(703)765-0300

Author: Will Nesbitt

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.
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Housing Starts Rise in September

Spending on construction rose 0.5 percent in September with home building and government projects leading the way, the U.S. Commerce Department reported Monday. Spending on home building rose 1.8 percent, but the increase was offset by spending on commercial construction, which dropped 1.6 percent. Overall, non-residential construction was at the lowest level since January 2005. Housing starts rose 0.3 percent in September, the Commerce Department said, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 610,000 units – still low, but improving. Source: Bloomberg, Courtney Schlisserman (11/01/2010)

  • Home Prices In Arlington Continue To Hike

    Glendale
    The housing market in Arlington County is getting more and more expensive as potential buyers continue to have fewer homes and condos to choose from.

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  • Inlet Cove is near Fort Belvoir and Potomac Mills

    Inlet Cove outside Belvoir
    Inlet Cove is alongside Route 1 This neighborhood of townhouses is near grocers and eateries Inlet Cove is close to Fort Belvoir, Alexandria, and Potomac Mills shops, in the city of Woodbridge Interior to these properties are multilevel Inlet Cove is serene

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  • Pending Home Sales on an Upswing

    home inspector
    Pending home sales increased again in March, affirming that a surge of home sales is unfolding for the spring home buying season, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in March, rose 5.3 percent to 102.9 from 97.7 in February, and is 21.1…

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  • A Good Time to Buy a High-End Home

    Station Square
    Some of the best housing deals are on high-end homes, many over $1 million. Some of them need TLC or they aren’t in the most-coveted locations. But there are plenty of desirable properties and lots of sellers who are getting impatient. Buyers with cash have the best opportunities. Buyers who need a mortgage should move…

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  • Who is today’s homebuyer and why are they buying?

    Nesbitt Realty 703 765 0300
    The National Association of Realtors recently did a study about the characteristics of home buyers. Some of the findings might surprise you. Thirteen percent of buyers purchased a home with one or more parents and grandparents together with adult children. There were several reasons given for purchasing a multi-generational home. Cost savings; Children over the…

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Find Homes by Zipcode

Are you looking for a home in a particular ZIP code?

Mr. Zip
Mr. Zip is still making his rounds
A  ZIP Code is a category for grouping mailing addresses and thus ZIP codes are not exact geographic regions. That means that ZIP Codes are only loosely tied to cities. In some cases, ZIP Codes can overlap, be subsets of each other, or be artificial constructs with no geographic area. Sometimes the center of a ZIP Code may be in one County and the associated city/town in another. However, ZIP codes are sometimes useful for finding homes for sale in a particular area.  For a list of ZIP codes check out

Housing Experts Rethink Suburban Development

Two housing experts called for public policies that emphasize urban living at the expense of suburban and exurban housing in an extensive proposal in the current issue of Washington Monthly. Patrick C. Doherty, director of the Smart Strategy Initiative at the New America Foundation, and Christopher B. Leinberger, a professor at the University of Michigan, argued that neither Baby Boomers nor their children — together comprising half the population — want to live in suburbia. “Demand for standard-issue suburban housing is going down, not up, a trend that was apparent even before the crash. In 2006, Arthur C. Nelson, now at the University of Utah, estimated in the Journal of the American Planning Association that there would be 22 million unwanted large-lot suburban homes by 2025,” the authors wrote. Instead, the authors urge federal support for development of urban, walkable, and transit-friendly neighborhoods. “All this rebuilding could spur millions of new construction jobs,” they write. Source: Washington Monthly, Patrick C. Doherty and Christopher B. Leinberger (11/01/2010)
suburban VA
Nesbitt Realty serves the real estate needs of Northern VA

5 Steps to Remodeling Done Right

Here are five steps to developing a great relationship with a remodeling contractor. 1. Let the contractor know if you are ready to remodel or just kicking the tires. Gary Palmer, a Charlotte, N.C.-based general contractor, says seeking multiple bids is fine, but don’t waste his or her time by letting the bidding process drag on for weeks. 2. Do your homework. Before seeking bids, develop two files. One should include information, including photos, of what you like. The other should include a list of what you don’t like. 3. Listen to the experts. A good contractor can tell you whether the project is feasible and what the pay off will be. 4. Communicate your budget. Let the contractor know up front how much money you intend to spend. 5. Be realistic and patient. Every remodeling project is messy and all of them are going to be frustrating somewhere along the way. Source: Charlotte Observer, Barbara S. Russell (10/23/2010)

