Porto Vecchio Condominiums are located on the Southern tip of Old Town at the edge of the George Washington Parkway. The balconies at these units offer views of the water. Outside the building there are paved roads sitting right next to the Potomac River. Also there are wooden docks situated on the water. Amenities at Porto Vecchio include: a swimming pool overlooking the Potomac, a gorgeous veranda, a dock, tennis courts, an exercise room, sauna, bright and open party rooms, easy access to the Mount Vernon trail, 24-hour desk, security, limousine service, and extra storage rooms.
Porto Vecchio is at the Potomac waterfront
A gentleman converses with the receptionist
Porto Vecchio is a mid-rise condo with 2 towers.
Welcome to Porto Vecchio
A tree rests in front of the Porto Vecchio building
Outside of Porto Vecchio shows the lower level balconies
The lobby is elegantly furnished
A limousine is parked outside of the entrance
Porto Vecchio has brick exterior
The Porto Vecchio common areas are richly appointed
Around the bend and towards the Potomac River
Porto Vecchio has multiple levels
These balconies offer good views of the surrounding area
The Potomac River and National Harbor as seen from Porto Vecchio
The parking lot at Porto Vecchio is full with residents and guests
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.
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.
Nothern Virginia Condo Experts
If you're thinking of buying a newly-built condo or new house, you probably already know that every new development will have its own sales staff. These people are often friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable about the new development. However, these folks work to sell this property only, because the sale staff works for the builder. The on-site staff of a new condominium knows the property as-well-as or better than anyone around and they are there to assist you but they work for the builder. The staff at a new home development probably knows the property very well, but they will tell you want the builder wants you to know.
When in the market for a new construction, it's a good idea to work with a Realtor who is there to protect your interests. A Nesbitt Realty agent knows the entire area, not just one development. If you have your own Realtor you can trust that you'll understand the pitfalls and benefits of buying new. Best of all it doesn't cost you one dime more than if you use the onsite staff. You have a right to representation: exercise that right today!
What exactly does a Realtor do?
By law, Realtors are required to:
Perform certain mandatory and standard acts to help out with the purchase or sale of real estate.
Properly account for the money or alternative property placed in her or his attention.
Disclose untoward material facts that are, or should be, inside the broker’s knowledge.
Realtors can assist sellers by screening potential home buyers and by helping them prepare their homes in order to list them on the market. Realtors can also assist buyers by showing investors suitable properties for their risk profiles and long-term investment goals.
The agents at Nesbitt Realty can quickly locate the perfect home for you in {Location_Name} through efficiently organizing and coordinating meetings with sellers and potential buyers. Our realtors stay informed about all the important aspects of an area that you might consider when purchasing a home. These may include the following:
the quality of schools,
association fees,
Metro availability,
community amenities such as shops, parks, and restaurants.
When homes in {Location_Name} are listed on the market, our brokers have immediate access to them, which saves home buyers hours of time that is otherwise wasted driving around. Our realtors will help you save money on your negotiations, will explain and weigh the advantages and disadvantages of different types of mortgages, and will guide you through all the necessary paperwork when you are ready to make an offer on a home.
Saintsbury Plaza is located in Vienna VA and showcases beautiful garden style condominiums. Salisbury Condos are walking distance to Vienna Metro on the orange line and minutes off Interstate 66. Commuting into Washington DC is roughly a 30 minute drive or a quick train ride from Vienna. Location is everything at Saints bury Plaza. Shopping & dining is ample and close by. Spectacular school's are right around the corner.
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.
Credit scores range between 200 and 800, with scores above 620 considered desirable for obtaining a mortgage. The following factors affect your score:
1. Your payment history. Did you pay your credit card obligations on time? If they were late, then how late? Bankruptcy filing, liens, and collection activity also impact your history.photo credit: Andres Rueda
photo credit: Andres Rueda
2. How much you owe. If youowe a great deal of money on numerous accounts, it can indicate that you are overextended. However, it’s a good thing if you have a good proportion of balances to total credit limits.
3. The length of your credit history. In general, the longer you have had accounts opened, the better. The average consumer's oldest obligation is 14 years old, indicating that he or she has been managing credit for some time, according to Fair Isaac Corp., and only one in 20 consumers have credit histories shorter than 2 years.
