March 18th, 2010:
Fannie Mae: Recovery is Moving Forward
The decline in home sales in February was a disappointment to the housing industry, but Fannie Mae’s analysts say it is temporary and a sustainable turnaround is likely by the end of the year.
Fannie Mae Chief Economist Doug Duncan points to evidence that a recovery is on its way, including an increase in consumer spending, an improving service sector, and the likelihood that employers will begin hiring soon.
“More favorable financial conditions overall keep us optimistic that we are moving forward with the recovery, albeit at a lower trajectory than previously forecast,” Duncan said in a statement.
Source: Fannie Mae (03/17/2010)
The Differences between the Watergates
Watergate of Alexandria is very different from Watergate at Landmark
The original Watergate
Watergate is perhaps one of the most famous real estate names in North America. The original Watergate complex was built in Washington DC along the Potomac, sited in a location that made it ideal for members of Congress and Executive Branch staff. Watergate in DC is most famous for the burglary that occurred at the Democratic National Committee headquarters.
Ties to this break-in is what led to the downfall of Richard Nixon and what put the word “Watergate” in every newspaper in America, if not the world.
As the original Watergate was nearing completion, plans were made and land was purchased to build another Watergate in Old Town Alexandria. Old Town Alexandria had approved a sleek and modern complex known as the Alexandria House, so it was assumed that the Watergate of Alexandria would be welcomed by the city. However, the City of Alexandria balked at the modernization of Old Town, forever changing the trajectory of Old Town.
colonial elegance at the Watergate of Alexandria
The Watergate of Alexandria evolved into a condominium community that better fit with the surrounding neighborhood. The Watergate of Alexandria has architecture and a design style that echoes Old Town Alexandria. The condominiums here are townhouse style, sited around a courtyard and gardens as one my expect from a traditional Alexandria home.
Watergate of Alexandria is a far cry from the original Watergate concept. Watergate was not sleek and modern. There is no pool at the Watergate of Alexandria, and there are no tennis courts. But Watergate of Alexandria is a gem in its own right. It’s location in Old Town and the colonial /Federal style of architecture fits nicely with Old Town. Watergate of Alexandria is not far from the Braddock Road Metro Station.
After failing to get approval for the type of complex they were seeking in Old Town, the developers of Watergate then proceeded to build the Watergate at Landmark. Landmark is in West End Alexandria and thus, not really near the water at all. But Watergate at Landmark is truer to the original Watergate brand. Watergate at Landmark has a bevy of amenities including indoor and outdoor pools, racket ball courts, and much more. The community provides shuttle service to nearby Van Dorn Metro.
Watergate at Landmark
Watergate at Landmark is a large complex of 5 high-rises. Watergate at Landmark is a gated-community with 24 hour security. Homes here range from 1 bedroom to 3 bedroom condos. Each condo at Watergate at Landmark has a balcony. Watergate at Landmark has both surface and garage parking depending upon the unit.
As you can see, Watergate at Landmark and Watergate of Alexandria are very different from each other and in many ways they are both very different from the original Watergate apartments in Washington DC. Watergate of Landmark has become representative of some of the best condos that West End Alexandria has to offer. Watergate of Alexandria has melded into the community of Old Town Alexandria.
Homes for Sale at Watergate at Landmark
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(all data current as of
5/21/2012)
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$279,999 : 205 Yoakum Pkwy #525, Alexandria3 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths
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$235,000 : 203 Yoakum Pkwy #1619, Alexandria2 beds, 2 full baths
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$205,000 : 309 Yoakum Pkwy #1512, Alexandria1 bed, 2 full baths
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$187,500 : 307 Yoakum Pkwy #824, Alexandria1 bed, 1 full, 1 part baths
Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.
Homes for Sale at Watergate of Alexandria
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$579,000 : 400 Second St, Alexandria3 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths
Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.
photo credit: Mr. T in DC
Building a Rooftop Community Garden
Plastic wading pools, often used by children in the summer, make ideal sub-irrigated containers for a rooftop garden. Image: Lando and Associates, Landscape Architecture
You’ll savor more than fresh, sun-ripened produce when you convert your condo or apartment building roof to garden space. You’ll also enjoy growing relationships with your neighbors as you work together to raise food that can reduce the annual food budget for each family of four by $200 to $300.
Rooftop gardens usually are planted in containers. This type of garden permits design flexibility that’s ideal for a rooftop location. With start-up costs as little as $5 per sq. ft. when shared by five or six families, a rooftop community garden offers a good return on investment. You can achieve payback in three to four years.
Research zoning laws
Once your condo or apartment association is organized and ready to create a garden, the first step is to hire a structural engineer to draft a framing plan. The plan will indicate any specific structural issues that must be addressed, indicate if there are restrictions on the types of materials that may be used, and detail building codes that must be followed. Expect to pay $300 to $500 for an evaluation.
A rooftop garden must conform to local building codes for setbacks, space use, and maximum building height. Apartment buildings are considered public, and they’re often governed by country and municipal building codes. If your building is part of a historical neighborhood, you’ll face further regulations in developing a rooftop garden.
Because the roof space is considered public, you’ll have to incorporate plans for daily and emergency access, railings, parapet walls, and security. Cityscape gardens, with their support structures and potentially dry plant material, can create combustible areas that must be mitigated through site design.
Address this issue by consulting professionals, such as a landscape architect, local fire department, and the building architect. Potting benches, gazebos, or benches may also require adherence to city codes as they relate to placement, height, and flammability.
