Holly's Blog

Fairfax County Schools: Hunters Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences

Holly Kirby Weatherwax--Your Realtor® in Reston,VA (Momentum Realty,LLC) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:45:22 -0600

From the Fairfax County FamilyGram, Fall 2009:

Hunters Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences magnet program will have openings for qualified students in grades K through 6 for the 2010-11 school year. To be selected, students must be working on or above grade level in language arts and mathematics and must possess good citizenship and study skills. The magnet program weaves the arts, sciences, and technology into all areas of the curriculum in order to stimulate and extend the educational potential of all students.

Each year, students are selected by a computer-generated lottery. The number of students chosen varies from year to year according to the number of openings at each grade level. This is not determined until the actual time of the lottery. Students not selected for the lottery are placed on a wait list.

Applications will be available in all Fairfax County public schools beginning in January 2010 or can be downloaded from the Hunters Woods web site at www.fcps.edu/HuntersWoodsES/. Applications must be completed and submitted to: Magnet Lottery, Office of Elementary Instruction and Administrative Services, 3705 Crest Drive, Annandale, VA 22003. Applications must be postmarked no later than Monday, March 1, 2010.

An information meeting will be held at Hunters Woods on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at 7 p.m. In the event of inclement weather, the meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 9, 2010, at 7 p.m.

For additional information, contact Diane Beers, parent liaison, Hunters Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences, 2401 Colts Neck Rd., Reston, VA 20191, 703-262-7405.

Holly Weatherwax, Associate Broker

EcoBroker,Graduate of Realtors Institute,Accredited Buyers Representative,e-pro and Accredited Staging Professional Realtor

If I can assist you with the purchase or sale of property in Northern Virginia, please visit my website: www.greatexperience.net , my blog Real Estate and Reston or email me at hollyweatherwax@mris.com. My direct number is 571-643-4902.

I believe buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE!

Going Green: Single Stream Recycling

Holly Kirby Weatherwax--Your Realtor® in Reston,VA (Momentum Realty,LLC) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:23:23 -0600

I am a recycling fanatic. I am the one in my family who has trouble tossing out the cardboard toilet paper rolls. I save shampoo bottles from the shower and diligently take them to the recycling bin. I regularly pick soda cans and bottles out of the trash. While not everyone in my family shares my enthusiasm, slowly they are getting better about getting the recyclables in to the right container.

The downside to all of this gathering was getting it to curbside every Friday. We got to the point where we had 4 (very) full bins--and a very long driveway. I was pleasantly surprised when a large recycle cart (looks similar to our regular trash can and includes wheels) appeared on my neighbors driveway; I immediately called and ordered one for our family. Now getting the recyclables to the curb is a fairly easy task.

But what happens when they dump everything from one bin? According to my trash company, American Disposal Services, they are using a method called Single Stream Recycling.

According to the mailing we received from them (which included an explanation of how this works and a handy magnet to show what is eligible for recycling): 'Single Stream Recycling is an innovative process that allows the consumer the freedom of putting all of their recyclables into the same container, a process called co-mingling, without the bothersome tasks of bundling and sorting.' Once the materials reach the facility, they are put on to a conveyor belt and sorted by vaiours 'electro-mechanical means.' Some of the methods mentioned: magnets, eddy currents, air jets, and heavy duty rotating screens.

On the website, www.ecocycle.org I found the following article about Single Source Recycling: Single Source Recycling Comes to Boulder County. While not about my community, the information was helpful. In the article, they say. 'It’s the future for responsible resource conservation and an important step toward meeting our goal of building a Zero Waste community by 2020. Single-stream recycling makes it almost as easy to use the recycling bin as it is to use the trash can, so for the previously unconverted, there’s no excuse for not recycling.'

Not everyone is willing to take the time to sort their trash. Single Source Recycling makes it easier; instead of sorting in to paper, plastic, aluminum, cardboard and more, you can choose between recyclable and non-recyclable. I find that it is easier to get people to participate if the process is simplified. Hopefully, this new effort will be a win-win for all of us--and for our environment!

If you are an American Disposal Customer, you can find out more about their program at www.americandisposal.com or by calling 703-368-0500.

Holly Weatherwax, Associate Broker

EcoBroker,Graduate of Realtors Institute,Accredited Buyers Representative,e-pro and Accredited Staging Professional Realtor

I believe buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE!

Home Energy Audit: Does it Help or Hurt the Sale?

Holly Kirby Weatherwax--Your Realtor® in Reston,VA (Momentum Realty,LLC) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:58:33 -0600

As a Realtor and EcoBroker, I have been giving a lot of thought to what the role of a Home Energy Audit should be in the process of selling a house. Unlike a Home Inspection or a Radon Inspection, a Home Energy Audit does not affect the safety of living in a property. So how should a Home Energy Audit be considered in the sales process?

You may or may not have heard of a Home Energy Audit. While I could provide an explanation here, Ardently Green (a company out of Northern Virginia, which is, for purposes of full disclosure, owned by my husband) has a great explanation of a Home Energy Audit. Here you will find information about how the Audit is conducted, the report that you will receive and what kind of recommendations you can expect.

As a Seller, should you conduct a Home Energy Audit prior to listing your house? I would recommend it--but only it if you plan on implementing a majority of the recommendations that come out of the report. If you have the audit done, but opt not to make the repairs, there is a distinct disadvantage in letting potential buyers know that you have had an audit. Basically, the report then becomes a way of pointing out problems with the house. If , however, you make the repairs necessary to improve the efficiency and comfort in your house, most buyers would prefer to purchase a house that has been Audited and improved over one that has not. Who wouldn't choose the more comfortable and energy efficient home over a comparable less energy efficient property?

As a buyer, should you request a Home Energy Audit? This question is a little bit trickier. First of all, making it a contingency on the contract will make your offer less attractive to a seller. After all, no one knows what the audit will find. What if the results recommend that all the windows should be replaced? As a buyer, that could be a deal-breaker if the seller is not willing to change the windows (not a cheap or easy process). As a seller, that is a very large ticket item and is very likely to be a deal breaker on the seller's side--it is tantamount to reducing the sales price by the cost of the windows.

But what if a buyer wants it done for Information Purposes Only? This can be a real advantage for a buyer; they will know exactly what has to be done to improve efficiency in the house. Again, however, for the seller it can be a reason for a buyer to walk away from a contract. Even if the contract does not require the improvements to be made, the seller may end up 'volunteering' to make the improvements to keep the Buyer from canceling the contract.

