The Washington DC Real Estate Blog

If you are an owner of a home in Montgomery Village, you should be informed that the Montgomery Village Foundation has begun the process to try to increase assessments.  The foundation is trying to do this by asking village representatives to vote in favor of a $4.32 annual increase of the assessment ceiling.  Currently there is an increase in the monthly assessment amount for 2011 of 36 cents for all owners of Montgomery Village Maryland homes, and if you use the community pools, or other community facilities your monthly increase would be 67 cents. 

The increase of the property assessment for 2011 will allow the town to pay for $ 126,000 in improvements for the town.  Some of these improvements include a farmers market, community gardens, and fountains for the pool areas. 

Representatives from each of the communities in Montgomery Village still must meet to decide whether to pass this increase to the housing assessment.  There will also be an informational meeting for community members this month, and the vote to decide will be in early October. So the board can have the assessment set by late October.  As it stands now, the current assessment fee for Montgomery Village home owners is $20.18 per month, and if you pay to use the community facilities your rate jumps to $23.94 per month.

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Those who are either considering building new Montgomery county real estate or purchasing an existing piece of Gaithersburg Maryland real estate, please continue reading this article, as it contains information on changes that may be occurring in the town.  In the near future, the town of Gaithersburg will be meeting with its residents  about a plan that if passed, would extend the tax breaks for businesses in the area known as Olde Towne.  Currently this proposed expansion will be going to hearing  on Tuesday for the area known as the  Olde Towne Enterprise, which is 300 acres.  Businesses that reside in this 300 acre parcel can possibly qualify for income tax credits and waivers  from the county, and utility fees generally assesses before the project breaks ground.
As of now, if the city expanded this 300 acre parcel of Gaithersburg Maryland real estate, they would only be able to expand it a maximum of 50% of the original 300 acres. Another interesting fact about this proposal to expand the tax break area is that the enterprise zone can only be expanded in areas where over 80% of the families make less than 70% of the median income  in the county.   According to 2008 Census Bureau, the median income for Montgomery County residents was $93,895. 
The Olde Towne zone has been in place since 2008 and as of now, two projects have been finished, including the four story Slice of Olde Towne Pizza building as well as the office building located at 13 Park Ave.   Please check back later for more information on this expansion.

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If you currently live in a home in Montgomery County Maryland or more specifically in the city of Silver Spring, you have probably heard about new music venue that is suppose to be built  in the  down town area.  This new Montgomery county real estate development will be located where the old J.C. Penney store stands on Colesville Road.  The store has been vacant for over 18 years.  This new music venue will be known as the Fillmore, and an interesting fact to note about the development is a public private partnership between Montgomery County and the Lee Development Group is what is allowing it to be built. 

So currently the ground breaking for this new music venue is scheduled for September 2nd , but as of now this new downtown Silver Spring Maryland real estate development is currently $3.2 million dollars over budget.  Originally the construction of this music venue was supposed to cost 8 million dollars with the state and the county each paying four million.  Some of the reasons that this project is currently over budget is that the budget was developed over eight years ago and it did not take into account inflation and the rising costs of the construction materials.  Also, another interesting fact to note is that Live Nation has agreed to invest $2 million dollars into the development of the building’s interior, and any of the construction overages.  The overages that Live Nation paid for would then be deducted from the company’s rent which is $90,000 per year.  Currently the county has transferred saved money on other projects to  the Fillmore construction project.  These projects include the White Pak Community Recreation Center, Upper County outdoor pool, MAC diving tower and Wheaton Community Recreation Center.  Also, Live Nation has agreed to pay the remaining $724,926 in construction costs, but this means that Live Nation would not have to pay rent on there space for the first 8 years of the lease.

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Are you thinking of selling your Montgomery County Maryland home, if so you should consider working with one of the members of www.themarylandrealestateexpert.com at EcoFirst Realty.  As of August 3, 2010 every Montgomery County listing that they have taken has closed in under 45 days from the date it was listed with us.  Here are what the last two sellers had to say about our work. 

To Whom It May Concern:

I would like to commend Jason Rosenthal and Pablo Rotondaro of Weightman Realty for the fabulous job in selling my father’s condo.

My father passed away in January of 2009.  I live in Ohio so I didn’t know where to start.  I received a postcard from them detailing the Redskins’ schedule and letting me know that they had just sold a condo in my father’s building that was only on the market for 21 days.  Being an avid Redskins fan, this got my attention and I scheduled an appointment to meet with them the next time I was in town.

Jason came to meet with me and gave me suggestions as to what needed to be done in order to get the most out of the condo and get it sold quickly.  Pablo could not be there but telephoned me within hours to introduce himself and offer his services to me.  They are quite the team!

They were quick to help me locate painters, people to haul big stuff to Good Will, sub-contractors, and anything else that I needed.  Once the condo was put on the market it sold in 4 days!!

Jason and Pablo worked with the other agent and the settlement company to make sure we had all our documents in order so that there were no issues or surprises at the closing.  They were constantly in contact with me to either keep me informed of what was going on or to remind me that I needed to get them something.

They were more help than I could have ever imagined and treated me as a friend from the very beginning.  Everything was quick, easy, and effortless from the very beginning.  I would highly recommend them to anyone who wants the job done right and quick.

Sincerely,
Peri Lolachi Snarr

 ________________________________________________________________
Choosing the right realtor can be a daunting task. But when we chose Jason Rosenthal to to sell our properties, we knew that we had made the right choice. Jason went above and beyond the call of duty to sell our properties for the best possible price. He was there every step of the way advising & helping to prepare our properties for sale. Jason kept us well informed.  I would  definitely recommend hiring Jason Rosenthal to anyone with a property to sell. It was a pleasure working with such a knowledgeable & true professional.

Sincerely,
Kara  Z
Satisfied Customer

So if you are thinking about selling your home, or if you have any real estate related questions please feel free to contact one of the members at www.themarylandrealestateexpert.com.

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Whether you are a patron looking to purchase a home in Montgomery County Maryland more specifically in the town of Gaithersburg or if you currently own a home there you may want to know that plans for the Crown Farm Development may be presented before the Gaithersburg Mayor and council as early as this fall.  This project is predicted to cost a billion dollars and it was put to a halt in the middle of 2009 when the developer had to file for bankruptcy.  The only reason that this development may reemerge is because last month Crown Village Farm LLC emerged from chapter 11 proceedings.    The original property agreement with the city that was signed in 2006 said that the Crown Farm Development, when finished, would be composed of residential Maryland real estate, retail and office space, roads, public art, a school, and many other amenities that would be added to this 181 acre parcel of land.   This 181 Parcel of land is located near the intersection of I270 and 370 at Fields Road. 
Crown Farm is not the only development in the town of Gaithersburg that has come to a halt.  It is actually one of several large projects that have been stalled.  Beside adding additional housing to the town of Gaithersburg, some people believe the Crown Farm development moving forward again it will inspire confidence in the development community as well as jump start economic development for the town of Gaithersburg.

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New Washington DC Real Estate Listing
If you are thinking of purchasing Washington DC real estate go no further.  The members of the www.themarylandrealestateexpert.com team have the perfect property for you.  At the end of last month we listed a property at The Whitman.  This beautiful Washington DC real estate boasts stunning hardwood floors, a gourmet kitchen with island and all appliances are stainless steel.  In the master bathroom you will find a marble vanity along with a soaking tub and shower.  This Washington DC community features amenities such as a concierge, rooftop pool, billiards room, fitness center, and an on site management team.  The Whitman is located at 910 M ST in the Logan circle neighborhood less than a quarter-mile away from the Mount Vernon Square Metro Station.
A little history about the Logan Circle neighborhood
During the Civil War this area of Washington DC was home to Camp Barker, a former barracks that was transformed into a refugee camp.  In the 1870 the Logan Circle area began to form with streets, elm trees, and other amenities were installed under Mayor Alexander Robey Shepherd.  He encouraged the development of this area the next thing that happened was the installation of street car tracks.  Then the blocks of Victorian row homes began to be built.  During the twentieth century the area of Logan Circle began to transform into what we know it as today.

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Those who reside in homes in Montgomery County or are thinking of purchasing real estate in this county probably know that the county is always striving to be at the forefront for the green initiative.  So it should not be too big of a surprise to find out the Montgomery County has won the Governor’s 2010 Smart, Green and Growing Award for its aggressive choices of transportation.  This is due to Montgomery County providing many alternative transportation options including mass transit, carpooling, bicycling, and short term car rentals at the Metro stations.   The Governor’s award praises a County for its Commuter Services efforts and local funding for Ride On and ridesharing. 

Some interesting facts about the Governor’s Smart, Green and Growing Award is that it is presented to localities that put into use Smart Growth practices.  This award began to recognize local governments that illustrate Smart Growth Principles and that lead by example.  Some of the reasons why Montgomery County was chosen to win this award are:

• The county created and coordinated a Transportation Management District
• The county gives incentives to employers who help its employees with transportation fees or to employers who have telework programs
• The short term car rentals that can be found at some metro stations; for example they can be found at the Grosvenor Strathmore metro station.
• Effective marketing transit
• And finally guaranteed ride on programs as well as bike to work events.

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Those who reside in homes in Montgomery County Maryland should be proud to know that they live in a county that is leading the way regionally when it comes to programs dealing in environmental impact.    Currently in an effort to help decrease   green house gas emissions, the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Solid Waste Services has commissioned 20 of 100 refuse and recycling trucks that are fueled by natural gas.  The first twenty trucks began to be used in Montogmery County in April.  The next batch of twenty are planned to be hitting the road on July 1st, and the remaining 60 trucks will be phased into use over the next two years.  If you are wondering if your Montgomery County home is currently being serviced by one of these new trucks they can be easily identified.  The Trucks are colored blue and white and they exhibit a message stating “Think Green, Breathe Clean, Compressed Natural Gas”. 

If you are not familiar with the benefits of using compressed natural gas they include:

• Reducing nitrogen oxide emissions by 80% due to the reduction of smog.
• Greenhouse gas emissions by these vehicles are reduced by 10 to 15%.
• These vehicles also produce less asthma causing particulates by roughly 74 to 90 percent
• All in all they provide cleaner air for people to breath. 

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Going Green has been on many individuals minds, especially home owners who are trying to make there home more green not only to help the environment but in order to save money.  As of April 12th the Montgomery county homes located in Poolesville will be able to have ground and roof mounted solar energy systems and loop geothermal systems.  These Maryland homes can also have roof mounted wind energy systems everywhere except if they are in the central business district.  An interesting fact to note about this change in Poolesville is that it all began when a local hardware store installed a monopole wind energy system on his property.  At the time that he installed this wind energy system the town’s code did not address this issue.  The town will now allow ground mounted wind systems, which would be allowed in the central business district, and on properties located in rural areas. 
One of the most obvious benefits of using renewable energy is the cost savings that comes from it; these methods also however generate electricity with very little damage to the surrounding environment.  If you are a homeowner using renewable energy or thinking about converting to using renewable energy you should also have an energy audit performed on your home.  An audit will allow you to see how much energy your home consumes.  After seeing this you can decide on what measures you would like to take in order to make your home even more energy efficient.  The audit will show you the significant amount of money you could be saving over time if you were to correct the problems the audit has detected.  A professional auditor will use tools such as blower doors to measure the extent of leaks in the buildings’ envelope and infrared cameras, which detect harder to see areas of air infiltration as well as missing insulation.

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