2008 Success Contest Deadline Extended by One Week! - 12/29/08 03:49 PM
On December 23rd, I announced a Year-End Active Rain Contest.  The deadline for entries was December 30, 2008.  I hate to change up the rules mid-course -- I've had it done to me before when I entered contests.  Of course, it's not fair to those who diligently followed the rules and were prompt with their entries.
However, this tiime around an extension is warranted.  The contest was announced right before Christmas, during Chanukah, and during a time that many people are away, out of town, and appropriately spending their time away from real estate, blogging, and spending it with their family … (10 comments)

BECOME A HOME INSPECTOR FOR JUST $49! WHAT? - 12/27/08 08:02 AM
The highlighted message screamed out to me today from the classified ad section in the back of Popular Mechanics.  My wife purchased this subscription for me in an attempt to raise my home handiness quotient.  You see, except for the simple lightbulb change, most repairs around the house require a call to our trusted handyman.
Among the ads for various do-it-yourself projects, machine tools, and business opportunities, was this beauty:
BECOME A HOME INSPECTORFOR JUST $49!  FREE INFORMATIONCALL 24HRS
I don't know about you, but I don't want a $49 home inspector scrutinizing the biggest investment of my life.  Will that … (19 comments)

Winners to Be Announced on New Year's: Enter the Active Rain Success Stories of 2008 Contest - 12/23/08 07:46 PM
ANNOUNCING A YEAR-END ACTIVE RAIN CONTEST:
Let's end 2008 with a bang and get motivated for a terrific 2009.
Nobody will argue against the fact that this year's real estate market has been challenging whether you're a veteran or a rookie.  However, you and I know that the over 125,000 members of Active Rain are a cut above the ordinary.
Lots of us have incorporated blogging and participation on Active Rain into our regular routine and many have had tales of great success.  If you're a member of the Active Rain Block Party group, you've surely read some great success stories … (33 comments)

Alexandria Virginia Real Estate Market Snapshot Mid-December 2008 - 12/19/08 04:00 PM

Before you head off for a weekend of holiday shopping or traveling, here's a snapshot of real estate sales in Alexandria, Virginia for the last 30 days.
Alexandria, Virginia Home Sales:
Active homes for sale:  617 (includes 129 new listings in the last 30 days) Homes sold in last 30 days: 112 Average Sales Price: $444,907 Median Sales Price:  $409,910 Average Days on Market:  67 Average Sales Price/List Price:  94.6% Search Homes for Sale in Alexandria
 


Contact Brian Block, REALTOR/Attorney, RE/MAX Allegiance: Licensed in Virginia & Washington D.C. Cell: 703-626-0715.    Specializing in  helping buyers and sellers in  Alexandria, … (2 comments)

A Bit of Common Courtesy - 12/17/08 06:01 PM
With Winter either here or coming soon in many parts of the country, this is just a little reminder to buyer's agents, homebuyers, and other visitors.  Listing agents and homeowners everywhere will appreciate your common courtesy*:
 
ATTENTION AGENTS & POTENTIAL HOMEBUYERS:
 
PLEASE KINDLY REMOVE YOUR SHOES WHEN VIEWING OUR HOME.
 
THANK YOU!
 
Nobody wants snow, slush, ice, mush, mud, and other nasty stuff ruining a perfectly beautiful home for sale.
 
* Agents, Brokers, and buyers in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Florida, Hawaii, and other sunny spots, please feel free to ignore this message.
… (19 comments)

Boy Have Times Changed! - 12/17/08 05:53 PM
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes(turn and face the strain)
-- David Bowie
There's no doubt in anyone's mind that the real estate market has changed.  It's different today than it was 6 months ago.  It's different from a year ago.  And, oh boy, the real estate market is really different from several years ago.
As a real estate broker, a large part of my job is informing people about the realities of the real estate market.  It is always up to the client to determine how much they want to offer for a property or whether they wish to have a home contingency inspection.  My … (2 comments)

A Potential Bright Spot for Sellers in Northern Virginia - 12/15/08 01:46 PM
If you are trying to sell your home in Northern Virginia or planning to do so, it may seem like the perfect storm has formed to prevent you from doing so.  Between the bailouts, the sour economic news, the media hype, and the foreclosures down the street pushing your price down, you may be wondering if your home will ever sell.

