Sponsored

The Bullpen is thrilled to announce that it will return for the 2018 season.

The venue opens at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27 for the 4:05 p.m. Nationals v. Twins Preseason game at Nats Park.  On Thursday, April 5, The Bullpen opens at 10 a.m. for the Washington Nationals’ home opener against the New York Mets.

Admission is free and the venue is open to all ages until 9:30 p.m. when the venue is open to guests ages 21 and over.

On Opening Day, The Bullpen’s live music includes pregame entertainment from Sean Gaiser and a postgame performance from the DCeivers. Guests can grab hot dogs off the grill, daiquiris from the Bayou Daq Shack, barbecue from the Due South food truck and ice-cold drinks from the Bullpen Bar. As always, the Bullpen Happy Hour offers all drinks for $5 from the 3rd-7th innings.

Bullpen fans can now access a full event calendar, including information on opening times, live musical acts, special events, Truckeroo dates and more. View and subscribe to The Bullpen calendar at https://events.thebullpendc.com/.

The Bullpen has a brand-new roof deck that extends across the entire span of the Bullpen’s Half Street side. It’s a great spot for people-watching and catching the live music on the Bullpen stage. The roof deck, along with several “dugout” areas, are available for private parties and events. For more information, call 202-660-2165 or email [email protected].

This weekly column is written and sponsored by D.C. real estate agent and Kalorama resident Jeffrey Tanck.  He can be reached at [email protected].

You bought the perfect apartment when you were single. Close to work, near great places to eat, drink and get kicked out of. It was your first place and it was your palace.

Then you met your partner and now you’re consolidating households and don’t know what to do with that same great apartment that no longer works for your current sitch. You’re not ready to let it go, not yet.

You’re going to rent it! Great idea.

Personally, I think everyone should have a studio or one bedroom apartment in their investment portfolio. Rental real estate can be a wonderful investment. That said, it is not without risks. Below is part one of a two part series on practical strategies to reduce the stress of being a landlord.

Get the proper licenses. THIS IS IMPORTANT. DC has specific legal requirements for renting property and it is vitally important that you’re in compliance. Not having the proper licenses is a liability you do not want and can limit your rights.

Have a home inspection. A home inspection is like a physical for your property: it can establish a baseline for overall condition, as well as identify current and potential issues. Take care of any problems that are identified in the inspection before you begin marketing your property.

The City will also perform an inspection of your property as part of the licensing process to ensure certain property and safety standards are met. If you make sure your property meets these standards ahead of time the process will be much more efficient.

Cancel your Homestead Deduction. If the property that you are going to rent was owner occupied and you were receiving DC’s Homestead Deduction on your property taxes, you’ll need to notify the office of tax and revenue that you are no longer living in the property and are ineligible for the deduction.

Yes, this means that your property taxes will go up, but it also means that you won’t be penalized at some future point for taking the exemption when you were not eligible. (more…)

While going solar is cost-efficient in the long-run, it often comes with some hefty upfront or monthly fees. Those financial barriers can stop Washington, D.C. homeowners from enjoying clean, renewable energy for their households.

With DC Solar Ventures, District residents can own their own rooftop solar system for free. That’s right, no financial barriers – free.

In 2017, D.C. was named the first LEED for Cities Platinum certified city in the world by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The city is leading the way in environmental issues because residents, private companies and government agencies alike are doing things like adopting solar energy to reduce their dependence on nonrenewable sources. The more people and businesses hop aboard, the cleaner and greener D.C. will become.

For District residents, there are plenty of advantages to going solar.

Homeowners who have installed residential solar systems have seen their electricity bills decrease because the systems produce a large portion – if not all – of their electricity needs. Reduced maintenance and increase lifespan of their roofs are also potential benefits. And when it’s time to sell a house, residential solar can increase home values. Moreover, going solar is clean, green and responsible.

Click here to get in touch with DC Solar Ventures to find out how the program works and whether you qualify.

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Address: 1205 N. Garfield Street #904 Arlington, Va
Neighborhood: Clarendon
Listed: $1,029,900

Ultra rare, unique and the largest unit at Station Square, has never been resold!

1,743 sq. ft. corner unit with great view of DC. 2 Bed + Den, 2.5 Bath. Large family room, dining room, open kitchen, eat-in area with panoramic views. 1 garage spot, 1 storage spot. Located in the heart of the Clarendon close to restaurant and shops!

Amenities include a swimming pool, party room, business center, on-site management and underground parking.

Listed by:
Dan Lesniak
Optime Realty
(703) 991-0566
[email protected]
www.kerishullteam.com

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

Today we’re moving on to the next step of the homebuying process!

For some buyers, this is when the thrill and excitement of touring houses (which I discussed in my last column) turns to panic and fear, understandably so since things get very real when you sign a contract for a large sum of money.

Once you find a home that you want to buy, the next step is to submit a written offer to the seller of that home, letting them know what you are offering in exchange for their property. We have a fairly standardized well established offer process here in the DC area, but I can’t say enough that every transaction is different and it’s challenging to accurately generalize.

The offer terms that you submit become part of the legally binding written contract between you and the seller, so it’s important to carefully think through what you are offering to ensure that you will be able to follow through with your contractual obligations.

Here are some of the different offer terms to be thinking about as you look at homes and prepare to submit an offer:

Price: On the surface, price is the most straightforward of the offer terms, but often one of the most difficult to decide on. The price you decide to offer should be based on an overall offer strategy, and your decision of what the home is worth to you. (more…)

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Be spontaneous — do something fun for yourself today and jump into a class at Washington Improv Theater. Folks from all over the DMV take WIT’s improv classes for all sorts of reasons.

Washington Improv Theater is DC’s oldest and only nonprofit improv theater. Chances are you know at least one person who has taken (and loved!) our Foundations of Improv class.

Here are four reasons to get off the fence about taking a WIT class:

1. Meet new people (outside the bar scene) — WIT students come from all walks of life — but they all come to improv with open minds, daring to try something new. Abandon your iPhone and share face-to-face laughs with a dozen strangers who will quickly become friends.

One student told us “you make instant friends, and you push yourself in ways that you might not initially believe possible.”

2. Unlock your creative potential — Everyone has untapped creativity — unleash yours with one of our eight-week classes. A testimonial: “You get to exercise your imagination in a way that most adults don’t get to do on a regular basis.”

3. Find yourself – without having to scale Mt. Everest — From the way you communicate in your relationships to learning about the choices you make in life, improv spurs personal breakthroughs. Learn how you can change your life when you eradicate the word “no” from your day-to-day. 

4. Up your game at work — Show your boss you’re taking your skills to the next level. Improv gives you the confidence to speak up, the positivity to collaborate, and clarity to communicate — it’s the best and most versatile professional development ever!. (Side note: You can also bring us to your office for a WIT@Work training.)

Get off the fence — spring session starts March 26! A couple hours a week with WIT can change your whole perspective!