Carol McCarthy ABR

You never know what pleasant surprise you may run into whenever you decide to pop by Occoquan, Virginia to see what’s happening. Occoquan is a quaint and very historical community, nestled on the Occoquan river, that seems to have a surprise around every corner, nook and cranny.

Yesterday, on a whim, I decided I would swing by the farmer’s market there to see what varieties of delectable home grown organic treats awaited. To my grand surprise, I found myself smack-dab in the middle of the town of Occoquan’s annual “Riverfest” which is one of the activities held by the Occoquan River Communities. There were costumed re-enactors, a trolley ride, petting zoo, pony rides, live music throughout the town as well as sidewalk sales from the local merchants. There was even a lemonade stand with fresh squeezed lemonade owned by two little boys.

Some of the places that stood out for me were the following:

The atmosphere of the merchants in the town of Occoquan is always folksy, warm and friendly. Joanne Barney from Tastefully Yours, a wonderful gourmet shop on Mill Street, was going back and forth between watching over the petting zoo, pony rides, and managing her wonderful shop. I always have a great experience in her shop. Besides having superb gelato, and other delectable food, Joanne has put together very attractive gift baskets for me, showcasing foods made in Virginia.

Olde Dominion Wine Shoppe Kimberly Wigode, who owns this shop with her husband Emil, are very knowledgeable about Virginia wines and are readily available with samples to taste. They have excellent customer service and are also available for events.

My favorite place, however, was Quinn's Goldsmith, Inc. Originally, I went in and inquired about re-sizing my wedding band which has gotten too small (or was it that my finger got too big! LOL!) I also mentioned that I used to be manager of a jewelry store in New York City (Christina Bernard)---many years ago. Valerie Francis, who I believe is a graduate of GIA (Gemological Institute of America), has superb customer service. She not only cleaned my diamond ring, but gave me a tour of the store. I just loved seeing all of the beautiful designs that they display. Quinn's is definitely the place to go for not only beautiful jewelry but also jewelry repair. The staff is extremely friendly, and knowledgeable.

There are activities throughout the year in Occoquan besides the River Festival. Every Saturday morning has a farmer's market. There's a craft fair twice a year, a Harvest Fair and Fun Festival among others. Maybe, I will see you there. Don’t hesitate to come up and say hello!

Stonebridge, is a mixed use development property in Woodbridge, VA anchored by Wegman's. Eventually, it will include residential, retail and office space. Right now it includes Wegman's, restaurants Uncle Julio's and Zoe's Kitchen, as well as a few other stores like Bubbles, Gymboree, and AT& T.

On May 8th 1-5pm there will be a Spring Festival at Stonebridge Potomac Town Center introducing themselves to the community. They are advertising fun, FREE activities for the entire family which include food sampling, a rock climbing wall, moon bounce, face painting, balloon art and live entertainment. Gymboree will provide children's craft activities. Also, MIX 107.3FM will provide music and prizes from 1-3.

For more information about the event, and also the vision planned for Stonebridge, visit their website http://stonebridgeptc.com/.

On Saturday, May 8th, there will be a Home Buying information fair from 9am-2pm at the Dr. A. J. Ferlazzo Building, 15941 Donald Curtis Drive in Woodbridge, VA. This is a great information opportunity for those that are newly considering homeownership. Some of the topics covered will be the loan application and qualifying process, government loan programs, the tax benefits of home ownership, as well as down payment and closing cost assistance. Those interested can also obtain a free credit report.

This is a family friendly event with door prizes and family oriented activities. The event will be sponsored by the Prince William County Office of Housing and Community Development in partnership with the Virginia Housing Development Authority.

The cherry blossoms in Occoquan are at their peak right now in Occoquan, VA. Why fight the crowds on the metro to DC when you can park your car and stroll in the quaint riverside town of Historic Occoquan. This town has so much history and charm from the pedestrian walk along the river, the walking bridge crossing the river, the numerous historic locations and the unique shops. If you need a place to unwind and leave your cares behind, this is the place.

Easter Sunday had the most breathtaking cherry blossoms.

If you live in Prince William County spend a day in Occoquan to feel like you're on vacation!

Should you advise your advise your buyer to get an appraisal on a luxury home before making an offer? The market in Northern Virginia has been so volatile in all price ranges. I've found that the sellers of luxury homes (over $900,000) especially if they are waterfront, have been in denial. We all know that if a buyer is purchasing a property it must appraise. There have been properties we know have been overpriced and won't appraise, but the seller feels that maybe they will attract a cash buyer. PLEASE! In most cases if there is such a cash buyer, they are very savvy and still don't want to pay more than market value for a house. In fact, they are likely to offer LESS!

I have been working with buyers looking for a waterfront property on the Potomac River, who are willing to pay market value for the property that they find. We have looked at properties in Fairfax County, Prince William County and finally found the perfect house in Stafford County. However, we have encountered quite a few unrealistic sellers of waterfront property. So, when we found the perfect house, I suggested that we hire an appraiser to do an independent appraisal. It was clearly understood that this isn't the same appraisal that would be used for the loan, however, it would get us closer to what is the current market value. We informed our seller that we were doing this, so that we can avoid a big surprise in the middle of the transaction. The main reason I suggested this is because there were virtually no comps to do a CMA. Finding a fair market value on this particular property required much more skill than a Realtor's training provides.

At the same time, the seller also hired an independent appraiser. Both appraisers came in over $200,000 less than list price! You can imagine the negotiations that took place after that. Quite rocky indeed! But, it was better for this to take place at the beginning than in the middle of a contract. However, we finally agreed on a price somewhere in the middle of both appraisals. Hallelujah! It will be interesting to find out where the appraisal for the loan fits in!

By the way, looking at waterfront homes on the Potomac River or tributaries has been just glorious! I love this part of my job!