Aubrey Nesbitt, Author at Real Estate & Property Management Services

4 Overlooked Activities in Springfield Virginia

February 5, 2014May 18, 2015Aubrey Nesbitt

Springfield Art Guild

The Springfield Art Guild (SAG) is a nonprofit with a 30 year history. The Springfield Art Guild is a great community for people interested in the arts. With juried shows and classes for both children and adults, the SAG is a great place to appreciate and explore creative thoughts. SAG appreciates and encourages artists. For example, there are scholarships up for grabs for High School students, art exhibitions, a monthly newsletter published, a monthly meeting hosted, and more.

Lake Accotink

Accotink Park has a huge 493 acres, which include a 55 acre lake. Around the park, you can expect to see views of marsh life and water fowl. Additionally, the facilities here offer rowboat, canoe, and pedal boat rentals, a mini golf course, antique carousel, fishing supplies sale (i.e. bait and tackle), playground and more. Lake Accotink is a great place to get some fresh air and explore.

Hurricane Fishing Charters

Charter fishing on the Chesapeake Bay can be a very relaxing hobby. From the April to December, there Hurricane Fishing Charters offers fishing trips, which can accommodate up to 15 people per trip. These fishing trips include bait, tackle, and licenses. The professionals at Hurricane Fishing Charters have 25 years of experience, which can help for some people new to fishing.

Quantico Orienteering Club

The QOC was established in 1967

Orienteering is a land navigation activity. The Quantico Orienteering Club (QOC) is a great place for outdoor adventures with a variety of course skill levels, from beginner to advanced. The QOC is a nonprofit organization which hosts these open to all events. Whether you choose to go alone, with a group, walk, run, or compete – the option is entirely up to you. Some things you might want to bring with you include your friends, your dog, and your compass.

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Reasons to Relocate to Arlington Virginia

January 31, 2014June 28, 2015Aubrey Nesbitt

The Benefits of DC without the Disadvantages of DC

Some people want what DC has to offer (i.e. jobs, nightlife, culture), but don’t want all of the extra things that come with it, like higher sales tax, or confusing, traffic filled non gridline roads. DC is easy to get to, from either the Orange line of the metro, the Key Bridge or the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Bridge. The nice thing about commuting on the metro is that you won’t have to worry about finding a parking space in DC. Additionally, some DC employers will reimburse their Arlington employees for travel expenses.

Virginia Restaurants & Shopping

Advantages to Arlington include the shopping centers and malls, like Pentagon City Mall, Ballston Common Mall, Crystal City Shops, Rosslyn Metro Mall, and Clarendon’s Market Commons Mall, just to name a few. A nice quality about shopping in some of the luxury stores in Arlington, like Nordstrom for example, is the superior quality of goods. Throughout Arlington there are lots of great bars and restaurants. There is a lot of variety ranging from different ethnic foods to different style settings. For example, there is Cava Mezze in Clarendon, which serves authentic Greek food, there is Carpool in Courthouse, which has pool tables and games, and there is Legal Seafood’s in Crystal City which has great oysters.

Neighborhood and Home Variety

There are plenty of different neighborhoods to choose from in Arlington. You’ll find that each neighborhood and home has a unique atmosphere, which sets it apart from the rest. For example, if you like a middle-class walkable residential neighborhood, with an indie movie theater, you might like to live in a two bedroom condo in Shirlington. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a 3 bedroom townhouse, built in the 1980’s, with a balcony, an assigned parking space, and a nearby metro stop with lots of surrounding businesses, you might like something in Clarendon.

Active, Affluent, and Awesome

Arlington has a rich economy that is supported by a constant infusion of people new to the area, as well as Northern Virginia locals. One thing you’ll find in common with these transplants and natives, is a shared educational background which is usually a bachelor’s degree, at the minimum. Also, for people teaching or working on their education, there is Marymount University in Arlington. Many people come to the area because of the vast amount of jobs hiring. When they get here, they are very active. The dead of winter won’t stop some joggers and bicyclists from getting their work out in. Happy hours at Whitlow’s in Clarendon are hip and happening all year round. For some of the older crowd, you might like to have a glass of wine at Eat Bar.

