Pat Kennedy - Your Washington, DC Real Estate Connection

When I moved to Washington to harass airlines for Ralph Nader, my first home was in Adams Morgan in what is now the Valley Vista condominium.  Back then,it was a building with rent controlled apartments that even I could afford on a non-profit salary.  As with much of the rental housing in the neighborhood, it went condo.

My 1-bedroom apartment was gigantic compared to my New York City brownstone - I had 835 square feet of space, compared to about 300 in New York.  In Washington, I also got an amazing top-floor view of Rock Creek Park and the National Cathedral. 

And while I no longer live in Adams Morgan, I do go there often - and not just to show houses and condominiums.  The neighborhood has my favorite restaurants and grocery stores. 

Every time there is an uprising in a far corner of the world, some of the affected people immigrate to DC and open a fabulous restaurant.  Then there are places like Millie and Al's, a pizza and beer place that was a hang out for the kids who worked in various Democratic administrations.  Somehow, I think the kids in the Bush administration have opted for something a little less seedy.  Millie and Al are probably rooting for Obama so the crowds will return.

There are the funky little book stores, gift and clothing shops.  You can find high end bicycles, political buttons, little Washington Monuments and White houses in glass with snow, incense, all kinds of T-shirts, and exotic home decor.

September 14th is a great day to visit Adams Morgan - it's the day of the annual neighborhood festival where they block off two blocks for a street fair with great food, music and crafts.

DuPont Circle is an historic neighborhood just inside the “Old City”, that part of Washington included in Pierre L’Enfant’s original plan for the capital.  It was a popular place for the late 19th century captains of industry to build mansions for their families, although all too many of these lovely historic residences have fallen to the wrecking ball. 

Today, there are many Victorian bay front town homes on the side streets, and a few of the original mansions remain as clubs and embassies.  At 15 DuPont Circle, The Washington Club occupies the only remaining  original mansion on the Circle.

After World War II, the neighborhood lost its chic.  When I first moved to Washington in the early 70’s, DuPont Circle had a really high funk factor, and was the neighborhood of choice for gutsy urban pioneers and the local Bohemians.  (In the 1970's, my sister, Joan, even wrote a folk song about some urban pioneers whose house was for sale, and they were bribing a wino to leave their stoop during the Open House and go over to the next block.)   By the time I got my real estate license, it was still a little dicey, with run down mansions being purchased by people who wanted to restore them to their original glory days. 

Now, DuPont Circle has reclaimed its luster and is a favorite neighborhood for people who want to be close to downtown where the action is.  It is an historic district with a combination of restored townhouses, condominiums and rental apartments.  And once again, the neighborhood is chic and trendy.

It’s an easy walk to downtown offices and a healthy walk to the White House and Old Executive Office Building.   And along Connecticut Avenue, 17th and 18th Streets, there are lots of great restaurants and some interesting shps.  The Metro station, which is about 200 feet below the Circle, makes the neighborhood an easy commute to many downtown offices, National Airport, Union Station and other parts of the area.

I guess back in old days, before the Congressional Medal of Honor, if you served with great distinction, you got a traffic circle!    DuPont Circle had it’s name changed from Pacific Circle to honor Rear Admiral Samuel Francis DuPoint, who served in the Civil War and was the superintendent of the US Naval Academy.

If you were a rich guy who moved to Washington in 1909 to serve in William Howard Taft’s cabinet, you’d need a really fabulous house.  And the coolest new subdivision of that time was up the hill from Dupont Circle, called Kalorama -  from Greek meaning “beautiful view”.

Some of the mansions built by those turn of the last century moguls are still among the finest residences in the District.  This neighborhood is full of Washington’s finest homes and embassies, including the amazing French Embassy on Kalorama Road.

So if you are invited to serve in an Obama or McCain administration, you will be able to find a home in Kalorama with great entertaining space – some even have ballrooms!

One of the really fun things about being a Washington real estate broker is getting to see so many o these homes – and sometimes listing or selling one of them. 

When President Woodrow Wilson left office, he and his wife Edith purchased and renovated a beautiful town house that now serves as his Presidential library.

One of my favorites is a lovely place called “The Lindens”.  In the 1930’s, it was transported to Washington from Danvers, Massachusetts.  This historic 1754 home was taken apart and shipped here in six box cars, with each piece labeled and numbered, and it was put back together again!  It was extensively renstored during the 1980's, while keeping the original details in tact.

Another neighborhood treat is known as The Spanish Steps, going up from Decatur Place to 22nd Street.  When I lived on Decatur Place in the 1980's, I remember a little old lady who used to attract dozens of cats every day - she fed them at about 6:00 pm each evening.

In addition to being a beautiful neighborhood, Kalorama shares a border with Rock Creek Park, with easy access to hiking and bicycle paths.  And being so close to downtown makes it hard to imagine that this was, in the early 1900’s, considered to be a Washington suburb.

Times have changed, but the appeal of this lovely old neighborhood has not changed. 

If you are invited to come to Washington to work for the new administration, I would be happy to show you Kalorama and the other fine neighborhoods in the Washington Metropolitan area.

