf field (55 x 30 yards), and a "final third" partial field (35 x 70 yards) used for finishing exercises and practicing set pieces. The quality of the fields are such that the natural and synthetic environments are easily confused with one another.

These surround a large building, shaped like a letter "T", that serves as the spine of the complex and in some regards, the club itself. The vertical portion of the building serves the purposes of the youth teams, while the long hall at the end is reserved for the first team. As a youth player develops, each year he is invited back to the academy his team room will be closer to the first team wing. Within this building you will find team rooms, equipment rooms, weight rooms and rehab centers. There are audio-visual rooms, used as tactical classrooms, complete with projection video systems, microphone and speaker systems, and large dry erase boards designed like soccer fields. Several flat screen LCD monitors are positioned in various places throughout the room. The state of the art medical facilities consist of examination rooms, treatment rooms, and a hydrotherapy center that includes hot and cool pools, a cold plunge, and a resistance wave pool. Everything in Valdebebas is the best money can buy.

The security at the sports facility is also extremely impressive. A private security company monitors and patrols Ciudad Real Madrid. From the outside it may resemble a minimum security prison as it is completely fenced in, with a road circling the complex used mainly for security vehicles, 2 manned security towers at each end, and gated entrances where you must provide proper identification. The complex is impressively designed so that fans and parents are kept at a distance from the academy, reserve, and first team members. The training fields can only be accessed through the main building, past another security checkpoint which even parents of youth team members are not allowed to pass through. Spectator stands can only be accessed from the outer perimeter of the complex. For every Real Madrid team room there is a visitors team room, but they are only accessable from the outside.

Every detail has been very well though out in it's design. For example, the sand pits (20 x 35 yards) were built in to accommadate South American members who enjoy playing Brazilian volleyball (a game in which you can't use your hands), the rehab facility has a wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling window looking out over training grounds to motivate players to work hard when returning from injury, there is an indoor synthetic turf area adjacent to the rehab facility where players can work with a ball or footwork exercises under medical supervision. Other things to note are the cantina inside the building which serves food and drinks and the first team player lounge, which is equiped with comfortable couches and chairs, includes a bar, and overlooks their training pitches.

This soccer city is a modern marvel of the blent between sports and business. It has everything you could ever want when developing soccer talent. And the detail and specificity of the grounds is astounding.

33rd America's Cup

2010-02-11T06:37:00.000-08:00

The oldest active trophy in international sport, predating the modern Olympics by 45 years, will be on the line next week when the 33rd America's Cup will take place off the coast of Valencia, Spain. The cup is given to the winner of a challenge-driven match race sailing regatta.

The cup will be defended by the Swiss team Alinghi, hailing from Société Nautique de Genève, and challenged by an American team BMW Oracle Racing from Golden Gate Yatch Club.

Alinghi won the trophy in 2003 and successfully defended it in 2007. Alinghi will be sailing on Alinghi 5, a catamaran which measures 120 feet from stern to tip of the bowsprit. Controversially, the boat has an engine installed to provide power for winches and pumping water ballast from one hull to the other.

BMW Oracle Racing competed and lost in both the 2003 and 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup's, which determined the challenger for the next America's Cup. The team will be racing on a 90 foot trimaran known as USA 17. Interestingly, the boat is equiped with a hard surface wing, instead of a cloth-like sail.

The first two attempts to kick off the event, on February 8 and 10, were postponed due to light variable winds and rough seas, respectively. The matches are now scheduled to take place February 12th, 14th, and 16th.

2009 Trends in Housing Year-End Report (MRIS)

2010-02-09T06:26:00.000-08:00

Metropolitan Regional Information System (MRIS), the company that runs the multiple listing service for the D.C. metropolitan area, has released the Trends in Housing Year-End 2009 Report. The report includes an analysis of the of the regional economy, an examination of regional housing data and a review of trends, and discussion of the housing sector's impact on other industries.

They found that the number of houses sold in the Washington D.C. area in 2009 was up 11.4% from 2008 and that over that span average home sales prices were up 3% in Alexandria, VA and 14% in Arlington and D.C. D.C. was also shown to have the lowest rate of unemployment, at just 6.1% compared to the national average of 10%. Low mortgage rates and the $8,000 federal tax credit ushered many new home buyers into the market. While many home sellers are offering concessions to buyers in order to facilitate sales, those tactics are shrinking.

The report also made several predictions. The researchers believe that renewed demand in 2010 will continue to yield yearly price gains, first becoming apparent in the outer suburbs but extending to other areas in the near future. Also, the National Association of Homebuilders estimates that the extended and expanded tax credit will generate 180,000 additional home sales nationally. And it is believed that the first half of 2009 saw the D.C. regional economy hit bottom and that it is now in the beginning stages of recovery.

The report states, "The Washington area housing market is in the early phases of the recovery cycle. Of note, most major market indicators have improved compared to one year earlier."

Super Bowl XLIV

2010-02-08T08:15:00.000-08:00

The 2009 football season concluded at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida yesterday after Super Bowl XLIV, in which the New Orleans Saints became NFL Champions for the first time since their inception in 1967. They defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 and quarterback Drew Brees was the game MVP. Brees tied a Super Bowl record set by Tom Brady in Super Bowl XXXVIII with 32 completions. Brees also had 2 touchdowns and 288 yards passing.

Other stars of the day were Colts quarterback Peyton Manning who had 31 completions for 333 yards and a touchdown, however, he threw the interception, by Tracy Porter, that sealed the win for the Saints in the 4th quarter. The leading rusher was Indianapolis' Joseph Addai, who ran for 77 yards on 13 carries. It was a day for passing, however, as Addai, Dallas Clark (Colts), Marques Colston (Saints), and Deverey Henderson (Saints) all came away with 7 receptions each. Dwight Freeney, who was under speculation for two weeks as to whether he would play due to an ankle spain in the AFC Championship, had the only sack of the night. Indy's Gary Brackett had 12 tackles. Also, the Saints Garrett Hartley became the first kicker with 3 field goals over 40 yards in a Super Bowl game.

The story of the day seemed to be New Orleans willingness to take risks and leave it all on the field, with both success and failure. Their 4th and goal attempt from the Colts 1 yard line came up short, but their onside kick immediately after halftime proved to be genius as it caught the Colts special teams off guard and leaning away in anticipation of a long kick.

The halftime show was performed by The Who and accented by a brilliant light show. They played a medley of their hits, including "Pinball Wizard", "Who Are You", "Baba O'Riley", "See Me Feel Me", and "Won't Get Fooled Again".

The Colts were favored by Las Vegas by 4 points and the over/under was set at 57.

A 30 second commercial during this years Super Bowl cost $2.5 to 2.8 million.

National Signing Day

2010-02-05T07:23:00.000-08:00

The first Wednesday in February, known as National Signing Day when high school seniors are allowed to sign binding National Letters of Intent for college sports. The media annually follow the happenings of the day related to football closely.

This year Florida were the hungry-hungry-hippos gobbling up blue chip players, despite the uncertainty in the offseason regarding the retirement, then leave of absense, of head coach Urban Meyers'. This was a class for the history books, seeing Florida nab 17 kids ranked in the nation's top 150.