In both of these scenarios, we are thinking about big ticket items such as window replacement. Of course, the report will contain EVERYTHING than can be done to improve efficiency...windows might just be a 'nice to have' improvement; if a buyer looks at it that way, it can be a valuable tool. The problem is that a seller cannot know in advance how a buyer will view the results.

The truth is that most Home Energy Audits recommend some very inexpensive things that you can do to improve energy efficiency. Examples include:

Sealing around recessed lights to prevent air loss through the gaps.
Caulking around windows to improve air seal
Adding or redistributing insulation in attics or behind walls
Insulating behind wall plates to minimize heat or conditioned air loss.

As you can see from this (incomplete) list, most homeowners can handle many of these tasks easily, quickly and inexpensively.

So what should the role of a Home Energy Audit be in a Real Estate Transaction? It can be a distinct advantage for both the buyer and the seller if it is conducted prior to the property being listed and if the seller implements many of the recommendations that come out of the report. As a buyer, consider having an audit done on a house that you are purchasing, but be aware that doing it after the sale may make your offer more attractive to the Seller. Again, many of the improvements are relatively easy and inexpensive to implement.

If you are interested in buying or selling a home in Northern Virginia, I would be honored to meet with you to discuss how a Home Energy Audit can improve the saleability of your home or be used in the purchase of a property.

Holly Weatherwax, Associate Broker

EcoBroker,Graduate of Realtors Institute,Accredited Buyers Representative,e-pro and Accredited Staging Professional Realtor

I believe buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE!

Sell Your Home : A Series of Posts, Part 2

Holly Kirby Weatherwax--Your Realtor® in Reston,VA (Momentum Realty,LLC) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:46:22 -0600

Now that you have decided to sell your home, it is critical that you look at your property objectively and make the necessary improvements. If you have read any of my previous posts, you will know that one of my favorite sayings is, 'you only get one chance to make a first impression.'

This is the time to prepare your home as thoroughly as you would prepare yourself for an important interview. Look at every corner of your home and ask yourself is it 1) clean, 2) well maintained, 3) dated (and replace offending items if necessary). Just as you may look at that wall paper and think, ' it is too much trouble to remove, repair and repaint,' your potential purchasers are thinking EXACTLY the same thing.

If you want your price and your time-line, now is the time to put in the work! Here are a couple of my previous blog entries that will help you get started.

Getting Your House Ready to Sell Series: Home Maintenance is Key!

Getting Your Home Ready to Sell Series: The Condition Matters!

Getting Your House Ready to Sell Series: The Front Door Matters!

Getting Your House Ready to Sell Series: The Surprising thing I tell My Sellers

Getting Your House Ready to Sell Series: Help! I have been in my house forever!

I hope you found these posts informative and that you are able to use some of my advice as you prepare your home for sale. Try to remember that your goal is to make your home as attractive as possible to the greatest number of people.

My business is built around referrals. If you live in the Northern Virginia area and are considering selling your house, I would welcome the opportunity to discuss my approach to preparation, pricing and marketing. As an Accredited Home Staging Realtor, I believe that much of the work of selling your home has to be done before the sign goes up on your house. If you have family, friends or colleagues who plan to list their property, I would be honored if you would pass on my name and contact information.

Holly Weatherwax, Associate Broker

EcoBroker,Graduate of Realtors Institute,Accredited Buyers Representative,e-pro and Accredited Staging Professional Realtor

I believe buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE!

Sell Your Home: A Series of Posts, Part 1

Holly Kirby Weatherwax--Your Realtor® in Reston,VA (Momentum Realty,LLC) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:12:52 -0600

Are you are thinking about selling your house? If you have talked about this to friends and family, you are probably getting a lot of advice--much of which you find conflicting. For the past several years, I have written a number of blogs for sellers which I have called the Getting Your House Ready To Sell Series.

I hope that you can benefit from some of these posts. Selling your home is different from many other life decisions because it impacts not only your net worth, but is usually a very emotional transaction. It is a rare seller who can completely remove emotion from the sales process.

Getting Your House Ready to Sell Series: Why Use a Broker to List your Home in a Down Market

Getting Your House Ready to Sell Series: Setting Your Sales Price

Getting Your House Ready to Sell Series: A Letter to My Seller after our Pre-Listing Walk Through

Getting Your House Ready to Sell Series:Why Spend Extra Money to Sell Your House?

Getting Your House Ready to Sell Series: Sell Your House in 2009

I hope you found these posts informative and that you are able to use some of my advice as you prepare your home for sale. Try to remember that your goal is to make your home as attractive as possible to the greatest number of people. I will be posting 3 more of these compilation posts over the next week...be on the lookout for more in the Sell Your Home series.

My business is built around referrals. If you live in the Northern Virginia area and are considering selling your house, I would welcome the opportunity to discuss my approach to preparation, pricing and marketing. As an accredited Home Staging Realtor, I believe that much of the work of selling your home has to be done before the sign goes up on your house. If you have family, friends or colleagues who plan to list their property, I would be honored if you would pass on my name and contact information.

Holly Weatherwax, Associate Broker

EcoBroker,Graduate of Realtors Institute,Accredited Buyers Representative,e-pro and Accredited Staging Professional Realtor

I believe buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE!

Is the Reston, VA Real Estate Market Rebounding?

Holly Kirby Weatherwax--Your Realtor® in Reston,VA (Momentum Realty,LLC) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:18:57 -0600

I ran across an article today that I thought was worth sharing. It was from the Washington Business Journal and it was discussing the findings of an Urban Land Institute report which shows that there remains a shortage of workforce housing in the Washington D.C. area within 20 to 30 minutes of 6 workforce employment centers: Downtown Washington, D.C., Reston and Herndon, Alexandria, Tysons Corner, Bethesda and Rockville

I have several buyer clients right now that have not been able to find homes. Both of these clients are looking in Reston VA. It seems to me that we are beginning to run in to an inventory shortage. Homes that are priced above the comparables are remaining on the market, but those that are priced fairly and are in good shape are generally moving within a reasonable time frame. I have seen that there is still a bit of a struggle for sellers to determine what is a reasonable comp and what is not. I will tell you that when a home hits the correct price, it WILL go under contract.

My experience, combined with the findings in the ULI report, would indicate to me that at least in the Reston/Herndon area, we are on the way up from the bottom of the real estate market.

If you are a buyer who has been on the fence, this might be the time to jump in and find your new home. Unless you would rather wait and pay more later...

For the full text of the article: http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2009/11/02/daily36.html

Holly Weatherwax, Associate Broker

EcoBroker,Graduate of Realtors Institute,Accredited Buyers Representative,e-pro and Accredited Staging Professional Realtor

I believe buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE!

