Good ole Fritz
Owning a pet, which six out of 10 U.S. households do, can be a problem for both sellers and practitioners seeking buyers.
Sellers with pets should do their best to eradicate pet odor. "Odor is the biggest obstacle,” says Trudy Severa, an associate with Long and Foster's North Hills office in Reston, Va. "Anyone who is sensitive or with allergies is going to be put off."
Pet hair is another turnoff for fussy people or those with allergies. A professional cleaning as well as frequent vacuuming can help.
It is also a good idea to remove the evidence of pet residents, including getting rid of dog doors, linoleum in unlikely places, even pet crates.
During showings it is smart to relocate pets because some potential buyers may find them objectionable, no matter how cute they are or where they are contained.
Source: Washington Times, Lisa Rauschart (12/03/2010)
Starting a closing with Ryan Stuart
Understanding the tenets of title insurance is especially important considering the turmoil in the real estate industry.
Title insurance is intended to protect the insured from improper titling, including defects in foreclosure proceedings, forgery, or impersonation or cases in which no title is legally conveyed. Other defects are partial, such as a neighboring fence or garage encroaching on the insured person’s property.
The title insurance industry recently set down strict guidelines for when and if they will insure a title to a property on which there has been a foreclosure.
The buyer should be equally vigilant, insisting on a 60-year search and paying for an owner’s policy as well as the lender’s policy that the bank will demand.
Source: Washington Post, Harvey S. Jacobs (11/27/2010)
Lola, Urban and Will
One of the best things about being a real estate professional is that many of the folks we serve become friends. For a period of time when we managed Lola's condo in West End Alexandria. Eventually, she decided to move to Sweden with her husband Urban so she asked us to help her with the sale of her property. The overseas transaction was just one of the difficulties with this sale, but in the end it all turned out for the best.
Gifts from Sweden
Urban and Lola live in Stockholm Sweden now---Urban is Swedish afterall. But When Urban and Lola came to Northern Virginia for the holidays and to visit family they were kind enough to bring gifts. The little thank you's of life make a big difference.
Mount Vernon Estate is decking the halls for "Christmas at Mount Vernon", a joyful daytime program at the Mount Vernon Gardens and Estate from late November through January.
Christmas at Mount Vernon means themed decorations (including 12 Christmas trees), a gingerbread Mount Vernon, historical chocolate-making demonstrations, and 18th-century dancing will be offered.
Visit Aladdin, George Washington's Christmas Camel, take special Mansion tours, and make a Chocolate Toast to Christmas, with our 18th-century-style chocolate drink, a Washington family favorite.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with field offices across the United States. One of these offices is a a federally owned and operated research facility in McLean, Virginia named the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center. The Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) isTFHRC is the home of the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA's) Office of Research, Development, and Technology.
TFHRC provides Federal Highway Administration and the world highway community with the most advanced research and development related to new highway technologies. The research focuses on providing solutions to complex technical problems through the development of more economical, environmentally sensitive designs; more efficient, quality controlled constructions practices; and more durable materials. The expertise of TFHRC scientists and engineers encompasses more than 100 transportation-related disciplines that are put to use in the research laboratories housed at TFHRC. These laboratories provide a vital resource for advancing the body of knowledge that has been created and developed by our researchers. The end result is a safer, more reliable highway transportation system.
The Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) is located at 6300 Georgetown Pike in McLean, VA22101. If you're looking for a home in close proximity to TFHRC you might want to check in Langley.
Foxy likes fishing!
Beginning on Friday, October 8, 2010, the waters of Lake Fairfax will teem with a fresh stock of rainbow trout. Friday’s 1,000 pound stocking will mark the start of a two-week trout season at the park which ends on October 22.
Fishermen will appreciate the abundance of above average size fish. (The smallest fish will be one-foot in length.) Fishing at the park is open from dawn until dusk. An accessible fishing pier provides a safe place to cast a line for enthusiasts of all ages and abilities.
A Virginia fishing license is required for all fishermen age 16 and older. Because the fish were purchased by Fairfax County, the state trout stamp doesn't apply. The 2010 seasonal fishing pass for the park is also required, or a daily pass can be purchased. Daily passes are available for $12 per adult (16 to 63 years), $10 per senior (64 years and older) and $10 per child (7 to 15 years).
Only one pole is allowed in the water at a time, and the daily catch limit is six fish per person. Fishermen are expected to keep what they catch. The local game warden will be present.
Lake Fairfax Park is located at 1400 Lake Fairfax Drive in Reston.
For more information, please contact Lake Fairfax Park at 703-471-5415.
The City of Alexandria's free King Street Trolley transports residents, visitors, and those who work in Old Town, between the King Street Metrorail Station and the Potomac River waterfront. The free trolley operates along the one-and-a-half mile route seven days a week from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. providing access to accommodations, dining, entertainment and shopping. The free trolley departs from the Potomac River Waterfront and from the King Street Metro every :10, :30, and :50 minutes after each hour. Every 20 minutes riders can board at any of the 20 stops along King Street.
Traveling towards the King Street Metro Station, the designated trolley stops include:
King Street Trolley
King and Union
King and Lee
King and Royal
King and St. Asaph
King and Columbus
King and Patrick
King and Fayette
King and Peyton
King and Diagonal
King Street Metro Station
Traveling towards the Potomac River waterfront, designated trolley stops include:
King Street Metro Station
Trolley at King Street
King and Diagonal
King and Peyton
King and Fayette
King and Patrick
King and Columbus
King and St. Asaph
King and Royal
King and Lee
King and Union.
Please remember there is no smoking, eating, or drinking on the trolley. Passengers with strollers must close strollers before entering. The trolley only stops at designated stops. Passengers must pull the cord to signal a stop.
Are you looking for a home in a particular ZIP code?
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
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.
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.
A survey by Fannie Mae shows that 70 percent of Americans believe it is a good time to buy a home.
That is up from 64 percent in January 2010.
Still, 33 percent–up from 30 percent in January–say they’ll rent next time around.
About 67 percent believe housing is a safe investment, down from 83 percent of people questioned in a similar survey in 2003.
Source: Reuters News (09/16/2010)For real estate in Arlington VA contact Nesbitt Realty
That is up from 64 percent in January 2010.
Still, 33 percent–up from 30 percent in January–say they’ll rent next time around.
About 67 percent believe housing is a safe investment, down from 83 percent of people questioned in a similar survey in 2003.
Source: Reuters News (09/16/2010)