Florida was significantly trailed by Texas and Alabama, who competed in the BCS Championship last month, and everyone else for that matter.

Tennessee and Southern California came away with top 10 recruiting classes despite coaching changes that saw Lane Kiffen leave Nashville for Pasadena. However, other teams in the Pac-10, such as UCLA, Cal, Oregon, and Washington, also had great days which bodes well for the often criticized conference that has been dominated recently by the USC Trojans.

Ohio State had less than stellar day due to it's Signing Day last year, which saw coach Jim Tressel bring in just about every recruit he wanted. Notre Dame had an okay day, as Brian Kelly took over as coach for the fired Charlie Weis.

Here's how the top 10 classes shake up, according to scout.com: 1. Florida 2. Oklahoma 3. Texas 4. Alabama 5. USC 6. Auburn 7. LSU 8. UCLA 9. Penn State 10. Florida State

Commercial Real Estate Market Concerns Congress

2010-02-04T07:04:00.000-08:00

As reported by HousingWatch.com, some in Congress, led by Dem. Paul Kanjorski (Penn.) and Rep. Calvert (Calif.) are growing increasingly concerned about the state of commercial real estate industry.

A letter, signed by 77 congressmen and women, was sent to both the U.S. Treasury Department the Federal Reserve warning of the damage a collapse of the $7 trillion industry, which supports some 9 millions jobs, could do to the recovering economy.

The critical moment people are looking ahead to comes in 2013, when $1.4 trillion in commercial mortgages will be due. According to Deutsche Bank analysts, about 65% of them will have a difficult time getting refinanced.

The New York Times has reported that these members of Congress would like the two federal agencies "to make a clear public statement encouraging lenders to continue to make credit available for performing assets, even if the value of the property has taken a hit in its value."

Trump Interested in Buying Stuy Town

2010-02-02T06:40:00.000-08:00

Peter Cooper Village and Stuyvesant Town seems to be a financial sinkhole. In order to avoid bankruptcy, control of the private residential development on the East side of Manhattan was recently handed over to creditors of Tishman Speyer Properties, who bought the 56 building property from MetLife for $5.4 billion in 2006. It was the biggest American residential property deal in history, around a half a million dollars per unit.

It was originally built to provide housing for working people (veterans, cops, teachers, etc.) and because of New York's rental stabilization laws many people still live there who would not be able to afford "luxury" apartments. The strict laws and protests from residents killed plans by Tishman Speyer to hike rent, causing them to foreclose.

Donald Trump is now interested in investing in the nearly 11,000 apartments, telling the New York Post, "people have asked us if we would be interested in running it or buying it. We are looking at it right now very seriously."

This seems to be a boot that does not fit and if Trump and his partners follow up on this it may blow up in their faces, joining a long list of Trump failures. The red brick design and housing project architecture seems out of place when compared to the famously grandiose Trump properties. Given his previous brushes, both business and personal, with Chapter 11 he might want to stay away from Stuy Town.

Egypt Win 2010 Africa Cup of Nations

2010-02-01T07:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, January 31, Egypt won the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations held in Angola. As reported in an earlier post, this international soccer tournament determine's the continents best national team. Egypt have succesfully the title they won in 2008 making this their seventh championship, despite not qualifying for the World Cup finals being held this summer.

Ghana finished second after losing to Egypt by a score of 1-0. Nigeria beat Algeria 1-0 in the consolation game to finish in third place.

Egyptian players also took home all three individual awards as Ahmed Hassan was named Player of the Tournament, Essam El-Hadary won Goalkeeper of the Tournament, and Geddo was the Top Scorer of the Tournament as well, finishing with five goals.

The Best XI, selected by the tournament's Technical Study Group, were goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary, defenders Madjid Bougherra of Algeria, Wael Gomaa of Egypt, and Mabina of Angola, midfielders Ahmed Hassan, Ahmed Fathy of Egypt, Peter Odemwingie of Nigeria, and Alexandre Song of Cameroon, and forwards Asamoah Gyan of Ghana, Mohammad Zidan of Egypt, and Flavio of Angola. Substitutes named were Richard Kingston (Ghana), Geddo, Emmanuel Mbola (Zambia), Karim Ziani (Algeria), Achille Emana (Cameroon), Kwadwo Asamoah (Ghana), Seydou Keita (Mali), Andre Ayew (Ghana), Eric Mouloungui (Gabon), Chindedu Obasi (Nigeria), Salomon Kalou (Ivory Coast), and Jacob Mulenga (Zambia).

The 28th African Cup of Nations will be co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea in 2012.

Changes in FHA Loan Requirements

2010-01-22T06:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday it was announed by the Federal Housing Administration that FHA loan requirements are changing sometime this year and that there will be tighter restrictions for FHA backed loans.

The changes will be relatively small for most borrowers. The changes include a raise in the upfront mortgage premium (MIP) from 1.75% to 2.25%. Also, the mimimum down payments for borrowers whose credit score will raise from 3.5% to 10%. And finally, allowable seller concessions will be cut in half.

These changes are expected to take effect this spring or summer. More information can be found here or you can get in touch with The Mike Webb Team.

2010 Africa Cup of Nations

2010-01-21T07:43:00.000-08:00

Today ends the group stage of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola. The biannual national soccer tournament awards the champion of the African continent.

The competing teams were chosen as the best teams from their groups in World Cup qualification, which wrapped up in November 2009.

With the first round of matches drawing to an end Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria have all qualified for the knockout stage of the tournament. The place of the final two teams to qualify will be decided today upon the completion the final two matches; Gabon versus Zambia and Cameroon versus Tunisia. All four teams still have a chance to move on.

This is one of the most exciting soccer tournaments in the world and many European clubs watch carefully to find new and young talent. So far, the leading goalscorers through 3 games are Flavio Amado of Angola, currently playing for club Al-Shabab in Saudi Arabia, and Seydou Keita of Mali, who plays club football with FC Barcelona in Spain.

Other big stars include Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast/Barcelona), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast/Chelsea), and Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon/Internazionale).

Unfortunately, Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo/Manchester City) will not be featured in the games as the Togo national team bus was attacked by rebels during it's travels, after which the team forfeited the tournament.

Current Value of the White House

2010-01-20T07:11:00.000-08:00

President Obama has now been a White House resident for one year. While other analysts will critique his record and performance over the year, zillow.com has valued his home at around $292,470,000. That is a 5.1% ($15.6 million) decrease from last January's value of $308,059,000.

These numbers were based on the home's physical attributes (132 rooms, 55,000 square feet, 18 acres, 16 family-guest rooms, 3 kitchens, 3 elevators, 28 fireplaces, and an underground bunker), historical value, and housing performance in the local Washington, DC market.

This may seem like quite a hit but not when compared to the previous years dip of 7.2%, $23.8 million decrease from $331,841,734.

This seems to reflect the nationwide market trends. Housing prices continue to fall, but at a slowing rate. Whether that is a sign of the market bottoming out or mearly a temporary trend remains to be seen.

