Issue #21: March 2026

Congratulations to this month's sponsored giveaway winners:
Alden E., Jaewon P., Ho K., and Manny L.

Life

In Season: Real Estate, Work, and Baseball All at Once

Real estate season is picking up—I'm working on 4 listings (Springfield, Arlington, Fairfax, Chantilly) and 2 buyers (Arlington, Ashburn) (one just closed and one under contract), plus a number of other buyers still looking.

At the same time, I’m still working my government job full-time—taking advantage of the flexible schedule, but also taking leave as needed when it gets to be too much.

And baseball season just started for my oldest. He’s in “majors” now, and I’ll be helping out as one of the assistant coaches.

It’s a busy season, but a good one. I know things will naturally slow down in a couple of months, so just making the most of it while it’s here.

Personal Finance

Compass Coffee, Gift Cards, and a Simple Money Lesson

Compass Coffee was actually one of my wife’s favorite coffee shops, and we took advantage of their gift card promos a few times—including the buy $25, get $25 free deal.

At the time, it felt like an easy win. Double your money at a place you already go? Hard to pass up.

Then they filed for bankruptcy.

Nothing shady necessarily—but it’s a good reminder of how to think about these offers.

When you buy a gift card, you’re giving a company cash today in exchange for something later. Most of the time, no big deal.

But if the business runs into trouble, that changes things.

Gift cards aren’t protected like money in a bank account. In a worst-case scenario, you’re just another unsecured creditor—meaning you’re near the back of the line.

That doesn’t mean Compass was doing anything wrong. They were likely trying to bring in cash and keep things going.

But from a personal finance standpoint, the takeaway is simple:

• Big gift card promos aren’t just “free money”
• The more generous the offer, the more cautious you should be
• Only buy what you’ll realistically use soon

I still like using gift cards for places we go to regularly. Just don’t treat them like savings.

Sometimes the best move isn’t chasing the extra $25—it’s avoiding the risk altogether.

This content is for educational purposes only and is not financial advice. Please consult a licensed financial professional before making any investment decisions.

Real Estate

Still Seeing Multiple Offers (Even With Higher Rates)

The house right in front of me was listed at $780K and ended up with 15 offers. From my sources, it’s under contract around $850K (not confirmed until closing, but that’s the word).

That lines up with what I’m seeing on the ground.

I was at a team happy hour recently, and 3 out of the 6 agents there—including myself—are actively looking to buy right now. That’s a pretty good snapshot of the market. Even with higher rates, there’s still a lot of pent-up demand.

On my end:

• Closed on 2227 12th Ct N for $1.35M
• A couple closings lined up for next month
• My listing at 9424 Park Hunt Ct received 5 offers and is under contract for $60K over list price

I also have a couple listings coming soon in April:

• 2-car garage townhome in Chantilly (~$690K)
• 2-car garage single-family in Greenbriar (~$800K)

Rates are starting to move back up again, and that’s going to matter.

What I’m expecting:

• Some buyers will pause or adjust their budgets
• Others will feel more urgency and try to lock something in sooner

So instead of demand disappearing, it likely just gets more uneven—strong for the right homes, quieter for everything else.

That’s where pricing and strategy really start to matter.

If you have questions about real estate, reach out to me at realtordannylee@gmail.com. Follow me on IG @realtordannylee.