District of Columbia

I've just finished reading Michele Lerner's "Homebuying - Tough Times, First Time, Any Time - Smart Ways to Make a Sound Investment" and can recommend it as a good resource for agents working with first time homebuyers and first time homebuyers.

Lerner is a writer for the real estate section of "The Washington Times" (not my favorite newspaper, but it has a great real estate section). She came to my office to talk about the book (because Lerner bought her current home from one of the agents in my office) and sold out of the 50 books she brought to sell us. I think that's a pretty good recommendation for her knowledge and the information in the book. She's local, so she knows local customs, but the book does not have a local focus and would be good for buyers and agents across the country. (In fact, if I have any quibble it's that she doesn't quote local agents in the book.)

Each chapter begins with a story and ends with a checklist. The chapters deal with the current market, whether a buyer is ready to buy, financing, lease-to-own agreements, finding the right Realtor, choosing the right neighborhood, choosing the right house, short sales & foreclosures, contract & contingencies, insurance issues, legal and tax issues, and what to expect at the settlement table. There's also an appendix with a state-by-state and Canadian programs for first time homebuyers.

I might have organized the book a bit differently. For instance, lease options and writing a contract each get a chapter. I would have given more attention to the contract issues. But Lerner is very pro using a Realtor, so I guess it's my job to fill in the holes in the contract chapter.

The book is currently for sale on Amazon for under $11. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_1_10?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=homebuying+tough+times+first+time+any+time&sprefix=homebuying

Since the first time homebuyer tax credit has been extended through April of 2010, this would be a good resource for those people who have been cautious about buying and want to do their homework.

President Obama is expected to sign the revised home buyer credit some time tomorrow. And, at the risk of looking a gift horse in the mouth, I'm not sure how I really feel about the whole thing.

With the increased income caps of $125,000 ($225,000 for married couples), more people in the DC area will be able to take advantage of it. But think about it a minute. Is the idea to help first time buyers? Or is it to help sellers? And who are the sellers? A lot of them are banks selling foreclosed properties.

Um. Is this one more bank subsidy?

The subsidy is providing an incentive for buyers to go into the market. With more buyers in the market, home prices are increasing in some areas, and here in Washington, we are starting to see multiple offers in the double digits for well-priced homes. So the buyer's tax credit may be offset by higher home prices, at least at the lower end of the price spectrum.

I have to keep in mind that the lower end of our price range in Upper Northwest DC is upper brackets in other parts of the area. Many neighborhoods east of Rock Creek Park and in other quadrants will benefit. And the credit will likely benefit condo sellers.

While this isn't a bad thing for sellers and the buyers who will get the tax credit, remember that a tax credit is $8,000 per transaction being subtracted from the plus side of the

national budget, which is already bursting at the seams.

In the meantime, I will try to do my part to make hay while the credit is in effect. Hopefully, the credit will benefit Realtors® around the country, and we will pay more in income taxes, unless of course, we make less than the income cap and buy a place.

This mural is on the side of my favorite bookstore, Politics and Prose on Connecticut Avenue. They have a large collection of both fiction and non-fiction, as well as great historical stuff about Washington, DC's rich history.

© 2009 Patricia Kennedy. Unless otherwise noted, the content, both written and in pictures, is the property of Patricia Kennedy . If you would like to use this image, please email me (housepat@mac.com) with your request. I'll almost certianly say yes, and ask only that you provide a link back to my original content as well as an acknowledgment. The same thing applies to any other material you see posted here on Active Rain or on any of my other blogs.

I first freaked out when I found out that Willie the Labradoodle's premium dog food was made by the same company in China whose canned pet food was tainted and killing family pets. Then A couple of weeks ago, Katerina Gasset wrote a post about Chinese drywall that got me to thinking. Why do we buy their stuff? Well, for one thing, it's pretty hard to avoid, whether you're shopping in Target, Whole Foods or Bloomingdales.

So this year, I am looking for shopping venues where I can find Christmas gifts that were made, well, not in China.

I'm starting off at my friend, Annie Groer's, holiday sale. She is clearing out a bunch of stuff. And a lot of it is pretty amazing.

Need some high quality designer costume jewelry? This is a great place to start. I walked out with some Chanel earrings on my lobes. But wait! This is supposed to be Christmas shopping for the people I love - not accumulating more stuff for me!

And if you're into poodles, there are some of those. But no Labradoodles. Oh well!

If you are in the market for pins or earrings with this little beast, there is a lot to choose from.

If you're shopping for your guy, there are some great cuff links,at least if he has any shirts that need cuff links.

Moving on from jewelry -

There are also fashion items that might fit someone smaller than I am. Especially in the feet department.

And for that person who has everything? The item to the left is probably not something they already own.

Nor this highly sophisticated collector's item - a set of rare vases!

How about some JFK memorabilia for your favorite political junkie?

Now, I am just scratching the surface here. Items include an alligator, mink jacket, some amazing articles of clothing, and much more.

To view these items, you need an appointment. Please email me at housepat@mac.com, and I will help you set one up. Now I'm off to check out a cute place in Georgetown! More later.

The city of Washington DC lost a famous man last month, when Ben Ali, the 82 year old founder of Ben's Chili Bowl at 1231 U Street, NW died on October 7. Ben's Chili Bowl has been feeding hungry Washingtonians chili, half smokes and fries since 1958. The sweet potato pie and red velvet cake are not to be missed! However, Ben's Chili Bowl is more significant than just as a chili joint. It is a significant part of the history of Washington in the second half of the 20th century.

Ben's Chili Bowl is located in an old building with high-arched ceilings, character, and plenty of history. Built in 1910, it first housed a silent movie house called the Minnehaha Theater. Later, Harry Beckley, one of D.C.'s first Black police detectives, converted it into a pool hall. It became Ben's Chili Bowl in 1958. It was an exciting time on the U Street corridor, which was then known as "Black Broadway." Top performers could be found playing sets in clubs along the corridor, as well as eating and just "hanging out" at Ben's.

It was not uncommon to see such stars as Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Bessie Smith, Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway, Nat King Cole, Redd Foxx, Dick Gregory, Martin Luther King Jr., or Bill Cosby at "The Bowl." Since Ben's is right next to the Lincoln Theater, it has always been a great late night spot to catch a snack, and the stars performing there were happy to stop by Ben's too.

In 1968, following the assassination of Martin Luther King the area around the U Street corridor erupted in riots. Although the whole city seemed closed down, Ben's remained open. Stokely Carmichael of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), which was located across the street, obtained special police permission to allow Ben's to stay open after curfew to provide food and shelter for activists, firefighters and public servants desperately trying to restore order. After the riots, the area was in shambles.

Still, Ben's continued to serve an eclectic crowd of regulars throughout the 1970s. A high point had to be the press conference that Bill Cosby held at Ben's in September of 1985, to celebrate his number one rated show, thrusting Ben's into the national limelight. Not bad for a chili joint!

With publicity like this business started to improved but then in 1987, five years of construction began on Metro's Green Line. U Street in front of Ben's became a 60-foot hole in the ground. Even though it was almost impossible to reach the restaurant, Ben's decided to stay open with only two employees serving Metro workers and faithful regulars each day.

Ben's has received a diverse set of well deserved honors. Councilmember Jim Graham named the alley adjacent to Ben's 'Ben Ali Way;' Ben and Virginia were inducted into the D.C. Hall of Fame (May 2001); and in 2004, Ben's won the prestigious Gallo of Sonoma 'America's Classics' Restaurant Award from the James Beard Foundation.

Ben's Chili Bowl has been featured on CNN , Oprah, Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations, CBS Sunday Morning, Good Morning America, PBS, the Food Network, the Today Show, the Travel Channel, and stories in Washingtonian, Gourmet, Southern Living, The Washington Post, and The New York Times and Ben's is now recognized world-wide as a "must go" place to eat when visiting Washington. Sure enough, President Obama made a stop at Ben's to try the hot dogs and chili fries.

U Street is flourishing now as a wonderful neighborhood of upscale condos and lovely Victorian townhouses, and Ben's is a famous and important component of the Washington DC. If you would like more information about DC homes, just give Lise Howe a call at 240-401-5577. She will be glad to help you!