Note Bethesda to Northwest DC - Picture Courtesy of of LIFE SEARCH tool (top navigation menu). Feel free to give it a try!

Answer: Montgomery County, Maryland…one grandiose “area” that desserve a little more information.

Montgomery County Is…

• “Moco”: yes :-)… Moco is nomanclture some use when refering to Montgomery County – we love our “acrynyms”
• “Moco” is Maryland’s largest county and one of the nation’s most affluent…
• It borders Washington, D.C. to the South and the Potomac River on the West.
• The Southern area, probably 1/10th the size of the county, is often the “Greater Bethesda area”.
• Houses the National Institutes of Health, the Federal Drug Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and a corridor “high tech” industries, the county is a large employer in its own right and attracts Washington workers
• There is an abundance of recreational and cultural facilities and the county is known for its extremely well respected public school system.
• The Metro subway system serves much of the county and there are areas, such as Bethesda that are known for their fine dining opportunities.

Montgomery County / Greater Bethesda Real Estate – The Nitty Gritty

The City Homes of Edgemoor, in The Heart of Downtown Bethesda fetch $1M+ because of proximity to Metro and the Downtown bethesda core.

• The county affords every type of housing imaginable – from high rise condos to tree lined single family neighborhoods, to working farms. It’s all here!
• The most expensive areas in the county lie closest to the city line…”the Greater Bethesda area”.
• When many people are asked to define The Greater Bethesda area, most will include Bethesda’s adjacent towns, Potomac and Chevy Chase, Garrett Park, Kensington (don’t worry, we have guides on this site for all these areas!).

Greater Bethesda Home Prices = Location and DC Accessibility

There are nuances to all these areas the county but since the question referred specificaly to Bethesda, let’s talk Bethesda!

There are nuances to different neighborhoods which have direct correlations to home prices…the “Micro-Market”.  Proximity to metro, demand for property types in a certain neighborhoods, …will vary not just in these large towns, but the neighborhoods.

Interested in more information about Montgomery County and the Greater Bethesda area? We have both tools and some pretty decent agents :-) working behind the scenes more than happy to answer questions / help educate. Feel free to call or e-mail, leave a comment any time.  Great days to all…

An unlikely scene for this year's Winter Wonderland, Bethesda December 2-3, 2011. Photo KoitzGroup.com

Though the landscape will likely NOT be as shown here, Bethesda once again will be celebrating the start of the holidays with their annual WINTER WONDERLAND celebration.  As in year’s past, be sure to make time on your busy schedule to be entertained and start the holiday celebrations early with Bethesda’s annual WINTER WONDERLAND, set this year for December 2-3, 2011.  Many free performances throughout downtown Bethesda, a live ice sculpting presentation and more!

Schedule of Events:

Friday, December 2nd at 8:00pm FREE Choral Concert at Imagination Stage, located at 4908 Auburn Avenue. Featured groups include:

• American University Gospel Choir
• Capital Blend
• The Capital Hearings
• Vox Pop DC

Saturday, December 3rd fro 1-4 pm in Veterans Park (corner of Woodmont & Norfolk Avenues)

• Live Ice Sculpting Presentation (1-2 pm)
• Choral Performances (2-4 pm) – Academy of the Holy Cross, Garrett Park Elementary School, Our Lady of Lourdes, Seneca Valley High School and Watkins Mill High School
• Visit from Santa! (2-4 pm)
• Holiday Treats for all of the children!

Check Bethesda Urban Partnership website for more details  – http://www.bethesda.org/bethesda/winter-wonderland, and as always check our our sister website for useful information on Downtown Bethesda.

Check out Kensington’s Monthly Event – THIRD THURSDAY NIGHT OUT

If you haven’t had a chance to explore the charming Town of Kensington, this is your chance!  The Town, along with many of its fine shops and eateries, will open their doors for special events, discounts, open mic, book readings, chess challenges and more on Thursday, November 17, 2011 from 5-8 pm.  Come on out and see what Kensington has to offer!

And, after experiencing this fun and delightful evening for the whole family, you may want to explore real estate options in Kensington…feel free to visit our sister site, www.koitzgroup.com and set up your own unique search for properties in and around Kensington, MD (using the most innovative search engine with great results including Walkscore(R), Virtual Tours and more) or read up on some of the communities located in Kensington, MD.

Garrett Park Nursery School's 45th Annual Craft Sale on November 12-13, 2011!

Garrett Park Nursery School, founded in 1953, is holding their 45th annual CRAFT FAIR!  Wow!  45th Annual…that’s a lot of crafts!  In addition to the plethora of toys, doll clothes, clothing, pottery, jewelry, fresh wreaths, stained glass and more, there will also be a bake sale with cakes, pies, cookies and other yummies.

If you are out traveling around the Greater Bethesda area during the weekend of November 12-13, it would be worth it to stop by and pick up some early holiday gifts and/or treats!

