Bethesda continues to expand with one great restaurant after another.  Earlier this summer the Mussel Bar opened on Woodmont Avenue in the old Levante restaurant space.  Now Vapiano has joined the mix in the next block in a newly constructed building. I had seen the owners working on the outside of the restaurant on Friday night when I walked by with my daughter so I was definitely excited to go back to Vapiano for dinner last night on the opening day.  We arrived, not knowing what to expect - just that it was a spectacular space with olive trees for architectural accents, very attractive red pendant lights, bar seating and communal wood tables.    When we walked into the restaurant, the staff handed us each a magnetic card that we were told to use at different stations around the resta... 08/30/2010

Chevy Chase, MD 20815 Zip Code Home Sales Statistics   Home owners and prospective purchasers want to know the trends of the local real estate market. The following statistics are for the past month and are compared with the same month last year. There were 47 new listings of homes for sale and 32 homes for sale went to pending new contracts. The sold dollar volume for the zip code was up 34.22% from last year. The number of homes sold and settled was 40 from 32 last year. The average time on the market was 74 days from 80 days last year. The average sale price was 92.14% of the average list price. The average sold price was $1,051,463. The median sold price was $887,000.      Please contact us if you wish to receive statistics for another zip code.  Blooming for home buyers this summer... 08/13/2010

It started with the cat. Early in the morning, completely against her clock work habits, she came into our bedroom, howling. She sounded like a scared puppy, pacing around in our bedroom with her tail between her legs. Barely awake, we tried to make sense of this strange behavior. A storm seemed to be approaching, but that wasn’t anything the cat had ever been impressed by. Minutes later, it was us who freaked out. “Take the kids downstairs,” I screamed at my husband, and he didn’t even object. The sky seemed to be in flames from the constantly overlapping lightening, and the massive roar in the air was barely recognizable as thunder. We all huddled together, away from skylights and windows. After Washington DC’s record snow winter of 2010 and the 4-day power outage in brutally hot weat... 08/12/2010

Gary & Diana Ditto's Sold Report for Zip Code 20815July 2010Sorted by Subdivision & Close Price   Address   Style   Subdivision   ListPrice CloseDate Close Price SellerSubsidy   BR BA HB 4620 PARK AVE N #PH06W   Contemporary   4620 NORTH PARK AVE   $845,000 7/30/2010 $845,000   2 2 1 4620 PARK AVE N #1508E   Traditional   4620 NORTH PARK AVE   $589,000 7/26/2010 $582,000   2 2 0               5921 CEDAR PKWY   Colonial   CHEVY CHASE   $3,125,000 7/6/2010 $3,125,000   6 6 1 3 NEWLANDS ST   Craftsman   CHEVY CHASE   $3,250,000 7/1/2010 $2,975,000   5 5 2 3702 CURTIS CT   Colonial   CHEVY CHASE   $1,895,000 7/12/2010 $1,850,000   5 4 2 4106 ASPEN ST   Farm House   CHEVY CHASE   $1,580,000 7/30/2010 $1,500,000   4 3 2 4011 OLIVER ST   Colonial   CHEVY CHASE   $1,475,000 7/30/2010 $1,475,00... 08/10/2010

Bethesda Maryland is a small town with more restaurants per capita than almost any place else in the United States - including New York City!  We have undergone a revolution over the last five years or so in downtown Bethesda. We now have sushi restaurants on nearly every block. There are Mexican restaurants galore, and French, of course.  Looking for a small brewery or Irish pub grub - you can find it easily in Bethesda! Need an Afghan fix or tapas? We have that too.  As the world has shrunk, we have gotten more cosmopolitan and demanding in our opportunity to taste the new and unusual - all just a few steps from Kenwood Forest and other great neighborhoods like Edgemoor and Chevy Chase Terrace. Bethesda offers not only great restaurants but famous chefs too. Jose Andreas, renowned Spa... 07/30/2010

