Nesbitt Realty can help you buy and sell real estate in Condos
If you own a condo in Virginia, or if you're thinking of buying a condominium in the Commonwealth of Virginia, it might be a good idea to glance at the Virginia Condominium Act.
This act describes the terms of ownership and limitations and requirements of condo associations. It also describes the unique attributes of condominium mortgages and the describes what is allowed under condominium ownership schemes. The Condominium Act includes a provision that allows buyers of condominium real estate three days to review financials and covenants of the subject property. During these three days, a buyer can cancel the contract if the buyer doesn't like what he finds in the condominium disclosures. Always talk to your agent about how this is handled in a real situation so that you take full advantage of your rights and duties.
Condominiums are found in all shapes, sizes, prices and types. Are you looking for a high-rise condo, a mid-rise or a garden-style condo? Maybe you'd prefer a townhouse?
The term "garden-style" condo usually refers to a condominium residence in a building that has less than three stories. Most garden-style condos have balconies or patios for each residence. Many garden-style condos have a main entrance that opens to a common-area hallway. Additional common areas include the green space and "gardens" surrounding the structures. If you're interested in garden-style condos you'll have a lot of options in Northern Virginia.
From the suburban feel of Kingstowne to the central location of Bolling Brook from the vintage charm of Belle View to the chic feel of Carlyle Square, are just some of the many Northern Virginia condominium communities we feature.
Mid-rise condos are taller than garden-style condos, but smaller than high-rise condos. Mid-rise condos in Northern Virginia are 5 to 8 stories tall and are generally found close to or inside the Beltway.
High-rise condos have more than 9 floors. They are generally found inside the Beltway and are often located near Metro stations, public transportation, or major commuter traffic arteries like I-395.
illustration of a Stick
A member of the Victorian family, the Stick house boasts a lot of detailing. However, few Stick homes incorporate all the possible features. Typical characteristics include gabled, steeply pitched roofs with overhangs; wooden shingles covering the exterior walls and roof; horizontal, vertical, or diagonal boards--the "sticks" from which it takes its name--that decorate the cladding; and porches.
typical Stick
You'll find traditional sticks in the Northeast and their sister, the Western Stick, in California. The Western Stick is rectangular with sliding glass doors, a small chimney, and large panes of glass.
1800 Old Meadow Rd #211, McLean Real Estate Dispatch
How Much Do Mid 20th-Century Others Cost At Regency in 22102 in Fairfax County? Will Nesbitt works real estate all over this area but has special expertise in 22102 and residences like 1800 Old Meadow Rd #211. Check out the prices and pictures of this home at 1800 Old Meadow Rd #211. Not to mention,…
1800 Old Meadow Rd #405, McLean Real Estate Update
Looking at Listings At Regency? Ponder This Condo. Should you make an offer buy 1800 Old Meadow Rd #405? Sometimes, the answer to a question is more questions. Are you seeking a 3-bedroom Traditional-style condo in 22102 in Fairfax County? Can you afford $660,000? Is it actually worth $675,000 or $625,000? Do you need 2…
What shape is the house, overall? Rectangular and symmetrical: National, Colonial, Neoclassical, Greek Revival, Italianate Square and box-like: American Foursquare L-shaped: Folk and National styles Complicated and asymmetrical: Queen Anne and other Victorian styles, Chateauesque Rounded corners: Pueblo, Art Moderne Single story or 1½ story: Cape Cod, Ranch, Craftsman, Cottage styles Does the roof have…
Convient parks and walking trails for the outdoorsman.
The Virginia Rail Express is walking distance away.
Belmont Bay offers convenient commuting and shopping in the Northern Virginia community.
Take the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) located at the community’s entrance to Union Station in Washington DC. Georgetown is also a pleasant sail from the Belmont Bay Harbor. The Omnibus offers a quick community to the Pentagon metro routinely. Interstate 95 is minutes away and arranges for highway commuting between Maryland, DC and Virginia.
The harp is over the hearth at Murphy's
Murphy's Grand Irish Pub is located in Old Town Alexandria on King Street just a few paces from Washington Street/the George Washington Parkway. Murphy's serves up Irish classics and pub fare. The prices are reasonable and the food is good.
Murphy's also has a calendar of events filled with various musical entertainment. Together with Eamon's and a few other places in Alexandria, Old Town has plenty to warm the Irish heart.
Everything built by man requires some maintenance at some point.
Even so-called maintenance-free homes require some attention. So when making the transition from renting to buying, one aspect of home ownership that must be considered carefully is maintenance.
Renters enjoy few advantages over buyers, but one benefit of renting is that in most cases renters needn't worry about the expense of maintaining a property. Many first time buyers aren't ready to take on the hassles and expenses of yard work, gutter cleaning, painting and so on, and for this reason condos are a viable and interesting alternative.
In the case of a condo, maintenance can be separated into two categories: owner's responsibilities and association responsibilities.
These exact nature of these duties and responsibilities will vary from condo to condo, but there are a few rules of thumb. For example, certain retirement communities provide maid service as part of the condo, but most often the condo owner is responsible for cleaning his own unit.
In most cases, the condo owner must clean the condo interior, including all windows which are reachable from the interior. The condo owner must clean of his or her private balcony or patio. Most renters are accustomed to this type of arrangement already.