Near Sobe Bar and Bistro and Mad Rose Tavern

Will and Julie Nesbitt cross the street in Shirlington

Clarendon has a metro station on the orange line

There are several shops and restaurants underneath Crystal City

Biking is a popular transportation option in Court House

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What is special about Cherry Hill Townhouses?

January 30, 2014February 23, 2016Aubrey Nesbitt

Cherry Hill Townhouses are very conveniently located at walking distance to FCC and FCC Schools. Additionally, they offer a wide range of amenities, like community pool. Cherry Hill Townhouses in Falls Church VA is a community built around 1977 and prices are around $580,000.

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Why Hire Nesbitt Realty as Your Property Manager?

January 29, 2014January 5, 2016Aubrey Nesbitt

Relocation

Are you leaving the area, but not quite ready to part with your Clarendon townhome? Are you active duty military, with upcoming orders for assignment in Germany? Regardless of your circumstances, property management is a great way of safely and effectively renting out your property. You could use your rental property income to put towards the mortgage, if you haven’t paid it off yet.

Realtor Stuart Nesbitt chats with a handyman

Separation between Clients

Tenants and landlords each have their own wishes that they each want met (e.g. timely rent payments, proper repairs / maintenance, thorough unit inspections, etc.) Having a property manager can make this process a walk in the park, especially for the landlord. Without a property management service, there is the potential to have quarrels over issues, which can lead to undesirable leeway being extended (i.e. late payment). For example, what if your tenant would like to paint the walls? Will you let them smooth talk you and guilt trip you into having it their way? Nesbitt Realty can enforce your rules and keep a diplomatic barrier between both parties.

Legality

Nesbitt Realty can file all of the legal paperwork (e.g. lease, pets addendum, lead based paint disclosure, etc.) involved with renting out your property. This documentation can provide a great preventative safety measure for the landlord, in case of a breach of terms. Nesbitt Realty has several NVAR licensed Realtors who can put your property into the MLS (multiple listing service) and thus reach a much larger audience, than say, using craigslist.

Reliability and Accountability

Whether we like it or not, sometimes homes need maintenance and sometimes they need maintenance at the worst of tim es (e.g. the dead of winter, early Sunday morning, in the hot and humid summer, etc.) Nesbitt Realty has top notch accountability with handling maintenance issues – from sinks needing snaking, to hardwood floors needing updating, to lost keys needing replacing. If you need to get a hold of the Nesbit Realty, you can call and either a.) Get a hold of someone or b.) Get a call back from someone in a very timely manner. Not everyone has this level of reliability and accountability.

Market Knowledge

Outside political and economic forces can seriously affect the market conditions in the area. CMA’s (competitive market analysis) can help estimate what you can charge for you rental. On the other hand, Zillow estimates, can be very distorted and misleading. Additionally, Nesbitt Realty’s Principal Broker, Will Nesbitt, keeps a very up to date informed eye on the trends affecting the area. This can help to create an appropriate price to get your place rented quickly, preceding a harsh rental market.

Investment Properties

Some smart people are aware of the fact that you can use your money to make more money. One way to do this is to buy choice properties, when the conditions are right. Will Nesbitt regularly surveys listings all throughout the Northern Virginia area, to find these assets for clients. Also, the combination of his experience with the vast array of properties, combined with his moral ethical outlook for your best interest, leads to a good partnership for everyone involved.

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Why Rent?

January 23, 2014June 19, 2015Aubrey Nesbitt

Sample

Renting is a good way to get some firsthand experience with a neighborhood. Renting can let you sign a 1 year lease, say in a Shirlington 2 bedroom condo for example, with the option to continue, if you like the neighborhood. An advantage of this is you can test the waters, to see if you really love the features of this neighborhood or not. If you don’t like where you’re at, say for example, if the 4 bedroom, 2 story home in Lorton is not your style, you can always relocate to another place.

Pay as You Go

Many Americans live pay check to pay check. Upfront, you will have a security deposit, with a rate that depends on your credit score. If you have a good credit score, your property manager might only charge 1 months’ rent, for a security deposit. On the other hand, if you have a poor credit score, your property manager might charge 2 months’ rent, for a security deposit. After this initial fee (which can be refunded if you meet the requirements like passing the move out inspection), it’s nice to know that after a chunk of your paycheck is put into your monthly rent, there’s a good portion left for bills, necessities, and fun expenditures, like neighborhood nightlife or personal hobbies.