Bethesda is looking even more international these days! Mussel Bar, the new Belgian gastropub in downtown Bethesda within a short walk from Kenwood Forest. Even though it is supposed to open tonight officially, last night they ended up serving anyone who may have read in other publications that they were opening Wednesday in honor of Belgium's national holiday. The chef thought it fair to serve people who showed-up, especially because they are non-reservations.  Mussel Bar is Chef Wiedmaier's most recent restaurant - he also owns Marcel's, Brasserie Beck, and Brabo - and is an homage to his native Belgium.  The dark wood interior complements the boat shaped bar in the center of the room and all the fabulous Belgian bars! If you are not tempted by the Mussel Bar, you should definitely ch... 07/22/2010

Chevy Chase, MD (Montgomery County) Real Estate Market Analysis for Buyers and Sellers of Chevy Chase Homes Chevy Chase, MD home sales have stabilized since 2009.  Period.    Fact versus FictionFact is defined as something known to exist or to have happened.Fiction is defined as something feigned, invented, or imagined; a made-up story. These data relating to real estate transactions comes directly from the Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc. (MRIS); the largest multiple list service (MLS) in the nation.  An MLS is a shared, computerized database containing all of the listings of properties offered for sale by participating real estate brokerages in a given geographical area.  MRIS serves more than 40,000 real estate professionals spanning the Mid-Atlantic region, including ... 07/19/2010

Chevy Chase - Freindship Heigths METRO Station - Market Report  July 2010 There are 71 homes in Maryland on the market FOR SALE or RENT within 1 mile of the Friendship Heights Metro Station at the time of this report (7/17/2010). Sixteen of those available are FOR RENT. The least expensive rental is a one bedroom condo  listed for $1,500. While there is a five bedroom on the market for rent, the most expensive rental is a two-bedroom two full bath one half bath apartment with two parking spaces listed for $8,000/month.  Fifty-five are on the market FOR SALE. The least expensive residence for sale is a studio apartment listed for $149,000, and is located just two blocks from the subway station.  The most expensive home FOR SALE is an four level eight-bedroom three full bath detached home... 07/17/2010

Chevy Chase, MD 20815 Zip Code Home Sales Statistics     Home owners and prospective purchasers want to know the trends of the local real estate market. The following statistics are for the past month and are compared with the same month last year. There were 57 new listings of homes for sale and 42 homes for sale went to pending new contracts. The sold dollar volume for the zip code was up 24.99% from last year. The number of homes sold and settled was 59 from 47 last year. The average time on the market was 67 days from 129 days last year. The average sale price was 91.03% of the average list price. The average sold price was $993,702. The median sold price was $892,000.      Please contact us if you wish to receive statistics for another zip code.  Blooming for Maryland home buyers. ... 07/13/2010

Gary & Diana Ditto’s Sold Report for Zip Code 20815 June 2010 Sorted by Subdivision & Close Price Address Style Subdivision List Price Close Date Close Price Seller Subsidy BR BA HB 4515 WILLARD AVE #1004S Traditional WILLGHBY OF CH $679,000 6/22/10 $627,500 3 2 0 4515 WILLARD AVE #1915S Contemporary WILLGHBY OF CH $285,000 6/10/10 $267,700 1 1 1 5500 FRIENDSHIP BLVD #1720N Contemporary WILLGHBY OF CH $215,000 6/1/10 $219,000 $10,585 0 1 0 4801 MORGAN DR Arts & Crafts WEST CHEVY CHASE $995,000 6/23/10 $995,000 5 3 0 4601 PARK AVE N #1103C Contemporary THE ELIZABETH $365,000 6/14/10 $360,000 2 1 1 5600 WISCONSIN AVE #1-1608 Contemporary SOMERSET HOUSE $1,750,000 6/1/10 $1,600,000 2 2 1 5600 WISCONSIN AVE #1-208 Contemporary SOMERSET HOUSE $1,625,000 6/25/10 $1,475,000 2 2 1 5600 WISCONS... 07/02/2010

