LEE ELLIS, e-PRO Trainer. "RealtyLee" Green Homes & Technology Consultant

Caribou Coffee in Lorton, VA quenches thirsts of Fairfax South County locals, weary house-hunters, and neighborhood parents and kids lately with some healthy specials. A sign in the window of this Lorton Market Street business entices customers to try any of three different featured beverages on Mondays. And if you need some tips on what to order, you may find Dan and Faisal behind the counter, both ready with details about all the menu offerings. If you notice the daily quiz* on the overhead menu, and tell them the right answer, you'll get a few cents off the regular price of your order, too.

Once you have that order, you can get comfortable in the upholstered chairs near the fireplace (not needed for warmth this summer!), cozy up near the front windows, sit at the tall bistro tables along the side, or settle in at a table toward the back. That's also where this Caribou Coffee keeps its collection of toys and games for kids (and those young at heart), and the toys are free to use during your visit. Around the corner is is a second bulletin board with information about South County happenings and people.

If the weather is suitable and your coffee or food order is portable, sitting at the tables and chairs outside the storefront lets you watch Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express (VRE) trains and shopping center pedestrains. (This can be interesting; a hair and nail salon and day spa is next door. The Shoppers grocery and Virginia ABC Store are a few doors down in the other direction!) Complimentary wi-fi for customers is another nice feature at this Lorton coffee shop.

On the day I visited this Lorton Caribou Coffee this week, my choice, after some counseling by Faisal, was a decaf, iced, Cold Press coffee with chocolate for some sweetness -- for $2 on Mondays. Yum. I was amused to find the caffeinated cousin of this beverage listed on the Caribou Coffee Web site, minus the chocolate flavoring, and I'm pleased to report that this beverage can be adapted into a surprisingly low-calorie treat. A small size Cold Press coffee, without whipped cream or flavoring, is just five (5) calories. (Presumably the decaf version is a similar calorie count, though I did add some skim milk.) The small iced mocha with skim milk tallies up at 150 calories with seven grams of protein. Compared to 300+ calorie frozen and blended drinks available from many coffee vendors in Northern Virginia, that's a pleasant option for people looking to keep diets skinny and their wallets fat!

* Besides seeking nutritional information on the Caribou Coffee Web site, you may want to scan it for the correct answer to the daily quiz before you order -- so you may get your discount at the register! If you visit this Caribou Coffee in Lorton, VA after perusing this article, please let them know South County REALTOR Lee Ellis tipped you off to some quiz answers! Then smile and enjoy!

Caribou Coffee. 9425 Lorton Market Street. Tel. 703-372-1510. Lorton Marketplace shopping center near Shopper's Grocery, Glory Days grill and ABC store in Lorton, VA 22079.

Finding Good Hair Day in Lorton, VA 22079, a sophisticated South County Salon may be a nice surprise compared to what people who had visited the area a few years ago may expect. Much of the residential development in Fairfax South County, including most of the luxury properties including some green homes, is fairly new, and it can take some time for specialty retail and local businesses keen on great customer service to move into a neighborhood. It's in keeping, too, that the stylish residents of these Fairfax County homes would want a high quality, full service hair salon. Good Hair Day is that and more. Open Tuesday through Saturday with evening hours on weekdays, "GHD" salon manages to impress suburban parents, weary Washington DC commuters and even savvy big-city salon clients.

A young woman with a fresh outlook, Pam Behbahani established Good Hair Day salon in Lorton, VA in Spring 2003, and wanted it to be a place to "do good work and treat people nicely." It's a family-oriented business, with Pam's mom working wonders (even on short notice) with appointment scheduling and two stylists whom Pam's known for years also counseling and coiffing clients. It's not uncommon for entire families to be Good Hair Day salon clients, since each stylist is trained in unisex hair styling, and there area so many single family homes in nearby South County neighborhoods like Laurel Hill, Laurel Highlands, Crosspointe, Barrington and Newington Forest. Pam and her crew have shaped Good Hair Day into a warm and pleasant place in Lorton to get a hair cut, style, color, highlighting, and even waxing and makeup lessons.

With reasonable prices, peaceful ambiance and an offer of a beverage before most services, the crew at Good Hair Day in Lorton makes clients feel welcome. The South County salon has a cozy feel partly due to its whimsical murals and artisitc accent painting. The layout makes excellent use of space with natural light streaming in from the front windows, comfortable chairs in the entry and unobtrusive shelves featuring hair and makeup products (such as Bare Escentuals/Bare Minerals, Goldwell and Pureology) which the stylists use and recommend. The GHD Web site, at GoodHairDaySalon.com entices South County neighborhood regulars and area newcomers, and sparks repeat visits, sometimes by those who've discovered a desirable coupon online.

