Not for the shy among us

The first and third Wednesdays of the month at Whitlow’s on Wilson in Arlington for HariKaraoke with a live band to back you up.  If you don’t please the audience, they’ll let you know – and you could be gonged off the stage.  www.whitlows.com

That time again...

Real estate assessments will be posted on line next month at www.arlingtonva.us and alexandriava.gov.  If you want to challenge your assessment, the instructions will be there, but pay attention to the dates.  And call or e-mail us if you want help in determining a fair assessment.  The value of a typical Arlington home rose 1.4 per cent last year according to the county.

Upcoming Productions

If you didn’t see “Oklahoma” at Arena, then head there to see a lavish production of “The Arabian Nights”  www.arenastage.org

 

The Arlington Players present “The Seagull” by Anton Chekhof from January 28^th to February 12^th at the Thomas Jefferson Community Theater.  www.thearlingtonplayers.org

 

The most fun of all his plays! Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will be presented by the Synectic Theatre

at the theatre in Crystal City through January 30^th.  www.synectictheater.org.

Practice for the Olympics

Saturday, January 29^th from 5-7 at Pentagon Row for ice skating, merchant specials and giveaways, entertainment, stilt walker, magician, juggler and more!  Pentagonrow.com.

A Home Is Still a Good Investment!

According to Realtor Magazine, “Even with several years of price declines, the typical seller who purchased a home eight years ago experienced a median equity gain of $33,000 – a 24% increase-while sellers who were in their homes for 11-15 years saw a median gain of 40%. That’s according to NAR’s latest survey of home buyers and sellers, available at REALTOR.org/research. ‘Eighty-five percent of recent home buyers see their home as a good investment, and nearly half think that investment is better than stocks,’ says Paul Bishop, NAR vice president of research. ‘This indicates the long-term view of home ownership as a fundamental goal and value remains sound.’ “

Cheaper to Buy Than Rent in DC

January 24, 2011    by Mark Wellborn

According to an analysis from real estate search website Trulia.com, it is currently cheaper to buy a home than rent one in 72 percent of the 50 largest cities in the country, including DC.

Trulia’s Rent vs. Buy Index, which launched last June, calculates the price-to-rent ratio using the median list price for two-bedroom properties compared with the median rent for two-bedroom apartments, condos and townhomes listed on its site. The index uses a rule of 15, which means that if the median list price divided by the annual median rent produces a score of 15 or less, the city is considered a good place to buy. The index is separated into three categories: The first includes cities with scores ranging from 1 to 15, places where it is more expensive to rent than to buy; the second, with scores of 16-20, are places where renting or buying is more situation dependent; and the third, with scores of 21 or higher, are places where buying costs are significantly greater than renting.

Sandwiched between Detroit and Indianapolis, DC scored a 12 on the Trulia scale, which means that it is one of the cities where it is much less expensive to buy than to rent. (Maybe this is why experts are expecting rent increases over the next few years.) The data used to produce this score — based on properties in DC proper — was a median monthly rent of $2,835 and a median list price of $401,399. For comparison, New York and San Francisco (which scored 31 and 21, respectively) are cities where you should continue to rent, according to Trulia.

While the index does provide perspective on the rent versus buy debate, an individual’s decision as to whether they will buy a home requires taking a number of variables into account (property taxes, down payment, interest rates) for the total cost of ownership, a point that Trulia acknowledges.

“We created the index to determine which cities have overpriced rent and which have underpriced,” Daisy Kong of Trulia told UrbanTurf. “The decision to buy a home is a very personal one and the index should just be used as a guide in that process.”

To see how DC compares to other cities in the country, check out this interactive map based on the index findings.

Autos!

Friday, January 28^th to Sunday February 6^th at the Washington Convention Center (Metro: Mt. Vernon Place) visit the annual Auto Show.  More than 700 new makes and models plus free car giveaways, live entertainment and celebrities.  www.washingtonshow.com.

Blues Alley & The Birchmere

Coming up at Blues Alley Tuck and Patti February 13-16.  New Orleans cuisine.  www.bluesalley.com

 

Remember? The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band?    They will appear with the Birchmere favorites Seldom Scene at Strathmore February 4^th.  www.strathmore.org.

 

Crafts Festival

Check out the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival at Dulles Expo Center January 28-30.  Sugarloafcrafts.com.

Antioxidents on the run!

Chocolate tasting tour with a wine tasting addition the second Saturday of each month begins on 14^th Street at Artfully Chocolate and stops at CakeLove, Bistro a Bonne, Locolot, Hana Japanese Market and Biagio. www.dcmetrochocolatetours.com.

Gallery Walk

Prints by famed Lou Stovall on exhibit at Addison/Ripley Fine Art.  www.addisonripley.com

It still pays to invest in your house

Funding is cheap, contractors are hungry, materials are cheaper, you can cut your energy costs, you get to enjoy the results right now and smart projects add to the money you get for your house when you sell it. Give us a call if you’d like some advice.  January is the best month to catch furniture sales.

Save a Tree

Stop unwanted catalogs by registering with catalogchoice.com.  Put an end to unsolicited credit card offers by signing on to optoutprescreen.com.  The nonprofit41poundss.org site will keep all of your family member’s names off consumer mailing lists.

Upcoming Performances

Oldie but Goodie

“The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” at Dominion Stage in Shirlington Thursday, Friday and Saturdays at 8 and Sundays at 2 now through the 30^th. 703 683 0502.

 

Wolf  Trap isn’t just for summer any more

Head for the Barns at Wolf Trap to see Chicago City Limits improv troupe January 20^th, John Eaton with swingin 30’s music January 29^th and the smooth and sexy Leon Redbone March 3^rd.  www.wolftrap.org

 

KenCen

American Ballet Theater through January 23^rd, National Symphony performing “Remembering JFK” January 22-24

 

Denyce Graves on February 1^st at 7:30.  www.kennedy-center.org

 

Get your Tickets

For “Stomp” at the Warner Theatre January 25-30.  stomponline.com

Resident Smithsonian Associates

Join the Resident Associates and get member discounts on all things Smithsonian.  Join tours and performances and programs of interest.  ResidentAssociates.com. January 22^nd and 29^th, tour Adams Morgan restaurants.

New Year Chores

Look at the gauge on your fire extinguisher to be sure it’s fully charged, install a programmable thermostat to save 10% of your A/C and heating costs, Check your detectors, make sure that your ground fault circuit interrupters work, test your sump pump, WD 40 where it needs it (garage door), plug holes to keep pests out and caulk around tubs, showers and sinks to prevent water damage.

The Bard

“Measure for Measure”, free, at Episcopal High School in Alexandria January 20^th at 7:30.  www.episcopalhighschool.org.

Restaurant Week

This week is restaurant in DC!  If you don't have a reservation yet, you still have a few days left!  Go to www.opentable.com to make a reservation.

 

Baltimore’s Restaurant Week is January  21-30. www.baltimorerestaurantweek.com.

 

And in Alexandria, January 21^st  to 30^th ($35 prix fixe 3 course dinner and $35 dinner for two.  (visitalexandria.com)

January checklist

Check your credit report (annualcreditreport.com) – this is the only free site. 

 

 Eat oatmeal – this is oatmeal month in case you didn’t know.

 

Fill in dates on the yearly calendar you use – Dr.’s appointments, birthdays, license renewals, taxes due.  

 

 January 24^th is National Compliment Day – you know what to do! 

Appoint someone to be your power of attorney in case you are not able to manage your finances and draw up a durable power of attorney for health care plus an advance health care directive. Forms are widely available – check out Alexandria Hospital.

Like Glee - Only Better!

Yale Glee Club with the Whiffenpoofs at Strathmore January 7^th at 8.  www.strathmore.org

Guys Night Out

January 7^th at 6 at the Verizon  Center for pre game festivities – Wizards vs. Nets.  All you can eat buffet and unlimited beer, wine and soda included in the package for either the Penthouse or lower level. www.washingtonwizards.com

Looking to talk about modifying your mortgage?

www.hud.gov/fairhousing.  This is the no fee official site to access to talk with a HUD-approved housing counselor.

Antiques

Here’s a chance to visit the new-ish Katzen Arts Center at American University for the Washington Winter Show offering fine arts and antiques January 6^th for the opening night reception and the show January 7-9.  Appraisals on Sunday.  www.washingtonwintershow.org.

Farewell to the tree

Arlington will collect trees placed at curbside after 6 am  from  January 3-14 on regular trash collection days.  They will be ground into wood chip mulch.