Around Washington, I don't think there are a lot of political junkies (like me) who are surprised that John McCain chose a woman for a running mate.  In fact, I'd have been surprised if he had not.

But like many Republicans and Democrats alike, I was surprised at his choice.

I had expected perhaps Senator Eliizabeth Dole (very impressive resume - Duke, Harvard Law School, served in two presidents' cabinets, and hasn't really pissed anyone off), Senator Olympia Snowe , (who's represented Maine for three terms). or Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison from Texas (also has a law degree and really really wanted the job).

Of course, you never know how candidates that sound good to  us turn out to look to the professionals after the vetting process.

But I have to say that his choice of Sarah Palin, the cariboo shooting governor from Alaska, was a stunner.

Of course, she is a stunner in her own right - a runner up in the Miss Alaska contest.  Oh, and her talent was playing the flute!  And she also won the Miss Congeniality Award.  Um, a congenial flute player!  She's sort of like me?  But is that what it will take to woo the women who supported Hillary Clinton and are still annoyed with the Democratic ticket?  If he was after that particular demographic, he might have gone for Senator Dole, with lots of experience and an Ivy League law degree. 

Today's Washington Post has an interesting analysis (written by a favorite client, by the way).  And I think a lot of us will be anxious to get to know Governor Palin during the upcoming Republican Convention.  She's congenial and plays the flute, and I have to admire and respect people who are willing to take such a huge leap - she's got to feel totally outside of her comfort zone right about now!

Pat Kennedy is not home right now.  She is never home.  She’s out with clients showing some stupid house.  She won’t take me with her just because I get carsick and hump legs!

I want to be a client!!!

So, hi!  I’m Willie, and I am the purebred Labradoodle so often maligned in Pat's blog posts.  I am also very smart, and Pat has no idea that I know how to use her Mac and have figured out her blogging passwords.  (Hint - she does not use the name of her beloved puppy dog!  Grrrr!)

This is not just an attempt to defend myself, but also to share what it's really like to have a Type-A real estate broker for a human!

Now, I've found several blogs in here where Pat whines about my bad behavior.  Seems that she doesn't get my taste for fine fabric and leather.  Well, I thought we had an understanding.

Yes, I did eat a pillow and bedspread.  And I was scolded for that and placed in my crate (aka jail cell) for the remainder of the evening.  But I am a smart dog.  I got it and prefer to stay out of jail.  So I no longer eat anything on top of the bed!

So then, I find a delicious rusty orange piece of cloth sitting on the bathroom floor.  And Oh!  My!  God!  Yum!  And you know what, Pat freaked out completely – almost like when she found me sniffing her Manolo Blahnik strappy sandals – also on the floor!  She even used me, her beloved puppy, as Blog Fodder!  Man!  I thought I was heading for the Animal Rescue League after that one!

I also thought the floor was my turf!

Now, if she spent more time with me, maybe we would communicate better.  But no!  There are all these clients.  They seem to take up time that could be spent taking me on longer walks or outings to Roosevelt Island!  (Pat, when you read this - I won't throw up in your precious Lexus!  I promise!)

I am tempted to send an S.O.S. email to the National Geographic Society to see if Cesar Milan can come and train her!  Bet she’d be mortified if "The Dog Whisperer" came to our house to set her straight right on television for all to see!  I even have a little "in" - one of her clients works there!

Oops!  I have to go now.  The mailman just pulled up.  I have some work to do here.

But hey!  At least she feeds me really well!

Yours,
Willie

In the late 1800's, Washington, DC was so hot and had so many mosquitoes, that it's residents really did have to get out of town - unless they wanted to deal with a case of typhoid fever!  And when the wealthier citizens left town, they often headed for Cleveland Park.

It was named for President Grover Cleveland, who was one of its earliest renovators.  He bought an old stone house near 35th and Newark Streets and renovated it for use as a summer White House.  He sold it when he left office, and unfortunately it fell to the wrecking ball.

In the late 1800's, street car lines linked the neighborhood to downtown and changed its character, turning it into one of the capital's early suburbs.  Today's Metro system replaces the long defunct trolleys.

While President Cleveland's house was torn down, many of the big old frame houses remain, with their wrap-around porches and original details in tact.  And there is an active neighborhood historical society that keeps its eyes out to keep real estate developers from doing anything that could mess with the neighborhood's architectural character.

Cleveland Park is now a serious foodie's paradise.  There are restaurants from every continent except maybe Antarctica.  Sidewalk cafes line Connecticut Avenue near the local Metro Stop.

And when a new movie desides to have it's premier in Washington, they usually choose Cleveland Park's Uptown Theater as the venue.

The National Cathedral (you see it on television whenever a President or other famous American dies and has a huge funeral) is one of the neighborhood major anchors.  If you come to visit Washington, an elevator ride to the top of the tower will give you a commanding view of the city.  And its gift shop has one of the best selections of gargoyles in the country.

And no conversation about Cleveland Park is finished with talking about that neighborhood landmark, the Broadmoor Cooperative.  It was home to, among others, Huey Long, when he served as the Senator from Louisiana.  And the Broadmoor deserves a blog of its very own!

