Archive for June, 2008
Wildlife in Arlington Virginia
June 28th, 2008 Categories: Arlington Dirt
The other day I was driving home and as I was winding my way up a curvy road in my neighborhood – something caught my eye off to the right. At first I thought it was “lawn sculpture” — but then it moved, ever so slightly… Fortunately I had my camera in my cupholder and I pulled over, rolled down the passenger window and snap snap…
Now, for those of you that don’t know – I live in Arlington Virginia. Busy roads, dense population – the closest county to border Washington DC, our nation’s capital. And here, in a neighbor’s front yard, was a deer, peacefully eating their flowers. I stopped the car and watched her for a while and she didn’t seem to be bothered by me in the least.
It’s nice to live in a community where we do still see occasional wildlife – we have cute red foxes, too! We have a nature center down the street, tucked into a great piece of parkland – what a great resource.
If you’re thinking of taking up residence in Arlington County, please give me a call. I can share all of the wonderful resources like this and more with you!
Happy Saturday
Jennifer
Serving all of your real estate needs in Arlington, McLean and the entire Northern Virginia Region!
Contact me today for a free home valuation or buyer counseling session! No time like the present!
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Neighborhood Focus: Ballston – Arlington, Virginia
June 26th, 2008 Categories: Arlington Dirt, Condos, Home Buying
Ballston has certainly been around an awfully long time. For some of us, we remember it as Hechts Parkington! (now I’m aging myself a bit here – but I’m sure I wasn’t more than a baby at the time! wink wink)
Today’s view of Ballston is quite different than that of 40 years ago!
Ballston Common Mall is still there – Macy’s and Macy’s Furniture anchor the mall while there are nice dining options at street level.
Additionally, the new world renowned Kettler Capitals IcePlex is on the roof level of the parking deck. This is the home of the Washington Capitals and it’s an awesome rink.
As far as the feel of the area – it’s certainly become somewhat of a concrete jungle, with high rises everywhere you look. I can think of 10 major residential buildings (condominiums only here, there are MANY MANY rental apartment buildings, too) off the top of my head – and I’m certain there are many other smaller complexes, but I’m just looking at Ballston corridor along Fairfax Drive & Wilson Blvd. They are:
Alta Vista – 2 units currently for sale
The Continental – 9 units currently for sale
Hyde Park – 4 units currently for sale
880 Pollard – 4 units currently for sale
Lexington Square – 3 units currently for sale
Tower Villas – 2 units currently for sale
These are all wonderful places to live each with their own personality, and if you’d like, you can always get in touch with me for further info.
There are also 2 brand new building projects being sold right now: The Hawthorn and The Residences at Liberty Center. Both of these are fabulous projects – here are some highlights:
Residences at Liberty Center:
Liberty Center is a mixed use project with fabulous, dramatic architecture – 1/2 of the building are condos, 1/2 of the building are apartments for rent. Each half has their own private roof-top pool/sun bathing deck, workout room, etc… Street Level is home to some wonderful shops and restaurants including one of my personal favorites, Marvelous Market.
Additionally they have done an exceptional job of working in nice green spaces with benches, fountains and art.
There are 1 and 2 bedroom units available; additionally, there is still at least 1 penthouse unit available to my knowledge!
The Hawthorn Condo
The Hawthorn Condo is located just a block away from Liberty Center. This is a smaller building, more intimate in feel.
With super cool modern accents… check out this trim on the exterior of the building:
There are 1 and 2 bedroom units for sale here as well…
…as evidenced by the signs in all of the windows.
Last but not least, because there is something here for everyone, there is also The Jefferson Retirement Condos. So if you’re looking for something as you reach retirement age, but want to stay here with all of the local amenities, The Jefferson is just your spot!
Ballston has so much more to offer than what I can say here in 500 words – the METRO, Golds Gym, Metro, Cosi, Harris Teeter, Starbucks (of course!), Best Buns burger joint, Va Piano, Ted’s, The Willow Restaurant and so much more. It’s definitely an area worth checking out. Give me a call anytime to discuss –
Happy Thursday!
Jennifer – your Ballston area expert!
Serving all of your real estate needs in Arlington, McLean and the entire Northern Virginia Region!
Contact me today for a free home valuation or buyer counseling session! No time like the present!
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What Can a SELLER do to help their Home Sell?
June 19th, 2008 Categories: Alexandria Dirt, Arlington Dirt, Falls Church Dirt, Home Selling, McLean Dirt, Real Estate 101, Reston Dirt
Let’s face it – what sells a home is the right person walking through the door at the right time. The process is a balance between a competent real estate agent and a client, in most cases. The agent comes to the table with a plan for how to cast the widest net to catch potential buyers. This might include hosting an open house, online advertising, etc…
However, there are definitely two sides to the partnership and if the seller doesn’t truly get their head in the game, you could find yourself with a lopsided partnership – even the best marketing can’t sell a house that really isn’t prepared properly to sell. So let’s examine what the home sellers can, and should, do!
