IF IT'S A BUYER'S MARKET right now, what's with all the "For Sale" signs swinging in your neighborhood? And if you're thinking of selling, is this really the worst time since the Great Depression to be calling a real estate agent?

Even seasoned real-estate buyers and sellers are feeling edgy and unsure in the gloom of the current housing climate.

Shrieking headlines about condo prices in free fall and the subprime mortgage crisis pepper the Web and newspapers every day, only amplifying the chatter of everyone from your open-house obsessed Starbucks barrista to well-meaning relatives who keep telling you to quit renting already. So, what are you supposed to do in this crazy market? Buy? Sell? Pitch a tent somewhere near the Washington Monument and wait it out?

Agents and sellers who have managed to move a piece of property in recent months say that selling now revolves around two key factors: pricing your home accurately for the market, and making it shine in a sea of competitors.

Ahem, that means clearing out the magazine piles, putting into storage that overstuffed chair you love that — let's face it — slashes your living room's actual living area in half, and, in general, de-personalizing your home so a potential buyer can imagine his or her stuff in it.

"You have to make the place really sparkle," says Michael Tubbs, an agent with Coldwell Banker on Capitol Hill. "First impressions are so important in a competitive market. Staging" — the process of artfully arranging your own or rented furniture and decor in a home to make it look ultra-appealing — "is more important than ever." Even basic upkeep like washing windows or applying a fresh coat of paint can go a long way these days.

Continue Reading "Buyer's Guide: Is a Plunging Market Best for Buyers?" »

FROM THE TIME she opened her first antique business in college, Andrea Ridout has been hooked on home improvement, whether it's refinishing old Victorian dressers or laying new kitchen tile. The Texas-based DIY expert doles out tips on her nationally syndicated radio show, "Ask Andrea," and in articles for magazines like This Old House Journal and Country Home.

We caught up with her to ask for pad-updating ideas and to get the scoop on her just-published new home-improvement bible, "If I Had a Hammer" ($18, Collins).

» EXPRESS: What do first-timers need to know about owning a home?
» RIDOUT: I have two daughters in their 20s, and they don't realize the amount of work that goes into owning or even renting a home. Watch for anything that's going to deteriorate your space.

» EXPRESS: So, maintenance is crucial?
» RIDOUT: It's like anything else. If you don't brush your teeth every day, your teeth are going to rot. If you don't maintain your home, your house is going to rot. So, clean out the gutters. Make sure that everything is caulked. Check the drainage. Do anything that you can to keep surfaces primed and painted and not let your paint get to a point where it's peeling.

» EXPRESS: In the book, you write that some of these quick fixes can save you money. How?
» RIDOUT: When it comes to installation, gaps are the enemy. Just imagine Fort Knox. You could have Fort Knox, but if you have a little doorway open, people are going to run in and out. Look at your attic and your perimeter walls for those gaps where your money can leak out.

Continue Reading "Little Ms. Fix-It-Up: Andrea Ridout" »

WHEN M. MARIE MAXWELL, 37, decided in 2000 that she wanted to buy a house in the District, the archives specialist at the National Archives did the most thorough type of research possible: She moved into her future neighborhood to check it out in person.

"I wanted to try to find something affordable," Maxwell says, "and I figured I could probably find something if I was very familiar with what block it was on."

After a year of renting in Shaw, Maxwell purchased a 1,000-square-foot house there and has been pleased with her decision ever since. But if the Internet had held eight years ago what it does now — you know, everything from "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" clips to the lowdown on condos under construction — Maxwell might have had an easier time peering into her real estate future.

Now, her blog, In Shaw (An Historically Gentrified Blog), helps other could-be neighbors get to know her area. Like most other Web scribes, Maxwell writes about what matters to her. Sometimes that includes the history of her house or the peas she's growing in her garden. But more often than not, she offers musings on community news and local lore, which amounts to holding a virtual looking glass up to the Shaw scene.

It's a beautiful day in the bloggerhood when potential D.C. homeowners or renters can scour the Internet to find answers to almost any question they might have about
their future digs. Neighborhood blogs may be geared toward folks who already live in a given 'hood, but that doesn't mean you can't use them to find out about where to move in and around the Beltway.

