Stacey-Ann's Blog

The 2011 Washington Auto Show is now playing at the DC Convention Center.  The car show will be in DC through February 6, 2011.

The entire schedule features celebrity appearances including Redskins Cheerleaders, DC United Players, & Snooki from the Jersey Shore.

The car show is a car lover's dream featuring cars from many American and foreign car manufacturers.

PBS characters are also available to help keep the kids entertained.

There were many amazing electric cars on display as well.

If you are in the area stop by the DC Convention Center and enjoy the 2011 Washington DC Auto Show.

My good friend Bridget McGee, AKA Mortgage Mama has registered to participate in the Iron Girl in Columbia, MD in August 2011.  

Bridget is raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as part of her training.  She is REQUIRED to raise $1600 to participate in the training.

Bridget is $1400 away from her goal.  She is asking people to make donations, however small, to this wonderful charity.  Bridget is trying to get 100 donations of $14.25 to help her reach her goal.  Of course, donations larger or smaller will always be accepted

Stop by Bridget's fundraising page and see why raising money for cancer research is so important to her.  

Let's all support Mortgage Mama as she works towards these two amazing goals.

This is the point in the year when all the DC area golfers begin to really feel the blues.  Not only can they not play golf they can't even see the courses since they are now covered in snow.  No chance of sneaking a round in these conditions.

As you prepare for Spring, give me a call if a move to a golf course community is on your wish list.  There are many wonderful golf course communities in the Washington, DC area.

Call me if you want more information about the many wonderful golf course communities in Prince George's, Montgomery, Charles Counties or the surrounding areas.

Some of these communities include:

Woodmore - Bowie, MD

Marlton - Upper Marlboro, MD

Beechtree - Upper Marlboro, MD

Oak Creek - Upper Marlboro, MD

Hampshire Greens - Silver Spring, MD

Cross Creek Club - Silver Spring & Beltsville, MD

Tantallon - Fort Washington, MD

Let's make 2011 the year when you decide to live where you golf!

One of the beauties of living near Washington, DC is the availability of amazing museums and galleries.

The Smithsonian museums are located in downtown Washington, DC.  Some of the museums located on the National Mall are the Natural History Museum, Air & Space Museum, National Gallery of Art, Museum of the American Indian, and The Holocaust Museum.

I enjoy trips to the museum but I had never been to the Museum of American History.

My husband, kids and I decided to pay the museum a visit to see the First Ladies Dress Exhibit.

The exhibit shows the dresses that many of the First Ladies of the United States wore on their husband's inaugurations.  

My daughter and I enjoyed seeing the dresses up close and seeing the differences in fashion over the years.  We had very distinct favorites and some that we absolutely hated.

Though the dress exhibit was definitely my family's favorite there are also many awesome exhibits that give a dynamic representation of this country's history.

If you live in the area or are planning to visit Washington, DC schedule a visit to the Museum of American History.  Best of all, admission is FREE!!!!

The Angie Houtz Memorial Fund is pleased to announce it's annual scholarship.

This scholarship is open to students attending or planning to attend public colleges or universities in Maryland.

Criteria for the scholarship include:

• Cumulative, unweighted grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

• Attend or be accepted to attend a Maryland public 2 or 4 year college or university.

• It is not necessary to be a Maryland resident or a United States citizen to apply.

• All application materials must be postmarked by April 30, 2011.

Since it's creation in 2001, the scholarship has helped several students realize their college dreams.

In 2011, at least one $3000 scholarship will he awarded.

For more information feel free to give me a call or visit www.theangiefund.com

Angie Houtz Memorial Fund

She was her best friend

When I first got into real estate I remember being told that your first offer is usually your best offer.  With that in mind I always try to negotiate with every offer that comes along - no matter how ridiculous it might seem.  

Last year I had three instances where good buyers had their offers fall through because sellers or their agents refused to negotiate with us.  I was curious to see how those homes ended up.

1.  Single Family Home in Bowie, MD

• Listed for $249,900.  It was in the MLS as a 3 bedroom but the owner had converted two of the bedrooms into one big bedroom so it was actually a 2 bedroom home.
• In April 2010 my buyers came in and offered $240,000, asked for $10,000 in closing and wanted to returned to a 3 bedroom home.
• They countered at full price and said we could have EITHER $5000 in closing OR restored to a 3 bedroom.
• Since the home was being advertised as a 3 bedroom my buyers didn't even think this should have been part of the negotiation.
• We moved on put an offer on a house with the exact same floor plan where they paid $235,000 with $10,000 in closing and closed in June, 2010.
• This original home finally closed in December 2010 for $219,000.

The Washington, DC metro market is one of those markets where it is cheaper to buy a home than rent.  Home prices have fallen but rentals have continued to rise.  In addition, there a fewer units available for rent which has fueled competition and helped keep rental rates very high.