Panda Friday!
May 9th, 2008 Categories: Real Estate News, The Road Less Taken
What better way to get back into my writing that starting out with something light! It’s cold and rainy here in DC- we had over 3 inches of rain over night- so everyone needs something to make then smile!
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Time To Get Answers: Tuesday April 22, 2008 Buyer Seminar
April 20th, 2008 Categories: Around Arlington County, Buyers, Mortgages & Loans, Nauck, Neighborhoods, Real Estate News, Shirlington
Save the date– this coming Tuesday, April 22, 2008– AFTER WORK!
My office has gotten together to sponsor a buyer seminar– GET YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED!
Put down the Washington Post Real Estate Section for the night and talk to real estate people who are on the front line of today’s market.
- Learn why FHA is not your grandmother’s mortgage anymore
- Talk to a Loan Officer– no commitments
- Learn the state of the Arlington Market
- Is buying a Short Sale or Foreclosure property really for you?
- What happens AFTER I found the home of my dreams?
There is a reason why it’s called a BUYER’S MARKET! IT’s THE TIME TO BUY!!!
OK– that’s all the slogans I’m going to use.
This is a real seminar for people who have thinking of buying a home at sometime in their lives. We’re going to be there to answer your questions. There is no hard sell.
It’s an opportunity for you to speak with real professionals who are working in the front lines of this market.
Got a place to sell? Come by to find out what’s going on in the market. We’ll answer your questions. We won’t turn anyone away.
And– we’ll have snacks!
So come out on Tuesday night– make the time. There’s plenty of free parking. And when they ask you how you heard about this– tell them I sent you. Or meet me to see that I’m a real person!
WHERE:
North Fairlington Community Center
3005 S. Abingdon Street
Arlington, VA 22206
TIME:
6:30–8:30PM
Make the commitment: call (703–772–5555) or email to RSVP.
BUT– don’t let that stop you. Come anyway.
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I’m HERE- and Back Online
April 20th, 2008 Categories: Blue Plate Specials, Real Estate News
A few of us real estate bloggers where cyber attacked this past week.
Fortunately for me, most of my files was still in tact when these malicious attacks where stopped. But that doesn’t make it any less devastating for my fellow bloggers across the country who had at large part of their business shut down.
Our wonderful hosts have been doing a great job getting many large files of many bloggers back on line- but certain things are still not working properly and we are finding them as we go along.
If you have tried to reach me over the past week and have not heard back from me- please accept my apologizes and contact me again. CALL ME- 703-772-5555
My next few posts will also be picture-less. Until everything is back up and working.
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It’s Spring! Get Out And Enjoy
April 2nd, 2008 Categories: Shirlington, The Native Tourist, The Road Less Taken
Spring is one of the best times of year here in the DC area. If you don’t mind the tourists.
It’s that time of year: the Cherry Blossom Festival, the Nats opened their new stadium, and everyone is running for something.
Most of us don’t have to brave all the tourists and traffic down at the Tidal Basin to see the Cherry Blossoms. They bloom all over the area.
Even Shirlington!
| Discussion: 5 Comments »
Holy Cow Batman!! It’s A Flying Squirrel!!!
March 8th, 2008 Categories: Around Arlington County, Blue Plate Specials, The Road Less Taken
Arlington TV has started a “At The Nature” program to provide a condensed version of some of the activity of the Arlington County Nature Center Program.
Living in a county that’s 90% developed sometimes we forget that where we live was once wilderness with a few farms. But when we see the wildlife here – we’re reminded. Maybe they will do an episode on the red fox here in South Arlington.
They have many events scheduled for the spring. So shake off the winter and get out and enjoy the soon-to-be warmer weather! The trees are budding so the Cherry Blossoms aren’t far away.
| Discussion: 6 Comments »
OPEN SUNDAY 1-4 PM: 3243 Sherman Street, Fairfax, VA 22030
February 29th, 2008 Categories: Listings, Neighborhoods, Outside The Beltway
We’ve lowered the price and the owner is ready for an offer. So - come take a second look at this one-of-a-kind split level home in Fairfax.
The signature feature of this home is it’s 400 sqft. Great Room which is an addition to the original home. Anchored by a wood-burning fireplace & built-in shelving it holds many warm memories for the owner. It’s hosted the owner’s own 18 piece Big Band, super bowl parties, Christmas dinners, birthday parties and all those memories that one builds in a lifetime.