FIRST – PRICE THE HOME TO SELL
I hear this a lot on listing appointments, “Jennifer, we think your pricing strategy is right on – but we’d like to start high in order to test the waters 
to see if we can get a better offer and also, we want to give ourselves some negotiating room.”
While I agree with the sentiment, buyers KNOW when a home is priced right and while there are some knuckleheads out there who may try a lowball offer, when you’ve hit the right price, easily justified, my experience is that sellers don’t need to be braced to have to give away the farm. The negotiation process can be quite even handed and civilized!
Pricing, in my opinion, is the #1 thing a seller can do to influence the reception in the market and to get their home sold quickly. There are certainly challenges, not every home is easy to price, not every buyer will be willing to pay extra for those special inlay hardwood floors, not every home has good comps. But with good homework and a meeting of the minds, GET THE HOME PRICED RIGHT out of the gate – you won’t regret it!
SECOND – PRESENT IT WELL
What does this mean? Well, first, any obvious repairs should be done – re-caulking old icky bathroom tile; perhaps a leak was fixed but the re-painting was never done? Carpets dirty? A good cleaning can do a world of good. (See my previous article on carpet cleaning) Look around through fresh eyes if possible. Remember, when your agent makes suggestions, take them seriously. Try not to have your feelings hurt when they suggest that you remove the 1980’s curtains to freshen and brighten everything up a bit. Appearances are everything and some buyers cannot look past some 
of those “personal touches.”
The clutter and anything excess (furniture, clothing, towels, sheets, food, etc…) should be removed – yes REMOVED. Do whatever it takes. If you need to get a storage unit and it costs you $250 but nets you $10,000 more on your home because it appears to have adequate space and storage – would you be upset? NO – so go to it. Clear it out, clean it out, purge, pack it up, etc…
The exterior should be well maintained – this includes the windows looking to the exterior – clean and sparkly! Lawns should be kept tidy, toys, tools, etc should be kept put away. Garages should be cleaned out and purged just as described above. If any decks or siding require power washing, rent a power washer – it’s easy – even I can do it!
And lastly, CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN. There’s nothing worse than thinking of how much cleaning a place would require before moving in. Bleach might just become your best friend! But it’s true, a neat, tidy, bright, clean house will sell 10 times before the same house without taking those steps to prepare.
I believe that pricing and preparation are 80% of the game. However, there are a few other things that sellers should keep in mind:
1. Be Available. Have your home as available as possible to be shown. This might not always be convenient – but hey, you’re trying to sell your home. Make it as easy as possible, especially as it relates to pets, alarms, children, etc…
2. Communication. Be sure that your agent is on the ball – returning phone calls from prospective buyer agents; returning phone calls to prospective buyers from signs or Internet ads. Be sure that YOU are communicating with your agent about showings and that THEY are communicating relevant feedback to you.
3. Remain Flexible. Flexible with showings, flexible with settlement dates, flexible with finding creative solutions to help your home be more attractive to an “almost fit” buyer. Be flexible and pro-active.
It’s not always easy being a home seller in this market. Most Arlington home sellers are doing ok – I hear once you get a little further out even to communities like Vienna and Reston, the sales are farther and fewer between. However, having your home ready to go ensures that when that buyer does come along, you’ll be the best looking property in their price range!
Good luck, and if you’re thinking of becoming a home seller, give me a call!
Happy Thursday
Jennifer
Serving all of your real estate needs in Arlington, McLean and the entire Northern Virginia Region!
Contact me today for a free home valuation or buyer counseling session! No time like the present!
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Reston Hosts Taste of the Town – Saturday June 14, 2008
June 11th, 2008 Categories: Reston Dirt
Thinking of how to spend your Saturday? Consider attending Taste of the ![DC1[1]](http://thearlingtondirt.com/files/2008/06/dc11-small1.jpg)
Town in Reston this Saturday. With 40,000 expected attendees (which is double the size of past years), there will be plenty to see and do. You can sample fare from the 40 great restaurants represented; there will be 3 stages each hosting different live entertainment throughout the day and evening; and you can also expect an entire block dubbed “kiddie korner” with special activities for the kids.
The event will go from noon until 11pm – so plan to hang out and enjoy the day! Maybe I’ll see you there –
Happy Wednesday
Jennifer
Serving all of your real estate needs in Arlington, McLean and the entire Northern Virginia Region!
Contact me today for a free home valuation or buyer counseling session! Spring is HERE!
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