Category: Condo Alexandria / Will Nesbitt Realty LLC

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May 28, 2013May 28, 2013Julie Nesbitt

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For more information or to set up an appointment call Nesbitt Realty at (703)765-0300.

Bolling Brook Towers Condo Assn. information

Bolling Brook Towers Condominium

4520 King St. Alexandria, VA, 22302 703-379-0808 If you have questions about condo documents, maintenance or insurance, please call the above number. If you are interested in purchasing a condo, give Condo Alexandria a call.

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May 6, 2013May 6, 2013Stuart Nesbitt

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For more information or to set up an appointment call Julie at (703)765-0300.

What a landlord can expect from a property manager

If you are a landlord, then you need a company you can trust to handle your operational responsibilities. Nesbitt Realty and Condo Alexandria have the experience you want in your property manager. Will has been a landlord for over 20 years and is a full service broker trained in property management. Nesbitt Realty and Condo Alexandria offers full service management for condos, townhouses and single family residential properties. Condo Alexandria is dedicated to maximizing your profits without sacrificing on service. Here's some of what we do for you:

Lease Administration

Our brokerage will prepare your lease, find and screen tenants.

Rental Servicing

There are a lot of annoying details that landlords must deal with: unless they have a property manager. Our team handles billing, collecting, processing and servicing your rental accounts, staying on top of your cash flow.

Rate Analysis

Nesbitt Realty and Condo Alexandria will analyze the market and find the rental rates that will make you the most money.

Building Maintenance

Condo Alexandria and Nesbitt Realty keeps your properties in top operating order.

Marketing

Our strategy is designed to keep your occupancy and tenant retention rates at maximum efficiency.

Vendor Negotiations

We only deal with reputable handymen, landscapers, appliance repairmen and service people. We'll negotiate you best deal and keep your rental operating smoothly. For more information or to set up an appointment call Stuart at (703)765-0300.

Ramsay House

April 29, 2013January 5, 2016Stuart Nesbitt

Scottish Merchant William Ramsay's built his now famous house in 1724. Many believe that the house was constructed in Dumfries but nearly 15 years later the structure was barged up the Potomac River to its present location on King St. in Old Town Alexandria. One reason for this belief is that the building was built in 1724, but Alexandria was established in 1749. William Ramsay was Alexandria's first postmaster and the city founder. His residence was opened as a Visitors Center in 1956. Today, the Ramsay House offers much for visitors and residents of Alexandria. Stop by to view an orientation video, or to pick up maps and brochures. At the Ramsay House, one can make reservations, view foreign translations of materials. At the Ramsay House, one can purchase tickets for special events and for Mount Vernon. Seasonal walking tours, "Footsteps to the Past" depart from the Ramsay House. This so-called "ghost tour" guides visitors through Old Town telling the tales of ghosts and local hauntings. The tour treks through about 6 blocks of Old Town's most beautiful streets. This is a fun way to learn more about the history of Old Town Alexandria. Alexandria is a great place to work or live. Alexandria is home to numerous non-profits, associations, Motley Fool, the United States Patent Office and more. Old Town Alexandria is filled with shops and restaurants, a beautiful waterfront and has easy access by Metro or trolley. Whether your preference is historic or a bright shiny new condo, it's all here in Old Town.

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For more information or to set up an appointment call Stuart at (703)765-0300.

Resale condo vs. new condo

April 25, 2013February 6, 2016Aubrey Nesbitt

If you're in the market for a condo, one of the first decisions you need to make is whether to by a newly built condo, or to by a previously owned condominium. Both have advantages and both have pitfalls. Here are a few thoughts to consider.

The majority of condos that are sold are existing condos. This is neither an advantage or a disadvantage---simply a fact. The majority of marketing materials and advertisements you will see for condos is for new construction. This means that it is easier to find ads, pretty pictures and floor plans for new condos. One of the advantages of buying an existing condo is what you see is what you get. There will be no surprises, good or bad. There will be no change orders. You won't have to look at a model and a floorplan to get an idea of what you are buying. Instead, you can tour the property that you will actually buy. You can move into an existing condo as soon as your loan and title work are finished. There will be no construction delays. Construction delays can be sizable and in today's market it is even possible for the builder to fold-up shop before the project is completed.

