Real Estate and Reston, VA

This is a very serious subject, thefts which occur at Open Houses, but this story struck me because it is just so funny--and sad!

Recently a man was arrested after stealing panties from an Open House. He was caught by the Realtor, rummaging through the homeowner's drawers. Later when detained by  the police, they  found 8 pairs of women's underwear in a plastic bag. Upon further investigation, they found over 50 more at the home that he shares with his parents. He moved in with them  following his divorce.

He said that he stole the panties because he missed his ex-wife.

Realtors have always known there is an inherent theft risk to holding an open house. But most work with their sellers to put away all valuables, and personal items, in an effort  to minimize the risk. We usually focus on items like jewelry, checkbooks, credit card statements, cash and the like. Most recently, prescription drugs being stolen out of medicine cabinets has been a problem, so now we advise our homeowners to pack them away or remove them from the home.

But having our homeowners secure their underwear drawer?  It never occured to me.

Of course, there is no accounting for what someone who is suffering from depression or mental illness will do, and I guess that is the lesson we should learn from this story. One of the agents interviewed said that the man made her uncomfortable and she jotted down his license plate. Her instincts about this man were good and she was smart to listen to them.

So then the question becomes (once again), do we continue to hold Open Houses?

I still see some value in Open Houses. Getting the neighbors in to see a new listing can be a great tool...presumabley they love the neighborhood and will be a great sales force to send out in to the public domain. But with each of instance of theft or crime that occurs at an open house, I become just a little bit more wary of their value. I like to lead off each of my listings with a first weekend Sunday Open.  I am very clear with my sellers that the open house will very likely not result in a sale, but that it is just one of many marketing tools

We all know that often the value in an Open House is a chance to meet eager (and unattached) buyers.

I wonder if I the time has come to modify my marketing plan and just get rid of the Sunday Open all together?

Certainly, my seller's underwear drawer would be safer!

For more about this story: Man Charged in Panty Raids At Real Estate Open Houses

I have 3 teenagers (ooops, one is now 20) and I have watched for years how easily they move from one technical 'toy' to the next. There seems to be no learning curve...they find out about it, try it and it either sticks or it doesn't. Often, I don't even hear about these things until they are either rejected or so integrated in to their lives as to have become an everyday thing (think Facebook and Skype). I thought I would share what I learned about last night so that we 'older folks' can at least understand some of what they are doing and find interesting.

The latest craze with the 17 year old set is a new website called Chatroulette! The premise here is that almost all computers now have video cams so that our kids can Skype to their hearts content. Well, take that one step further and you have Chatroulette! Let me explain.

Last night my daughter was working with her Spanish group on a project that was due on Monday. I heard shouts and cheers coming from the basement. At first I did not pay attention because they were yelling 'Hola' in Spanish. When it continued, I went down to check on their progress.

Turns out that they had finished the Spanish homework and turned on ChatRoulette!. They were talking to some Spanish speaking kids who were also sitting in front of their computer waiting for the next exciting person to check in. By the time  I got downstairs, they had switched to some college kids in Florida.

The idea behind the site is that you just hit the 'Next' button and you 'spin' to the next person who wants to chat.

Obviously, all of you reading this are thinking about the 'creepers' out there.  I am sure that is an issue. My daughter said that they 'spun' over to a camera where all they could see was a pair of pants and a belt buckle. They immediately hit 'Next' and left that 'chatter' behind. Clearly this is a website that comes with opportunity for dangerous situations to occur. As with anything, it is a site that must be used carefully, with an awareness that not everyone who is participating is just doing it for fun,  and is not appropriate for younger kids.  Even with those precautions, it is still ripe for problems. I kind of think it won't be around too long...

I am sure there will be some clever business people who find a way to utilize this technology to their advantage. It will be intersting to see how, and if, that evolves.

