Over the months we have sent you newsletters full of information on the Washington scene: from museums to restaurants, gardens to music venues. But, we understand if you have not have kept all of them and are happy to provide you the links to check them out again and keep them for reference.
- Spotlight on a Sponsor – An interview with Michel Laudier on the State of the Real Estate Market
- Find useful information in the Comité Tricolore’s "catalogue"
- Did you Know? The original catalogue of the Samaritaine
Interview with Michel Laudier
The State of the Real Estate Market
https://michel-laudier.weichert.com/
mlaudier@gmail.com
Q: Are we in a Seller’s or a Buyer’s market or both?
A: If you intend to sell your home, this is the right time. There are not enough houses on the market and we have not been so low on listings in the last ten years.
People who need to buy a house today, and know where they want to live have very few choices.
Q: We are hearing of buyers bidding way over the asking price to make sure they get the house of their choice. Is this wise?
A: Yes, but there is a limit as the house must appraise at that price: the banks are going to give you a loan only up to the real current value of the home. If it appraises lower than your bidding price, you will have to come up with the difference.
Q: If you are a buyer would it be better to wait until the market stabilizes?
A: If you are a buyer that means you need to live somewhere, so the smartest move for the long-term is to buy, especially if you intend to live in the area of your choice for a long time. Today the main issue is interest rates. Each time the rates go up, you get priced out and qualify for less. This year rates might go up 5 to 7 times, which is the other reason why buyers are eager to get into a contract sooner rather than later.
Q: How to make sure you get the property you want under these conditions?
A: Some buyers hope to get the property by coming up with a cash offer. Weichert has a program to help buyers do just that. I can explain the way it works. If you are interested just email me at: mlaudier@gmail.com
Q: What if you sell to buy another property?
A: You will be buying at a high price, but you will have sold at a high price as well. It evens out.
Q: What if you want to buy a house as an investment?
A: There are two types of investors: those who want to renovate and flip the house will find this more difficult due to the shortage of materials and increased costs.
Those who want to rent a property also see condo fees and real estate taxes going up, and need to be careful about the trends in the rental market.
Q: Thank you Michel, do you have anything else you want us to know?
A:Just this PDF document to help you prepare your house for Spring!
Find useful information in the Comité Tricolore "catalogue"
Over the months we have sent you newsletters full of information on the Washington scene: from museums to restaurants, gardens to music venues, etc. But, we understand if you have not have kept all of them.
So we have on purpose titled this newsletter Keep the Comité Tricolore Catalogue so that you can easily search your mail for the links to these articles.
We will start with the last one, when we had been very optimistic about the weather and offered you a list of gardens and outdoor activities…that you might want to enjoy in the weeks to come!
Parks and Gardens
https://www.comite-tricolore.org/Of-Gardens-and-Flowers
Music
https://www.comite-tricolore.org/Music-Heals-the-Soul-110
Museums
https://www.comite-tricolore.org/Let-s-Go-We-ll-Tell-You-Where
The CT offers a wealth of information on our website at: https://www.comite-tricolore.org/-Sponsors-and-Partners- regarding the French-American organizations and businesses of our area.
This is also the place to go to get to know the French restaurants and delicious places where you can find real French food for your pantry.
Finally go to our website to see all the events organized by our members at: https://www.comite-tricolore.org/Agenda
Our Next Dinner is on April 21st at Bastille Brasserie!
Join us for a fun evening amongst friends of the Comité Tricolore and meet the Chefs!
Bastille Brasserie & Bar offers an elevated dining experience, featuring delectable French-inspired cuisine in a relaxing and comforting atmosphere. Founded by Chefs Christophe and Michelle Poteaux, their creations are sparked by the use of seasonal, locally-sourced, and farm fresh ingredients. They have created a special menu for us.
Click here to register and review the delicious menu
Easter is around the corner, check out the Washingtonian article about the restaurants around DC that are serving family-friendly feasts...and the first one on the list is no other than Bastille!
The original catalogue of the Samaritaine
From a pump house built in 1607 and decorated with a statue of a Samaritan woman to the extraordinary elegance of today’s renovation, La Samaritaine store has followed the transformations of French society.
Started in 1870 by Mr Cognacq, and his wife Mrs Jay, a feminist before her time, they created one of the most iconic French department stores.
Their catalogues would rival the American Sears catalog, with goods from fashion to furniture, fabric samples and sales items. Henceforth, what became a French slogan:
“On trouve tout à la Samaritaine”.
Unfortunately these catalogues have fallen victim to the Internet and shopping online!
The store closed in 2005, but was bought by LVMH, the French conglomerate specializing in luxury goods, who restored it to its former luxurious glamour!
The Japanese architecture studio SANAA restored the magnificent Art Nouveau decors, glass roof and, of course, the many restaurants (12 of them). It has become one of the must see places on tourist circuits of Paris.