The Mike Webb Team: http://www.northernvirginiahouses.com/

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

2010-01-19T06:43:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day; a federal holiday that marks the birth of the civil rights activists. The holiday is observed yearly on the third Monday of January. Rev. Dr. MLK was born on January 15, 1929.

MLK became the chief spokesman for nonviolent civil disobedience during the civil rights movement in the 1960's. Dr. King protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. He was assassinated in 1968.

While the campaign for a MLK holiday began soon after his death it did not become law until 1983 when it was signed by President Ronald Reagan. It was then not acknowledged by all 50 states until the year 2000.

Fun Fact: Martin Luther King Jr. Day is also celebrated in Hiroshima, Japan.

Brutal Honesty in Marketing

2010-01-18T06:20:00.000-08:00

While scouring the web for real estate blogs I could borrow an idea from I came across a pretty good one from the folks at photographyforrealesate.net. It talked about honesty in marketing; brutal honesty.

It highlighted a television commercial for Cullman Liquidation Center, which sells mobile homes, that reminded me very much of another blog by Brian Block, also known as Desperate Realtor.

Now I'm not sure if this technique of obvious self-deprecating humor works as a marketing tool, but it sure gets your attention. And really that's half the battle, so perhaps it does. I guess that's for you to decide.

Generation Adidas

2010-01-18T06:17:00.000-08:00

Generation adidas is a youth player development program, in a joint venture between Major League Soccer (MLS) and U.S. Soccer, designed to identify and nurture elite youth soccer talent in the United States. Until 2005 the program was sponsored by Nike and known as Project-40.

As part of a partnership deal between the MLS and Adidas, the developmental league attempts to raise the level of youth soccer talent in the United States. The program encourages early entry of American players into MLS. Generation Adidas players are able to train and play on a weekly basis with an MLS club, recieve educational grants to further their education, and participate in matches and tours both domestically and overseas.

Generation adidas players do not count on MLS senior rosters and generally earn a much higher salary than the league minimum. Entering the program automatically classifies a player as professional, and thus disqualifies them from playing college soccer. However, players are guaranteed scholarships to continue their education should their professional soccer career not pan out.

The program has included current United States mens national team stars Tim Howard, Carlos Bocanegra, Clint Dempsey, Joze Altidore, and Michael Bradley as well as DeMarcus Beasley, Ben Olsen, Sacha Kljestan, Chad Marshall, and Freddy Adu.

The list of 2010 Generation Adidas signings include:
Danny Mwanga: Drafted 1st overall by the Philadelphia Union. 18 years old from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Played forward at Oregon State University.

Tony Tchani: Drafted 2nd overall by the New York Red Bulls. 20 years old from Norfolk, Virginia. Played midfield at the University of Virginia.

Ike Opara: Drafted 3rd overall by the San Jose Earthquakes. 20 years old from Durham, North Carolina. Played defense at Wake Forest University.

Teal Bunbury: Drafted 4th overall by the Kansas City Wizards. 19 years old from Prior Lake, Minnesota. Played forward at the University of Akron.

Amobi Okugu: Drafted 6th overall by the Philadelphia Union. 18 years old from Sacramento, California. Played midfield at UCLA.

Jack McInerney: Drafted 7th overall by the Philadelphia Union. 17 years old from Alpharetta, Georgia. Played forward for the U.S. U-17 national team.

Dilly Duka: Drafted 8th overall by the Columbus Crew. 20 years old from Montville, New Jersey. Played midfield at Rutgers University.

Blair Gavin: Drafted 10th overall by Chivas USA. 20 years old from Louisville, Kentucky. Played midfield at the University of Akron.

Corben Bone: Drafted 13th overall by the Chicago Fire. 21 years old from Plano, Texas. Played forward at Wake Forest University.

Andrew Weideman: Drafted 21st overall by FC Dallas. 20 years old from San Ramon, California. Played forward at the University of California.

Zachary Herold: Drafted 24th overall by Toronto FC. 17 years old from Port St. Lucie, Florida. Played defense for the U.S. U-17 national team.

Sean Johnson: Drafted 51st overall by the Chicago Fire. 20 years old from Lilburn, Georgia. Played defense at the University of Central Florida.

Generation adidas

Xeriscaping: Landscaping to Conserve Water

2010-01-14T07:09:00.001-08:00

Xeriscaping; it sounds like a weapon in some futuristic video game or a character in Scientology. However, xeriscaping is a portmanteau of xeros, Greek for dry, and landscaping. Basically, it is a creative way to design landscaping to conserve water. The practice is also known as drought-tolerant landscaping, zeroscaping, smart scaping, and water-conserving landscaping.

It is believed that the idea began in Israel, but it is used to today in much of the southern United States. The specific term xeriscaping was created by the Front Range Xeriscaping Task Force of Denver Water in 1978. It refers to landscaping in ways that reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental irrigation and is promoted in areas that do not have easily accessible supplies of fresh water.

Some aspects of the practice include the use of plants whose natural resquirements are appropriate to the local climate, as well as taking care to avoid losing water to evaporation and run-off. While specific plant use depends on the climate the use of agave, cactus, lavender, juniper, sedum, and thyme are common.

The advantages to xeriscaping include lower water consumption, more water available for other uses, less time needed for maintenance, and plantlife sustainability when water is restricted.

http://xeriscapelandscaping.org/

The Mike Webb Team: www.NorthernVirginiaHouses.com

Quick Tips for Showing Your Home

2010-01-13T07:48:00.000-08:00

Home Sellers,
While showing your home, whether by appointment or while holding an open house, keep these tips in mind:

* Clean and de-clutter your home (of course)
* Turn on all lights (including halls, bathrooms, stairwells...)
* Open all window coverings (natural light is important)
* Put soft classical or jazz music on stereo
* Clear off kitchen or bathroom counters
* Don't leave dishes in sink
* Close the toilet seats
* Put some fresh flowers outside the front door and on the kitchen table
* Ensure the temperature is comfortable (a house that's too hot or too cold will usher out buyers quickly)
* Remove the cat box from the house
* Put some potpourri out or use air fresheners

Remember, on the day of a showing it's the little things that count. Do things that will be pleasing to the senses of a potential buyer. You want to brighten rooms to help their sight and provide pleasant smells and sounds.

Real Estate Tidbits

The Mike Webb Team: http://www.northernvirginiahouses.com/

Utopia, For Some

2010-01-12T07:43:00.000-08:00

Do you get seasick easily? Have you ever been homesick? Soon you will be able to experience both at the same time. 190 private residences are being sold aboard the cruiseship Utopia. Prices range from $3.7 million for the Olympian Estates to the $26 million, 6,500 square foot Utopian Estates.

Expected to set sail in 2013, the premier luxury residential oceanliner is the braintrust of a team of Beverly Hills professionals and industry leaders.

Among the features in the cabins are hardwood floors, marble countertops, recessed lighting, walk-in closets, and fireplaces, while your "neighborhood" includes three swimming pools, tennis courts, a gym, an outdoor movie theater, shops, restaurants, and a miniature golf course.

