Author Archives: Beth Stanton

New Real Estate Pricing Stats

We have real estate pricing stats with data through year-end 2018. The stats cover the past ten years of home sales. We have stats available for zip codes in Silver Spring, Takoma Park, Kensington, Hyattsville, Riverdale Park, and University Park. Some zip codes show that home prices are near, or exceed, where we were at the top of the market.

We’re happy to share this data with you. Fill out the form below to request your copy and we’ll send to you via email. If you’d like to meet in person for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your home and current market conditions, you can also request a personal consult below.

Ready to get started? Please contact us to schedule a free consultation.

Casseroles for a Cause is Back!

After the positive feedback from the community, our friends at Silver Spring Cares are back with another round of Casseroles for a Cause, starting February 5th through the 28th! Silver Spring Cares will partner once more with Shepherds Table, Interfaith Works – Carroll House Men’s Shelter, The Arc Montgomery County, and Difference Makers. to help collect delicious casseroles that will keep freezers full for many of our vulnerable neighbors in the community.

Read some of the post below and head on over to their website to learn more, see how you can help, and sign up!

“The need is even greater this year as typical donation resources are being shared with other timely issues facing our community. By filling the freezers now in October, organizations will be better situated to prepare and plan for the upcoming months. But we can only do this with your help!”

Sign-up here to participate in the latest Casseroles for a Cause and let’s help make a difference in our community together.

First-Time Homebuyer Seminar – March 13

Our January seminar was packed so we’ve added another First-Time Homebuyer Seminar in March! Join Go Brent’s Debbie Gerald and Caliber Home Loans’ Branch Manager Ramez Fahmy for this free event.

When:    Wednesday, March 13 from 7:00-8:30PM
Where:   Silver Spring Civic Center in downtown Silver Spring

We’ll be discussing the ins and outs of purchasing and financing your first home. If your 2019 to-do list includes buying a house or condo, please join us. This is a great opportunity to learn about the buying process and ask questions.

Please sign-up in advance. There is no cost or obligation, just plenty of information!

Hyattsville Hotspots

Been to Hyattsville lately?
The Gateway Arts District and the surrounding area offers you lots of great opportunities for food, beverages, and more! Check out Go Brent agent and local resident Don Bunuan‘s favorite local hangouts.

Franklin’s Restaurant, Brewery & General Store

Address: 5123 Baltimore Ave, Hyattsville, MD 20781
Website: franklinsbrewery.com

Located in the heart of historic Hyattsville MD, Franklins is Prince Georges County’s first microbrewery, and the only combination restaurant, brewery, and toy store in the world. Franklins is a gathering place with deep roots in the Hyattsville community.

Pizzeria Paradiso

Address: 4800 Rhode Island Ave Hyattsville, MD 20781
Website: eatyourpizza.com

Chef/founder Ruth Gresser, started cooking up Neapolitan-style pizzas in Dupont Circle over a quarter century ago. She planted this latest restaurant in a former florist shop. The fully renovated space has 55 seats inside plus another 18 outdoors; a folding window connects a five-seat bar posted on the patio to the interior.

Maryland Meadworks

Address: 4700 Rhode Island Ave. Suite B, Hyattsville, MD 20781
Website: facebook.com/marylandmeadworks

Maryland Meadwork’s crafts the highest quality, best tasting mead possible using natural processes and locally sourced ingredients. Maryland Meadworks combines ancient wisdom with modern knowledge to bring you a tantalizingly diverse selection of delicious mead.

Streetcar 82 Brewing Co.

Address: 4824 Rhode Island Ave. Hyattsville, MD 20781
Website: streetcar82brewing.com

Why did they choose Hyattsville for their brewpub? In one word – community. Community is very important to these Gallaudet University grads. After graduating, they left to start careers in different parts of the country but they returned to Hyattsville to be part of this unique community. 

Vigilante Coffee Company

Address: 4327 Gallatin St. Hyattsville, MD 20781
Website: vigilantecoffee.com

These local Maryland based coffee roasters source beans directly from farms all over the world and through our existing import/export relationships. Maintaining the highest standards when sourcing coffees, they seek to maintain farm direct, organic, and fair trade practices whenever possible.

Magruder Park

Address: 3911 Hamilton St. Hyattsville, MD 20781
Website: hyattsville.org

Hyattsville’s major park facility, Magruder Park. Located at 40th Avenue and Hamilton Street, the park offers 32 acres of fun.

