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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.

We saw a blog post at Streetsblog NYC that said that Central Park in NYC will go car free starting on June 27 and it raised a question with us; what is the value of a parking space in DC?

We found that since 2003 the value of a parking space has only gone up .79%. That’s right folks! In one of the hottest markets in the country, appreciating double digits in some areas, the price of a parking space has only gone up by .79%.

We took a look at sales of 1-bedroom condos in three zip codes since 2003 and compared prices of those with parking versus those without parking since parking spaces are often incorporated with the sale.

We chose the Dupont area (20036), Logan Circle area (20005) and Capitol Hill (20003). The locations vary in density and obviously there is a difference in changes to the neighborhoods in that time period, but the findings were interesting.

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By sex crimes attorney Sean P. Barrett, who is barred and practices in the state of Connecticut, with Billings & Barrett.

Big tech companies across the country did their best to stop an anti-trafficking bill that made its way to the House at the end of February.

The bill, which passed by a vote of 388-25, was a huge defeat for big tech companies in Washington and beyond. The bill, known as FOSTA, moved to the Senate and was passed with a 97-2 vote.

President Donald Trump then signed the bill into law earlier in April. FOSTA is short for Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act. Big tech fought hard to slow the bill down before it was passed because it reduces the free speech protections that were once in place for the Internet.

The bill has been endorsed by the Internet Association, which is the representative for Google and Facebook. On the other side of the aisle the bill was deemed as ill-fated because it will hurt small businesses and force sex workers to move offline.

The new legislation puts forth an exception to Section 230 of the Communication Decency Act. This act protects operates of websites from liability when it comes to content generated by users. FOSTA now says that Section 230 no longer applies to any civil or criminal charges of sex trafficking or conduct that facilitates or promotes prostitution.

The changes to Section 230 will be retroactively applied to all websites that fall under the new bill. In fact, Craigslist already removed its personals section to avoid any legal recourse from the new legislation. Another website, known as Backpage, has been shut down and the founders were criminally charged just before FOSTA was signed into law.

“Freedom of speech has always been a hot topic and now that some protections to free speech online have been removed the conversation should really heat up,” Sean P. Barrett, of Billings & Barrett, said.

Opposition to the bill includes sex workers, who claim they will have trouble screening clients since they will be forced offline. They worry that this will make things unsafe for them in their profession. It will take some time, but the new bill should give a clear picture of how the sex industry will operate moving forward.

By drug crimes attorney John B. Fabriele, III, who is barred and practices in the state of New Jersey, with John B. Fabriele, LLC.

Legislators in both the New Jersey House and Senate have introduced bills that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana, a move that would make New Jersey the tenth state to allow citizens to possess and use the drug.

The bills, which are not identical, both seek to achieve the goal of allowing New Jersey citizens to legally possess small amounts of marijuana while also creating the framework for production and sale of the drug.

Differences in the bill include the number of authorized “dispensaries,” which is where the drug would be sold, whether individuals can legally grow the plant in their homes, and the tax rate assessed on sales.

“Ultimately, however, the bills align with the stated goal of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, that being the legalization of marijuana,” said John B. Fabriele, III, a New Jersey Drug Crimes Lawyer. “Regardless of the outcome, individuals need to remember that marijuana continues to be a Schedule I narcotic under Federal law, meaning that transportation of legally-obtained marijuana across state lines can result in Federal drug charges.”

The conflict between Federal and state laws related to marijuana continue to be a problem. The reason is the concept of “preemption”. Article IV, Clause II of the United States Constitution is what is commonly called the Supremacy Clause, and it says that the Constitution and the laws of the United States are the “Supreme law of the land,” and that any state law that conflicts with Federal law is without effect.

Marijuana is considered by the Federal government to be a Schedule I drug, making its use and possession illegal, and under the Supremacy clause, any state law to the contrary may be invalid.

Federal law enforcement has, by and large, allowed states to carry out this legalization without interference or attempts to override state legislation.

What they have not done, however, is change Federal law, so anyone who is in possession of marijuana in accordance with State law is in violation of Federal law. If you were to transport that marijuana across state lines, or enter a location governed by Federal law (like an airport), you would be subject to Federal prosecution.

If New Jersey moves forward with legalization of marijuana, individuals who intend to take advantage of the change need to be acutely aware of how, when and where they possess and use the drug, and know their rights in terms of use and possession.

Lack of knowledge about a law is never a defense, and as it stands right now marijuana use and possession is still illegal in New Jersey and the United States overall. If that changes in New Jersey, be sure you understand how it has changed before you put yourself in a situation where your lawyer must explain it to you.

We’re making our communities stronger in D.C. by bringing youth voices to the decision table — and Mikva Challenge DC is showing us how.

Modeled after the successful civic engagement program in Chicago, Mikva Challenge DC empowers students to be informed and engaged citizens. The organization helps students understand ‘democracy is a verb’ and that it is possible to change their communities — and democracy as a whole — by taking action.

“To fully understand and be a part of the D.C. community, you must understand the experience of the youth that live here,” said Robyn Lingo, Mikva Challenge DC Executive Director.

We care about our neighborhoods and our neighbors in D.C. We know the issues that impact all of us don’t just change on their own.