Consider water and power
Determine how you’ll supply water to the rooftop garden. Some rooftop gardeners add water faucets; some run hoses from the nearest interior faucet to the garden area. If you’re using municipal water, the garden water source will need a meter so use can be tracked and billed to your garden group. Cost to install a new faucet and dedicated meter is about $2,800.
In some situations, you may be able to avoid city water charges by diverting the existing gutter system so that it delivers rain runoff to a rooftop rain barrel. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, a single rain barrel will save about 1,300 gallons of water during the peak summer months—more than enough to water several family garden plots. Be sure to get permission from the building’s owner before installing diverting gutters to a rain barrel.
You’ll need an electrical power source during construction and also for night lighting if you plan to add that. It’s also helpful to have a secure storage area for shared garden tools—purchase a lockable, all-weather vinyl shed for $500 to $800 at a home improvement center.
Choose plot size, containers, and crops
In a traditional on-the-ground community garden, families typically tend plots that range in size from 50 sq. ft. to over 200 sq. ft. Although you’ll be using individual containers, about 200 sq. ft. of garden space will adequately provide vegetables and herbs for a family of four.
You can grow edible plants in almost any container that’s strong, waterproof, and has holes for drainage. Because your container will drain directly onto the roofing surface, you won’t have to worry about excess water or spillage. You may want to support containers on pieces of pressure-treated wood or lattice to ensure that drainage holes won’t clog.
Rooftop gardens are exposed to wind and plenty of sun, which can dry out soils quickly. For this reason, it’s important to cover soils with a heavy layer of mulch. Avoid using unglazed terra-cotta pots in your rooftop garden; the pottery dries out too quickly for raising vegetables.
The deeper the container, the more room roots have to grow. More roots mean a greater harvest. Use a container at least 10 inches deep for larger plants, such as tomato, melon, and eggplant. Eight-inch-deep containers host peppers, peas, herbs, and carrots. Plant shallow-rooted spinach, lettuce, beets, onions, and herbs in 6-inch-deep containers.
Sub-irrigated containers
Because plants grown in containers require special attention when it comes to watering and protecting them from excessive soil evaporation, sub-irrigated containers are good systems for the rooftop gardener. A sub-irrigated container can double the yields of traditional gardens with less fertilizer, less water, and less effort.
These types of containers suspend the growing medium—the soil—over a reservoir of water. The water is drawn into the soil by capillary action as needed by the plant. Sub-irrigated containers are virtually impossible to overwater. In addition, they greatly reduce the amount of time devoted to watering plants. Some units include wheels, making them easy to rearrange.
You can purchase sub-irrigation growing containers from online sources, such as Gardener’s Supply Company (look for self-watering planters) and Earthbox. Expect to pay for $50 to $110 per container. Approximately 30 containers will feed a family of four for the growing season.
Wading pool planters
You can make your own sub-irrigated container from a child’s plastic wading pool. A pool 6 to 8 feet in diameter and 12 inches deep is ideal for growing most vegetables and herbs.
Drill ½-inch holes every 12 to 18 inches around the circumference of the pool, about 3 inches up from the bottom. The holes provide drainage, yet allow a reservoir of water to stay in the bottom of the pool. This excess water can wick up through the soil as needed by plants, reducing the need for daily watering.
Pools cost about $10, and the soil and fertilizer to fill one costs an additional $20. Seven 6-foot-diameter pools create about 200 sq. ft. of garden space—enough for a family of four.
Set up the garden
Schedule all your community garden participants for a working weekend to assemble and fill containers. The hard work involves hauling soil and fertilizer to the roof using a building elevator or bucket brigade.
A more expensive (but much quicker and less back-breaking) way is to rent a crane with a lift bucket. Prices vary with location, building height, and degree of difficulty for the crane to maneuver into position, but expect to pay $300 to $750 per hour, including transit time. The method you use must be approved by the building owner and comply with city codes.
Once containers are full, you’re ready to plant seeds or seedlings. Water after planting. Stand back, and watch your garden grow.
Julie Martens is a writer with 21 years’ experience in the field of gardening. Her bylines appear in magazines such as Nature’s Garden, Country Gardens, and Garden Ideas & Outdoor Living. She recently moved into a renovated 1915 home and is busily working on a new garden.
Prices are up but number of sales are down
We’ve prepared a couple of reports about the number of real estate sales in Arlington and in Alexandria, as well as median sales price of homes in Alexandria and Arlington. The findings are quite interesting.
In both Alexandria and Arlington the number of homes sold has dropped. In Alexandria the difference between this time last year and now is greater than same delta in Arlington, but Alexandria was in a healthier position than Arlington this time last year. Interestingly, at the time as the number of sales has declined the price of homes that are selling in both Arlington and Alexandria has increased. This to me is an indicator of a market in transition. Sellers have put a stop the decline, and some buyers have gone to the sidelines waiting for further price drops—price drops that might never come.
Looking at the data, and the action we’re seeing on the street, I actually believe the bottom of the market is just behind us. Those who are waiting for further price reductions will be disappointed, and would be better served by acting now.
Will Nesbitt is the principal broker of Condo Alexandria.
Will Nesbitt
Victorian architecture
Victorian style architecture
Victorian architecture dates from the second half of the 19th century, when America was exploring new approaches to building and design.
Advancements in machine technology meant that Victorian-era builders could easily incorporate mass-produced ornamentation such as brackets, spindles, and patterned shingles. The last true Victorians were constructed in the early 1900s, but contemporary builders often borrow Victorian ideas, designing eclectic “neo-Victorians.” These homes combine modern materials with 19th century details, such as curved towers and spindled porches. A number of Victorian styles are recreated on the fanciful “Main Street” at Disney theme parks in Florida, California, and Europe.
Example of a Victorian Home