Town Center Market

Address: 4705 Queensbury Rd. Riverdale Park, MD 20737
Website: towncentermarket.net

Whether enjoying a cold one on the patio or picking up staple groceries, you’ll love shopping at Town Center Market. After a century on Riverdale Road, the new Town Center Market (formerly known as Dumm’s Corner Market) opened in this new, ultra-modern location.

The area continues to grow with more businesses, including a new branch of Silver Spring’s own Denizens Brewery coming to Riverdale Park.

Policy Forum on Accessory Dwelling Units

There’s been much conversation lately about accessory dwelling units. Councilmember Hans Reimer has introduced legislation to amend specific sections of the Montgomery County Zoning Ordinance.

So, what is an ADU? An ADU is an accessory dwelling unit, a second dwelling unit that is subordinate to the principal dwelling on the property. An ADU can be an addition, a basement, or a detached/separate structure.

Some see ADUs as a beneficial way to help to increase the housing supply; ADUs can be more affordable and can also supply homeowners with supplemental income. About 7 out of 10 seniors indicate they would like to age in place and ADUs may be helpful in allowing for this.

The Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) proposal would require the property to be owner-occupied, inspected and licensed, separate from the principal dwelling unit with a full kitchen, bathroom and separate entrance, and located on a property with at least two off-street parking spaces, unless the owner obtains a waiver – as allowed under current law.

The proposal removes the maximum size limit on ADUs and additions to ADUs, the prohibition on ADUs in houses that are less than 5 years old, and the requirement that an ADU be a minimum distance from other ADUs. Additionally, the ADU cannot be used as a short-term rental, such as Airbnb, and it allows no more than two unrelated individuals to reside in an ADU.

The meeting was attended by about 100 people, with the great majority of speakers in favor of relaxing regulation. Most opposed had concerns about parking and much of the conversation centered around Takoma Park since many homes there had been “chopped up” into apartments prior to zoning restrictions.

Liz Brent attended the forum, “I am definitely a proponent of changes in laws that would allow for more of the ‘missing middle’ housing.  Less restrictive ADU laws are a good starting point.” Additionally, she believes, “we’re going to have to make larger changes in the R60 (single family) zoning to put a dent in the problem.  We need to allow single family housing to be converted to multi family or be replaced by multi-family construction in busy urban corridors such as Colesville Road, Georgia Avenue, Wayne Avenue, and Piney Branch Road. These would be small buildings of 4 to 6 apartments or condos.”  

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WANT TO LEARN MORE?

You can watch the policy forum via YouTube.

Read the amendment to the Montgomery County Zoning Ordinance

Access the ADU fact sheet and visit Council Member Riemer’s website.

The PUBLIC HEARING will be held on Tuesday, February 26 at 7:30PM at the Council Office Building 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville in the 3rd floor hearing room. If you are interested in testifying, you can sign-up in advance.

Get Ahead of the Spring Market

The winter season brings little inventory but as you know the DC-area market typically explodes come Spring. If you intend to buy or sell in 2019, now is the perfect time to meet with an agent to ensure you have a strategy in place and don’t miss out.

Go Brent agents are full-time Realtors who have an unrivaled command of the local market. In 2018, we successfully assisted our clients to buy and sell 145 homes.

Put our expertise to work for you – contact Go Brent to schedule your free consultation. We look forward to talking with you!

Go Brent Welcomes Don Bunuan

Go Brent is expanding once again! We are excited to welcome Don Bunuan to the team. Don is a realtor licensed in Maryland and DC.

“A successful full-time realtor, Don works with both buyers and sellers. Don is best known for his honesty, integrity, attentive service, and ability to effectively communicate with clients. A lifetime DC-area resident, Don focuses his business efforts on the Hyattsville area as well as the Route 1 corridor. Prior to starting his real estate career, Don worked as both a high school teacher and managing grants and contracts for the Department of Education. Don’s excellent communication and negotiation abilities, along with his experience writing contracts, serve him well as he helps clients navigate the process of buying or selling a home.”

To learn more about Don, visit his team profile.

As a dynamic real estate team, Go Brent looks for full-time agents who are dedicated to providing our clients with excellent customer service. If you are a real estate agent licensed in Maryland and/or Washington, D.C. and are interested in learning more about our team, please contact us: liz@gobrent.co.

