Spacious Townhome Condo is Move-in Ready

20370 Hawick Terrace, Sterling VA 20165

Beautiful 3-bedroom condo townhome is ready for you! Enjoy the outdoors on all three levels: a ground level patio, a balcony off the eat-in kitchen, and a private balcony off the master suite! 

Brick-front Townhouse Condo

The 2-car garage shares space with the large recreation room on the lower level, and the gas fireplace will keep you warm in the winter. 

Upstairs, the bright and open layout welcomes you to the heart of the home. Your dining and living room boast gleaming hardwood floors and ceramic tile covers the kitchen and breakfast area. 

The kitchen includes granite countertops, maple cabinets, a built-in microwave, and a gas stove. This layout is perfect for entertaining!

A second gas fireplace warms the family room with hardwood floors. The open floor-plan means you can interact with everyone in the kitchen and breakfast area. 

Spacious master suite features a walk-in closet, balcony, and attached luxury bathroom. 

Relax in your giant soaking tub across from the double vanity. You'll find ceramic tile in both upstairs bathrooms, and brand new carpeting in all three bedrooms! 

You'll never tire of the view from your private balcony off the master suite. Relax and enjoy this wonderful home! 

This listing is presented by Lisa Alonso of Preferred Realty Partners, Keller Williams Realty. Click here for more information and photos!

Two Open Houses for You Today

13109 Pennypacker Lane, Fairfax VA 22033
Beautifully updated single family home in Greenbriar! NEW windows installed in 2011 and HVAC replaced in 2013! Large kitchen features ceramic floors, granite countertops, maple cabinets, and NEW stainless steel appliances. Walk out the sliding door into the huge fenced back yard. Separate Laundry Room on main level. Master suite includes two walk-in closets and an attached bathroom! Other bedrooms are large and  bathrooms are updated in neutral tones. Storage shed has electric! Located minutes to Rt 50 and Fairfax Co Pkwy! Close to schools, parks, and shopping!

24616 Nettle Mill Square, Aldie VA 20105
Bright and open gorgeous garage townhouse in Stone Ridge! 2-level bump-out with over 2400 sq ft of finished space! Hardwoods on main level, Granite Counters, Cherry Cabinets & Ceramic Backsplash in the eat-in kitchen. Master suite features vaulted ceilings, a walk-in closet, double vanity, separate soaking tub & shower. Finished basement has a gas fireplace, half bath, and walk-out to paver patio. Fenced yard and deck. Close to shopping and dining.

Enjoy Fabulous Mountain Views every day for $335,000!

Open House Sunday June 23rd 1-4pm

Looking for a relaxing weekend retreat? Or a home just west of Winchester with spectacular views?
Come see our 3 Bedroom, 2.5 bath house with main level library, fabulous great room with floor to ceiling stone fireplace and gourmet kitchen complete with granite, double wall ovens and gas cook-top.

You'll love the views from the main and upper level decks, take in the Shenandoah mountains with your morning coffee. This home features the privacy and serenity of a mountain retreat with the features and amenities of a D.C. area luxury home...with the added bonus of a full rear deck with screened porch.

Community features include playgrounds, lake with beach and 9 hole golf course

Home Prices are up!

I found this interesting article on Yahoo News today and I thought Virginia home owners might be interested in it. In summary it says that prices are up in many metropolitan areas and existing homes available for sale are at a 10 year low.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/home-prices-increase-most-major-140227717.html

This is great news if you have a home to sell, we've seen similar trends of prices moving up in many local areas especially closer to the beltway. And coupled with historically low interest rates it makes now a great time to buy! If you happen to be in the market.

Beautiful Manassas Home For Sale!

We are very excited to announce our new Manassas listing!
This is a gorgeous 4 bedroom 3.5 bath home with a 5 CAR GARAGE!! That's right, 5 cars.

You'll love the gourmet kitchen with upgraded appliances, granite & cherry cabinets.

Come to our Open House 
Sunday September 23 from 1-4pm and see for yourself!

Floor to ceiling stone fireplace in the 2 story family room.

Fabulous wet-bar in the finished basement

What's in a Rental?

