Kelly McLaughlan

Northern Virginia Brew Fest - Harvest Time is Here in DC’s Beer Country

Fall in Northern Virginia is filled with countless harvest festivals and seasonal entertainment, mixed in among the demanding schedules of school academic and athletic events. It’s hard not only to find a spare moment to relax and enjoy the Oktoberfest-influenced, pre-holiday season, but to also choose among the myriad offerings of Northern Virginia’s best outdoor venues – including farms, restaurants, wineries and vineyards, parks, rural and suburban communities. For those seeking the perfect mix of outdoor entertainment in great Fall weather, seasonal harvest brews and local food, plus a great mix of fun-loving residents, families and visitors – make plans now to visit DC’s Beer Country out in the Loudoun County/Dulles South region for the great 3rd annual Northern Virginia BrewFest.

The World Beer Experience on October 24th and 25th, at Bull Run Regional Park in Centreville, VA, will feature more than 40 of the world’s best breweries, plenty of delicious food to complement the craft beers and outstanding local and regional bands providing entertainment. Bull Run Regional Park includes huge, spacious fields, scenic woodlands and trails, and is a quick trek about 30 minutes to the west of DC, off of Rt. 29 in Centreville - an easy ride from Rt. 66.

This is a great event to truly get to know your new or existing neighbors in the Northern Virginia region, including Fairfax, Prince William and Loudoun Counties - or even (as an agent) to entertain your clients!

Musical entertainment on the Main Stage will include genres such as rock, classic rock, blues, and folk - and all are included with the price of admission. Great local and regional bands will be joining us all weekend long, including Road Soda (rock/hip hop/classic rock quartet from Fairfax, Virginia), Gonzo’s Nose (80’s and 90’s rock covers, from Arlington), Gypsy Sons (classic rock, from Alexandria), The Cheaters (rock, southern and classic rock, from Baltimore), Backseat Betties (Northern Virginia female trio, 80’s through today’s rock and country covers), and Klepto Radio (classic/modern rock to old school/modern Hip Hop).

For those ready to sample the very finest and world-renown beers, here’s the lineup of over 40 breweries expected – some especially fabulous and award-winning breweries featured along with local champs:

Vintage 50, Abita, Allagash, Ballast Point, Bear Republic, Beck’s, Bells, Birra Peroni, Bitburger, Blue Grass, Boston Brewing Company, Boulder, Brooklyn, Budweiser, Capitol City, Clipper City, Dogfish, Flying Dog, Fordham, Franziskaner, Het Anker, Hofbrau Munchen, Hook Ladder, Huyghe, Kona, Kostrizer, Lagunitas, Lancaster Malt, Brewing Co., Leinienkugel, Mad Fox, Magic Hat, New Holland, Northcoast, Old Dominion, Oskar Blues, Otter Creek/ Wolavers, Peak Organic, Plzensky Prazdroj, Raven, RedHook, Sierra Nevada, Spaten, St George, Starr Hill, Van Housebrouck, Victory, Weihenstephaner, Widmer, Wild Goose, and Woodchuck.

Just because it’s a BrewFest, don’t think that the kids aren’t welcome as well. There’s an area dedicated to entertainment for the children including moon-bounces, face-painters, and other hands-on activities. Local Virginia crafters and artisans will also be on hand to provide unique, handmade products and some early shopping for the holidays this year. There’s even a local vineyard or two representing, for the Virginia wine lovers in all of us.

As an entirely family-friendly, safe, fun local arts, crafts, music and brew festival, the Northern Virginia BrewFest in DC’s Beer Country offers a full slate of early and late entertainment for everyone – and represents one of the very best, professionally managed and most anticipated outdoors fall events in all of Northern Virginia. Free parking’s available, and lots of great hotels are very near, with special rates available to festival attendees.

Spring is Here!

"If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would pick more daisies." By Nadine Stair

During this time of new growth and fresh starts, it's a fantastic time to organize and reinvigorate yourself. Spring home cleaning, yard and garden preparation, important document organization and tax filing, winter clothes and decoration changeovers, home repair and remodeling, window replacement and energy-efficient upgrades, personal business coaching- these are all opportunities to nurture your life into a year of fresh opportunity and success!

Both spring and fall are commonly chosen times for devoting extra attention to cleansing and renewal, though any time of year is a good time to reorganize. Spring, however, is a particularly motivating and exciting time of year to fulfill your sense of accomplishment and engage new-found initiatives.

Here's a quick list over at the Northern Virginia and Washington DC Business Blog of recommended home repair, remodeling, renovation and handyman service providers in our extended region, from Northern Virginia (Fairfax, Alexandria, Arlington, Loudoun counties) to the Piedmont areas of western Loudoun, Prince William and counties south and west. The list also includes a few other nuggets of spring revitalization resources - for you or your homeowners/home sellers!