FREE First-Time Homebuyer Seminar – January 23

We’re kicking off 2019 with a First-Time Homebuyer Seminar! Join Go Brent’s Debbie Gerald and Caliber Home Loans’ Branch Manager Ramez Fahmy for this free event.

When:    Wednesday,  January 23 from 7:00-8:30PM
Where:   Silver Spring Civic Center in downtown Silver Spring

We’ll be discussing the ins and outs of purchasing and financing your first home. If your 2019 to-do list includes buying a house or condo, please join us. This is a great opportunity to learn about the buying process and ask questions.

Please sign-up in advance. There is no cost or obligation, just plenty of information!

Can’t attend but want to know more about the home buying process? Contact Debbie for more information.

#GivingTuesday 2018 in Silver Spring

Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday.

Today is #GivingTuesday, celebrated on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving as a global movement that celebrates giving, generosity, and change for people throughout their communities. #GivingTuesday allows us to unite as one and to encourage more small acts of kindness.

Here are a few Nonprofits celebrating #GivingTuesday in our local community today:

Silver Spring Village

The mission of Silver Spring Village is to build and sustain a supportive network of neighbors helping neighbors remain in their own homes and be engaged in their community as they age.

Residents of various close-in Silver Spring neighborhoods serve on a volunteer basis on the board of directors and on the board’s committees.  Our (part-time) Executive Director develops strategies and plans and, together with our (part-time) Director of Volunteer Services and many volunteers, ensures their implementation.

[wolf_button url=”https://www.silverspringvillage.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=902719&module_id=144102″ color=”yellow” type=”flat” size=”small” target=”_blank”]Donate today![/wolf_button]

A Wider Circle

This #GivingTuesday, whatever you give will be DOUBLED or TRIPLED. All donations will be matched dollar for dollar – with gifts of $1,000 or more receiving a 2-for-1 match, up to a total of $30,000 to support our new Partnership to Independence Program!

[wolf_button url=”https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/awidercircle” color=”yellow” type=”flat” size=”small” target=”_blank”]Donate today![/wolf_button]

ArtStream, Inc.

Few theatres provide challenging arts opportunities for adults with disabilities and fewer still encourage them to be artists as well as audience members. ArtStream’s six Inclusive Theatre Companies invite actors with intellectual and developmental disabilities to collaborate with theater professionals and trained volunteer mentors to develop and present original musical theatre productions. Participants can also take theatre-based classes to boost self-confidence and strengthen communications and social skills. And the arts can heal, just as they can educate and entertain. Partnerships with schools, community organizations, and others ensure that adults and children can access the arts in a way that is meaningful, powerful, and healing. Your contribution makes it happen.

[wolf_button url=”https://www.cfp-dc.org/cfpdc/nonprofit-campaign.php?i=95251-1229″ color=”yellow” type=”flat” size=”small” target=”_blank”]Donate today![/wolf_button]

Friends of the Silver Spring Library

Friends of the Library, Silver Spring Chapter (FOLSS), is an all-volunteer organization of people who care about our library. FOLSS raises money to augment public funding for programs, materials, and equipment at the Silver Spring Library. We raised funds to pay for the state-of-the-art Early Literacy Center on the Silver Spring Library’s fifth floor; we also fund programming for Summer Reading, Library Lovers’ Month, and various other teen and adult programs during the year. Every dollar of donated funds goes directly to programming, materials, and services that benefit our local community.

[wolf_button url=”https://www.folmc.org/donate/” color=”yellow” type=”flat” size=”small” target=”_blank”]Donate today![/wolf_button]

Crossroads Community Food Network

Crossroads Community Food Network is building a healthier, more inclusive food system in our community. At the heart of this integrated network of food growers, makers, and consumers is Crossroads Farmers Market, where nutrition incentives make healthy food more affordable and at the same time helps support local farmers and vendors — 3/4 of whom are immigrants themselves.

[wolf_button url=”https://www.crossroadscommunityfoodnetwork.org/civicrm/?page=CiviCRM&q=civicrm/contribute/transact&reset=1&id=3″ color=”yellow” type=”flat” size=”small”]Donate today![/wolf_button]

Shepherd’s Table

Shepherd’s Table is using #GivingTuesday to expand their food service program that provides those in need with nutritious meals 365 days a year. Join their effort to DOUBLE their impact in the community!

[wolf_button url=”https://shepherdstable.networkforgood.com/projects/33988-it-s-a-new-day-transforming-lives-growing-our-community” color=”yellow” type=”flat” size=”small” target=”_blank”]Donate today![/wolf_button]

To find more local community programs to help support on #GivingTuesday, visit: Silver Spring Cares and for organizations world wide, visit https://www.givingtuesday.org.

Celebrate the Holiday Season with These Local Events

We live in a fantastic area for holiday events and activities for everyone. Now that Halloween is over and November has started, it’s officially time to start talking and thinking about the holidays. Many get started in November so mark your calendars. Lots of lights, lots of crafts and lots of fun! These holiday activities have something for all interests and ages.

Downtown Silver Spring Tree Lighting

Every year the fountain gets transformed into a gorgeous themed Christmas tree! Last year it was the bikes and the lights. What will it be this year? Come on down to the lighting and street fest. This is a great family event and who doesn’t love a surprise tree and holiday shopping?!

Date: Saturday, November 10th from 6-9pm
Where: Downtown Silver Spring Fountain/Ellsworth Ave.
Cost: FREE

Click here for more info: Downtown Silver Spring Tree Lighting

Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens

If you love walking through the gorgeously maintained gardens during the fall and spring you will absolutely adore how they are transformed into a twinkling walkway of holiday delight! With some holiday-themed creatures and some regular sparkly tree lights, bring your strollers and puffy coats to walk through the garden wonderland.

Dates: Runs from November 16th through January 1, 2019
Where:Brookside Gardens 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD 20902
Cost: $25 per Car/Van (Sunday-Thursday) // $30 per Car/Van (Friday-Saturday)

Click here for more info: Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens

Silver Spring Thanksgiving Parade

Held in downtown Silver Spring, line up along Ellsworth and up around Georgia Avenue.  There are so many incredible performances like Girl Scouts, cultural dancers and fun floats that march along to kick off the holiday season.  The exciting parade traditionally heralds the start of the holiday season.  It also is televised live on News Channel 8 and rerun on Thanksgiving Day. Check it out live or on TV!

Date: Saturday, November 17th at 10am
Where: Downtown Silver Spring
Cost: FREE

Click here for more info: Silver Spring Thanksgiving Parade

ZooLIGHTS

The Smithsonian’s famous National Zoo hosts a light display with fun activities for the family!

Walk up and down the zoo hill for events like “snow” tubing and riding the carousel. The lights abound on trees, walkways and bushes throughout the zoo. Some animal houses are even open late for viewing. As always, there is food and drinks available for purchase.

Dates: November 23rd through January 1, 2019
Where: Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute 3001 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20008
Cost: FREE (rides and activities cost money via ticket books purchased at the event)

Click here for more info: ZooLIGHTS

5th Annual DC Brau Holiday Market

For the 5th year in a row, the brewery will be transformed into a crafters’ marketplace for one day only — perfect for visitors to start (and finish) their holiday shopping with unique wares from more than 40 local artists & artisans in a unique indoor setting. There will be live Music by Reed Appleseed & DJ Budman, food trucks, and games & activities for everyone and lots of delicious DC Brau beer!!

Date: Saturday, November 24th
Cost: VIP TICKETS – $10 EACH: Includes early admission at 1PM for an extra hour of shopping and a free branded DC Brau tote.  // GENERAL ADMISSION – FREE – doors open at 2PM.

Click here for more info: DC Brau Holiday Market

Small Business Saturday on Main Street Takoma

A fairly self-explanatory event that supports local businesses the day after Black Friday. Shop small. Shop local. Support your neighbors and friends on SBS!

Date: Saturday, November 24th
Where: Main Street Takoma
Cost: Whatever you are willing to spend at local businesses in Takoma Park

Click here for more info: Small Business Saturday on Main Street Takoma

2018 American Holiday Festival

Get free tickets to this annual kick-off concert for the Washington, DC, holiday season, performed by the talented musicians of The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” at DAR Constitution Hall. Be sure to log on and print your free tickets for entry! Enjoy the sounds of the holiday season with this fantastic free concert!

Date: Saturday, December 1st @3pm
Where: DAR Constitution Hall
Cost: FREE

Click here for more info: 2018 American Holiday Festival