The Great Cereal Scandal: Are We That Naive?

Holly Kirby Weatherwax--Your Realtor® in Reston,VA (Momentum Realty,LLC) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:33:37 -0600

Did you know that if you feed your children Kellogg's Coco Krispies it will help boost your child's immunity? Really?

Apparently, new cereal boxes have been printed and distributed with a banner stating this fact. Last week the San Francisco, CA City Attorney, Dennis Herrera, sent a letter to Kellogg and the Food and Drug Administration asking Kellogg to prove their claim. Really?

Kellogg is stating that they have added additional Vitamins C, D and E which provide support to the Immune system. Okay...

This is the silliest scandal I have heard about this week (I say this week since there seems to be a new silly scandal each week for the press to obsess about). As a parent, if I am feeding my children Coco Krispies, I am clearly not worrying about their health relative to their breakfast diet. Before you jump all over me, what I mean is that sometimes you just want your kids to eat breakfast. If that is what it takes to get them to eat, more power to you! If I wanted to make sure that my family was getting a balanced breakfast diet, I doubt that I would head to the sugary cereal section of the grocery store.

I have seen this story featured on CNN, NBC and in USA Today. Gosh, you would think that we all believe everything we read on cereal boxes. Is it really fair to the American public for the press to assume that we are all too naive, and yes, stupid, to doubt the validity of a banner plastered across a Coco Krispies box? If I select Coco Krispies for my family, do you think that, maybe, it has to do with the fact that I believe they will actually eat it? My family is not a big cereal family, but if they were, I would buy what they would eat. Maybe it is just me, but I find that buying a box of cereal that my family won't eat is a true waste of money. I am quite sure that I am not going to swap out my Special K for Coco Krispies because of their banner claiming a Immune system boost.

I guess it just makes me wonder why so many people are focused on such a silly issue? Is there nothing else for the press, the city of San Francisco and the FDA to worry about? I think there is plenty wrong with the food system in our country and Coco Krispies is probably at the bottom of my list of concerns.

Do we really need the media to tell us that Coco Krispies is not a cure for the H1N1 flu? Are Americans that naive? Of course, we just finished a period in time where people believed it when the banks told them that their homes were like bank accounts....maybe we do need protection from ourselves.

I guess it brings me back to that old adage, 'If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.' And just in case you believed the labels on your cereal, now we must apply that to our breakfast choices as well!

Holly Weatherwax, Associate Broker

EcoBroker,Graduate of Realtors Institute,Accredited Buyers Representative,e-pro and Accredited Staging Professional Realtor

I believe buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE!

Car Shopping? Check the Mileage on Fast and Easy Website

Holly Kirby Weatherwax--Your Realtor® in Reston,VA (Momentum Realty,LLC) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:55:43 -0600

If you were not able to take advantage of the Cash for Clunkers program, you might be hoping to buy a new car as the economy picks up. If, like me, you were bleeding money last time gas went up to $4.00 a gallon, you might want to consider a more fuel efficient car this time around.

I just saw a really cool website that allows you to put in information about your car, your driving habits and calculate what your carbon footprint is for operating that vehicle. The site is run by the U.S. Department of Energy and also provides tax incentive information for different vehicles.

Like I have said before, whatever your beliefs about Climate Change and Global Warming, money savings interests everyone. Find out how much it will cost you to run your vehicle--or one that you are considering--and see what your carbon footprint will be for these vehicles.

The website: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/

Go in to the section called: Find Your Car's Energy Impact Score and enter in your driving information. You need to know roughly what percentage of your time is spent driving Highway driving and City driving. You can also change around gas prices to help you with planning for increased gas prices.

I found this to helpful and interesting. I hope you do, too!

Holly Weatherwax, Associate Broker

EcoBroker,Graduate of Realtors Institute,Accredited Buyers Representative,e-pro and Accredited Staging Professional Realtor

I believe buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE!

Happy Halloween...the Christmas Season is Here!

Holly Kirby Weatherwax--Your Realtor® in Reston,VA (Momentum Realty,LLC) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:06:22 -0500

I remember when we used to be able to celebrate a season. Afterward, things would be put on clearance for a couple of days, the stores would be cleaned up, and slowly the retailers would begin putting out items for the next season.

Welcome to our new retail reality. I had occasion to be in Target today with roughly 500 of my closest neighbors all trying to finalize their Halloween purchases. It was a little bit of a challenge as all items had been consolidated in to 3 narrow isles--to make way for the Christmas display!

October 31 is not generally a day that I begin contemplating Christmas decorations. I prefer a day or two--and really like a couple of weeks-- between my holiday planning.

I know the economy has been continuing to provide us with some unhappy surprises of late, and I know retail sales are down, but is this REALLY necessary?

Snow flakes dangle from the ceiling as we enjoy temperatures in the 70s.

The only positive that I have about this whole situation is that they haven't yet started playing the Holiday music. I expect that will begin tomorrow.

Have a wonderful and SAFE Halloween!

Holly Weatherwax, Associate Broker

EcoBroker,Graduate of Realtors Institute,Accredited Buyers Representative,e-pro and Accredited Staging Professional Realtor

I believe buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE!

A Cr_ppy Way to Start The Morning

Holly Kirby Weatherwax--Your Realtor® in Reston,VA (Momentum Realty,LLC) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:19:07 -0500

I awoke to the closing of the garage door. Since I am ALWAYS the first person awake in our family (at least during the week), this was a bad sign. A quick glance at my alarm clock told me that it was 5:35 am. Hmmm, why was my daughter leaving so early for school? Another glance at the cable box and I realized that it was really 6:35 am.

Surprise...the alarm clock self-adjusted itself for daylight savings time--and it is not following the new rules set by Congress!!!!!

There is nothing worse than starting a Monday morning an hour behind schedule before you even get out of bed.

My alarm clock is this really great Timex T622. It has a built in CD player and MP3 hook up. It is easy to set the alarm and easy to turn off in the morning (in the dark). There are some quirky things about it, but I have learned to live with them.

But I cannot live with a clock that randomly adjusts itself!! Of course, if it was adjusting itself on the correct daylight savings time schedule, this same problem would be a great feature. Instead, it is a really cr_ppy way to wake up on a Monday morning.

I hope the rest of the week is better....

And to add insult to injury, this is what I just heard back from Timex:

'We apologize but there is no patch available. Consumers must change clocks.

Due to new enacted government regulations, effective this year you must change the time manually, since the calendar was programmed to change according to the time DST issued by the government, it will not recognize the change after 2006. Change the zone to Hawaiin, the adjustment will only be twice.

