Author: PoP Sponsor (a)

Once it was cutting edge; a few decades later, it was obsolete. Now, Crystal City has a golden opportunity to reinvent itself yet again — as National Landing — after Amazon chose the urban neighborhood in Arlington County as one of its two new headquarters.

“It’s a decision that I think will be a benchmark and a case study for many years to come,” says Uwe Brandes, faculty director of the Georgetown University Master’s program in Urban & Regional Planning.

Here, Brandes talks with Glenn Williamson, faculty director of the Master’s in Real Estate program, about the decision’s impact on Northern Virginia and the entire Washington, D.C. region.

Crystal City developer JBG Smith “had a portfolio of buildings that were obsolete, and they were like ugly ducklings,” Williamson said. “And what they’ve managed to do now with this property is to turn it into a beautiful swan.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=j0tZY-e2wfw

By Criminal Defense Attorney Jo-Anna Nieves of The Nieves Law Firm

In 2018 California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill that will abolish the cash bail requirement in California’s justice system.

It is something that Brown has been fighting for since 1979 and that gained momentum after a California appellate court deemed the court’s cash bail system to be unconstitutional. While cash bail will still be a part of the court system for the next year, it will be a thing of the past beginning in October 2019.

The new law has been named the California Money Bail Reform Act. Under the Act, individuals charged with a crime will no longer have to post cash bail in order to be released. Instead, the courts will determine if someone is eligible for release, or if they need to remain in custody.

Each jurisdiction will be responsible for creating their own formula to be used when making those decisions. That formula will include a number of different elements of each individual case. The courts will determine the likelihood of a defendant appearing for future court appearances, the severity of the crime and how likely the accused is to reoffend if released.

When the courts decide that someone could be released, that release may come with some conditions. Some individuals may have to agree to be monitored via GPS, while others may have to regularly meet with an officer.

“The bail system has been in need of reform and the new law took a step in the right direction in eliminating disparities in income when it comes to release” says Jo-Anna Nieves of The Nieves Law Firm.

“In the past only the rich have been able to pay for their freedom while those with financial challenges had to remain in custody. SB10 landed a blow to the cash bail system but the continuing concern is that it does not provide for presumptive release; instead, it allows judges to have subjective discretion to err on the side of preventative detention with the burden on the defense to prove otherwise.”

The new California law is similar to a cashless bail system in Washington, D.C., but there are differences between the two. In Washington, D.C., the majority of defendants can be released without cash bail. Prior to their release however, they must provide a signature bond, which is an agreement that they will appear for all future court hearings.

As in California, other conditions may also be attached to that release including meeting with a Pre-Trial Services worker, random drug testing, or orders to stay away from certain individuals.

Other defendants in Washington, D.C. however, are not so lucky. When the crime committed is considered to be serious, the defendant may still be required to post cash bail before being released.

It is this difference that truly separates the recent change in California law from the law in the nation’s capital, and makes California the first state to completely abolish cash bail altogether.

This column is written by Metro DC Houses, a local real estate team serving DC, MD, VA made up of Colin Johnson, the immediate past President for the D.C. Association of Realtors and Christopher Suranna, the current President for the D.C. Association of Realtors.

How does a real estate agent start their 2019?

Well, by shooting themselves in the foot; not really. It shouldn’t be a surprise to many that when it comes to selling one’s property, it turns into a little bit of a chest-beating moment.

You’ve probably heard people say they received “this” amount over list price or “that” many offers; yadda, yadda, at the end of the day it only takes two parties to tango, but how you get there is the dance. We were recently at a listing appointment and a potential seller asked if we could sell their property off market and we said sure but, WHY?

Now I’m sure people, especially agents, would love to jump at this chance. But I asked, what is the concern? Is it people having access to your home, time constraints or are you afraid that if you list your property for sale someone or, even worse, no one is going to like it?

I once had a much wiser mentor say to me “sales is like dating.” Now I’ll spare you the details, but let’s put it this way: you’re NOT likely going to the courthouse with the first person that catches your eye and in today’s market with the amount of eyes on a limited number of properties just think of all the potential catches that are available.

Now don’t chew my head off, I am sure a whole group of agents and buyers have purchased properties off plans (when building is pre-construction). Even then, others may be competing for a particular property and the seller is very commonly heavily directing pricing; usually the seller is more than knowledgeable on real estate conditions.

There are also lots of examples of 1031 exchanges, family exchanges, etc… but we wanted to look at the numbers for a traditional resale sale.