Ironically, the generations who have embraced technology as the foundation of their social fiber are now using it in ever changing ways to establish personal connections. I can't see myself ever adding this to my technical repertoire, although the premise (at its most innocent) is interesting. I thought I would share it with all of you in an attempt to have at least some idea of what our teenagers are up to!

These are great tips by Eilean Foster for taking care of your gardening tools use earth-friendly techniques. Thanks, Eilean!

If you are like me, you don't have time to do all the things you HAVE to do--much less the things you SHOULD do. I read an article today that said I should have  custom 'skin' as the background on my Twitter Account.

Well, I had a few free minutes and decided to go to the application, FreeTwitterDesign.com. It took me a couple of minutes, but I was able to give myself a custom background, upload my company logo and put in some basic contact information.

I read that it was important to put my contact info on the left side of my tweets so that browsers won't inadvertently cut it off.

There were a couple of quirky things about the application; Adding text wasn't easy and a couple of times, the mouse would not 'give up' some text even though a different piece of information was highlighted.

Despite the challenges, I think it was a worthy first effort...and it only took a couple of minutes.

I would love to have you follow me on Twitter. I use a very tricky name--hollyweatherwax. 

Let me know if you 'tweet' too and I will follow you. I know I have a lot to learn and the best way to learn is watching what others are doing and how they are using the technology!

Happy Tweeting!

Forbes Magazine has come out with its list of the 25 Richest Counties. Loudoun County in Virginia tops the list. Fairfax County is 2nd.

You are probably wondering why this would be a good thing--after all, don't higher incomes result in higher housing prices? Yes, undoubtedly they do, but they also result in a more stable economy, more services and better public schools.  Our real estate bubble was later than many other areas and our recovery is reported to have begun sooner.

Our unemployment rate has consistently been lower than that of many other major metropolitan areas. The Bureau of Labor Statistic reported in February 2010 that, 'The large areas with the lowest jobless rates in December were Oklahoma City, Okla., and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va., 6.0 and 6.2 percent, respectively.' This is due in large part to the stable employment offered by the government and the network of companies and organizations that work to support the government.

Understanding the cost of living concerns,  Washington area jobs often come with a cost of living  income differential to make the move more attractive.

If you have children who are moving up the education ladder toward college, you would be hard pressed to find better college values than those offered by the Virginia  higher education system. Look at the costs for in-state tuition and then look at how highly regarded the public universities in the state are compared to other state schools.

The public school systems in and around the D.C. Metro area consistently rank in the highest in the Nation. I think if you look you will find, too, that many of the local high schools are among the best in the country.

Beyond the financial and educational considerations, we have access to some of the best cultural opportunities in the country. A non-rush hour trip in to the District of Columbia is a 20 minute drive. My family has a White House Tour scheduled in a couple of weeks, my husband and I went to a book launch party last week at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Women in the Arts. Yesterday I took my son in to Georgetown for some lacrosse coaching. We love to get downtown to either the Kennedy Center, The National Theater, The Warner Theater or one of the other numerous venues for theater troops or musical organizations. How could I have left off my favorite venue of all? Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts which is in Virginia and literally 10 minutes from my house. It offers a wide variety of shows, musical acts and performances.

For those who have more of a sports leaning, we have The NFL Redskins,The NHL Capitals, and The Nationals baseball team. In close-by Baltimore, you can add The Orioles Baseball team and The NFL Ravens to the list. Nearby college level sports teams inlude: George Mason, Georgetown, University of Maryland, George Washington, Howard, Catholic and within 2 hours you can add University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University and James Madison University.  Just 4 hours away, you can cheer for the Virginia Tech Hokies or the Penn State Nittney Lions (forgive me if I left out someones favorite team...feel free to add it in the comments).

If you are considering a new job or a relocation, give the Washington D.C. metro area a close look. I think you will find that the stable economy, wide variety of housing choices ,  the public education system and the wide variety of arts and activities, will make it worth your extra attention.

Please give me a call, or drop me an email,  if I can help you begin your home search process. I would be happy to set you up with some tools that will allow you to begin your new home search from the comfort of your living room.

