If you are at least 55 years young, then I have the home for you!
55 YEARS YOUNG? What if I am 54? Sorry, unless you or your spouse is at least 55, then you may not buy this fabulous home.
Why is that? Well, this elegant colonial is located in one of Northern Virginia’s finest Active Adult Communities, Regency at Dominion Valley.
What is an Active Adult Community? In Virginia, “Active Adult Communities” must meet age qualifications. This means that at least 80% of the units within the community have one resident that is at least 55 or better. No permanent residents are allowed under the age of 18.
So are you or your spouse at least 55 Years or Better? Then read on, because you don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to own this exceptional single family home. By far one of the lowest priced homes in the neighborhood ($475K) and definitely on one of the best lots, this brick colonial is the next place to call home. With a spacious open floor plan and main level living, what more could you ask for? This home features 2 bedrooms on the main level, including the luxurious master suite, and one bedroom in the loft area. (Perfect for having family in for the weekend.)
Located at the end of a quiet Cul de sac and backing to a wooded area, this home offers peace and tranquility whether relaxing in the warm sunroom or catching a cool breeze in the glorious screened in porch. Have the neighbors over for a BBQ on the patio, or set up a game of horseshoes in the private backyard.
If you want to get out of the house, then head over to the Regency Clubhouse. Conveniently located across from Whitworth Court, you can walk, run or drive there in a few minutes. The elegant clubhouse features an indoor/outdoor pool, tennis courts, magnificent library, fabulous restaurant, and various other activities and rooms. There is also a beautiful 18 hole golf course that meanders throughout the community, including a putting green to practice your game.
The Regency at Dominion Valley is a private, gated community that is also a part of the Dominion Valley Country Club, open to people of all ages. Dominion Valley boasts a new shopping center at the entrance to the community. Offering an impressive grocery store, coffee shop, dry cleaners and various restaurants, you don’t have to go far to get the things you need.
So if you are ready for the next step into a fabulous relaxing lifestyle, then this may be the perfect home for you. Call for information or to make an appointment for a private showing. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Candace Moe and Chelle Gassan
Senior Real Estate Specialist, Realtors, Staging Professionals
I work with a lot of Coast Guard personnell who usually end up at one point in their career at Coast Guard Headquarters. Many of them are moving with families and school age children, so I am often asked the following question:
“Where are the good schools?”
My answer to that question is: “all over Northern Virginia”.
But don’t take my word for it. Newsweek magazine ranks high schools throughout the country on an annual basis. Time after time, a large majority of this area’s schools rank in the top 5% of high schools in the country. According to Newsweek Magazine, in 2007, 60 of this area’s Virginia schools made the top 1300 high schools in the USA.
All of the Northern Virginia Counties/Cities that make up the DC area were represented in this list. They include:
I just have to give a hand to those awesome Loan Officers out there!
With today’s ever changing lending situation, the hurdles and jumps you have to go through to get a client qualified is amazing.
I had a tough situation with a client this week. They do not have stellar credit (no thanks to a past identity theft), but really want and need to buy a home. I was almost certain that there would be a big “NO” over there head in qualifying for a loan. But my friend and loan officer who I work with on a regular basis, spent hours this morning working through some of their credit issues and making it actually possible for them to purchase a home. I know this situation is not going to be easy and will require a lot of work before everything finally comes together. But I appreciate the fact that this loan officer had the patience and compassion for helping my clients realize their dream of home ownership.
So hats off to my friend and all his wisdom, not to mention all the other loan officers out there who go above and beyond the call of duty. Without you, we Realtors wouldn’t be able to help our clients become Homeowners.
All across the country, millions of school children are preparing for their annual spring break over the next few weeks. Unfortunately many of them are not enjoying their much needed vacation at the beach. Instead they are sitting in my car driving around Northern Virginia while I help their parents find a home...poor kids.
But that is what this time of year brings to the DC area, lots of out of town buyers who need to find a place to call home, and they are using their week of Spring Break to do it.
So Sellers, now is the time to re-evaluate your listing:
Does your home show really, really well (inside and out)?