It’s time for the owner to move on, he’s ready for an offer from someone who can appreciate the features of this home and not worry that it doesn’t have granite counter tops. That’s something easily added by the next owner.
I’ve already written about the great features of this home. But now its time for you to see it for yourself. Come out on Sunday - take a look at a home that shows pride in ownership, has been well taken care of and is a great place to live. If you can’t make the open house, please visit my virtual tour, or contact me for a private showing or for more information.
| Discussion: 3 Comments »
This Just In: VA Supreme Court To Northern Virginia: No New Taxes!!
February 29th, 2008 Categories: Around Arlington County, Local Real Esate Sales Numbers & Things, Outside The Beltway, Sellers
Today the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority is unconstitutional. You can read the entire decision here.
The NVTA was created by the Virginia General Assembly earlier this year, to levy taxes for Northern Virginia transportation projects. I wrote about these increases in more detail back on July.
In an unanimous opinion, the court said that legislators improperly delegated taxing powers to the unelected members of the NVTA.
This decisions affects the recent increase in the grantors/transfer tax homeowners pay when they sell their homes, in addition to some other taxes that were increased in in January to help pay for the $300 million needed in bonds to finance planned transportation projects.
It’s still unclear what happens next. It’s also unclear whether people who have paid the higher grantor tax will be refunded. If you fall into this category, contact your state representative or your title company for more information. As of this afternoon – no one really knows.
But late this afternoon, Arlington County released a press release urging the Virginia General Assembly to “act quickly” to fund the project already planned.
In Arlington, these project are:
- Rosslyn Metro station access improvements
- Columbia Pike streetcar
- Crystal City/Potomac Yard transit improvements
- Columbia Pike improvements
- Re-alignment of existing roadway on Wilson Blvd
- Old Dominion Drive multi-modal improvements
- Lee Highway at Harrison Street improvements
More broadly, the other major Northern Virginia projects impacted by this decision are:
$28M for improvements to the Fairfax County Parkway
$15M to widen the Prince William Parkway from four lanes to six lanes between Hoadly Road & Old Bridge Road
$11M for improves bus service between the Braddock Road metro stop in Alexandria and the Crystal City/Potomac Yard corridor.
What’s not been said here is that Metro-to-Dulles project will have even more problems to deal with as the projects struggles to get started. Once again, the Northern Virginia commuter is left stranded by its government in Richmond.
People who relocate here from other parts of the country always ask me why there is no metro extending to areas where people really live in affordable neighborhoods. I always tell them– it’s because the capital of Virginia is in Richmond. And don’t you ever forget that.
| Discussion: 2 Comments »
Just When You Thought Ballston Was Complete: A New Project
February 28th, 2008 Categories: Around Arlington County, Ballston, Buyers, Neighborhoods
Arlington County announced a new development project on the corner of North Glebe & Wilson Blvd. Also known as old the Bob Peck site, the new project will include:
- 400,000 square feet of office space,
- 36,000 square feet of retail space,
- 90 units of affordable housing,
- 28 town homes.
I drove around there today and realized that it’s very big space– almost 5 acres. That’s pricey real estate across from the metro $26 Million to be exact when the Peck family sold it to JBG in 2006. That’s a little more than $5M/acre!
There were also two old homes boarded up on Wakefield and another small apartment building that appear to be part of the project as is the Staples, according to the press release.
These new buildings will compliment the Ballston Mall and the other new building that emerge in recent years. One-by-one Arlington has lost it’s old landmarks. The latest, Bob Peck, was a car dealership with its 1950s retro entrance, has been around even longer. The Washington Post had a nostalgic send off when the dealership closed in 2006.
It was a time when Arlington was almost a small town– part of the post WWII boom. If you ever get a chance to watch an Arlington Historical Society show on cable access- you will hear some of those residents talk about growing up in Arlington. It sounded like a real Leave It To Beaver neighborhood.
Today its a whole another Arlington. As I roam Arlington showing property I can see the many layers of Arlington. There are the farm houses that have been here since the early 1900s, the Sears Bungalows from the 1920s-30s, the colonial developments from post-WWII boom, 70s decay, 80s revitalization up until the high-tech buildings of today.
