The Washington, D.C. Metro System is based on a color line system: Orange, Blue, Yellow, Green, and Red.
For an interactive map to plan a trip, please click here.
To find a station near you, please click here.
Category : Real Estate
First of – congratulations!! You’ve just made a huge decision to be a homeowner, whether for tax benefits, investments, etc. everyone has different motivations for buying a house. So much time is focused on what to do PRIOR to today, many people don’t think about what happens after you walk out of the attorneys office. Here are some thoughts:
1. If you bought a foreclosure or a short sale, the very first thing you should do is change the locks. Actually, it may not be a bad idea to change the locks no matter what you bought! You just never know.
2. Keep all of your closing paperwork somewhere safe and accessible. You may need it for your tax return, trust/estate planning, title insurance policy, and/or home warranty information, if you elected to purchase one. It’ll also help when/if you decide to sell it (yes, I know you just bought it!) So keep it safe!
3. The minute you start making improvements to the house, keep track! Any invoices/receipts should be kept and given to your accountant so they can determine what/if anything is deductible. But on the long term planning, keep records of what and when you made changes. New appliances? Keep the manuals and the date you installed them. New roof? Definitely write down when you had it replaced. I often give clients a binder to keep all of this in, so make sure you have it somewhere handy and organized. This will also help when you sell it.
4. Maintain regular maintenance of big appliances. Here’s a list of things you should get done annually to protect your investment: HVAC service; humidifier/dehumidifer service, termite treatment/protection, do a general walk-thru (check for exposed wires, the floors, check the foundation/basement for any indications of water). This will ensure the house is in the best condition when it’s time to sell.
5. Don’t forget to ENJOY IT! 
Category : Real Estate
Excerpt taken from Wikipedia.org
“Arlington County is a county of about 210,000 residents in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is located directly across the Potomac River to the southwest of Washington, D.C. Formerly part of the District of Columbia, the land now composing the county was retroceded to Virginia on July 9, 1846, in an act of Congress that took effect in 1847. It was called Alexandria County from that date until March 16, 1920, when an act of the General Assembly changed its name to Arlington County.
Despite being organized politically as a “county” in Virginia, it is considered a Central City of the Washington Metropolitan Area by the Census Bureau, along with the adjacent cities of Washington and Alexandria, Virginia. At a land area of 26 square miles (67 km2), it is geographically the smallest self-governing county in the United States.
In 2005 Arlington was ranked first among walkable cities in the United States by the American Podiatric Medical Association. CNN Money ranked Arlington as the most educated city in 2006 with 35.7% of residents having held graduate degrees. In October 2008, BusinessWeekranked Arlington as the safest city in which to weather a recession, with a 49.4% share of jobs in ‘strong industries’. In July 2009, CNN Money ranked Arlington second in the country in its listing of “Best Places for the Rich and Single.” Along with five other Northern Virginiacounties, Arlington ranked among the twenty U.S. counties with the highest median household income in 2006.
Arlington is the location of Arlington National Cemetery, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, the Pentagon, Fort Myer, thePentagon Memorial, the USMC War Memorial, the Air Force Memorial, and numerous other monuments.” To continue reading the rest of this article, please click here.
Resources
Category : Real Estate
Excerpt taken from Wikipedia.org
“The City of Falls Church is an independent city in Virginia, United States, in the Washington Metropolitan Area. The city population was 11,169 in 2008, up from 10,377 in 2000.[3] Taking its name from The Falls Church, an eighteenth-century Anglican parish, Falls Church gained township status within Fairfax County in 1875. In 1948, it was incorporated as the City of Falls Church, an independent city with county-level governance status.[4] It is also referred to as Falls Church City. A broader area around the city has long been referred to as Falls Church, although these areas were not incorporated into the City and remain within Fairfax County. These include Seven Cornersand other portions of the current Falls Church postal districts of Fairfax County and the area of Arlington County known as East Falls Church, which was part of the town of Falls Church from 1875 to 1936.[5] For statistical purposes, the US Department of Commerce’sBureau of Economic Analysis combines the City of Falls Church with Fairfax City and Fairfax County.” To continue reading the rest of this article, please click here.
Resources
Excerpt taken from Wikipedia.org
“Great Falls is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 8,549 at the 2000 census.
