Brian Block -- Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate

Veteran's Day is coming up in just one week. It's an important time to pause and say thanks to those who have served our country so valiantly.

To honor our United States veterans, some local restaurants will be providing free meals on Veteran’s Day (November 11th) to current and former service members. Bring an ID card, DD Form 214, or something else identifying you as a Veteran (VFW/American Legion membership card).

Here's some info on the free deals:

Applebee's (even accepting an old picture in uniform as proof of service)

http://www.applebees.com/vetsday/

Proof of Service: US Uniform Services ID Card, US Uniform Services Retired ID Card, Current Leave and Earnings Statement (LES), Veteran's Organization Card (VFW, American Legion), Photograph in uniform, Wearing uniform, DD214, Citation or Commendation.

McCormick & Schmick's

http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com/featured-promotion/Veterans-Appreciation-Day.aspx

The McCormick & Schmick's Veterans Appreciation Event is offered to veterans defined by the Veterans Administration, Title 38 US Code 101, which is "a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable."

Please present proper identification to your server when you are seated. Proper ID includes VA card, VFW card, American Legion card, discharge papers, DD214 or other Veterans ID.

Note that in an effort to accomodate as many Veterans as possible, restaurants will not be able to seat parties larger than 6.

Golden Corral: The Military Appreciation Monday dinner will be held on Monday, November 16, 2009 from 5 pm to 9 pm in all Golden Corral Restaurants. The free “thank you” dinner is available to any person who has ever served in the United States Military. If you are a veteran, retired, currently serving, in the National Guard or Reserves, you are invited to participate in Golden Corral’s Military Appreciation Monday dinner.

Lowe's: Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will offer all active, reserve, honorably discharged, retired military personnel and their immediate family members a 10 percent discount on in-store U.S. purchases made during the Veterans Day holiday. The discount is available Nov. 6 – Nov. 11. The discount is available on in-stock and special order purchases up to $5,000. To qualify, individuals must present a valid military ID or other proof of service. Excluded from the discount are sales via Lowes.com, previous sales, and purchases of services or gift cards.

Home Depot: The Home Depot is offering all active duty personnel, reservists, retired military, veterans and their families a 10 percent discount off their purchases in honor of Veteran’s Day. The offer is valid on purchases of up to $2,000 for a maximum of $200 between November 6 and November 12, 2008, at The Home Depot stores, The Home Depot Design Center locations, Yardbirds and EXPO Design Center locations.

Thanks you for your service and Welcome Home!

Are you wondering about Northern Virginia real estate and pondering what has sold recently?

Here's some information about the most expensive home sales in Northern Virginia (Arlington County, Alexandria City, Fairfax City, Fairfax County, and Falls Church City) for October 2009. All information was obtained through MRIS.

Overall, there were 55 Northern Virginia home sales topping $1 million during the month of October 2009, on pace with the 54 sold in September but down from 76 in August 2009.

Currently, there are 798 homes on the market in Northern Virginia with list prices topping $1 million down from 845 that were on the market last month.

OCTOBER'S MOST EXPENSIVE SALES

Single Family Detached Homes:

• 8105 Spring Hill Farm Drive -- Sold on October 1st for $3,668,000
  This brand new construction home in the Spring Hill Farm neighborhood of McLean has 6 bedrooms, 6 full and 2 half bathrooms.
  
  
• 1159 Crest Lane, McLean, Va 22101 -- Sold on October 26th for $3,500,000
  While it sold for almost $900K under the asking price, this 1999 home features breathtaking views of the Potomac River and is located on 2.4 wooded acres. Besides 4 bedrooms and 5 full bathrooms, the home has a domed rotunda foyer, first floor master suite and floor to ceiling windows.
  
  
• 7687 Ballestrade Court, McLean, VA 22102 -- Sold on October 8th for $3,300,000
  Built in 2006, this home sold for nearly $1 million under the asking price. Comprising 10,500 square feet of living space, the McLean home has a movie theater, 5 fireplaces and a 3 car garage. Located in The Reserve in McLean, this home has 5 bedrooms and 6 full and 2 half bathrooms.
  
  
• 214 River Park Drive, Great Falls, VA 22066 -- Sold October 30th for $3,000,000
  This custom residence built in 2008 has over 11,000 square feet of space, hand made cabinetry, wide plank walnut flooring, and designer tiles. With 6 bedrooms, 7 full and 3 half baths, and 5 fireplaces on 1.72 acres, there's room to roam.
  
  
• 605 Deerfield Pond Court, Great Falls, VA 22066 -- Sold October 9th for $2,200,000.
  Situated on 1.75 acres, this home has fantastic views of landscaped grounds and multi-level terraces. The 4 level, 14,000 square foot interior features an elevator, indoor pool, and main level owner's suite. The room count weighs in at 6 bedrooms, 8 full and 2 half baths and 7 fireplaces!
  

CLICK TO SEARCH FOR AVAILABLE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA

Townhouses:

• 225 N. Lee Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 -- Sold on October 22nd for $1,149,000.
  Located on Queens Row, this home built in 1998 sold for asking price. It has an expanded gourmet kitchen with granite counters, stainless steel high-end appliances and about $200K in upgrades throughout the townhouse. Right in the heart of Old Town Alexandria, this one sold quickly.
  
  
• 1545 N. 22nd Street, Arlington, VA 22209 -- Sold on October 28th for $1,130,000.
  Palisades Park townhouses sell quickly and this one was no different spending a mere 8 days on the market. This home features Potomac River views from all 4 levels, 3 bedrooms, 3 full and 2 half bathrooms, and 2 gas fireplaces.
  
