holly weatherwax: What will be, will be: Election 2012 - 11/05/12 08:33 PM
Today is the day we head to the booth and cast our votes for President of the United States.   It has been an election filled with rancor and bad feelings on both sides. Supporters of each party feel very strongly that their party MUST win (and you cannot assume you know which party a person supports) in order to maintain what is good in America.   When the results are tallied, however, I think most Americans feel that we need to get on with the business of governing and strengthening our country. Whoever wins will likely not be given a mandate (if it is … (2 comments)

holly weatherwax: Tomorrow is Election Day! Information for Virginia Voters - 11/04/12 11:48 PM
After months (and months, and months) of debates, advertisements and phone calls, tomorrow is finally Election Day! As a voter in Northern Virginia, you will be voting on 1)The President 2) Virginia Senator 3) House of Representatives 4)Two Virginia Constitutional Amendments 5) A Parks and Facilities Bond 6) Two Public Safety Bonds 7) Storm Drainage Improvement Bonds. The State Board of Elections has created a great site, ARE YOU ELECTION READY?  It will allow you to check everything from whether or not you are registered to the location of your polling place. You can review the ballot and check back on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning  to find … (5 comments)

holly weatherwax: September 2012 Listing Inventory Statistics for Fairfax County - 11/04/12 01:38 AM
Most Northern Virginia Realtors will tell you that there is shortage of Inventory. 
  What does that mean to you as a buyer? It means there are fewer homes to choose from and more competition for the good deals   What does that mean to you as a seller? It means that it might be a good time to list your house, BUT, there are fewer buyers out looking at this time of year. Your home must be exceptionally well-prepared and competitively priced to compete.   In this market a 'good deal' is defined as a home that: Appraises at contract value: don't list … (0 comments)

holly weatherwax: Remember to Change Your Clocks Tonight, 11-3-12!! - 11/03/12 06:56 AM
Sunday morning, November 3 at 2:00 a.m. most parts of the United States will gain an extra hour of sleep as Daylight Saving Time comes to an end.
It makes the most sense to correct your clocks before you go to bed on Saturday night--that way you wake up with the correct time on Sunday morning. It is also a great time to replace the batteries in any battery operated smoke or carbon monoxide detectors. We will return to Daylight Savings Time the 2nd Sunday in March, which will be March 10, 2013.  … (0 comments)

holly weatherwax: Beware of Deer in Northern Virginia (and everywhere else)! - 11/01/12 09:47 PM
Deer are always a road hazard in Northern Virginia, but with days getting shorter, and deer mating season upon us, this is an especially dangerous time. An article published in the Washington Post, Deer-related crashes rise; motorcyclists most at risk, October 31, 2012, by Gregg MacDonald of the Fairfax County T imes, points out that motorcyclists are especially vulnerable to road-crossing dear. According to MacDonald, 'motorcyclists made up seven of the eight fatal crashes involving deer from 2010 to 2012 in Maryland and Virginia.' In this high traffic area, most are aware of the risk associated with driving a motorcycle, but I confess … (3 comments)

holly weatherwax: Getting rid of the Candy! - 10/31/12 11:08 PM
Halloween is over. Whether you had little ones who went out and collected a big stash or, like me, you overbought for the number of children who came to the door, many of us have a lot of candy in the house!
What are some ideas to deal with this abundance of sugar?
Pick through, saving only the items you like, and freeze the rest (most candy freezes very well if stored in a zip-type freezer bag). Check with local retirement homes and homeless shelters to see if they would like candy donations. Drop some off at your local firehouse or police station. … (17 comments)

holly weatherwax: How Not to Sell Your Home! - 10/28/12 11:23 PM
We went through a period in the Northern Virginia real estate market where, especially in certain price ranges, there were a lot of short sales and foreclosures (I know we are not alone!). What makes showing these homes different is that not every owner is willingly listing their home. This is even more true if the home is a rental property. In this situation you have a home listed and a tenant who is likely to lose their residence. It is no wonder that they are not always 'welcoming' to the local Realtors who show up with Buyers. I was working … (5 comments)

holly weatherwax: Trick-or-Treat at the Reston Town Center, Reston, VA, 10/27/12 - 10/25/12 09:38 PM
If you have a little one who can't spend enough time in their Halloween costume, you are in luck this weekend!
This weekend, the merchants at Reston Town Center are sponsoring a trick-or-treat event from 12-4 p.m. Dress your little witches and goblins up and head over to the Town Center for some early Halloween Trick-or-Treats. The merchants who will be participating, include (look for the pumpkin flyer in the window): American Tap RoomAnn TaylorAppalachian SpringAppleArtInsightsAT&TAthletaBen & Jerry'sBig BowlBRBBusaraChipotleClyde'sDavelle ClothiersEdibles IncredibleFedEx OfficeGAPGRACEJouvence/AvedaLe ShoppeL'OccitaneM&S GrillMarket CellarsMarket Street Bar and GrillMayflowersMcCormick & Schmick'sMidtown JewelersObi SushiOriginsPaolo'sPCN BankPotbellyPotomac River RunningPR at PartnersPrime CleanersSouth Moon UnderSweetgreenThe … (1 comments)