Our office lists properties for rent for private owners. Often the potential tenants are confused about how the process works because they are used to renting from an apartment complex. Here are a few things that I tell prospective tenants to help keep it all straight:

Apartment Buildings

• An apartment complex typically charges a lower security deposit. They have a staff of maintenance people, so if a tenant leaves the place a mess they can have it fixed quickly and easily by their own staff.
• Apartment complexes typically own a building with 50 or more units and charge enough in rent that a percentage of occupancy covers their expenses and mortgage. This means they can afford to carry a certain number of vacant units in any given month.

Private Owner

• A private owner often charges 1 month's rent for security deposit. If a tenant leaves the carpets or walls a mess, they have to hire someone to fix it or make the time to fix it themselves.
•  Private owners are responsible for the mortgage, whether they have a tenant or not.

Of course there are a number of other considerations, but these are the key ones that come to mind.

I'm posting this in honor of our Rental listing on Cheyenne Way in Haymarket that goes active in the MLS today. Two levels, 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. Fenced yard with deck. Updated kitchen! If you have any questions about Cheyenne Way...please contact us!

Are you thinking about living in Reston?
We have a fabulous single family home for sale in a great location. You'll love the private lot nestled into mature trees. This home is located just off Lawyers Road in Reston convenient to major commuter routes. Click the link for more photos and information or Call our office! 703-674-1217

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.

The Silver Line of the Dulles Metrorail Project

If you have driven near Tyson's Corner or Reston Virginia in the last year or two you've probably noticed an enormous amount of construction. Some of this construction is Phase 1 of the Dulles Metro Rail project. For the past month or so I've been hearing a lot about local residents opposing the Silver Line. The Silver Line of the Dulles Metrorail is expected to extend The Washington, D.C. area's public rail transport system or "the Metro" from Falls Church to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), and into the city of Ashburn at Ryan Road. You can see a map of the proposed stations here.

Phase 1 of this project is well underway and scheduled for completion in 2013 according to the Dulles Metrorail Project's Website. Phase 2 extends the rail from Wiehle Avenue in Reston to Ryan Road in Ashburn with stops at Reston Parkway, in Herndon/Monroe Street, Route 28, Dulles Airport and Route 606 ending at Ryan Road in Ashburn. according to their website, the proposed completion date for Phase II is 2016.

According to some comments I've seen in various articles and blogs, the opposition is not to the rail itself, but to the taxpayers bearing the financial burden of building the rail system. There are concerns that the cost of use on the Dulles Toll Road & The Greenway (Virginia Highway 267) will increase exponentially. Further, the use of PLA's (Project Labor Agreements) is expected to vastly increase construction costs, decrease the likelihood of Virginia workers getting these jobs, and reduce in-state competition due to the low number of Virginia Unions.  For more information on this opposition, see the article here. The Reston Chamber of Commerce has also expressed opposition to these PLA's. You can read more about that here.

From a strictly Real Estate point of view, the Silver line means better access to two major airports as well as commuter options for residents who work in or near the District of Colombia. It means a likely increase in property value for residents in Herndon, Reston and Ashburn once it is completed. However, it is always interesting to see how these types of changes affect the community in which they occur during the building process.

For photos and updates on Dulles Metro Rail construction, click this link.

Short Sales and the MDRA of 2007

If you are a homeowner who bought your Northern Virginia house in 2004-2006 you may be significantly upside-down in the value of your home. Meaning that the full amount owed on your mortgage, may be higher than the current fair market value of the home.

The Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007 made it generally possible for taxpayers to exclude the deficiency (amount still owed after negotiating for a short-sale) from their taxable income when filing their taxes in the years 2007-2012. There is a lot more information available regarding this act from the IRS, who frankly know a lot more about it than we do. The most important thing for Virginia Consumers to note, is that if you are thinking about a short-sale you probably shouldn't sit on the idea for too long. Most short-sales take more than 4 months to negotiate, and there is not a lot of inventory on the market right now...so homes are selling quickly!

If you are a buyer looking at short-sales, please pay close attention to the time frame given by the listing agent. If we tell you it will likely take 4 months, we mean it. Sometimes a short-sale can be approved in 3 months, but typically it is longer.

Should you have any questions about Real Estate, please submit an inquiry to our website. We would be happy to answer any questions you have!