  
• 468 S. Union Street #9B, Alexandria, VA 22314 -- Sold on October 27th for $1,100,000.
  Another Old Town Alexandria home in the Harborside waterfront community. This townhouse has an elevator to all 3 floors and the chef's kitchen has a Thermador 6 burner gas range. The Master suite has a deluxe bathroom and Jacuzzi and custom walk-in closets.
  
  
• 228 N. Union Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 -- Sold on October 19th for $1,025,000.
  Also on Queens Row in Old Town Alexandria, this townhouse was built in 1998 and has 2 off-street parking spaces (a premium in Old Town). The home overlooks the Potomac River and Founder's Park.
  

SEE AVAILABLE TOWNHOUSES IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA

Condominiums:

• 1101 S. Arlington Ridge Road #516, Arlington, Va 22202 -- Sold on October 23rd for $895,000.
  Located at The Representative condos near Pentagon City, this 3 bedroom 3 bathroom condo has 2,512 square feet of space and a terrific panoramic view of Washington D.C. With 2 garage spaces and a 378 square foot wrapped balcony, this is a great condo.
  
  
• 1023 N. Royal Street #307, Alexandria, VA 22314 -- Sold on October 26th for $835,000.
  Right in Old Town Alexandria, this two level 3 bedroom 3 bathroom condo has a private top floor terrace, 1,633 square feet of space and 2 full sized garage parking spaces.
  
  
• 1530 Key Blvd. #906, Arlington, VA 22209 -- Sold on October 30th for $830,000.
  Another 2 level condo, this one at the Atrium Condo in Rosslyn features a panorama view of Georgetown, the Potomac River, and Key Bridge.
  
  
• 1050 N. Stuart Street #900, Arlington, VA 22201 -- Sold on October 6th for $830,000.
  This corner penthouse at Ballston Park is another 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom condo comprising 1,984 square feet. It has 2 balconies with views of Georgetown. It also has a large den, marble foyer, and marble floors in the kitchen and baths.
  

SEE AVAILABLE CONDOMINIUMS IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA

Contact Brian Block, Managing Broker, REALTOR/Attorney, RE/MAX Allegiance: Licensed in Virginia & Washington D.C. 703-626-0715. If you are interested in purchasing or selling a property in Northern Virginia including Arlington County, Alexandria City, Annandale, Burke, D.C., Fairfax County, Falls Church City, Great Falls, Lorton, McLean, Springfield, Washington D.C., contact Brian today.

Halloween is around the corner. It's a time for ghosts, witches, pumpkins, skeletons, and candy. Lots of candy.

In honor of the season, the Block Real Estate Group is hosting a contest.

Welcome to the 1st ANNUAL BLOCK REAL ESTATE GROUP HALLOWEEN HOME DECORATING CONTEST!

Are you decorating your home for Halloween?

Some people go all out for Halloween. Do you remember growing up that there was always at least one home on the block that was really decked out for Halloween?

Let's see your pictures. Whether it's your house or another in your neighborhood.

COMPLETE RULES AND INFO ON BLOCK REAL ESTATE GROUP FACEBOOK PAGE:

Post your pictures to the Block Real Estate Group Fan Page on Facebook, email to me directly or send via Twitter to @blockrealestate.

Must be a Fan of the Block Real Estate Group Page on Facebook to be eligible to win.

Pictures are due by 12 noon on November 2nd and winners will be announced later that day.

1st Place Winner will get an iPod Shuffle
2nd Place Winner will get some candy
3rd Place Winner will get some candy

All winners and participants will be acknowledged on ActiveRain, Facebook, and on my blog at http://www.virginiarealestatenews.net

Thanks for participating!

Happy Halloween!

Today is Monday. Monday in McLean. That's got a nice ring to it!

To celebrate, I looked at some of the real estate data in McLean, Virginia.

Specifically, I was interested today in homes that have been on the market for a long time. A very long time. 365 days or more. If you've ever sold a home before, you know that 5 weeks can seem like a long time, especially with trying to keep the place clean, constantly preparing for showings, leaving the home when buyers come around in the evenings and on the weekends.

Now imagine a full year, or two, or yikes -- 3 full years on the market, as one home in McLean (8521 Georgetown Pike) remains.

Of the 332 McLean homes on the market, 56 of them have been on the market for a total of 365 days or more. Let's look at some statistics about these homes, their prices, their price reductions, and then compare the data with the McLean homes that have been actively listed for less than one year.

McLean Homes on the Market One Year or More:

56 homes

Average days on market - 654

Average current listing price - $2,990,167

Average original listing price - $3,359,169

Current listing price as percentage of original listing price - 90.88%

Average price reduction - $369,002

McLean Homes on the Market Less than One Year:

276 homes

Average days on market - 124

Average current listing price - $1,635,731

Average original listing price - $1,690,504

Current listing price as percentage of original listing price - 96.76%

Average price reduction - $54,773

Overall analysis: It's not rocket science. The statistics prove what common sense dictates. The more expensive homes in McLean Virginia are staying on the market longer. The longer the time on the market, the larger the price reductions. If you're in the market for a McLean home, you can likely get a pretty good deal with a home that's been listed for a while.

Yes, the majority of homes on the market over one year are in the upper price ranges, but there are a few lower priced ones too.

The other night I snapped a photo of this flyer that's hanging in the elevators in the condo where I live, Alexandria Knolls West:

A condo that gives to the community. That's something that can make me proud of where I live.

Does your condo or neighborhood give to the community? Little things like this really do make a difference.

For more information about Alexandria Knolls West or any of the condominium buildings in Alexandria, give me a call at 703-626-0715 or contact me by e-mail at brian@brianblock.com.

Live somewhere you can be proud.