holly weatherwax: Tips for Choosing Your Listing Broker - 10/25/12 01:01 AM
Selling your home is stressful. When you decide to put your home on the market, it is important that you think about your strategy. The lucky among us know a friend-of-a-friend who has been waiting to buy in the neighborhood at the price that we want to sell.  For most of us, however, selling your home means listing it with a Real Estate Broker. Interviewing Brokers and Agents is an important part of the process of hiring a broker. You need to evaluate their marketing strategy, their market knowledge and, finally, you need to trust them implicitly. Why is this trust … (19 comments)

holly weatherwax: 10 Tasks for Outdoor Maintenance - 10/24/12 04:19 AM
Fall is a beautiful time of year in Virginia! The leaves are changing, the air is cooling, fireplaces begin burning and the world begins preparing for Winter. Fall is the ideal time to tackle maintenance around your home. I often meet with sellers, prior to listing their homes, and have to tell them that they need to address their deferred maintenance before we can even begin to talk about putting the house on the market. It is far easier to take care of these tasks along the way (remember the word maintenance is derived from the word MAINTAIN). What are some of the … (3 comments)

holly weatherwax: 5 Ways to Make Your Home Stand Out from the Competition! - 10/23/12 07:57 AM
It has taken a while, but, finally, your house is ready to go on the market.
  You feel pretty comfortable with your price, but you really don't want your listing to languish--you would like it to go under contract quickly!   There are some things you can do that will help buyers choose your home over another.   Do a 'Front Door Makeover.' Buy the nicest door mat you can find. Make sure it is proportional to the size of your door. Place pretty pots near the front door and fill them with seasonal flowers. Make sure the door is freshly … (0 comments)

holly weatherwax: My Own Brokerage? What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger! - 09/26/12 07:07 AM
Sometimes adversity sneaks up on us. We think that we have a plan and, suddenly, the world shifts and we are left scratching our head and wondering, 'what next?'   Over 10 years ago, I was coming off of 8 years of being a stay-at-home mom. Prior to making that choice, I had been in the high pressure world of software, first in development and later sales. When I decided to go back to work, I knew I would not go back into software. I had had my real estate license, although it was inactive, for a number of years. It seemed like … (12 comments)

holly weatherwax: Fairfax County Public Schools 2012-13 School Year Calendars - 08/14/12 12:43 AM
It is almost that time again...time to send the kiddies back to school for the 2012-13 school year in Fairfax County, Virginia!
I find that it is always helpful to get our family calendar set up with all of the school holidays, early closings and other important events that happen during the year (back-to-school night, etc.) before school begins.   In order to do that, I access the Fairfax County School Calendar.  The Back-to-School-Night calendar is also available on the County Website. After I have entered in all of those dates, I go to the school website (those can be found at this link:http://commweb.fcps.edu/directory/ ) … (1 comments)

holly weatherwax: Bring the Kids for Reston's TOTALLY TRUCKS Program, August 10, 2012! - 07/22/12 05:49 AM
If you have a child that is inspired by trucks, you know that there is no better way to entertain them than to bring them close enough to touch the trucks. 
On Friday, August 10, 2012 from 9:30-noon, Reston Association is sponsoring the program, Totally Trucks. Held at the Reston Associations's Central Services Facility (12250 Sunset Hills Rd., next to the YMCA), it will feature a dump truck, a trash truck a back hoe, a Bobcat and a mowing tractor.  If they are available, Fairfax County Rescue, police and other organizations will bring by some of their vehicles, as well. Each child … (2 comments)

holly weatherwax: Northern Virginia Real Estate Market is Strong! - 07/19/12 09:45 PM
I am coming to the close of my Northern Virginia Spring Real Estate season; the homes I listed this spring will soon be closing. 
The question I most get is, 'what is the real estate market like?' Frankly, here in Northern Virginia, specifically Fairfax County, it is really good! All of my homes sold quickly this spring. Most had multiple offers. All sellers were happy with the price and conditions of their contract. In other words, I was able to get all my sellers what they were looking for to make it worth selling their home. The key  to selling, now … (0 comments)

holly weatherwax: Summer Travels in Florence, Italy - 07/17/12 06:02 AM
If you saw my recent post, Italy Travels Perfect for a Realtor, you know that my family recently returned from a trip to Italy. I got off the plane and immediately back into work, so I have not been as diligent as I would like about posting pictures and writing posts. So, finally, here is some info about our time in Florence...or Firenze, as the Italians call it (while we feel compelled to change the name entirely?). We left Rome by train. Traveling by train is incredibly relaxing, BTW. The only issue we had was the Gypsys who grabbed our bags to hoist them on the … (1 comments)

holly weatherwax: Ciao, Google +, it is time to say goodbye! - 07/16/12 01:32 AM
The truth is there are only so many hours in the day.  Social networking has created a new burden opportunity to network and reach out, but it has also added a level of obligation to stay 'relevant.'
With Facebook, Twitter, Linked-in, text messaging voice mail and, of course, email, our time is is spoken for before we even log on to the computer or pick up our smart phone.   So with that in mind, I have decided it is time to let one go...Ciao, Google +; it is time for us to break-up. Public break-ups are everywhere (Tom and Katie?), and this … (5 comments)

holly weatherwax: For Sale: Reston, Virginia Townhouse Open 7/15 from 1-4 p.m. - 07/13/12 07:06 AM
… (2 comments)

holly weatherwax: Open House: Sunday, June 3, 2012, Great Falls, Virginia - 06/01/12 08:20 AM
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holly weatherwax: For SALE: Exquisite Home in Great Falls, Virginia - 05/26/12 11:59 PM
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