Although primarily a bedroom community for Washington, D.C., one major attraction is Great Falls Park which overlooks the Great Falls of the Potomac River, for which the community and the park are named. George Washington was involved with building a canal around the falls on the southwest, or Virginia, side, called the Patowmack Canal, which did not become commercially viable. Remnants of the canal and of a village around the canal named Matildaville are still visible in the park.” To continue reading the rest of this article, please click here.
Resources
For more information, visit Fairfax County’s Website
Category : Real Estate
Excerpt taken from Wikipedia.org
“McLean (pronounced /məˈkleɪn/ mə-KLAYN)[3] is an unincorporated area in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. The community had a total population of 38,929 as of the 2000 census.
The densely populated community of McLean is located between the George Washington Parkway and the town of Vienna, and is known for its many upscale homes, as well as its shopping and upscale malls, including the nearby Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria which have ‘McLean, Virginia’ addresses.
McLean is home to many diplomats, members of Congress and high-ranking federal government officials, entrepreneurs and service businesses partially attributable to the close location to Washington, D.C. and the Central Intelligence Agency. It is also the location ofHickory Hill, the home of Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Robert F. Kennedy.
Several major companies are or have been headquartered in McLean including Bearingpoint (now bankrupt), Booz Allen Hamilton, Capital One, Cardinal Bank, Freddie Mac, Gannett, Hilton Hotels Corporation, Mars, MicroStrategy, Science Applications International Corporation(SAIC), Sunrise Senior Living, and USA Today.” To continue reading the rest of this article, please click here.
Resources
Category : Real Estate
Excerpt taken from Wikipedia.org:
“Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 128,283. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately 6 miles (9.6 kilometers) south of downtown Washington, D.C.
Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as central Maryland, modern Alexandria has been shaped by its proximity to the nation’s capital. It is largely populated by professionals working in the federal civil service, the U.S. military, or for one of the many private companies which contract to provide services to the federal government. The latter are known locally asbeltway bandits, after the Capital Beltway, an interstate highway that circles Washington, D.C. One of Alexandria’s largest employers is the U.S. Department of Defense. Others include the Institute for Defense Analyses and the Center for Naval Analyses. In 2005, the United States Patent and Trademark Office moved 7,100 employees from 18 separate buildings in nearby Crystal City into a new headquarters complex in the city.
Alexandria is home to numerous trade associations, charities, and non-profit organizations including the national headquarters of groups such as Catholic Charities, USA, United Way, and the Salvation Army.
The historic center of Alexandria is known as Old Town. With its concentration of high-end boutiques, fine restaurants, antique shops and theaters, it is a major draw for tourists and those seeking nightlife. Like Old Town, many Alexandria neighborhoods are compact, walkable, high-income suburbs of Washington D.C.” To continue reading the rest of this article, please click here
Resources
From a Realtors(R) perspective, the real reason your house isn’t selling may have nothing to do with the market or the house, it may just be you.
Some tips to getting your house sold that have nothing to do with price:
- Do you make it easy to show? Make reasonable accommodations to get agents and their clients in to view your property. If we have to try on 3 separate occasions to schedule an appointment, chances are the buyers will move on to something else and assume you don’t really want to sell your house.
- Did you leave when the agent came by with clients? It’s awkward enough to be opening closets and bedrooms without the sellers home, but when you’re there, watching the buyers every move you’re not allowing them to emotionally connect with the house and see their furniture in your house, because all they see is you! At least go outside if you have nowhere else to go – it’s a great opportunity to get some exercise and take a 15 minute walk.
- Did you clean before you left? Please do your dishes…and flush the toilet. ‘Nuff said.
- Please treat every negotiation with a “time is of the essence” mentality. In my opinion, it’s a reasonable expectation for some kind of move within a 24-48 hour window. If you need more time, many parties are understanding of circumstance, just please be open with communication. It makes everyone more willing to cooperate.
Category : Real Estate
As the seller, you can control three factors that will affect the sale of your home:
* The home’s condition
* Asking price
* Marketing strategy
However, it’s important to note that there are numerous other factors that influence a buyer, and you need to understand these consumer trends when you enter the sellers’ market. The more your home matches these qualifications, the more competitive it will be in the marketplace. I can advise you on how to best position and market your home to overcome any perceived downsides.
