Fort Belvoir, VA

Next week is Transit Week in Virginia. This event has happened every year since 2005 and it is a challenge for Virginian's to use our wide variety of public transportation options instead of jumping into their car. Many folks will shake their heads and say there is NO WAY you can live in this area without a car. My daughter and her husband live in Alexandria, don't own a car and get around Northern Virginia with very few problems.

How do they manage? First and foremost is planning. They have studied the bus schedules and keep them handy on their phones when they are out. Northern Virginia offers residents the WMTA Metro bus system that covers most of the area as well as local buses including the ART buses in Arlington, the DASH bus in Alexandria, the Fairfax County Connector and PRTC in Prince William County to name a few. Most of these bus routes have stops at VRE and Metro Stations to extend commuting options even further. If the bus, train or metro doesn't get them where they need to go they walk.

Currently my daughter commutes 3 days a week between Parkfairfax in Alexandria where they live to George Mason University in Fairfax VA. She walks to the Shirlington Transit Station catches the bus to the Pentagon Metro, transfers to the Orange Line Metro to Vienna and then takes the GMU Shuttle Bus that stops every 15 minutes at the Metro Station. The one-way trip is about an hour. Since she has to be on campus by 9AM the drive would take at least that long if not more with rush hour traffic and parking on campus. My son-in-law is an IT Contractor and has worked as far out as Herndon VA, again commuting by bus and/or metro.

They have the advantage of living within walking distance of Shirlington VA for multiple restaurants and also can walk to Bradlee Shopping center in Fairlington for additional shopping. They also lived in London for a number of years and understand that public transportation may not be glamorous but it is functional. It may be harder for Northern Virginia residents who live in suburbs further outside the city to use public transportation 100% of the time but a larger percentage of daily living can be done with public transportation if you plan correctly.

If you are relocating to Northern Virginia understanding the commuting options offered in the area can be a big part of helping you decide where to live. Northern Virginia offers a wide variety of home styles and commuting options for those who want to live without a car to those who want to live in the rural countryside. Give Cindy Jones and CJ Realty Group a call at 703-346-2213 f you are headed to Northern Virginia. Put our experience help guide you to the right neighborhood and the right commuting options for you.

Well the news might have said that but were they talking about Northern Virginia?

If you are thinking about buying new construction in Northern Virginia give Cindy Jones and CJ Realty Group a call at 703-346-2213. Let's talk about what is happening in the Northern Virginia market, new home pricing and incentives being offered by builders throughout the area. CJ Realty Group also offers our buyer's a new construction buying credit which can add to the money you save on your bottom line. Check out our new home construction buying guide and then give us a call to schedule a meeting BEFORE you visit a Northern Virginia builder.

The last five years have brought a lot of changes to the Northern Virginia landscape.  If you live near Fort Belvoir, the old Fort Belvoir Engineering Proving Grounds or the Marc Center in Alexandria you can't help but notice all of the new buildings.  The movement of new people into the area and realignment of work centers has been going on for sometime and still continues with moves that could take until 2015 in some areas.

Recently the Washington Examiner interviewed me for an article; "Local resources offer help for BRAC Families" regarding some of the assistance I've provided to families moving to or within the area.  Over the last month two Army physicians relocating from Walter Reed to the new Fort Belvoir Community Hospital contacted me about rental properties close to Fort Belvoir and both are now living in the Belmont Bay community in Woodbridge.  Another family contacted me with only two weeks to find a home to rent.  I did the leg work, they never made a house hunting trip and when they arrived the home in Reston was ready for them. 

Though the number of civilians and military families who ultimately need to or will relocate to the area is not equal to the number of civilian and military jobs estimated as part of BRAC moves, there are still people making a housing shift.  For many working at Fort Belvoir the shift has been to move south of the base to communities in nearby Prince William County VA.  For those who are looking to buy a home the incentives offered by new home builders has been attractive and for those who don't have time to wait Prince William County offers a wide selection of neighborhoods with reasonably priced resale homes. 

If you have discovered you need to make a move as part of BRAC 05 to any of the new work centers including the National Geospatial Agency (NGA) in Springfield, the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital or the Marc Center (BRAC 133) give Cindy Jones and CJ Realty Group a call at 703-346-2213.  We've helped multiple families making the transition as a result of BRAC 05, both locally and from out of the area, over the last few years.  Let our experience and knowledge of the local area work for you.

Quick tour of Fort Belvoir Community Hospital and Wounded Warrior Transition Center

I'm not sure where this originated but there is a powerful message here. I've read some Facebook and blog posts suggesting a conspiracy since many of the men who lost their lives were part of the Seal Team 6 involved in Bin Laden's death. Some have suggested it was to silence them from telling the truth. It's so easy to forget the real loss of what happened on this week.

30 lost
30 unwanted visits
30 doors receive that dreaded knock
30 families with shattered hearts
30 pairs of boots lined up with rifles and dog tags and helmets
30 comrades remembered and grieved for
30 funeral services
30 names on newly made grave markers,
30 empty places at the table
30 souls who gave all, whose lives leave a void
So let's take 31 seconds to re-post this and pause to reflect on such a sacrifice as 31 gone forever.

Special operation forces protect us everyday. They don't do it for the recognition from any of us but they do deserve our respect when tragedy strikes. If you've ever had that knock on your door you know exactly how it instantly changes your life. Don't disrespect their families with rumors and innuendos.

We hear a lot of talk about it being a "buyer's market" in Northern Virginia. That may or may not be true depending on where you want to live. But without a doubt it has become a Landlord's market when it comes to rentals close to Fort Belvor or the new NGA facilty in Springfield.

At least two or three times a week I get an email request from someone relocating to the area. They want a reasonable commute to Fort Belvoir, NGA or access to public transportation to DC. Easy enough to do. Then the hard part or perhaps the reality part hits. Most often they want a a 3 or 4 bedroom detached home with a garage for under $2000 a month. Unfortunately reality is the rental prices for a detached homes meeting this criteria starts closer to $2300 and more likely will be $2500 or more per month.

The reaction is always the same...ouch...okay I cleaned it up a bit but the reality is landlord's are taking a look at the explosive growth and saying GOTCHA. Recently I talked to one of my clients who has been in the same rental for 3 years. They asked to renew their lease for another year and the landlord wanted them to increase their rent by almost $500 per month to stay. Sure enough when I ran the comps for them that was close to the current rent for other properties in the same neighborhood. They worked out solution but it was a shock to them how much prices had gone up.

If you are coming to the Fort Belvoir or NGA you need to be prepared. If you increase your commute time you will have better luck finding a nice home in Prince William County at the $2000 price point. If you want to stay close to your new job then take a deep breath and be prepared for rental sticker shock.