National Association of Realtors

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) is the largest trade association in North America, representing over 1.2 million residential and commercial real estate brokers, salespeople, property managers, appraisers, counselors, and others in the industry of immovable property. The President of NAR in 2009 is Charles McMillan.
The NAR governs the hundreds of local Multiple Listing Services (MLS), which is a database of properties which are on the market. Using MLS, realtors have access to information about listings for sale in their area.
NAR requires realtors to take a code of ethics and offers additional certifications in specific areas of the industry.
NAR has a weekly, two hour radio program called Real Estate Today, which includes a local market report for each radio station.

http://www.realtor.org/

Gulf Branch Nature Center

The Gulf Branch Nature Center in Arlington, VA is a beautiful park to visit. It is staffed with friendly and knowledgable people who provide environmental education programs for all ages and small groups. It features exhibits, a small classroom, a children's discovery room, a live-animal exhibit room, a restored cabin, and a pond. It also has public restrooms and is wheelchair accessible.
Located at 3608 N. Military Road, the Gulf Branch Nature Center is open Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. as well as Sunday 1 to 5 p.m (closed Monday and Tuesday).
A few examples of upcoming events are the Coyote Campfire (mmm...smores!), the Animals' Thanksgiving (animals are thankful too), and the traditional Fall Hunt (followed by venison stew...if you're lucky).

http://www.arlingtonva.us/Departments/ParksRecreation/scripts/nature/ParksRecreationScriptsNatureGulfbranch.aspx

Halloween, one of the oldest and most popular holidays, is an annual celebration on October 31. Dating back 2,000 years, it has roots in the Celtic pagan festival Samhain and the Christian All Saints Day, though it is largely a secular celebration today. Around the time of the Great Famine, Irish immigrants brought varieties of many Halloween traditions to North America.
The name is derived from All Hallows' Even. Even is derived from evening, which can be further shortened to e'en. Hence, the holiday's original name of Hallowe'en.
The feast of Samhain, honoring the dead, was held every October 31, the end of the Celtic calendar. A harvest festival, Samhain signified the end of summer with huge bonfires. Believing that souls of the dead roamed the streets and villages, and that not all were friendly, Celts set out gifts or treats to pacify them. This is where our tradition of trick-or-treating comes from.

Trick or treat! It’s that time again. Time to carve your pumpkins, visit haunted houses, and figure out what to do about a costume. That’s right, it’s October and Halloween is on the way.

Let’s start with the pumpkin. You have several options here. You can carve a face (jack’o'lantern) or a design. I prefer the design technique, but it’s important to use a stencil if you are like me, and were not graced with artistic talents. You can find tips and designs here: http://go2.wordpress.com/id=725X1342&site=virginiahousingtrends.wordpress.com&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dltk-holidays.com%2Fhalloween%2Fmpatterns.htm. You can use the seeds to make a great holiday snack. Here’s a recipe for over-roasted pumpkin seeds: http://homecooking.about.com/od/vegetablerecipes/r/blv310.htm.

It’s also a fun time of year to take the kids to a haunted house/hayride/etc. Here are some places near Arlington: http://www.festivals-and-shows.com/haunted-houses-in-virginia.html

And as far as costumes, always the hardest part for me, you can go to places such as a Spirit Halloween Store (5857 Leesburg Pike, Ste. B. in Falls Church, VA) which have huge selections of ready-to-go costumes, or you can make your own costumes. Here are some ideas for home made costumes: http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/halloweentheme/a/091399.htm.

Have a safe and happy Halloween everyone!

Real Estate Entrepreneurship at George Mason University

Did you know that you can get a college degree in real estate? The George Mason University Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship "seeks to advance real estate research and education in real estate development and finance."
The center serves to advance real estate knowledge through innovative and pertinent multidisciplinary research on real estate development and finance, address critical and timely issues of interest to the development and finance commutities, hold seminars, workshops, symposia, and forums to examine the current state of the industry and to anticipate future industry opportunities and challenges, and support the highest quality real estate degree and executive education programs that prepare both students and industry professionals alike for tomorrow's real estate environment.
They offer a Masters of Real Estate Development (MRED), a multidisciplinary degree spanning the School of Management, School of Public Policy and Volgenau School of Information Technology and Engineering.

http://realestate.gmu.edu/

Best Places for College Grads

Richard Florida is a professor of management at the University of Toronto, and the author of The Rise of the Creative Class and Who's Your City?. He recently researched the best metropolitan areas for new college graduates to relocate to. He was searching for places with strong social networks which will allow grads to find jobs, be satisfied with their communities, enjoy vibrant nightlife, and find a life partner. His findings came to these conclusions:

1. Boulder, Colorado
2. San Francisco, California
3. Washington, District of Columbia
4. Madison, Wisconsin
5. Boston, Massachussettes
6. Los Angeles, California
7. New York, New York
8. Santa Barbara, California
9. Worcester, Massachussettes
10. Bridgeport, Connecticut & Trenton, New Jersey (tie)

http://www.realtor.org/rmodaily.nsf/pages/News2009101304

Home Ownership Still a Good Investment

Despite the negative perception about the housing market in recent times, owning a home is still generally a good investment.
Homes have appreciated by an average of four percent annually since World War II. This investment hedges against inflation and comes with significant tax benefits.
Also, unlike a stock, it's an investment you can live in. Owning a home gives you a sense of security, independence, and community.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33243863/ns/business-real_estate//