Anybody in the real estate business will tell you that the key is location, location, location. The perk of living on a cruiseship is being able to travel while still having the comforts of home. Utopia is scheduled to drop anchor in the Mediterrainean Sea off the southern coast of France during the Cannes Film Festival, off the Brazilian coast during the Carnival celebration in Rio de Janeiro, and in Sydney Harbor on New Years Eve to enjoy the fireworks display in Australia. Other stops and events include the Tour de France bicycle race, the Monaco Grand Prix car race, and the America's Cup yatch race.

No word yet on which country's tax code the multi-national home will fall under.

http://www.utopiaresidences.com/residences/index.php

The Mike Webb Team: www.NorthernVirginiaHouses.com

Should I Cancel an Open House due to Bad Weather?

2010-01-11T07:19:00.000-08:00

In bad weather, you should probably expect to see less people come by to view an open house. Depending on the weather you might not see anyone. Does this mean you should cancel the open house you had planned? No way.

Last winter, Devon and Nick McConnell were holding an open house for the one-bedroom co-op they shared on West End Avenue in Manhattan. There just happened to be a blizzard in NYC that day. Their broker told them not to cancel. "You don't have tire-kickers coming out in a blizzard. They are serious shoppers." They sold for $435,000; $36,000 more than their asking price.

Never cancel an open house already scheduled because of mother nature. You never know what or who you'll miss.

The Walk-Through (New York Times)

The Mike Webb Team: http://www.northernvirginiahouses.com/

Alabama wins BCS National Championship

2010-01-08T07:35:00.000-08:00

The Alabama Crimson Tide won the 2010 BCS National Championship last night at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California. They hung on to beat the Texas Longhorns 37-21, though the game was much closer than the scoreline suggests.

The Tide's defense were the heroes of the game, as they knocked the Longhorns' gunslinger, and two time Walter Camp Award winner, Colt McCoy out of the game early and then went on to seal the victory by forcing a sack fumble late in the game.

It turned out to be a see-saw affair which saw Texas take a 6-0 lead at the end of the first quarter after two field goals, only to be down 24-6 at halftime due in part to touchdown runs from game MVP and Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram Jr. and Trent Richardson. The tide also added a field goal and Texas looked really down and out heading to the locker rooms after an interception was returned for another touchdown by Marcell Dareus as time expired on the first half.

Texas surged after the break, however, with true freshman backup quarterback Garrett Gilbert throwing two touchdown receptions to All-American Jordan Shipley, which brought them back to only a 3 point deficit, trailing 'Bama 21-24.

Then everything got away from them with under three minutes left as Eryk Anders blindsided Gilbert, forcing the fumble in the shadow of the Texas goalposts. Ingram scored his second touchdown of the night, followed by Richardson doing the same after the game was out of hand.

Alabama finished the year 14-0, bringing home an eighth National Championship and their first since 1992.

The Mike Webb Team: http://www.northernvirginiahouses.com/

Fading Home Fads

2010-01-07T10:38:00.000-08:00

Fads come and go (remember Zubas?) and the same occurs within the realm of real estate. An article was recently written in REALTOR Magazine discussing some home fashions that are starting to go out of fashion. The list includes:

1. Fireplaces: The fireplace skyrocketed in importance in homes in 1991 with 62 percent of new homes having one or more. But the number has steadily been decreasing ever since. In 2007, the number dropped to 51 percent.

2. Carpet: While 54 percent of homes still have carpet floors, the number is decreasing and hardwood floors are taking the place. Vinyl and ceramic tile flooring also are being bypassed more by buyers. Seventeen percent of new homes contain hardwood floors throughout the entire house.

3. Living room: These once-decorative centerpieces of homes are slowly vanishing from newer homes. Thirty-four percent of consumers say they’re willing to buy a home without a living room.

4. Desks in the kitchen: These desks were once looked at as great storage areas but they’re often too small and quickly become clutter spaces in a home, said Gayle Butler, editor in chief of Better Homes and Gardens. Instead, more consumers say they prefer larger desks in or near the family room—equipped with a messaging center—where they can keep an eye on their kids as they work on the computer.

5. Skylights: The little windows that allow natural light to seep into a home from above are falling out of style. Only 10 percent of new homes will include them this year, a continuing downward spiral for skylights.

6. Upscale kitchen finishes: Granite countertops are slowly becoming less desirable among buyers who are now moving toward affordable, low-maintenance laminate countertops—which tend to last longer and now come in various styles.

So add these to the "passe" list along with acid-wash jeans and Members-Only jackets, grunge and disco music, VHS and cassette tapes, and the DeLorean and VW buses. But you know what they say; fads are cyclical. Maybe we will once again see kitchen appliances in avocado and mediterrainean brown colors as we did in the 70's.

Home Fads That Are Falling Out of Style

The Mike Webb Team: www.NorthernVirginiaHouses.com

2010 Celebrity Neighbor Survey

2010-01-06T07:14:00.000-08:00

Zillow.com has released the results of their third annual Celebrity Neighbor Survey. The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, was given to 2,000 American adults to find out whom they would and would not want to share a fence with. Some celebs made it onto both lists. Here are the results:

2010 Most Desirable Neighbors: The Obamas (14%), Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi (12%), Sarah Palin (12%), Taylor Swift (9%), Oprah Winfrey (7%), Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen (3%), Tiger Woods (3%), Robert Pattinson (1%).

2010 Least Desirable Neighbors: Nadya Suleman aka Octomom (17%), Jon and Kate "Plus Eight" Gosselin (16%), Sarah Palin (11%), Richard and Muyami Heene aka Parents of Balloon Boy (11%), Kanye West (8%), Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt of The Hills (8%), Britney Spears (7%), Tiger Woods (4%).

Click here to see the homes these celebs live in.

The Mike Webb Team: www.NorthernVirginiaHouses.com

2010-01-05T09:08:00.000-08:00

12 teams have earned the right to compete in the football tournament known as the NFL playoffs. That, however, is for a later blog. Today we look back at.

The NFL announced the players voted to be the best in the league over the past 17 weeks that comprised the regular season. These players will compete in the NFL Pro Bowl, professional football's all-star game, on January 31 at Dolphin Stadium:

AFC Offense: QB Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts), Philip Rivers (San Diego Chargers), Tom Brady (New England Patriots). RB Chris Johnson (Tennessee Titans), Maurice Jones-Drew (Jacksonville Jaguars), Ray Rice (Baltimore Ravens). FB La'Ron McClain (Baltimore Ravens). WR Andre Johnson (Houston Texans), Reggie Wayne (Indianapolis Colts), Brandon Marshall (Denver Broncos), Wes Welker (New England Patriots). TE Dallas Clark (Indianapolis Colts), Antonio Gates (San Diego Chargers). OT Jake Long (Miami Dolphins), Ryan Clady (Denver Broncos), Joe Thomas (Cleveland Browns). OG Logan Mankins (New England Patriots), Alan Faneca (New York Jets), Kris Dielman (San Diego Chargers). C Nick Mangold (New York Jets), Jeff Saturday (Indianapolis Colts).

