Think that the homebuyer tax credit will return?

Last week,  Shaun Donovan the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development avoided a question from CNN Reporter, Ed Henry.

Mr Donovan said,

“I think it’s too early to say after one month of numbers whether the tax credit will be revived or not. All I can tell you is that we are watching very carefully. I talked earlier about new tools that we will be launching in the coming weeks and we are going to be focused like a laser on where the housing market is moving going forward. And we’re going to do everything we can to make sure that this market stabilizes and recovers.”

The day after the CNN interview, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said,

“I don’t — while I have not seen, obviously, a final list, that is — I think bringing that [tax credit] back is not on — is not as high on the list as many other things are.”

It is up in the air as to if a Homebuyer Tax credit will return.  If you listed to the Director of HUD – maybe; if you listen to the White house – maybe not.  For now, it might be a good idea to not hold your breath.  If you are thinking about buying a property, consider that mortgage rates are at an ALL TIME low, and property affordability remains favorable.

Looking for inspiration and a taste of the patriotic?  Washington DC, the capitol of the United States, is the perfect city to visit and live, loaded with historic landmarks, open green spaces, and the hustle of a grand  city?  One of the most affordable tourist destinations, DC offers a subway transportation system (Metro) to see the most popular attractions; Washington Monument, White house, Museum of Natural History, historical homes and much more.  Entrance to the Smithsonian Institute museums is free.  The surrounding areas of Virginia and Maryland offer important civil war sites, Arlington Cemetery, Old Town Alexandria, Mount Vernon and the Chesapeake Bay.  The Greater Washington Metropolitan area sports a very dynamic economy that has weathered the economic downturn much better than any other comparable metropolitan areas in the country. Its schooling and universities are of high quality.  Come see democracy at work!!

Feel free to contact Dan & Traci to learn more about the Greater Washington Metropolitan area and all its advantages.

The Phillips Collection (21st and Q Street NW DC)  has a new special exhibit with artwork by Georgia O’Keefe.  The exhibit runs through May 9 according to their website at www.PhillipsCollection.org. I enjoyed seeing some examples of her art that was different from what you traditionally think of with her art.  There was also an interesting collection of photographs taken of her by her photographer husband.  This is an amazing museum if you haven’t visited it yet.  It is located only about a block from the Dupont Circle Metro Stop. in DC.  The most famous painting they have is “Luncheon of the Boating Party” by Renoir.  It is a huge collection of art housed in a series of former privately owned homes that have now been connected.  Dupont Circle is a great neighborhood to walk around in and experience all the shops, restaurants, galleries and 19th century homes.

We went to brunch at Kramerbooks & Afterwords, a Dupont Circle institution.  Does this place EVER not have a wait?  It is worth it though!  I had a delicious roasted pork Cubano sandwich.  While you are waiting browse their extensive book selection.  A great way to spend your next free Saturday afternoon.

We made our first trip to DC for Restaurant Week.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with Restaurant Week, it takes place every year for about a one to two week time period during traditional slow periods for restaurants.  I was able to search for available reservation times really easily through www.opentable.com.    We chose to go to Bistro Bis on Capitol Hill in DC.  It is a French restaurant owned by the same people that own Vidalia.   For $35.10 you get a 3 course meal including appetizer, entree and desert.  We were pleasantly surprised at the selection and quantity of food included.  Bistro Bis also had a special Restaurant Week wine list with very reasonably priced wines.  Our food was excellent and the atmosphere was really nice.  The restaurant was very busy – I have to assume busier than they would have been on a regular Thursday night in January.  After dinner we took a nice walk around the area -it’s always fun to check out the real estate in an area so close to the Nation’s Capitol.  There are some really beautiful old homes.

You can go to this website to get more info on Restaurant Week: http://washington.org/restaurantwk/.  Did you try out any new places for Restaurant Week?  Let us know.

A visit to the Washington Zoo is one of the most unforgettable experiences.  If your a parent visiting with children, your experience is a little different.  Depending on the age range of your children the animals you visit might be different and even how long you decide to stay at the zoo will differ.  You can entertain yourself from one hour to a whole day.  If you have babies, be advised that your children may find more entertainment with looking at a bird that the elephant doing tricks, and your older children may just get so excited and forget they are with you.

Being prepared with water, food and snacks- this is essential for a succesful trip for adults and children alike.  There are plenty of  food stands throughout the zoo, finding food won’t be an issue, if you don’t want to spend too much def consider bringing your own meals.  As you reach the monkey house BEWARE- the orangatans can climb from one side of the park to the other, they are also well educated in playing pranks and simply may dislike you….watch for any bombs in the air.  I can tell you that it was not pretty to watch as a bomb hit one of the visitors.