The Hottest Ticket in Town

There’s nothing quite like the camaraderie of the crowd at a sporting event. Nowhere else in the world can you high-five random people, bear hug complete strangers and jump for joy with tens of thousands of people you’ve never met.

Unfortunately that’s been lacking in Washington D.C. for a long time. The Redskins of the 80s are gone, having abandoned their winning ways and raucous RFK Stadium for years of mediocrity played in a stadium no one enjoys going to. The Wizards/Bullets have never been relevant on a national stage, and the Nationals, even though they’ve only been here for six years, have already disenchanted this town with their losing ways.

Enter the Washington Capitals. In the early-to-middle part of the decade, the Caps were easily on the lowest rung of the D.C. sports scene and frequently one of the worst teams in the league. It showed at the arena. I remember attending games with my dad where we would count how many entire sections were devoid of fans. One game we saw nine complete sections without a single person there. But with good drafting, good fortune, and the help of the most exciting player in all of professional sports (if you’ve never seen an Alex Ovechkin goal, watch this one), Washington now has a team, a fan base and a stadium experience it can be proud of.

Nestled in bustling and revitalized Chinatown, the Verizon Center sits in one of the best areas for fun in the whole city.

In Chinatown and nearby Penn Quarter, there’s an array of bars and restaurants to head to before the game. One can grab upscale cocktails and appetizers at PS 7’s, or play pop-a-shot and grab Miller Lites at below ground Rocket Bar.

The streets are awash with thousands of people all wearing bright red Capitals jerseys and tee shirts. The local spirit was infectious.

Right now, Capitals’ tickets are the hottest in the city; the team sold out every home game last year and is on pace to do the same again this year. And at the Verizon Center, it’s not a faux sellout like at FedEx Field, where there’s thousands of empty seats. No, by the time the puck dropped to start the first period, nearly every seat in the arena was filled, and almost all of the near 20,000 patrons rocked some sort of red. The color is dazzling, the effect amazing, and with everyone yelling, the noise is deafening.

Outside sportswriters ranked the Verizon Center one of the loudest arenas in hockey, and it truly is. On a Tuesday regular season game, the decibel level is astounding. For a playoff game on a Friday night, it’s indescribable.

And Capitals fans are raucous and happy because they know they’re supporting a team that’s likely to win. Turning on a Redskins’ game always comes with a healthy level of trepidation. When you head to a Nationals’ game, you already know there’s a 70 percent chance they will lose. But with Capitals, who won the most games in the NHL last year, fans expect victory.

I struck up a conversation with a girl from Edmonton who’d just moved to the nation’s capital. Canadians love their hockey, and she told me that her experience at the game tonight was as good as any she had in arenas in the cradle of hockey.

A true compliment indeed; and a wonderful way to spend a weekday night.

-David

Sterling, VA Market Report 10/27/10

After the big price increases that occurred after the December 2008 bottom, the Sterling, Virginia real estate market looks stable. See the details below.

• Homes for sale: 478 for sale at the end of June, July and August (compare to 443 one year ago.)
• Homes sold: 86 sold in September. (Down from 98 in August. And down from 132 one year ago when a homebuyer tax credit was in place.)
• Average sold price: $335,573 (similar to the August level of $335,137, but up from $304,717 one year ago.)
• Average days on market: 38 (very stable, been in the high 30s all year and was 49 days one year ago)

Personally I would rather see a stable market than a rising or falling market. A stable market gives a buyer the opportunity to take their time and enjoy the excitement of buying a new residence. No need to be in a rush or have to compete with a throng of other buyers bidding up the prices. No auction or greed mentality. The buyer and seller can each negotiate on the price and terms and each can feel at an equal amount of anxiety wondering if they can come to an acceptable agreement. And both can do so without any prodding or need for incentives from the government.

Commentary and analysis provided by David Hess, Executive Vice President.
Search for homes in Sterling, VA and the entire DC Metro: www.averyhess.com

The On-line Quandary

A lot of attention is being given to on-line in Real Estate right now. It’s the topic of conversation that dominates Real Estate blogs and twitter streams. You won’t hear much of an argument from anybody if you assert that maintaining on-line assets are critically important for the long-term prospects of any business, not just Real Estate.

Yet, for many folks in our industry, it is still a big mystery on what “On-Line” means, let alone how to facilitate seamless integration of “On-Line” into their personal business model(s). Based on the electronic flotsam that gets delivered to my once sacrosanct inbox, I can see why. These are just three of the “invitations” I received this past week:

• Learn the 3 Most Effective Real Estate Ads to Run on Craigslist
• The Missing Piece of Your Social Media Strategy
• Welcome to the world of YouTube and Video on the Internet.