Unlike renters, condo owners own the appliances in the unit. Thus, the condo owner cleans and maintains all the appliances, but the condo owner also pays for repairs and replacements as needed. A condo owner
has the power to pick his own appliances, but with that benefit comes the duty of maintaining that unit.
In most older condos, the association supplies the heating and cooling to the unit, and the condo owner owns the convector or radiator (heat transfer appliance) in the unit. In new condos, the owner typically owns the HVAC (heat pump / air conditioner) that heats and cools his unit.
Plumbing and electrical concerns remain for owners of single family homes and townhouses, but in all but a few rare cases the condo owner need only worry about systems that are outside the walls. For example, the condo owner typically owns the bathroom vanity and the pipes supporting that vanity but not the pipes which supply water and take sewage away from the bathroom. A condo owner owns his kitchen cabinets, but not the electrical wires inside the wall that bring power to his kitchen appliances.
Relaxing in Old Town
In general, the condominium owner is responsible for his personal space, but the condo association is responsible for all common areas. This includes maintaining and operating the elevators and outside doors. In most cases this includes the windows. Most always, the association maintains the lawns, flowers and shrubs. The condo association maintains the roof.
While the owner of a single family home must maintain his own driveway, a condo parking lot is maintained by the condominium association. The parking garage can be private, common, or common with assignments. If the parking garage is common, with or without assignments, the condo association will clean and maintain the parking. A private garage is the domain of the condominium owner.
Review your docs
Ultimately, you'll want review your condo documents, charter and by-laws to determine exactly how your condo association interprets its domain. Rest assured, a condo owner will have more to maintain than a renter, but significantly less responsibility than the owner of a single family residence or townhouse.
New Providence Village Condominiums, Falls Church VANew Providence Village Condominiums were built in 1984 and are conveniently located off of Interstate 495 Express Lane. Fairview Lake borders the Condominiums providing scenic walking paths for nature lovers. Dunn Loring park is walking distance and provides basketball courts, minature golf, and more. Quick routine shuttle service is provided to Dunn Loring-Merrified Metro roughly 1 mile away. Shopping is minutes away with a array of restaurants and grocery stores. Inova Fairfax is also located within close proximate making this a prime location for many. Low monthly condo fees make this a very attractive buy.
Stuart Nesbitt is a Realtor™ licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia. His office is located in Fairfax County near the City of Alexandria in Belle Haven. He was born and raised in Northern Virginia and attended Fairfax County schools. Call him at any time to discuss your real estate needs.
Homes at Arcturus are located right on the Potomac River in Northern Virginia. The fish in the Potomac include large-mouth bass, catfish, carp, bluegill, and pickerel just to name a few. Many of the homes here include piers and docks. This area offers grand views of the nearby water. Most of the homes here were built in the 1950's and 1960's.
Fishing the Potomac River near Little Hunting Creek
Property managers can come in the form of a person or a company. Either way, what they do can be simply summarized as: getting paid to oversee a real estate property on behalf of the owner.
The responsibilities of a property manager include (as applicable) dealing with the property’s tenants, facilitating repairs or improvements necessary for homes, assuring overall cleanliness and general maintenance of the property, landscaping, etc. This is, of course, in line with any arrangements the property manager has agreed upon with the owner.
Amin & Will in Lowes
It is possible for a property manager to handle multiple properties and interface with several owners. Services offered may also differ depending on the type of property and what was initially agreed upon with the owner. For example, in the case of vacation homes, which are only periodically occupied, greater security measures may have to be employed by the property manager. The property manager must also be certain that everything is in place and ready whenever the owner comes over for vacation.
There are also cases when the property manager is tasked to handle a commercial property, wherein one of the requirements is to operate the business (if the manager is qualified) as well as managing the property itself.
For a property manager to be effective, he or she must be able to maintain a good relationship not only with the owner of the property but also the tenants. This should be done on top of the core duty of maintaining, beautifying and keeping in order the real estate property.
With the right property manager, owners can rest assured that their properties are in good hands and tenants can enjoy the satisfaction of living in a secure, well-maintained and beautiful home.
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®.
Gambrel roof in Waynwood
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 percent above March 2009 when it was 85.0; this follows an 8.3 percent increase in February. The data reflects contracts and not closings, which usually occur with a lag time of one or two months.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said favorable affordability conditions have been working with the tax credit. “Clearly the home buyer tax credit has helped stabilize the market. In the months immediately following the expiration of the tax credit, we expect measurably lower sales,” he said. “Later in the second half of the year, and into 2011, home sales will likely become self-sustaining if the economy can add jobs at a respectable pace, and from a return of buyer demand as they see home values stabilizing.”
Regional Numbers
* The PHSI in the Northeast declined 3.3 percent to 75.1 in March, but remains 27.2 percent higher than March 2009.
* In the Midwest the index increased 1.2 percent to 98.9 and is 18.5 percent above a year ago.
* Pending home sales in the South jumped 12.7 percent to an index of 121.2, which is 28.3 percent higher than March 2009.
* In the West the index rose 1.9 percent to 99.9 and is 8.8 percent above a year ago.
“Another encouraging sign is the improvement in the availability for jumbo and second-home mortgages,” Yun said. “As bank balance sheets strengthen, it is just a matter of time before lending of non-government-backed mortgages steadily opens up.”
Source: NAR
