Entries by John Freeland

Updated: After Zoning Changes for New Accessory Dwelling Law, Council Focusing on Legal Amendments

September 18, 2019 in /by

Written by Kate Masters posted September 16th, 2019 on www.bethesdamagazine.com The latest changes would require quarterly reports to monitor effect A backyard cottage accessory dwelling unit in Winchester, Va. IMAGE VIA FLICKR: BEYONDDC (CC BY-SC 2.0) This story and headline were updated at 6:10 p.m. Sept. 16, 2019, to clarify that the County Council is […]

D.C. puts up 51-star American flags on Pennsylvania Avenue NW

September 17, 2019 in /by

By Andrew Giambrone posted September 16th, 2019 on dc.curbed.com The move comes days before a scheduled congressional hearing on D.C. statehood A 51-star American flag outside the Wilson Building, the seat of the District government D.C. Council Workers have installed scores of American flags in view of the U.S. Capitol, on Pennsylvania Avenue NW. What makes these flags […]

18 great spots for admiring fall foliage in D.C.

September 16, 2019 in /by

By Valerie Paschall and Michelle Goldchain posted Sep 13, 2019 on dc.curbed.com Fall is coming. That means fall foliage is on the way, and the District’s tree canopy is about to turn orange, yellow, red, and brown. For autumn appreciators, here are 18 places in the city where you can enjoy such arboreal transformations this season. 1. Politics & Prose Bookstore […]

City kicks off $1.9M road safety project in Takoma

September 16, 2019 in /by

By Andrew Giambrone posted Sep 13, 2019 on dc.curbed.com A bike lane and new crosswalks are slated for a highly trafficked intersection Shutterstock D.C. officials including Mayor Muriel Bowser and District Department of Transportation (DDOT) head Jeff Marootian on Friday launched $1.9 million worth of traffic safety work focused on a bustling, crash-prone intersection in Takoma. Expected to last […]

D.C. area planning council sets ‘at least’ 320K new homes as 2030 development goal

September 12, 2019 in /by

By Andrew Giambrone posted September 11th, 2019 on dc.curbed.com D.C. viewed from above Getty Images/iStockphoto Regional leaders on Wednesday passed a non-binding resolution calling for the development of “at least” 320,000 new housing units in the D.C. metro area by 2030, or about 30 percent more than planning experts anticipate will be built at the current rate of […]

Air conditioning could become mandatory in Montgomery Co. rental units

September 12, 2019 in /by

By Melissa Howell posted September 11th, 2019 on www.wtop.com Landlords in Montgomery County, Maryland, aren’t required to provide air conditioning for tenants — but that may soon change. Bill 24-19, proposed by Councilman Tom Hucker, would require landlords to provide and maintain air conditioning at least 80 degrees between May 1 and Sept. 30. “Access […]

7 Common HOA Rule Violations—and How to Avoid Getting Fined

September 10, 2019 in /by

By Ana Durrani posted Sep 9, 2019 on www.realtor.com FluxFactory/iStock Living in a community managed by a homeowners association (HOA) means that you’re obligated to follow certain rules and regulations. Depending upon your HOA, these rules can be very particular—so particular that you may not even know you’re doing something wrong! And if you disobey your community’s covenants, conditions, and restrictions […]

Home Prices Are Finally Going Down, Instead of Up: Why That’s Bad News

September 10, 2019 in /by

By Clare Trapasso posted Sep 10, 2019 on www.realtor.com mphillips007/iStock Typically, home prices surge over the summer months. Buyers don’t mind schlepping to open houses when the weather is warm and they don’t have to slog through snow, and families are motivated to move before the kids start school. This year, with very low mortgage interest rates, […]

Stop Making Excuses! Busting the Most Common Reasons for Not Buying a Home

September 4, 2019 in /by

By Terri Williams posted Sep 4, 2019 on realtor.com Orla/iStock Owning a home means you can build equity, take advantage of tax deductions, and partake in a little something called the American dream. For the past couple of years, the U.S. homeownership rate has hovered around 64%. But there’s also a considerably large pool of renters in the country […]

Unconventional Mortgages Attract Warning From Regulator

September 4, 2019 in /by

By Lalita Clozel posted Sep 2, 2019 on realtor.com LightFieldStudios/iStock WASHINGTON—A type of unconventional mortgage that focuses on a borrower’s assets to vet repayment ability has drawn a warning from regulators for banks to maintain tight underwriting standards. Asset-depletion loans, also known as asset-dissipation loans, are part of a small but growing subset of the mortgage market […]