Grand Mart

Grand Mart
Grand Mart at Lincolnia in West End Alexandria
Grand Mart International Food is a supermarket chain primarily based in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, with locations in North Carolina and Georgia. It is owned by Annandale, Virginia-based Man Min Corporation, a family company. My wife shops there from time to time and she loves the wide selection of Korean and East Asian groceries and fresh produce. The store in Lincolnia is somewhat international offering Asian, Latino, African and traditional North American groceries, but Grand Mart caters to Korean cooks and grocery preferences.  Grand Mart supermarkets also offer in-store Korean bakeries and video rental shops which rent out DVDs of television shows from South Korea.

FDIC

Federal Insurance Deposit Corp

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is an independent agency created by the Congress to maintain stability and public confidence in the nation's financial system by: FDIC
  • insuring deposits,
  • examining and supervising financial institutions for safety and soundness and consumer protection, and
  • managing receiverships.
The FDIC is located near Virginia Square Metro and is located at 3501 Fairfax Dr, Arlington VA.

Homes and Condos at Ballston

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Recommended Lenders

head shot
Will Nesbitt -- principal broker of Condo Alexandria / Nesbitt Realty
I'm often asked for recommendations for financing.  First-time home buyers often don't know where to begin, but even veteran purchasers like to know who I suggest.  This is also important for relocation buyers.  Condo Alexandria\ Nesbitt Realty never makes any money off of loans and our only goal is to see that your transaction happens smoothly and at the lowest cost.  My recommendations are based on direct experience, so this list only includes folks I know personally. One distinction for first-time buyers: a mortgage broker is a company that arranges for loans with lenders.  Mortgage brokers don't technically make the loans, rather they get a cut from the bank for finding borrowers.  Mortgage bankers actually loan the money.  Mortgage bankers usually have good prices.  Mortgage brokers with low overhead can sometimes beat the banker's price. On the other hand, mortgage brokers without a conscience can hammer the consumer.  In other words, mortgage brokers often have more discretion on their price.

Condominium Mortgage

Condominium Mortgage is a mortgage broker in Alexandria VA.  Although we used to send the bulk of our loans to Condominium Mortgage and American Affordable Mortgage, many of the lenders that provided loans to to these Condominium Mortgage have gone out of business. This company now focuses on buyers with top-flight credit and bankable incomes, providing discount loans for high-end buyers.

Alexandria Financial

Dillon Lee runs a nearly one man brokerage in Alexandria VA.  Dillon has years of experience and can help all types of buyers. He specializes in keeping his overhead low to pass savings on to consumers.  You won't always get Dillon the first ring, but once he answers he is a great loan officer.  Call him at 703 360 8868.

Don Bucci

Don Bucci is a friend of mine dating back more than 25 years ago to my time in the Army.  Don works for a mortgage banker with an office in Richmond VA where he resides. Don can sometimes beat Northern VA prices because of lower overhead working in Richmond.  On the other hand, Don can't meet with you personally if you're buying a home in Northern VA.  His number is 804 400 0864.

Kelly Garant

Kelly works for Wells Fargo.  I think the "big boy" banks like Wells Fargo and Bank of America often have great prices, but it's tough to get an experienced and accountable loan officer for these big banks.  (Tip: NEVER call the 800 number for a mortgage.) You can get Kelly at 703 442 5338. She works for the big bank but you'll get the service you expect from a small lender.

James Thompson

James is fairly new to my acquaintance but he's impressed me with his attention to detail, pricing and work ethic. James works for AmericaHomeKey, Inc.  You can call him at 240 499 1140.

A few suggestions from Patsy Woods

Patsy has had dealings with the lenders above, but has also had good experience with these lenders.
Patsy Woods
your realtor
  • Lila Manley --- Senior Mortgage Banker Pinnacle Mortgage Group 877-716-9006 Ext 872
  • Gregory Williams --- Home Mortgage Consultant, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage 7620 Little River Turnpike, Suite 300, Annandale, VA 22003, (703) 333-5560
  • Kenneth A. Cyr, CMPS Mortgage Banker, Mortgage Planning Specialist, Asst. Manager Primary Residential Mortgage, Inc. 8001 Braddock Road, Suite 101, Springfield VA 22151. Call him at 703.426.6968

A few more tips ...