Is there a clear winner when an off-market property sale takes place? NO. We looked at 3 zip codes in D.C. — 20003, 20010 and 20011. We wanted an even mix of condo/coop sales, fee-simple (house) sales and enough data to really see if it matters, so we looked at all of the transactions in the past 60 days.

Now remember our blog is only 500 words and if you made it this far you’ve likely read more than 80% of our readers, high five, so I am going to keep it too the point.

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“Dear PoPville Readers:

I am one of the founding members of the DC Bocce League (started it way back in 2004!) and I’m curious to find out how many couples met playing in the League. We used to keep track of our “bocce couples” — players that met at bocce and eventually married — on our website.

Unfortunately as the League has grown, it’s been difficult to keep the page up to date. I’m putting out a call to your readers to find out who’s missing from this page! Add your comments to this post or send us an email at [email protected] to be included.

Full disclosure: I recently married and met my spouse playing bocce!

If you’re looking to meet area singles or just want an excuse to be social once a week, you can sign up to play in the DC Bocce League this winter. Play bocce indoors at one of these local bars:

• Tuesdays at Shaw’s Tavern (Shaw)
• Tuesdays at the G.O.A.T. (Arlington)
• Wednesdays at the American Legion (Capitol Hill)
• Thursdays at Lou’s City Bar (Columbia Heights)
• Thursdays at Buffalo Billiards (Dupont Circle)

Use discount code COUPLES to get $20 off registration.

Readers — thanks for your help. Maybe we’ll see you at bocce this winter!

Cheers!

Sarah D.”

By Personal Injury Attorney Clayton T. Hasbrook of Hasbrook & Hasbrook

With so many states legalizing recreational and medicinal marijuana, police officers are now facing a problem.

More people under the influence of drugs are driving on the roads, threatening their own life as well as those of others. It is an issue police departments around the country have been trying to grapple with for years. Now, some of those states just got an answer.

Delaware, Guam, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Oklahoma and West Virginia recently received federal funding to help law enforcement get drug-impaired drivers off of the roads.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) made the announcement awarding the federal grants in December of 2018. In total, $100,000 in grants was awarded.

The funding from the grants will go directly to law enforcement in those states. It will allow police departments to hire more officers, and train them specifically in recognizing drivers under the influence of drugs.

Officers will receive training in identifying opioids and marijuana, among other types of drugs. Once law enforcement is able to identify the signs that someone has used drugs, they can then take them off the road.

“This type of funding is so important,” says Clayton T. Hasbrook of Hasbrook & Hasbrook, “and more states are likely going to need it in the future. Driving under the influence causes too many accidents every day around the country. It can devastate lives and leave people with serious injuries. Our law enforcement needs proper training to help prevent that from happening.”

The six grants recently given to the different states were the second major federal funding grants given around the country. Idaho, Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont also received similar grants in 2018.

The Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility will manage the latest rounds of grants provided.

The news is good not only for the states that received the funding, but also those that may want to apply for similar grants in the future. In the statement, the GHSA said all 11 jurisdictions that asked for grants in 2018 have now received funding.

With so many state governments wishing to make their roads safer by preventing drug-impaired driving, federal funding may be there to help with the problem.

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Georgetown Events, a D.C. based restaurant group, will be participating in this years Winter Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week (January 14 – Sunday, January 20, 2019) with restaurants Millie’s and Due South. Join them for delicious three-course menus ($22 for lunch and $35 for dinner) during one of D.C.’s most anticipated weeks of the year!

Millie’s, recognized as a 2019 Michelin Bib Gourmand, features fresh coastal fare with a Nantucket vibe. Choose from a creative mix of tacos, quesadillas, salads and seasonal entrees like their grilled branzino served with green olive tapenade, tomato sherry vinaigrette and lemony greens or the crispy salmon with wild mushrooms, lentils, caramelized pearl onions and sautéed spinach.

Due South, located in the heart of D.C.’s Navy Yard, honors traditional southern cuisine and genuine hospitality. The Restaurant Week menu includes tasty options and favorites from their southern-inspired menu such as their sweet tea brined half chicken, shrimp & grits with sautéed kale and tasso ham gravy, butternut barley bowl with brussel sprouts and shiitake mushrooms and an in-house smoked Carolina style pulled pork platter.

View Millie’s and Due South’s special Restaurant Week lunch and dinner menus at RWDMV.com. Reservations can be made through RWDMV.com and Open Table. Ready, set, book!

Follow @milliesdc, @duesouthdc and @georgetownevents for all the delicious updates.