Lise Howe, Assoc. Broker and Attorney Licensed in DC, MD, VA,Coldwell Banker

I just came back this evening from a fundraiser for cystic fibrosis. My daughter has cystic fibrosis, and I have tried to raise money for research to find a cure for this deadly genetic disease because of its impact on my family. However, until tonight, it really was a "condition" that "affected" my daughter, but didn't really "touch" my family because she is still very healthy. We are truly blessed in her good health.

However, tonight at the fundraiser I met two mothers with children with CF - one mother has a son who is 25 and very frequently seriously ill as a result, and the other, a young mother in a panic because her two children both have CF. Then, I met a mother whose 15 year old daughter died two years ago from CF. This mother spoke eloquently and painfully of never having the chance to teach her daughter to drive, never having the time to buy her a prom dress, never having the chance to see her dance at her wedding, and never having another chance to hold her and love her and kiss her goodnight. I have a 15 year old who is learning to drive. I have a 15 year old who wants to go shopping. I love my 15 year old and I love to kiss her goodnight.

There are thousands of worthy causes in the world. There are causes to save children, to rescue whales, to foster lost Shar-peis and bring rabbits or bee hives to farmers in Sri-Lanka. There are people working for world peace, to bring education to young girls in Afghanistan, and to slow global warming. EACH cause is valid. EACH cause needs your help. BUT.... You can only save one piece of the world. Pick that one piece that you care about and try to save it. Lend your voice to that one cause and make a difference.

Each of those causes, children in need, homeless puppies, AIDS patients, polar bears on a melting ice floe, and tsunami victims, needs your help. You can't save them all, but you can save one. What are you going to work for? Who are you going to try to save? You are so blessed living in this country, enjoying the freedoms that we do, and having the career that we all love. Pick something and give back.

ACTIVE RAIN HAS SO MANY VOICES AND SO MANY PEOPLE. CAN"T WE PUT OUR VOICES TOGETHER AND CREATE A CHORUS? A RAINBOW OF GOOD WILL AND HOPE? We don't have to agree on the cause - just go out individually and make the effort for something that matters to you. No approval needed - no commitment - no promises. Just the effort and the change.

Think of it as "Paying it Forward."

Dear First Time Homebuyer,

It is a great time to buy a first home. The government is willing to give you a first time homebuyer credit of up to $8000. Interest rates are low, inventory is good in some regions, and sellers are ready to negotiate. So how do you make a good financial decision that will keep you out of future disaster?

As the one-year anniversary arrives of our near financial collapse, maybe it is time to re-evaluate the "rule" that you should always stretch financially when buying your first home. Remember, you want to own that first home for a while, rather than finding yourself in financial hot water.

Put 20 percent down, so you have less of a chance of owing more than your home is worth if prices fall again. Get a fixed-rate mortgage, so the biggest part of your monthly housing bill remains stable.

If you want to be conservative, don't spend more than about 35 percent of your pretax income on mortgage, property tax and home insurance payments. The Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines will only let your total debt (including student and other loans) hit 45 percent of your pretax income, but no more.

If you take an adjustable-rate loan, remember that the banks may not be concerned with whether you'll be able to afford the maximum possible payment when the interest rate adjusts in five or seven years. So you should be worried about it. Remember, if you are responsible enough to buy a home, you have to be responsible for looking out for your financial future.

CONSIDER YOUR INCOME The best case for stretching for a first house is that first-time home buyers in their 20s and 30s will probably see their incomes grow more quickly than older people buying their second or third home.

However, this argument is good only as long as you continue to work. But if you're buying your first home before you have children, regardless of gender, you may feel quite differently about work once you become a parent. And if you do, you may a little financial flexibility to stay home for a few months or years.

Don't think you want children? What if you are unemployed? or you need to make a career change because your industry is dying? or you experience a midlife crisis and want to change careers.

Model out your budget, including any proposed mortgage, three ways - with both spouses working full time, one working part time and one staying at home for a few years. Imagine or even practice living on one income, to see if it's truly realistic. Be realistic with your expenses. Include the expenses that go along with maintaining that dream home.

Now that you are feeling financially responsible, what should you do to make a wise decision?

