U r b a n T r e k k e r

The Politics of Silver Line

Dewita — Sun, 06 May 2012 09:56:14 PDT

This is why elections (and your vote) matter. Whoever you choose to put in the office - especially on the local levels, because it has more impact into your daily life. For example, budget for education, transportation, affordable housing, social services, economic development, library, etc., decided on the state and local levels. The all-majority-newly elected Republican board of Loudoun county decided to put politics (read: ideology) above people's need. "The board has threatened to derail the extension of Metrorail to Dulles airport and beyond because of a requirement that the general contractor for the project negotiate a project labor agreement with local construction unions," Steven Pearstein writes - on something that has already been decided. The board failed to connect many dots, among others is the impact on housing market, via Washington Post. Certainly that has been the experience of local officials and real estate agents. Ryan Davis, for example, the city assessor in Falls Church, estimates the “Metro premium” to be somewhere between 5 percent and 7...

GreenIt Workshop

Dewita — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 05:17:49 PST

Arlington County's Department of Environmental Services is hosting a series of free workshops in the Spring to help you make environmentally-friendly choices for home, office and community. Check this out. Download Calendar GreenIt Arlington

What Agent?

Dewita — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 09:24:38 PST

There was a time (when I was active) everyone I know seems to know "someone" who is in real estate. Mom, friend, niece, nephew, relative.. all sorts of relationship labels. Just because you know this person via a person close to you, doesn't mean that this agent is good for you. So how can you tell if your agent is right for you? Washington Post Express got it down to a few things important when you're looking for someone to represent you (buying or selling). Patience and personality. Demeanor is a huge part of what makes an agent great (or awful) Good communication skills, an encyclopedic knowledge of the area, self motivation, honesty and tech savvy. Driven Not afraid to tell the truth Not self-serving Personal touch And more here. In this day and age of Internet and social media, "agents use of online tools is more important than certifications they have," says Jon Heithaus, CMO of Metropolitan Regional Information System. What you say? Read more.

A Realtor Who Heads a Non-Profit Serving the Homeless

Dewita — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:40:25 PST

MEET ROBERT PAXTON Rob doubles up his gig as a Realtor and head of Safe Haven, a non-profit organization based in Falls Church. Rob hangs his real estate hat at Long & Foster's Annandale office. I first met Rob at a volunteer event hosted by a mutual friend of ours, in Reston. In our conversation, he mentioned that he works for this non-profit that serves meals for the poor. It just so coincidence that in my sparetime, I sometimes do volunteer work (outside my political activism) for organizations that serve meals for the poor/homeless. But in that capacity, I had never really seen the faces because most of the time we work behind-the-scene, until... last week. So I decided to pay a visit to his organization last week. On weekdays, Rob is wearing the hat as the Director for Safe Haven, "a non-profit day shelter that provides food and comfort to the hungry and homeless in the Falls Church area of Fairfax County," according to their website. Safe...

How to Save Money on Renovation

Dewita — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 09:17:39 PST

SPONSORED POST Thinking about remodeling your home? In today’s housing environment, whether you are buying or selling, a renovation may be the key to substantially increasing your home’s value. And the difference between this home or that other home – if you’re on the market to buy. You've got the option to fix up the outside of your home, the inside or both. You can also have a small makeover project that can “wow” people like changing fixtures, painting or updating lighting. Or do a large scale project that include complete kitchen or bathroom remodels, the addition of hard wood flooring or the finishing of a basement area. Whatever you decide. Here is the challenge. Renovation planning can be time consuming, confusing and overwhelming, it requires careful planning with a financial and time management budget. Chain stores with limit stock options can lead to long waits and delays in renovation projects. Driving from store to store searching for the perfect price and checking ever changing stock can be...

Bees at Work

Dewita — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:03:54 PST

I was just looking to take pictures of the streets around where I live, when I heard the bees buzzing around these flowers. It's fascinating to see how they work. And these guys work really heard. Check this out.

Online Fine Properties Fair Oct. 18-19

Dewita — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:46:14 PDT

Shopping for your next second-home property? Here's an idea for you. The Economist's Online Fairs business just annouced that they will host an online event that showcase listings that represents a unique collection of the world's most exclusive properties. You can check these properties out from the comfort of your home. How cool is that? From ski homes, to golf estates to urban luxury living, the Fine Properties Fair offers attendees access to important information about global vacation second-homes in top locations like the Carribean, Florida, Central America, Europe, Australia, Canada, and more. In addition to browsing real estate listings, visitors can also meet online with real estate experts participating in the event. Visitors can join webminars focused on trends on international real estate investment. If you haven't attended virtual event, think of it like going to an exhibition except instead of real booths you have virtual booths, where you can participate in whatever activities they have on there. Realtors can benefit from this kind of luxury properties...

Streets of Arlington: Clarendon

Dewita — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:47:36 PDT

When you have a camera and wandering around the neighborhood, this is what you get. Pictures of streets in Clarendon.

This BMW Comes with the House

Dewita — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 04:54:58 PDT

By: Jeff Leighton Here's your opportunity! The most recent renovation done by Fine Metro Homes is a massive 3 level almost 3000 square foot Wardman style row house that is priced under $500k. And a 2011 BMW 328i 2 year lease is included for an acceptable contract. The house has undergone substantial renovations to make the interior space more open as well as installing a new kitchen and bathrooms. The living room alone is large enough to test drive your new BMW and the basement was even finished to provide another living area with a full bathroom and walkout. This property is located within a mile of 2 metro stops from Brookland-CUA and Rhode Island Ave- Brentwood. It also includes a parking space in the back of the house as well as street parking. Walk score: 69. Listing information MRIS: DC7614426 17 Evarts St. NE, Washington DC Price: $459,000 5BR, 3.5Ba, 3 levels See the full gallery on Posterous You can find more details on the property, here....

A Thrift (Home Improvement) Store with Social Mission

Dewita — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:01:49 PDT

Construction and demolition debris makes up over half of our nation's solid waste. That's the problem that Community Forklift trying to solve with their business. They are not a forklift store, rather it is a thrift store that sells surplus, salvaged and new green building materials - with a social mission. Think of it as a combination of Home Depot and Goodwill thrift store wrap in one package. So the other week I talked to Ruthie Mundell, Outreach and Education Director with Community Forklift, to get an insight from her about their business. Reduce, reuse, reclaimed is embedded into their business to provide green options that are affordable. If you look at their goals, these are what they are aimed for: to lift up communities by making repairs and renovation more affordable; reduce construction industry waste, reuse materials; promote environmentally-friendly building materials and method; and develop career opportunities for communities around. Part of our inventory comes from deconstruction, in which a building is carefully taken apart by skilled...