If you have been considering private school placement for your Pre-Kindergarten through 8th Grade student, plan to attend the Loudoun Country Day School in Leesburg, Virginia,  open house today, March 7, 2010, from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

Loudoun Country Day School (fondly called LCDS) has been educating young Virginians for over 50 years. As its Mission Statement states, 'The purpose of Loudoun Country Day School is to educate and develop each student academically, physically, artistically, socially, and emotionally.'

The school has moved to a beautiful new campus off of Evergreen Mill Road in Leesburg.  The facilities are amazing and we have enjoyed seeing the students thrive in the new location. This school year, 2009-10, is the first year in the new campus.

This open house is a great opportunity to explore the beautiful new campus and hear about the wonderful programs offered in both the Lower School and the Middle School. There will be  faculty, parents and students available to answer your questions about curriculum and programs.

My children have attended LCDS and I have had first hand experience with both the Lower and Upper Schools. The school has been a special part of our family through the education of our 3 children. As Fairfax County residents, we have made the reverse commute, using the wonderful Bus Service for our daily transportation needs from Reston. The small classes and individualized attention have been wonderful for all three of my kids!

We have particularly enjoyed the competitive Middle School sports program. Boys and girls in grades 6-8 compete in a variety of sports against other private schools. Sports include Soccer, Field Hockey, Basketball and Lacrosse. There is also an intramural program for young athletes that prefer individual sports, such as Cross Country and Tennis. There is also a swim team and a tennis team.

If you would like more information about Loudoun Country Day School, and the wonderful learning environment it offers, the phone number is: 703-777-3841

The address for LCDS is: 20600 Red Cedar Drive, Leesburg, VA 20175

I hope you can make it  today, March 7 from 1 to 2:30 pm for the LCDS Open House! It should be a beautiful day and perfect weather to see the stunning new campus!

What is left a month after Snowmaggedon?

The sun is shinning, the temperature is creeping up and slowly but surely, I am finally able to believe that this winter will end.

It has been nearly a month since our back-to-back Washington D.C. metro area blizzards. I still have huge banks of snow in my front yard where we moved snow from the driveway and sidewalks. It has thawed and frozen so many times since that I expect these snow banks will be with us until May!

Each day, a little bit more snow melts away. We can now see traffic on the main road as we leave the neighborhood (all but the highest set vehicles have been unable to see around the snow banks without creeping in to the intersection) and most of the neighborhood street is visible again.

Everywhere I walk, however, I witness the devastation that these storms left behind. Not a yard is left intact--they are all soggy and most are missing large swaths of grass where shovels hit frozen grass instead of pavement. My hedges, trees and bushes are mangled and broken from weeks buried under heavy snow. My 12 foot pine tree lies across one of my planting beds. We will attempt to stake it and save it, but I suspect that it has been out of the ground for too long.

Municipalities are left with bills that far exceed budgets for annual snow removal.  Of course with real estate sales down, so are local revenues.  Even those areas who were really on top of 'spend as you go' had no way of anticipating how this winter would devastate the area. We broke a snow fall record which had been in place since the winter of 1898-1899!! The Federal Government remained closed for 4 DAYS!

As you drive around, street signs, street lamps and tree branches are all found lying on their sides waiting for crews to come along and remove or repair them.

In one of my earlier blogs, "What You Can Do To Prevent Snowstorms"  I very facetiously stated that the sheer number of people who will stock up on snow blowers and other snow removal supplies will buy us some insurance against another winter of devastating snow storms.  If the number of friends and neighbors who are actively purchasing snow blowers is truly insurance against heavy snows, we should be in for a mild winter next year!

I think the only folks who will end up with happy news from the storms of 2009-2010 will be the landscaping companies and tree removal companies who will overwhelmed with contracts and waiting lists for their services. At least someone will benefit!

I am moving on and eagerly anticipating the joy of Spring--eager to put this record breaking winter behind!

