All Blog Entries by Marjorie Dick Stuart

Please stop by...OPEN 1-4pm Saturday, July 23rd SUNDAY open house CANCELLED!

1912 37th Street NW

Fabulous 3-4 bedroom with 2 full baths, living room with fireplace, separate dining room, open kitchen to 2 story family room addition with floor to ceiling windows, sliding doors to stone patio & lovely fenced garden.  Wood floors throughout, central air conditioning & 3 skylights.  Separate 1,050 sq. ft. lot conveys, abundant parking.  Great location steps to Georgetown! 

Please stop by...OPEN 1-4pm Satruday, July 23rd

3970 Langley Court #E617

Sparkling, updated one bedroom plus loft on top floor with cathedral ceiling, skylights, park views and wood floors in excellent condition! Washer/dryer and central air. Outdoor pool and tot lot. Walk to tennis, dog park, playground, parks, gardens, Giant, CVS, restaurants, post office and more!

Condo fee: $494.87 per month includes management, general maintenance of common areas, landscaping, trash & snow removal, master insurance policy, reserves, gas, water & sewer.

Some Highlights:

• Interest Rates are still below historic numbers.
• 88% of property managers raised their rent in the last 12 months!
• Credit score requirements to be approved for a mortgage continue to fall.

According to a Merrill Lynch study, “an estimated 4.2 million retirees moved into a new home last year alone.” Two-thirds of retirees say that they are likely to move at least once during retirement.

As one participant in the study stated:

“In retirement, you have the chance to live anywhere you want. Or you can just stay where you are. There hasn’t been another time in life when we’ve had that kind of freedom.”

The top reason to relocate cited was “wanting to be closer to family” at 29%, a close second was “wanting to reduce home expenses” at 26%.

A recent Freddie Mac study found similar results, as “nearly 20 percent of Boomers said they would move closer to their grandchildren/children compared to 13 percent who said they would

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) was released by the Labor Department last week. An analysis by Market Watch revealed the cost of rent was 3.8% higher than a year ago for the second straight month in June. That’s the strongest yearly price gain since 2007.

This coincides with a report released earlier this month in which AxioMetrics announced that rents are continuing to increase in 2016. The report revealed:

• There was a 3.7% increase in effective rents in the second quarter of 2016 as compared to the same period last year.
• That the effective rent growth this quarter compared to last quarter was 2.3%.
• Annual effective rent growth was positive in 49 of the top 50 markets, based on number of units. Only Houston was negative, at -1.4%, as

Every three years, the Federal Reserve conducts a Survey of Consumer Finances in which they collect data across all economic and social groups. The latest survey, which includes data from 2010-2013, reports that a homeowner’s net worth is 36 times greater than that of a renter ($194,500 vs. $5,400).

In a Forbes article, the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Chief Economist Lawrence Yun predicts that in 2016 the net worth gap will widen even further to 45 times greater.

The graph below demonstrates the results of the last two Federal Reserve studies and Yun’s prediction:

Put Your Housing Cost to Work for You

Simply put, homeownership is a form of ‘forced savings.’ Every time you pay your mortgage, you are contributing to your

Washington's Best Real Estate Agents

In one of the nations hottest housing markets, which is home to thousands of real estate agents, arriving at a list of 101 names was no simple feat. First, we surveyed nearly 50,000 local Washingtonian subscribers, plus the more than 1,000 agents who made last year's Best Agents and Top Producers lists.

We asked both groups whom they most enjoyed working with, based on a number of criteria including market knowledge,integrity, communication skills, and closing preparation.

We further vetted those results by contacting still more real estate industry professionals, among them mortgage brokers, additional agents, and home
inspectors. For those house-hunting in particular, we've included neighborhoods where

If you are debating purchasing a home right now, you are probably getting a lot of advice. Though your friends and family will have your best interest at heart, they may not be fully aware of your needs and what is currently happening in the real estate market.

Answering the following 3 questions will help you determine if now is actually a good time for you to buy in today’s market.

1. Why am I buying a home in the first place?

This truly is the most important question to answer. Forget the finances for a minute. Why did you even begin to consider purchasing a home? For most, the reason has nothing to do with money.

For example, a recent survey by Braun showed that over 75% of parents say “their child’s education is an important part of

Some Highlights:

• The Cost of Waiting to Buy is defined as the additional funds it would take to buy a home if prices & interest rates were to increase over a period of time.
• Freddie Mac predicts interest rates to rise to 4.6% by next year.
• CoreLogic predicts home prices to appreciate by 5.3% over the next 12 months.
• If you are ready and willing to buy your dream home, find out if you are able to!

Whether you are considering the purchase of your first home or trading up to the home your family frequently fantasizes about, there are three crucial questions you must know the answer to:

1. What is the minimum down payment required to purchase a home?

2. What is the minimum FICO score required to qualify for a mortgage?

3. What is the maximum Back-End DTI Ratio allowed?

A survey conducted by Fannie Mae revealed startling information: most Americans don’t know the answer to these three crucially important questions. Here is a graphic showing the results of the survey:

The percentages are quite disturbing but can explain why so many people believe they are not eligible to purchase a home whether it is a first home or