Press & hold the time set button until the time flash, then release it and press the ff >> or << rev buttons. '

Holly Weatherwax, Associate Broker

EcoBroker,Graduate of Realtors Institute,Accredited Buyers Representative,e-pro and Accredited Staging Professional Realtor

I believe buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE!

Everyone knows someone who loves a...Realtor

Holly Kirby Weatherwax--Your Realtor® in Reston,VA (Momentum Realty,LLC) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:53:33 -0500

The hallmark of a strong marketing campaign is a slogan that sticks with you. Honda's new marketing campaign, 'Everyone knows someone who loves a Honda,' is one such campaign. Every time I hear one of the commercials or see one of the ads, I think of people I know who have Hondas. There is a lot of truth in the campaign; Honda owners are a loyal bunch!

I had some friends over this week for a get together. The group was all women and I co-hosted the event with two girlfriends. During the party, no less than 2 people mentioned to me that they had an ongoing social relationship with their real estate agent. Being a Realtor, I am used to hearing these confessions; friends want to make it clear why they might use someone else for a future transaction. I never begrudge them this relationship--I hope that my clients are equally as loyal.

The truth is that I hope all of my friends have a Realtor that they know and trust. Of course, in a perfect world it would be me, but in this profession, a little bit of a thick skin is a necessity. If it hasn't happened to you yet, one day you will find out that a very good friend of yours bought or sold a house without even mentioning it to you. It may sting a bit..after all, you will feel that you could have done the best job for them. At the end of the day, what is most important is that anyone who buys or sells real estate has solid representation.

I know plenty of colleagues who are very good at what they do and would provide exceptional representation for their clients. I hope that all my friends can honestly say, 'Everyone knows someone who loves their Realtor!'

And if they can't, I am always looking for new clients....

Holly Weatherwax, Associate Broker

EcoBroker,Graduate of Realtors Institute,Accredited Buyers Representative,e-pro and Accredited Staging Professional Realtor

I believe buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE!

Coming Around Again in Fashion and Real Estate

Holly Kirby Weatherwax--Your Realtor® in Reston,VA (Momentum Realty,LLC) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:19:42 -0500

If you are a woman of a 'certain age,' you have probably heard the fashion adage 'if you remember wearing it before you probably shouldn't wear it again.' In case you are not familiar with this concept, examples of it include: hip-huggers, micro-mini skirts, thigh-high boots and leggings as pants.

Like Fashion, the Real Estate industry is experiencing a resurgence/recycling of products and processes from the past. Unlike Fashion, however, the recycled Real Estate practices are worth a second look--both for Realtors and for Buyers and Sellers.

There was a time, in the not-so-long-ago-past, when buyers would almost never consider buying a home with an FHA or VA loan. They were complicated, took a long time and were not appealing to sellers because of appraisal processes and contribution requirements. Before you object, I know there were always people who used these products, but the majority of folks bypassed them and took out more forgiving, and easier to acquire, loan combinations. Instead of a 5% down payment and an FHA loan for the balance, a buyer would likely go for an 80-15-5. This combination would allow them to bypass Private Mortgage Insurance (or PMI) since the 2nd loan would be used to make sure that they could get their first loan to 80%. I am seeing a resurgence of these FHA and VA loans--AND the use of PMI. The government is working to make the process easier and suddenly buyers with these loans are more appealing to sellers because of their government backing and the likelihood that they will get to closing. A 'better loan' that evaporates before closing is not a better loan!

Another thing that I am seeing now is Home Sale Contingencies on purchase contracts. We are in recovery from a period where plenty of people got burned by buying a new house before selling their old house. For a while, if you sold your house without buying a new home you were likely to end up with no house at all. Unfortunately, as the market began to unravel, many folks who bought the house before selling their old one got caught in the bursting of the real estate bubble and ended up with two houses. There were plenty of cases where people lost both homes because of this series of events. Buyers are more conservative now. No one wants to be left with two mortgage payments and the days of easy-to-access money for bridge loans is in the past. The Home Sale Contingency is fashionable again because it gives the buyer some assurance that they won't be left with two mortgages. Sellers need to be re-trained to accept this reality, but when the alternative is to continue holding a house you can't sell, I suspect sellers will come around.

Longer listing periods seem to have come back in to style, too. During the boom years, a 45-60 day listing period seemed more than enough time. If you couldn't get the house under contract in a week or two and settle within 30 days, as a Realtor, you were not doing your job! Now days, it is not uncommon to see a really nice, well priced and well maintained home on the market for 6-9 months. In the higher brackets, a year long listing is not unheard of. Again, just a change in mind-set, but it is is changing our approach to business. We have to adjust the expectations of our sellers and do a better job of making sure they understand how critical the pricing and preparation phase of Listing their home is to the subsequent sale.

These are just a few examples of ways that the Real Estate industry is recycling practices from the past. There are plenty of things that will never come around again (driving around to pick up keys, anyone), but some of the old-but-good practices are helping us to redefine our industry in response to that Real-estate-gone-wild period from which we are recovering.

You might not catch me in a baby-doll dress ever again, but putting together an offer using a VA loan? Absolutely!

Holly Weatherwax, Associate Broker

EcoBroker,Graduate of Realtors Institute,Accredited Buyers Representative,e-pro and Accredited Staging Professional Realtor

I believe buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE!

Why Am I Twittering?

Holly Kirby Weatherwax--Your Realtor® in Reston,VA (Momentum Realty,LLC) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:41:39 -0500

About a month ago, I put up a post about Twitter: My Twitter Challenge To Myself . The idea was that I would make a concerted effort to Tweet on a daily basis and see if I could significantly increase my Twitter followers and drive consumers to my website and blog.

The original personal challenge was for two weeks. It has been about four weeks.This is what I have found so far:

Two weeks is not enough time to make a significant change to an on-line presence
My Twitter followers increased from 52 to 68. I have no idea which Tweets resulted in the most new followers. I could probably track this in a spread sheet, but it would not account for people doing general searches and coming up with my earlier Tweets and deciding to follow me.
It is kind of fun.
Visits to my Blog are up 15%.
Visits to my Website are up 44%

I would have to say this experiement is a success. My objective was to drive more traffic to my website and blog. Of course, most of my traffic contines to coninues to come directly from ActiveRain. The other two main sources of traffic to my sites are Google and Linked In.

Given the source of my web traffic, I would have to classify my Twitter efforts as part of my overall SEO and plan for increased on-line visibility. I don't know if, or when, I will receive business directly from Twitter, but it another way of putting my name on-line in front of an active on-line audience. Best of all, it costs me nothing and takes almost no time.