Short Term Commitment & Little Investment

Not sure if you want to stay in Northern Virginia, as a Washington DC commuting, GS-5? Do you have plans of living in California and seeing Napa Valley, Los Angeles, and San Francisco firsthand? Are you Active duty military, with upcoming orders for a new assignment, with no interest in the responsibility of becoming a homeowner? If so, these questions might make you lean towards renting, as opposed to buying. It’s nice to know that as a renter, you won’t have to worry about footing the bill for a repair on a roof that is falling apart, paying a monthly a condo fee (that could range anywhere from $150-$700), or paying the bill for a lawn service to pick up the leaves from your $1,000,000 Mount Vernon home, in fall. Overall, renting can be cheaper up front, but it isn’t for everyone. Also, who says you can't just buy later?

Build Your Credit While You Sock Away Savings for a Down Payment

Paying your bills on time is an excellent way to build your credit score, and to show lenders that you know how to manage your money. If you are frugal, you can take a chip off each pay check, to build up a savings for buying a home in the future. The return on applying your savings to the purchase of the home of your dreams can be exponential. For those with an eye on the future, being a responsible tenant can prepare you financially and teach you the accountability necessary for home ownership.

Roommates

Spending time with friends can make for priceless memories. Living together can be fun and slightly cheaper than going solo. The process of getting a group of friends together to rent out a property can be a very rewarding and challenging process. A Nesbitt Realty Realtor, like Stuart Nesbitt, can help make the later stages of finding and renting a property simple. There are many different neighborhoods in Northern Virginia to choose from, that can fit your specific needs (such as being metro accessible, having a main street, Being near a good school, being luxurious, being a certain type of building style [e.g. high-rise or garden style, for example] ,being affordable, or even being off the beaten path).

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My Visit to Paradise Springs Winery in Clifton Virginia

January 22, 2014June 25, 2015Aubrey Nesbitt

This past weekend I visited Paradise Springs for the first time. Paradise Springs is a homegrown winery, located at 13219 Yates Ford Rd, Clifton, VA 20124. To get there, I took the Yellow line to the Vienna Metro Station. From there, I carpooled with friends the rest of the way, which took a brisk 25 minutes. From what I saw, Clifton is a small town surrounded by forest. After breezing through the city, we parked on a gravel lot. From there we walked past heated outdoor seating and entered a large, wooden, barn style building. Most of the tables were full. In the background there was a live musician cranking out both original and cover songs, to the back drop of many loud conversations. Next my friends and I, tried a variety of white and red wines that were a part of a $10 sampler. The diversity of flavor was eye opening, from the mouth watering, sour apple 2012 Chardonnay, to the complex, headache-free red, sweet cherry 2011 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, to the other unique flavors in between. The menu was very complimentary of the wines. The menu featured top quality cigars, meats, cheeses, crackers, and more. Outside there was plenty of room to hang out at the tables, which were next to heaters. Many people brought their own snacks from home, to enjoy with their Paradise Springs wine. The atmosphere at Paradise Springs was much different than that of a Northern Virginia bar, in that it was more lounge bound and less sports driven. As part of Virginia's economy, Paradise Springs is making a positive impact on the wine industry.

Clifton is a small town, about 25 minutes from Vienna

Paradise Springs is surrounded by forest

Paradise Springs during the winter season

In the winter time, there are heaters outside of the winery, next to tables

Aubrey Nesbitt visited Paradise Springs for the first time in January

On some days, Paradise Springs hosts live music

Paradise Springs has lots of different types of wine

Cold weather, at Paradise Springs in Clifton Virginia

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WPHS is Raising Money for Turf Fields

January 16, 2014January 16, 2014Aubrey Nesbitt

West Potomac High School (WPHS), a Fairfax County public school, that needs to raise $50,000 by Feb 15, 2014 to meet their target date of getting the new turf fields installed by September 2014. The goal of getting two artificial turf fields (one stadium and one practice) with lights, will cost between $1.3-1.5 million. Students at WPHS participating in the following extracurricular activities, will benefit from the new turf fields: band, cheerleading, dance, field hockey, football, lacrosse, soccer, track, and field.