BUY BEST (OR CHEAPEST) Michael Kalscheur, a financial planner with Castle Wealth Advisors in Indianapolis, suggests buying the dream house you covet (if you can afford it) OR an inexpensive starter house but not anything in the middle. "If people have their heart set on something, inevitably, if they can't afford what they really want, they buy the next best thing," he said. "That's absolutely the worst thing you can do. Not only do you not get what you want, but it sucks you dry."

Why? Well, if you buy that starter house instead of the mid-level home, you can save the extra money that would have gone toward paying for the higher mortgage payments on that house you didn't really want anyway. In a few years, you will be able to buy the house that you really wanted.

Another great idea - EXTEND THE HOUSE You don't ever have to move from that first home. Moving is expensive and the transactional costs are even worse.

Buy the neighborhood rather than the house. If you can find a starter house in a good neighborhood, or the best neighborhood you can afford, then you can can upgrade the house periodically when your income is stable and your savings or available credit make it possible.

Extending the time that you stay in a home and and the physical boundaries of the home itself may make more sense than stretching for each successive mortgage in a series of two or more houses.

THE EIGHT-HOUR RULE - Whatever the size of your mortgage, you have to be able to sleep soundly at night. So if that loan amount has you reaching for the Ambien, it's a pretty good sign that the loan is a bit of a reach too. Better take a pass.

Final rule - GET A REALTOR THAT YOU TRUST. My rule with first time homebuyers is that I imagine I have to resell your home in five to seven years because you have moved along in your career or there have been other positive changes in your life. I would never let you buy a house that I couldn't sell easily again in the future for you. I will never let you buy a house that doesn't make financial sense for you. I believe that this is always about your best interests.

Please give me a call if you want more help with finding a perfect first home.

Sincerely,

Lise Howe

240-401-5577

lise@lisehowe.com

Florida Avenue Grill Celebrates 65th Anniversary this Saturday

The owner of DC's famed Florida Avenue Grill will host a 65th Anniversary celebration this Saturday, October 3rd, from 10am to 4pm. The event, honoring one of the city's oldest African-American establishments, will serve up southern food and music to the public to show its appreciation. The Grill, a must-visit site for DC's politicians and celebrities, is located just off U Street at Florida and 11th St., NW. The event is open to the public.

The Florida Avenue Grill is no ordinary greasy spoon. It's been paying homage to diner food, Southern style, since 1944. Although lunch and dinner are served, if you want a real treat, come for breakfast. And know right off the bat that this is no place to bring your diet.

WHERE: 1100 Florida Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20009 202-265-1586

Neighborhood: U Street/Cardozo

Metro: U Street/African-American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo (Green Line)

Cuisines: Southern/Soul, Diner

Still hungry? Be sure to check out the Taste of Bethesda - which runs from 11 to 4 on October 3.

When you are finished feasting in Bethesda, be sure to give Lise Howe a call and you can check out some houses near by! A little walk and some real estate shopping will certainly provide a way to walk off some of the delicious food you just ate.

Trust Harvard to be at the cutting edge! There is an underground revolution spreading across Harvard University this fall. It's occurring under the soil and involves fungi, bacteria, microbes and roots, which are now fed with compost and compost tea rather than pesticides and synthetic nitrogen.

The results have so astounded university administrators that what started as a one-acre pilot project in Harvard Yard has spread organic practices through 25 acres on the campus.

Harvard's president, Drew Gilpin Faust, started a university effort to reduce greenhouse gases by 30 percent by 2016, by instituting the organic program at Elmwood, the president's house on Brattle Street. "The lumps of soil showed how grass grew when treated with chemical fertilizers and how it looked when treated organically," she said. "You could really see the root systems and how different they were."

Composting

Compost is the aerobically decomposed remnants of plants and food created through the management of heat, moisture, and aeration. The result is a nutrient-rich environment for beneficial bacteria, fungi, and protozoa that can be applied directly to the soils. These microorganisms control pests (pathogenic organisms) and aerate the soil, providing the opportunity for extended root development. At Harvard, all herbaceous and woody materials - along with a growing portion of food waste from dining halls and cafeterias - are collected for composting. When composting, emphasis should focus on the creation of a high quality end product and not just a way to get rid unwanted waste. These are precious resources that when handled properly will yield extremely valuable results.

