Continuation of my series on being a real estate agent and what I see with clients on the job…
Hey, Mr. Home Seller: About your Guns, Drugs, and Jewelry
Last week when I was showing a house on Park Street in Vienna, VA, my client’s two teen-aged boys came out of the mud room excited about what they had discovered. Mud rooms are always huge, so Dad and I walked in to see what got them so excited. I have seen many cool things built into houses these days
On the seating area lay a bolt action rifle with a scope. Casually tossed onto the cushions and leaning slightly against the custom bead-board trim.
This situation was totally unacceptable and I called the owner’s agent immediately. Everyone was at risk here… as I am sure you can imagine.
One tip that I have given sellers for a long time is to put away guns, knives, essentially any weapons of any sort. Buy a gun safe or get them totally out of the way. And to hide medications, expensive jewelry or valuable handbags too.
At least twice a year I get an email from the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors warning Realtors to be on the lookout at open-houses for a specific couple or person. Usually, one will occupy the agent while the other steals medicines or jewelry.
So, please be smart(er) than the seller on Park Street and remove or lock up your valuables.
(yes, I’m still ticked-off)
A buyer tip on Vienna Real Estate Prices
Recently I have been helping a number of clients relocate to Vienna from other parts of the country.
They always seem to be amazed at the amount of tear-down or infill construction that is going on, and ask what is fueling the activity. Right now there are about 100 projects going on in Town and there are many more in the pipeline.
So, what are all of these people doing for work?
Many work in Tyson’s Corner where the new Silver Line (2014) has sparked massive investment, and is where many companies have been moving their offices from across the region and the country.
The Construction Crane is the official Regional Bird
All of the residential buildings in Tysons currently under construction right now are apartments. And the other buildings will be for professional jobs. For example, Capital One currently is building an addition to it’s headquarters building which will be the tallest building in Fairfax County VA. The Capital One building will have direct access to the Silver Line into Washington DC and out to Dulles International Airport.
If you are really trying to understand what is supporting Vienna real estate prices, then you must have a solid perspective on the location because over the next fifteen years the area will far surpass economic growth averages making the value of real estate here appreciate evenly.
International home buyers like the easy access to Dulles International Airport (about 15 minutes away), and everyone uses the Beltway which is accessible at Tysons.
Inova Health Systems has purchased the building which was built as Mobil Oil’s headquarters. Inova will be opening an advanced medical research center on the Falls Church campus.
I have barely touched on the foundation of the growing economy surrounding Vienna, VA, but know that it provides a stable foundation for future residential real estate redevelopment in and around the Town of Vienna.
