New Listing: 42546 Longacre Drive

Preferred Realty Partners is proud to present an absolutely stunning Ryan Homes Courtland Model in South Riding's Cedar Hunt. Enjoy over 5000 finished square feet of living area!

The Gourmet Kitchen features upgrades including an extended island, morning room, granite countertops, and stainless steel appliances.

The 4-foot Family Room Bump-out gives plenty of space to relax with friends and family.

Upstairs you'll find a luxurious Master Suite complete with Sitting Room, Tray Ceilings, and Walk-in Closet.

Who wouldn't love this sumptuous Master Bath with soaking tub and separate shower?

The second bedroom has an Ensuite Bathroom.

Whimsical bedrooms 3 and 4 share a bright hall bath with a double vanity.

The lower level is brilliantly designed to include a Theatre Room with custom lighting.

The Wet Bar features heated tile floors and a walk-out exit to the spacious yard.

You'll find the 5th Bedroom and full bath with heated tile floors in the basement.

This gorgeous property backs to trees and has a large deck that's perfect for summer cook-outs.

Are you or someone you know moving to Chantilly VA this year? We’d love to help. Contact Preferred Realty Partners today to see this home and any others on the market in Chantilly VA.

Local 5K Races to Keep Your New Year's Resolutions Strong

Many of us made lofty resolutions for 2016, and statistically, we are reaching the point where we want to modify those goals and take an easier road. That doesn't have to be the case for us in Northern Virginia! We are lucky to live in an area with plenty of gyms, workout groups, yoga studios, martial arts schools, dance classes, hiking trails, swimming pools, and on and on. One of the most economical ways to get in shape is running. Fortunately, even if you aren't a serious runner, there are plenty of 5K races to run or walk in Northern Virginia, and many of them offer you fun swag for participating.

Pre-Game 5K Run/Walk in Leesburg VA
Sunday February 7, 2016 - 8am

Run or walk through the beautiful grounds of the National Conference center on Super Bowl Sunday! You know you're going to spend the rest of the day parked in front of the TV with your perfectly-planned Super Bowl party menu, so why not start the day off with a little exercise? Plus, you get a t-shirt just for participating.

Love the Run You're With 5K in Arlington VA
Sunday February 14, 2016 - 9am

This course runs through the shops of Pentagon row. Run with friends, walk with your S.O., just get out and move for Valentine's Day. Participants will enjoy the after-race party and awards presentation at CHAMPPS as well as a karaoke contest. Even if you don't party, they'll send you home with a cozy blanket.

Lucky Leprechaun 5K in Reston VA
Saturday March 12, 2016 - 8:30am

You've got 60 minutes to meander your way through 3.1 miles of Reston Town Center streets. The luck of the Irish awards you a technical t-shirt for participating. Enjoy food and drink after the race, and you can download your race photos for free.

Dionysus Dash 5K in Leesburg VA
Sunday April 17, 2016 - 8:15am

Some of us need a little motivation to run. If the scenic views at Tarara Winery aren't enough, runners over 21 get to complete a wine tasting and take home the glass. Even better, you still get a race shirt and a goody bag. Tarara is only one of dozens of gorgeous wineries in the area, so why not make a day of exploring Loudoun's wine country?

The Prison Break Dash Run in Lorton VA
Sunday April 17, 2016 - 9am

The Lorton Workhouse Correctional Facility now houses an art center, but that doesn't mean you can't recreate the drama of a prison break in a 5K, does it? Race the others through the complex to freedom and receive "surprise prizes" or dress up to win the costume contest. Food and drinks provided, including donuts!

Glow South Riding in Chantilly VA
Saturday April 30, 2016 - Dusk

Let your inner light shine, or just wear a bunch of glow sticks. This race is untimed, so there's no pressure for speed. Just dress as brightly as you can, and you may win some prizes. All participants get a glow-in-the-dark t-shirt and a glow stick. Everyone is invited to the pre-race party as well. You choose either the 5K race or 1-mile fun run.

There are dozens of other races to check out in Northern Virginia from 1-mile runs all the way up to ultra marathons. You decide where and how to run, and maybe we will see you at one of these great events.

Contact Preferred Realty Partners to find your next home near jogging trails, gyms, pools, or any other fitness amenities you need.

Halloween Events!

Hello Northern Virginia! Are you looking for fun things to do this Halloween?
Here's a fantastic link to some fun things to do in the greater Northern Virginia, Maryland DC area!
http://dc.about.com/od/childrensactivities/a/Halloween.htm

Some of my personal favorites:
http://airandspace.si.edu/airandscare/

Pumpkin Patches (Virginia is on page 2)

Corn Mazes

Ghost Tours in Washington D.C., Virginia and Maryland.

How are you getting ready for  Halloween?

Attention Small Business Owners!

Are you self-employed or a small-business owner?  Then NOW is the time to start thinking about your 2012 taxes (if you haven't already). If you've been keeping up with your quarterly taxes, chances are you probably know about what to expect to pay to uncle Sam. But because the calendar year is not yet over, you can take steps now to change those numbers!

