When Is A Fort Belvoir Address Not A Building on Post? - 12/31/08 07:28 AM
When most people think of a Fort Belvoir address they immediately think of the U.S. Army Post. However Inlet Cove shares the Fort Belvoir postal address with its close neighbor. Inlet Cove is one of newer zero lot line neighborhoods that were built in Northern Virginia between 2002-2005.With its close proximity to Fort Belvoir you shouldn't be surprised to learn that a large percentage of the owners are current or former military. With the main gate to Fort Belvoir, DeWitt hospital, the PX and Commissary just a stones throw away, it is easy to understand why military families gravitate to either … (4 comments)
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Lake Ridge-What’s Hot at the End of 2008 - 12/30/08 03:16 PM
Lake Ridge is a community that you want to call home. For anyone who is looking for a neighborhood that offers a variety on home styles, shopping, transportation, recreation and schools in the community then Lake Ridge is a neighborhood that warrants a closer look.As the year comes to a close it is interesting to see what is HOT in the current Lake Ridge market. Currently there are 40 homes under contract priced between $88,900 for a stripped down townhouse to $385,000 for a detached home in the need of cleaning and painting. How do I know the condition of these … (0 comments)
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The Secret Life of Bloggers-Finding Free WiFi Spots in Strange Places - 12/30/08 01:03 PM
Anyone who finds spends a few hours a day blogging knows that you can become weary of looking at the walls in your office, either at home or elsewhere. So you venture out into the world to make connections not only with people but with the free WiFi spots around your area.By accident I recently discovered a new free WiFi spot in Woodbridge. The obvious spots are Starbucks and Panera Bread with a number of locations around the area. The not so obvious one is the second level lounge/eating area at Wegmans grocery store.It just so happened that when I stopped … (10 comments)
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Now Ready in Potomac Club-Better Than New Garage Townhouse - 12/29/08 05:00 PM
UNDER CONTRACT-CALL CINDY JONES FOR INFORMATION ON OTHER PROPERTIES AVAILABLE IN THE POTOMAC CLUB. … (0 comments)
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Military Relocation News-2009 Basic Allowance for Housing Rates - 12/29/08 07:42 AM
The 2009 Basic Allowance for Housing Rates (BAH) have been published for active duty military members. For military families moving to Fort Belvoir, Quantico, Pentagon or other duty stations in the Northern Virginia, DC and MD areas the new rates are an increase of an over last year's rates.
For those who are not familiar with BAH, the rates are based on the median rental rates in the area and may not cover what a service member pays in a monthly mortgage if they decide to buy a home while stationed in the area. The median rental rate includes not only … (2 comments)
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Marketing a New Listing-It Doesn’t Happen Overnight - 12/28/08 04:20 PM
How fast can you put a home on the market? Can you do it in an hour? Can you do it in a day? On a recent listing appointment a seller indicated that a previous agent suggested if they signed the listing agreement right then they could have the house on the market tomorrow. Gasp!
Sure I can run home and put the basic data in the MLS. I don't have to fill in all the data fields or at least not correctly and certainly I don't care if you clean your house or we take any photos to give … (67 comments)
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Lake Ridge-Want to Get the Skinny on All the Community News? - 12/28/08 10:53 AM
Residents of Lake Ridge in Prince William County, Virginia are lucky. The Lake Ridge Parks and Recreation Association provides a wealth of information for residents of the community without every having to leave home.
Want to know about upcoming activities in Lake Ridge?
Curious as to when your street will be plowed during a snow storm?
Want to check on Lake Ridge community covenants?
Then you don't need to go any further than your keyboard to check the Lake Ridge Parks and Recreation Association website.
Ever thing you need to know is right at your fingertips. As a resident of the … (0 comments)
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Westridge-Enjoy the Wrap Around Porch and So Much More - 12/26/08 07:14 PM
Coming Soon!Fantastic Westridge Victorian 5 BR/3.5 BAFirst Floor StudyFormal Living Room and Dining RoomKitchen with Granite CountersFirst Floor Family RoomLower Level Recreation RoomLarge Deck1/2 Acre LotCul-de-sac
About the Westridge Community Tucked in the trees just off of Old Bridge Road in Prince William County is the quiet community of Westridge. Coming down the main tree lined drive you come upon the large community center, pond and fountain and you know you are in a neighborhood that makes you feel welcome.
Within easy driving distance to Fort Belvoir, featuring a reverse commute to Quantico and multiple commuter lots … (4 comments)
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Belmont Bay-Top Floor Condo with Fantastic Views - 12/22/08 03:21 PM
Belmont Bay the Premier Waterfront Community in Prince William County … (0 comments)
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Military Relocation-Relief for Renters in Foreclosed Homes - 12/22/08 03:05 PM
Unfortunately the current real estate market in Northern Virginia has proved a rude awakening for some renting military families. Landlords who decided NOT to pay their mortgages have left the tenants holding the bag when the sheriff comes to the door.
Military familes who are forced to make a local move due to a foreclosure may find some relief from the Servicemrmbers Civil Relief Act. Not many servicemembers know that under section 531 in the SCRA anyone looking to evict an active duty servicemember from a rental property that is their primary residence must have a court order. This applies to … (14 comments)
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190 Knot Headwinds and Real Estate in 2008 - 12/21/08 01:08 PM
While flying to Denver for the Christmas holidays our flight seemed to take longer than usual. The pilot came on to announce that it wasn't our imagination that we were facing 190 knot headwinds and though it might seem like we were standing still we were making progress towards our destination.It made me think about our local real estate market this past year. Even though the news continues to report more bad news than good we have made progress. Our inventory is lower than it was a year ago. In some areas we have seen prices start to stabalize and banks … (8 comments)
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Welcome to Kings Park West-Expanded Three Level Colonial Ready to Go! - 12/20/08 10:55 PM
More information on Kings Park West
… (0 comments)
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Putting The Holidays In Perspective-Arlington National Cemetery - 12/18/08 08:13 PM
During the holiday season it is easy to become overwhelmed. With the music, decorations, shopping, crowds and business it can make us cranky and short tempered. You can see it everywhere with pushing, shoving in stores and fighting for parking spaces. Yet just across the interstate from one of the largest shopping malls in Northern Virginia you find hundreds of volunteers gathered at Arlington National Cemetery to honor a serviceman or woman. For the last 16 years Worcester Wreath Company has donated 5000 wreaths to be placed on the headstones of our fallen hero's at Arlington National Cemetery. This past weekend was … (10 comments)
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Lend a Hand to a Family Left Behind-It’s Simple - 12/18/08 08:20 AM
As the holidays come roaring now is a great time to lend a hand to a military family "left behind" while their loved one is deployed overseas.
If you live near a military family with a loved one deployed this holiday season stop by and volunteer to help them out for a few minutes or a few hours. You can put up their outside holiday lights or help get the Christmas tree in that pesky stand. Volunteer to stand in line at the post office or UPS store for them. Have a video camera? Help the family make a holiday video to post … (6 comments)
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Welcome to Westridge-A Community Surrounded by Nature - 12/17/08 07:01 PM
The minute you start down Westridge Drive into the community by the same name you realize you have found a special neighborhood. At the bottom of the first hill you come to the pool and community center, a busy place with a variety of activities year round. A small lake featuring a fountain in the summertime provides a restful place to sit and watch the ducks. Enjoy the walking paths through the community for exercise and meeting up with your neighbors.
Detached homes in Westridge don't come on the market all that often and in 2008 only 10 homes have … (6 comments)
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Is Your Home Ready for a Diet? - 12/16/08 06:37 PM
Take one house with closets already overflowing, throw in holiday decorations and a few deliveries from UPS and soon you have a house that is ready to explode. The holidays are a great time to put your home on a diet. A clean up of all of those items that have been sitting on the closet shelves for a year that you haven't used, clothes that you don't wear and old magazines gathering dust.
Over the years I have become acutely aware of the clean up and throw out process. With my numerous moves as a military spouse, emptying out my parents home of … (25 comments)
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Two Royal Communities in Fairfax County-Kings Park & Kings Park West - 12/15/08 08:06 AM
In conjunction with my new listing at 4948 Gainsborough Drive in Kings Park West I have updated my original Kings Park post from Feb 2008.
It isn't hard to figure out what the developer of the first Kings Park was planning when they laid out the plan for the community and the homes. With one look at the street names Thames, Victoria, Trafalgar and Cromwell among others you might think you have made a trip back to England. Then when you add the names of the five original models; King, Queen, Princess, Duke and Duchess, you realize absolutely there is a royal … (8 comments)
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Active Rainer’s Blogging around the Beltway - 12/14/08 06:16 PM
Margaret Woda recently wrote a great post "Dozens of Houses Donated" about her gingerbread cookie making extravaganza. Margaret is one of the local bloggers that I've come to respect and admire over the last 18 months of Active Rain.We have managed to get together on a couple of different occasions and compare market strategy and talk about some joint marketing projects. When I saw her recent post it reminded me that I hadn't uploaded the picture from our most recent meeting at Panera Bread in Tyson's Corner.We had some fun playing with my little 9 inch laptop and teaching each other … (8 comments)
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Threatening E-Mails-What’s a Realtor® To Do? - 12/14/08 04:56 PM
It was a shock. The email threatened bodily harm and destruction of personal property. The email came from....my family! Many of us have been working at full speed all year and our families have been there to support us all along the way. Now with the holidays approaching they are ready to spend some quality time with us.
Since our family is flying to a central location from multiple continents it makes sense that our time together be a "work free" zone. So I am going to accept the challenge and put my phone on vibrate and only return critical calls. I'll … (20 comments)
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Are the Stars Finally Aligning? Strange Real Estate Happenings - 12/13/08 10:52 AM
Yesterday my clients ratified a contract for a new home. We had looked gone through about 15 homes in Prince William County, including the graffiti house, before landing on one that had all the right stuff.When I turned in a copy of the contract to our office administrator, she looked it over and asked me if I was sure about the deal. I smiled and said "YES I'm sure."I dropped a copy of the contract off at the settlement company. They looked it over and asked me if I was sure about the deal. I smiled and said "YES I'm sure."
… (43 comments)
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Enjoy the View From This Top Floor Condo in Belmont Bay - 12/13/08 08:47 AM
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Two Peas in Pod-Welcome to Charlestown and Cardinal Forest - 12/11/08 04:42 PM
Not often when families are looking for a new place to call home can they find two neighborhoods that have it all. Location, multiple commuting options, recreation, shopping and good schools. If you find yourself with orders to the Pentagon or Fort Belvoir you may find yourself drawn to Cardinal Forest and Charlestown two neighborhoods that sit side by side in West Springfield.
The tree lined streets of Charlestown, combined with the brick townhouses remind anyone driving through the area of Colonial Williamsburg. With primarily three level townhouses ranging from 1700 to a supersized 2700 square foot model, the townhomes feature curved staircases, hardwood floors (some under carpet) and … (0 comments)
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Prince William Marina-Annual Lighting of the Boats - 12/09/08 06:19 PM
For the last ten years the Prince William Marina in Woodbridge has celebrated the holiday season with a Christmas boat decorating contest. On Saturday December 13th the judging of the boats will take place between 5-7 pm. Along with seeing all of the boats decked out for the holidays you can also enjoy refreshments along the docks and end the evening with a firework display over the Occoquan River.In conjunction with the annual lighting of the boats the Prince William Marina also conducts a "boat load of hope" collection of toys and non-perishable food items to benefit local families in need. … (6 comments)
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Closing Out the Year- Lake Ridge Townhouse Sales - 12/08/08 07:58 PM
One of the important questions sellers need to know as they get ready to list their property for sale is "how is the current inventory in my neighborhood?"Now we all know that in a large community such as Lake Ridge there is a wide variety of homes for sale and not all homes listed would be a "competitive" home to yours. However understanding the general inventory and how it might impact the sale of your home is important.Currently there are 65 townhouses for sale in Lake Ridge.
In November 17 Lake Ridge townhouses went to closing.
In November 14 new townhouses … (6 comments)
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Kings Park West-Express Bus to the Pentagon Only Blocks Away - 12/06/08 03:00 PM
Grab the Express Bus to the Pentagon only Blocks Away from your Door … (6 comments)
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Holmes Run Acres-Mid-Century Modern under a Leafy Canopy - 12/05/08 06:43 PM
Many who are not familiar with mid-century architecture lump any neighborhood in Northern Virginia with "contemporary style" homes in the same category. Fans of mid-century modern housing understand there is a big difference between the two. The confusion reminds me of a brain teaser from science class which I reworked to say "all mid-century modern homes are contemporary but not all contemporary homes are mid-century modern."The two most recognizable mid-century modern neighborhoods in Fairfax County, Hollin Hills and Holmes Run Acres are great examples of the vision of the developers who understood the principals of making homes fit in with the … (3 comments)
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Tips for Buying Real Estate in Today’s Market - 12/03/08 08:11 PM
There is a lot of negative information in both the local and national press that seems to be keeping potential buyers in rentals in Northern Virginia. This market is also a golden opportunity for buyers who have been waiting for the "right time" to buy a home. We have seen prices in some Northern Virginia areas drop as much as 50% and now interest rates are have dropped as well. The time to get off the fence may have arrived. Buying a home is NOT FOR EVERYONE and if you are looking a home purchase in today's market as a short term buy then you probably … (4 comments)
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Jazz Up Your Walls-A Little Graffiti Art Will Do - 12/03/08 03:00 PM
The house was unassuming from the outside. A typical Prince William County brick front colonial with a great lot. Nothing unusual on the main level and since it was a foreclosure the buyer's expectations weren't set to high. Upper level had 4 nice size bedrooms and other than a little clean up the house was receiving two thumbs up.Then we ventured to the lower level recreation room. This was obviously the party room in the house. At first glance the thought was perhaps vandals had come into the house. But then we realized that the graffiti was there on purpose. All … (16 comments)
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First Time Homebuyers Credit-Leaping the Hurdles to Qualify - 12/02/08 04:04 PM
The buzz about the first time homebuyers "credit' seems to have died down a bit since it was first announced as part of the Economic Stimulus package. Most buyers don't know what it is and whether it is a good deal for them or not. So lets take a look at some of the hurdles and see if it is the right deal for you.The first hurdle you come to is the qualifying income limits. If you are single and your adjusted gross income is more than $75,000 you are not eligible. If you are married and your combined adjusted gross … (2 comments)
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