I think for now, I will keep Twittering and see where the journey takes me. If you would like to follow me: www.twitter.com/hollyweatherwax

If you would like to start 'Tweeting,' go to www.Twitter.com and open your own account. I would love to hear how it goes for you.

Holly Weatherwax, Associate Broker

EcoBroker,Graduate of Realtors Institute,Accredited Buyers Representative,e-pro and Accredited Staging Professional Realtor

I believe buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE!

Cold Weather, Warm (very easy) Dinner

Holly Kirby Weatherwax--Your Realtor® in Reston,VA (Momentum Realty,LLC) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:59:30 -0500

Two working parents and very busy kids have made our Crock-Pot a virtual family member. While we go about our daily lives, it sits in the kitchen preparing our dinner...kind of like live-in help.

I am always on the look out for fast, nutritious, Crock-Pot meals that feel like 'Good Food' rather than just sustenance (unfortunately, Crock-Pots meals can sometimes end up seeming like mush in tomato sauce).

One of our all-time favorites is loosely based on the Beef Stew recipe that came in the recipe pamphlet/cookbook with our appliance. I have adapted it to our tastes and our pantry. As I was making it this morning, I thought it would be worth sharing--it is easy, nutritious and a big hit with my family (if you double it, it can be frozen and provide an even quicker second meal!).

Beef Stew

2 lbs of Beef Stew meat, well trimmed and cut into bite-sized cubes
1/4-1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups beef broth
1-2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
1 clove of garlic (or 1 teaspoon from jar of pre-chopped)
1-2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon of Paprika
4 carrots sliced (or what is left in your bag of baby carrots)
3 potatoes diced (sweet potatoes can be substituted)
2 onions (I keep a bag of frozen onions to use when I don't have fresh in the pantry)
1 stalk of celery

After trimming and cubing meat, add to Crock-Pot. Mix flour, salt and pepper in measuring cup or small bowl. Add to Crock-Pot. Mix well, making sure all meat is coated with flour mixture. Add remaining ingredients (and whatever else you want to add--today I added sliced mushrooms). Mix well. Cover and cook on Low for 10-12 hours (or High for 4-6 hours). Check occasionally toward the end of the day to make sure there is enough liquid (either water or additional broth can be added). The stew can be thickened by mixing some cornstarch with broth until creamy and adding it the stew an hour or so before serving. Stir Stew thoroughly before serving. Serve with Bread and cheese.

This recipe is extremely forgiving. I am constantly adding additional vegetables to ramp up the nutritional value and to clean out the fridge.

I hope your family enjoys this recipe as much as mine does--and that it makes getting a quick, nutritious dinner on the table a little easier!

Holly Weatherwax, Associate Broker

EcoBroker,Graduate of Realtors Institute,Accredited Buyers Representative,e-pro and Accredited Staging Professional Realtor

I believe buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE!

Surprised By The High Foreclosure Numbers? I'm Not...

Holly Kirby Weatherwax--Your Realtor® in Reston,VA (Momentum Realty,LLC) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:30:13 -0500

Any Realtor® who has been in the trenches since the beginning of the year, and has worked with Short Sales, probably understands why the Foreclosure numbers that were released today were so high. According the the numbers released today, October 15, 2009, by RealtyTrac, the Foreclosure rate increased by 5% from summer to fall. I bet many of these homes were unsuccessfully settled Short Sales.

I was fortunate enough to be able to sit in a Broker Only Short Sale Session with Lem Marshall, Special Counsel for Virginia Association of Realtors last week. He spent a lot of time discussing how important the time line was to the successful settlement of a Short Sale. One of the problems discussed was that often, by the time the Realtor® is called in, the Foreclosure proceedings have been steadily moving along behind the scenes. If that is the case, the homeowner is probably running out of time to complete a Short Sale before their home is even listed.

Given how difficult it was in the mid- to late- Spring to get Short Sales approved by many of the banks, it is not a surprise to me that far too many homes have gone in to Foreclosure. While Short Sale negotiations were going on, the Foreclosure process was moving along in parallel, just in case the Short Sale deal fell through. As many of these deals did fall through, the banks were fully prepared to go to Foreclose (even sometimes when the Short Sale process was simply delayed). For the banks, it is simply business; make the best of a bad situation. If one Short Sale deal falls through, there is no telling when, or if, the next one will get to close, so they opted to go forward with the Foreclosure knowing it would move fairly quickly.

If you are a home owner who is feeling like they may need to get out from under a difficult mortgage, the lesson is not to wait too long. This is not the time to bury your head in the sand and hope everything will work out. Even if you have only missed one payment, you may have started the ball rolling toward bank Foreclosure. Even worse, if the missed payment was a couple of months back, the bank may be counting every payment since as a missed payment (this will vary from bank to bank, so be sure to check directly with your lender about your situation). Once the Foreclosure process has begun, there many not be enough time to complete the Short Sales process before Foreclosure is complete.

I hope this report is the last time that we see numbers like this. Hopefully, as homeowners learn more about the process and banks improve their in-house processes, it will be easier for homeowners to get the help they need--without ending up in Foreclosure.

Holly Weatherwax, Associate Broker

EcoBroker,Graduate of Realtors Institute,Accredited Buyers Representative,e-pro and Accredited Staging Professional Realtor

I believe buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE!

BLOG Action Day 2009: Climate Change Incentives for All Personality Types

Holly Kirby Weatherwax--Your Realtor® in Reston,VA (Momentum Realty,LLC) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:42:58 -0500

A couple of weeks ago, during the height of the buzz about Cash for Clunkers, I heard a radio broadcast on WTOP (Washington, D.C.). In his broadcast, the announcer said that he had received many calls from people who were disparaging the Cash For Clunkers program--calling it another 'Washington Bailout.' One of these callers used a few choice words to describe the program, but then shared that she was eventually persuaded to trade in her old car. What convinced her? The $4,500 the program gave her towards a new car. The commentator's conclusion was that for every doubter, there is a price at which they can be persuaded to change their mind. Remember, the Cash for Clunkers program had two objectives: 1) to sell more cars, 2) to try to reduce the carbon emissions from the cars on the road by getting people into more fuel efficient cars.

This got me thinking about Climate Change and whether behavior changes can be 'bought.' Let me say up front--I am a Climate Change believer. I realize that there are many, many people who do not believe that Climate Change is the result of man's actions. I agree that there are cycles on earth and that part of what we are seeing is likely one of these cycles. But I sincerely believe that we are making it worse by our actions. But whatever you believe is the source of Climate Change, I think that most of us agree that it is happening

Above all, however, I am a pragmatist. I understand that we all have different perspectives and different backgrounds. Part of what makes our country great is that we are all free to have out own opinions and act in a way that is aligned with our belief system. For some that means making personal choices that minimize our carbon footprint and for others it means choosing not to.

