vicky chrisner: Daisies at The Animal Park - 06/26/09 12:32 PM
In Loudoun, we have a few petting zoos including two that are rather popular. Since I live in Leesburg, my family frequents the one here just outside of town, Leesburg Animal Park. It's about 10 minutes from my home.There, the you can see monkeys, huge tortoises, goats, emus, a camel, donkeys, bison and a other exotic creatures. Last year, they were temporarilyhousing white tigers for the national zoo, drawing a lot of press. My family frequently visits at Easter, and nearly all locals attend "Fort Pumpkin" (a Halloween themed event) in the fall; we've even had my daughter's birthday party there. … (0 comments)

vicky chrisner: Living With A Hero - 06/21/09 05:01 AM
My dad seems sometimes like a hard, no nonsense kinda guy. He hunts, fishes, builds. He's rugged, for sure. But hard - nah, not my dad. He's a sap, but it's not obvious unless you look closely.When I was kid, on snow days my dad would start by clearing our "drive way" which was just shy of a mile long and served 2 other homes. Then, he'd take the tractor down the road to where a few elderly people lived, and clear their driveways, too. He usually had this done before I rolled out of bed. Then, after breakfast, we'd jump … (0 comments)

vicky chrisner: Free Money To Help You Purchase A Home - 06/20/09 10:18 AM
Would you like to receive an extra $10,000 towards your home purchase? Move quickly. Special funds available for qualified buyers (income must be below 80% of the median income for the area). The fund will match your contribution 5:1. That means if you put in $500 (the minimum investment), the fund will contribute $2500. If you put in $2000, the fund will contribute $10,000.The only catch is that you must own the home for 5 years or you will have to pay these funds back. Once you own the property for 5 years, the debt is forgiven.As you can imagine, this … (0 comments)

vicky chrisner: Living in Lo. Co. : Rust Manor House and Nature Sanctuary - 06/17/09 01:01 PM

Rust Manor House and Nature Sanctuary are tucked away in a small nook inside the town of Leesburg. Even long time locals sometimes forget about this wonderful hidden treasure right in our back yard.With the help of my Daisy Girl Scout troop, I had a wonderful visit yesterday afternoon. We hiked through the trails, visited the pond, snacked on fresh watermelon, climbed on a fallen tree, enjoyed chatting at the empty amphitheatre, and made bird feeders with peanut butter and bird seed at the picnic area. Despite the heat and humidity, the trees provide lots of shade and the area … (0 comments)

vicky chrisner: No More Houses For Sale? - 06/12/09 07:26 AM
On the 10th of each month, MRIS (the MLS for the Washington DC Metropolitan Area) publishes market statistics by region, county and zip code.
Each month, I pull them up, review them, and sometimes incorporate information about the market into my blog. Recently, however, I haven't done that so much. That's because I don't feel like the stats really show what's going on. There's one exception: Listings.
The number of listings is DOWN. Way down. Our inventory is so low right now. At some price points (generally, under $400,000 except for the condo market), it's creating a feeding frenzy among buyers. … (0 comments)

vicky chrisner: VHDA's Got Your Down Payment - The Time To Buy Is Now - 06/10/09 08:12 AM
The Virginia Housing Development Authority has rolled out a new program allowing qualified buyers to use their expected tax credit (max of $8,000) toward the down payment or closing costs when they purchase a new home.
The program is called VHDA FHA Tax Credit Plus. This potentially could mean no money down loan options for some. Buyers must meet all requirements for the VHDA FHA loans, including the income and sales price limits imposed on all VHDA loans, which means a household of 3 can not have income that exceeds $100,000; and the sales price of the home can not exceed … (0 comments)

