The blue Toyota Prius was also seen parked on 30th Street in Georgetown.  Following the car seems to be tough as it appears the media was not invited to the event or allowed to get too close.

As DC traffic can be a little anoying, I hope the software does not learn to be aggressive like many of the other drivers in the Washington metro area.

If this self-driving car does take off, I will be right there in line.  Just imagine house tours with one of these, no parking on the city block?  Send the car in circles until we are done with that property.  I see endless opportunities!

Evan Johnson

A survey conducted last month by the PEW Research Center, a non-profit, non-partisan organization considered a “fact tank” on social & demographic trends in America, determined that the majority of adult Americans (81%) still believe “that buying a home is the best long-term investment a person can make.” It is interesting to note that while the same study showed that 47% of those surveyed felt that current economic factors have resulted in a decrease in their current home value, those same home owners felt that their home investment was a safe one.

Even renters seem to agree with the idea of investing in a home, with 81% wishing to buy a home at some point, even if individual circumstances prevent it currently. In fact, when asked to rate long-term financial goals, homeownership and “being able to live comfortably in retirement” were rated the highest by 80% of those surveyed. Survey participants seemed to understand that owning a home provides more than an avenue for generating savings – it also is a place to live and provides an element of physical and emotional stability unlike other investment options.

Further pursuing this question, the survey compared investments – trying to determine which held fast in the long run – the stock market or the housing market. The answer was variable, depending on the year of investment, however, and unable to be determined overall. One item not considered in the survey is that owning a home provides income tax benefits that are not likely to be found in other investments, which could affect the dividend bottom line and how you choose to invest. Click here to view the survey in its entirety.

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Rustik Tavern

We recently visited Rustik Tavern, a quaint restaurant located in the Bloomingdale Neighborhood of Washington, DC.  The eatery, while small in size, offers a large selection of microbrews and specializes in wood fired pizzas.

On our visit, which was for lunch, we started with the soup of the day, tomato and then had the Chorizo Pizza for our main course.   Both courses proved to be flavorful and were delivered to our table rather quickly.  The only issue with the restaurant, on that day, was it seemed service was limited with only the bartender seemingly serving the entire restaurant so drinks were slow to arrive.

Because of its limited size, I suspect that this spot can be very busy on evenings or weekends but the wait, if any, is worth it.  With other established pizza restaurants in the area like RedRocks in Columbia Heights and Ella’s in Penn Quarter, how do you think Rustik compares?

Rustik’s hours, menu and other information can be found on their website, www.RustikDC.com.

Evan Johnson

Providing ratings from 0 to 100 to determine a neighborhood’s walkability, buyers can decide if the area they are considering is more Car-Dependent, Very Walkable, a Walker’s Paradise, or somewhere in-between. If you are searching for a home, you will also enjoy visiting tools such as Transit Score which helps in calculating the cost of your commute and the even newer Bike Score!

Bike Score was introduced this week in honor of Bike to Work Week and suggests areas that are best suited and not so desirable for bike riding. Considering such issues as hills and bike lanes, along with “road connectivity” and a town’s biking population, communities have been rated using the same type of scoring system, with 70-100 being named Very Bikeable. Topping that list were Minneapolis, Portland, and San Francisco but let’s not leave out Washington, DC ranged at number 7.

The goal of Bike Score is to help cities measure and then improve their bicycling ridership. Check it out and see where Washington DC rates by clicking here. If you would like more in-depth information about places where you can walk and ride in our local community, please contact me.

Here are the Top 25 DC Neighborhoods as rated by Walk Score.

1. Dupont Circle – 98
2. West End – 97
3. Downtown – 96
4. Penn Quarter – 96
5. Logan Circle – 96
6. Chinatown – 95
7. Foggy Bottom – 94
8. Mount Vernon Square – 94
9. Judiciary Square – 94
10. U Street Corridor – 94
11. Swampoodle – 92
12. Shaw – 91
13. Columbia Heights – 91
14. Adams Morgan – 90
15. NoMa – 90
16. Sursum Corda Cooperative – 89
17. Near Northeast – 89
18. Tenleytown – 89
19. Georgetown – 89
20. Mount Pleasant – 88
21. Capitol Hill – 88
22. Park View – 87
23. Kalorama – 86
24. North Cleveland Park – 84
25. Takoma – 83

How does your neighborhood rank?  Let us know what you think about your neighborhood.  Email us now!

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• Falls Church City +19.8%
• Arlington +27.7%
• Alexandria City +14.6%
• Washington DC +12.5%
• Fairfax +5.1%
• Fairfax City +.2%
• Montgomery +4.3%
• Prince George’s +7.3%

One major trend we are seeing is continued low inventory of homes for sale.  Many home buyers are just waiting for homes to come up for sale.

