Archive for December, 2009
Holiday Tree Collection in Alexandria, VA
December 31st, 2009 Categories: Alexandria
The City of Alexandria has set aside two days, January 9 and January 15 for holiday tree collection. The city then uses the trees to create wood mulch.
To prepare trees for collection, residents are reminded to:
- Remove all ornaments, tinsel and stands.
- Do not place in plastic bags.
- Place the tree at the curb no earlier than 5 p.m. on Friday and no later than 6 a.m. on Saturday
City residents using a private collection service (like Park Fairfax residents) should check with their home owners association, resident manager or property manager.
Holiday Tree Collection in Alexandria, VA
Michael
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First Night Alexandria 2009 – It’s the Place to Be
December 31st, 2009 Categories: Alexandria, Things to Do
First Night Alexandria 2009 is definitely the place to be as we head into – can it really be true? – 2010. Get an early start this afternoon at 2:30pm with the Fun Hunt (check out the great prizes) and then move on to over 19 indoor venues hosting some 100 performances.
Virginia Coalition is the big draw at the George Washington Masonic Temple along with tempting treats from our favorite Pork Barrel Barbeque.
Online ticket sales are closed but admission badges can be purchased at any of the following locations starting at 12 noon:
- Embassy Suites Hotel, 1900 Diagonal Road
- Hooray for Books, 1555 King Street
- Imagine Artwear, 1124 King Street
- Mango Mike’s Cool Caribbean Restaurant, 4580 Duke Street
- Nickells & Scheffler, 1028 King Street
- Rick’s Wine & Gourmet, 3117 Duke Street
- Unwined at 3690 J King Street and 1600 A Belle View Boulevard
- Visitors Center at Ramsey House, 221 King Street
For complete details on First Night Alexandria 2009, click here.
See you there,
Michael
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Boys & Girls Club of Alexandria Celebrates Renovation with Neighborhood Gathering
December 29th, 2009 Categories: Alexandria
The Dunbar Alexandria Olympic Boys and Girls Club recently celebrated the renovation of its seventy year old property with a grand neighborhood gathering including special guests U.S. Representative Jim Moran and Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille.
Charlie Collum, Pandit Wright, Martin Alloy
Also on hand were Pandit Wright, the new CEO and President of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington; Martin Alloy, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington; and Charlie Collum, Chair of the Board of Directors for Burke and Herbert Bank and co-chair of the capital campaign committee.
Last February we wrote about the bold decision of the BCGC board to undertake a major fundraising campaign in the middle of economic uncertainty because it was in the best interest of the children.
The BCGC headquarters at 401 North Payne St. in Alexandria was old, dark, and totally inadequate for any kind of meaningful programming.
Tammy Mujcia, Kyle Burner, Mary Burner, Michael Bergin
That bold decision paid off. Twelve months later, with incredible support from the community, the renovated building is an absolute asset to Alexandria.
Architects Lucy Adams and Stephanie Dimond and general contractor Harry Braswell combined forces to work within defined areas while giving new space from every available nook and cranny.
Occupancy permits have just come through and we’ll be back in a few weeks to get a look at the club – and the kids - in action.
Michael
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Alexandria and Northern Virginia Real Estate – Looking Forward to 2010
December 28th, 2009 Categories: Real Estate News
Now that we’re finishing up with the holidays and moving towards a new year, I wanted to share some thoughts about real estate in Alexandria and Northern Virginia and what you can look forward to in 2010.
- Buyer conditions are they best they have been since 1970 according to NAR economist Lawrence Yum. From January 2009 through November 2009, the median sales price has increased in the four local major markets – Washington, DC. Montgomery County, Fairfax County and Prince William County.
- These same four major markets – encompassing the high tech corridor, nationally ranked school districts and huge tourist attractions – also constitute a leading economic indicator for the rest of the country. The Washington, DC metro area was one of the first to boom, one of the first to crash and now one of the first to turn the recovery corner. While other parts of the country are still seeing prices decline, we are seeing prices stabilize or increase locally.
- Fannie Mae, responsible for almost one in four U.S. residential mortgages, says the three-year housing slump may well end in 2010 with an 11 percent jump in home sales as the economic recession is “unofficially” over.
