Hanukkah Celebrations in Metro DC

This time of year not only brings the festivities of Christmas but also the wonderful celebration of Hanukkah. From About.com, here is a list of Hanukkah festivities that will happen now through December 25 in the Greater Washington, DC area.

Clicking on any of the links will take you to a website with more information.

National Menorah Lighting

December 20, 2011, 4 p.m. The Ellipse, 1600 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC (202) 332-5600. Celebrate the beginning of Hanukkah with speeches, music, activities for kids and the lighting of the National Menorah by Rabbi Levi Shemtov. This event is free, but tickets are required.

JCC Gallery Art Show & Sale
December 4-25, 2011. Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington, 6125 Montrose Road, Rockville, Maryland (301) 881-0100. Shop for decorative home items, jewelry, stained and fused glass, paintings, menorahs/chanukiot, quilting, textiles and fiber, challah covers, mezuzot, seder plates and more.

JCC Chanukah Celebration

December 18, 2011, 6-7:30 p.m., Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington, 6125 Montrose Road, Rockville, Maryland 301-348-3880. Celebrate Chanukah with lots of latkes (potato pancakes) and loads of fun, all leading up to a premiere screening of Chanukah: The Missing Menorah, a new series from the creators of Sesame Street.

Hanukkah Celebration at Bethesda Row
December 22, 2011. Bethesda and Woodmont Ave., Bethesda, MD. The family-friendly event features live music, entertainment, hot latkes and chocolate gelt. Sponsored by Chabad of Bethesda-Chevy Chase.

Matzo Ball
December 24, 2011. 9 p.m. Eden, 1716 I St NW Washington, DC. $30. Singles Hanukkah party organized by the Society of Young Jewish Professionals.

Hanukkah Festival in Alexandria

December 25, 2011 6 p.m. Crown Plaza Hotel, 901 N Fairfax Street Alexandria, VA. Chabad Lubavitch of Alexandria-Arlington sponsors a Menorah Lighting, dreidels, lakes and donuts. (703)370-2774.

Hands on Hanukkah at the JCC

December 25, 2011, 11 a.m-3 p.m. Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia, 8900 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax, VA 22031 (703) 323-0880. The event includes arts and crafts, games and activities, moon bounce, face painting, balloon artist and more.

No matter what traditions you celebrate, I wish you Happy Holidays and a prosperous, healthy and happy New Year!

Contact me, Mynor Herrera, today for expert help buying or selling in the DC, MD, & VA areas! I also specialize in Bethesda and Chevy Chase, as well as the sub-divisions of Rosemary Hills, Rock Creek Forest, East Bethesda and Whitehall Condominium.

Great Holiday Gifts Outdoors in Downtown DC

If you’d like to buy your holiday gifts from local artisans and vendors without leaving Metro DC, head over to the annual Downtown DC Holiday Market. You’ll find abundant choices of unique gifts for all the people in your life, and you’ll get to spend some time outdoors while buying.

The Holiday Market is a seasonal outdoor shopping event held annually in DC's Penn Quarter neighborhood. Each week about 50 artisans and exhibitors rotate through the market, with about 180 total vendors participating. Items for sale include fine art, pottery, photography, jewelry, crafts, clothing and specialty foods.

Some of the local artisans who will participate include:

• De Nada Design - Handmade knits for men and women
• TORO MATA - Art of Peru
• 8th Street Soap Kitchen - Handcrafted soaps
• Smashing Jewels - Contemporary jewelry
• Janice's Table – European textiles
• Dangerously Delicious DC - Specialty food items
• J. Chocolatier - Chocolates, truffles, and toffee
• One Mango Tree – Fair-trade items
• Jonathan Blum - Portrait painter
• Carrie Saxl Jewelry – Jewelry

There is also musical entertainment for every taste by renowned local artists such as:

• Grammy-nominated Christylez Bacon (progressive hip hop)
• Dave Chappell (guitar)
• Flo Anito (jazz-pop)
• Gina DeSimone (swing)
• Glorious Sounds of the United House of Prayer (gospel brass)
• Janine Wilson & Max Evans (acoustic roots)
• Kid Goat (indie rock)
• Seth Kibel (jazz)
• The Sweater Set (folk)

Whether you’re in Bethesda, Chevy Chase or another local community, you’ll find something great at this year’s Market. The event runs from December 2 to 23, 2011 and is open from noon to 8:00 p.m. You’ll find it on the sidewalk of F Street, NW between 7^th and 9^th Streets, which is easily accessible from the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro Station. See the Market's website for more information.

Beautiful and distinctive gifts right in your own back yard—another great advantage of living in the DC area. Contact me, Mynor Herrera, today for expert help buying or selling in the DC, MD, & VA areas! I also specialize in Bethesda and Chevy Chase, as well as the sub-divisions of Rosemary Hills, Rock Creek Forest, East Bethesda and Whitehall Condominium.

Realtor.com survey: Holidays are 'good time to sell'

I have often been asked if a house for sale should be pulled off the market during the holiday season. My answer has always been consistent, "No! Houses still sell during the holiday season."

Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. For instance, if sellers are going to be hosting a lot of family or if they really like to go overboard with the decorations, then maybe it's best to take it off the market for a few weeks. However, for the most part, a Christmas tree or holiday decorations tend to generate a warm and fuzzy feeling with a potential buyer that can play a big role in an emotionally charged decision.

While there may be less potential buyers looking, there is also less competition. Plus, the buyers that are out are probably very serious. Otherwise, they would be waiting in line to buy an iPhone4 at the Apple Store along with everyone else. My final point is that every day that it's not on the market is a day that the house could've sold. You can't sell a house if it's not on the market!

