Andrew Kohn

Interesting to see the comparisons.

http://www.metrodcliving.com/2009/05/2009-residential-property-taxes-dc-and-nva.html

I find this information really interesting! I learned early you can get a house for lower than you rent! We moved into a house and the mortgage is about $2000 when we were paying about $2700 in combined rent.

http://www.metrodcliving.com/2009/05/q1-2009-mris-dc-region-trends-in-housing-ave-price-dips-22.html

"MRIS recently released its first quarter housing trends report for Washington's DC region. Listen to some of the talking points from Sandy Paul, National Research Director of Delta Associates in the video below. Some of the things he said..."

Another Forbes list - but they're always fun to read...

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/housingcomplex/2009/05/05/the-washington-dc-areas-best-towns-to-live-well-in/

"Quite a few D.C. area suburbs made Forbes’ “Top 25 Towns to Live Well.”The rankings were compiled by ZoomProspector.com, a San Fran-based firm which specializes in business relocation. The group examined “the number of museums, parks, bars and restaurants, and cultural institutions per capita” as well as “factors indicative of a favorable business environment. These include patents, venture capital funding, sole-proprietorships, start-ups and small businesses per capita.” Here are the local favorites:"

Columbia Heights tops the list - does this mean more people are living there? shopping there? eating there? It could mean all these things!

http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=2258

""Greatest passenger growth and declines: The following stations had the "fastest passenger growth" as of February 2009. (The answer isn't clear on whether this is year over year or something else.) The numbers reflect percentage change and absolute growth numbers.

Growth:

1. Columbia Heights, 25.8% (11,325)
   
2. Eisenhower Avenue, 17.9% (2,292)
   
3. NY Ave/Fla Ave/Gallaudet, 16.6% (4,024)
   
4. Smithsonian, 15.8% (9,297)
   
5. U Street/AACWM/Cardozo, 14.2% (718) (This can't be correct. I've emailed Metro to verify.)"

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/housingcomplex/2009/05/04/u-street-area-school-redevelopment-slipping-away/

"In late March, developers submitted proposals for 11 school sites up for reconstruction. Some of these schools were recently vacated, others…not so much.

Grimke Elementary School falls into the later category. It’s on Vermont Ave., within spitting distance from U Street and the U Street Cardozo Metro station entrance. Currently, it serves as home to the fire and corrections departments’ headquarters. But both offices were slated to move to the Patricia Roberts Harris Educational Center on Livingston Road in Southeast..."