Del Ray Halloween Parade Photos, Part II - 10/31/08 08:49 PM
Whew, Halloween is a busy time around here!  And while Old Town Alexandria has its Lee Street Block Party, Del Ray pulls out all the stops with its annual Halloween Parade.  Here are more photos from that memorable affair:
 
For more photos, visit us at:
Del Ray Halloween Parade Photos, Part II … (0 comments)

Halloween in Old Town Alexandria - 10/31/08 08:17 PM
In a city almost consumed by the final days of the 2008 election, residents of Lee Street in Old Town Alexandria put aside all thoughts of Nov. 4 to concentrate on Halloween.  Six blocks of Lee Street, from King Street south, were blocked off for several hours to create the ultimate in trick or treating.

 
For more photos and information, visit:
Halloween in Old Town Alexandria … (0 comments)

Madeline in Del Ray - Halloween Parade Photos, Part I - 10/29/08 05:30 PM

After a day of driving rain, Sunday dawned bright and comfortably cool for the 12th Annual Del Ray Halloween Parade.   Over 5,000 adults, children and dogs turned out for what is arguably one of the best “home grown” events in the area.
There were many “favorites” but topping our list this year was “Madeline in Del Ray”.  Put together by a group of playground moms/friends, the visual feast included an Eiffel Tower, two bottles of wine, a French baguette, Miss Clavel, Lord Cucaface and twelve, yes, twelve Madeline’s - complete with yellow boaters and blue smocks.

 Lord Cucaface and … (0 comments)

7th Annual Del Ray Chili Cook Off Postponed - 10/25/08 02:11 PM
The 7th Annual Del Ray Chili Cookoff postponed till Saturday, Nov. 1 at 4:00p.m.
… (0 comments)

Yes, Mortgage Money Is Still Available - 10/20/08 08:44 PM
October 20th, 2008 Categories: Mortgage Update, Real Estate News
In the recent turmoil around bank failures, government relief packages and an extraordinarily erratic stock market, the words”tight credit” have been a regular part of media coverage.  Unfortunately many potential buyers have assumed that those two dreaded words applied to them.  Not so!  Mortgage money is still available. 
Our colleague, Rob Clark at Preferred Mortgage, offers this encouraging news:
1)  Mortgage product is widely available.  Preferred has sold loans to 21 different state and national investors and brokered loans to dozens of others just since January.
2)   Borrowers can still qualify … (0 comments)

12th Annual Del Ray Halloween Parade - Don’t Miss It! - 10/19/08 09:29 PM
At the beginning of the month we wrote about five great reasons to visit Del Ray in October and the Del Ray Halloween Parade was right at the top of the list.  Scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 26th, the 12th annual parade will begin at 2:00pm and children, pets, and strollers in costumes are invited to march. 
Awards will be given for:
Best Pet Costume Best Decorated Business Best Decorated Home Best Decorated Stroller The awards ‘ceremony’ will take place on the play fields at the Mt. Vernon Recreational Center and will be followed by entertainment, games and refreshments.  All activities … (0 comments)

Alexandria’s Very Own Pumpkin Patch is A Community Tradition at Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill - 10/18/08 12:41 PM
Just like Charlie Brown, Alexandria has its very own Pumpkin Patch.  Located on the grounds of Immanuel Church-On-The-Hill at the corner of Quaker and Seminary Lanes, the annual sale of 10,000 pumpkins is a community tradition.

 Just the right size for small hands Now in its 15th year, the sale benefits local charities like the Network Preschool, ALIVE!, Carpenters Shelter, and Community Lodgings as well as others.  The sale also benefits the Navajo Indian tribes in the northern regions of New Mexico, who raise the pumpkins on irrigated tribal lands, by creating some 300 jobs.
For more information and pictures, … (0 comments)

It’s A Corn Maze Extravaganza in Northern Virginia - 10/17/08 06:46 PM
Ok, you’ve survived a week’s worth of  budget worries, strategic planning, endless meetings and tear your hair out traffic and now its time to have some fun.  Why not head to some of the outlying areas of Northern Virginia and try your hand with a maze, a corn maze.
Wait, you think corn mazes are for kids?  Think again.
Corn mazes are big business with corn maze companies devoted to design and execution.  Heck, there’s even a national corn maze directory!
In fact, one of the biggest and best is right down the road in Leesburg.  In celebration of its … (0 comments)

The Emotional Cost of Buying and Selling Real Estate - 10/13/08 08:26 PM
A few months ago I reviewed a book that chronicled the story of a young family who, despite all odds, succeeded in making a run down, ramshackle house a home.  The point being that buying a house is about so much more than getting a good deal or making a wise investment.
Yesterday in the Washington Post, staff writer Ylan Q. Mui made a similar point in an article that chronicled her and her husband’s own hunt for a house during the past six months.
Mui notes that “Sellers become depressed as homes stagnate on the market.  They get insulted when … (0 comments)

A Day in the Virginia Countryside - Part Two - 10/11/08 06:47 PM
As much as we enjoyed the sheep, llamas, alpacas, and goats at the Fall Fiber Festival, our real reason for traveling to Orange was the Montpelier Sheep Dog Trials.  We had our first taste of this incredibly entertaining event a few years ago at a similar event at Oatlands Plantation in Leesburg, VA.  Oatlands stopped sponsoring  the however and we have been looking for another set of trials ever since.
 