Continue Reading "Blogs in The 'Hood: Exploring Real Estate Hot Zones Online" »

IN WHAT MAYOR ADRIAN FENTY is calling an "unprecedented" crackdown on problem landlords, the District has filed suit against 23 people or groups that own 70 buildings that the mayor says have a history of code violations, The Post reports.

Here's more from reporters Sylvia Moreno and Debbi Wilgoren:

Fenty and other top city officials described the lawsuit in D.C. Superior Court as an "unprecedented" crackdown against problem landlords who they said have failed to bring properties up to code despite years of requests, fines and demands by the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.

"We've all seen the pictures and heard the horror stories from tenants of these buildings," Fenty (D) said of the 25 apartment buildings and 45 houses listed in the lawsuit. "It's immoral to have human beings living in these conditions, and it's against the law. With today's action, it will stop."

» "District to Sue 23 Landlords Accused of Negligence" [WaPo]

THERE'S AN OLD ADAGE that claims a man's (or woman's) home is his (or her) castle. But when your home is a condo, your castle is directly attached to the palaces of many other royal families, er, people. So, it's not as easy to rule your roost the way you could on, say, a 10-acre spread. In close quarters, you may find that your neighbors don't like listening to your Metallica CDs any more than you enjoy hearing them in the midst of their romantic conquests.

In her book "The Condo Owner's Answer Book" ($17, Sphinx Publishing), real estate pro Beth A. Grimm tries to help such buyers sleep easier. She delves into issues ranging from noise control to neighborhoods. We chatted with her recently.

» EXPRESS: What should people consider before buying a condo in this dropping market?
» GRIMM: One of the biggest things people need to be wary of is if they're squeezing in on a mortgage, there are likely to be increases in assessments coming in many associations because of the mortgage crisis. It's forcing more people out of their homes, and other owners in associations with lots of foreclosures are going to have to pick up the difference in money lost in assessments. So, the biggest concern [for buyers] is making sure they have a little financial cushion.

» EXPRESS: What are the advantages to owning a condo?
» GRIMM: The advantages of a condo are great. It's lock-and-go living. You don't have to do outdoor maintenance. There are more people around, so, if you leave, normally it's a safer situation because there are people milling around and it doesn't look like there's a vacant home. There are more amenities than you can usually afford in a home.

» EXPRESS: So, what's the downside?
» GRIMM: You don't have complete control over your finances. It's possible that your money could be mismanaged by volunteers. You have the mortgage plus assessments to pay, and you're subject to more market variations on building costs because you're involved in more construction — it's not just on your home but on the homes of others sharing the costs.

Continue Reading "Condo Living: What To Know Before You Bid" »

THE OPENING OF the Nationals new stadium in Near Southeast might be a boon to baseball fans, but it could mean the end of the road for some of its neighbors who can't keep up with the skyrocketing costs of living in an area that's redeveloping at breakneck speed.

One of those neighbors is Positive Nature, an agency that assists at-risk kids. According to The Post's Robert E. Pierre, Positive Nature's fortunes turned quickly as construction crews descended on the area:

The nonprofit group moved into the Southeast Washington neighborhood in 2004 when it was a haven for addicts, prostitutes and nightclubs with nude dancers.

The lease came with a caveat: It had to pay the property taxes.

Taxes were manageable when Positive Nature was next to a methadone clinic and take-out restaurants. But with new neighbors, including a Marriott hotel, Starbucks and the Washington Nationals, taxes skyrocketed from $9,000 in 2005 to $83,699 last year.

Continue Reading "Video: Victims of Near Southeast's Success" »

"THIS WAS A NEIGHBORHOOD where we had tried to get McDonald's, and they said they wouldn't consider it. Today, we'd rather not have McDonald's."

— D.C. Council member Jim Graham on how much has changed in Columbia Heights in recent years, as reported by The Post's Paul Schwartzman.

