Thursday, May 19, 2011

Regional Home Sales Take a Dive in April.

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

Friday, May 13, 2011

Arlington's "Car-Free Diet."

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

Monday, May 9, 2011

Free Music

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 16th 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 45th annual festival takes place on the National Mall, from June 30 – July 4 and July 7-11.

Bethany Fuller

The Mike Webb Team, LLC

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Volunteering

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

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

May Activities

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.