2019 was a great year at Go Brent! We added to the team, worked with amazing clients, opened our storefront at 914 Sliver Spring Ave, and MORE! Cheers to 2020 events, partnerships, and a very Happy New Year!
Market Updates
Check out this article from The Washington Post. We’re definitely seeing these trends here in our area.
Americans are staying put in record numbers. Because we have virtually no buildable land in close-in Montgomery County, buyers are dependent on turnover of existing homes. Thankfully we saw an increase of homes sold in 20912 and 20910 but also a deep dive for 20901 which is a much more affordable zip code.
Upcoming Events
Do you want to refresh or renovate, maybe build an addition, or move to a home that “has it all”?
We’ll have a crew of experts on hand to offer free consults, so come explore the options you might consider for your current home.
Join Go Brent’s Debbie Gerald and Caliber Home Loans’ Branch Manager Ramez Fahmy for this free event.
When: Wednesday, November 13 from 7:00-8:30 PM 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 to-do list includes buying a house or condo now or in the future, 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!
Join Go Brent’s Debbie Gerald and Caliber Home Loans’ Branch Manager Ramez Fahmy for this free event.
When: Wednesday, September 18 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 to-do list includes buying a house or condo now or in the future, 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!
As a native Washingtonian, Natalie Thomas has grown up in Silver Spring’s Woodside Park and had even purchased her first home in Woodside Forest. She definitely knows her way around from boutiques to bakeries and everything in between.
Get to know Natalie in this latest agent spotlight as she takes you through her favorite spots in and around the DC-Metro area.
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Growing up here and having been fortunate enough to travel to various cities, I have really come to appreciate the beauty and diversity of our metropolitan area and just how much it has to offer. There is a little something for everyone here – whether urban, suburban, waterfront, or mountains – our metropolitan area has it all.
While we live in a very transient area, I have come to love this about our area because it brings people from all over the world together! I can’t imagine living anywhere else.
TEMPT YOUR TASTEBUDS: FOOD SPOTS!
More of a foodie? Well, the food scene just keeps getting better. With so many different cultural influences in this city, no cuisine is left unturned.
PassionFish – Bethesda
Barcelona – Cathedral Heights
Buena Vida – Silver Spring
Where do your tastebuds take you for a nice dinner out with family or friends?
Barcelona – 14th St or Cathedral Commons (DC)
Mi Rancho, Olazzo (Silver Spring)
Blacks Market (Kensington)
Le Diplomate (14th St)
What are of your favorite places to order in from?
Amina Thai (Silver Spring) – Grubhub delivers.
Jewel of India (Silver Spring) – Postmates delivers.
Spring Garden (Silver Spring) – Free delivery.
Favorite Happy Hour spots?
Urban Butcher (Silver Spring)
Mrs. Ks (Silver Spring)
Olazzo (Silver Spring)
Ruths Chris (Bethesda)
Blacks (Bethesda)
Gringos & Mariachis (Bethesda)
Jaleos (Bethesda/DC)
PassionFish (Bethesda)
Favorite Mexican Restaurants?
Lauriol Plaza (Adams Morgan)
Gringos & Mariachis (Bethesda)
Mi Rancho (Silver Spring)
Uncle Julios (Bethesda)
What’s the best breakfast or brunch spot in the area?
Buena Vida – Great brunch spot – unlimited small plates (Silver Spring)
La Pain Quotidien (Bethesda)
LET’S TALK SHOPPING!
Wildwood Center
Friendship Heights
Reddz Trading
Where’s the best shopping in the town? Are there any good boutiques?
Friendship Heights (DC) – Great combination of high-end retail mixed with off-price apparel chains like Marshalls and TJ Maxx. My favorite part of shopping in Friendship Heights is having access to all different types of retail while being able to pop in and out of shops and enjoy the outdoors.
Reddz Trading (Bethesda) – Second hand designer clothing store. Unique designer finds at unbeatable prices.
Wildwood Center (Bethesda) – Mix of boutiques and designer stores.
GET ACTIVE!
Love the great outdoors and mountains? Within an hour you can be hiking at the Shenandoah National Park or sipping wine at a vineyard with mountain views. Our nation’s Capital is full of history from the Capitol, to the White House, to the monuments or museums.
Gravelly Point Park
OrangeTheory – Silver Spring
Billy Goat Trail
Are there any good hikes or bike trails?
C&O Canal (DC) – Hiking and biking
Great Falls (MD) – Billy Goat Trail
Rock Creek Pkwy (MD) – Hiking and biking
Harpers Ferry (VA)
Gravelly Point Park (DC) – Great walking/biking trails
Patapsco Valley State Park (MD) – Great hikes
Sugar Loaf Mountain (MD) – Hiking
Theodore Roosevelt Island (DC) – Walking
Are there any recommendations for workout classes in the area?