Apparently, my colleagues agree. Click below for more details...and Happy Holidays!

Realtor.com survey: Holidays are 'good time to sell'

Contact me, Mynor Herrera, today for expert help buying or selling in the DC, MD, & VA areas! I also specialize in Bethesda and Chevy Chase, as well as the sub-divisions of Rosemary Hills, Rock Creek Forest, East Bethesda and Whitehall Condominium.

Cool Light Displays in the Metro DC Area



Photo Courtesy of National Zoo Website

 There are so many wonderful holiday activities in Bethesda and the surrounding area, including some great holiday light displays. Two of the nicer displays are ZooLights at The National Zoo in Washington, DC and Symphony of Lights at Symphony Woods in Columbia, MD.

ZooLights shows off many of the zoo’s most popular animals, built larger-than-life and constructed of LED lights. The LED lights are environmentally friendly and use about 90 percent less energy than traditional light bulbs. The event also offers hands-on activities, food, and other entertainment.

A new activity this year is an “Iceless” Skating Rink. Located at the Zoo’s picnic pavilion, this is among the best of the world’s eco-friendly synthetic ice skating surfaces. The “ice” is actually a special polymer that lets skate blades glide the same way they would on real ice. The price is pretty smooth, too--$5.00 for a 30-minute session.

ZooLights is open 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. nightly from December 16, 2011 to January 1, 2012 (except 12/24, 12/25 and 12/31). The event is free, but you will have to pay for parking: $9.00 for zoo members and $16.00 for non-members. See the National Zoo's website for more details.

For 18 years, Symphony of Lights has offered a wonderful holiday experience for those in Maryland and Virginia—and you don’t have to get out of your car!  In 20 to 30 minutes, you’ll drive past over 70 animated and stationary light creations that, like ZooLights, are larger-than-life.

The price for a car or van of up to 8 passengers is $20.00; vehicles seating 9 to 24 passengers pay $45.00; and larger busses that seat 25 or more will pay $125.00. You can find more information at their website.

There’s always something to do in the DC area, but the holidays offer some special ways to have a wonderful time. Contact me, Mynor Herrera, today for expert help buying or selling in the DC, MD, & VA areas! I also specialize in Bethesda and Chevy Chase, as well as the sub-divisions of Rosemary Hills, Rock Creek Forest, East Bethesda and Whitehall Condominium.

Client Appreciation Fall Festival

Having a great time at the Fall Festival!

I recently hosted my annual client appreciation event and had a great time with many of my clients. We had wine, lunch, a hayride and ran wild all over Sharps Farm! Two lucky clients won stays at my beach condos! Hope to see more of you next year!

Click here to see photos - Provided by my good friend Jessica DelVecchio, Wedding & Portrait Photography – 202-744-3746. She's perfect for your holiday cards & gifts!

Special thanks also to those who ensure business runs smoothly:

• Roger Dennis, MetLife Home Loans - With rates this low, it's a GREAT time to buy or refinance! Contact me at 202 904 9573.
• Krauthamer & Stahl, Attorneys at Law - We concentrate in wills, estates, trusts, elder law, real estate and small business representation. Contact us at 301 656 0045 for a consultation.

Contact me, Mynor Herrera, today for expert help buying or selling in the DC, MD, & VA areas! I also specialize in Bethesda and Chevy Chase, as well as the sub-divisions of Rosemary Hills, Rock Creek Forest, East Bethesda & Whitehall Condominium.

5 Free Apps That Will Save You Money This Holiday Season!

Here is a little something that will help you save up for a new house! :-)

A Place to Learn History, Ride a Trolley—and See Santa!

Just outside of Chevy Chase is the National Capital Trolley Museum where history and fun meet for a very good time. A visit here takes you back to a time when the building, maintenance and operation of street cars were the focus of most of the nation’s workforce.

The Museum’s website states that they exist “to collect and preserve artifacts of electrical street railways and to interpret their impact upon the development of communities in the Washington DC region.“ A stroll through this wonderful museum offers lots of interesting information.

In the Main Hall you’ll learn about the street car’s influence on communities and see working models of the street cars in the Chevy Chase of the 1930’s. The Conduit Hall shows off the different parts that made up the cars and how electricity was both made and transmitted so they could move. You’ll see actual street cars in Street Car Hall, with many from this region and some from Europe.

Once you’ve learned some history, you can step outside and take a ride on a real street car. The ride takes passengers into the woods and back in time by a century or so to see how Maryland and Virginia looked to riders at that time.

  

The Museum’s annual Holly Trolley Fest begins on November 26 and runs Saturdays and Sundays through December 18. The kids will love that Santa rides (and sometimes drives!) the trolleys between 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., and there’s also a Christmas Garden with a toy train display set up on Museum grounds. 

You can find the National Capital Trolley Museum in Northwest Branch Park, 1313 Bonifant Road, Colesville, MD.  Adult admission is $7.00, children ages 2-17 and seniors 65 and older pay $5.00. For more information, call them at 301-384-6088 or go to dctrolley.org. There are few other places where you can have so much fun for so little money. Plan to bring a camera!

If you lived here, you’d never run out of things to do! Contact me, Mynor Herrera, today for expert help buying or selling in the DC, MD, & VA areas! I also specialize in Bethesda and Chevy Chase, as well as the sub-divisions of Rosemary Hills, Rock Creek Forest, East Bethesda & Whitehall Condominium.