Archive for October, 2008
Contracts Ratified in Arlington takes HUGE dip as we head towards Election Day
October 29th, 2008 Categories: Arlington Dirt, Market Stats
Well, here’s your reporting for the time period between October 18 and October 24. I was surprised to see that only 19 contracts were ratified during this period of time. Anecdotally as we discuss the market activity amongst ourselves (as agents) we are seeing decent traffic, but I think right now, all eyes are on the economy and the upcoming election. We’ll see how things go for the next week or two but I think when we can all get back to business, after all votes are cast and counted, my own feeling is that we will see balance restored to the day to day activity of folks buying and selling real estate.
On a monthly basis, I will update my chart so we can see the moving average and how (and/or IF) it’s affected by the week to week changes in the activity.
For now, I know I have buyers who are writing contracts, so I’m doing my part – as I keep saying, the sky is still up there, folks!
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! Fall is here!
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The Top 10 Reasons Northern Virginia is the BEST place on EARTH!
October 28th, 2008 Categories: Home Buying, Northern Virginia Basics
I have had this post rolling around my head for weeks – trying to figure out the best way to put it out there… there’s so much depth behind EACH area that I think I need to publish them one at a time. I wanted to create my own list of why this area is so great for those of you who might be considering moving to the area whether it be a job, a new administration or whatever it is that might bring you here. So pull up a chair and sit for a while!
First some background… Other than the first 10 weeks of my life, which by the way, I have very little recollection of, I grew up here in Northern Virginia. Spent the first 5 years in Falls Church, then we moved to Reston. We lived there from 1st grade through 5th. Then we moved to McLean where we lived for the end of elementary school, all of middle and high school. My parents stayed in the area and I went off to Fredericksburg to the University of Mary Washington – not too far away! I then returned as a young adult, got my first place on my own, entered the job market and had a lot of fun living close to the city – oh, and did I mention having lots of fun?
After a few years, I left the area (followed a man, wouldn’t ya know) and moved to the San Francisco Bay area where we lived for 6 years, followed by a detour through the Atlanta area for 5 years and then, returned here to Northern Virginia because I believe it’s the BEST place on EARTH… So you see, I am actually highly qualified to write this post about our great community!
So now, without further ado, I offer you ONE of my TEN reasons why Northern Virginia is awesome!
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Northern Virginia is home to some of the BEST, Top Tier public schools in the entire country. There are many places to go for quantitative information on Virginia Schools. The Virginia Department of Education website has a wealth of information on schools across the entire state. But one of my favorite sites is www.GreatSchools.net. It is the ONLY website I have ever run across that actually allows you to compare schools by test scores and also see other relevant information about the school.
According to Newsweek Magazine’s List of the Top 1,300 High Schools for 2008 article, the Northern Virginia region was home to 8 of the top 100 public high schools in the country!
There are many other reasons to love this area – so stay tuned as I bring them to you daily over the next 10 days!
Happy Tuesday!
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! Fall is here!
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Contract Writing Update – 10/11/08-10/17/08
October 22nd, 2008 Categories: Arlington Dirt, Market Stats
Well, we saw our first major dip in contract writing last week – I like to wait until at least Tuesday because there may be some contracts that were written last week and not quite ratified yet – this gives us enough time to see things settle.
So last week there were only 31 contracts written… definitely a slow week. I’m watching closely (and writing a few of my own) to see where things head. Interest rates are up, which isn’t too good – and if they continue on this trend, it might be sleepy for the next few weeks. Then, after election day, I’m hoping there will be an onslaught of new buyers.
If you are coming to DC with the new administration, give me a call – I’m poised and ready to go!
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! Fall is here!
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Kudos to Arlington for a Great Street (or two)
October 21st, 2008 Categories: Arlington Dirt
I just found out that the American Planning Association voted the Wilson 
Blvd/Clarendon Blvd corridor one of America’s 10 Great Streets for 2008. The urban feel, street level shopping, restaurants, clubs and other retail combined with commercial and residential spaces above was one of the main factors in determining us as a strong contender. I also learned some interesting facts about the Arlington population:
20% of Arlington residents don’t own a car
50% of Arlington residents walk, bike or use public transportation to commute to work
That’s amazing to me and really says a lot about the residents of Arlington County! The APA cites examples of the forward thinking Arlington County when they were able to get the rights to the metro routing in the 1960’s. This has lead to the creation of a community with above-average use of mass transit (the metro), reduced reliance on cars, mixed-use development, increased density and a reduced carbon footprint.
To learn more about the APA and other cities and streets that won this prestigious award, click here.
Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about real estate along this Great Street, give me a buzz. There are great condo projects like The Residences at Station Square, the Hartford and The Charleston; wonderful townhouse communities as well as single family homes in Lyon Village, Lyon Park, Ashton Heights and other areas as well that offer walking distance to this great area.
Call anytime to discuss!
Happy Tuesday!
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! Fall is here!
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