Location
Unfortunately, the most influential factor in determining your home’s appeal to buyers is something you can’t control: its location. According to the National Association of REALTORS(R), neighborhood quality is the No. 1 reason buyers choose certain homes. The second most influential factor is commute times to work and school.
Size
While some buyers want to simplify their lives and downsize to a smaller home, home sizes in general have continued to increase over the decades, nearly doubling in size since the 1950s. Smaller homes typically appeal to first-time home buyers and “empty nesters,” or couples whose children have grown up and moved out.
Amenities
Preferences in floor plans and amenities go in and out of fashion, and your real estate agent can inform you of the “hot ticket” items that are selling homes in your market. If your home lacks certain features, you can renovate to increase its appeal, but be forewarned: That’s not always the right move. Using market conditions and activity in your neighborhood as a gauge, your agent can help you determine whether the investment is likely to help or hinder your profit margin and time on the market.
- Are you a full-time professional real estate agent? How long have you worked full time in real estate? How long have you been representing sellers? What professional designations do you have?
Knowing whether or not your agent practices full time can help you determine potential scheduling conflicts and his or her commitment to your transaction. As with any profession, the number of years a person has been in the business does not necessarily reflect the level of service you can expect, but it is a good starting point for your discussion. The same issue can apply to professional designations. - Do you have a personal assistant, team or staff to handle different parts of the purchase? What are their names and how will each of them help me in my transaction? How do I communicate with them?
It is not uncommon for agents who sell a lot of houses to hire people to work with them. As their businesses grow, they must be able to deliver the same or higher quality service to more people.
You may want to know who on the team will take part in your transaction, and what role each person will play. You may even want to meet the other team members before you decide to work with the team. If you have a question about fees on your closing statement, who would handle that? Who will show up to your closing? - Do you have a Website that will list my home? Can I have your URL address? Who responds to emails and how quickly? What’s your email address?
Many buyers prefer to search online for homes because it’s available 24 hours a day and can be done at home. So you want to make sure your home is listed online, either on the agent’s Website or on their company’s site. By searching your agent’s Website you will get a clear picture of how much information is available online. - How will you keep in contact with me during the selling process, and how often?
Some agents may email, fax or call you daily to tell you that visitors have toured your home, while others will keep in touch weekly. Asking this question can help you to reconcile your needs with your agent’s systems. - What do you do that other agents don’t that ensures I’m getting top dollar for my home? What is your average market time versus other agents’ average market time?
Marketing skills are learned, and sometimes a real estate professional’s unique method of research and delivery make the difference between whether or not a home sells quickly. For example, an agent might research the demographics of your neighborhood and present you a target market list for direct marketing purposes. - Will you give me names of past clients?
Interviewing an agent can be similar to interviewing someone to work in your office. Contacting references can be a reliable way for you to understand how he or she works, and whether or not this style is compatible with your own. - Do you have a performance guarantee? If I am not satisfied with your performance, can I terminate our listing agreement?
In the heavily regulated world of real estate, it can be difficult for an agent to offer a performance guarantee. If your agent does not have a guarantee, it does not mean they are not committed to high standards. Typically, he or she will verbally outline what you can expect from their performance. Keller Williams® Realty understands the importance of win-win business relationships: the agent does not benefit if the client does not also benefit. - How will you get paid? How are your fees structured? May I have that in writing?
In many areas, the seller pays all agent commissions. Sometimes, agents will have other small fees, such as administrative or special service fees, that are charged to clients, regardless of whether they are buying or selling. Be aware of the big picture before you sign any agreements. Ask for an estimate of costs from any agent you contemplate employing. - How would you develop pricing strategies for our home?
Although location and condition affect the selling process, price is the primary factor in determining if a home sells quickly, or at all. Access to current property information is essential, and sometimes a pre-appraisal will help. Ask your agent how they created the market analysis, and whether your agent included For Sale by Owner homes, foreclosed homes and bank-owned sales in that list. - What will you do to sell my home? Who determines where and when my home is marketed/ promoted? Who pays for your advertising?
Ask your real estate agent to present to you a clear plan of how marketing and advertising dollars will be spent. If there are other forms of marketing available but not specified in the plan ask who pays for those. Request samples or case studies of the types of marketing strategies that your agent proposes (such as Internet Websites, print magazines, open houses, and local publications).
Please contact me today for a list of answers to these questions!
Laura@TheLJRGroup.com or 703.283.6120
