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The Autumn equinox arrived yesterday, officially kicking off my favorite time of the year. Along with celebrating a September birthday (Virgo's make great agents due to our attention to detail), there’s less humidity, cooler temps, and crisp morning walks as you take in the new foliage. For parents, our kids are back to school, so we can get a much needed reprieve from entertaining them all summer. Though now we can expect to spend the next nine months playing the role of their chauffeurs by shuttling them to school and extracurricular activities. My family had a great but uneventful summer up until August, when our son, River, caught a terrible virus from step throat. Strep can be severe in toddlers and the virus attacked his body and joints leaving them so swollen, he was unable to walk. It was terrifying, so we quickly rushed him to the ER where he was then transferred to Children's Hospital. We spent a few nights in the hospital while the doctors attempted to troubleshoot and diagnose the issue. We had a tribe of family and friends who supported us in this terrible time and are happy to report that our son made a full recovery. The picture above, celebrating our twins' sixth birthday, was taken just two weeks after he was released from the hospital. We're thankful to the medical team at Children's Hospital and that River is thriving in Kindergarten. On the subject of thriving, we're seeing a large volume of new listings as we head into the Fall season. It’s a great time to get back on track if you're considering selling or buying a home. If you're a seller, limited inventory of homes available for sale allows you the opportunity to let your property truly shine. Although interest rates have risen in recent months, leaving buyers guessing about the best time to make a purchase, buying a home is still one of the best long-term investments you can make. There’s a great tax benefit to home ownership, increased equity and value appreciation. Thanks for taking the time to read this and here’s to a happy start to Fall 2023! With gratitude, Arash |
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Metro DC Area Housing Market Update Demand for housing in the DMV continues to remain strong. The combination of lower inventory and buyers continuing to move into the area is a good indictor for homeowners thinking about selling. If you’ve been putting off selling your house, now may be the sweet spot to make your move. |
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Where I'm Eating I had read the reviews and friends were raving about Opal, the new restaurant off Connecticut Ave on the Chevy Chase-DC border. Self-described as a "hyper seasonal restaurant", Opal boasts an American menu infused with Asian, European, and South American influence. Must-orders include the wood-fired bread, clams with saffron spaghetti, east coast halibut, and the vanilla soft serve ice cream to finish. A true foodie gem has no arrived in Chevy Chase! |
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Client Testimonial Andreas and Christiana C. "Arash accompanied us to a lot of houses for purchase. His advice was very instrumental for us to decide what direction we should take. Sometimes he would tell us "not this". The search for a new house took more than three months. He was very patient and accommodating with our schedule. He would do market research for a house we were interested and give the information we needed at the time. As the new house search was under way, Arash wanted to get our house ready to sell. We followed his advice and prepared the house for photos. His impeccable taste lead him to have the house photographed twice to have more choices on the selected pictures for the listing. His team used the best pictures, placed the house on Compass Private Exclusive to test the market. He negotiated straight for about a week and got us the price we wanted. Then, as we were getting nearer to closing time, Arash succeeded to resolve and issue with the buyers that had nothing to do with the house itself. We are grateful to Arash and his team for such a great job!" - Andreas C. *pic of me and Andreas Greek dancing after settlement of their beautiful new home. |
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Movie I Loved I expected to go into this film with my kids taking a short and much-needed snooze, but I found myself absolutely pulled into this wonderful and dynamic story about a city where fire, water, land and air-residents live together. The film focuses on an unlikely pair, Ember (Fire), whose parents immigrate to Element City, and Wade (Water), and the challenges they face as their friendship evolves and they discover each other's habitats. Though a kids film, it touches on adult themes such as immigration and overcoming prejudice, but also peppered in with comedy and dramatic elements that will have you reaching for the tissue box. |
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Book I'm Recommending This isn’t a book I would typically pick up, but was curious why "Happy Place" had remained at the top of the New York Times #1 Best Seller List. Of course, I had to dive in. Harriet and Wyn, college sweethearts who broke up months ago, pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends. Drama and hilarity ensue as they try to navigate the week and their relationship. This book reminds me of an episode of "Friends.” |
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Showcase your Books
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Small Business I'm Supporting Known for their delicious and highly addictive Açai bowls and smoothies, South Block’s mission is to provide customers with healthy food choices in a joyous and dynamic gathering space. As a twin parent of toddlers with persnickety palettes, I’m relieved and happy that my little ones enjoy smoothies while also getting in their fruits and veggies. That’s a winning business in my book. |
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Let's Chat Are you thinking about making a move, or curious about your home's current value? Let's schedule a call or meeting where I will be happy to give you an update. I'll even bring the city's best chocolate chip cookies 🍪 Email me to discuss: arash.shirazi@compass.com |
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RECENT SALES AND LISTINGS |
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Favorite Quote "Every morning we get a chance to be different. A chance to change. A chance to be better." |
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From staging your home for listing or upgrading entire rooms, I love Compass Concierge because it gives my buyers flexibility and peace of mind when listing their home.
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