I found this helpful article today on Inman News that I thought I would share. The article is geared toward Realtors, but it is also great for other self-employed people and small business owners. I'm also posting it in our Twitter feed (apologies if you get it twice).

New Listings

Hello World!
Last week was a little bananas, we had 3 new listings hit the market in NOVA, plus two for our Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati Team. Things have been busy and that's the way we like it!

Here is an appetizer of information on our new listings, along with a link to more information should you find yourself curious:

Ashburn - 42882 Nashua Street, Ashburn 3 Bedroom Brick TH $340,000

Sure I could post another photo of the front of this townhome, but I thought you'd like to see the bright cheery living room instead. This townhouse is bright and welcoming, with a spacious deck and a private two-car driveway in the back. No more shoveling out your parking space just so the neighbor can steal it!


South Riding - 25406 Upper Clubhouse Drive 3 Bedroom Garage TH  $329,000

I chose this photo to represent this listing because, well  you know how most townhomes look into a neighbor's backyard? Do you see all that wide-open space? That's common area. All the way back to the trees. Sure there are other townhomes nearby, but how many townhouse lots give you this much room to breathe? We're very excited about this townhouse! Click the link above for full details or to email us for more information.


And finally our Alexandria Listing on Sacramento Mews...which was under contract in just a few days, and we're so excited we had to mention it!!

Japanese Beetles

Japanese Beetles are a common summer pest in Northern Virginia. Last year our Fourth of July outing was plagued with them dive-bombing our heads. This summer, because of the dry winter and hot spring we are expected to have quite a lot of insects.

I found this article this week and thought it might be helpful if you have a Japanese Beetle Problem.


There is another article here.


And an organic solution here.

Stormpocalypse 2012

Welcome to Monday!
Our area was struck Friday night by a band of high intensity storms called a Derecho. There was a quick report about it on the news, but not much emphasis of it's intensity. We were cozied up in our house watching TV when a text from my brother-in-law (who watches the weather as a hobby, God love him!) came through saying "a storm with 80mph winds is coming. You've got about 30 minutes". We rushed outside to take the plants in pots off the railing and put down the umbrella.

When the storm hit it was incredible. A wall of wind slammed into the house with such intensity it could have been alive. It was truly amazing how fierce the storm sounded. The power flickered and went out and I went upstairs to make sure the kids were ok. After finding flashlights and lanterns and waiting for the storm to pass, we all settled in to sleep.

In the morning, with no power, no coffee and no hair-dryers we were a bit out of sorts. But grateful to not find any damage to our roof or siding. About 5 houses down from us a guy lost half a tree. He is still clearing it today. We can't tell from the photo if it dented the van, or if it was braced enough by the house to spare it.

This was one of the hottest weekends on record, I think at the hottest it got to 85 in the house. I found that if I sat still it was bearable. In spite of the minor discomfort I couldn't help but think how fortunate we are. There are people who have no air conditioning ever, who's only shelter is a park bench. We managed to find ice (which was no easy task this weekend), we had plenty of cold drinks, and we were forced to unplug a bit from our usual addictions and spend time with each other. All in all, it wasn't a bad weekend.

Our power stayed off from about 10:30 Friday night till 4:30 Sunday afternoon. I checked the Dominion outage feed about every 30 minutes, driving around to recharge my phone and get into some air conditioning when I needed to. At first count Saturday Morning I believe about 460K of Dominion's 832K Northern Virginia customers were without power. By this morning they were down to 162K without power. I want to thank Dominion for restoring power as quickly as they did. Our house was somewhere in the 240K range, I hope those lower in the line have power by nightfall.

After two days with no power, my husband got stir crazy and drove around Herndon, VA taking photos of the damage. Here are a few of the things he saw. Some of these trees are pretty amazing!

Do you have a Stormpocalypse or power-outage story? I'm curious to see just how many were affected by this outage.

Here's an interesting link to more photos of the damage from all over the east coast

Chantilly Single Family Home

We have a gorgeous Single Family Home for sale in Chantilly in the Bridle Ridge community.

The sellers have just replaced the carpet with new top-of-the line neutral carpet, additional features include hardwood floors, security system, deck, hot-tub with privacy screen, finished lower level and a ton of other amenities! Here are a few photos, for the virtual tour and more information click this link.

Northern Virginia High School Rankings

If you are thinking about moving to (or within) Northern Virginia, it's possible the Schools are important to you. I saw an article in the news today that I wanted to share with you courtesy of the Washington Post Local. The Headline reads: "Stone Bridge High School ranked 10th best in Virginia." (Click the link for Washington Post article).

Wow! 10th in the whole State? That's pretty spectacular! Congratulations to the teachers, students and staff at Stone Bridge HS! According to this article they also placed 178th nationally, and earned a gold medal for the student's college readiness. The article from US News showing the rankings can be found here.