AFC Defense: DE Dwight Freeney (Indianapolis Colts), Robert Mathis (Indianapolis Colts), Mario Williams (Houston Texans). DT Haloti Ngata (Baltimore Ravens), Vince Wilfork (New England Patriots), Casey Hampton (Pittsburgh Steelers). OLB Elvis Dumerville (Denver Broncos), James Harrison (Pittsburgh Steelers), Brian Cushing (Houston Texans). ILB Ray Lewis (Baltimore Ravens), DeMeco Ryans (Houston Texans). CB Darrelle Revis (New York Jets), Nnamdi Asomugha (Oakland Raiders), Champ Bailey (Denver Broncos). FS Ed Reed (Baltimore Ravens), Jarius Byrd (Buffalo Bills). SS Brian Dawkins (Denver Broncos).

AFC Special Teams: K Nate Kaeding (San Diego Chargers). P Shane Lechler (Oakland Raiders). KR Joshua Cribbs (Cleveland Browns). ST Kassim Osgood (San Diego Chargers).

NFC Offense: QB Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints), Brett Favre (Minnesota Vikings), Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers). RB Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings), Steven Jackson (St. Louis Rams), DeAngelo Williams (Carolina Panthers). FB Leonard Weaver (Philadelphia Eagles). WR Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona Cardinals), DeSean Jackson (Philadelphia Eagles), Miles Austin (Dallas Cowboys), Sidney Rice (Minnesota Vikings). TE Vernon Davis (San Francisco 49ers), Jason Witten (Dallas Cowboys). OT Jason Peters (Philadelphia Eagles), Bryant McKinnie (Minnesota Vikings), Jon Stinchcomb (New Orleans Saints). OG Steve Hutchinson (Minnesota Vikings), Jahri Evans (New Orleans Saints), Leonard Davis (Dallas Cowboys). C Andre Gurode (Dallas Cowboys), Shaun O'Hara (New York Giants).

NFC Defense: DE Jared Allen (Minnesota Vikings), Julius Peppers (Carolina Panthers), Trent Cole (Philadelphia Eagles). DT Kevin Williams (Minnesota Vikings), Darnell Dockett (Arizona Cardinals), Jay Ratliff (Dallas Cowboys). OLB DeMarcus Ware (Dallas Cowboys), Lance Briggs (Chicago Bears), Brian Orakpo (Washington Redskins). ILB Patrick Willis (San Francisco 49ers), Jonathan Vilma (New Orleans Saints). CB Charles Woodson (Green Bay Packers), Asante Samuel (Philadelphia Eagles), Dominique Rogers-Cromartie (Arizona Cardinals). FS Darren Sharper (New Orleans Saints), Nick Collins (Green Bay Packers). SS Adrian Wilson (Arizona Cardinals).

NFC Special Teams: K David Akers (Philadelphia Eagles). P Andy Lee (San Francisco 49ers). KR Percy Harvin (Minnesota Vikings). ST Heath Farwell (Minnesota Vikings).

The Pro Bowl will be shown at 8:00 p.m. EST on ESPN.

The Mike Webb Team: www.NorthernVirginiaHouses.com

2010 Real Estate Predictions

2010-01-04T08:03:00.000-08:00

Here's what the professionals say:

The 2010 market will be different than any real estate professional has ever seen. New approaches and new skills will be required to succeed. Generational differences and how to work with them will be a critical skill for survival and success. Realtor associations will need to change their business model and their services to adapt to the rapidly changing market. Pam MacConnell, Association executive, West Volusia Association of Realtors, Orange City, Florida.
While almost everyone actively involved in the real estate industry was excited to see the continuation of the tax credits through April 30, 2010, for homes that close by June 30, we expect there to be a lot of buyer caution and concern come May 1, when the benefits expire. No one is sure how much volume came from moving renters off the fence and how much came from just moving volume up following this year's tax credit. It's still unclear what effect the extension will have on the market. May and June pending sales are going to be critical months to really understand the health of the housing market. Patrick Lashinsky, Chief executive officer, ZipRealty, Emeryville, California.

The buzzword for agents in 2010 will continue to be responsiveness. Buyers and sellers who have been on the sidelines are going to be anxious to get into the market as it starts to pick up, and they will expect their agents to be one step ahead of them. Customers will continue to raise the bar on response time. They used to expect agents to respond within 24 hours. Today, with mobile devices, (they expect a response) in just hours. Leslie Tyler, Vice president of marketing, ZipRealty, Emeryville, California.

Sales in Michigan will remain steady. Inventory levels will continue to drop but at a slower pace. With that the median sales prices will also rise. Karen S. Kage, Chief executive officer, realcomp II Ltd, Farmington Hills, Michigan.

More mobile applications that involve brokers, consumers and real estate-related services. Lauren Emery, Chief executive officer, Information and Real Estate Services LLC, Loveland, Colorado.

The market, unlike 2009, will be predictable. We will have a spring market starting in January: There is pent-up demand; first-time buyers will want to take advantage of the tax incentive and the $6,500 tax credit for move-up/retrenching buyers will also help. I also predict that the industry will lose at least 10 percent of its firms and salespeople. That will be good for the industry. Liberal newspapers will try to make things seem better (to support the current administration and Democrats' re-election of congressmen), the economy will stabilize, the health care debate will be behind us, interests rates will flatten, employment will get a little better, Wall Street numbers will continue to look better, home prices will stabilize, consumers will feel better. Real estate unit sales in Connecticut will be up 12 percent and flat in Rhode Island. Peter Helie, Chairman and chief executive officer, Prudential Connecticut Realty, Rocky Hill, Connecticut.

The first quarter will be up and strong in most areas and price ranges. The market will level off by summer. Unit sales will continue to be greater than volume. With current lower inventory levels we will have difficulty meeting demand in the $150,000 to $300,000 range for many neighborhoods. There will be greater activity in the $300,000-plus market as more homeowners realize the stimulus is for them. The high-end luxury market has had an increase over the last 60 days. This will continue in spurts throughout 2010. Overall, the market will have swings but will show increases in most areas. Helen Hanna Casey, President, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

2010 will be very similar to 2009. Unit activity will be up slightly and prices will decline slightly. The net is even. Stephen W. Baird, President and chief executive officer, Baird & Warner Inc, Chicago, Illinois.

The conditions are set for a surge of sales activity heading into 2010 thanks to historically low interest rates, adjusted home prices, and the extended/expanded Federal Housing Tax Credit. After the expiration of the tax credit in April 2010, we can expect to see a dip in sales, but there are some things the government can do to ease this transition. J. Lennox Scott, Chairman and chief executive officer, John L. Scott Real Estate, Seattle, Washington.

We don't generally make predictions; we leave that to the economists. But here are two: If we continue to "eat at the trough" of expanding federal programs, our economy will suffer well into the future. And the tired, unwieldy, nondescript, disparate multiple listing service will get rebranded. Steve Sullivan, Chief executive officer, Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Activity in the first half of 2010 may be artificially robust due to the tax credits, and the activity in the remainder of the year will help determine how strong the housing recovery is. Mae Hassman, Chief executive officer, Missoula Organization of Realtors, Missoula, Montana.

