Infill development has been going on in Vienna real estate for a long time. But infill development typically happens in communities where vacant lots exist, and there really aren’t any vacant lots left around Vienna, Virginia. In the past decade Vienna builders have actively acquired homes built in the 1950’s to tear down, and I have been the Continue Reading
Closing the Capital Beltway on Friday night?
Dealing with traffic is a fact of life in Northern Virginia and there is one intersection on the Capital Beltway that is the heart of three major projects. It is the Tysons Corner interchange in McLean where I495 meets Route 123... which is the heart or nucleus of the area. The construction of the HOT lanes, Metro Silver Line, and widening of Continue Reading
Upcoming Changes to Conforming Loan Limits
UPDATE: For 2011 Conforming Loan limits for Northern Virginia, click here. Original Post: This is a post of special interest to many of us in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. I was in a NVAR Finance Forum meeting discussing the Economic Summit and Sweth started to talk about the upcoming expiration of the current $ 729,750 conforming Continue Reading
Tell me about the crime rate in Fairfax County?
Last weekend I met with an interested buyer to discuss a listing of mine, and he looked me in the eye and asked me, "how is the crime rate in the neighborhood?" I can understand his reason for asking the question because I certainly would not want to move my wife and children into a crime plagued neighborhood either. But asking a salesman who is Continue Reading
Figuring out the McLean Real Estate Market – August 2009
There have been some impressive claims about the real estate market in August, but there is a sharp dividing line between McLean 22101 and 22102. Yes, 22101 saw some good real estate sales numbers. The strength of the McLean home market is its strategic location keeping this area in demand since access to D.C., Tyson's, Arlington plus Dulles and Continue Reading
Figuring out the McLean Home Market… July 2009
With all you read about the July real estate market, I was surprised to read through the MRIS data for the two McLean, Virginia zip codes, 22101 and 22102. The sales numbers remain down although prices have dropped and mortgage rates were close to 5% on 30-year loans. The strength of the McLean home market is its strategic location keeping this Continue Reading
Installing a real estate “for-sale” sign in Virginia?
Better call Miss Utility first! Yes, that familiar RE/MAX Presidential sign in your front yard is going to require a bit more effort (and spray paint) to install. The Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) is turning up the heat on enforcement of the Virginia Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act which was enacted thirty years ago, and Continue Reading
The 3 basic factors in buying a home
I have found that buying a home is a simple process of elimination. Having observed this process a few hundred times with buyer clients, I have unscientifically concluded that there are three basic factors at work. Location Price Style Location is the classic “buzz word” that people throw out when they are talking about real Continue Reading