Yoga: Blue Heron Wellness (Silver Spring)
Pure Barre (Silver Spring)
Orange Theory (Silver Spring)
LOCAL BREWS & SIPS
Denizens Brewing Company
3 Stars Brewing Company
Kaldi’s Social House
So many to choose from. What are some of your favorite local breweries?
Denizens (MD) – I love that you can bring your dog and sit outside.
3 Stars Brewing Company (DC) – love that you can bring in your own food and get a cold beer.
Best coffee spots in the area?
Kaldis (Silver Spring)
Blue Bottle Coffee (DC – Wharf) – AMAZING DRIP COFFEE
HAVE A SWEET TOOTH?
Pie Sisters
JennyCakes Bakery
Dolcezza
What’s the best bakery in town?
Nothing Bundt Cakes (Silver Spring)
Jenny Cakes Bakery (Kensington)
Baked & Wired (Georgetown)
Pie Sisters (Georgetown)
Tout de Sweet Shop (Bethesda)
Velatis (Silver Spring)
Dolcezza (DC)
District Donut (DC)
FUN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD!
The best part about our city is that most of these activities are free and can be enjoyed through so many means of transportation – kayaking, paddle boarding, biking, scootering, or even a Segway tour!
Great Falls
Eastern Market
Union Market
What are fun weekend activities to do in the neighborhood?
Farmer’s Market
Kayak/Paddle Board (DC)
Yoga Class/Barre Class
Union Market (DC)
Museums (DC)
Vineyards/Breweries
Hikes/Biking
Favorite Farmers Markets?
Silver Spring
Capitol Hill – Eastern Market
Are there any cool historical spots worth visiting?
Pretty much anything downtown! White House / Capitol / Museums / Monuments, etc.
What’s your favorite park to take the kids and / or pet to or just take a scroll in?
Great Falls – It’s by far my favorite walk in the area…gorgeous/scenic views.
Interested in keeping up with Natalie? Follow her on instagram!
Ready to stop renting and buy your first home? Let us open the door for you!
If buying a home or condo is on your to-do list, then put our free First-Time Homebuyer on your calendar. Join our experts, Go Brent’s Debbie Gerald and Caliber Home Loans’ Branch Manager Ramez Fahmy, for this free seminar.
When: Tuesday, April 30 from 7:00-8:30PM Where: Silver Spring Civic Center in downtown Silver Spring
We’ll discuss the ins and outs of purchasing and financing your first home. This is a great opportunity to learn about the buying process and ask any questions you may have.
Pleasesign-up in advance. There is no cost or obligation, just plenty of information!
Can’t attend but would like to learn more, contact Debbie Gerald.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
Join Go Brent’s Debbie Gerald and Caliber Home Loans’ Ramez Fahmy for a free First-Time Homebuyer Seminar.
We’ll discuss the ins and outs of purchasing and financing your first home/condo. If you’ve been thinking about buying in the near future, this is a great opportunity to ask questions and learn about the buying process.
When: Saturday, October 27 from 10:00-11:30AM Where: Silver Spring Civic Center in downtown Silver Spring
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.
Missing Middle Housing are residential structures such as bungalows, duplexes, triplexes, etc. — dwellings that have have become quite uncommon for developers over the last 70 years. The Montgomery County Planning Department recently presented their Missing Middle Housing Study to the Planning Board on Sept 20, 2018, a study addressing the absence of MMH structures within Montgomery County and their case to revive them within the county’s current housing needs.
The study also recognizes the challenges that should arise if missing middle housing were to be developed within the county’s current housing state but also presents the positive potential it would have for the county’s increasing population, as well as the opportunities it would have for those residents who seek more affordable housing options.
“I wish we had zoning that would encourage highest and best use for housing; we can’t fix our workforce housing shortage without zoning changes,” says Liz Brent. “Who are we to determine when development stops? Are we really prepared to say to the people who fight our fires, provide our emergency services, work in our restaurants, and teach our children that we don’t care how far they have to travel to get to their jobs?”
From the Montgomery County Planning Department’s Press Release:
“It’s clear from the study that, currently, the smaller developers who could create most of the Missing Middle housing types are finding it difficult to do that here,” says Paul Mortensen, a senior urban designer in the Planning Director’s office, who co-authored the report. “The study indicates ways we can streamline the development process for these housing types because the needs of the county are changing and there is a huge market demand for this type of adaptable housing.”