All properties, condos included, have kinks. That is to say, there are unexpected problems with the construction, lay-out or plan. In an existing condo, the owners have already discovered, identified and usually solved those problems. In a new condo, you never know what the problems will be. If anyone could have predicted that unexpected problem it wouldn't exist! Existing condos are in established neighborhoods. The traffic patterns are set. The views are what they will be. Established neighborhoods have a tendency to have "enough" shopping outlets. Established neighborhoods have very predictable values in the future. New neighborhoods can have unexpected increases or decreases in value. One of the disadvantages of buying an existing condo is that you might not have some of features you want. This can be simple things like have the cable wired on the wall where you prefer to put your TV. You might have to compromise on your laundry room and be forced to share a community laundry. You might find that the layout is not exactly as you would like it. A newly built condo always has the latest features and if it is brand new construction the builder can sometimes tailor the unit to your demands. Let's face, brand new buildings are often more appealing than old condos.The materials, the stylings, even the smell of a new condo is enticing. New condos are fun and bright and designed to appeal to the latest notion in the buying public. A new condo will not require any special assessments or repairs. It's in perfect shape. To weigh your options between new and previously owned condos, contact Will Nesbitt with Condo Alexandria.

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About the Author --- Aubrey Nesbitt is a native of Northern Virginia who attended Virginia Commonwealth University. He is a veteran of the US Army and helps his family business by providing informational articles like this one. In addition to photography and blogging, Aubrey provides administrative support for the office.

How can I find the rental that suits my specific needs?

April 23, 2013April 23, 2013Stuart Nesbitt

The goal is to find the rental that suits all of your needs, most of your wants and fits your budget. What's the most effective choice to realize that goal? You can: Do it yourself; or Enlist the services of a rental agent. If do it yourself, then you are in effect your own rental agent. That means you must rely on your own personal knowledge of the area and your own contacts to find your perfect rental. Of course, you could change your own oil, put in your own stitches and you could cut your own hair, too. The only difference is that you have pay for these services and a rental agent's services are totally free to the renter! A rental agent's job is to listen to your needs and then help you identify rentals that meet your needs. rental agents typically have in depth knowledge of the community and they are often aware of market rates. It's not uncommon for a "connected" rental agent to know of rental opportunities that are quietly listed and generally unknown to the public. A rental agent's fees are paid by the landlord, so there is no expense to the renter.

It really is in the renter's best interests to employ the services of a trustworthy rental agent.

The problem is many rental agents really only work for one landlord and thus only support their employer's building(s). Any agent at an apartment complex will only show properties at that complex or at another complex owned by the same landlord. Many realtors and real estate agents won't deal with renters. Here's why. After all the fees are paid, a rental agent generally makes about one eighth of a single month's rent for a rental. For a typical one bedroom apartment in the DC area the rental agent is often paid a paltry $160. (No withholding and no benefits.) So it's tough to find a rental agent who cares about your needs. Additionally, many renters are oblivious to the benefits of professional assistance and don't really take best advantage of the rental agent's expertise.

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April 22, 2013February 6, 2016Will Nesbitt

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For more information or to set up an appointment call Stuart at (703)765-0300.

