About Fairfax's Kings Park West

This article was from the Washington Examiner dated October 18, 2009. The Principal Daniel Meier is still in office as the Principal presumably until found guilty in a court of law. My only objection is what kind of morals does this teach our youth? Robinson Secondary School is an exceptional high School in one of, if not, the best school systems in the United States. We continually tell our kids not to steal or do drugs, and then this happens...

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/crime/Teachers_-principals-caught-in-fraud-case-8398445.html

Yesterday I gave up and pulled the For Sale sign out of the ground of my listing in Kings Park West.

Fortunately the sign that replaced it said SOLD! Actually once an offer came in on the property the transaction went fairly smoothly. They way we like them to go.

The only glitch came at the settlement table when a question was raised about the difference of opinion between “code requirement” from a home inspector and an electrician who said “no it isn’t.” Now here is where working with reasonable people and settlement companies that are on the ball always helps. Instead of trying to figure out who might be right the settlement company made a call to county building department and found out that the electrician was correct. Had they not been willing to make that call the sellers might have been put in a position to fix a large electrical “issue” that really wasn’t.

The sellers are moving into their new home tonight and the builder even let them have a pre-occupancy agreement so they wouldn’t be homeless or have to store their furniture. When was the last time that happened?

The For Sale sign is in the back of the car and headed towards a new listing in West Springfield this morning.

In conjunction with my new listing at 4948 Gainsborough Drive in Kings Park West I have updated my original Kings Park post from Feb 2008. 

It isn't hard to figure out what the developer of the first Kings Park was planning when they laid out the plan for the community and the homes. With one look at the street names Thames, Victoria, Trafalgar and Cromwell among others you might think you have made a trip back to England. Then when you add the names of the five original models; King, Queen, Princess, Duke and Duchess, you realize absolutely there is a royal connection!

My family bought our very first home in Kings Park in 1981. Having just returned from five years overseas we were anxious to settle down for awhile and having grown up in Springfield it was an easy choice to make the original Kings Park our first "real home." We were attracted to the neighborhood due to the mature trees, green space parks, community pools and easy commuting to our jobs. With the gentle slope of our 1/3 acre lot we were able to set up a zip line between the top of the back yard and the back fence which became a neighborhood hangout for the under 5 age group!

Since Kings Park was first built over 40 years ago it has been popular with military families looking for easy access to the Pentagon and for families with children who want to attend schools in the Lake Braddock School Pyramid. You can walk or ride your bike through two different "back" entrances to Lake Accotink or stay in the neighborhood and play at the community park. This year the community is starting the redesign process with the Fairfax County Park Authority to revitalize the community park to bring it up to date with the activities of today's family. One of the original pools in the community was closed (Royal Pool) and the land will now be incorporated into the expanded park.

At the same time that the original homes in Kings Park were going up at "end of Braddock Road" the developer also had their sights set on land just a little further west. In 1967 the deed to the land that would then become Kings Park West was approved by the county and in 1968 the first homes were completed. The theme continued with more names right out of the history books of England and with the addition of five new models; Essex, Regent, Baron, Cromwell and York, larger than in the original Kings Park neighborhood. Just as the first neighborhood had access to community parks Kings Park West also has Royal Lake and four community pools.

During the summer both Lake Accotink Park and Royal Lake host free Friday night summertime concerts which are an absolute hit with everyone. Music ranges through swing, jazz, pop and rock. If you haven't seen your neighbors for a few days chances are you will find them there with a picnic basket and folding chairs. So if you are looking for two neighborhoods with royal lineage then take a look at Kings Park and Kings Park West. You may find your next home among the mature trees.

If you are interested in learning more about Kings Park and Kings Park West or other local Northern Virginia neighborhoods give me a call.  We can meet for a cup of coffee and talk about your real estate needs.   As a native of the area I can give you a tour not only a new place to call home but other areas of interest for you and your family.