Doug Francis | Realtor

  • About Doug
  • Services
  • Sell Your Home
  • Case Studies
  • Get Started

Can my Home’s Location Change?

September 25, 2012 By Doug Francis

Today Show Roker and Corcoran Real Estate

Barbara tells it like she sees it!

If you ever watch Barbara Corcoran on the Today Show talking about real estate, she always stares Al Roker down to remind him it’s “location, location, location”.

Al usually laughs nervously… since he knows she’s a shark.

Location is essential and can be a real problem for home sellers who did not think that concept through when they bought their home. Or maybe they thought it through but their location has changed over the last decade or two.

Why? Because these days location is a moving target.

Yes, your location changed!

Over the past two decades there has been a ton of change that has taken place in Northern Virginia. Most of that change has occurred because of a thriving economy that has pumped private and public money into every nook and cranny imaginable. The results have been impressive with a growing population, improving infrastructure and quality of life.

So a home’s physical location will still be the same on a Google Map, but the surrounding community can change which will impact the value of the location.

I met an old friend for lunch recently and we took a short walk after lunch. As we walked along talking about football and work, I started to point out restaurants, the coffee shop and where the farmer’s market is over the weekend. It really did not feel like a sales pitch to me, but he was in shock because Vienna had not been this way when he lived there in 1993.

“I used to just drive down this street, now it’s where I could hang out” he said.

The location was exactly the same but now it was much more interesting because there was a sense of community.

“Let’s look elsewhere”

When some clients told me that they wanted to make sure that their new home didn’t feed into “that” high school in 1999, I took that mandate and found them a home that went to their desired school district. Clients ask me about schools every week and I usually reference the Fairfax County Public School Boundary page for verification. Yes, boundaries can change over time so you will need to do some homework.

But an interesting change actually occurred, “that” high school in now a sought after school. It now is the  #3 ranked academic high school in Virginia and USNews ranked it #55 nationally.

So keep in mind that boundaries can change, but also can the character of a school.

If they build it…

Silver Line Metro Tysons Corner Virginia

(click to enlarge)

It may have been generations ago that they built the Capitol Beltway, but really, they have never stopped building it.

Pretty soon the Beltway is going to open up Lexus new toll lanes to speed up traffic, the new Silver Line Metro will open on its way through Tysons Corner to Reston, and new building are under construction to accommodate those future workers, commuters and residents.

For some local home owners, the result of all this build-out has actually impacted their properties negatively. The Beltway had to be widened and the Silver Line needed infrastructure like electrical sub-stations. And another negative impact: noise pollution. Ever try show a house when a Metro train passes and breaks the silence? I have and the sound does take some getting used to.

Is it gentrification or transformation?

If you lived in my Vienna Virginia neighborhood and moved away fifteen years ago, then you better be prepared to see a big change if you decide to visit the old homestead. Or, if you lived in a comfortable split level in McLean when you were growing up, prepare to see a new look on your old street. Yes, the GPS location is the same but it’s a safe bet that there are a few, totally new homes on the street (all priced over $1.3 million).

Communities have transformed themselves as the economy has grown and the location has become more valuable. Being a “townie” is now more urban hip because consumers are looking for walk-able communities. Residents in the Arlington Courthouse corridor would not recognize the place I saw twenty years ago… because all those used-car places were pretty sketchy.

Don’t even get me started about the Reston Town Center transformation.

You need more than just a Realtor pitch

What I do may seem unorthodox, but if a client wants to buy “the wrong house” then I will try and talk them out of it. When a client was working on a possible  reconfiguration for a house he wanted to buy, I pointed out how dysfunctional that would make the space look… especially if he got a dream job offer in Palo Alto and had to move.

Get my point?

Once when a client loved a home and neighborhood, my research uncovered a planned roadway directly behind the back fence. That home would have been in the same location, but not the same sense of community.

We can talk about location but let’s also discuss the community. And when selling a home, it is essential to discuss the interesting parts of the community as well as the location. Discuss these concepts with me or your Realtor because Federal Fair Housing laws pertain to you and not just the real estate licensee.