- In Montgomery County, settlements in November 2009 compared to November 2008 were up 68 percent, WDC was up 81 percent, Fairfax County up 21 percent and Loudoun County was up 10 percent.
- Trying to “time” the market is ill-advised. By the time the market has “officially” hit bottom, prices will already be inching up. There is no crystal ball to predict when the market will officially turn. But, in the Washington, DC metro market, Alexandria and Northern Virginia, the signs are there: fewer days on market, multiple offers, and stabilizing of prices.
- The First-Time Home Buyers Tax Credit has been been extended to the end of April 2009.
The “time” is now. If you are well into the process or just beginning to think about buying, call me at 703.927.4554 and let’s get started. What are you waiting for?
Michael
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Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
December 24th, 2009 Categories: Real Estate News
With best wishes,
Michael
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Alexandria, VA Market Watch for Old Town, November 2009, Zip Code 22314
December 23rd, 2009 Categories: Market Reports
November home sales in Old Town Alexandria (zip code 2214) show a 3.75 percent decrease in price from November 2008 but a whopping 40 percent increase in the number of homes sold. This includes single family homes, townhouses, and duplexes but excludes condominium sales.
I wouldn’t read too much into the decrease in prices. It has a lot to do with the number of homes on the market, including two listings for over a million. One sold at 20 percent less than the asking price and the other came in at 7 percent less.
Overall the market is increasingly strong – remember that in October 2009 prices were up 8.8 percent over October 2008 – and the number of days on the market (DOM) decreased from 69 in November 2008 to 58 in November 2009.
For more details give me a call at 703.927.4554,
Michael
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Making My List and Checking It Twice – GIFT Books for Holiday Giving
December 22nd, 2009 Categories: Book Report
Ok folks, we are down to the final ‘do or die’ days for holiday shopping. So today I am making my list and checking it twice for GIFT books:
Herblock: The Life and Work of the Great Political Cartoonist by Haines Johnson – With a career spanning 72 years and 13 American presidents, his cartoons made complex issues seem simple and moral choices clear. An amazing work.
Boy Scouts of America, A Centennial History by Chuck Wills – The official and definitive history of one of our
nation’s most influential and cherished organizations, packed with
stories and images of service and heroism.
Read My Pins by Madeline Albright – This is a particular favorite of Virginia’s and and takes ‘dress for success’ to another level. Albright used her famous collection of pins (most costume jewelry) to convey what she could not say publically, especially when dealing with the Middle East.
Polar Obsession by Paul Nicklen – An unprecedented, up-close documentation of the lives of leopard seals, whales,walruses, polar bears, bearded seals, and narwhals, all bathed in polar light.
The National Parks: America’s Best Idea by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns – speaks for itself. A companion to the Ken Burns PBS documentary, the book allows you to linger over the “great sections of our natural landscape . . . set aside, not for kings
or noblemen or the very rich, but for everyone, for all time.”
A Shadow Falls by Nick Brandt – This is one of the most stunning books of photography I have seen in recent years. Fifty-eight images in stunning, oversize tritone plates (black and white) capture the natural grandeur of East Africa with wide-screen panoramas of animals and landscapes. Truly magnificent.
Be sure and check out my post on biographies and history books too.
Happy Shopping,
Michael
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Mortgage Report for December 21, 2009
December 21st, 2009 Categories: Mortgage Update
Our mortgage report for December 21 sees interest rates left unchanged by the Federal Reserve. At the same time economic activity is picking up and the labor market is showing signs of recovery.
The next few months should see rates affected more by the market place than by government policies. Bottom line, we are probably in the last few weeks of sub-5% rates for 30 year fixed mortgages.
For my complete report, click here.
Rob Clark, Preferred Mortgage
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19 Inches of Snow – December 09
December 20th, 2009 Categories: Alexandria, Scenic Sundays
19 inches of snow – December 09
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Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow . . . .
December 19th, 2009 Categories: Alexandria
Starting late last night, Alexandria got hit with the first big snow storm of the season. In fact, it’s been a good ten years since we’ve had this much snow. (Last year it was just a ‘dusting’). What can I say, growing up in Minnesota, New York and West Virginia is great preparation . . .
Neighbors, Sharon and Gabriel
A Realtor’s Work is Never Done
Picture Perfect
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow . . .
Michael
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