4. How much new credit you have. New credit, either installment payments or new credit cards, are considered more risky, even if you pay them promptly.
5. The types of credit you use. Generally, it’s desirable to have more than one type of credit — installment loans, credit cards, and a mortgage, for example.
For more on evaluating and understanding your credit score, visit www.myfico.com.
Floor plans of tower suite
The tower suite unit has three bedrooms, one den, one family room, one dinning room, one staff room, and five and a half bathrooms. After Entering the master bedroom from the balcony there are two wardrobes, his bath and her bath and a dressing room. Just before the gallery is the emergency exit. Along the way to the kitchen there is a staff room with a walk in closet, and a bathroom. Inside the kitchen there is an entrance to the formal dining room and a passage to the grand salon and bar. At the grand foyer there is a library / media room. Next there are several closets, three bathrooms, and two parallel bedrooms. On the outskirts of the unit there is a balcony. Before exiting the unit there is a laundry room.
Fortune Teller in Old Town
I took a walk on waterfront in Old Town Alexandria VA last night. The temperature was absolutely perfect as was the humidity. There were crowds, but it wasn't too much. I saw folks rushing to the Nina Dandy and other boats for an evening of cruising. There were several street musicians playing King St. At the pass-thru under the Torpedo Factory, a gentleman was playing the saxophone. And down along the water a street magician was showing his stuff. The balloon men were there creating animals and entertaining the children. A fortune teller was portending the future. A parrot rescue group had a flock of parrots and similar birds which were available for photos.
But then a light misting rain started to fall and the crowds scattered. At first they hid in the Food Court and on the trolley. The musicians were the first to pack, and they packed quickly to ensure their instruments weren't damaged. The mule drawn carriage pulled off and soon the streets were quiet. We walked around a bit, enjoying the peace and quiet. And then we were gone as well.
Street magic at the water front in Old Town Alexandria VA
About the Author --- Will Nesbitt is the principal broker of Condo Alexandria and Nesbitt Realty. Will specializes in condos, townhouses and single family residences in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County, Crystal City, and Kingstowne. Will resides in Belle Haven Estates just outside Alexandria VA in Fairfax County.
I met with a first-time buyer over the weekend. She was prequalified by her lender. Prequalifying helped frame her choices. It's a waste of time and energy to look at homes that are outside of the budget, so prequalification is the first step for any home buyer. Here are the steps that we'll be taking on the road to home ownership.
Tour properties --- We took a top level tour of some of the properties that are in her
budget. This gives the client something concrete and real to think about so that she can decide whether this home ownership thing is for her or not. In addition to the units we saw, I can think of a number of places that would also fall within this client's budget and still offer a very reasonable commute to Ft. Belvoir. But I wanted to get her impressions of these places before going on a bit deeper.
Revisiting --- We'll revisit those communities that hold the greatest interest and look at everything available in those communities. (So far we just did a top level search.)
A few more choices --- If none of these really feel right, we'll find a few more to consider and continue with the search.
Make an offer --- When we've found the property that stirs the soul, fits the budget and feels right, I'll write up an offer. At that time I'll collect "earnest money".
The earnest money is evidence that the seller is serious about the purchase and is held in escrow until the sale is completed. We'll submit a preapproval letter, a copy of the earnest money deposit and the signed offer for the seller to consider.
Negotiations --- Sometimes there is a difference between the asking price and the selling price. The selling price is determined by negotiation. We'll pass drafts of the contract back and forth until the buyer and seller have agreed on all terms.
Loan processing --- Julie at Condominium Mortgage will then collect documentation from the client. This documentation will serve the purpose of proving the representations made in the loan application process. The buyer will produce pay stubs, bank statements etc. Julie will also order an appraisal as required by all lenders.
Settlement --- Settlement is the word used to describe the actual transfer of ownership. We'll settle on the property in a timely fashion on an agreed upon date. Settlement will occur at a title company's office and a settlement agent will ensure that funds are present as is marketable title.
Ownership --- Here's where the fun begins ... as does the responsibility of home ownership.