So, has your home’s location changed since you moved in?

Related articles
  • SAIC may sell Tysons Corner campus
  • Kaiser Permanente opens new medical center at Tysons Corner
  • AAA: HOT lanes to shorten commuting times
Share this with a friend...Share on FacebookTweet about this on TwitterShare on LinkedInPin on PinterestEmail this to someone

Filed Under: Blog, Living Here Tagged With: Barbara Corcoran, McLean, Northern Virginia, real estate, Vienna Virginia

About Doug Francis

A Realtor specializing in unique and new homes around Vienna, Virginia, Doug started writing a first-hand blog about his everyday real estate experiences a decade ago. In-depth, helpful and fun has always been the objective. Outside real estate, he was profiled in a commercial for Verisign's "Where the World Clicks" global ad campaign, and was quoted in Money Magazine's Best Places to Live article on Vienna (#3!). He's a Boston University graduate who feels morning coffee is non-negotiable.

Vienna real estate agent Doug Francis

Everyone has a different reason for moving. Helping people focus and put a life plan together isn’t what most people think of when they hear “Realtor”.

Where you are in life today will be our starting point, from first home, marriage, kids, cross-country relocation, retirement, divorce, to estates. Yes, I’ve helped people navigate happy and difficult times.

All conversations are confidential, and helping my clients achieve their unique goals is my mission.

My background… I’ve been an active licensed agent in Virginia for 25 years, work at TTR Sotheby’s International Realty in McLean, and sell homes in all price ranges. I donate to the Town of Vienna tree replacement fund, participate in a neighborhood citizens association, and try my best to stay in shape.

Let me help you: Email doug@dougfrancis.com or call me at (703) 304-6827 to discuss your plans. Cheers!

Filmed in Vienna and McLean

https://youtu.be/ClqEIV1zoQg

Planning to sell your home?

Case Studies

Listing Case Studies Continue Reading

Thinking of Moving?

If you want to talk about your house and getting it ready for the market then let's set up a time to talk. Even if it's a second opinion, it's okay. Start here.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Have a question?

Homeowners: Add a level of privacy

name withheld by request

Privacy: Remove your name

Looking for testimonials?

Read through a collection of client comments originally posted on Zillow, Google and Trulia. See what my clients say...

Looking for a Custom Home?

Insights into New Homes in Vienna VA

Real Estate Offers | What’s In and What’s Out

Changes in Latitudes Attitudes This story may sound slightly made up, but the 2022 real estate market across Northern Virginia was full of fast-paced drama which is still kind of hard to picture. The brakes weren’t just tapped… they were slammed! Or to create a picture for you, we went from a wild Category 5 […]

“Doug nailed it! Within days, we had three offers, one of which not only met, but far exceeded all of our goals.”
– R. Pollard

“He truly was a partner integrating us unto the community and made it easy for us to take advantage of all Vienna has to offer.”
– A. D’Eredita

“We are so thankful we found Doug to guide us through the complex home selling and buying processes!”
– Scott and Jennie

About Doug Francis

I am a Realtor with TTR Sotheby's International Realty® just outside Washington D.C. in Northern Virginia. I have been a full-time Realtor licensed in Virginia since 1991, and cover a big territory specializing in the Vienna real estate market and custom homes for sale.

I have unique knowledge of digital real estate marketing, and my marketing starts here. My clients have been attracted to my results-oriented strategy for years, and I am accepting new clients for 2023 right now.

Thanks for reading, and feel free to contact me at 703-304-6827 or email me at doug@dougfrancis.com anytime!

Search for a subject

Contact

Doug: (703) 304-6827

TTR Sotheby's International Realty
6723 Whittier Avenue McLean, VA 22101

Office: 703-319-3344
Why do people hire me?

Search for homes in Vienna

Vienna Real Estate Guide

Doug Francis Vienna Real Estate 2021
This material can only be used with written permission.

Equal Housing Opportunity

 

Copyright © 2023 Doug Francis · Minimum Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in