I'll leave you with some photos of our latest Reston Virginia listing, which was under contract in just a few days! Email us for more information about this property as well.

Handlebar Road - Gorgeous Rambler with Mature trees

Fully enclosed Sunroom with fabulous view of the tree lined backyard

 Photos Courtesy of Dan McCutcheon

The Day the Earth Stood Still

On April 17, 2012, an otherwise fairly ordinary day, many of us had the opportunity to witness an extraordinary event. The arrival of the space shuttle Discovery. In Northern Virginia, this was a pretty big deal. Many people took time off from work for a chance to witness the flyover. Students at area schools stood out in the schoolyard hoping to see the flight. The folks at NASA arranged for Discovery and it's ferry aircraft to fly over some local neighborhoods. I like to think they did this to share the love of space exploration with everyone within view.

For a few brief moments the whole world stood still. People got out of their cars and stood along VA 28, a highway located close to Dulles International Airport, to see the shuttle come in for a landing. My brother-in-law Kevin & and his wife Erin shot this video:



I love the way an event like this brings people of all ages and backgrounds together. I'm told that people in offices all over the Washington D.C. area stopped what they were doing to watch the flyover from their windows. For a few moments, we were all connected in universal fascination.

I hope you were able to witness the flight of the Space Shuttle Discovery. According to NASA, the shuttle Enterprise is scheduled to leave Dulles for JFK on April 27th. Hopefully if you missed Discovery's flight, you can see Enterprise on the way out tomorrow...assuming the weather is nice.

For more photos of the preparations for the flight of Space Shuttle Discovery, see this article here.

Reston Condo on the Lake

One of the many perks of working in Real Estate is the chance to see all kinds of homes, all kinds of decor, and all kinds of lifestyles. Last week we listed a condo in Reston that backs right up to lake Thoreau. We had the honor of listing another Harbor Point Condo last year, and I fell in love with the serenity of the location. There's a grocery store AND a Starbucks literally around the corner from here, you're convenient to a commute, and you get to wake up every morning and look out your master bedroom & living room windows at this.

This particular Reston Condominium conveys with a boat slip, so you can kayak or fish in your back yard. What a magnificent place to live!
For a google map view, click here

Haymarket Condo for Sale

Hello and Happy Friday!
Yesterday we listed a condo in Haymarket that we just can't wait to tell you all about!













Aster Haven Circle
Click the link for more information and virtual tour.
Here are a few things you'll love about this place:

• 2 Bedrooms
• 2 Baths
• 1 Car Garage
• New Paint
• Freshly cleaned carpets
• Great location!

I hope everyone is enjoying the lovely spring weather.
I'd like to take this opportunity to make a public apology to my neighbors in Herndon. We had a very busy weekend and about the time we were available to mow the lawn, it started to rain. We are now "that family". You know, the ones who's house you drive by and think "Why doesn't that family mow their lawn?" On the bright side, my pansies have weathered the winter beautifully so aside from a few pesky volunteer onions (where do these things come from?) my flowerbeds look cheerful.

Have a fantastic weekend, if you're looking for something to do in the DC area this weekend, here are a few ideas.

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

Buyer Beware

Hello and Welcome to 2012!
We are excited for a new year of changes! One of the biggest changes that is happening for us right now is to the Northern Virginia Regional Sales Contract. Virginia is a caveat emptor state which means "let the Buyer Beware". This year the contract has changed to embrace that idea a bit more fully. Our team has been in several training sessions to learn the ins and outs of the new contract. And while first time buyers may not notice these changes, Sellers who have done this once (or multiple times) before may be really excited about these changes. Just a few of these changes are noted below.

1. Conventional, FHA and VA financing all have their own addendum, separate from the contract pages but intended to be included with the contract
2. The requirement for Plumbing, Heating, HVAC, and Electrical (major systems) is completely different. These items will now be negotiable after the home inspection, which may lead to buyers and sellers playing the game of "how badly do you want to buy/sell this house?".
3. Well & Septic testing has changed, which may help out our clients & friends in western Loudoun County may find that interesting.

That's just a brief summary of a few points that we've discussed. We are here to help you navigate the new contract whatever your questions or needs. We would love to hear from you!

FIRST TIME BUYERS - CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION