October Newsletter
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Nalls Home Partners
E-Newsletter
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October 2009 |
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Dear Nalls Home Partners Clients, Friends and Family:
I love the Fall. We always get a small upswing in the market of serious buyers and really good listings and all the Realtors are back at work full time, nice and rested from summer vacation. Kids are settled into the school year and the Holidays are coming. Good, good, good.
Interest rates, which dropped below 5% for thirty year fixed this month (!), are driving a fairly strong market. That, and the First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit I talked about last month seem to be working their magic. According to the National Association of Realtors, pending home sales have increased for seven straight months, the longest period since this index began in 2001. Interesting.
This Fall the office is running particularly smoothly too because we have a great new assistant working with us, Harrison Beacher. Harrison is taking care of our administration and some of our marketing. He's the guy that makes sure your open house ads are correctly placed and tracks our sales to settlement. Huge job but not so big that he hasn't had time to sell. TWO transactions of his own already and assisted on two more. He's really on the way to an outstanding real estate career. He's the handsome dude on the right in the new team picture.
Harrison is also helping bring us into the 21st Century with a minimum of trauma. He is twittering and blogging away on our website and on Facebook, keeping all of our listings fresh and in the public eye as well as digging out some fascinating real estate articles and information to keep us all abreast of breaking news, statistics, trends and the ever changing government programs that effect our industry. Maybe it's that 2008 diploma from Tom's alma mater, Georgetown University that makes him so good ;-) In any event, we welcome you to check out our website blog, friend us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to see what we're talking about.
All the best -
Barbara and Tom
Long and Foster Real Estate, Inc
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CRAZY GOOD APPLE PIE
I know nobody is reading a real estate newsletter for new recipes but honestly, this one is soooo good and so easy that I just had to share it. You'll never go back to making it the "old way" again!
This is very best made in a heavy iron skillet, like an old fashioned frying pan - in fact, your grandmother called it Apple Pan Dowdy In a pinch you can do the apples in a saute pan and then dump the filling into a pie dish, but you wouldn't get the carmel-ey side bits and believe me, you want those. Also, the very hot oven is essential.
INGREDIENTS
Crust
1cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1tablespoon sugar
1/2teaspoon table salt
2tablespoons vegetable shortening , chilled
6tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter , cut into 1/4-inch pieces
3-4 tablespoons ice water
Filling
1/2 cup apple cider
1/3 cup maple syrup (or part maple and part agave syrup)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon Allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon or more to taste
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2pounds sweet apples and tart apples (about 5 medium), peeled, cored, halved, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
(optional, walnuts and / or candied ginger)
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
1. FOR THE CRUST: Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined. Add shortening and process until mixture has texture of coarse sand, about ten 1-second pulses. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture and process until mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse crumbs, with butter bits no larger than small peas, about ten 1-second pulses. Transfer mixture to medium bowl.
2. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons ice water over mixture. With blade of rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix. Press down on dough with broad side of spatula until dough sticks together, adding up to 1 tablespoon more ice water if dough does not come together. Turn dough out onto sheet of plastic wrap and flatten into 4-inch disk. Wrap dough and refrigerate 30 minutes, or up to 2 days, before rolling out. (If dough is refrigerated longer than 1 hour, let stand at room temperature until malleable.)
3. FOR THE FILLING: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (between 7 and 9 inches from heating element) and heat oven to 500 degrees. Whisk cider, syrup, lemon juice, cornstarch, and cinnamon (if using) together in medium bowl until smooth. Heat butter in 12-inch heatproof skillet over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add apples and cook, stirring 2 or 3 times until apples begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes. (Do not fully cook apples.) Remove pan from heat, add cider mixture, and gently stir until apples are well coated. Set aside to cool slightly.
4. TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE: Roll out dough on lightly floured work surface, or between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap, to 11-inch circle. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll over apple filling. Brush dough with egg white and sprinkle with sugar. With sharp knife, gently cut dough into 6 pieces by making 1 vertical cut followed by 2 evenly spaced horizontal cuts (perpendicular to first cut). Bake until apples are tender and crust is a deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes; serve.
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Regional Sales Trends
Sales Trends for the Month of September Single Family Homes
Contracts Ratified Per Month
(information from GCAAR)
Montgomery County Statistics
DC Statistics
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15105 Poplar Hill Road, Germantown MD
$1,299,000
ELEGANCE DEFINED! The original model for Spring Meadows featuring all that you would expect from Miller plus an enormous absolutely state of the art modern kitchen addition. Huge room sizes, 3 beautifully finished levels, glorious landscaping, fabulous flow for entertaining, truly too much to say.
Click Here for a Virtual Tour
Estimated property taxes and non-tax charges in the first full fiscal year of ownership is:$13,838.90
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7204 Loch Lomond Drive, Bethesda MD
$1,549,000
An entertainers dream home with almost 9,000 sq. ft., 7 BR, 5.5 BA, oversized rooms throughout. Spectacular 2 story marble foyer, 4 FP, 2 car garage, huge lot, great location in Whitman district. Three full levels, two with hardwood. Huge MBR suite w/ marble FP and owner's deck. Oversized, eat-in kitchen adjacent to family room with stone FP. Easy in to DC, easy out to 495/270.
Estimated property taxes and non-tax charges in the first full fiscal year of ownership is: $14,576.24
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UNDER CONTRACT!
6689 Fairfax Road Chevy Chase, MD
$539,000
Bright, updated 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath townhouse in a pretty courtyard on the quiet side of popular Kenwood Forest! Generous room sizes, hall/foyer entrance, main floor powder room, spacious living room, separate dining room with French doors to huge new deck, table size kitchen, large master bedroom and two additional bedrooms, two renovated full baths upstairs. Hardwoods though-out, full attic with pull down stairs for storage. Easy condo living - all exterior maintenance and groundskeeping covered in one low fee - leaving you your weekends to enjoy the new farmer's market and all the rest that downtown Bethesda has to offer just two blocks away. That means Metro too! WelcomeHome!
Click Here for a Virtual Tour
Estimated property taxes and non-tax charges in the first full fiscal year of ownership is:$5,957.93
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RECENTLY SOLD!
1909 Rhodes Street N #21, Arlington VA
Gorgeous extra large one bedroom in red hot Colonial Village! Bright renovated eat in kichent with new appliances, beautifully updated bath, new pergo & ceramic floors throughout, all new lighting. Unique floor plan larger than other 1brs, nice hall between bedroom and living room for privacy,extra closets & 2 expos, all windows 8 ft+ off grade facing lovely green space. Tons of storage, EZ parking, walk to Metro!
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RECENTLY SOLD!
2811 35th Street, NW Washington, DC
$995,000
Very rare opportunity to make the most of an original four square on one of the best blocks in DC. Have your buyer call the architect & builder then bring them all: huge rooms, beautiful front & enormous 2 story rear porches, great trim & details, 6 BR's on 3 finished levels, unfinished walk-out lower level, detached garage, great lot in the shadow of the Cathedral.
Please Click Here for the Virtual Tour
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RECENTLY SOLD!
4952 Sentinel Drive #8-105,
Bethesda MD
$349,000
Beautiful, bright two bedroom two full bath condo, nestled in nature right in the heart of Bethesda! The very generous floor plan features a spacious open foyer, separate, large living and dining rooms, an updated eat in kitchen!
Estimated property taxes and non-tax charges in the first full fiscal year of ownership is: $4,482.00
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Today's Rates |
- 30 year fixed rate 4.92%
- 15 year fixed rate 4.37%
- 5 year ARM 4.38%
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Event:
Veterans Day
Ceremony
Arlington National Cemetery wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009
Start Time: 11:00 a.m.
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