As I see it, most Americans fall into one of three categories when it comes to Climate Change:

1) Activist (willing to do what it takes to make it stop and taking action to persuade others to make changes, too),

2) Interested participant (one who understands the arguments but is not consistent in taking actions to effect change),

3) Disbeliever (enough said).

This brings me back to the Cash for Clunkers program. If, like that program did, we make minimizing our individual impacts on the earth palatable (easy) and rewarding (yes, financially) we will all benefit from the impact on our environment.

The Activist needs very little incentive to act on some of the more minor things, but might be inspired to install a geothermal heating system or solar panels if the incentives were compelling. The Interested Participant will try to choose the solutions that have the least negative impact on our environment, but will be more inspired, and may take their actions a step further with greater personal incentives. The Disbeliever is a harder sell; they will probably only take advantage of these incentives if they don't cost them anything (or very little) but the personal payback is high.

Guess what? There are currently programs in place that will satisfy each of these personality types!

The Energy Department website is a treasure trove of information as are the state sponsored Energy web-pages. Some of the more interesting programs include:

1. Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credits
Consumers who install solar energy systems (including solar water heating and solar electric systems), small wind systems, geothermal heat pumps, and residential fuel cell and microturbine systems can receive a 30% tax credit for systems placed in service before December 31, 2016; the previous tax credit cap no longer applies.

2. Home Energy Efficiency Improvement Tax Credits
Consumers who purchase and install specific products, such as energy-efficient windows, insulation, doors, roofs, and heating and cooling equipment in existing homes can receive a tax credit for 30% of the cost, up to $1,500, for improvements "placed in service" starting January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2010. See EnergyStar.gov for a complete summary of energy efficiency tax credits available to consumers.

3. State Specific Energy Credits
I know that Virginia approved credits that were announced last week (Virginia State Energy Credits Link) and that Maryland has a program, too (Maryland State Energy Credits Link). If you are in another state this information is generally available by searching for the name of your state and 'energy' & 'tax credits.'

Many states also offer Grants, that can be used for specific energy improvement projects, such as installing a Geo-Thermal Heating System or Solar Panels.

I think that Mr. Activist, Mrs. Interested Participant and even Ms.Disbeliever might be persuaded to make some changes, even minor ones, given the breadth of incentives currently being offered. The incentives are there, the need is great for each of us to make changes; someone is going to get the cash and the tax breaks...it might as well be you!

Holly Weatherwax, Associate Broker

EcoBroker,Graduate of Realtors Institute,Accredited Buyers Representative,e-pro and Accredited Staging Professional Realtor

I believe buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE!

The Lonely Realtor Before ActiveRain and ...Now

Holly Kirby Weatherwax--Your Realtor® in Reston,VA (Momentum Realty,LLC) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:06:18 -0500

Once upon a time there was a lonely real estate agent. She worked from her home office. And as much as she enjoyed it, sometimes it was lonely. Every morning she checked her email, made her phone calls and reviewed her paperwork. When clients wanted to see properties, she made appointments and showed them houses. When potential clients wanted to list homes she prepared CMAs and met with them. Several times a month she paid her bills and reviewed her paperwork.

Life was good, but it was boring.

One day, while reading a real estate publication, she came across an article that talked about a website called ActiveRain. Always trying to be cutting edge, this lonely real estate agent logged on to the ActiveRain site and became a member. She snooped around the site and read some interesting things. She decided to write a blog post and held her breath as she posted it live to ActiveRain. And one by one, people read what she wrote.

Each day, she would log on to AR and read what others were writing. Sometimes she would send them an email but most often she would post comments and they would respond. These same people started posting comments on her posts and she would respond. Eventually, more and more people posted comments and she had more and more people that she was communicating with on AR. Soon she had ActiveRain Associates.

Eventually, she decided not to renew her newspaper advertising. She had never gotten any direct clients from the advertising and her improved web presence as a result of ActiveRain gave her credibility with the kinds of clients that she sought, anyway.

Little by little, the lonely real estate agent realized that she wasn't lonely anymore. Her home office had become her office at the center of the real estate industry. She had access to the best and the brightest from all over the country. When she had a technical question, it was just minutes before she received a collaborative answer. She could share her ideas with potential clients and publish information that was helpful to buyers and sellers. When she was frustrated, she could look to her new colleagues for sympathy and advice and when she needed new ideas there was no shortage of people ready and willing to help.She could share her ideas with potential clients and publish information that was helpful to buyers and sellers.

This lonely real estate agent had become a real estate agent with a huge network of caring and talented real estate agents to work with and found a large community of potential clients with whom to communicate.

Thanks, ActiveRain...you have changed the way I do business. Life is good and it is NOT boring!

Holly Weatherwax, Associate Broker

EcoBroker,Graduate of Realtors Institute,Accredited Buyers Representative,e-pro and Accredited Staging Professional Realtor

I believe buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE!

A Great Evening in Downtown Washington D.C.!

Holly Kirby Weatherwax--Your Realtor® in Reston,VA (Momentum Realty,LLC) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 10:28:22 -0500

My husband and I went downtown (Washington D.C) last night with some close friends to celebrate our anniversary and several birthdays that we had all celebrated between us.

We had a lovely dinner at Chef Geoff's Downtown before heading to the National Theater.

Chef Geoff's was a great choice for a pre-theater meal; it was around the corner from the theater and across from the Warner Theater, so they are accustomed to working with theater ticket deadlines. The served us efficiently and we arrived at the the theater with plenty of time to find our seats and glance through the Play Bill. They have valet parking at the restaurant, but we opted for the paid parking garage located between the restaurant and theater.

We were fortunate to get to see Jersey Boys. If you have an opportunity to see this show, I would HIGHLY recommend it. Besides the fantastic music (I had no idea how many hits Franki Valli and the Four Seasons had over the years) it was a compelling story with a fast pace that kept us all riveted until the final curtain.

It was a great evening and one of this things I like best about living in Reston, VA; we are close to all that Washington D.C. has to offer: theaters, museums, shopping and great dining.

Holly Weatherwax, Associate Broker

EcoBroker,Graduate of Realtors Institute,Accredited Buyers Representative,e-pro and Accredited Staging Professional Realtor

I believe buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE!