For consumers, Realtor ratings in 2010 will become as routine as rating hotels, restaurants and movies is now. Bob Hale, President and chief executive officer, Houston Association of Realtors, Houston, Texas.

I think on the conservative side the first two quarters may have a slow start but the market will pick up in the third quarter. Annie Ives, Chief executive officer , Combined Los Angeles/Westside MLS, Los Angeles, California.

My prediction for 2010 is not a bright one. I expect our association membership will drop by 15 percent. I have members who have been in the business more than two years who say they cannot make their dues for next year. We ran a sales report of the agents who are selling, and (the ones receiving referrals) from past clients have remained the top sales agents. They have the experience from past declining markets over the years. Shirley Skerbelis, Executive vice president, The Inland Gateway Association of Realtors, Corona, California.

The world won't end. Real estate agents and brokers who have an open mind, are willing to work very hard, put their clients interest first, and -- above all -- adapt and evolve will find great success and satisfaction in this amazing industry. Matt Case, Associate broker, Director of support services, Coldwell Banker Schmidt Realtors.

http://www.inman.com/opinion/guest-perspective/2009/12/21/real-estate-wish-list-predictions-2010?page=0%2C0

The Mike Webb Team: www.NorthernVirginiaHouses.com

12 Days of Jennerette

2009-12-23T06:49:00.000-08:00

The Buffalo Sabres play the Washington Capitols tonight at the Verizon Center. As I told you yesterday I would have something special for you Caps fans. Here it is, from the greatest hockey commentator in the business, Rick Jennerette's 12 Days of Christmas:

By: David

The Mike Webb Team: www.NorthernVirginiaHouses.com

Merry Christmas Canada!

2009-12-22T08:16:00.000-08:00

In honor of both the Christmas season and the Buffalo Sabres beating the Toronto Maple Leafs last night I post this video; Bob and Doug McKenzie's 12 Days of Christmas. Happy Holidays Canadians!

Not to worry Caps fans, there's more for you tomorrow.

By: David

The Mike Webb Team: http://www.northernvirginiahouses.com/

Cerrato Out; Allen In

2009-12-21T07:57:00.001-08:00

Things are changing for the Washington Redskins, and the way things have been going lately (i.e. since Dan Snyder bought the team in 1999) that's a very good thing, at least if you're a football fan.

Snyders' longtime second-hand man and Executive VP of Football Operations, Vinny Cerrato, resigned December 17. Cerrato has taken a lot of heat from the D.C. media for overspending in free agency on over-the-hill free agents that were once great NFL players such as Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders, Irving Fryer, Jeff George, and Mark Carrier. He was also blamed for shortcomings in the NFL draft, with depleted picks (from trading up or signing restricted free agents) and neglecting the trenches (Chris Samuels and Derrick Dockery are the only standout offensive lineman drafted, in 2000 and 2003 respectively).

While the Redskins have produced off the field (they are currently the second highest grossing team in the NFL) they have had a pretty bad decade on it. Now, however, the Redskins hope to have a fruitful football future with their latest addition, General Manager Bruce Allen. Bruce is the son of the Washington Redskins Hall of Fame coach George Allen. He has NFL managerial experience with the Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Although for much of his career Allen has worked with former coach and current Monday Night Football commentator Jon Gruden, his appointment has been linked in the media with the potential hiring in a new head coach in Mike Shanahan, two time Super Bowl winner and former coach of the Denver Broncos.

Washington Redskins hire General Manager Bruce Allen

By: David

The Mike Webb Team: www.NorthernVirginiaHouses.com

Dropcards

2009-12-18T07:38:00.000-08:00

http://www.realtythoughts.com/

As a real estate professional your main focus in business has to be people. Converting those people into clients can be a tedious process which heavily weighs on trust and reputation. In the past the main avenue for getting new leads and networking was handing out business cards whenever possible. With the increase of social networks and the Web 2.0 culture, real estate pros must engage people where they frequent – the web. So I guess you’re wondering what this has to do with business cards? There’s a neat tool I want to share that encompasses both worlds of live interaction and social networking online. It’s called a dropcard, and it allows you to give people you meet your business card via text message or over the web. Not only does it allow you to give your contact and business information, it also enables you to connect with these new contacts via the various social networks you have a presence in.

www.mydropcard.com

By: David

The Mike Webb Team: www.NorthernVirginiaHouses.com

Zillow Home Value Index

2009-12-18T06:59:00.000-08:00

Zillow.com has compiled a list of cities that are having the best year-over-year increases in home value. The study included cities with more than 20,000 residents and compared their October 2009 Zillow Home Value Index with it’s 2008 Index. The Zillow Home Value Index measures the median home value in an area. According to the research the cities with the most appreaciation of home values include a few near my hometown of Grand Island, NY in the Buffalo Metro Area. Here’s the top ten (Buffalo Metro Area in bold):

1. Charleston, WV (17.0%)
2. New Orleans, LA (14.2%)
3. Wilmington, DE (13.4%)
4. Amherst, NY (12.5%)
5. West Seneca, NY (11.5%)
6. Mequon, WI (11.4%)
7. Rochester, NY (10.6%)*
8. Cheektowaga, NY (9.8%)
9. Florence, SC (9.7%)
10. North Little Rock, AR (9.0%)

* Near SUNY Brockport where I attended college

By: David

The Mike Webb Team: www.NorthernVirginiaHouses.com

Best Music From the Past Decade

2009-12-16T07:24:00.000-08:00

The latest issue of Rolling Stone includes several lists including the best songs and best albums of the decade. Being an avid music-lover I'm going to list my top 10 favorites from both categories. (Note: Music selected only from R.S. lists)

Favorite Songs from the Past Decade: 1. Crazy (Gnarles Barkley) 2. The Seed 2.0 (The Roots) 3. Welcome to Jamrock (Damian Marley) 4. Paper Planes (M.I.A.) 5. 99 Problems (Jay-Z) 6. Rehab (Amy Winehouse) 7. Hurt (Johnny Cash) 8. B.O.B. (Outkast) 9. Clint Eastwood (Gorillaz) 10. All My Friends (LCD Soundsystem)

Rolling Stone: 100 Best Songs of the Decade

Favorite Albums from the Past Decade: 1. Kid A (Radiohead) 2. Back to Black (Amy Winehouse) 3. Toxicity (System of a Down) 4. Raising Sand (Robert Plant and Alison Krauss) 5. Elephant (White Stripes) 6. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (Wilco) 7. Kala (M.I.A.) 8. Sound of Silver (LCD Soundsystem) 9. The Grey Album (Danger Mouse) 10. The Marshall Mathers LP (Eminem)

Rolling Stone: 100 Best Albums of the Decade

By: David

The Mike Webb Team: http://www.northernvirginiahouses.com/

The ATM: The greatest thing since the locked vault

2009-12-15T08:02:00.000-08:00

Paul Volcker, the former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman and current chairman of President Obama's Economic Recovery Advisory Board, dropped some heavy news on an audience of some of the world's most senior financiers. He claimed that the ATM was the single most important contribution their industry has made in the last 25 years.