And this is just a tiny sampling of the dozens upon dozens of solicitations delivered to me every single week. A business could create a full-time position dedicated to just reading the solicitations and watching the webinars, implementation notwithstanding. There is just too much “On-Line” thrown at Real Estate practitioners on a daily basis. Too much from too many vendors selling too many products for any of it to make sense. It’s almost as if we are being force-fed On-Line “stuff” from a never-ending buffet of technological mediocrity. A buffet that satiates our social media appetite while leaving our Real Estate larder empty.

Lessons Learned from another Small Business

When not making me delicious double chocolate chip cookies and homemade minestrone, my mother-in-law Nancy spends her time running a successful small business. Much like many Real Estate agents she is a sole practitioner. Much like many Real Estate agents, she is fully dependent on herself to generate leads, service clients and generate revenue. While her business is one of database creation and administration on the FileMaker platform, she faces many of the same challenges we do in Real Estate; marketing and lead generation being one of them. So how does she do it? How was this woman able to raise 3 children, be a sole-supporter, and maintain a successful business for many, many years? It’s because she doesn’t watch webinars, read e-mail solicitations or depend on questionable third-party vendors to help define her business’ growth strategy. She has a plan and she sticks to it.

The Plan

1. Be the Expert: This is the most critically important part of Nancy’s business plan. Know her business inside out. Be able to talk FileMaker in her sleep. Attend training seminars and conferences dedicated specifically to improving her FileMaker skill set. And let me tell you, this woman IS an expert. I am of the mind if FileMaker did not exist, she would invent it. That’s how good she is.
2. Service Clients IMPECCABLY: Nancy’s clients LOVE her. Absolutely LOVE her. Even the difficult ones. Nancy makes sure that she doesn’t just have satisfied clients, she has clients that rave about her – clients that refer her additional business and new clients.
3. Have a Website: Nancy has a website, and it’s mostly there to deliver information to people who are interested in FileMaker. There isn’t any forced registration or fancy capture form – there is just a site that tells the visitor about the company, what they do, clients they service and how to get in touch with her should they want some more information. It’s not even a particularly good website, but it works. It works because a) Nancy is an expert and b) Nancy’s clients love her.

And this plan is working for her. Last week, over a meal of minestrone, sourdough and double-chocolate chip cookies, I recall Nancy sharing with me how someone contacted her while standing in the Apple store. This gentleman found her website (why it is so important to have a website), scanned her services and client list, and contacted her to discuss whether or not FileMaker would be a good fit for his company before he purchased it. After speaking with Nancy, he purchased it. And hired her. Why? Not because she had a sweet social media campaign, posted videos to YouTube and tweeted uncontrollably (in fact, she does none of that). It’s because she a) is an expert and b) her clients love her.

The Real Estate Takeaway

Instead of focusing on becoming Social Media “experts” (What does that mean anyway? Are we also experts at breathing and walking?), or Craigslist junkies, we as Real Estate practitioners should focus our energies and efforts on improving our core skill sets. Contracts. Negotiations. Valuations. Then we can can use messaging platforms such as a website, a blog, or Social Media to share our expertise with our clients and consumers as a whole.

Don’t get me wrong, I think on-line is important in Real Estate. Very important. Social Media can be VERY effective and great for your business growth. But losing sight of what it is that we truly deliver to our clients and consumers can be disastrous.

Remember, all the “On-Line” in the world won’t matter if a) you are not an expert and b) your clients do not love you.

-Amit

Find Your Home. Plan Your Life: www.averyhess.com

MyLife in Metro DC: Experiencing OVO before it’s OV-er!

For those of you who have yet to experience (or those of you that love) the wonder of human strength, flexibility and jaw-dropping talent that Cirque du Soleil brings to stage, you have an incredible opportunity to witness one of their awe inspiring shows, OVO, right here in DC.

Last Friday I received a text from my boyfriend that simply read, “We’re going to the circus – be ready at 5,” my first thought was, “Huh? Circus?…like the lions and tigers and bears (oh my) kind?” But much to my liking, he had instead surprised me with tickets to that evenings showing of OVO (yes, I know I’m spoiled).

The traveling Cirque show OVO, described as “an immersion into the teeming and energetic world of insects,” has taken temporary residence in DC from September 9^th until this Sunday, October 24^th.  The wonderment all takes place under the bright blue and yellow tents of the Grand Chapiteau, perched high above the National Harbour.  (Note: The Grand Chapiteau is not located in the actual National Harbour but it instead has its own area across from the waterfront, signs at the exit will help direct you).