Do you have good internet presence with nice and enticing photos of your property?
Are you being flexible with showings?
Most importantly, are you priced AT or BELOW comps for your neighborhood and the surrounding neighborhoods?
If you answered “NO” to any of these questions then you may be missing out on a lot of potential purchasers for your home. The spring market is officially in season, so don’t miss this opportunity to catch the Spring Break Buyers.
They are here, they are serious and they will buy a home. Will it be yours?
I haven’t quite figured this one out, but, so far my dealings with bank-owned properties have gone like this:
1. We (the Bank) verbally accept your offer.
2. Purchaser ,please HURRY UP and sign all the bank addendum or we will move onto the next offer.
3. We (the Bank) will sign off on everything and fully ratify the contract WHEN WE FEEL LIKE IT or when the documentation finally makes it to the right person.
My clients have been in a verbal contract with a Bank for over 4 weeks with nothing signed by the Bank, so technically speaking there is no contract. Needless to say, my clients are having second thoughts about purchasing this property and think they need to look elsewhere. They are pulling their offer and I am showing them properties once again.
If the Bank had just signed all the documents, my clients would be in a legally binding contract and would be going to settlement in two weeks. But now the bank has to find another Purchaser while I find them another house to buy, all because of a few signatures.
Side note: I spoke with the listing agent this morning and she is frustrated at how many deals that have been lost because the bank she is working with takes too much time to get everything signed off....hmmm, I wonder when the banks will catch a clue?
If you are not pricing your house correctly and making sure that your home shows like a model, then don’t expect to see the results we just had with our most recent listing in Gainesville, Virginia. Here is the anatomy of a great sale:
Monday: Signed the listing agreement for $300,000. After showing the Seller comparable properties for her neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods, she agreed that this was the right price for her home to get it sold quickly.
Wednesday: We staged this adorable 3 bedroom, 3.5 bath. This house already had great promise with hardwood floors on the entire first floor, not to mention a very realistic seller. We just moved a few pieces of furniture around and added some finishing touches to give it that great first impression.
Thursday: The photos were taken, and brochures ordered. That night the listing and photos were uploaded to the MLS.
Friday: First showing at noon. Phone call soon thereafter asking if we had any offers. Later that night, offer is sent over.
Saturday morning: Speak with Seller about offer in hand, we counter-offer, Purchasers agree, Seller and Purchaser initial everything...contract is ratified. (I need to mention, too, that while the Seller was signing the changes to the contract, there was another agent wanting to write an offer for her clients. Potentially a multiple offer situation, but the Seller is happy.)
Sellers, the market has changed, but that doesn’t mean your house won’t sell. It may mean that you need to change your approach to selling your home. If you are waiting for that one in a million buyer who is going to see past all your clutter and want to pay you $20,000 more than the last house that sold, don’t hold your breath...it’s not going to happen.
There were 395 homes for sale in Gainesville, Virginia last month and only 21 of them sold. You have an approximately 1 in 19 chance of selling your house, and that is just in Gainesville, there are so many other neighborhoods where Buyers are searching:
So, now that you see how it can work, what are you going to do to make sure your home stands out and gets the offer?
If you are looking for that perfect home, then you have found it in this one located in Bristow, Virginia.
Perfectly located at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac on a 1/3 acre lot, this beautiful, brick Colonial home is worth the $410,000 price tag and so much more!
One of the largest lots on the street, not to mention a rear yard with 6 ft. privacy fence, very large Trex deck, a Hot Tub that seats 6, and backing to a large common area and trees...and this is just the outside!
Once inside, you will notice how well this family lovingly maintained their home. From the fine detailed crown molding to the warm hard wood floors, you will want to call this house your HOME!
Featuring:
2 Story Foyer
Living Room
Dining Room
Study
Family Room
Gourmet Kitchen with breakfast area
Master Suite
3 addtional bedrooms
Walk-out Basement
I know you are saying it..."Honey, this is the one!" So don't delay!