Ready, Set, Go Shopping! Virginia Appliance Tax Holiday 10/9-10/12/09

Holly Kirby Weatherwax--Your Realtor® in Reston,VA (Momentum Realty,LLC) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:41:32 -0500

Many of us have an extra fridge tucked in the garage storing soda, waters, beer, juice boxes, sports drinks and generally anything that doesn't fit in the kitchen refrigerator.

The one in my garage was inherited from my husband's old office. I would guess it is circa 1988. Every once in a while it makes a pretty alarming noise, but then all is well and it goes back to purring along. I am sure that a good half of my electric bill goes to keep this thing going.

If you live in Virginia, this might be your weekend, to finally head out to the store to replace the old junker and get the new appliance you've been considering. According to the Virginia Department of Taxation website, 'Energy Star and WaterSense qualified products purchased for non-commercial use and costing $2,500 or less will be exempt from sales tax.'

This can add up, especially if you are outfitting the whole kitchen!

You may have heard about the Cash for Clunker Appliances program that is coming. I just researched it to find out when, and if, we can expect it. According to what I found out, each State is supposed to submit a detailed plan to the Federal Government by October 15. The Fed will review it and then provide the States money to fund it. The Program should be available at the end of this year or the beginning of 2010. As with Cash for Clunkers, there will be a set amount of funds. When the money is gone, it is gone, so if you plan to use this option, be prepared to jump on it as soon as it is announced.

So now if you live in Virginia ,you have two options to reduce the cost of getting new, energy efficient appliances. Everywhere else has at least one option, too.

What are you waiting for? Get out there and get that new washer, dryer, refrigerator, stove or dishwasher that you have been dreaming of!

Holly Weatherwax, Associate Broker

EcoBroker,Graduate of Realtors Institute,Accredited Buyers Representative,e-pro and Accredited Staging Professional Realtor

I believe buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE!

When One Door Closes Another Opens--and not always a good one!

Holly Kirby Weatherwax--Your Realtor® in Reston,VA (Momentum Realty,LLC) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:02:35 -0500

As we dig out from the 'pop' of the great real estate bubble, a lot of the blame for what happened is being laid at the feet of those unethical mortgage lenders who fueled the sub-prime mortgage market. And rightfully so (disclaimer--I am NOT talking about the many wonderful lenders who have been so instrumental to building my business).

I read an article today, The Next Big Real Estate Boondoggle (click on title to read) which asks what happened to all those lenders? Since many of them were never prosecuted, are they still practicing?

According to the article, many of these shady lenders have moved into another market, the Reverse Mortgage market. While the sub-prime market lenders often preyed on less-savvy borrowers, the reverse mortgage lenders are poised to take advantage of those folks who have worked hard all their lives and built equity in their homes, the elderly. You can see how this would happen...it is like fruit ripe for the taking: there is equity in the property, there are often difficult financial situations, and you have a population that may have counted on selling their house at a certain price and time, and is now unable to do so.

I have always believed that there is a place in the market for sub-prime mortgages and I believe there is a place in the market for reverse mortgages. I know that is not always a politically correct opinion A new product is created when there is a need. There are borrowers who are not great candidates on paper who will make wonderful borrowers and a subprime loan would be perfect for their situation. There are also elderly folks who would greatly benefit from the proceeds of a reverse mortgage.

In a perfect world, we would all be able to protect each other from making stupid decisions or from signing on with a corrupt lender. Unfortunately, that is not possible.

I know many wonderful, wonderful lenders who will be straight up with potential reverse mortgage candidates--and I am sure you do, too. If you are considering a Reverse Mortgage, please make sure you are dealing with a reputable lender. Be sure to ask about fees and charges and be sure that you understand exactly what the terms of the mortgage are. If you have a relative, neighbor, or friend who might be considering a reverse mortgage, ask them if they would like some help navigating the market and finding a good lender who will help them to refinance in to the right reverse mortgage product for them.

If we learned nothing from the crash of the real estate bubble and the melt-down of the mortgage market, let's hope that we all learned the importance of reading our paperwork, researching our options and making informed decisions.

Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

Holly Weatherwax, Associate Broker

EcoBroker,Graduate of Realtors Institute,Accredited Buyers Representative,e-pro and Accredited Staging Professional Realtor

I believe buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE!

The Best Marketing is FREE Marketing!

Holly Kirby Weatherwax--Your Realtor® in Reston,VA (Momentum Realty,LLC) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:52:40 -0500

I am involved with one of our local boards, the Dulles Area Association of Realtors. One of the great percs that DAAR has is an agreement with the local paper, the Loudoun Times Mirror to print articles written and submitted by local members of the board. These articles are brief, approximately 250 words. I have been able to write several of these articles over the years (previously the agreement was with another paper).

Here is a link to one of my articles that was recently published (both in print and on-line): Go Green in Three Easy Steps.

I love to write and I love free press...what could be better?

With the challenges of the economy, we are all trying to think of ways that we can get more exposure for our business with less money going out the door. Obviously, we are all out here on the Internet, but not every potential customer is on-line as often as some of us (me) are!

Working with local papers, television stations and radio stations is a great way to advertise your business to audiences that your other forms of marketing might not reach. One of the best things about writing for a paper is that you often get the benefit of your article appearing in print--and again on-line.

Sometimes the 'old fashioned' ways can work surprisingly well and be a great differentiator in this competitive market place.

Holly Weatherwax, Associate Broker

EcoBroker,Graduate of Realtors Institute,Accredited Buyers Representative,e-pro and Accredited Staging Professional Realtor

I believe buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE!

One of Life's Less Entertaining Chores

Holly Kirby Weatherwax--Your Realtor® in Reston,VA (Momentum Realty,LLC) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:18:25 -0500

Yesterday, I decided that I really had to tackle cleaning out my (super sloppy) college-aged daughter's room. When she left for school, I told her it had to be 'guest ready ' before she got in the car to leave. Clearly, our definitions differ. She is coming home for the weekend and I wanted to, 1) get all the junk out of there before she brought more junk home, 2) show her EXACTLY what I mean by guest ready.

Cleaning out is really just about digging in and dealing with stuff you would rather not deal with. Honestly, I could start a small school with the amount of discarded school supplies I found in her room. I guess I should have known they were in there somewhere since every year she was the only one of my kids who was never able to reuse any supplies from the previous year. Now I understand why...she would have had to find them first. I just figured that she lost everything (which I guess is, technically, true).