Good Hair Day Salon. 8216 Gunston Corner LN; Lorton, VA 22079. Tel. 703-690-4247 (That's 703-690- H A I R).

For more information about homes in Fairfax South County area and nearby businesses, please contact Lee Ellis, REALTOR e-PRO, 202-255-7790.

Spring Hill in Lorton,VA will soon get new condos built! Spring Hill’s location in the South County area -- the fastest growing part of Fairfax County -- has made it popular, and the condos will complement the two and three-bedroom detached homes already available. Pulte, the builder of this vibrant active adult community west of I-95, is advertising condos with starting prices expected at less than $200,000, plus tempting incentives may sweeten the deal.

The amenities at Spring Hill read like a resort description, beginning with the state-of-the-art 11,000-square-foot clubhouse. It features an indoor pool, fitness center and billiards and game room. Neighbors can participate in billiards and poker games, and regular community-wide events and special parties in the well-appointed clubhouse.

Spring Hill homeowners enjoy staying in shape using modern weight-training and workout equipment and taking aerobics classes in the fitness center, all just steps away from their front doors. Inside Spring Hill’s aquatic center is an inviting pool for fun and exercise and a whirlpool for soothing muscles and relaxing. Residents can use bocce ball and tennis courts, too.

Spring Hill, a gated community with an entrance off Silverbrook Road and Laurel Crest Drive, benefits from a flurry of recent improvements and thoughtful development in Fairfax’s South County. The Workhouse Arts Center hosts concerts, seasonal events, exhibitions and instruction in fine arts such as painting and ceramics classes. The new and top-ranked 18-hole Laurel Hill Golf Club with a its clubhouse and restaurant is just down the street and is managed by the county. South Run RECenter, a county-run complex with soccer and baseball fields, tennis courts, swings and playgrounds, an indoor pool and a whirlpool is a short ride away and accessible from the Fairfax County Parkway. The area also has plenty of local hiking, biking and nature paths to add to the recreation options at Spring Hill.

Since it’s an active adult community, at least one resident in each home must be 55 years of age or older, and all permanent residents in each home are to be 19 years of age or older. That’s not to say that Spring Hill residents can’t welcome visitors of all ages; they can! In fact, Spring Hill lists tot lots for visiting youngsters as one of the community amenities.

If you’re interested in Spring Hill and what Fairfax South County can offer you, please contact Lee Ellis, REALTOR, e-PRO for more information. Images courtesy of Pulte, a developer of Spring Hill and Laurel Hill, Pulte.com.

When Golfweek ranked Laurel Hill at #15 among the 50 best U.S. municipal courses in the May 2009 issue, many people began to learn just how lovely it is to be living in Lorton, VA near Fairfax County's Laurel Hill Golf Club. Located at 8700 Laurel Crest Drive near South County Secondary School and the new Laurel Hill Elementary, the course lies within one mile from I-95, three miles of the Fairfax County Parkway (7100), and six miles of the Capital Beltway (I-495). A picturesque public golf course with a clubhouse, pro shop, restaurant and meeting and banquet facilities, Laurel Hill Golf Club is anything but a typical “muni” course.

For those who wouldn’t want playing golf at Laurel Hill to entail a long commute, here are a few neighborhoods very close to the course. Residents of these communities around Laurel Hill Golf Club would readily tell you that they are worthy of a closer look by golf enthusiasts who are considering a move, buying a second home or simply seeking investment property near Washington, DC -- and a great golf course.

The two closest neighborhoods to Laurel Hill Golf Club, bounded by Hooes Road, Silverbrook Road and Laurel Crest Drive, are Laurel Hill and Spring Hill. Laurel Hill is a vibrant community of relatively new detached homes and townhouses by two builders, Pulte and Centex. (Tip: Some Laurel Hill homes are “greener” than others not by being closer to the golf course but by a special construction method called Pulte Home Science; feel free to ask me for more information about these rare green homes in Fairfax County.) The large Laurel Hill homeowners association clubhouse and pool is sometimes the location for multi-neighborhood events like town hall meetings with local officials and swim meets with the Laurel Hill Tritons. Directly across Silverbrook Road from the Laurel Hill community is Spring Hill, an active adult community with a clubhouse, detached homes and soon-to-be-built condominiums by Pulte. Other close-in neighborhoods are Laurel Highlands, Callaway Green and Crosspointe.