Contact me for more information, or even better stop by this Sunday, March 2nd, for this great home's first Open House from 12-4PM. You won't be dissappointed!
I've been so unbelievably busy lately, that my time on ActiveRain has been much less. I usually visit AR everyday, in the morning with my coffee, and in the evening with my glass of wine. But the past few weeks, I'm lucky if I get on here at all.
I really had great intentions of writing all these fabulous Localism posts so that I can increase my presence on the internet. But that too is not happening.
What I have been doing instead is going crazy and working very long days. It seems that people finally realized that it is a great time to buy. And thankfully, the listings we've been taking are with REALISTIC sellers who are getting the message about what they need to do to sell.
So between showing homes, staging listings, working the contracts, writing offers, arranging settlements, and all the other details that go into being a Realtor, I just haven't been able to spend my precious time here on AR, like I would like to.
In addition, I have also noticed that in one of my favorite AR groups, Virginia, the regular contributors are not contributing as much...they must be feeling the change too.
I'm exhausted and a little stressed, but I've seen a change in the market, and things look good.
Virginia is full of rich history. It is famous for presidential mansions and battlefields, but not many people are aware of it’s vibrant Wine Country. California, Washington, and Oregon are the states that come to mind when people think of US wines. While not at the top of the list, Virginia is making it’s way into the wine industry and actually getting some recognition.
One of my favorite places to go wine tasting and to enjoy a relaxing afternoon is the Winery at La Grange, located in Haymarket, VA. Currently the one and only operating winery in Prince William County, this beautiful and historical place should be on your list of things to do. Approximately 40 miles outside of Washington DC, this Northern Virginia winery offers one of the most picturesque settings. Driving down Antioch Road, you happen upon this beautiful 1790’s colonial, that was once a farmhouse. Lovingly restored, the Manor house hosts the wine tasting room. In addition, there are several intimate rooms for enjoying a bottle of wine and snacks (bring your own or purchase some there).
Some of the rooms have fireplaces, while the cozy, stone basement is a treat of it’s own. You can also enjoy your wine on the sun porch with views of the 100 year old boxwoods that create a path to the Barrel Room.
When the weather is nice, there are many private spots to enjoy a beautiful day and tasty glass of wine. For those slightly cooler days, La Grange has patio heaters to take off the chill.
I sound like an advertisement, but I can’t begin to tell you how much I enjoy the Winery at La Grange. They offer such a beautiful place to relax and their wine is fabulous, too. If you live in Western Prince William County, this is a treasure in your own backyard to enjoy. And if you live in Northern Virginia, hop on I-66 to Haymarket and you too can experience a great part of the Virginia Wine Country. I say, “make mine Virginia wine”!
Just like Paul Revere shouted “the British are coming”, so are the Buyers in full force.
I don’t think it is just me, but I have had so many buyers lately that I am having a tough time keeping up with them, let alone keeping them straight. This weekend alone, I took out three buyers, didn’t write any offers, but that is our next step.
I know it’s not just my partner and I, because on Sunday evening our office was a buzz with agents and their clients reviewing listings, writing offers, getting loan approvals in place, etc. It feels great to see so much excitement in the air with real estate. We’ve been on such a negative path for a while, it’s awesome to see movement, and lots of it!
This is good news for everyone, especially the sellers out there who are waiting for their homes to sell. Keep in mind, all of these buyers are looking for a good deal, not unrealistic, but fair. Overpriced listings are not on our shopping list, so Sellers price your home to sell because:
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
If you are at least 55 years young, then I have the home for you! 
Candace Moe and Chelle Gassan
I just have to give a hand to those awesome Loan Officers out there! 
One of the largest lots on the street, not to mention a rear yard with 6 ft. privacy fence, very large Trex deck, a Hot Tub that seats 6, and backing to a large common area and trees...and this is just the outside!
I've been so unbelievably busy lately, that my time on ActiveRain has been much less. I usually visit AR everyday, in the morning with my coffee, and in the evening with my glass of wine. But the past few weeks, I'm lucky if I get on here at all.
;)
;)