April showed 5,663 home contracts signed which represents a 9.5% increase over the same period last year.

If you are looking to sell your home and move up, now may be one of the best times due to current market conditions.

As a home buyer, get all your ducks in a row and jump in with a real estate professional.  As we expect these trends to continue, now may be a perfect time to buy.

Read the full article on Washington DC Market Trends 

Evan Johnson

Many of these apps are even offered free of charge, although they may request your location information in order to produce the results you desire. If you want more specific information or ideas on specialized apps for your tech devices, please give me a call so we can brainstorm on how I can help meet your real estate needs.  In the meantime, though, check these out!

Not sure where you want to live?

• Nabewise Get to know neighborhoods in-depth, complete with pictures, reviews and ratings ond rankings on the things you care most about.
• GreatSchools Get to know local school options and read reviews by staff and parents of children attending the schools. Schools are also scored based on scores and ratings.
• Yelp Find the best restaurants, shopping, and entertainment in the area you are researching directly from the people who live there. A true “insider’s view.”

Trying to keep track of everything?

• Evernote Keep track of your buying process, including the information on homes you have seen, complete with your personal notes!

Want to compare?

• House Hunter This tool allows you to set priorities on your wants and needs and match them to homes you are considering with the feature list and also has a mortgage calculator built in.
• Trulia – Easy to use and even includes a help button! Depending on your mobile device, you can check and compare listings and even search by feature using your voice.

Looking for actual numbers?

• Zillow Zestimates and make me move allow you to get an idea of what homes cost on any street and even permit you to make offers to home owners who do not have their property for sale.
• Realtor.com Get stats on new homes, sold homes, and homes for sale easily and quickly, including price changes in any neighborhood.

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Contingent or Backup

Hunters Woods Village

Price	$200,000
Beds	2
Baths	1 full, 1 half
Home size	1,073 sq ft
Lot Size	n/a
Days on Market	20

Reston Va Condo with full renovation. Unit features gourmet kitchen with granite counters and ceramic tile floors, new wood floors, new carpet, fresh neutral paint throughout, new bathrooms with ceramic tile and granite, new efficient windows, monitored alarm system, 2 car parking, spacious covered patio and storage. Minutes to Reston Town Center and new Wiehle Metro Station!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Property Type(s):
Residential for Sale, Res. Condo for Sale

Last Updated	4/21/2012	Tract	Hunters Woods Village
Year Built	1972	Community	n/a
Garage Spaces	n/a	County	Fairfax
Total Parking	n/a	Walk Score ®	71

Schools

Elementary School	HUNTERS WOODS
Middle School	HUGHES
High School	SOUTH LAKES

Additional Details

Contract Date	2012-04-21	Original List Price	200000.0
Fireplaces	0	Stories	1
Year Built	1972	Baths Full	1
Baths Half	1	Above Grade Area Finished	1073
Living Area	1073	Condo Coop Fee	393.6
HOA Fee	565.0	Zoning Code	372
Subdivision	HUNTERS WOODS VILLAGE	Elementary School	HUNTERS WOODS
Middle School	HUGHES	High School	SOUTH LAKES
Community Management	Prof-Off Site	Condo Coop Proj Name	HUNTERS WOODS VI
County	FAIRFAX	Tax Legal Subdivision	HUNTERS WOODS VILLAGE
Phase	2	Folio	261
Total Assessment	166150.0	Assessment Year	2012
County Tax	1871.32	Total Taxes	1981.5
Tax Year	2011

