Quick Beach Getaways!

Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland
This quaint island is most famous for the more than 300 wild ponies who wander the beaches. This is a great place for bird watching, seashell collecting, clamming, swimming, surf fishing, & beach hiking.

Bethany Beach-Fenwick, Delaware
Bethany Beach and Fenwick, Delaware call themselves "the Quiet Resorts". They are family-oriented beach towns with lots of amenities and a relaxing atmosphere.

Lewes, Delaware
A small historic town with restaurants, shops, museums and bed and breakfasts with a public beach on the Delaware Bay with very little wave activity which makes it a good beach for young children.

Sandy Point State Park - Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Sandy Point State Park is the closest beach to the Washington, DC area. Located on the west side of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, it offers swimming, fishing, crabbing, boating and windsurfing.

Ocean City, Maryland and Virginia Beach, Virginia
Perhaps the most well-known of our close destinations, each offers a distinctly unique set of attractions, restaurants, activities & accommodations.

Senate approves home tax credit extension

Great News! Read on & as always, please let us know if you have any questions! Thank you to Cynthia Small from Union Mortgage Group for sending this article from Associated Press our way. You may contact her at csmall@union-mtg.com or contact us at sue@suegoodhart.com.

By ANDREW TAYLOR (AP) – 18 hours ago

WASHINGTON — The Senate on Wednesday approved a plan to give homebuyers an extra three months to finish qualifying for federal tax incentives that boosted home sales this spring.

The move by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid would give buyers until Sept. 30 to complete their purchases and qualify for tax credits of up to $8,000. Under the current terms, buyers had until April 30 to get a signed sales contract and until June 30 to complete the sale.

The proposal, approved by a 60-37 vote, would only allow people who already have signed contracts to finish at the later date. About 180,000 homebuyers who already signed purchase agreements would otherwise miss the deadline.

Reid, D-Nev., added the proposal to a bill extending jobless benefits through the end of November. Nevada has the nation's highest foreclosure rate, and Reid is facing a tough re-election campaign.

The Realtors group has been pushing hard in Congress for the extension. Mortgage lenders, the trade group says, have been swamped with borrowers trying to get approved by the end of the month. Many potential borrowers are unlikely to make the deadline.

"If Congress fails to act promptly, then prospective homebuyers might not get the benefit of the homebuyer tax credit, even though they have completed contracts," the Realtors said a a letter to lawmakers.

First-time buyers were eligible for a tax credit of up to $8,000. Current owners who bought and moved into another home could qualify for a credit of up to $6,500.

The $140 million cost of the measure would be financed by denying businesses the ability to deduct from their taxes punitive damages paid when losing lawsuits or judgments.

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Art & Fashion in Old Town, Alexandria

Click on the following link to see a video from washingtonpost.com on how art & fashion mix in Old Town, Alexandria!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/artsandliving/scene-in/index.html

Dinner & Wine for $35

701 Restaurant has a great dinner special starting at 5:30 pm until closing, Monday through Friday and 5 pm until closing Saturday and Sunday, guests can choose any 2 courses off the Lounge tasting menu along with 2 wine pairings from the featured list for just $35 per person (tax and gratuity not included). Guests can select any appetizer and entrée or entrée and dessert from the tasting menu. Items include the seared scallops with cauliflower puree, pine nuts and a balsamic reduction and fried chicken with creamy grits, collard greens, scallions and gravy.

701 Restaurant
701 Pennsylvania Ave
Washington, DC 20004
www.701restaurant.com

Cheers to Simple Changes

Simple Changes, run by one of our clients, is a Therapeutic Riding Center focused on changing lives one step at a time. We are pleased to announce that they have been named as July's beneficiary of Prince Michel's "First Dollar Program." For every $5 wine tasting enjoyed at the Prince Michel Tasting Room (1309 King Street in Old Town Alexandria), $1 will be donated to Simple Changes.

For lovers of our horses and riders or just lovers of wine, this is a wonderful way to sample Prince Michel's award-winning wines!

The tasting room is open Sunday through Wednesday from noon until 6pm and Thursday through Saturday, noon until 8pm. This benefit will take place during the entire month of July. Bring your friends, have a glass of wine and help Simple Changes!

