clean roomate

“Dear PoPville,

My roommate is moving out, and I’m going to be looking for a new one. How can I find a roommate that’s actually clean? With my last search, I stressed that I like common areas clean, and explained that the photos with my ad were how clean I keep it normally (which was genuinely clean and uncluttered). Each person I was considering said that they liked it that clean as well, but I still ended up with a messy roommate. Is there a way to tell if someone is actually clean from the short time you meet them? I don’t know if I want to shell out for a weekly cleaning service, but are the only options that or living alone?”


dmv

“Dear PoPville,

I need to renew my license at the end of the month but am currently under contract to purchase a home with a closing date set for the end of next month.

Can/should I attempt to renew the license at the DMV with my (potentially) new address? Or might there be a way to get a temporary license while I’m in limbo between homes?

Any advice or past examples would be greatly appreciated!”


kitchen
Photo by PoPville flickr user hellomarkers!

“Dear PoPville,

We’re planning to renovate the kitchen and master bathroom in our apartment and I’m wondering which features will add the most value and attract the most buyers. For example, is a shower/tub combo a must in a master bath or would people prefer a luxury shower instead? What about a double vanity vs a single? Will a gas stove be the most desirable? What counter top materials do people prefer? Any other must-haves in a modern kitchen/bath renovation that we wouldn’t typically think of? We obviously want to design the space to meet our needs and style, but we also want to keep in mind re-sell potential in the next 5-10 years.”


keys
Photo by PoPville flickr user laurabl

“Dear PoPville,

Does anyone have a recommendation for a locksmith? I’m buying a house in Trinidad and want to get it re-keyed after I close. I tried searching old posts but all I found was one from 2010. Thanks!”

Ed. Note: I’m also curious how many folks have gotten new locks/re-keyed locks when they’ve purchased a new home/condo?


poi

“Dear PoPville,

This footage is of a guy peaking in my yard and then reaching in and opening my gate and pushing it open and walking away while my dogs were in the yard. I had been finding broken glass thrown in my yard, a jar of cherries smashed in my yard, jujube candies strewn throughout my yard and smushed in my fence, and twice I found my gate wide open. So I put up a security cam I my alley and I caught the a**hole. He’s been watching me because he only strikes on weekends when I’m not home and he knew exactly how to open my gate from the outside. I want to identify him and prosecute him and get a restraining order. My dogs could have gone out in the street and been killed, but they chose to stand guard of their house for a full hour with a wide open gate.

I called the police and an Officer from 2nd District came to the house. I showed him the video and he basically said no laws were broken and that if I want protection I should get a gun. Then he said if he comes again and I catch him in the act then call 911. I had to force him to take a police report. So basically no help at all. I’ve gone around to all the neighbors that share my alley and showed them the video and no one recognized him but said they’d keep a lookout.”

If anyone has information you can email [email protected] and I’ll forward to OP as well as the Metropolitan Police Department.

Video after the jump. (more…)


slowly insane
Photo by PoPville flickr user Tim Brown

“Dear PoPville,

Is anyone else tracking the consistent noise coming from the intersection of 14th and R NW? I live in one of the apartments facing the alley behind Sette Osteria and can hear the faint drone of what appears to be an HVAC system. I am having difficulty pinpointing exactly where the noise is coming from, however it seems to be originating from either the Northern Exchange building or The Aston. I’ve tried locating the management company for the Northern Exchange building with no success. Does anyone have any recommendations as to how to end this noise? It sounds like a dying car alarm that is constantly going off and I’m slowly losing my mind. I’ve already tried the DCRA route, but I know that will go absolutely nowhere. Any suggestions are most welcome!”


schools
Photo by PoPville flickr user Eric P.

“Dear PoPville,

I repeatedly receive (at my address via USPS) important documents for the same family. This isn’t the typical assortment of mail for people being lazy about their forwarding address. It includes drivers licenses and most recently, school lottery info for their children. (That free pre-K is pretty valuable.) Additionally, from what my neighbors tell me, no one by this name ever lived in this house. The first few times this happened I, in good faith, tried to reach out the mother who has a unique enough name that she is quite easy to find. She did not respond, and evidence suggests that she is not a current DC resident.

I would rather my tax dollars pay for the education of children who live in DC and whose parents pay taxes here. Is there a place to report false residency claims?”


33658088752_c7b7936ee7_z
Photo by PoPville flickr user Joe Flood

“Dear PoPville community –

We are moving out of our beloved house and leaving DC next month. Since this is our first family house, we feel a strong connection to it and would like to find a way to carry its memory with us in our next house. We’re looking for a local artist who we can commission to do a painting of our house. Does anyone in the Popville community have any recommendations?

Thanks!”


house condo
Photo by PoPville flickr user Tim Brown

“Dear PoPville,

My friends and I live in an amazing three story rowhouse divided into apartments in our favorite part of DC. The excellent landlady unfortunately has to sell the house due to some health issues and we’re thinking to pool our money (and TOPA rights) to buy the house.

It makes a lot more sense to buy the home as a group then divide it into condos, so we’re not all stuck to living together for all time. Does anyone out there have any estimates of how much it costs to convert a pre-existing apartment building into condos?

Open to any other ideas on how to do this as well.”


marine
Photo by PoPville flickr user Josh Bassett

“Dear PoPville,

Since there are so many people in DC who are in or are affiliated with our military, I have a question for the PoPville community: Is it appropriate to use “Semper Fi” in your email signature if you have never been in the military (much less the Marines)? Does having a child who is a Marine make it OK?”


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