Saturday Nov 12th and Sunday Nov 13th from 10am to 5pm

View Larger Map

Garrett Park Town Hall, 10814 Kenilworth Avenue, Garrett Park, MD 20896

Garrett Park Nursery School | P.O. Box 314 | Garrett Park, MD 20896 | 301.933.5254 | www.garrettparknurseryschool.org

Located in southern Montgomery County, about 4 miles from the closest border with Washington DC, and abutting Kensington Maryland, Garrett Park Maryland maintains a small town feel in the close-in DC suburbs.

A Garrett Park of History & Charm:

• Historic sites?  Yep –  a large portion of this special town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Mailing it in: All residents pick up their mail at the local post office (which also happens to house a wonderful restaurant…be sure to visit  Black Market if you’re ever in thenighborhood).

More information about this fine community or others DC Metro neighborhoods?   Feel free to stick around here as we continue to build out more area info.   Or feel free to visit our sister site, www.koitzgroup.com and explore away!

Thanks to BethesdaGreen.org!

Do you have old electronics hanging around the house that you want to recycle?  This Sunday, November 6, 2011, is your opportunity to gather up your old electronics and bring them to Walt Whitman HS from 12:00 – 4:00 pm.  See the list of items accepted below.

Thanks to Montgomery County Division of Solid Waste and Bethesda Green for co-sponsoring this event!

Here is a list of the items they will accept:

• Small electronic appliances
  

  Continue to keep Bethesda Green

• Calculators
• Camcorders
• CDs and floppy disks
• CD players
• Cell phones
• Computers and computer-related products
• Consumer electronics
• Copiers
• Cords and cables (including chargers)
• Digital cameras
• Electronic typewriters
• Fax machines
• Monitors
• Personal digital assistant equipment
• Printers
• Projection equipment
• Scanners
• Telephones
• Small electronic toys
• Televisions
• VCRs

For more information, visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/recycling or call 3-1-1 or 240-777-0311 (outside Montgomery County).

This stunning four-story colonial style home in Kensington boasts three lots, culminating into an impressive 24,185 square feet of space.  Surrounded by plush greenery, trees, this striking home built in 1900, provides all modern conveniences without sacrificing period charm. One look at the large wrap-around porch with shutters and decorated windows will immediately point to the meticulous attention to period detail.  Backed by its approximate .6 acres of land, this home lets out to a private outdoor deck and has a shared driveway.

We're sorry, but we couldn't find MLS # MC7574620 in our database. This property may be a new listing or possibly taken off the market. Please check back again.

10304 Summit Avenue, Kensington Maryland (20895) in Depth…

With four bedrooms and two bathrooms, the warm 1900 charmer boasts updates galore – a bumped up attic-turned home office, large kitchen turned “chefs haven” (literally!) with a unique 6 range stove are just a couple of the modern amenities. Beyond that – you’re easily met with a large living room and a very spacious, separate dining room (each ordained with hardwood floors!) and ample closet and storage space.

A Close-in Greater Bethesda Location

Located on Summit Avenue, an area home to a historic town comprised of single- family homes, not too far from commercial areas from Historic Kensington, to Downtown Bethesda. It’s right

off the beltway and a short distance to the MARC train – a commuter haven!  Visit us at our sister www.KoitzGroup.com, for more pictures and virtual tour…

Maryland MLS Property Description:

Impressive Colonial, part of which dates back to 1900, with charming wrap around porch. Property consists of 3 lots, total lot size 24185 sq. ft. Updated kitchen, HUGE living room and dining room..lots of light, 4BRs up..attic bumped up and converted to great home office. Flagstone patio & beautiful landscaping.

The 5 Most Expensive Homes currently in Kensington Maryland (just for fun!)

Sorry, but we couldn't find any results in the MLS that match the specified search criteria.

5104 Hampden Lane didn't make the list but it's a great picture!

The Bethesda Top 3 Luxury’ist Homes For Sale

7109 Armat Drive, Bethesda 20817

• Subdivision: Burning Tree
• Zip Code: 20817 Parking:
• Claim to fame: “Country club like grounds, pool, fountain & cabana” in one of the most coveted neighborhoods in Bethesda.

Listing Provided By Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.

24 Wissioming Court, Bethesda

• Subdivision: Glen Echo Heights
• Zip Code: 20816
• An Extraordinary David Gurney modern with Potomac River views..

Listing Provided By TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

8910 Fernwood Road, Bethesda

• Subdivision: Bradley Hills Grove
• Zip Code: 20817
• Claim to fame: Confession and some “prideful” promotion :-) — this one is actually the 5th most expensive but it was too note-worthy to take off such a special list. And it also shows the kind of end product that could be built on a luxury lot we have listed right down the street!

Listing Provided By Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.

Hope that was relatively enjoyable…now a little bit of language to make sure I’ve covered all bases…have great weeks!