Volcker told delegates at a business conference in Sussex, who had been discussing how to rebuild the financial system, to "wake up". He said credit default swaps and collateralised debt obligations had taken the economy "right to the brink of disaster" and added that the economy had grown at "greater rates of speed" during the 1960s without such products. At least the automated telling machine had at least proved "useful".

New York Times

The Mike Webb Team: www.NorthernVirginiaHouses.com

Real Estate Urban Legend

2009-12-14T07:37:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of The Gory Details...of Real Estate:

"Be forewarned -- no, this is not about kidney harvesting, Nigerian Lottery winnings, or Bill Gates giving everyone lots of money for forwarding an email -- there is an email making the rounds titled "HR 2454: CAP AND TRADE ENERGY BILL", which purports that new legislation will require all homes to retroactively pass new energy standards before they are sold.

Some even say that all homes will now be required to get a "label" for your house every year, proving that your home meets new energy standards.

This is all patently and unequivocally FALSE. (and you can even check Snopes.com here to doublecheck)

Firstly, whoever started this email has a serious conspiracy theory complex. They also probably fall into the category of "birther", "teabagger party member", or "Glenn Beck-lover".

Bottom line, our gub'mint is not going to do anything - ANYTHING - that will adversely affect the real estate market, which is absolutely one of the key elements in our ongoing, slow economic recovery. Why do you think they recently overwhelmingly voted to extend the first time buyer $8K tax credit bill, as well as extend the $729K conforming loan limit? They want to encourage people to have more confidence in home ownership.

Anyway, I also consulted our National Association of Realtors (NAR) position on this, and below is what it said. The most revealing statement, which contradicts this email is that this bill "Does not create a federal energy audit requirement for real property".

"The U.S. House of Representatives approved H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act by Reps. Waxman (D‐CA) and Markey (D‐MA). Following NAR’s long‐standing policy to only take a position on legislation, or provisions within legislation that have a direct affect on real estate, NAR worked with our Congressional allies to strip the Energy Bill of provisions that would have adversely affected our industry.

After multiple consultations with the NAR Climate Presidential Advisory Group, the NAR Land Use, Property Rights and Environment Committee, and state associations who had dealt with energy audit legislation at the state level, the Land Use, Property Rights and Environment Committee directed NAR staff to concentrate on the real estate provisions in the bill. As a result, NAR issued calls for action and made this a talking point for Capitol Hill visits during its recent Midyear meeting.

Overall, REALTORS® succeeded in making a number of positive changes affecting the real estate provisions of the bill. The House‐approved bill:

Does not create a federal energy audit requirement for real property;

Exempts existing homes and buildings from any federal guidelines for new construction energy efficiency information labels.

Prohibits the implementation of any labeling during a sales transaction.

Leaves the decision to states as to whether to require energy audits, disclosures, etc.

Provides property owners with significant financial incentives, matching grants and tools to make property improvements and reduce their energy bills;

Prohibits the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating residential and commercial buildings under the Clean Air Act;

Eliminated an early proposal to allow citizens to sue over minor climate risks under the Clean Air Act; and Establishes green building incentives for HUD housing, including a loan program for renewable energy, block grants and credit for upgrades in mortgage underwriting."

http://gorydetails.typepad.com/the_gory_details/

The Mike Webb Team: http://www.northernvirginiahouses.com/

Rage Against Simon Cowell

2009-12-11T07:50:00.000-08:00

London, England (CNN) -- At least half a million Facebookers are raging against Simon Cowell, trying to keep his British TV talent show "The X-Factor" from claiming the number-one spot on the British singles chart on Christmas Day.

They've vowed to download the Rage Against the Machine song "Killing in the Name" starting on Monday to make it the number-one single in the country on the Sunday before Christmas.
It might seem like a frivolous contest, but hundreds of thousands of pounds -- and a place in history -- are at stake.

A Christmas Number One enters the history books, exciting passion, disgust, joy and, yes, rage.
British music fans sometimes take the high road. They put the charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" at the top of the charts three times: First in 1984, then in 1989 and 2004 when anniversary editions came out.

Once upon a time, they got into the spirit of the season -- with "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Mary's Boy Child," and "When a Child is Born" all topping the charts on Christmas Day in days of yore.

And often they just buy the songs they like, paying no heed to the season's mistletoe and wine. The Beatles topped the Christmas Day chart four times. The Spice Girls claimed the title three times. Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley and Westlife all had Christmas number ones. So did Pink Floyd, with "Another Brick in the Wall." (Merry Christmas, everyone!)

Most infamous of all are the songs that drive you around the bend. Mr. Blobby's single "Mr. Blobby" -- no, really -- was the 1993 chart-topper. The theme song from the kids' show "Bob the Builder" took top honors in 2000. Slapstick comic Benny Hill ruled the charts in 1971 with "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West.)"

And, to the everlasting fury and despair of John Lennon fans, "There's No One Quite Like Grandma," by the St. Winifred's School Choir, claimed the top spot in 1980, weeks after the former Beatle was gunned down, knocking off his "(Just Like) Starting Over."

Historically, there has been a lively business trying make Christmas number ones -- and to predict what they will be, said Rupert Adams of the William Hill betting shop.

"It used to be massive -- five years ago you would have all the big record producers try to get in on the Christmas sales," he said. "Hundreds of thousands of pounds" would be wagered on the results, he added.

Then came Simon Cowell, the flat-topped, smirking, eye-rolling impresario behind "The X-Factor."

Winners of his talent show have taken the top slot for the past four years, and William Hill now runs a separate pool for betting on what will be the number two single -- behind "X-Factor winner," as they generically call it.

Cowell is the unstoppable force in front of which Jon and Tracy Morter are trying to put an immovable object.

"2009 X-Factor is in its final stages and we need to gain more people here to try once again to stop this manufactured crap stealing our national heritage of a CHRISTMAS No.1!!" they say on the page of their Facebook group.

"We were bored of the Christmas Number One being predictable," Tracy Morter said. "When we grew up it was always exciting wondering what it was going to be. (The song) was sometimes rubbish but it was fair."

Now, she said, people are pre-ordering the X-Factor winner's song without even knowing what it is.

They've signed up more than half a million members in a week for a Facebook group dedicated to putting Rage Against the Machine on top of the charts.
Rupert Adams, for one, is taking notice.

"X-Factor winner" still tops his list of most likely chart-toppers -- people who place a £5 bet on it at William Hill will win only £1 if they're right -- but the Morters are at least making it competitive.

Adams -- who runs the William Hill betting, or "book" on the Christmas Number One -- makes Rage Against the Machine the second most likely winner. William Hill will pay out £10 on a £3 bet if "Killing in the Name" takes top honors.

"X-Factor will sell somewhere around 800,000," guaranteed, Adams said. "For Rage Against the Machine, on Monday I would have given you 100 to 1. But since then, there's this Facebook group and they now have half a million members."

