Burke, VA

It doesn't matter how many times you move each time seems to bring a new set of challenges. Often the move just across town is the hardest as you think maybe I'll just throw the little things in my car and not worry about wrapping them up. It never fails that is the time you have to hit your brakes and everything goes flying.

One of the most important things you can do when you are getting ready for a move is to create a move checklist. If you are undertaking a "Do it yourself" move start scouring your local Craig's List for free moving supplies. You might be surprised to find everything you need, except perhaps the tape available for you to pick up close by.

Start clearing out your closets and bookshelves of any items that you no longer wear or books you no longer read. Remember that every box you pack is either one you have to move yourself or if you are hiring professional movers adds to the weight of your shipment and adds up in dollars.

Make sure that you have a special place in your home set aside for important papers. You don't want those to go in your moving truck, especially on a long distance move. Insurance papers, medical records, bank and credit card information and medications all needs to go with you. If you have a pet don't forget their papers as well.

Create a special box for your first night in your new home. A clean set of sheets, the always important toilet paper, paper towels and any other necessities you might need and don't want to spend hours looking for in the chaos of a move.

These are just a few simple steps to get your started.

If you find yourself facing a move either locally or across the country give me a call. As a referral specialist I help people just like you everyday make connections with great Realtors both in Northern Virginia and across the US.

In today's market selling your house may leave you feeling vulnerable.  Not only is your house a huge financial asset, but you have strangers peering in your closets, appraisers judging your home's value and inspectors noting its flaws. A low offer in the midst of all of this can seem like a personal affront. However, no matter how well you have prepared your house or how certain you are that it's priced correctly; receiving a low offer is a possibility. Prepare yourself ahead of time to not take it personally. Instead of getting angry, do one of two things: Reject the offer, or counter it and move on.

If you do decide to counter the offer, try to get as much information as you can about why the offer came in at the price it did. Take a good look at the condition of your property. How does it REALLY look? It is amazing how quickly a buyer will undervalue your home based on outdated carpet, tile, light fixtures, bathrooms and kitchens. Remember that cost and value are not synonymous. If you have over personalized your home you might love it but a buyer might be looking how much it will cost to undo all of the paint and wallpaper.

If your home has been on the market for some time and you have not re-evaluated your price then the offer may be closer than you think. Have your agent take a good look at the most recent comparable properties and see if there have been similar properties that have sold at a lower price. You may be surprised to learn that the home one street over may have sold recently at significantly less than you think. When this happens it has an immediate impact of the value of your home.

Look at all of the contingencies in the contract. Make sure that you are considering all of the factors in the offer. Don't focus just on price. Make sure that you examine all of the other portions of the contract as well. Sometimes price is not the only factor that makes a contract worth considering.

If you decide that you just can't live with what is on the table then by all means move on. Make sure you and your agent understand your reasons for refusing the offer so that there are no lingering issues when the next offer arrives.

In the 1950's the farming community of Burke, VA was the proposed site for Dulles Airport.  Due to the efforts of the few families that lived in the area at the time, the airport plan was derailed and moved to Chantilly where Dulles Airport is today. It is hard to imagine how different the area would be if the government had succeed in their plans.   Even though they fought and won the battle not to build the airport most of the farm homes and land had been purchased and condemned by the government leaving the area virtually deserted.

After the Dulles Airport proposal was killed dvelopers realized the potential of a signficant parcel of land only 20 miles outside of Washington DC and the area of Burke began to grow.  Part of the land was turned over to the Fairfax Park Authority to make up Burke Lake Park and the majority of the rest of the land became the area known as Burke Centre.

The homes that make up the area known as Burke Centre were built on a 1700 acre parcel of land and with the strong Burke Centre Conservancy retain a great connection with nature. Thirty miles of bike paths, six ponds, a lake and five community centers where owners can find nature and activities right outside their doors. Terra Centre Elementary School was one of the first earth sheltered schools built in the area and the roof is still used today by students as their athletic field.

With over 5800 homes divided into five distinct neighborhoods: Landing, Woods, Oaks, Commons and Ponds; Burke Centre is one of the largest planned communities in Fairfax County. With the Burke Station VRE, Metro Bus transportation and major highways close by, Burke Centre is a popular location for Northern Virginia homeowners who work in DC. 

Since the first homes were built in Burke in 1976 the area has also been popular with military families stationed at Ft.Belvoir, the Pentagon and Military District of Washington installations.

If you are interested in buying or selling a home in Burke Centre give Cindy Jones a call at 703-346-2213. My team also serves other areas of Northern Virginia including Alexandria, Clifton, Lorton, Fairfax Station, Manassas, Woodbridge and surrounding neighborhoods. . Stop by VaRealEstateTalk, Cindy Jones Homes or Military Relocation News for more information. Search all homes available in the Northern Virginia area.

It is happening every day in dark alleys throughout Northern Virginia. Fun is happening away from the glare of the hot summer sun. How can it be? It is easy when you let your eyes adjust to the darkness and spy a group of adults tossing a grapefruit size ball at miniature pins in a game of duck pin bowling or a party full of little bowlers keeping the ball in the lane with the rubber bumpers covering the gutters.

Back in the day bowling alleys had the reputation of being smoke filled buildings with greasy fries and hot dogs as the main attraction. My dad wouldn't let me go the bowling alley a few blocks from our house because that was where the "Fonz" characters hung out. Ironically that same Springfield bowling alley eventually became the Long & Foster Real Estate office where I worked in for 3 years.

Fast forward to today and you will find a new breed of bowling alley with plenty of fun for everyone. When the weather in Northern Virginia gets muggy everyone starts to look for ways to find entertainment inside and bowling is a great alternative to the wave pools and better for you than a bucket of buttered popcorn.

When my kids were growing up we used to hit the Bowl America Lanes in Burke on oppressive days and discovered it was a great way to pass away an afternoon. We even hit a bowling alley in the UK on a rainy day and discovered cosmic bowling. Nothing like a lime green bowling ball glowing under black light to pick up your spirits!

In Northern Virginia you can find bowling alleys scattered throughout the area and most of them offer a wide variety of activities for all age groups. Kids are never disappointed by a gutter ball with the blow up bumpers and with the automatic scoreboards no one can be accused of miscounting the remaining pins. So try something different and head to your local bowling alley.

Of course it does. This morning the alarm went off at 4:45 (We rise early and start our day at the gym).

I turned on the local news - school closings were scrolling across the bottom of the screen. It hadn't even started to snow yet. Our part of the National Capital Area was forecast to receive 1 to 2 inches. As you can see by the picture of our deck this could hardly be called a record snowfall.

Arthur and I have lived in northern tier states where they only close school if they can't find the school bus.

The problem here is that we have several varieties of driver.

The Invincibles These are the guys with a modified pickup trucks that look like Giant Tonka Toys. They pass you at breakneck speed throwing slush or snow all over your windshield. It is not at all unusual to find them in a ditch on the side of the road about a mile up the road. Honk as you pass them.

The Equatorials Due to the fact this is our nation's capital we have a great many foreign visitors that come from countries where they grow bananas, pineapples and guava. We pray for these folks as they have absolutely no idea what is about to happen when they apply the brakes.

The Governmentals They have the option to take unscheduled leave. This way they don't have to worry about being stuck in a traffic jam on the way home during the evening rush hour. However, they use the time to go to the malls and foul up traffic anyway.

The Supermarket Rushers. These folks will travel to three or four supermarkets to purchase a three week supply of toilet paper, bread and milk.

The interesting aspect of all this is that the forecast for tomorrow is sunny and 46 degrees.