 
 
Then someone like me comes along and publishes a post entitled Sellers Don't Despair... June is Just 6 Months Away. Note to Buyers: Buy Now! That's like breaking open your Chinese fortune cookie in mid-winter only to … (5 comments)

Sellers Don't Despair... June is Just 6 Months Away. Note to Buyers: Buy Now! - 12/15/08 11:46 AM
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven"
-- Ecclesiastes 3:1, adapted by Pete Seeger, and made popular by The Byrds
Turn! Turn! Turn!
Like baseball, bright red poinsettas, and thunderstorms, the real estate market is seasonal.  Depending upon where you are in the country, the season for real estate can be different.  In warm vacation and retirement climates and ski resort areas, the season is here -- wintertime.
In Northern Virginia, winter is typically the slowest time of year for real estate sales.  Homes on the market remain unvisited as most would-be … (4 comments)

The Tale of a Near Death Accident, a Bank Robbery, a Washing Machine & the Completed Short Sale - 12/11/08 08:59 AM
Reality really is much stranger than fiction!
In a well-worn cliche, that summarizes my clients' day yesterday.
All they wanted to do was buy their first home together.  They got married this past summer and we excitedly searched for their marital abode.  In the lovely community of Belmont Bay in Woodbridge, we found it.  A great end unit townhouse at a great price.  Just one problem...
It was a SHORT SALE.  (Cue scary music -- Dun. Dun. Dah.)
I warn all of my buyer clients about the perils of getting engaged in the short sale purchase process.  Between the delays, the … (20 comments)

Holiday Help for Your Countertop - 12/09/08 09:13 AM
During the holiday season, you'll likely be spending a good deal more time in the kitchen.  Today's helpful tips for taking care of your kitchen countertops comes courtesy of Nicholas Draper, President of Granite Source, a Northern Virginia provider of granite and other countertop surfaces.  I thought that this article would be of particular interest to my clients and other readers.
HOLIDAY HELP FOR YOUR COUNTERTOP
By Nicholas Draper, President, Granite Source
It’s December. ‘Tis the season of homemade candies and cookies for Christmas, soofganiot and latkas for Hanukkah, Kwanzaa dishes, and New Years Eve finger foods. With holiday parties and … (5 comments)

Meet McLean, Virginia: The Fourth Most Affluent Community in the U.S. - 12/09/08 08:28 AM
According to Forbes, McLean, Virginia ranks as the fourth most affluent community in the United States based on a median household income of $156,292.  The Forbes website states that "[t]his Washington, D.C., suburb is favored by government insiders because of its upscale homes and easy access to the Dulles Technology Corridor, the Blue Ridge Mountains and upscale shopping mecca Tysons Corner Center."
 
In garnering the fourth spot on this list, McLean was bested only by Los Altos CA, Darien CT, and Southlake TX.
 
 
 
Being an affluent community translates directly into expensive housing prices. 
 
McLean truly is … (1 comments)

D.C. Area Homeowners: Ready to Relocate to Warmer Climates? - 12/07/08 10:11 AM
While I love Northern Virginia and the D.C. area and spend a good amount of my time encouraging people to move, settle in, and purchase a home in this great region, sometimes people do decide to leave.  In many cases when someone departs the Washington D.C. area, it is for a warmer climate.
As the winter quickly approaches, I thought it appropriate to repost this introduction (originally written one year ago) to five lovely ladies who can assist you with all your real estate relocation needs and have your thoughts of snow and chilling weather become distant memories.
Yes, Virginia -- … (7 comments)

November's Most Expensive Sales - 12/03/08 01:14 PM
Are you wondering about Northern Virginia real estate and pondering what has sold recently?
Here's some information about the most expensive home sales in Northern Virginia (Arlington County, Alexandria City, Fairfax City, Fairfax County, and Falls Church City) for November 2008.  All information was obtained through MRIS.
SPECIAL ALERT:  This month, I am proud that one of my sales made it to the list -- the second most expensive townhouse sold in Northern Virginia in November!
Overall, there were 42 sales topping $1 million during the month of November 2008.  Despite the financial crisis, there are still people in the D.C. … (5 comments)

A Nice November: Active Rain Success Stories of November 2008 - 12/03/08 11:26 AM
We've turned the corner into the holiday season once again.  Turkey leftovers are dwindling or finally gone and thoughts turn to reflecting on the past year and anticipating the next one.  In the meantime, you should be reading A Nice November: Active Rain Success Stories of November 2008 as posted in the Active Rain Block Party group.  One of my favorite things here (besides experiencing my own success) is to read about the success of others and learn from their efforts.
There's no better place than the Active Rain Block Party group to read about the success that people are experiencing … (8 comments)

 
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Brian Block -- Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate

McLean, VA

More about me…

RE/MAX Allegiance, Managing Broker/Branch Vice President

Address: 6226 Old Dominion Drive, McLean, VA, 22101

Office Phone: (703) 626-0715

Cell Phone: (703) 626-0715

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