Features

Above Grade Area	Y
Amenities	Bath Ceramic Tile, Drapery Rods, Drapes/Curtains, Entry Lvl BR, Granite Counters, Master Walk-in Closet, MBR-BA Half, Shades/Blinds, W/W Carpeting, Wood Floors
Appliances	Dishwasher, Disposal, Dryer, Exhaust Fan, Icemaker, Microwave, Oven/Range-Gas, Refrigerator, Washer, Washer/Dryer Stacked
Attic	No
Basement	N
Bedroom Master Flooring	Carpet
Bedroom Master Level	Main
Bedroom Second Flooring	Carpet
Bedroom Second Level	Main
Community Amenities	Basketball Courts, Bike Trail, Common Grounds, Jog/walk Path, Pool-Indoor, Pool-Outdoor, Rec Center, Tennis Courts, Tot Lots/Plygrd
Community Fee Includes	Ext Bldg Maint, Gas, Heat, Lawn Maintenance, Management, Master Ins Policy, Pool(s), Reserve Funds, Sewer, Snow Removal, Tennis Courts, Tot Lot(s)/Plygrd, Trash Removal, Water
Condo Coop Payment Freq	Monthly
Contingency List	Contingent on Appraisal
Cooling	Ceiling Fan(s), Central A/C
Dining Kitchen	Gourmet, Kit-Table Space
Dining Room Flooring	Pergo
Disclosures	Prop Disclaimer
Dom Property Active Flag	N
Entry Level	1st Floor
Exterior	Brick
Heating	Forced Air
Heating Fuel	Natural Gas
HOA	Y
HOA Payment Freq	Annually
Hot Water	Natural Gas
Interior Features	Floor Plan-Open
Kitchen Flooring	Ceramic Tile
Last Contingency Type	Contingent on Appraisal
Lis Media List	Photo
Listing Status	Pending
Living Room Flooring	Pergo
Locale Listing Status	CNTG/NO KO
Main Entrance	Foyer
Other Structures	Above Grade
Ownership	Condo
Parking	Permit Required
Possession	Negotiable, Other
Potential Short Sale	No
Property Condition	Renov/Remod
Property Type	Residential
Room List	Bedroom-Master, Bedroom-Second, Dining Room, Kitchen, Living Room
Security	Motion Detectors, Security System
Special Tax Assessment Payment Freq	Annually
Structure List	Above Grade
Style	Colonial
SubSystemLocale	MRIS_MAIN
SystemLocale	MRIS
Type	Garden 1-4 Floors
ValidationStatus	GEO_1_ExactMatch
Walls Ceilings	Dry Wall
Windows Doors	Insulated Window(s), Screens

Location

Contact us about this Property

• First Name
• Last Name
• Phone Number
• Email
• Schedule a Showing?
• Comments

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Read full disclaimer.

Listed with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage

Evan Johnson

Don’t miss the terraces that overlook the city and provide enough enjoyable space for not only your caterer but also the bartender and  200 of your closest friends.

Below, we have compiled many condo properties that are exceptional and actively for sale.

For details or private tours of any fine home, please Contact Us.

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Evan Johnson

Interest rates have been reduced to historic lows allowing you, the home buyer, to get more home for the same amount of money, which sounds fantastic. However, if you do not “lock” in your rate and then follow through with providing the necessary paperwork in a timely manner, you could lose your opportunity. More than ever, now is the time for you to know the rules and play to win in the housing and lending market. If you are wondering about how you can make sure you are doing all you need to qualify for your loan and your home, contact me or consult the following list.

• DO get your paperwork in time.  Whether you are asked for a letter of employment verification or 27 pages of bank statements, do not delay in submitting these documents to your lender.  Any delay can result in your loan taking longer than necessary, making the seller potentially question your ability to purchase, especially when back up offers have been submitted.
• Do not encourage the seller to begin any construction work until after the appraisal, even if your inspection warrants changes being made.  An appraiser could see the hardhats and debris and devalue the property.  Wait until AFTER the appraisal is complete to request repairs OR agree to do the work yourself once you own the home.
• Do not buy a new car or new furniture or go on a celebratory shopping  spree until your escrow has funded!  Credit ratios are VERY important at this time and if they become out of balance or new credit is extended, it can make you less likely to qualify for your home loan.  It does not matter if the offer is ZERO percent interest… it still affects your credit line.
• DO pay your current financial obligations.  During the busy home buying time, it can be easy to forget to pay bills or miss deadlines – be careful because late payments will reflect negatively on your credit and could even result in your loan being denied.
• Do not make changes in your employment – including changing jobs to make more money.  The key to getting a mortgage is showing a picture of stability and a job change could tarnish that image.  Wait until after escrow closes to accept the new position.

Related Articles:

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So, how does this affect your monthly mortgage costs?  On a $400,000 home purchase, these numbers are based on a 30 year fixed mortgage interest and principal payment.

$1,891 at 3.92% (today’s rate)
$2,661 at 7.00%
$5,379 at 16.00 (highest on chart)

I think that speaks for itself.  A $770 monthly difference from today’s rate vs. a more recent average of 7%.  What would you do with that extra money?  If you took just those savings and invested it for 30 years at 7% average, you would have $939,337!  Plus, as a bonus, your house will be paid off.

Download the chart.

Bottom line, it is a great time to buy a home with great mortgage rates, and home prices within reach.  For more details about buying a home, visit our Buying A Home page.  Evan Johnson Real Estate is here to help you through the process of buying a home.  Ask a question below and we will get right back to you!

Evan Johnson