Will is the principal broker of Nesbitt Realty and Condo Alexandria. He is licensed in anywhere in the Commonwealth of Virginia, but focuses on those communities found in and around Alexandria, Arlington, Mount Vernon and Springfield/Franconia.
Will has been involved in real estate management, sales and investment for more than twenty years. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army. While in the army, he studied Russian at Monterey's Defense Language Institute. He is also a "veteran of the dotcom wars" and built most of the sites associated with NesbittRealty.com
Will currently resides in Belle Haven Estates just outside Old Town, overlooking New Alexandria. He is a former president of the Mount Vernon Youth Athletic Association and founded the Alexandria Fun with Friends Group. Will is the author of BattlestorM, a tabletop fantasy game, which was published by Ral Partha Publishing in the late '90's, and Arthur's Realm, a boardgame available at the Gamecrafter.
The pictures were taken outside the church just before a friend's wedding. It was a lovely ceremony, beautiful church and we had a great time at the reception.
This is the time of year when the real estate market in Northern Virginia begins to cool off just a little. Like the temperature, there will be hot days, but the closer we get to the holidays the more cold days we will have. It's a good time to reflect and enjoy the harvest of spring as the leaves change.
Chancery Of Kingstowne is in Alexandria
A game of backyard football
Changing leaves at River Towers
High-rise condominium
Fall at the Mt Vernon Trail, near Welllington
Potomac Greens is in Alexandria 22314
Belle Haven – Tree in Fall
Fall in Northern Virginia
Lee Street in Fall
Walking to a restaurant on a Fall evening in Del Ray
Troublesome tenants create a lot of work for us as property managers, but I am thankful for them because if there were never any problems there would never be a need for property managers. Tenants sometimes say and write things that can be terrifying to a landlord. Take a look this, an actual maintenance request from a tenant.
Our kitchen sink faucet has not been fully functional since May 2015 (sent August 2015). Two plumber visits later, there is still no viable solution. There are two settings on the faucet, normal and high powered spray. The faucet is stuck on the high powered spray function. Therefore, we cannot wash food or dishes without the water either spraying all over the kitchen floor and counter tops or we have to adjust the pressure so low, cooking and cleaning is horribly ineffective. Further, we have a newborn due on Monday and this is the only sink we can wash her in. We will not be able to bath our child using this sink faucet. This needs to be fixed immediately please. Thank you.
Now, as Paul Harvey used to say . . . the rest of the story. According the the landlord the property was in serviceable condition but had a few minor problems that could be upgraded. (The sink was not one of them.) The landlord agreed to rent the property at a below-market price if the tenant agreed to accept the condition of the property.
We weren't managing the property at the time of lease, so I don't know exactly what was discussed between the tenant and the landlord. What I do know is that the property is under-priced for it's choice location and I know that it's an older home. After the tenant moved in, the complaints began. It began as a small drip and then evolved into a steady flow of maintenance requests and demands for what the tenant alleges are necessary repairs.
After losing money for months, eventually the landlord gave up and handed the account to us. The first thing we did was go back the lease: the document that everyone signed and agreed to. If the lease does not allow for upgrades, we can not allow for upgrades. Of course, we will manage repairs when a system fails. For example, if (as the tenant complains above) the faucet stops working, then we will fix the faucet.
For this particular tenant, we sent a maintenance man over to look at several alleged problems. He determined that the faucet was perfectly functional and the issue was that the style of the faucet did not provide the functionality or look desired by the tenant. We had no choice but to deny this maintenance request. The tenant responded:
In regard to the faulty kitchen faucet, I disagree and believe he is evading the obligation of a landlord according to the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. Conditions of the faucet have worsened. There are now three separate streams that spray horizontally onto the counter. Aside from making a huge mess, it poses an electric risk to any sockets or appliances plugged in around the sink. The water is simply not going where it is supposed to go, in the sink. According to 55-248.13. Section A, 4, The landlord shall maintain in good and safe working order and condition all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating…..This plumbing issue is clearly not safe or in acceptable working order. Most manufacturers offer lifetime warranty. I don't understand why they cannot send a replacement head as part of the warranty. Whether it's Danny or the manufacturer, this should be addressed from a Legal perspective. Do you disagree?
Our reply was brief and business-like:
The agent and the plumber inspected the faucet at your home and determined that it was working exactly as it should at that time. It is possible that you have damaged the faucet and if so you will be responsible for the cost of fixing the faucet. In the unlikely event that the faucet was defective and suddenly ceased operations without cause, then the landlord will pay for the cost of repairing / replacing the faucet. Whether the landlord exercises his options under a warranty or not is not your concern.
The tenant responded as follows:
I will be brief as I am caring for my one week old child. Your information is incorrect. The plumber visited twice and stated that it was not working properly, attempted to order a replacement part and on his second visit, stated that it should be replaced under the warranty. My landlord and I have his email recommendations if you need further evidence. Your agent may have disagreed, however, inspected two months ago, prior to the further decay. For you to suggest that I damaged the faucet is libel and inappropriate for you to say. This is an old home with many old appliances that are in poor shape. I attempted to clean the sprayer with a brush, thinking that the hard water had caused a blockage, but it did not help. It's not an unlikely event and I would appreciate it if you could get the facts first, help support and provide us with some kind of resolution rather than retaliate during these challenging times. Newborn babies are a lot of work and going back and forth on this is not the best use of my time.
This tenant is the perfect example of why a landlord needs a property manager. The tenant uses scary terms like "legal obligation" and "Virginia Residential Landlord Tenant Act" and "newborn babies" and "libel". All those words and others he uses are real hot-buttons for people. Fortunately, those words do not motivate someone who is experienced in property management as we already know and wish to adhere to all of our requirements under the law and under the lease.
