The government shutdown of 2018/2019 has been, as of this writing, an unprecedented 35-day hardship for approximately 800,000 federal employees. The shutdown began on December 21st; on December 26th Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issued a stop-work order to all contractors, and on December 28th the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ran out of funds and... Continue Reading →
We are within 10 days of the first official day of winter. Cars are frosting over, runoff is freezing on the streets and leather seats aren't that comfortable anymore. While many parts of the United States (U.S.) have already experienced several inches of snow, other areas are just starting to experience uncomfortably cold days. We... Continue Reading →
Amazon announced this week the much-anticipated locations for its second headquarters (HQ2), identifying both Northern Virginia and NYC as the future homes for two, $2.5B sites each employing 25,000 people. Speculation and hype reached a near intolerable level in my home market of D.C. as we watched Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos acquire The Washington Post... Continue Reading →
In 2008 the housing bubble popped, triggering a financial crisis that has not faded from the memories of homeowners and potential homebuyers. As agents we still see "bubble houses", homes that are available currently at a price less than the current owner paid. Because the history of the home is readily available to consumers, these... Continue Reading →
Most homebuyers participate in obtaining a mortgage in order to purchase their homes, whether it's a first home, an upgrade or part of their down-sizing process. Part of that process is rate-shopping to ensure the mortgage the buyer secures is most beneficial to their personal finances. But what about homeowners who are several years into... Continue Reading →
It may be hard to believe, but Labor Day is just two-and-a-half weeks away. That may mean many things including a final trip to the beach, the start of a new school year, Halloween candy on store shelves and the first crisp mornings of the year. It's also a time to prepare your home for... Continue Reading →
In April this blog discussed pending changes to current TOPA requirements for D.C. homeowners, many of whom could not sell their homes due to tenants (or those who purchased the tenant rights) demanding large sums of money to relinquish interest in a property and permit the sale. As of April the D.C. Council voted to exempt single-family... Continue Reading →
As we finish the first week of July, having traveled to vacation destinations to celebrate Independence Day, watch fireworks and get away from our daily responsibilities, we may be wondering why we're supporting someone else's AirBnB or rental property rather than investing in our own. A vacation home and an income-producing property are actually two... Continue Reading →
The volume of rain experienced in the D.C. Metro area in the past month is nothing short of historical, with some locations in Maryland experiencing the wettest days on record. The Potomac flowed onto sidewalks, flooding parts of Old Town Alexandria during a high tide that was up to five feet above normal. The rental... Continue Reading →
Lisa Coutts, Realtor 