One of our favorite weekly features in the Washington Post is “House Calls”. The Post invites Northern Virginia residents (well, really anyone in the greater metropolitan area) to submit photos, room dimensions, and information about a particularly challenging room.
In return, the Post recruits a local designer to do a free virtual room makeover for one lucky homeowner. The results are published every Thursday in the Home section of the Post.
The designers change every week but the idea is the same. The homeowners describe what they want to accomplish and the challenges they have encountered. They can even declare certain pieces of furniture, wall colors, carpeting that they need or want to keep.
For more on how to get a free makeover, visit:
In keeping with its well deserved reputation as a dog friendly city, Alexandria will host the Fifth Annual Doggie Day Swim party on Tuesday, September 2. The event is slated to run from 4:00 - 7:00pm at the Old Town Pool, 1609 Cameron St.
Admission is $5 and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.
Labor Day marks the official end of the summer pool season - for humans - but the city’s dogs will have the last swim, complete with games, treats and toys.
All participating dogs must wear current vaccination tags and be well-behaved both in and out of the pool. “Handlers” must be 16 yrs. of age or older and may not swim or enter the pool with their dogs.
For more information., call the Chinquapin Park Recreation Center at 703.519.2160.
I don’t know about you but this sounds like a whole lot of fun to me!
Michael
want to know more about dog friendly Alexandria? Visit us at:
Bizjournals has identified Arlington and Alexandria as two of America’s top 10 wealth centers. Wealth centers are defined as communities that manage to blend substantial size (populations above 100,000) with considerable affluence.
To read more about what makes Alexandria such a great place to live, visit:
Today, many sellers are unknowingly contributing to the overall losses in home values. This happens when sellers hold on to an “emotional” asking price - which is often is unrealistically high. Current market buyers have done their homework and know when to take action on a property that is priced right.
When sellers are unsuccessful in getting their house sold because of price, they are contributing to the continuation of a downward price spiral.
Here’s why: Real estate is a commodity in the marketplace. When there is an oversupply of inventory, prices go down. When sellers price their house over what knowledgeable buyers know is the reasonable current market price, the property stays on the market, continuing the oversupply.
To read more about today's market, visit:
Alexandria’s Jefferson Houston Elementary School will receive full state accreditation this fall thanks to dramatic increases in state and federal test scores. The percentage of students passing the English test moved up from 62% to 77% and the percentage of students passing the math test jumped from 59% to 77%. Test scores also insure that the school will meet federal standards under the No Child Left Behind Act.
Jefferson Houston - an integral part of the historic Parker-Gray neighborhood - has struggled since a controversial redistricting in 1999 that shifted many West End students to Tucker Elementary in Cameron Station. Inconsistent leadership was a key issue with five principals rotating through in a six-year period. Kimberly Graves was hired in 2006 and within weeks teachers and parents alike understood that meeting standards was a minimum expectation.
To read more about Jefferson-Houston, visit
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An Accredited Buyers Agent and Senior Real Estate Specialist. Graduate, Realtors Institute. Working with first time buyers and military families is a priority. Licensed in Virginia and WDC.
Alexandria - Northern Virginia's Best Small City
A busy community in the heart of Northern Virginia, Alexandria offers the best in small city living:
a thriving downtown
tightly knit neighborhoods
high walkability scores
public transportation
Working with first time home buyers and military families makes me glad to be an agent. Answering questions and walking buyers through the process never gets old!
If you are first time buyer or a buyer new to the Commonwealth of Virginia, it is important to understand the role of real estate agents in your transaction. Virginia allows the buyer a choice of who will represent them in the purchase of a new home. This person is known as a buyer's agent.
Imagine that you are out and see an open house sign. You go in, look around and begin talking with the on site agent. This person is usually a listing agent. It means they have signed a listing agreement with the seller that clearly states that they will act and protect the seller's interest in the transaction.
Because they represent the seller, the agent cannot give you unbiased advice on pricing, inspections, comparable sales, contingencies, etc. In fact, any information that you receive will all be in favor of the seller. There is actually nothing wrong with this, the listing agent is just doing his or her job, but as a buyer, you want someone representing your interests. That's where an Accredited Buyers Representative comes in.
An Accredited Buyers Representative (ABR) is a licensed real estate agent who has completed an additional course of study and serves specifically as an agent for buyers in a real estate transaction. Buyers sign an agreement with an agent, just like a seller signs a listing agreement. As a Buyer's Representative I make sure my clients are well served in the negotiating process and fairly represented.
I am also a Senior Real Estate Specialist, working with a team of profesionals to make the buying and selling process for "seniors" as uncomplicated and streamlined as possible. My interest in this area comes from personal experience with my own parents and with my mother-in-law. I can recommend everything from moving companies to move in specialists to assisted living facilities. If you are helping an older family member make a move, give me a call.
“I referred a real estate deal to Michael and he handled it like a Pro!” Steve R.
"We first met Michael when we moved to the Northern Virginia area as renters. A year later when we decided to buy we called Michael to help us find a foreclosure in our price range. He never lost patience or confidence that we would find what we wanted and answered all our questions, multiple times over! We highly recommend Michael and look forward to working with him again in the future." Jimmy and Karen W.
"We met Michael at an open house and he went on to help us buy our very first house. Two children later we called Michael to sell that house and to find us a new one. He did both in short order and with great good humor, patience and professionalism. When a sticky situation arose around move in day, Michael was right there, working with the seller and her agent to resolve the issue and avoid delays. Michael is a pleasure to work with and we can't think of a better agent in the Northern Virginia area." Frank and Gillian H.
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
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