If you have never seen a border collie - or sheep dog - work, you have missed a display of focus, intensity, and training that rivals Michael Phelps!  From the … (0 comments)

2008 Leaf Collection Schedule and Service Areas for City of Alexandria - 10/10/08 04:05 PM
Now that you know how to recycle your leaves, here is the 2008 Leaf Collection Schedule and map of the service areas for the City of Alexandria.
Please note, leaves must be raked out one day before the earliest collection day scheduled for your area.  Crews make take two or more days to finish a collection area but they will only pass your address once during an assigned collection period.
Area I
Rake Out         Pick Up Starts Nov. 2                Nov. 3 Nov. 18              Nov. 19 Dec. 8                 Dec. 9 Area II
Rake Out          Pick Up Starts Oct. 23                Oct. 24 Nov. … (0 comments)

Three Ways to Recyle Leaves in the City of Alexandria - 10/09/08 05:23 PM
We love the big leafy trees in our neighborhood.  They add instant ‘curb appeal’; provide cover from the sun’s rays and help lower our air conditioning bills.  But come fall, those beautiful leaves turn into another form of home maintenance.   Fortunately the City of Alexandria offers three ways to recycle leaves.
  I.  Rake your leaves to the curbside for vacuum truck collection.
Proper preparation Remove stones, litter, branches or other debris. Avoid placing leaves in front of storm drains or water meter covers. Move parked cars off of leaf piles. Avoid using plastic bags - they will NOT be … (1 comments)

This Week’s Mortgage Update for Northern Virginia: Highly Volatile - 10/07/08 07:32 PM
From our go to guy, Rob Clark at Preferred Mortgage:
“Attached is this week’s mortgage update.  Rates last week continued to be highly volatile as the market reacted and then reacted again and again to the rescue/bailout plan that was ultimately passed on Friday.  I expect continued volatility this week as the market digests what the plan really means long-term to the financial markets.  The end result last week was the rates ended the week down and are presently at 5.875% with 0 points for a 30 yr fixed rate loan.” 
Thanks again to Rob for a timely and balanced … (0 comments)

September Home Sales in Alexandria’s 22301 Zip Code - 10/07/08 06:39 PM
There were 9 September home sales in zip code 22301 which encompasses the Alexandria neighborhoods of Rosemont and Del Ray.  Median sales price was $558,000; median list price was $575,000 for a 1.92%  differential.  Median days on the market - 14.
This is a drop from the 15  homes that sold in August in 22301. In August the median sales price was $510,000 and the median list price was $525,000 for a 1.71%  differential.  Median days on the market - 17.
If you are interested in more information about any of these sales or about other properties in the neighborhood, call … (0 comments)

A Day in the Virginia Countryside - Part One - 10/06/08 11:26 AM
Perfect October temperatures made this a weekend for doing and exploring.  After taking in Arts on the Avenue on Saturday in Del Ray, we ventured down towards Orange, VA on Sunday for a day in the Virginia countryside.  It was a lot to see and do so we’ve decided to divide our adventures into three separate posts.  And now for part one:
Fall Fiber Festival The 21st Annual Fall Fiber Festival “proposes to present a wholesome, fun event for the entire family and at the same time show the beauty of a little known industry . . . by presenting an … (0 comments)

Del Ray’s Arts on the Avenue - It was Picture Perfect! - 10/04/08 04:43 PM
It was a picture perfect day today at the Arts on the Avenue festival with clear skies and temperatures in the low 70’s.
Mt. Vernon Avenue was jammed with artists selling everything from pottery to  jewelry to original prints and exquisite handbags.
Local food offerings included crab cakes, barbecue, chicken curry, Asian stir fry, fresh lemonade, mac & cheese, tiramisu,  and brats and sauerkraut. Oh, and did I mention the four musical venues?

and  dogs . . .
 
 and babies . . .
 
for more great pictures, visit:
Del Ray’s Arts on the Avenue - It was Picture … (0 comments)

5 Great Reasons to Visit Del Ray in October - 10/02/08 09:26 AM
There are 5 great reasons to visit Del Ray this October.  Of course, we live here everyday but we think its nice when the rest of the world drops by to see where, as the Del Ray Business Association likes to say “Main Street still exists.”
So, without further ado, our top 5 reasons to visit Del Ray in October:
ARTS ON THE AVENUE- A full scale arts festival along Mt. Vernon Ave. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 10:00am to 6:00pm.  Artists of all kinds, homemade pie contest, kids activities, food, drink, etc. Restaurants - Los Tios, Mancini’s, Fireflies,*** Thai Peppers, La Strada, … (4 comments)