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Soon to be innaugurated Governor McDonnell, ran on a platform of new jobs and an aggressive approach to finding new energy sources for the state.   McDonnell is already moving to follow through on his promises, citing the following as he urges the Ferderal government to loosen its policies on offshore drilling:

A 2005 study by a former president at Old Dominion University forecast that offshore natural gas production alone off of the Atlantic coast near Virginia would, over a 10-year period, likely create at least 2,578 new jobs, induce capital investment of $7.84 billion, yield $644 million in direct and indirect payroll, and result in $271 million in state and local taxes. The study also estimated that there could be up to 500 million barrels of oil in this lease area – enough to fuel all four million cars in Virginia for more than four years.

Although some critics have challenged the validity of this “study” and no one has been able to obtain a copy of the body of the report, many of the voters that pushed McDonnell through with a landslide victory are hopeful that he will come through on his campaign promises.  Jobs, tax revenue for the beleagured budget, and an alternative natural resource… what could be better ?

Virginians from Fairfax to Norfolk anxiously await the New Year, the new governor and the new policies that will either boost or befuddle the state budget, the real estate markets, the job markets and our school systems.  Lots of forecasters are predicting the end to economic downturn… others see further lows to come… What do you think?

What an eventful week in DC! 

The Blizzard of 2009 singlehandedly took out retailer’s chances of having a banner pre-Christmas weekend.  But, more than likely, restored the sanity and serenity of the holiday to Nothern Virginia as most of the population was locked down for the weekend. 

The Senate passed a bartered bloated version of the Healthcare Bill which doesn’t align with what the House ludicrously passed, and are pounding their fists in victory.  ?? Seriously? 

My kid’s elementary school choir cancelled their Winter performance because there was too many families protesting them singing “Sleigh Bells” as it implied Christmas…   Seriously??

Lots of thought provoking and challenging events that could undermine your holiday (whatever your holiday is) sprirt.  But there is another thing I encounter in Virginia… everywhere I go.  Families, spouses, parents who are missing their loved ones as they serve faithfully overseas.  The US Soldier, Sailor, Airmen or Marine that will be without their families and the comforts of home during the holidays aren’t thinking about Healthcare bills or what politcally correct song they can sing on the 24th.  They probably don’t care if it is a Holiday Tree or a Christmas Tree., they would just like to be in front of the one in their home.

Thank you Servicemen and women for your sacrifice.  Thank you for being there.

The US Department of Defense has released the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates for 2010. The BAH rates for permanent-duty troops increases an average of 2.5% on January 1, 2010. The BAH is alotted to servicemembers for whom govenrment-provided quarters are unavailable. Check BAH rates in your area here.

Around one million full-time servicemembers take advantage of the BAH program, whose benefits vary based on duty location, pay grade, and number of dependents. Checking the rates against ZIP codes where I’ve lived, it looks like, if you don’t have any dependents, you could get an average one-bedroom apartment. However, personal experience tells me that rent tends to increase more than 2.5% each year.

 In the DC area, housing rates, increased across the board. Locations increased by just a few dollars up to a couple of hundred dollars.  How will these rates and changes effect housing prices and rental rates in the Northern Virginia area?  Home owners and landlords are hopeful that the housing market in Virginia will continue its steady recovery…. opinions??

Create your own family Chirstmas card photo… by actually ice skating in a scheduled snow fall!  In case the forecasted foot of snow does not arrive this weekend, you can still glide around the rink everynight at 7 pm through the falling snow. 

 The Pentagon Row Ice Rink is open daily and cranks up the atmosphere during the holiday season with their snow making!  Their regular hours are:

You can even get out there on Christmas Day… here are the holiday hours:

The holiday season means parties, food, decorations, cards, and of course shopping!! Black Friday has passed peacefully without trampling incidents, and now it is time to really find those treasures.  If you aren’t looking for the discount on the 42″ plasma or a bargain on three for one on video games, where would you go to really find those special gifts?  Northern Virginia and the greater DC area host some very special and unique shopping.  Many of these neighborhood shoppping districts boast local owners with an interest in the community.  So, if you don’t want to give your credit card to someone with a smock on…. try some of these areas….

 Downtown Fredericksburg  - Shopping in historic Fredericksburg spans three centuries. Literally unique among shopping districts, every shop in downtown Fredericksburg, Virginia is a small, one-of-a-kind, owner-operated boutique. Fredericksburg’s specialty antique shops draw keepsakes from rural and urban estates throughout the Southeast

Historic Occoquan  This peaceful, riverfront community is the perfect tonic for a busy, metro-area lifestyle. Come and experience Occoquan’s rich history and beauty. Shop and dine in over 100 businesses and restaurant.

Old Town AlexandriaNationally recognized for its early-American architecture, variety of hotels, unique boutiques, award-winning  and inexpensive historic attractions, as well as quick and easy access to the many free Washington D.C. sites, Alexandria is the perfect getaway to shop, dine and celebrate. 

Leesburg -Stroll through Leesburg’s historic district and you’ll discover quaint shops situated in stately buildings. Home furnishings and fashion clothing stores, art and antique galleries, gourmet food and wine boutiques, and more are waiting to be explored. 

The National Harbor area is becoming the center for celebrating the holiday season in the DC area.  There are many spirited events including an ice show, stage shows and a water skiing santa.  One of my favorites is the HolidayMarket, hosted by the National Harbor every weekend until Christmas.  The outdoor promenade hosts artisans, specialty foods and vendors every Saturday 12-8 and Sunday 12-6 until December 20.  The National Harbor is beautifully decorated and features a spectcular lit Christmas tree. 

New this year, an interactive holiday attraction debuts that you won’t want to miss. Gaylord National Resort’s ICE! is a winter wonderland created entirely of 5,000 BLOCKS of ice weighing 1.5 MILLION POUNDS! hand-sculpted by 40 international artisans and kept at a chilling nine degrees Fahrenheit.

From Virginia take the OuterLoop over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and take the National Harbor Exit 2A.  for more information about all of the events at the National Harbor visit their web site….  National Harbor.

 Congress created the HAP program in 1966 (see Section 3374, Title 42 United States Code) to financially compensate eligible military and civilian Federal employee homeowners when the real estate market was adversely affected directly related to the closure or reduction-in-scope of operations due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC).  More recently the HAP program was reviatlized as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to assist military members that are forced to PCS from a declining housing market.   

Most analysts expressed concern that the actual program requirements and the tax implications were not clear enough to have anyone in the military program actually benefit.  Was this another federally ordered stimulus package that would never trickle down to benefit the intended.  I tried, for grins,to call about the emergency refinancing plans that were announced last year. You could not benefit if you were not yet behind on your mortgage but if you credit was bad, you were almost ousted from the phone tree…… so where oh where is the place between “behind on mortgage” and “still good credit”… hmmmm?

Almost against odds, the HAP program is starting to chug along like the Little Engine that could.  Payments are actually being processed.  People are actually benefitting.  Most importantly the tax questions were clear up when Presdient Obama signed the HR3548, making payments made to military members under the HAP exempt from taxation. 

Please review all the information about the HAP program carefully before filing.   HAP Program FAQ’s and HAP Program Overview

Does anyone out there have personal experience with HAP so far??? Is there really a pulse?