Credit Unions promise great rates but there is often a funding fee or other fee that basically makes the price the same as a mortgage broker or mortgage banker.  The trouble is the service at credit unions is often poor. Above all, we're I've seen the biggest problems is with out-of-the-area fly-by-night Internet lenders who hang customers out to dry after promising a great rate. Recently, I've also seen a pattern of delayed closings with Bank of America.  Bank of America has had an influx of business since the onset of the financial crisis and they don't appear equipped to handle the volume of loans they are trying to do. Will Nesbitt is the principal broker of Condo Alexandria / Nesbitt Realty.

Sellers Quickly Transform Property with Paint

The best way to update a property is to paint it. It’s a job that many sellers can do themselves. Here are six suggestions for making the work go quickly.
Montebello's Living Spaces
Montebello's Living Spaces
  1. Move the furniture. Get as much furniture as possible out of the way, and then cover what’s left with plastic drop cloths held in place with masking tape.
  2. Buy good paint. Top-quality latex interior paint will hide what’s underneath and make the job go faster.
  3. Tape the edges. Taping the edges with painters tape will speed up the job and make the results more professional.
  4. Work top down. Paint the ceiling first, then the walls, then the windows and trim and finally the baseboards. This will cut down on time spent repairing drips and splatter marks.
  5. Cut in the corners. Applying a three-inch band of paint around the edges will allow you to fill in the middle with a paint roller.
  6. Apply paint generously. Trying to stretch the paint won’t save sellers any money if they have to repaint.
Source: Paint Quality Institute (09/21/2010)

  • Julie Nesbitt

    Julie Nesbitt
    Julie Nesbitt knows the back trails and by-ways of Northern Virginia real estate.

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  • Enjoying Winkler Botanical Preserve

    We had a great time walking the trails. 

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  • Don’t take chances with real estate.

  • REDUCED: 7202 Churchill Rd, McLean

    Open House, Sunday, 1-4 BIG PRICE DROP! 7202 CHURCHILL ROADMcLean, VA 221016 Bedrooms5.5 Bathrooms6,752 SF $1,695,000

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  • Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services

    Fairfax County
    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…

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Price of 1 Bedroom Condo in Old Town / Carlyle District remains steady.

Alexandria average price per square foot The Carlyle District and Old Town Alexandria are located in the 22314 zip code. As of the time of this posting the price per square foot in this area has remained statistically unchanged over the past year.

Condos for Sale in Alexandria VA

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What is Appraisal Fraud?

Appraisal Fraud involves the appraiser of a house or commercial real estate, the broker, loan officer and sometimes the lender. This is when the numbers are fixed so the real estate looks as if it is worth more than it truly is. This is usually done so the broker or loan officer can close on a larger loan and make a bigger commission. Other reasons this is done is to get a lower price on a foreclosed home or to get a lender to decrease the amount owed in a loan modification. Any way you look at it this practice is wrong and illegal. Most appraisers, lenders, brokers, and loan officers are honest people. For more information or to set up an appointment call Nesbitt Realty at (703)765-0300.

  • Help With Down-Payment For First-Time Buyers For A Residence In 22304 In Alexandria

    Are you planning to buy a modest nice condo like this condo at 4862 Eisenhower Ave #164? Considering purchasing a home? Okay. Please rely on a professional like Nesbitt Realty to help.

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  • Help With Down-Payment For Military Buyers In 22301

    Are you prepared to purchase real estate? Okay. Nesbitt Realty is available assist.

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  • Military Home Buyer Rebate In 22191 In Woodbridge

    Ready to buy real estate? Alright. Monika Ortiz is available help.

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  • First-Time Home Buyer Credit In The City Of Falls Church

    Do you want a little help to purchase a $1,250,000 5-bedroom home in 22046? Has the time come to buy a your first home? Good. Nesbitt Realty am a resource that can assist.

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  • Does Nesbitt Realty Offer A Down-Payment Assistance For First-Time Home Buyers Of $28,428 On 8417 Brookewood Ct McLean VA 22102?

    Attaining your first home is an exciting milestone, and it's likely the biggest purchase you'll ever make. So don’t jump into it without doing your homework. You can count on a personable ace like me to assist.

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