2015 NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER
ISSUE 24 NOVEMBER IS HERE ... which means 2015 is nearly over. Already!? It also means the wonderful winter holidays are on their way. The trees are almost bare and the evenings fall early. November is often thought of as a somber month that signals the start of winter. In the past, it was the time to store the harvest and prepare food to last until spring. Now, November is a month of elections, honoring Veterans, and of course, giving thanks. November is truly fulfilled on the last Thursday of the month. Sarah Joespha Hale, author of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” convinced President Abraham Lincoln to declare Thanksgiving a national holiday. Congress made Thanksgiving the law of the land in 1941. It was Hale who promoted recipes for turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, and cranberry sauce even though the first Thanksgiving most likely featured deer, fowl, flint corn, cod, and other fish. It is not the food however that makes Thanksgiving what it is today, but the spirit of showing gratitude for all that we have in our lives. One way to make this holiday more than a single day of overeating and watching football is to try to feel and express gratitude throughout the entire month. Gratitude is many things. It is being thankful for what we have, aware of simple joys and pleasure, and appreciating others. Research show that “practicing” gratitude can increase happiness by 25%. Learning the habit of gratitude moves one toward peacefulness. Wanting things creates stress and focusing on what you have causes one to slow down and focus. When actively grateful, one becomes less stressed, more creative and resilient, and also enjoys a stronger immune system and better social relationships. So how does one practice gratitude? Some people make a habit of listing the things they are grateful for at the start or end of their day. Others repeat
daily simple thoughts like “If my eyes open in the morning, it is a good day!” One can express gratitude by volunteering, offering a helping hand when needed, or writing a sincere thank you note, rather than just tossing off a quick “thanks” or “thx.” Try to notice the world around you. Appreciate little moments and sensations like a cloud moving across a blue sky, the sound of rain, a spider and its web, laugh lines on loved one’s face, the smoothness of a baby’s skin, the smell when peeling an orange, and the softness of a puppy’s fur. November can indeed be a somber month, but it can also be the start of a life more fulfilled. Practicing gratefulness in a meaningful way during this month will lay the foundation for a truly enjoyable holiday season and a great start for 2016!
SUE & ALLISON GOODHART 703.362.3221 sue@thegoodhartgroup.com allison@thegoodhartgroup.com TheGoodhartGroup.com
AN ALEXANDRIA TRADITION | THE SCOTTISH CHRISTMAS WALK WEEKEND One of the charities we hold dearest to our heart is The Campagna Center, an Alexandria-based organization that provides (among other things) early childhood education, before and after-school programs, tutoring, career readiness planning and classes for English language learners in our community. The Campagna Center serves 2,000 Alexandria residents daily - wow! As many local residents are aware, the Scottish Christmas Walk Weekend is one of our city’s biggest tourist attractions and loved by locals as well! From kids collecting candy along the parade route to adults hosting parties that spill out of their Old Town homes onto the streets, this is truly a weekend to love. What many people don’t know however, is that the parade is put on by The Campagna Center and is their biggest annual fundraiser. This year, Sue is on The Campagna Center’s Board of Directors as well as its Development Committee. She is also a returning member of the Supporting Friends of the Center. Allison, a returning member of the Junior Friends, is serving on the Scottish Christmas Walk Weekend Committee and is once again co-chairing the Heather & Greens sale.
Want to get involved in the many events or help support the cause? See below! The Taste of Scotland Friday, December 4th The Goodhart Group is proud to once again be the naming sponsor of the Taste of Scotland at the Masonic Temple. Join us for a night of merrymaking, shopping, bag-piping and of course, scotch sampling!
The Holiday Home Tour Saturday, December 5th Please visit the Holiday Home Tour during the weekend. Be sure to visit our gorgeous listing at 509 Cameron Street, as well as other Old Town homes decked out for the holiday!