Mikva’s signature work is an Issues to Action program in which local teachers implement a curriculum that empowers students to explore their communities from an asset based perspective. Students identify issues that are important to them and their community, research the issue and ultimately develop a plan and take action.

Mikva encourages students to speak up about issues that matter to them through programs like Project Soapbox, a public speaking competition. These speeches become a catalyst for change that students use to go transform their communities. “We are able to provide a platform and a format, but mostly it’s giving young people an opportunity,” Robyn Lingo shared.

The impact lasts a lifetime. Over 69% of Mikva students continue to volunteer in their communities compared to 36% of 18-29 year olds nationwide, thousands vote and volunteer with campaigns during election cycles and some go on to become civic leaders or return as volunteers with the program.

Help DC youth find their seat at the table. Volunteer or donate to today: http://www.mikvachallenge.org/dc2018/.

By disability attorney Lawrence Disparti, who is barred and practices in the state of Florida, with the Disparti Law Group.

As the unfair stigma that so often followed people with disabilities begins to slowly fade, companies are recognizing that not only is this a new clientele, but that they have an opportunity to provide access to services that will allow individuals with disabilities to be much more involved in their own day-to-day responsibilities.

Voya Financial, the banking and investment firm that was once AIG, has begun focusing on these individuals by encouraging them to apply for other services such as SSI and SSDI based on their answers to certain questions.

In addition, Voya will provide access to databases that have information on myriad governmental programs and their standards for qualification.

“Changes like these are incredibly important,” said Lawrence Disparti, a Florida Disability Attorney with the Disparti Law Group. “Individuals that become disabled later in life or are born with a disability deserve every opportunity to live fulfilling, independent lives. Providing them with financial services geared to their needs, just like every other financial service, ensures the opportunity to do just that.”

One of the most important changes has been the passage of the ABLE Act. ABLE, which stands for “Achieving a Better Life Experience” is a change in the law as it relates to the ability of individuals with disabilities who receive needs-tested government assistance to accumulate assets.

The ABLE Act allows individuals to establish qualifying accounts that can accumulate balances more than many of the means-tested program limits with disqualifying these individuals for the services they need to continue living independently.

ABLE accounts have limits in terms of total accumulation amounts — an individual’s account cannot exceed $100,000.00. However, when combined with additional estate planning, such as Special Needs Trusts, individuals with disabilities can live independently and possibly in a self-supporting manner.

“The ability to accumulate assets and have regular access to those assets enables these individuals to live independently and achieve life goals,” said Disparti. “Giving them access to regular investment services and guidance will ensure that the assets that do accumulate grow and are available for the long-term.”

“So what do you do?”

In a city that puts so much emphasis on careers, it feels pretty terrible when you don’t love yours.

According to Gallup’s “State of the America Workforce” report, two-thirds of Americans are feeling disengaged at work. But for us working adults, there aren’t a lot of resources to help us make the necessary career change, and the whole process feels unclear and lonely.

At Mission Collaborative, we believe that there’s a better way to make career changes.

We’re a new organization here in D.C. that provides a framework and community to help you build a career you love. We host workshops and programs for career changers from all sorts of backgrounds to help them figure out exactly what they want to do next with their careers, then make it happen.

In the past year we’ve helped over 600 D.C. professionals start building careers they love. The in-person community we create gives participants motivation and accountability, while the career design process we teach provides a far better framework for determining your ideal next step. And we don’t just have people think about what they might like to do, we help them actually test out their potential career paths before making the shift.

Interested in learning more? Check out our free Career Change 101 workshops or join us for one of our immersive career change programs!

This column is written and sponsored by D.C. real estate agent and Edgewood resident Jessica Evans. Email her questions at  [email protected].

We’ve been flying through the homebuying process and we’re finally on the final step — settlement! If you’ve made it this far, you’re on the fast track to homeownership.

To some buyers, I think that settlement seems like it is going to be more of a grand finale than it usually ends up to be, spoiler alert — there are no balloons or confetti. In exchange for what is likely the largest check you’ve ever written, you uneventfully get a few sets of keys and to sign your name hundreds of times.

But what actually happens at settlement? How should a buyer prepare? Let’s look at the final steps of the homebuying process in detail:

Preparing for settlement: Most importantly, a buyer’s #1 priority is making sure that the funds necessary to complete the transaction are received by the settlement date. This includes the loan (which is sent directly to the title company by the mortgage provider) and any funds that the buyer is responsible for (including down payment and closing costs).

It is important to note that most title companies do not accept cash or personal checks — it is recommended that a buyer work on getting their funds to the title company no later than the day before settlement to ensure no delays or issues.

Other things that you will want to have completed include setting up utilities, scheduling a move (in a condo building) and preparing any last minute questions for the seller.

The pre-settlement walkthrough: This is typically the last visit to the property before taking ownership, the purpose is to either ensure that any agreed upon property condition requirements are completed (ie. home inspection repairs) or that there have been no changes to the condition of the home. It’s your final opportunity as a buyer to see that the basement has not flooded, a tree branch hasn’t fallen through the roof and that what you are about to buy is in fact what you are expecting. (more…)