I guess when the Bob Peck Dealership went up in the 1950s, there was someone that said- gee, with all this development I’m going to have to ride my horses all the way out in Bailey’s Crossroads.
| Discussion: 4 Comments »
Arlington County Plans to Raise Your Property Tax: Time To Have Your Say
February 27th, 2008 Categories: Around Arlington County, Local Real Esate Sales Numbers & Things, Sellers
Mark your calendars for public hearing at the county.
WHEN: March 27, 2008 (Budget) March 29, 2008 (Tax rate)
TIME: 7 PM, scheduled (could be sooner if other agenda items end quickly)
WHERE: Room 307 #1 Courthouse Plaza, 2100 Clarendon BLVD.
What Are The County’s Plan:
1. Your Arlington 2008 real estate tax assessment increases 3.7% from your 2007 tax assessment.
2. Raise your tax rate to .838 per $100 of assessed value. A 6.2% increase over the 2007 tax rate of .789 per $100.
What Does This Mean To You?
Your real estate property tax is made of of two parts. The first is the value of your home (your tax assessment) which varies widely in a county made up of single family homes, townhomes and condo homes. The second, is the rate at which the county taxes that assessed value. Your property taxes is the major source of the local government’s revenue stream.
If the county goes forward to raise these rates, your 2008 property taxes will be going up. If you plan to attend the meeting & want to have a say, you’ll have to sign up before hand. Here are the county’s procedures on how to do that. You can even register online here. If you have any further questions: call the County Clerk’s office at 703–228–3130.
Copy of proposed resolution fixing real estate tax rate for CY 2008 is on file and available for review in Office of Clerk to County Board, Room 300, #1 Courthouse Plaza, 2100 Clarendon Boulevard, weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. A copy of the county’s proposed budget- which is driving this tax increase can also be found on the county’s web site.
The Local Governments’ Dirty Little Secret
Most of the local municipalities in the area will be raising local real estate taxes in 2008. Many homeowners wonder how that can happen when they are seeing their neighbor’s home for sale sit on the market and ultimately sell for much less than they would have a few years ago and every night the news report about this falling real estate market.
Well– one of the residual effects of the current real estate market is that the local governments are getting less tax revenue. Every time there is a “short sale” property on the market in your neighborhood, that is one less home the local government will be able to tax. And every time that house for sale cuts its price, that is less tax money the local government will collect to support it’s local services.
Even if the local government cuts its budget, it will need to make up for that lost tax revenue somewhere- and that somewhere is mostly from the other homeowners who think that this down-turn in the real estate market is not about them. Because, after all, they are responsible and pay their mortgage on time and every month.
The local government loved the last real estate market when home prices where raising at 15–20% every year. It was a time when homeowners found their tax bill rise just as quickly. The local governments all found a way to use that money. Now it’s hard to stop spending that money.
The other dirty little secret is that most of the counties inside the beltway have shown a rise in average sales price of property. That’s right– a rise. We have such a spotty market– it changes zip code to zip code. Some zip code have seen increase, while others have seen decreases. But…on average, we have seen prices rise.
What’s a homeowner to do?
Our taxes increase in sellers market, our taxes increase in a buyers market. Maybe it is better to rent! Oh wait– rents have gone up more than 30% since 2004. Someone has to pay for a landlord’s tax increase.
| Discussion: 1 Comment »
A Big WOW For Shirlington: US Patent Office Will Be Our Neighbors
February 21st, 2008 Categories: Around Arlington County, Real Estate News, Shirlington
The last office building planned for Shirlington is almost complete. Randolph Square will have over 200,000 square feet of office space, retail stores and a nice new parking garage to add some much needed parking.
The exciting news is that this shiny new building now has a bright new tenant: The US Patent Office.
The building is scheduled to open in April- just in time for the spring and bring with it the US Government.
Welcome to the neighborhood – you’re going to be here for the next 10 years. I hope you enjoy our little secret.
My last picture was taken when the weather was warmer– I’m such a whimp in this cold weather. It’s much further along now. I’m just too cold to stand outside to take some pictures.
And many thanks to one of my favorite local blogs: Shirlington Village Blog for being the first with the scoop.
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