Once one of the District's most vibrant commercial areas, riot-scarred 14th Street NW struggled over the years to attract new business. But with this month's opening of the giant D.C. USA complex at 14th and Irving streets NW, anchored by a Target store, the last big piece of the neighborhood's rapid revitalization is coming into place, joining other new businesses, restaurants and luxury condos.

Officials and community leaders will gather in Columbia Heights on Wednesday to open the D.C. USA retail complex.

Photo by Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post

COULD THE CHEVERLY STATION on the Orange Line someday become a cool place? Might there be an interesting bar to check out?

While there aren't current plans to dramatically transform Cheverly, at Thursday's Metro Board of Directors meeting, new rules were adopted on how the transit agency will develop land adjacent to its stations.

As The Post's Eric M. Weiss reports:

Too often in the past, board members said yesterday, land around stations was sold mainly to raise cash. The new rules focus on increasing transit-oriented residential and commercial development to encourage Metro ridership and reduce automobile traffic. The Ballston corridor in Arlington and Columbia Heights and Gallery Place-Chinatown in the District are considered examples of successful transit-oriented development.

» "Development Strategy Honed" [WaPo]

EARLIER:
» "You Can Drink Near Van Dorn St., But Not Cheverly" [Free Ride/Express]
» "Metro's Underutilized Resource: Its Real Estate" [Free Ride/Express]

STEVEN DONERSON has a simple goal when he starts his work day at 9 a.m. A doorman at the Park Potomac Place condo complex in Potomac, Md., he'd like to walk outside and quickly scan the entrance way for that rare stray piece of litter.

"Usually I get a call before I even get the broom outside," he chuckles. Someone's entry card isn't working. The fitness room temperature needs adjusting. A resident wants help with a flat tire. Every day, there's an unpredictable roulette of requests.

Not that he's complaining: The 40-year-old D.C. native enjoys helping residents in the 10-story building with everything from picking up packages to advising would-be Romeos on which kind of flowers they should get their sweeties on Valentine's Day. As the holiday approached, Donerson became a popular petal pusher. "I'm like, 'Eh -- you don't want to do red. When was the last time you were in the doghouse? Three days ago? You definitely don't want to do red! You might want to do yellow, you might want to do pink. And if you're really in the doghouse, you just do purple.'"

Sure, he wears a gray uniform with navy lapels and brass buttons. He opens the door with a "Welcome to Park Potomac Place" and a big grin. But this self-professed perfectionist is much more than a smiling face who parks residents' cars and brings up their mail.

He'll wax nostalgic about the days in the '80s and '90s when he drummed with Tone Loc. A history buff? He'll show you a book of D.C. architecture he keeps in the lobby. He's a confidant: "When you deal with people on an every day basis, you develop a rapport with them," he says. "They'll tell you things they would never tell their family members." It's a good thing he's also good at keeping secrets.

Donerson is part of a new generation of pros who are stealthily and steadily integrating themselves into a few higher-end condos in the D.C. area. Call them hospitality hybrids, men and women who roll the responsibilities of gatekeepers, concierges and all-around go-to-guys (or gals) into one friendly package.

Doorman-building lovers in New York City have long realized that a familiar face at the front desk is nice. But many modern condo owners in D.C. also like having a mobile person who can be immediately dialed to cater to their needs, or sometimes, whims.

Continue Reading "Really, He's a Gate Guy: Condo Doormen" »

ALTHOUGH DEVELOPERS and officials still have some details to hammer out, the city of Falls Church's downtown is going to get a major facelift. As The Post's Kristen Mack reports, the city council approved plans for a $317 million mixed-use, four-block development early Thursday morning after eight hours of public comments and two days of deliberations.

While the site at Broad and S. Washington streets is mostly made up of parking lots, four small apartment buildings will have to be condemned. In their place, developers from Atlantic Realty envision an eight-story hotel, a Harris Teeter grocery store, a bowling alley and new residential construction, adding a million square feet to the current site.

Critics of the plan contend that the plan isn't all that different from other mixed-use developments in Northern Virginia and doesn't fit well with Falls Church's small-town feel.

Construction could begin this summer.

» "Council Approves Controversial Downtown Revitalization Project" [WaPo]