The Heather & Greens Sale Friday & Saturday, December 4-5th Allison is thrilled to be co-chairing the greens sale again this year. At the sale, you can purchase a variety of wreaths, garland, fresh heather bundles and other festive flair for your home or office his holiday season. You can pre-order your items online for a discount and quicker pick-up, or stop by the sale to say hi to Allison from 9am-4pm that Friday and Saturday!
The Scottish Christmas Walk Parade Saturday, December 5th Come out to the parade and see the magnificent tartans of Scottish clans and enjoy the bagpipers, Scottish dancers, dogs, dignitaries, classic cars, Santa Claus and of course - The Goodhart Group! We will be walking in the sponsor section. See you at the parade!
*For more information on these events, as well as the Holiday Marketplace for holiday shopping and the Deck the Halls with Santa event for your kids, or to purchase your holiday greens or tickets, please visit http://www.campagnacenter.org/scottishwalkweekend or email allison@thegoodhartgroup.com!
CURRENT LISTINGS
508Queen.McEnearney.com ACTIVE
4120Seminary.McEnearney.com
ACTIVE
124Madison.McEnearney.com ACTIVE
1810Orchard.McEnearney.com
ACTIVE
For more information on our upcoming or current listings, please don’t hesitate to call, text or email us at your convenience. We are always happy to help!
CURRENT LISTINGS
903Bernard.McEnearney.com
4109Bedrock.McEnearney.com
ACTIVE
ACTIVE
6561TartanVista.McEnearney.com
4850Eisenhower1111.McEnearney.com
ACTIVE
ACTIVE
412Virginia.McEnearney.com ACTIVE
3002CameronMills.McEnearney.com
984Royal.McEnearney.com
1026Cross.McEnearney.com ACTIVE
2905Russell.McEnearney.com ACTIVE
218Howell.McEnearney.com ACTIVE
4100Garland.McEnearney.com
4300Fox Haven.McEnearney.com
ACTIVE
3500Holly.McEnearney.com ACTIVE
1700Russell.McEnearney.com ACTIVE
828Slaters304.McEnearney.com
509Cameron.McEnearney.com
601Fairfax202.McEnearney.com
3928ColonelEllis.McEnearney.com
ACTIVE
ACTIVE
414Fairfax.McEnearney.com COMING SOON
3308Landover.McEnearney.com
ACTIVE
ACTIVE
ACTIVE
ACTIVE
3303Carolina.McEnearney.com ACTIVE
160Hilton.McEnearney.com ACTIVE
703.362.3221
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sue@thegoodhartgroup.com
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allison@thegoodhartgroup.com
ACTIVE
COMING SOON
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TheGoodhartGroup.com
FALL MARKET UPDATE The results are in for September home sales and they show that the decline in sales over the summer months continued into September. In the City of Alexandria, 164 properties went under contract out of 579 total properties on the market. Single family homes continued to sell slowly, with only 32 homes under contract in September. Eighteen of those homes were in the $600,000-$900,000 price range. This is a trend we’ve seen since June - about eight single family homes sell per week in the City. As for townhouses, the activity is more robust, but still slowing since June. In June, 101 townhouses sold; just 70 sold in September. Nearly 70% of those properties were in the $400,000-$700,000 price range. The slide indicates that the first time home-buyer may be taking a break. Fears of a federal government shutdown could be also a large factor in this group’s decision to buy (or not). Condos show a similar slide, with 98 selling in the month of June and only 62 selling in September. In September, 51 of the 62 condos sold in the City were in the $100,000-$400,000 price range. October numbers were not available at this writing but we saw an uptick in activity in October which we hope will continue through Thanksgiving. Overall, it appears the single family market in Alexandria is steady, but not vibrant. Sales have been declining in the townhouse and condo markets, with activity spiking in lower price points.
THE GOODHART GROUP 703.362.3221
sue@thegoodhartgroup.com allison@thegoodhartgroup.com TheGoodhartGroup.com LICENSED IN VA, DC & MD SUE GOODHART
ALLISON GOODHART DUSHUTTLE
109 S Pitt Street Alexandria, VA 22314 703.549.9292 McEnearney.com This is not intended to solicit the listings of other brokers.