Dear PoPville – Held Hostage by the American Dream

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user philliefan99

“Dear PoPville,

Held Hostage by the American Dream, Home Ownership

I can’t be the only one this has happened to so I’m writing to get advice and to find out what others have done in similar situations. I have a rental property that I formally lived in (bought in 2003) and had to move from due to family issues. I bought another house (in 2008) that I currently live in and I have been renting out the original house since then, mostly at a loss, since it’s been upside down in the current market.

The first tenants were great and I was happy despite the loss. Those tenants moved for work. The tenants that live in the rental house now, haven’t been as easy or pleasant. Additionally, in this market the rent continues to cover the mortgage less and less so that I’m losing more and more. I’ve also hired a prop manager and so I’m losing, still, more. I’m pretty unhappy with the prop manager anyway. So the situation is that the tenants are difficult, the property manager is inefficient enough so that I’m still dealing with the rental house almost every day, and with the diminishing rental income the mortgage is no where near getting paid for without me personally subsidizing it every month.

At this point, I am losing a significant amount of money each month (and sanity) and trying to figure out what to do with this rental property – a short sale seems so unlikely and long term, especially with these tenants in the house. If the tenants are out of the house (ideal for selling), then how can I afford both mortgages, does that mean foreclosure for sure? Everyone talks about stopping the payment of the mortgage to the rental house but that seems like a road once started you can’t change.

I’ve tried several recommends on attorneys to get guidance but have gotten no where. Very few will return calls and so many are either title attorneys or landlord/tenant attorneys. They really have no practical experience with “investment” (hardly my idea of the word) properties. Any of the short sale attorneys I see online and one I’ve talked to personally seem to be bankruptcy attorneys and so far seem to push that – which is not where I’m hoping to go. Who can I talk to without paying $300/hr to find out if I believe in the attorney or not. Who else out there has gone through this? It feels like I’ll have to jump off and learn the hard way since I can’t get any decent answers up front.”

Weekly Art Lens by Beth Shook

By Prince Of Petworth


Theodore Halkin, Homage to Archimboldo, 1970, oil, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the S.W. and B.M. Koffler Foundation. On view this weekend at the SAAM.

Portraiture Now: Asian American Portraits of Encounter
Featuring works by seven artists from Asia or of Asian descent, this will be the first Smithsonian exhibition to focus on contemporary Asian American portraiture. According to the NPG press release, the art on view aims to both counter existing stereotypes about the Asian American experience and offer a more nuanced exploration of transnational identity. Portraits of Encounter was co-organized by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program.
Where: National Portrait Gallery (Metro: Gallery Place-Chinatown or Metro Center)
When: Aug. 12 to Oct. 14.
How Much: Free

Paint, Canvas, Walls, People
A minimalist exhibition of work by Thomas Canavan and Arijit Das closes this weekend at the Lamont Bishop Gallery. While both artists hang their art on the gallery walls, they are more interested in conceptual experiments than the final product. With his blank canvases accompanied by text, Canavan asks viewers to meditate on their own expectations for a painting. Das takes a more personal and expressive approach by painting abstract compositions that appear both meticulous and unplanned. The two artists team up in Sorry, Sol, an amusing take on the wall drawings of Sol LeWitt.
Where: Lamont Bishop Gallery (Metro: Mt. Vernon Square or Shaw-Howard Univ.)
When: Until Aug. 13. Closing reception on Aug. 13 from 8 to 11 p.m. including live painting by Das and other artists.
How Much: Free

Continues after the jump. (more…)

Scuttlebutt Confirmed: 4 Fields (4Ps) Closing in Nov. in Cleveland Park

By Prince Of Petworth

A couple of weeks ago I shared some scuttlebutt that 4 Fields (formerly 4Ps) would be closing in Nov. at 3412 Connecticut Ave, NW in Cleveland Park. The owner confirms on the Cleveland Park listserv:

Friends,

Sadly the rumors are true. It is with heavy heart and with much regret for me to inform you that Ireland’s Four Fields will close on November 5, 2011. Unfortunately, the requested increase in monthly demands will not make it economically feasible to remain at this location. It is my understanding that the building will be leased to a chain restaurant.

Ireland’s Four Fields (the old 4P’s) has been a member and a proud contributor to the DC community and especially to Cleveland Park for over 35 years. We are a neighborhood and a DC icon. We have been host for numerous events: fundraisers, reunions, receptions and wakes, among other things. Many, many wonderful memories were made here. I discovered many years ago that no matter how far I traveled, I would always run into someone that had either been here or had heard of us.

As for me, I have come full circle. I opened the doors to the 4P’s in 1976 as manager, one of the few Irish restaurants at that time, and I will now be here the day the doors close.

My intentions are to reopen at a different location and I have several options which I am currently exploring. I will be sure to keep everyone updated.

I would like especially to thank all of you for your continued patronage and friendship over the years. I have enjoyed meeting all of you. I hope to see all of you before we close.

Slainte,
Frank

The owner mentions that he hears the space will be leased to a “chain restaurant”. Back in Nov. I heard a McFadden’s had leased the space. I’ve heard a little bit more scuttlebutt on that front. I am still hearing that the ownership behind McFadden’s has leased the space but there is actually a different concept planned. So it is very unlikely that we’ll see a clone of McFadden’s on Pennsylvania Ave, NW set up shop here. It’s not even clear what the new name will be. In Nov. I’ll try to get more details. And if 4 Fields finds a new location, I’ll be sure to update that info as well.

Random Reader Rant and/or Revel

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user caroline.angelo

You can talk about whatever is on your mind – quality of life issues, a beautiful tree you spotted, scuttlebutt, or any random questions/thoughts you may have. I’ll open this thread every morning at 10am.

Major Police Presence Around 16th and Euclid St, NW last night Resolved Peacefully

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo courtesy of PoPville twitter follower @SplitPDC

“Dear PoP,

On my walk home tonight there were a ton of police officers, fire trucks, and ambulances all over the place. The roads were barricaded off and they weren’t letting people down Euclid St, Mozart St, 17th St, and Fuller St. One police officer told me that it was barricaded because someone was threatening to hurt themselves and other people. Do you have any idea what was going on? Or if the situation was resolved?”

I try to cover incidents like this, as info becomes available, on twitter @PoPville here. At first all we heard was that there was some type of barricade situation going on. Following is the official word from MPD:

“We received a call to assist The Dept of Health and Human Services and there were threats made to one of the workers.

All ended well and no arrests at this time.”

Fruits (and Vegetables) of Your Labors – Vol. 8 and 9 – Trinidad and Bloomingdale

By Prince Of Petworth

From above:

“Attached is our Sunday harvest of basil, tomatoes, and peppers from our garden in Trinidad, NE.”

If your garden has been kind to you, send a couple of photos with your neighborhood to princeofpetworth(at)gmail with Fruits (and Vegetables) of Your Labors in the subject line.

From above:

“This is my friend’s garden in Bloomingdale. While most of the tomatoes have been picked, he has some nice-looking peppers and brussel sprouts coming soon. And a surprise watermelon! There are also a lot of delicious looking squash blossoms out front and planters full of herbs. It’s been a great summer for him!”

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