Archive for January, 2008
Do You Care About Your Health? Arlington Wants To Know
January 24th, 2008 Categories: Around Arlington County
Arlington County wants to hear from you about which health care issues are important to you. They are asking those who live or work or play in Arlington to participate in a quick survey to kick off their MAPP project. MAPP stands for Moblizing for Action through Planning and Parnterships.
Through this survey they hope to measure people’s perception of the quality of life and health in Arlington.
So– take some time out to help the county. Click here to take the survey. Don’t put it off because this survey continues through February 15, 2008.
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Is America Depressed?
January 23rd, 2008 Categories: Local Real Esate Sales Numbers & Things, Mortgages & Loans
I turned on the TV news on Tuesday morning to the news that the stock market was down 400 points and the Fed has cut the interest rate almost a whole point!
My first thought was: Our government is really scared.
This is the same administration that has been wearing rose colored glasses for the past year. They kept saying that the market will work itself out. It’s the hands off administration that thinks its only job is to solve the crisis in the Middle East- one that’s been going on for thousands of year. I never understood why every American president feels that they are going to be the one to solve a conflict that has been going on for centuries. (But that’s for another day.)
Then I remembered it’s an election year. It’s like a game of musical chairs for the party holding office in the White House when the music stops playing. They will be seen as the one left standing.
I am not a student of economics by any means. And every time I write about the mortgage “crisis” I do a lot of homework and research about what I’m writing. This time I’m just writing about what I see and feel.
I can’t help but wonder if the American public is depressed.
We’re tired of this current state of affairs. In the past few years everything we pay for has gone up in price: gas, food, taxes and health care. Everything except our paychecks. We feel like that hamster in the tread mill– working hard just to stay in place.
Our young men and women are overseas at war. We don’t know who to believe about what’s going on over there. We have sadly come to the realization that we are going to be there for a long time. Even if we still want it to end.
Then we start hearing these presidential candidates telling us about all our problems and how they are going to solve them. They talk about hope and change and new beginnings. We didn’t know we had it so bad until they kept reminding us.
We see our neighbors losing their homes because they didn’t understand what they were getting into and think: Am I next?
We hear about layoffs, and talk about recessions and hope that we can keep our jobs.
And it’s winter and cold and dark.
No wonder we’re depressed. But we can’t take prozac because we have no health insurance.
Now the government comes to the rescue with plans of stimulus packages and temporary tax relief to “jump start” the economy. Our legislators think that putting $200 in everyone’s pocket will solve our problems. Or that cutting interest rates is going to encourage people to buy a home. Or are they just worried about getting re-elected?
I think the American public is ready for their next president. We are ready for something new and bold and different. That’s what will get us out of our funk. Is it November yet?
| Discussion: 4 Comments »
A Snowy Georgetown and Arlington
January 19th, 2008 Categories: Around Arlington County, Life in the District, Rossyln, The Native Tourist, The Road Less Taken
We had some snow here in the DC area yesterday. It was a nice snow until it turned to sleet and a rainy mist by the evening.
I was lucky enough to have an early appointment in Georgetown. So I took some pictures in Georgetown and on my way to my second appointment out in Fairfax, I stopped by the Iwo Jima Memorial and enjoyed some of the snow covered trees. We really had a white out- but not a lot of snow. Only a few inches-which, if you grew up north of here isn’t a lot and if you grew up south of here is enough to stop everything.
With some warmer temperatures today, most of the snow melted. It’s the best kind of snow– the snow that doesn’t stay around long.
| Discussion: 2 Comments »
5 Reasons Why Bankers Should Never Sell Real Estate
January 8th, 2008 Categories: Buyers, Local Real Esate Sales Numbers & Things, Mortgages & Loans
The first week of 2008 has come and gone and I find myself busy with work. Which surprises me because it’s Janaury for gosh sakes. No one likes to buy real estate in January. But that’s really not what’s happening. There are people out there buying real estate. I think it’s smart to buy real estate in January in a cold state. Just like it’s good to buy real estate in August in Florida. Turns out there is little competition with other buyers.
Now, you might be thinking– what competition? There are no buyers out there anyway. Well– I have learned the secret rule of real estate: As soon as you want a property– so does someone else. If you are someone planning to buy real estate, don’t wait forever: there are other buyers out there.
I don’t know what is going to happen in the DC real estate market in 2008. I can only speculate. But as someone who works in the business everyday– I don’t see many changes in this market.
- Interest rates are still reasonably low: still around 6%
- Inventory of homes is good: there is a lot to chose from
- Sellers still want to sell their homes: people want to get on with their lives
So: what are your plans for your life in 2008? Is this the year you take that step to advance it? or is it just going to be more of the same. Come on, open the door to the rest of your life.
| Discussion: No Comments »
It’s 2008: What Are Your Plans?
January 7th, 2008 Categories: Around Arlington County, Around the City of Alexandria, Buyers, Life in the District, Outside The Beltway, The Road Less Taken
The first week of 2008 has come and gone and I find myself busy with work. Which surprises me because it’s Janaury for gosh sakes. No one likes to buy real estate in January. But that’s really not what’s happening. There are people out there buying real estate. I think it’s smart to buy real estate in January in a cold state. Just like it’s good to buy real estate in August in Florida. Turns out there is little competition with other buyers.
Now, you might be thinking– what competition? There are no buyers out there anyway. Well– I have learned the secret rule of real estate: As soon as you want a property– so does someone else. If you are someone planning to buy real estate, don’t wait forever: there are other buyers out there.
I don’t know what is going to happen in the DC real estate market in 2008. I can only speculate. But as someone who works in the business everyday– I don’t see many changes in this market.
- Interest rates are still reasonably low: still around 6%
- Inventory of homes is good: there is a lot to chose from
- Sellers still want to sell their homes: people want to get on with their lives
So: what are your plans for your life in 2008? Is this the year you take that step to advance it? or is it just going to be more of the same. Come on, open the door to the rest of your life.
| Discussion: 7 Comments »