The listing content relating to real estate for sale on this web site is courtesy of MRIS. Listing information comes from various brokers who participate in the MRIS IDX. Properties listed with brokerage firms other than Long & Foster Real Estate Inc. are marked with the MRIS Logo and detailed information about them includes the name of the listing brokers. The properties displayed may not be all the properties available. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. All listing information copyright MRIS 2010. Last updated: 2010-12-26 01:57:36

Many of you know Greater Bethesda Online, this two year old web space devoted to primarily real estate, almost was hacked and it wasn’t by all those charming people defending wikileaks.  The culprit?  Me…yep, you heard me correctly.  I tried to perform some programming over my head a mistake that “broke” my own site.  It was a mistake so confusing, that it took one top webmasters/SEOs in the country to fix the mess.

Greater Bethesda Online Needed Creative & Extraordinary Solutions

SEO or Search Engine Optimization is a process of making Google like your website…it’s MANY parts hard work, a few parts patience, and for those extremely talented (“webmastery”), it’s an art that normally rewards rewards the most creative (and normally, tech savvy)…

When Greater Bethessda Hard Knox Calls For ‘Triple Threats”

Like Jay Z :-), the aforementioned, webmaster/SEO is known by many names and talents. Some people like to call him an “iPhone App” guru, some like to call him The  ”Denver SEO“, others call him Denver Knox (“Denver” because of where he lives). I just like to call him friend and mentor. The lessons he’s taught me:

• Don’t think yourself into paralysis (it’s easy to do)
• That behind a lot of the complexities of online marketing, there are also comforting simplicities.
• To take myself less seriously sometimes
• “Keep it simple stupid”…

Greater Bethesda Online Problem Solving Simplicity?

Bethesda Avenue Picture - For testing Purposes

As I continue to replace some content lost here, Knox is helping me finish up some problem solving and just lend a helping hand. So I’m going to try to lend him one is showing him this picture of “Bethesda”. I’m uploading a picture for more some simple bug fixing that existed before I broke my own site.

What Does This Story / Bio Have to do with Greater Bethesda Real Estate

Not much directly — but there’s often morals easily extrapolated to real estate space.  So words of wisdom using  a real estate analogy:  >>  Only do it yourself if you know the best contractors in the business to clean up a possible mess.  In my case, I literally knocked my house down.  Gratitude to Knox and others who helped me re-build it.

Looking for more Real Estate, Right?

Many thanks for hanging in there with us while we  fix &  innovate…and come back soon.  You want MLS searches using 5+ search methods, from simple drops downs, to sophistication you haven’t seen yet? It’s coming imminently.  Bookmark this page or follow me on Twitter or Facebook to stay apprised.  Have great weeks and stay warm out there!

I’ll add videos, pictures, and commentary on more of the finished Multi Million custom modular products (they don’t dissapoint!). It’s especially remarkable to see them going up in Edgemoor (near Downtown Bethesda), where you’d be hard pressed to find a lot (or tear-down) for less than $1.3M. Enjoy the video and stand by for more on Sandy Spring’s innovative approach to Bethesda & DC luxury builds. Please note, since “The Post” needs to “pay their bills” there’s a 15 second commercial before the good stuff. And just a a kind warning, there’s some “noise”…so if ou’re at work, you may want to mind the volume :-) For what it’s worth I tried to get rid of it through nifty programming. :-)

So, how Bethesda rank on the Norton Top 10 Riskiest Online Cities?

Bethesda Lane in Downtown Bethesda

1. Seattle, Washington
2. Boston, Massachusetts
3. Washington, D.C. (Bethesda Included)
4. San Francisco, California
5. Raleigh, North Carolina
6. Atlanta, Georgia
7. Minneapolis, Minnesota
8. Denver, Colorado
9. Austin, Texas
10. Portland Oregon

Some Key Metrics Using Data From Norton & Some Other Prominent Third Party Data Collectors

• Number of cyberattacks
• Potential infections
• Level of Internet access
• Expenditures on computer software and hardware
• Wireless hotspots
• Internet usage
• Broadband connectivity
• Online purchases

What About Smartphones

One area I wish had covered more thoroughly is the increased use/speed of smart phones. A prominent Broker at Denver’s Brokers Guild Realty, and I were speaking about security the “open source era” and both agreed that smartphone security education/software enhancement will be crucial in coming months.

Protection Tips For Greater Bethesda

• Use a legitimate security software program that protects against spywre, malware, zero-day threats, hackers and identify theft – Norton is fine, I personally use, “Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010″. I also like “AVG Internet Security”
• Keep your computer’s operating system updated.
• I’d stay away from Internet Explorer: Microsoft’s browser has a history of being the most hacked. Of course it’s the most used too — but, in my humble opinion, “Mozilla Firefox”, “Google Chrome”, and “Opera” are all stronger choices.
• Diversify your passwords. I know it’s no fun, but you have to mix them up.

Feel free to use the ask me about suggestions on how to keep all your passwords safe and organized! OR any other tips and tricks…

Any other thoughts?

Special Thanks to Brian Kinkade,  from Brokers Guild in Denver for his contributions…