(Why Florida? These are great Commercial Real Estate Investing Tips and Techniques for ANY market, including the Washington DC and Northern Virginia area commercial real estate markets.)

Although the South Florida Real Estate Market has taken its lumps from the continuing economic decline, there are a number of avenues to pursue and advice to follow that can help maintain and improve the value of your Florida commercial real estate investments. Florida commercial real estate tax reductions are a tactic that the most well-informed Florida commercial real estate investors use, regardless of market conditions, and especially at this time.

“The poor economic outlook and the severe disruption in capital and credit markets seems to indicate that it’s a good time to stand firm, whether buying or selling, until there is clear evidence that economic and financial markets have stabilized. However it is precisely this type of cautious behavior that keeps downward pressure on market activity, creates no or limited value for investors, and most importantly constrains one’s ability to catalyze wealth creation. Florida commercial real estate investors who are ready to take advantage of once-in-a-generation opportunities will do well in South Florida in 2009 and 2010.”

- Edward A. Kearney, CCIM, Managing Director, Sperry Van Ness/Kearney Commercial Realty, Inc., South Florida

Florida’s most experienced commercial real estate tax assessment, consulting and asset recovery specialists at Sperry Van Ness South Florida Commercial Real Estate Investment Services can provide the services and expertise you need to navigate this very challenging upcoming year, to extract maximum return from your real estate investments, and to protect or recover value from the assets you already own.

For example, the Florida Asset Recovery Team at Sperry Van Ness (SVNART) was created to provide any client a single full service resource for the efficient and effective workout and disposition of any real estate related asset - including loans, portfolios and individual properties of all asset types. In addition to delivering optimal returns to their clients, SVNART and their strategic partners provide expert guidance throughout all phases of the Florida commercial real estate market lifecycle including Broker Opinion of Value, Appraisal, Marketing Proposals, Market Research, Leasing Services Property Management, Asset Preservation, accelerated Marketing/Auction, Sealed Bid, Investment Brokerage Services, Leasing Services and Loan Sales.

The real opportunities in today's difficult but navigable Florida commercial real estate market are not found by following simple collective wisdom or “the herd mentality”, but can be found in the application of any or all of the following Seven Strategies for 2009 Florida Commercial Real Estate Investing. These strategies are precisely the kind of professional commercial real estate advisory services offered at West Palm Beach, FL offices of Sperry Van Ness and throughout the surrounding areas.

Read more here about 7 Strategies for 2009 Florida Commercial Real Estate Investing and Tax Reductions...

In the past, businesses have looked for college graduates because of their raw talent, hunger, and energy. There’s no replacement for someone who can work for hours on end - on suspect diets of caffeine and Twinkies. There are also folks who have been around the workforce and real estate market for a while, but who may have pigeon-holed themselves into a certain job type or role. Many of these folks could use some serious business coaching.

There may even be many among the experienced workforce set who have lost some of their communication and business skills, and may feel they are in a dead end job with nowhere to go. These can be office workers, real estate agents or mortgage officers, IT professionals and even corporate managers or executives. It can be depressing thinking that you are stuck in one field, one area and at one salary or commission level. It’s even worse when the economy turns south (or IS south, as in Antarctica South, right now), because you continually take cuts in pay and percentages - and that can petrify you into never actually acting on a job change or opportunity.

The is the right time, in this economy, to take stock of your personal capability to derive success, satisfaction and reward from your business role and efforts.

The truth is, with a little bit of business coaching you can learn how to revive your career, make some gains financially, and ultimately become more satisfied in your job...and Northern Virginia business coaching is readily available from a number of trained and qualified coaches (if in fact you're in the greater Washington DC metropolitan region, including Maryland and Northern Virginia). By taking advantage of professional business coaching and guidance, you can learn to make opportunities for yourself - rather than wait for other people to make them for you.

You have to look at a business coach as your personal consultant who can help open things up for you - little by little - until you can take the ball and run with it.

Read more about this critical Washington DC Business advice...

Although most commercial real estate markets have taken their lumps from the continuing economic decline, there are a number of avenues to pursue and advice to follow that can help maintain and improve the value of your commercial real estate investments. Asset recovery services, commercial real estate tax reductions and appeals, and ad valorem tax challenges are a few of the tactics that the most well-informed commercial real estate investors engage in, regardless of market conditions, and especially at this time.

Here's an example of a broker/advisor who can be very helpful, especially for Florida commercial real estate tax advice and asset recovery services - Sperry Van Ness of West Palm Beach. SVN also has offices, brokers and advisors in locations around the US; take advantage of their very timely services to get the most out of a difficult selling market, and get a leg up on the competition once the buying really takes off.