For people who love this golf course which offers sweeping vistas yet “lies lightly on the land”, finding a home nearby may become a pleasant priority. The next closest course on Golfweek’s top 50 list, at #34, is a four-hour drive away in Harleysville, PA. Northern Virginia and DC-area residents and visitors alike will appreciate that Laurel Hill Golf Club has a service which lets subscribers schedule tee times up to 14 days in advance or even same-day. (A subscription currently costs $26/year and is available by calling 1-877-447-5358; reserve tee times up to 48 hours in advance at 1-877-776-3272, 24-hours a day. Laurel Hill Golf Club telephone, 703-493-8849.) So even if you’re just in the area for a short time, consider visiting Laurel Hill to play one of the top golf courses in the country or perhaps just to take in the views and some iced tea at the clubhouse!

Lee Ellis, REALTOR, e-PRO grew up near a great municipal golf course and still lives near another one, and plays tennis. For information about how you can find a property near Laurel Hill to suit you to a tee or about details on reusing this article, please don’t hesitate to call, write or send a text message.

People seeking grocery stores near Laurel Hill in Lorton, VA have plenty of options, and many are in new shopping centers with an array of retail outlets. And that’s a good thing because newer neighborhoods like Laurel Hill, Spring Hill and Laurel Highlands are attracting many residents and making South County the fastest growing part of Fairfax County, VA.

Laurel Hill features detached single family homes by two builders, plus one and two-car garage townhomes, so that's approximately 700 kitchens with pantries and refrigerators to fill! Here’s a rundown of the closest places to stock your Lorton, VA kitchen:

The closest large grocery store to Laurel Hill, about 1.5 miles drive from the Laurel Hill clubhouse, is Shoppers Food Warehouse. 9409 Lorton Market ST. Lorton, VA 22079. Tel. 703-372-2601.

The next closest grocery store to Laurel Hill, just more than a 2-mile drive is Bloom. 7760 Gunston Plaza Drive. Lorton, VA 22079. Tel. 703-550-9166.

On Route 123, the Giant grocery store anchors a shopping center and is walking distance to many homes in the Crosspointe and Crandall Run neighborhoods. 8941 Ox RD. Lorton, VA 22079. Tel. 703-690-5000.

For those who like speciality foods, Balducci's offers epicurean delights in Old Town Alexandria, complete with ready-made entrees, sides and a catering menu. Safeway has stores on Old Bridge Road in Lake Ridge, VA and on Old Keene Mill Road in Burke, VA. The Trader Joe’s closest to Laurel Hill is in Springfield, VA along with another Giant grocery store and a CVS pharmacy in the same plaza, and some Lorton resdients may prefer to shop at the Trader Joe's in Old Town Alexandria. Visible from I-95, the new Wegmans store in Woodbridge, VA is at the heart of swank new commercial and residential developments; watch for another Wegmans near Telegraph Road and Beulah Road which will serve residents and visitors of Lorton, Fairfax Station, Fort Belvoir and Kingstowne. There’s a Whole Foods in Springfield on Old Keene Mill Road and another store in Old Town Alexandria, VA on Duke Street with an underground parking garage and close enough for those arriving at the King Street Metro.

Laurel Hill residents who crave really fresh produce, jams, salsas and handmade confections can opt for the new Lorton farmer’s market, held Sundays, May 3 to October 25, 2009 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 8990 Lorton Station Blvd., Lorton, VA 22079. It occupies part of the parking lot for the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) commuter train, and kids of all ages get a kick out of watching and hearing the trains go by while strolling among the vendors’ booths.

It's become quite fashionable to have reusable bags for hauling groceries, and, Laurel Hill homeowners are keeping up with this trend. Most grocery stores sell their own store-branded resuable bags -- in case one forgets to bring bags, of course. Online stores carry versatile designer grocery bags (often made from recycled materials), and one can always just reuse existing bags by keeping them handy for routine and unscheduled grocery shopping trips. Since eating well is so important, you may also want to peruse books like the “Eat This, Not That” series by David Zinczenko and “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto” by Michael Pollan before heading to the store, to help you make good choices for your nutrition. And remember that old advice: don’t grocery shop on an empty stomach!

Happy grocery shopping!

Lee Ellis, REALTOR, e-PRO, finds fresh foods in Fairfax County and likes to share flavors and recipes with neighbors. For tips about grocery shopping in Lorton, VA or for using content in this post, please contact Lee. To find homes for sale in Laurel Hill, Spring Hill, Laurel Highlands and surrounding Fairfax County and Washington, DC communities, feel free to use the no-obligation home search tools at HomeInNOVA.com.