I was quoted in the Post

I was contacted over the weekend by several friends, associates and strangers because a reporter quoted me as an expert in the Washington Post. For those who aren't from the Washington Metropolitan area, the Washington Post is a widely circulated paper in Washington DC, suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia, and across the country. If you think you've heard of the Washington Post, you probably have. The Post is not the most famous paper in the United States. (The USA Today or New York Times perhaps have that honor.) But the Washington Post is probably one of the most famous papers in America. The Post has a daily circulation of around 700,000 and a Sunday circulation of about a million. The Washington Post online claims to have 18 million readers per month, but I think that number sounds a bit inflated. But whether there are 18 million or not, I'm quite certain there are a lot of readers of the Washington Post. Now only a fraction of those readers pay any attention at all to the Real Estate section of the paper, but the good news for me is that I only need to talk to the ones who pay attention to the Real Estate section. I was contacted by a reporter from the Post and was interviewed about condos and the condo market in Northern Virginia. We talked for about 20 minutes or so, and from that conversation, the reporter selected one tiny quote: "The new builders are trying to overcome the lack of space by building a high ceiling, as if that is going to kid somebody." I stand by that quote, but if I could pick one quote to be known for, that probably wouldn't be my pick. I'm not a stranger to this sort of thing though. A few months ago, my wife (president of Condominium Mortgage) and I were interviewed by Channel 9 News. They probably asked us 20 to 30 questions and then pulled out 30 to 50 seconds of tape to frame the story they were pushing. Tom Meyer of Condo Alexandria says that I'm a publicity hound. This isn't entirely correct. I do make myself known, through formats such as Active Rain and Trulia. But I don't seek out reporters. They find me. But his comment and my poorly phrased quote above forced me to reflect on a simple question. Is there a such thing as bad publicity?

My guess is probably not. But still, I think I'd rather have good publicity when possible. So now that I've had a little practice, the next time the Washington Post or Channel 9 or any other news outlet comes calling, I am going to choose my words very very carefully. Then my neurotic inner voice says, "But you want to be a good interview to keep them coming back for more ..."

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A Real estate agent counts his blessings

April 22, 2013February 6, 2016Will Nesbitt

Real estate agents work hard. Well, let me rephrase that. I work hard, and every successful real estate agent I know works hard. I put in long hours. I juggle multiple tasks. I self-motivate. But sometimes, when you're exhausted ... sometimes when your motivator needs motivation, you have to wonder if it is all worth it? On a day after you run into a demanding renter --- a client who really won't make you any money in the best case --- makes unreasonable demands on your time, you can feel a little worn down. Sometimes transactions blow-up. Sometimes a real estate agent ends up working late into the evening for the chance to make money ... but doesn't make anything. I remember the days when I crawled out of a warm bed on a Saturday morning, and rushed to make an early appointment and then was stood up. But this isn't a post about poor little me. This is a thank you to God and to friends and family and life. In a slowing market, I am busier than ever. My phone rings all day long. And, I'm happy to work the long hours I do. I don't think there is any secret to my success. I just work hard and try to take care of people. And, the best part is that when I take care of people, people take care of me. Sometimes we forget that simple truth, but I was reminded of that this Sunday. Sunday evening, I was exhausted. My wife was not feeling well. I wanted to go home, curl up and hide from the world for a few hours. But, a client of mine wanted me to come to her new home at the Fountains condominiums. She had asked us over to share a meal and to check out the improvements she had made to the home. I was too tired to have fun. I didn't want to go. I called her and told her this. She wasn't very happy. She told me she had been hard at work cooking and that her efforts would be wasted. I told her my wife was not feeling well. (She wasn't.) This client is Brazilian, and she said that in Brazil she would have kept her thoughts to herself. But here in the US, she was going to blurt out her disappointment. I groaned to myself. My wife is a gourmet cook. I've seen her silently suffer after she worked hard at preparing a meal that guests blew off. So I had no choice. Tired or not, I had to drag myself to the Fountains to meet my client and her husband. Guess what? It was one of the best dinners I've ever eaten (that my wife didn't make). It turns out my client is a wonderful cook and a generous host. Her condo was tastefully decorated with items from Brazil, her childhood, her familial roots in Austria and with interesting pieces art from around the world. The meal was well-prepared with foods that took time, love and effort to make the right way. While we enjoyed foods from her Brazilian and European heritage, her husband put a little Brazilian music on the stereo. Then after dinner, her husband pulled out his guitar and played a few classics in Brazilian and Spanish. He was amazingly talented. While he sang, she translated. It was quite a performance. The best part was when he played an original tune. And to think what a fool I would have been if I hadn't gone. I was exhausted and needed some good food. The universe had carefully pre

pared me exactly what I needed and I was about to walk away from it! This only reinforces my belief that you should always do what is right. If you do what is right, the universe, and God, will look out for you, providing exactly what you need exactly when you need it.

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