Other local schools placing high in national rankings according to this article, include:

• #2 -  Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, VA
• #19 - George Mason High School in Falls Church
• #55 - George C. Marshall High School in Falls Church
• #85 - McLean High School in McLean, VA
• #88 - James W. Robinson Jr Secondary School in Fairfax, Virginia
• #98 Langley High School in McLean, Virginia
• #122 - W.T. Woodson High School in Fairfax, VA
• #129 - James Madison High School in Vienna, Virginia
• #165 - Oakton High School in Vienna, Virginia
• #178 - Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn, VA
• #193 - Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Virginia
• #207 - West Springfield High School in Springfield, VA
• #249 - Fairfax High School in Fairfax, Virginia

I'd like to point out that Chantilly High School ranked 15 in the state, and Westfield High School ranked 16. This means that 15 of the top 20 schools in the entire state are located in our own Northern Virginia area. Congratulations to Virginia Educators! We appreciate all you do for our children and our future!

Happy Mother's Day

We would like to take a moment today to honor the Woman who gave us life, who cared for us when we were small. The person we can count on for anything, anytime we need her. Whether it's advice on how to remove a tick or the recipe for "that thing gram used to make that I loved so much as a kid".

Mothers are a seemingly tireless force in the world, the unseen warriors defending their children against bullying, boo-boos and relationships gone awry. Our Mothers believe in us when we are too frightened to, they swell with pride at our achievements, weep with us over our sorrows, and celebrate our joys. And they do it with all the human imperfections that make them perfectly unique.

For all the sleepless nights, all the times you stayed home with a sick child instead of doing something else. All the worry, all the heartache, stress and love and joy and exasperation.

Moms, we thank you for all that you sacrificed so that we could become who we are today.

Inspections

One of the most important things to complete prior to buying a home is your home inspection. This is typically done within the first 10 calendar days after your contract is ratified. Be sure you hire a home inspector who is certified!

Your Home Inspector will walk through the house with you checking all the the basic systems and appliances. This is a visual examination, meaning they point out what they can see with the naked eye.

Your inspector will make a note of anything that they feel might need repair, with special attention to anything they deem a "major issue". These items can become points of negotiation between Buyer and Seller.

Here are a few other inspections/tests that may be recommended for your purchase:

• Radon
• Mold
• Lead Based Paint
• Termite (Wood Destroying Insect includes Carpenter Bees & ants are typically included)

These inspections are common for this area, but are not a comprehensive list as inspections vary based on the age of the home being purchased, the requirements of the lender, and the needs of the Buyers and Sellers.

For more information, inquire on our website:
www.yourprp.com

Spring in Real Estate

Good Morning Northern Virginia!!
I know that it's bleak and foggy and 42 degrees but I can assure you that Spring is here in Real Estate!
For those of you who don't follow the Real Estate buzz-words, let me explain. In my 8 years in Real Estate I've noticed some generally expected trends. These trends tend to occur within the same general time-frame every year.

One of these trends that gets a lot of hype is the "Spring Market". Which can be loosely defined as; "the time that buyers stop hunkering down for the holidays and start shopping for homes again". Most years we see a Real Estate Spring between mid February to Mid-March. This year our "Spring" started a few weeks ago and is in full swing now!

Just as an example, my last post was about 4 open houses we hostessed this past Sunday. Of those four homes, one was under contract by Sunday (went on the market Friday). Two others we are expecting offers on within this week. Also two of the Realtors I work with are writing (or have written and submitted) offers on other homes in the area.

What does this mean for you? Well, if you're a Buyer...it means you absolutely MUST have your lender letter with you before you start looking at homes. This is generally a best practice anyway, but it is an absolute necessity in "Spring". It also means you won't always have days to decide if you really want to write a contract like you would have a month ago.

If you're a Seller, this means it's a great time to put your home on the market. But be mindful of your comparables and don't price yourself above the market. This is a great time to take advantage of our FREE 1 hour Real Estate Business Planning appointments. No obligation. No hard sell. Just an honest assessment and valuable information. Email us if you'd like to schedule an appointment.

Now with Hardwoods and Granite!

Welcome to the big holiday weekend folks! I hope you all have some exciting plans. 

We are hostessing an open house this Sunday at the lovely home pictured below. They've just replaced their kitchen counter tops and floors and now have absolutely GORGEOUS Granite and Hardwoods.  The Sunroom is spectacular.

See the Virtual Tour

This townhome is on Latrobe Street in South Riding, if you find yourself in the area Sunday between 1-4 stop on by and say hello to Linda. She'll be happy to give you the tour!!

Iverson Drive Beauty

We love it when we have the privilege of listing a home with so many enchanting details, so unique that it truly blows the competition out of the water. This single family home on Iverson Drive in South Riding features gorgeous professional landscaping, upgraded tile, Brazilian Teak hardwood floors, granite countertops, Stainless appliances, and a finished basement with custom granite wet bar and legal 5th bedroom! Too many features to list here. Come see the Open House this Saturday from 1-4. We can't wait to show it off to you!