The best thing I found was a water bottle from her middle school basketball tournament (identified with fabric paint on the neoprene cover) still filled with water. As we all know, once a child gets to high school they never again touch anything that smacks of middle school. For that reason, I can be sure that the water that was still in the water bottle was circa 2004....lovely. And all this time I thought she left on her shelf because she had happy memories of her basketball tournament! I guess she just couldn't be bothered to take it down to the kitchen and wash it out!

I finally got everything out of there, hauled all the trash to the outside can and ran the vacuum. It looks great!

Of course, she comes home tomorrow. I will enjoy 24 hours of her room being up to the standards of the rest of the house...and then I will clean it up again when she leaves on Monday (of course, I won't tell her that). It is a small price to pay for having her home.

Someday, she will figure out that it is easier to keep it neat than to have to go in and wrestle back control--I can only hope!

Holly Weatherwax, Associate Broker

EcoBroker,Graduate of Realtors Institute,Accredited Buyers Representative,e-pro and Accredited Staging Professional Realtor

I believe buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE!

Blog Action Day 2009 is Coming

Holly Kirby Weatherwax--Your Realtor® in Reston,VA (Momentum Realty,LLC) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 08:24:02 -0500

If you are active on ActiveRain (or any other blogging platform) , you have probably accepted, to some degree, that what is said on line by individual bloggers can make a difference. Never before has the public had such an ability to influence the international conversation. I remember a time, not too far in the past, when if you wanted to bring attention to an issue, you had to petition reporters and convince them that your story was both newsworthy and worthy of public attention.

Those days are long gone. Our voices may still be very quiet in the grand scheme of things, but they are being heard.

In 2007, the first Blog Action Day was held on October 15. It was such an immediate success that we are getting ready to see the 3rd annual Blog Action Day this year on the same date. Each year a topic is selected and individual bloggers, who register to participate in advance, post a blog on the selected day about the selected topic. The idea behind Blog Action Day (as found on their website) is: 'Blog Action Day is an annual event that unites the world's bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day. Our aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion.'

This year the topic is Climate Change. All participants are asked to register at the Blog Action Day Website, write a blog about the topic and post it for public viewing on October 15. Participants are asked to write about Climate Change in a way that relates to the topic of their blog. As of this posting, there are 3,099 bloggers registered from 113 countries around the globe!

We can make a difference in the conversation by speaking out. Please consider participating in Blog Action Day.

Holly Weatherwax, Associate Broker

EcoBroker,Graduate of Realtors Institute,Accredited Buyers Representative,e-pro and Accredited Staging Professional Realtor

I believe buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE!

The 2009 Reston Home Expo--Saturday, October 23

Holly Kirby Weatherwax--Your Realtor® in Reston,VA (Momentum Realty,LLC) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:07:56 -0500

The Reston Citizens Association will be sponsoring a Reston Home Expo this Saturday, October 3, 2009 at the Sheraton Reston Hotel (11810 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA 20191). This event is FREE to the public.

The Expo, which is free of charge, is resource for Reston Residents, providing them with an opportunity to meet with local service providers. The service providers will be available to discuss specific projects as well as to provide tips and advice about exterior and interior home improvement and maintenance. The event is also designed for Cluster and Condominium Board Members to meet and have access to these specialists.

Participating in the event will be professionals from different service industries including, arborists, attorneys, landscapers, maintenance and design professionals, paving and concrete specialists, reserve studies professionals, waste management specialists, interior designers, plumbers and more.

Don't miss this opportunity to meet the folks who know and work in Reston and maybe pick up some great advice, too!

Holly Weatherwax, Associate Broker

EcoBroker,Graduate of Realtors Institute,Accredited Buyers Representative,e-pro and Accredited Staging Professional Realtor

I believe buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE!

Is it the House or Is It the Neighborhood?

Holly Kirby Weatherwax--Your Realtor® in Reston,VA (Momentum Realty,LLC) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:02:34 -0500

Are you looking for a great house or a great neighborhood?

Luckily, when it comes to buying a home, not everyone is looking for the same thing. Someone who is looking for acreage, is probably less likely to be concerned about finding a very involved neighborhood association. Another buyer who is looking to find a 'Mayberry' type setting, replete with Memorial Day Parades and Halloween Parties for the tots, is probably not as focused on lot privacy.

When you put your wish list together, most of us focus on the number of bedrooms and the number of baths. Next on the list is usually the style of house (detached, townhouse or condo) and then the lists begin to take on a more personal element. Age of house, recent remodels, fireplaces, pool, etc. are all things that are important to some buyers and not to others.

As you begin your search, however, you may want to think about what kind of community, if any, you are seeking.

I have talked to many people who say that their thought process, and needs, were different when they originally bought their house than it is today. As you decide where you want to live, try to think a little bit further down the line. If you have little children, try to picture what they will need 5, or even 10, years down the road. Will you still be here when they are old enough to play outside unattended? If you are single or a couple, do you want to pay a premium for the tot lot down the street? Maybe not, but you might, if it means that the people in the neighborhood look out for one another--or you might feel like it is just throwing your money away to support amenities that you won't use.

Here are some ideas of the type of questions you might ask to help you determine what kind of neighborhood it is:

Do you have a neighborhood watch--either part of a formal program or informally?
Is there a neighborhood association? Who is on the board? Do they organize neighborhood events?
What is the parking situation when people have parties?
Is there a community pool or other place where neighbors gather?
Are there any annual events for the neighborhood?
Are there any clubs that are organized within the neighborhood (Dinner Clubs, book clubs, etc.)?
Do informal gathering ever take place, or do most people keep to themselves?

Obviously, this is not intended to be an all inclusive list, but it might give you some ideas about the kind of questions that you would like to ask. The objective here is to figure out what is important to you.

Saturday night one of our neighbors had a 'Harvest Moon Soiree.' It was a great time to catch up with the neighbors and it seems well on the way to becoming an annual tradition. A couple of weeks back another neighbor did back-to-school movie night outside in their cul-de-sac. If these kind of events appeal to you, it is important to spend some time walking around the neighborhoods that you are considering and talking to the neighbors. Ask about annual parties, neighborhood cook-outs and other annual events. It might mean going at different times of the day, or maybe on the weekend, but the information you find out will be extremely helpful to you in determining what kind of neighborhood it is.

It all goes back to the old saying, 'location, location, location.' You can always modify a floor plan or improve a kitchen, but whether you are looking for a close-knit neighborhood or something that provides you a little bit more autonomy, you would be well advised to do your research ahead of time--a neighborhood is not as easy to change as a paint color!

Holly Weatherwax, Associate Broker

EcoBroker,Graduate of Realtors Institute,Accredited Buyers Representative,e-pro and Accredited Staging Professional Realtor

I believe buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE!