MyLife as an Unofficial Japanese Tour Guide – Part 2

Hello and Welcome Back to the conclusion of my adventure being an Unofficial Japanese Tour Guide!  Miss Day 1?  Click here to catch up!

Day 2 – Thursday

Stop 1: An American Breakfast – 8:05 am

I took Saya and my sister to have their “American Breakfast” at a little bagel shop by my house.  As Saya devoured her blueberry bagel covered in cream cheese. I asked what she normally had for breakfast and she replied, “Rice or Miso Soup.”  I guess even on the other side of the world people like carbs for breakfast …just different types!

Stop 2:  The White House – 9:15am

Visiting the White House

Before Saya had arrived from Japan, I emailed her and asked what was the one thing she wanted to see most while in DC.  For her, The White House was the one “can’t miss stop.”  To make sure we could pack everything in, we woke up early and headed into the city. When we arrived at the White House, Saya’s first question was, “Does Obama really live here?  Right here? In this house?”

She was delighted to find out that he does in fact live there, and told me that she could not wait to make her friends back in Japan jealous by telling them that SHE went to the White House.  It was in that moment that I realized just how lucky I am to be living in DC – surrounded by so many important pieces of America’s history and only a quick metro trip to the President’s front door – still seems so surreal.

LAST STOP: Monuments, Monuments, MONUMENTS  - 9:45 am

The Many Monuments of DC

For those of you who have never experienced a stifling hot DC summer day, let me tell you, it’s no picnic.  By the time we walked from the White House to the World War II Monument it was a painstaking 96 degrees out, with what felt like  (and in VA probably was) 100 percent humidity.  We were already moving at a slow and sweaty pace but we wanted to finish the tour – so we trekked on to the Lincoln and Washington Monument, but as the Jefferson Monument looked like just a speck to us in the hazy distance, we decided to save it for another DC adventure.

As you can see in the pictures, even in our sticky state we were still able to get some great “jump” shots in at each monument to submit to the “Jump Because” website.  If you haven’t heard about this website yet, take a peek.  Started by four friends in Richmond VA, the site is based on the simple concept of sharing “jumps” and has submissions from jumpers all around the world.    I’ll be sure to let you know when our jumps are posted, and be sure to let me know if you submit your jumps – I’d love to see them!

Tourist Tip 4:  If you plan on sightseeing in DC in the summer – Start EARLY, like sunrise early to help beat the heat.  Also, be sure to check the weather so you can dress appropriately and bring an umbrella if needed, wear lots of sunscreen and bring plenty of water to drink to keep yourself hydrated – its HOT out there!

Day 2: Tour Complete  - 12:25pm

Our second day of sight seeing ended a bit earlier than planned, as it was just too hot to go on, but we still managed to squeeze almost everything into our morning tourist session.

As we headed back to my apartment to soak up some AC before the girls started their journey home, Saya thanked us countless times for showing her around the city.  But I felt like I was the one that should be thanking her – As a new DC resident it’s hard to take everything in and not get trapped in your “community bubble.”  Saya gave me the opportunity to experience the sights of the city for the first time myself, all while sharing a once in a lifetime family experience. Priceless.  First “Unofficial” Tour Guide experience in DC- Successfully Completed.

…oh yes, I almost forgot!!  I have to include a picture of Saya’s favorite animal from the trip… that’s right a squirrel – she said they don’t have them back home and took a ton of picture of then! Never know what your tourists will find to be the most exciting part your tour!  –Kristin

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Germantown, MD Market Report – 7/20/10

We have just over a four month supply of houses to choose from based on the rate of sales in June. (517 divided by 128). Economists say that a six month supply is normal to have a balanced market. After the tax credit I expect sales activity will fall for a few months since the market “borrowed sales from the future.” This is similar to what happened in the car business after “cash for Clunkers.” Below are the statistics and analysis for the Germantown, MD market:

• Homes for sale: 517 (down just a smidge from 525 in May. Up from 491 one year ago)
• Homes sold: 128 (up from 113 in May and up from 110 one year ago)
• Average sales price: $281,345 (down from $291,860 in May 2010 and about the same $283,791 one year ago)
• Average days on market: 40 (up a bit from 33 last month, but still way under 93 days a year ago)

The increase in the “Trade Up” market, where existing homeowners have equity and want to buy a more expensive house is beginning and will also pull process up as more higher priced sales pulls up all of the averages.
South Germantown Recreational Park is a 736-acre park that includes hiking trails, picnic facilities, baseball and softball fields, a playground, archery range, golf driving range, two miniature golf courses, a splash playground, model boating lake, a tot lot, and an indoor aquatic center.  The Germantown Park is the newest to be added in Montgomery County, Maryland.   The Maryland SoccerPlex is used by teams throughout the area and includes 24 outdoor soccer fields.

Market data and commentary provided by David Hess, Executive Vice President and Managing Broker.

Search for homes in Germantown, and all of the DC Metro: www.averyhess.com

Ashburn, VA Market Report – 7/19/10

Supply and demand are both growing in Ashburn, reflecting a growing economy and increased consumer confidence. According to the statistics, we have a balanced market with just under a four month supply. The conventional wisdom is that a balanced market has a six month supply. So the current direction on prices is still indicating up.

• Homes for sale: 511 (up from 497 in May  and up from 433 one year ago)
• Homes sold: 133 (about the same as May’s 131 and up from 123 in May 2009)
• Average sold price: $441,119 (down a bit from last month at $451,953 and about the same as $440,838 in May one year ago)
• Average days on market: 27 (the same as in May, but way down from 62 one year ago)

27 days on the market! A few years ago a 27 day average would have prices rising two percent or more per month. While fundamentals never change, there are times in every kind of market when things just get a bit out of whack. It happened in 2003-2006 when prices got bid to very high levels. While the statistics reflect a stable market, which is based on a comparison of month to month and one year ago, if we look back 18 months, we can see how far prices have come from their bottom in December 2008.

But c’mon, 27 days on the market?! When market times get that low and inventory is under four months, it is safe to forecast big price jumps. So that is my forecast.

Market report provided by David Hess, Executive Vice President, Avery-Hess, Realtors.

Search for Homes in Ashburn, VA: www.averyhess.com

Caroline County, VA Market Report – 7/16/10

Boy are we living in interesting times!  Our market has been all over the place this year!  We started off the year with snowy weekends which then moved on to the February blizzard!  We then experienced the frenzy of activity from Buyers qualifying for the tax credit.  Then May 1st came around and the market came to a screeching halt.  June was a welcome change and we started to have more of a normal activity level.  Looking at the activity over the past year, things for the most part remain relatively unchanged.   Here is a snapshot:

The most noticeable change is the drop in new listings.  Inventory has declined all across the Fredericksburg region.  When inventory decreases so does the average days on market for homes that are listed on the MLS.  We will need to see a continued reduction in inventory before our market starts evening out.  While we still have a long road ahead of us, the decrease in inventory makes this market a little bit better for Sellers.  Sellers that are priced right, show well and are in good locations are selling their houses for close to their list prices and quicker than in seasons past.

Market data and commentary by Amy Cherry Taylor, Business Manager and Realtor at Avery-Hess, Realtors.

Search for homes in Caroline, and the all of the DC Metro: www.averyhess.com

MyLife as an Unofficial Japanese Tour Guide – Part 1

If you were given 24 hours to show someone who has never been to America around DC – where would you take them?

Three weeks after moving to Metro DC, I was given this daunting task.  Talk about a lot of pressure for a new DC resident; I was still just learning the city for myself!  However, I was more than happy to take on the challenge…here’s why…

For those of you who don’t already know me, I’m a quarter Japanese.  Although some don’t believe it, I have an amazingly adorable Japanese Grandmother and many other Japanese relatives that still live in Japan to prove it.  One of those relatives is my cousin Saya.

My Grandparents told Saya many years ago, that if she learned to speak English, when she graduated high school she could come visit us in America – and that’s exactly what she did.  As soon as I heard she would be in Virginia, I was thrilled at the opportunity to meet one of my relatives and show her around my new city… it was also a great chance for my little sister, Laura, to come for her first visit… and so our 24 hour adventure began…

The Visitors Arrive – Wednesday @ 1:35 pm

Stop 1: An “American” Lunch

Rocklands BBQ

Saya requested that while in DC we eat as much “American” food as possible.  Since I was meeting my visitors in Arlington, I could think of few locations more “American” or delicious than Rocklands BBQ.As you can tell by the picture, Saya enjoyed every last bite of her American meal and my sister was left stuffed (she also hates me for posting this picture of her haha).

Tourist Tip 1:  In Arlington on a Monday for Happy Hour?  Rocklands has my favorite HH deal in town – buy a beer…get a bbq sandwich free.  Brilliant.

Stop 2:  Smithsonian Museum of Natural History  - 3:05pm

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History

When it comes to museums – We are spoiled in DC.  There’s a museum for just about everything. Each is filled to the brim with irreplaceable pieces of our Nation’s history, fascinating stories, ancient artifacts, breathtaking art or automobiles and flying machines from our past and future.   With all these choices, I thought a museum would be a great start for our tour of DC…That and it was 98 degrees outside and we were desperately seeking air conditioning.

As we navigated our way off the metro and up Madison Drive, I saw Saya’s eyes light up with delight at the magnitude of the buildings surrounding her.   When we entered the Smithsonian, the giant elephant prominently displayed in the entryway greeted her, like it had countless other visitors during its 51 years in the museum.  We spent the next few hours wandering the halls in awe of giant dinosaur fossils, blinded by glistening jewels and laughing at creatures we could hardly believe once walked our earth.   A few hours later, Starbucks “snack” in hand we were headed off to our next destination.

Tourist Tip 2: Although it might seem weekday visits to a museum would be less crowded, remember that school groups take field trips during the week and can cause the museum to be just as busy.  Try getting to the museum as early in the day as possible to beat the crowd.

Stop 3: Georgetown – 5:18pm

No trip to DC, would be complete without a little shopping, at least not for three fashionable girls (apparently an appreciation for shopping IS in our genes and it comes from the Japanese side of our family), so we took a break from the historical portion of our tour and headed to Georgetown for a much needed retail fix.

We walked up and down M street stopping at all the designer boutiques, and souvenir shops helping Saya find the perfect American treasures to take back to her friends and family at home.  We of course went to Georgetown Cupcake (I’ll write more about this in a later post) and got six brightly colored and equally delicious cupcakes to try for dessert later that evening.

Dinner at Farmers & Fishers

For our “American” dinner we headed to “Farmers & Fishers” on the Washington Harbour – one of new DC my favorites. We were happy to be joined by my incredible friend Jon, who graciously drove my guests to DC from Richmond.  (Jon plays with the band Carbon Leaf– do yourself a favor and check them out – they’re amazing!)  We had the calamari and hummus for appetizers and Saya chose a very “American” pizza for dinner, while Laura and I split the clams, garlic, bacon & linguine dish and Jon had the “Cowboy Chicken”.  All of our meals were delicious.

Potomac Riverboat Sunset Cruise

We completed our first day sightseeing with a sunset cruise of the Monuments along the Potomac.  If you have a couple of hours to spare, I highly recommend this; it’s a relaxing way to learn a little about the history of the city, all while enjoying a beautiful sunset and unique views of the monuments.

Tourist Tip 3:  If you go on the cruise in the spring or summer, take the 8 pm boat ride – it was perfect timing to catch the sun setting over the Potomac on the way out and have the beautiful night sky as a backdrop during the return journey.

Day One – Complete.

 Day Two  - Post Coming Soon!

-Kristin

To learn more about MyLife, view pictures, videos, post comments, or suggest adventures “Like”MyLife on Facebook!

Gaithersburg, MD Market Report 7/14/10

Talk about a See-Saw, the statistics for Gaithersburg could really confuse even a Real Estate Veteran. Fortunately, there is more to a market than statistics. So let’s jump into the stats first and then we will do some analysis. Below you’ll find statistics as well as analysis for Gaithersburg, Maryland.

• Homes for sale: 878 (close to last month’s 867,  but down from 902 in April and down from 939 one year  ago)
• Homes Sold: 214 (very close to May’s 214, April’s  211 and 207 sales one year ago)
• Average sold price: $345,753 (down from $345,753  in May, similar to $330,231 in April and down from $363,547 one year  ago)
• Average days on market: 46 (close to 43 days  in May, 48 in April and 102 days from one year ago)

Inventory is pretty stable to falling, number of sales per month is pretty stable and the time it takes to sell is falling. So is the market getting stronger or weaker? A year ago on average it was taking over 100 days to sell a house. In 2010 it takes just a little over a month. We are selling about the same number of units each month for the last year. So why the big swings in price? It is very much a function of the mix of what sells. If we sell more expensive homes it pulls the average up. If we sell a greater number of lower priced units it pulls the stats down.

The lower priced properties are selling like hot cakes. The trade up market while stronger than one year ago seems to ebb and flow and that affects the stats. The drop in days on market says that the demand is real as buyers choose faster and faster.

With summer comes fairs and carnivals and although Gaithersburg has developed into a large metropolitan area with upscale restaurants and stores, there is still a little bit of country as evidenced by the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair held at the fairgrounds in Gaithersburg every August.  Live animals compete for prizes along with fruits, vegetables, homemade baked goods and crafts.  Those along with the tractor pulls, the huge truck contests, musical entertainment, good food and the carnival rides draw huge crowds each year. This is an event you don’t want to miss!

Data, analysis, and commentary provided by David Hess, Executive Vice President.

Find your in Gaithersburg and all of Montgomery County: www.averyhess.com