On Thursday, July 29, Simple Changes will be double honored at the tasting room. From 5pm to 8pm, $2.50 from every $5 wine tasting will be donated to Simple Changes.



So visit often during the month of July and tell your friends and family. Enjoy the wonderful wine and know that you are helping our fantastic riders!

For more information on Simple Changes, please visit their website.

DC Restaurant Week... For Kids!

Join in the family foodie fun of DC’s newest summer culinary tradition, Washington, DC Restaurant Week for Kids. From June 20-27, dozens of restaurants throughout DC will cater to families by serving special children’s menus during lunch and early dinner seatings (between 5 PM-6:30 PM). Kids 11 and under pay their age, with purchase of adult entrée.

Designed to promote healthy eating, culinary awareness and family connections, Restaurant Week for Kids is produced by Destination DC, the official convention and tourism corporation for Washington, DC. Reserve your tables now by visiting the DC Restaurant Week Website.

Too far to Wolf Trap?

Actually the Wolf Trap Express Bus offers roundtrip service from the West Falls Church Metro and the fare is only $3.10. The service begins 2 hours before show time and runs every 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Table to Table: The Week in Food Events

Sip free wine, celebrate ten years with chef Geoff Tracy, and put on your best attire for the Oscars of Washington restaurants. Read below from an article by Kyle Jameson, Washingtonian Magazine, Tuesday, June 1, 2010.

Tuesday, June 1

It’s been said many times that the best things in life are free. That includes free wine. Every Tuesday at the cozy upper-Georgetown French spot Bistrot Lepic, the sommelier offers guests complimentary sips of two French wines—one red, one white. The tasting runs from 6 to 8. For more information, call 202-333-0111.

Wednesday, June 2

It was a decade ago that chef Geoff Tracy opened his debut restaurant near American University. In celebration of its tenth year, Tracy is hosting a special anniversary dinner (the menu hasn’t been announced). The dinner begins at 6:30, and $50 of each $60 ticket goes to Children’s National Medical Center. For tickets and more information, call 202-237-7800 or click here.


Thursday, June 3

Robert Wiedmaier’s K Street beer haven, Brasserie Beck, is hosting a four-course dinner with Patrick Rue, founder of the Bruery. Rue is pairing some of his California-brewed beers—known for being unfiltered and unpasteurized and for having unconventional ingredients—with such dishes as pan-seared halibut with mushroom polenta; squab breast with garlic-potato purée; bison strip loin with horseradish cream; and a cheese plate. The dinner, $85 per person, begins at 7. For reservations and more, call 202-408-1717.

Friday, June 4

If you’ve missed out on tickets for Savor, the annual craft-beer festival Saturday, you can still head to ChurchKey to sip brews from Sierra Nevada with the brewery’s founder, Ken Grossman. He’ll pour barrel-aged beers and cask ales rarely seen outside Sierra Nevada’s hometown of Chico, California, and you might even score some free glassware. The happy hour begins at 4. For information and reservations, call 202-567-2576.

Saturday, June 5

There aren’t many good excuses to wear a Hawaiian shirt. But break one out for EatBar’s Beach Blanket Bash, where you can jam to surf music, knock around some beach balls, and taste your way through 25 wines. Chef Barry Koslow is cooking up such snacks as calamari ceviche with mango and chilies; caramelized-onion-and-olive focaccia; and crab fritters with rémoulade. The party, $25 per person, runs from 1 to 4. For information and reservations, call 703-778-9951.

Sunday, June 6

For local chefs, restaurateurs, and food lovers, one of the biggest nights of the year is the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington’s annual Rammy Awards. Tonight’s festivities at the Marriott Wardman Park kick off at 6 with a cocktail reception. The award ceremony is at 7, and dinner and dancing follow in the ballroom. For information and tickets, click here or call 202-331-5990.

Drink Up.

Do you know about the Frederick Wine Trail? Rolling hills, scenic views and vineyards! Cabernet Franc and Viogniers. Frederickwinetrail.com. And the Frederick Festival of the Arts is June 5th and 6th. Free admission and 120 artists And then there’s the York Wine Trail in Pennsylvania www.uncorkyork.com/PA.