Gary & Diana Ditto's Sold Report for Zip Code 20815June 2010Sorted by Subdivision & Close Price   Address   Style   Subdivision   List Price   Close Date   Close Price   Seller Subsidy   BR   BA   HB 4515 WILLARD AVE #1004S   Traditional   WILLGHBY OF CH   $679,000   6/22/10   $627,500       3   2   0 4515 WILLARD AVE #1915S   Contemporary   WILLGHBY OF CH   $285,000   6/10/10   $267,700       1   1   1 5500 FRIENDSHIP BLVD #1720N   Contemporary   WILLGHBY OF CH   $215,000   6/1/10   $219,000   $10,585   0   1   0   4801 MORGAN DR   Arts & Crafts   WEST CHEVY CHASE   $995,000   6/23/10   $995,000       5   3   0   4601 PARK AVE N #1103C   Contemporary   THE ELIZABETH   $365,000   6/14/10   $360,000       2   1   1   5600 WISCONSIN AVE #1-1608   Contemporary   SOMERSET HOUSE   $1,750,000... 07/01/2010

My neighbor listed her house about a year ago (not with me unfortunetly, or fortunetly depending on how you look at it but that's for another time). Anyway, the house was a mess, she was the daughter of the original owner and inherited it when they passed. She has been living there with her extended family (i.e. daughter, grand daughter etc.). NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING had been done to the house in 50 years. I'm talking original 50's tiles of varying shades of pink and yellow in the bathrooms. Commercial grade carpet over beautiful hardwood floors and a basement that had extensive water damage to the ceiling tiles from years of broken pipes and smelling like a smoke infested bar on a Saturday night. She originally listed her house for what homes in better shape in the neighborhood had... 06/30/2010

Chevy Chase, MD 20815 Zip Code Real Estate Statistics     Home owners and prospective purchasers want to know the trends of the local real estate market. The following statistics are for the past month and are compared with the same month last year. There were 61 new listings of homes for sale and 49 homes for sale went to pending new contracts. The sold dollar volume for the zip code was up 21.89% from last year. The number of homes sold and settled was 32 from 26 last year. The average time on the market was 51 days from 95 days last year. The average sale price was 97.59% of the average list price. The median sold price was $623,250.      Please contact us if you wish to receive statistics for another zip code.  Blooming for home buyers this summer. RealEstate Business Intelligence, ... 06/24/2010

Just listed! A new home in Kenwood Forest is available for you!  On Sunday, June 13 from 2 to 5, you should definately check out this new home in Kenwood Forest .  With two large bedrooms, two and a half updated baths, and lots of closets, including an extra walk in storage closet AND a pull down attic, this townhome has enough space for everyone. The kitchen has been updated too with granite counters, newer appliances, and a new floor and designer lighting.  The hardwood floors in the living room/dining room combination gleam in the sunlight which floods the windows of this end unit.   The French doors lead to the large patio in the rear which is surrounded by greenery and parkland.   Just a few steps will take you to the Norwood Park, one of the favorite community centers in Chevy Cha... 06/10/2010

I spoke with an investor yesterday who is looking for a "deal" - a foreclosure in Bethesda, MD or Chevy Chase, MD.  I just checked the multiple listing to see if there are any deals out there for my new client, and to be honest, I was surprised by what I found.   The first couple of foreclosures that I opened were what I expected. List price in the lower 200's and a tax assessment of $280 or $290.  Hardly will make anyone rich, but at least a buyer might feel that he was not paying at the top of the market.  Then I opened a few more and was surprised to see that the foreclosures were being listed for more than the tax assessment, and of course for more than the bank paid to buy the property back.  The one that drove me to stop looking at listings and to open my Active Rain account inste... 06/08/2010