In the original 1792 plan for the District of Columbia, Pierre L’Enfant included a tract of land near the Capitol set aside for a national church.   But Congress decided against building an official church of any type, and the land is now the site of the National Portrait Gallery.

A century later, the Episcopal Church obtained 57 acres on Mount St. Albans (now near the intersection of Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues, and began to plan its new cathedral.  Whether you live in Washington or you are visiting our city, The Cathedral is an amazing place to visit.

I recently read Ken Follett’s book, Pillars of the Earth, about medieval cathedral builders – a book I highly recommend.  And the story gave me new appreciation for these beautiful structures and what goes into keeping them standing.

Building on the Cathedral finally began in 1907, under architects Frederick Bodley and Harry Vaughan.  But the project way outlived both men.  Phillip Hubert Frohman, who is considered the principal architect, took over and supervised the building between 1921 and 1972.

Then wars and finances interrupted progress a few times.  The last stone was finally set in September of 1990.

Officially named The Episcopal Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, it is commonly known as The National Cathedral.  it is the 6th largest  in the world.   Built of Indiana limestone, it looks like a Gothic cathedral you would see someplace on vacation in England or France – in fact, they had a hard time finding stone masons here in the States, and had to recruit a large group from Europe.

As a musician who has played with several chamber groups for concerts in the Cathedral, I must say the acoustics are very tricky.  There is a huge echo, and you play a note and don’t hear it come back for several seconds!  On most Mondays and Wednesdays from 12:30 to 1:00 pm, one of the church’s organists gives a short lecture and concert on the Cathedral’s amazing 10,650 pipe organ.  You can also find a schedule of the many concerts they have on the official web site.

You can usually take an elevator several stories up to the towers, where there is a spectacular view of Washington - and what a place to take photos of the city!  From this vantage point, you can see what has been one of the Cathedrals main sources of revenue - cell phone antennae.

The Cathedral has a gift shop and a garden shop with the city’s best selection of gargoyles! 

A view of the Cathedral, like a view of the Washington Monument, will add a bunch to the price of any house or condo in the District!

I know!  I know!  A lot of you just don't do Open Houses.  Well, I do!  In my market they just work.  And I'm always looking for some way to make them work better.  So when I found Steve Dawson's post the other day, I thought it merited a reblog.

If you do Opens, his great adviice can help you do them better.

Sunday, driving home from my Open House, there was a news item on NPR that there were going to be 15,000 journalists covering the Democratic National Convention in Denver this week.

Can that be right, I asked myself?  That's a medium sized town in Kansas!  Where are they going to put them all?  Where are they going to sleep?  The delegates are taking up all the hotel rooms.  And why do they need so many?

This year, there are not likely to be many surprises.  We already know who the Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates are going to be.  Do they think that Hillary Clinton will pull something during her speech?  Do they expect Obama or Biden to do something really stupid?  Possible, but not too likely.

While PBS and some of the cable news channels are covering the whole thing, the networks are doing an hour each night.  And some larger newspapers will have their own coverage, but many will use wire stories or syndication from other news organizations.

Oh, well!  Some of my favorite clients are members of the press corps and a few are probably in Denver right now.  I like to see journalists fully employed.  Then they can afford to buy houses!

But 15,000 to cover the convention? I keep thinking that I heard wrong, but I don't think I did!

There are a lot of posts on Active Rain where agents, some newbies and some old hands, talk about things they are trying to do to make their real estate businesses work in these challenging times.  And I'll read them and sometimes catch myself being really, really judgmental.

As a blogger new to the Rain, an agent from in Arizona wrote about prospecting FSBO's.  Geez, I thought!  Why would she want to do that?  FSBO's are a hard way to make a living!  Been there.  Done that.  What a pain!  The worst two months of my life followed a successful weekend of going to FSBO opens and listing three out of four of them.  But it was clearly working for her. She loved it!  She was making money!

Lots of agents blog about their campaigns to pick up expired listings.  We don't have that many around here, but when we did, everyone resented the agents who grabbed their expireds.  I didn't want people to hate me, so I never got into that line of prospecting.  Still, it does work well for many agents in many markets.

Then someone wrote about trying out a lead generation service to bolster a sagging business.  OK, I thought, this poor soul is doing something I find morally repugnant, but hey!  But I've seen agents work successfully with some of these outfits - an agent in my firm is doing that right now with great luck. 

The other day, someone wrote about working with relocation companies, something I stopped doing because i objected to their huge referral fees.  But hey!  He's in a funky market and it's generating business for him.

Right now, after 25 years, I think I have the ideal real estate practice, which is almost all repeat and referral business. And I get a lot of business from Open Houses, something that many agents write about being a total waste of time.

But it occurs to me that when I was a newbie, I did my share of RELO's, FSBO's, expireds, floor duty, farming, and all the rest.  And these are all things that helped me to get a history with the clients who are sending me business today!

So, clearly, this is a business of different strokes for different folks!  And if you think something will work, go ahead and try it, because it just might help you prosper in a funky real estate market.  You can hit the bulls eye and meet your goals.