We're not going to lose our business over a faucet. But our business is about fighting for landlord's pennies. An experienced property manager knows to adhere to all the terms of the lease and knows to keep the property in top working order. The property manager knows the Virginia Residential Landlord Tenant Act better than any tenant, and it is our commitment to exceed the requirements of the VRLTA.
At the same time, a property manager will not be bullied by tenants who throw around legal terms and claims without basis or in an improper fashion. It is our job to remain cool, detached and businesslike.
DeckNesbitt Realty has managed many of our accounts for years and through several rental cycles and leases. Two months before the lease ends we will send a notice to the tenant to determine if the tenant wants to stay or move. When a lease ends, there are two possible outcomes:
The tenant moves out.
The tenant stays.
Tenant Moves Out
Our default position is to keep a rental property in production. That is to say, we try to keep our rental properties producing the maximum possible income for the landlord.
Sometimes a landlord decides not to rent again. For example, sometimes the landlord moves back into the property. At other times, the landlord decides to sell the property. (We often help our landlords sell and buy real estate in Northern Virginia.) No matter what the reason if the landlord decides to take the property out of production, we promptly close out the account returning any reserves or funds to the landlord along with a final statement.
More often, and most commonly, the tenant gives notice to move out and Nesbitt Realty immediately lists the property for rent. Our goal is to get the new tenant in with the minimum amount of vacancy and thereby maximize the rent for the landlord. When this happens, the landlord is responsible for the cost of the commission expense to find new tenants.
Most rarely, tenants break the lease. Because the tenant is breaching the contract, the tenant is responsible for the cost the commissions and is responsible for the cost of the vacancy.
Tenant Stays Renews
When a tenant opts to stay in the property we generally give the tenant two options:
Go to a month-to-month lease with a very significant rental increase
Sign a new lease for another year with a small increase.
The reason Nesbitt Realty offers a landlord's property at a much higher rate when the tenant stays on month-to-month is because of the uncertainty this situation gives to the landlord. The reason we offer the lease with a increase is because every year taxes and association fees and expenses go up. The amount of the increase is in part a reflection of the experience we've had with the tenant. Tenants who take good care of a property and who make timely rent payments will be offered smaller increases.
For more information or to set up an appointment call Nesbitt Realty at (703)765-0300.
Brooks Square in Falls Church VA offer great amenities, such as pools, courts and trails.
Townhomes at Brooks Square were built in 1984 and they cost around $560,000 each. Schools serving the neighborhood are: Kent Towers Elementary School, Longfellow Middle School and Mclean High School.
Old Town's Confederate War Memorial
One of the busiest intersections in Old Town Alexandria Virginia occurs where Prince St. crosses Washington St. This intersection is dominated by a memorial of the U.S. Civil War. Over the years, and on several occasions, drivers have crashed their vehicles into the statue. As a result some folks filed petitions to have the memorial moved. But the statue has not moved and remains a fixture in Alexandria.
The statue remains because of the historical significance of the statue's location. In 1861, at the place where the statue now stands, the sons and fathers, brothers and men of Alexandria gathered to pick up arms against the Union. After the Civil War, the surviving veterans formed a chapter of the United Confederate Veterans. Together members of the organization commissioned a memorial for their fallen comrades. The statue's design depicts an unarmed Confederate soldier at Appomattox. The soldier's head is bowed as he observes the Confederate surrender. The statue was dedicated on May 24th, 1889.
This is how the Confederate Memorial looked in the days before motor vehicles were commonplace.
The George Washington Parkway is one in the same with Washington St. as the Parkway passes through Old Town, and thus the Parkway, and some of Old Town's heaviest traffic, passes the statue. As originally planned, the Confederate Statue was surrounded by a fence and ornamental gas lamps, but by 1923, motor vehicles and electric lights caused a change in design. The traffic continue to increase on South Washington Street and 1932 when construction of the Parkway was completed, the grounds surrounding the statue were paved over. The pictures below depict the statue as it looked prior to the completion of the GW Parkway at a time when motor vehicles were still relatively uncommon.
Established in 1974 with a mission to reduce homelessness, increase community support and promote self sufficiency, the Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services is operated by a multi-denominational board of directors and staff managing over 70 housing units. Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services is located in the Mount Zephyr Business Center at 8305 Richmond…
Cherry Blossom sternwheeler
The Potomac Riverboat Company operates several authentic split sternwheelers (also known as riverboats) on the Potomac River near Alexandria VA. They also operate a pair of watertaxis which ferry passengers from the Gaylord/National Harbor to Old Town Alexandria. Unlike most cruise companies in America, the Potomac Riverboat Company does not operate "restaurant boats". Rather, they use their boats as touring and private party and or charter boats. When a vessel is chartered, whether you have a party of 2 or 200, the boat belongs exclusively to you.
The Potomac Riverboat Company offers a 40-minute narrated Seaport Cruise which plies the waters between two magnificent historic sites -- Alexandria (in Virginia) and Georgetown (on the Washington, D.C. side of the river). Passengers are treated to riverborne views of America's greatest monuments. They also offer a narrated cruise downriver to George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens.
As you may already know, Robert Lepelletier, Jr. sued Nesbitt Realty and as a result he was ordered to pay sanctions to Nesbitt Realty by Fairfax County Judge John Tran. Lepelletier sued the Honorable Judge John Tran in Federal court. Lepelletier's case against Judge Tran was dismissed and his motions were denied.
Despite being ordered to pay sanctions in April of 2015, as of 6/4/2015 Lepelletier has not paid any of the sanctions which he was ordered to pay.
Read the full order here: Lepelletier v. Tran - Order (granting Def's MTD) 05.26.15 (X0284306x9F5EC)
Are you seeking a water-view or waterfront home? Try our map search below.