1.  0 Hoopers Island Road, Church Creek MD - $4,100,000 Dorchester County 5 bedrooms, 4 full & 2 half bathrooms Waterfront 367 acres Listed By:  Benson & Mangold, LLC 2.  6601 Hillmead Rd, Bethesda MD - $2,570,000 Montgomery County 6 bedrooms, 6 full & 2 half bathrooms Listed By:  Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc 3.  4621 Muddy Creek Rd, Harwood MD - $2,502,500 Anne Arundel County 7 bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms Waterfront Listed By:  Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc 4.  117 Oxford Street, Chevy Chase MD - $2,500,000 Montgomery County 6 bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms New Construction Listed By:  Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage 5.  41567 Knight Road, Leonardtown MD - $2,182,000 Saint Mary's County 4 bedrooms, 3 full & 2 half bathrooms Listed By:  Century 21 New Millennium 6.  5111 Cape Cod Ct, Beth... 06/02/2010

Thursday Evenings in May, June & July6-8pmVeterans Park, corner of Woodmont & Norfolk Avenues 5/6    One Nite Stand, Variety Soul and Motown 5/13   Tom Principato, Original Rock and Blues 5/20   Wes Tucker & The Skillets, Original Alt Rock 5/27   Beat Hotel and The Bell Hop Horns, Rock, Soul, R&B 6/3    Gary and The Groove, Variety Pop 6/10   Nighthawks, Blues 6/17   Level 3, Variety Pop 6/24   Five Finger Discount, Variety Funk, New Swing 7/1     Texas Chainsaw Horns, New Swing, Rock 7/8     Cathy Ponton King, Original Roots Rock, Blues 7/15   Muskrat Sally, Delta Blues 7/22   The Crimestoppers, Classic Rock I propose a Kenwood Forest Kudo for this great program arranged for the Bethesda Urban Partnership! There are so many wonderful things to do in Bethesda and Chevy Chase as the sum... 05/19/2010

 I had a great meal this afternoon with my family at BGR, the Burger Joint, just a few minutes walk from Kenwood Forest. Located at 4827 Fairmont Ave. north of Old Georgetown, BGR, the Burger Joint, has been bringing smiles to Bethesda for nearly a year now.  My husband went classic with a delicious hamburger with Swiss cheese, cooked to order, and crispy onion rings.  According to the website for BGR the Burger Joint, their burgers are crafted with the finest beef on the planet. They only use grain-fed cattle; all natural, no hormones, fillers or antibiotics, and most importantly the cattle run free in the fields. The prime beef is dry aged (the amount of time is a closely guarded secret), blended and ground fresh. My daughter and I were a little more adventurous, and we tried the Gree... 05/16/2010

In April of 2010 there were 24 homes that closed within the month for 20815 Chevy Chase, Maryland.  This was an increase of 4 units, as there were 20 homes that closed in April of 2009.  The average list price for homes that closed in April of 2009 was $$1,030,644The average list price for homes that closed in April of 2010 was $947,807 The average sale price for the homes that closed in April 2009 was $918,867The average sale price for the homes that closed in April 2010 was $871,083 The average Days on Market for homes that closed in April 2009 was 142 days.The average Days on Market for homes that closed in April 2010 was 104 days. 50 homes went under contract in 20815 Chevy Chase in the month of April 2010.  The average list price of homes that went under contract was $876,988.  Th... 05/12/2010

Chevy Chase, MD 20815 Zip Code Real Estate Statistics     Home owners and prospective purchasers want to know the trends of the local real estate market. The following statistics are for the past month and are compared with the same month last year. There were 97 new listings of homes for sale and 59 homes for sale went to pending new contracts. The sold dollar volume for the zip code was up 27.74% from last year. The number of homes sold was 23 from 18 last year. The average time on the market was 110 days from 154 days last year. The average sale price was 88.02% of the average list price. The median sold price was $800,000.      Spring is blooming at Brookside Gardens in Montgomery County. RealEstate Business Intelligence, LLC.ZIP Code Statistics - Higher Price Segment Format ZIP Cod... 05/12/2010