The critical question -- and what makes this fun for Adams, he said -- is whether group members will actually shell out money on the song.

"We have absolutely no idea how strong this group is," he said. "Having lots of mates on Facebook doesn't mean you are going to transfer that to sales."

Cowell himself dismissed the campaign as "stupid.

"It's not going to change my life particularly" if the X-Factor winner isn't number one on Christmas, he said at a press conference with the show finalists in London Thursday. "It does, however, change these guys' lives."

Cowell accused the Facebook group of "treating our audience as if they're stupid," and said the Rage Against the Machine movement was "quite a cynical campaign geared at me."
Tracy Morter laughed off the accusation.

"He's going to get his sales anyway -- we're not going to persuade people not to buy it," she said. "People are pre-ordering without even knowing who won."

What she hopes is that people who would not normally buy music will purchase the Rage Against the Machine single -- and donate money to Shelter, a homeless charity, at the same time.

She insisted she did not have a grudge against X-Factor contestants.

"We're not against the contestants in any way. I watch it. I enjoy seeing who's good and who's not," she said.

Cowell proteges are unlikely to spend Christmas unwrapping presents alone, whatever happens.
William Hill lists Susan Boyle as the fourth most likely Christmas chart-topper, at 25-to-1 (behind Walt Disney-backed Miley Cyrus at 20-to-1), and former "X-Factor" winner Leona Lewis as sixth, at 33-to-1.

Just as a reminder of how random the Christmas Number One contenders can be, the Muppets are joint fourth with Boyle, the frumpy Scottish woman who went viral when she sang "I Dreamed a Dream" on Cowell's show earlier this year.

Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson, Take That and George Michael round out the top 10, while number 11 is World War II sweetheart Vera Lynn, whose greatest hits album this year fueled a mini-comeback this year for her -- at age 92.

Whatever the winner, oddsmaker Adams is delighted that the field is once again competitive.
"It could be a bumper year" for betting, he said. "It could be the best year since the X-Factor came onto the scene."

Then again, it might -- just might -- be another year like 1972, when Little Jimmy Osmond topped the charts with "Long Haired Lover From Liverpool."

Facebookers rage against Simon Cowell's Christmas juggernaut

The Mike Webb Team: http://www.northernvirginiahouses.com/

2010 NHL Winter Classic

2009-12-10T07:31:00.000-08:00

There is a game at Fenway Park on New Years Day. However, the Boston Red Sox will not be on the field. It will be their athletic city brethren, the Boston Bruins, taking on the Philadelphia Flyers on an outdoor icerink in the third annual NHL Winter Classic Presented by Bridgestone.

The game, played as a regular season matchup for 2 points, will serve as the NHL's showcase of the year since there will be no NHL All-Star game due to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

The past Winter Classics were a huge success. The first, colloquially known as the "Ice Bowl", was played in 2008 between the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, NY and seen by 71,217 fans in attendance. The second, between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings, was played this past New Years Day at Wrigley Field.

These games are truly wonderful. Between the size of the crowds, the throwback uniforms, and the amazing visuals there is so much to love about the Winter Classic. Being an outdoor event, it harkens back to a simpler time for the old-timey traditionalists, which hockey has plenty of. But it's also something kids can get a kick out of; many children laugh at the tuque's worn by the goalies to keep their heads warm.

The ice-truck is on it's way to Fenway as I write this and construction on the rink will begin within the week. I can't wait to view the sights and hear the sounds of this years Winter Classic on New Years Day.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/eventhome.htm?location=/winterclassic/2010

The Mike Webb Team: http://www.northernvirginiahouses.com/

Is It Time to Start Taking Those Overpriced Listings?

2009-12-09T07:09:00.000-08:00

I absolutely hate taking an overpriced listing and simply would not do it. It seems like one big waste of time to me since the market has been declining for the last 4 years. It is like going to work and not receiving a paycheck.

If a seller is overpriced from day one then they will really be overpriced 3-6-9 months down the road. However, the market is looking more positive as inventories are declining and unit sales are up. It appears that we are in or coming close to a bottom.

So should you start building your listing inventory even if the sellers are overpriced? If you ask some of the largest producers in your market they will probably say yes.

I’m always looking to learn in this business so I like to observe the biggest producers. Most of them take a lot of listings. There is definitely a direct correlation between being a huge listing agent and selling a lot of real estate. If you look closely at some these large producers you will notice that they don’t always take a listing at an aggressive price.
In fact, many of their listings are over priced. However, in time they manage to get the seller to see the light and eventually many of them sell. Start observing the larger producers in your market and I think you will see the same patterns.

I read recently that a seller accepting the realities of the market is similar to the stages of the grieving process.

Stage 1 – Denial

During this stage the seller does not believe that the value of their home has fallen that much. They read stories and hear the news about the horrible real estate market but somehow their home and neighborhood are different. Those things apply to everyone else.

Stage 2 – Anger

When reality begins to set in the home seller will likely get angry. “How can my home be worth this little? After all I bought it before the housing boom. I am not going to give my house away!”

Stage 3 – Bargaining

When the seller gets past the anger stage they will often look for ways to bargain. Reality has not totally set in. There is a search for ways to get most of the “perceived value” that they had in their heads. This might come in the form of listing with that one Realtor who gave us the price we liked (1st listing agent).

Stage 4 – Depression

When it finally becomes clear that the bargaining is not working the home seller may face a period of depression. They see no working solutions and cannot accept the fact that their home is worth much less than they thought.

Stage 5 – Acceptance

The final stage is acceptance. They realize that the perceived value in their head was wrong and the market dictates the value of their home. They are not happy about it but atleast they can now move on to the next chapter in their lives. This is where they might be on to the 2nd or 3rd listing agent. As a listing agent these are the sellers you want to find.

If the market is flattening out and you have the time and patience to hold the hand of a seller during the grieving process this may be a great time for you to start taking those overpriced listings. If you get a number of them chances are good that the seller will eventually see the light and accept the market realities. When that happens your overpriced listing can quickly become a very attractive, aggressively priced one.

By: Marc Rasmussen

The Mike Webb Team: http://www.northernvirginiahouses.com/

Ever Buried Someone in Your Backyard?

2009-12-08T06:25:00.000-08:00

Are you having trouble selling your home in today's down market? Do you enjoy new fads? Do you believe in good luck charms? One desperate home-seller in Brooklyn, NY sought the help of St. Joseph; the Catholic saint long believed to help with home related matters.

According to lore now spreading on the internet burying St. Jospeh in the yard of a home for sale promises a prompt bid.

After she and her husband held five open houses, even baking cookies for one of them, she ordered a St. Joseph “real estate kit” online and buried the three-inch white statue in her yard.
These statues are flying off the shelves and website pages as skeptics and non-Catholics seek some sort of leg-up in these troubled times.

You can read the entire article on the RealEstateJournal website.

Update: Her house has sold! Congrats to her and apparently burying St. Joseph in her yard helped.

David Cowgill Real Estate Blog

The Mike Webb Team: www.NorthernVirginiaHouses.com