With the Mayor, most of Alexandria's City Council and U.S. Representative Jim Moran in attendance, the 2009 Del Ray Halloween Parade showed off under crisp blue skies only slightly behind schedule and with a record crowd.
A true home grown event, the Del Ray Halloween Parade is a chance for everyone - dogs, parents, babies, etc. - to put on a costume, or at least a funny hat, and make their way down Mt. Vernon Avenue.
And if you didn't want to "parade" it was perfectly acceptable to simply observe.
The really smart folks grabbed every available table at outdoor dining spots along the parade route which made it a great day for all of Del Ray's businesses.
Capping the night off - the Spooky Bean Halloween sponsored by Bean Creative on Mt. Vernon Avenue.
A special shout out to Gayle Reuter, the driving force behind the Del Ray Halloween Parade. It wouldn't get done without you!
One of our neighbors at 210 Monroe Avenue in Alexandria's Del Ray neighborhood has taken Halloween decorating to a whole new level with this "vivid" depiction of events of the past year or so in the financial markets.
As much as I like to take the "high road" I have to admit that the image of Bernie Madoff makes me chuckle and I think the little pigs are really appropriate.
Thanks to one of our regular subscribers for alerting us to these great images. Stay tuned tomorrow for scenes from the Del Ray Halloween Parade.
Michael
Virginia has just been ranked as the top state for business for the fourth straight year by Forbes Magazine. According to reporter Kurt Badenhausen, the Best States ranking measures six vital categories for businesses:
Thirty three different points of data determine the ranks in the six main areas. Business costs, which include labor, energy and taxes are weighted the most heavily. Nine different providers supply data with Moody's Economy.com being the most utilized resource.
Badenhausen goes on to say: Relative to the rest of the country, Virginia is booming. Its 6.5% unemployment rate is fifth lowest in the country with the four states ahead of it all having dramatically smaller economies and employment bases.
Virginia is the only state ranked in the top 20 in each of the six broad categories we examined. The state finished in the top three in half of those categories (labor supply, regulatory environment and quality of life). Virginia's $325 billion economy is expected to be the 10th largest in the U.S. in 2009.
The state benefits from a highly educated workforce that is expected to expand over the next five years. Energy costs are 30% below the national average. The state government's finances are in good shape--it's held on to a top AAA rating from Moody's since 1971.
Eleven public companies with more than $10 billion in revenues call it home and smart incentives help, too. Each year Park Ridge, Ill.-based Pollina Corporate Real Estate does a study that compares states' economic development departments and programs. This year Virginia topped the Pollina study after finishing second last year.
"Virginia's economic development department truly understands what global competition is all about," says Brent Pollina, who authored the study. The Virginia Jobs Investment Program, for example, is open to both new and existing companies and offers flexible and customized employee recruiting and job training for businesses. The program has helped more than 2,400 companies over the past five years recruit and train 75,000 Virginians.
On the downside, Badenhausen did note that Virginia's economy has deteriorated, with the number of unemployed soaring 60%, while gross state product is flat and household incomes are expected to fall 4 percent.
All in all, this is continued good news for the housing market.
This week's offering is a bit different than our normal "Scenic Sundays" but it was an opportunity I didn't want to miss. Yesterday some 40 members of the World Association of Flower Arrangers, gathered at historic Christ Church Alexandria for a hands on course in "How to Decorate a Colonial Church."
After a morning spent building wreaths, swags, candle rings, roping and more, the group moved to the main church to put their pieces in place. The result? Beauty worthy of any interior design magazine and a glorious tribute to a church that has stood for more than 250 years.
Double click on each photo to bring it to full size. Enjoy -
l
Twelve Northern Virginia restaurants have taken top honors on this year's Washington Post list of best restaurants.
Noted by restaurant critic Tom Sietsman are:
Using one to four stars, this is Sietseman's rating system:
*Satisfactory - restaurants that are useful to know about if you are nearby; they may have only a few dishes or a single quality, such as a view or atmosphere, to distinguish them.
**Good - restaurants with generally appealing cooking, service and settings, they tend to be worth driving across town for.
***Excellent - rewarding destinations, no matter where you're coming from; they typically blend high-quality cooking with the environs.
****Superlative - an unsurpassed dining experience ; these restaurants do what they do extraordinarily well.
Look's like I have some new places to try -
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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.
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