vicky chrisner: Use Your $8K First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit At Closing! - 06/08/09 12:16 PM
About a week and a half ago, there was a ruling allowing home buyers to use their First Time Home Buyer Credit (a max of $8000) toward closing costs. Today, VHDA (the Virginia Housing Development Authority) rolled out their plans implementing this program, and here are the highlights:
 * The buyer's primary loan must be a VHDA FHA loan. There are income limits associated with obtaining VHDA loans, but the loans are generally below market rate. The income limits are adjusted based on family size, but for a 3 person household, the maximum income is $100,000.
 * VHDA will basically "front" … (0 comments)

vicky chrisner: Giving Where We Live - 05/28/09 02:41 PM
In recognition of the first KW RED Day, several shifts of real estate agents and their associates from Keller Williams Realty in Leesburg invaded the ReStore in Purcellville on Thursday, May 28th to help with cleaning, stocking, displaying merchandise in the store and preparing online ads to increase sales.KW RED Day was organized on an international level to recognize the 72nd birthday of Mo Anderson, Vice Chairman of the Board of Keller Williams International, and her amazing commitment to community service. The leadership of Keller Williams International firmly believes in giving back to the communities each office serves and has many … (0 comments)

vicky chrisner: Building Your Business without being a Salesman - 05/02/09 04:27 AM
When I think of sales, of course the used car salesman comes to mind. Then, I remember 2 people I love very much - one aunt and one uncle - sister and brother. Please don't mistake anything I am about to say, these people remain INCREDIBLY important and valuable to me... and very loved. BUT, I remember going to family reunions and other events, and sometimes thinking, oh, PLEASE don't ask me.
You see they both always sold something. I remember for my uncle it was Amway and later some herb thing...the button he had on at the family reunion that … (1 comments)

vicky chrisner: Join the Virginia Home Owner Alliance - 04/23/09 08:39 AM
There is an exciting new service provided by REALTORS® specifically for homeowners in Virginia.  
While REALTORS® have always represented the interests of their clients as individuals, until now homeowners have never had a voice to represent their interests as a group.  Recently launched, the Virginia Homeowners Alliance is that voice.  Automobile owners have AAA, and retirees have AARP.  Finally, homeowners in Virginia will have the Virginia Homeowners Alliance to represent and serve their interests.
What is the Virginia Homeowners Alliance?
·        The Virginia Homeowners Alliance (VHA) is an exciting new service provided by REALTORS® to help homeowners protect their most treasured investment, their home. 
·        It’s not an organization with boring … (0 comments)

vicky chrisner: Another Market Shift (Loudoun County, Va) - 08/03/08 11:17 AM
Could the "Whisperers" be right (click to see original post)?June's month end reports for Loudoun suggest that may be the case.Although sales prices are down about 17% from last year; market activity is UP, with a 19% increase in the number of homes going under contract compared to the previous year.NAR says a "balanced market" carries about a 6 month supply of homes (meaning that at the current absorption rate, it would take 6 months for all the homes to go under contract). In Loudoun, as of the end of June, we're at just over a 5 month supply.It's also important … (0 comments)

vicky chrisner: NEW CUSTOM HOMES UNDER $200K in No. Va? - 08/02/08 10:47 AM
It's true... you can have a semi-custom home built in Front Royal, Winchester, Strasburg or Stevens City for less than $200K... check out this builder's web site.  He'll build on his lot, or, we can help you find a suitable lot for you; all included in this price.  Amazing!
www.lvc-homes.com
 
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vicky chrisner: Northern Virginia Statistics for Sellers - 08/01/08 12:46 PM
So, you're thinking of selling... wondering what the market's like? Here are some interesting statistics, published through the end of last quarter (June 2008)... and a bit of information about how to interpret it:In Northern Virginia (No. Virginia is defined by MRIS as Fairfax Co. & City, Alexandria, Falls Church and Arlington)* Prices of SOLD home are down about 15% from last year.* The number of homes sold are down about 5% from last year.* The average number of days a home stays on the market is 83.* The SOLD prices of homes is, on average, 93% of asking price.Who the … (3 comments)