At Harvard, we are creating the following three basic types of composts, each used to address particular needs within our landscape systems:

Bacterial Mix compost are more dominant in bacterial feedstocks (hay weeds, coffee grounds, herbaceous material). Common plants that prefer bacterial soils (grasses, annuals, perennials, and vegetables)

Fungal Mix compost are dominant in fungal feedstocks (dry leaves, sawdust, wood chips, shredded newspaper). Common plants that prefer fungal soils (trees and shrubs)

Vermicompost is the product of some species of earthworms as they breakdown organic matter. Most of our vermicompost is used as a solid in planters, but is also an ingredient in many of our compost tea recipes. This compost is typically the highest in available nutrients.

Composting must be done carefully and systematically. Here are the keys to successful composting.

1. Temperature: for best results, temperatures within the entire compost pile must stay between 130-160 degrees F for approximately two weeks. Maintaining this temperature range is critical; warm enough to kill off weed seeds and pathogens yet still allowing for cultivation of beneficial organisms.
2. Aeration: during the two weeks when temperatures of at least 130 degrees F are required, turn the pile 2-3 times per week to allow air to infiltrate. This step is essential for maintaining proper temperatures and encouraging the development of beneficial soil organisms to breakdown organic material.
3. Moisture: too much or too little moisture will negatively impact the quality of the compost. A moisture rate of 35% to 45% is optimum. To determine this, grab a handful of compost from the center of the pile and squeeze it. The material should be moist to the touch but not drip. Too dry: add water and mix thoroughly. Too wet: turn more frequently and cover to protect from rain.

The following are two basic compost recipes:

Grasses, Annual, Perennials, and Vegetables

Bacterial Mix - Feedstock Ingredients

45% Bacterial: hay, weeds, coffee grounds, herbaceous material

30% Fungal: dry leaves, sawdust, wood chips, shredded newspaper

25% Nitrogen: grass clippings, vegetable waste, legumes, manure

Trees and Shrubs

Fungal Mix - Feedstock Ingredients

45% Fungal: dry leaves, sawdust, wood chips, shredded newspaper

30% Bacterial: hay, weeds, coffee grounds, herbaceous material

25% Nitrogen: grass clippings, vegetable waste, legumes, manure

Important: To select the proper compost, identify the types of plants within your landscape. In general, turf, grasses, and perennials require higher bacterial populations, while more complex landscapes with trees and shrubs benefit from higher fungal populations.

Compost Teas are a specific liquid biological amendment made by coaxing the beneficial organisms from the compost and depositing them into an aerated water solution with various food sources. The advantage of the tea is that recipes can be developed and fine tuned to target specific conditions and plant needs. Careful application of compost teas can speed up the process of balancing the soil biology... but achieving the proper mix requires time and testing. Remember, that the better the compost, the more effective the tea!

The following are some additional considerations for Compost Tea:

• During the brewing process bacterial populations, on average, double every half hour.
• Applications are particularly favorable for trees and lawns which require the beneficial organisms but not necessarily a high percentage of organic matter.

Woodley Park Towers is an exquisite condo building in Washington, DC, just steps from the National Zoo. Built as an apartment building in 1929 by Louis T. Rouleau, Sr., the building was converted to condominiums in 1973.

The Woodley Park Towers is built of tan brick, with a moderated Art Deco geometric detailing. The building occupies land between Connecticut Avenue and Devonshire Place, with a Devonshire Place mailing address. There is extensive landscaping in front of the building and in the rear, and a graceful semicircular driveway in front, running under the stylish marquee overhang at the front of the building.

When Woodley Park Towers initially opened in 1930, the first floor included a 100 seat public restaurant, a common feature in the upscale apartment buildings constructed along Connecticut Avenue. Unfortunately, the restaurant closed in early 1931 because it had a miserable location (far away from Connecticut Ave.) and was prohibited from advertising by the local zoning laws.

Famous residents of the Woodley Park Towers included Lyndon Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird. Harry Truman used to visit and play poker at the buiding. Definately you should check it out. Just give Lise Howe a call at 240-401-5577!