When you arrive, expect to pay to park (it was $12 where we parked) and be prepared for a bit of an uphill walk to reach the venue.  The hill is nothing too demanding, but paired with the coarse rock parking lot – I’d leave the high heals at home…take it from someone who learned the hard way and has the skinned knee to prove it!

Once inside the tented grounds, there is a concession stand (snacks ranged from $6 and up, while beer and wine were priced around $7 and $8) and a gift shop that offers unique souvenirs to take home.

Outside the Grand Capiteau with Scott

The Friday night show started promptly at 8pm, and once the last “seating notice” was given guests were NOT able to enter the venue until a designated break, which came after the first act had finished their routine.  (Be sure to be in your seats early so this doesn’t happen to you – the opening is incredible!) But don’t worry, there is a short intermission (about 20 minutes) halfway through the show if you need a bathroom or snack break.

As the lights faded and the show began, the colored tents and stadium seating brought back childhood memories of a traditional circus visit, but within moments the magic that unfolded on stage reminded me that I was someplace far different.  From my love of the elaborate and creative costuming to my sheer amazement of the feats performed just feet in front of me, I found myself gasping and asking my boyfriend, “did you see that?!” almost every five minutes.

My two personal favorite acts were the “Butterflies” (Spanish Web Duo) during which a male and female team performed feats of extraordinary strength, and contortion all while gracefully dangling from a rope high above us, and the “Wall” which featured over 20 “bugs” appearing to defy gravity as they run up, jump down and leap across an 8m vertical wall.

My Favorite Acts

The entire performance from start to finish lived up to every expectation I have for a Cirque du Soleil show (I’ve seen two other shows in Las Vegas) and as we walked out the discussions of others echoed my praises.

If you are looking for a one of a kind experience this week or this weekend, and enjoy Cirque performances, you really should go experience OVO before it’s OV-er this Sunday!

OVO Seating Chart

TIP: Try to book your tickets early and spend a little extra to get  “Level 1” or “Level 2” tickets.  The Premium tickets are of course the best, but the venue is fairly small and you can still see everything from the other seats.  Do be aware that although the “Level 3” tickets are the least expensive, you will miss out on some of the excitement as a spider web and large flower will block some of your views. If you are looking to save a few dollars, the weekday and early shows are a bit cheaper per ticket.

Still not convinced?  Check out the show’s official trailer below:

To share your OVO experience, learn more about MyLife, view pictures, videos, post comments, and suggest adventures“Like” MyLife on Facebook!

-Kristin

Ashburn, VA Market Report – 10/19/10

Ashburn remains a stable and attractive residential real estate market. The stats and analysis are as follows:

• Homes for sale: 494 (same as in August and up from 404 one year ago)
• Homes sold: 101 (down from the 117 units in August but up a smidge from last year’s 97 units)
• Average sold price: $435,266 (down from the statistical spike of $460,373 in August but up from $424,550 last year)
• Average days on market: 47 (amazingly stable in the mid 40s for the last year)

Ashburn is a very stable market based on the stats and what agents are telling me. After the financial panics, people get back to the basics and ask, “where is a good place to live?” Then they go buy a home there. This is exactly what we have seen in Ashburn for the past 21 months since prices bottomed in November 2008.

The market place has normalized in the absence of any more government intervention. Hello Congress did you hear that! Consumers can actually make good decisions on their own.

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

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

Bristow, VA Market Report – 10/7/10

Bristow’s current housing supply is still at four month’s worth of inventory. Typically economists say that a six-month inventory indicates a balanced market.  This low level of inventory is keeping upward pressure on prices in the area. While Bristow’s prices have been rising slowly during 2010 after a rapid rise starting in December 2008, the big jump in days on market shown below may indicate a change coming.

Here are the statistics for the housing market in Bristow, Virginia:

• Homes for sale: 151  (compare to 172 in July and 191 one year ago)
• Homes sold: 43 (stable as compared to 43 in July and 40 one year ago)
• Average sold price:  $349,778 (compared to $333,981 in July and $329,371 one year ago)
• Average days on market: 57 (compared to 27 in July and 31 days one year ago)

Everyone is still waiting to see what the housing market will do now that the two years of government stimulation has ended. My prediction for the market is that we will soon be seeing stable prices. People are buying real estate to live in, not to speculate on. This is healthy for everyone. No more government intrusion into the marketplace please!

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

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