Local
Quick tips for your home search
The internet has a vast array of resources that can help you make intelligent decisions when purchasing real estate


The internet has a vast array of resources that can help you make intelligent decisions when purchasing real estate. (Photo courtesy CreativeCommons)
The quest for a new home can be both an exciting and a daunting task. Location, size, lifestyle, flair, convenience, commute, safety — all important factors to consider when looking for a home and unfortunately, some of these do not come up in a typical home search database.
Of course the best way to determine if a property meets your needs in terms of location, convenience and commute is the old-fashioned way. Go out and walk the neighborhood at different times of day, talk to the neighbors and test out your commute.
If you don’t have the time or are just getting started in your search, don’t worry. There are many websites and tools that can help you make this process easier to navigate. A website called “WalkScore” (walkscore.com) is a great way to see how close a particular address is to key destinations such as shopping, transportation, grocery, restaurants, bars, convenience stores — you name it. It gives you a rating based on the walkability of the neighborhood.
Google Street View is also a way to virtually walk through the neighborhood with real images of the street and surrounding neighborhood. This can help you evaluate the other homes on the block and surrounding streets, as well as show you the proximity to nearby amenities. Any of the Google maps can also show you how long it will take you to walk, bike, take public transportation or drive to any given location.
If safety is a concern, visit your local police website or call your local precinct. If you live in the D.C. city limits, you can also visit crimemap.dc.gov/presentation/query.asp to look up a location and see exactly what type of crimes are committed within different proximities of a given address, within different time frames.
Our firm also just launched a new website with some great search features. We are most excited about the Metro Search at suegoodhart.com which allows you to search for listings based on proximity to any Metro stop. This is new technology which is making the home finding process much easier for Metro commuters throughout our area. Additionally, we have developed a new lifestyle search there too that allows potential purchasers to search for homes in communities that fit their particular desires including arts and culture, shopping, restaurants, pet-friendly neighborhoods, urban versus suburban or rural, health and public services and more.
It’s a great new tool for determining both neighborhoods that fit your needs as well as individual listings. Among many other new types of searches now available on our site are a luxury search, open house search, map search, advanced search, new listing search and new price search. There is also a proximity search that pulls up all listings within a given distance from any location. Visit suegoodhart.com and play around with the different search options.
Though there are many more sites and tools to help you in finding a new home. Of course, feel free to contact us to set up a custom search for you based on your needs and desires or to talk with us about the D.C., Northern Virginia or Maryland real estate market. Please visit our blog (goodhartgroup.wordpress.com) for links to the mentioned sites.
Sue Goodhart is the top-producing agent at McEnearney Associates in Alexandria and is licensed in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. She can be reached at 703-549-9292 or [email protected].

The Washington Blade’s second day of Pride on the Pier at The Wharf DC ended with a fireworks show on Saturday, June 7. The fireworks show was presented by the Leonard-Litz LGBTQ Foundation.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

















State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D-Chesterfield) will face John Reid in the race to become Virginia’s next lieutenant governor.
Hashmi won the Democratic primary with 27.49 percent of the vote. She defeated former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, state Sen. Aaron Rouse (D-Virginia Beach), Babur Lateef, Victor Salgado and Alexander Bastani.
“Tonight, Virginians made history,” said Hashmi in a statement. “We didn’t just win a primary, we sent a clear message that we won’t be bullied, broken, or dragged backward by the chaos in Washington.”
Reid, a gay conservative talk show host, in April won the Republican nomination to succeed Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who is running to succeed Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
The incumbent governor days after Reid secured the nomination called for him to withdraw his candidacy amid reports that a social media account with his username included “pornographic content.” Reid, who would become the first openly gay person elected to statewide office in Virginia if he wins in November, has strongly denied the reports.
Former state Del. Jay Jones defeated Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor in Democratic attorney general primary. Jones will face Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares in November.
Youngkin cannot run for a second, consecutive term.
Former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger will face off against Earle-Sears in November. The winner will make history as the first woman elected governor in the state’s history.
Baltimore
More than 15K people attend Baltimore Trans Pride
Baltimore Safe Haven organized annual event

More than 15,000 people attended Baltimore Safe Haven’s annual Trans Pride on Saturday.
“Last year we had maybe 2,500, and the year before that, we had 5,000,” Renee Lau, administrative assistant for special projects coordinator for Baltimore Safe Haven, said. “In today’s political climate, it’s absolutely amazing.”
Lau said allies and other groups “went into hiding” for about a month or two after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, but then all at once, different organizations started to reach out.
“The community has really come together to support us,” Lau said. “It was a fun, exciting day.”
Baltimore Safe Haven Executive Director Iya Dammons in a press release said the “historic turnout” showed the transgender community’s strength, as well as their unity to fight for justice and equality for all LGBTQ people.
At the event, attendees were seen waving flags and shouting “Trans Lives Matter,” showing their support for the community.
On Friday, before Trans Pride, Baltimore Safe Haven opened their new building to the public, gathering notable attendees like the Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohan, Council Member Antonio Glover, and representatives from the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.
“(It) was historic in itself because … we’re the only direct service providers for people in the LGBT community,” Lau said.
Providing housing for 18- to 24-year-olds, Lau said the new building also serves as a community hub and has office spaces for workers.
With only a few hiccups of arguments between attendees and fixing street blockades during Trans Pride, Lau said the event showed what the community can do.
“It was amazing that so many people came out and had that much fun. We were all giddy by Sunday morning,” Lau said. “(It gave) Safe Haven exposure and continuity. We are not just an LGBT organization, we are an organization that supports the entire community.”
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