If you have been considering private school placement for your Pre-Kindergarten through 8th Grade student, plan to attend the Loudoun Country Day School in Leesburg, Virginia,  open house this Sunday, March 7, 2010, from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

Loudoun Country Day School (fondly called LCDS) has been educating young Virginians for over 50 years. As its Mission Statement states, 'The purpose of Loudoun Country Day School is to educate and develop each student academically, physically, artistically, socially, and emotionally.'

The school has moved to a beautiful new campus off of Evergreen Mill Road in Leesburg.  The facilities are amazing and we have enjoyed seeing the students thrive in the new location. This school year, 2009-10, is the first year in the new campus.

This open house is a great opportunity to explore the beautiful new campus and hear about the wonderful programs offered in both the Lower School and the Middle School. There will be  faculty, parents and students available to answer your questions about curriculum and programs.

My children have attended LCDS and I have had first hand experience with both the Lower and Upper Schools. The school has been a special part of our family through the education of our 3 children. As Fairfax County residents, we have made the reverse commute, using the wonderful Bus Service for our daily transportation needs from Reston. The small classes and individualized attention have been wonderful for all three of my kids!

We have particularly enjoyed the competitive Middle School sports program. Boys and girls in grades 6-8 compete in a variety of sports against other private schools. Sports include Soccer, Field Hockey, Basketball and Lacrosse. There is also an intramural program for young athletes that prefer individual sports, such as Cross Country and Tennis. There is also a swim team and a tennis team.

If you would like more information about Loudoun Country Day School, and the wonderful learning environment it offers, the phone number is: 703-777-3841

The address for LCDS is: 20600 Red Cedar Drive, Leesburg, VA 20175

I hope you can make it on Sunday, March 7 from 1 to 2:30 pm for the LCDS Open House!

On Sunday, March 7, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. plan to be at the Herndon High School Auditorium in Herndon, VA for the 1st annual 'Funny Mind Games.' 

'Funny Mind Games'  is a family-oriented comedy show which will feature James Munsey, a comedic hypnotist, and the first-ever Herndon High School 'Family Feud'--featuring competition between different school organizations.  Some of the groups scheduled to compete include: Seniors vs. Faculty, Softball vs. Baseball, Football vs. Band.

All Night Grad Party is celebrating its 23rd year of keeping Graduates and the local community safe by providing an all night party free of drugs and alcohol.   It is a community effort to throw a party that is 'good enough' to get a majority of the kids to attend. Fund raisers like this one allow us to throw a party honoring all that our graduates have accomplished and that the kids will remember for years to come.

Families with Students at HHS can purchase tickets this week during lunch. Tickets purchased in advance are $5 for students and faculty. All other adults and all tickets purchased at the door will be $10.

If you cannot attend 'Funny Mind Games,' but would like to support the All Night Grad Party, donations are gratefully accepted. More information about donating and purchasing tickets to the event can be found at our website: http://www.herndonang.org/

You can also get more information about Herndon High School and the many opportunities and events available through the school at: http://www.fcps.edu/HerndonHS

We switch off the lights, turn up the thermostat, make improvements to our house,  recycle like crazy, but are our habits getting worse?

An article in the March 1,2010 article of Time, Less is Actually More, by Bryan Walsh contends that just like someone who binges on diet food (thinking it has fewer calories, they eat more of it, thus negating the benefit), those of us who try to reduce our energy use sometimes get complacent.  The theory goes like this: you check your electric bill and see that you are using fewer kilowatts than this time last year.  The next time you walk by the kitchen and notice the blazing lights, you think,' gosh we have been doing so, well, what would it hurt to leave them on for now? I will be back in 15 minutes.' And the energy reduction 'backlash' begins.

I can see evidence of this in my own household. We have made some big changes: turning down the thermostat, switching off lights, added insulation in the attic and garage, new windows, plenty of blankets and sweatshirts easily accessible.  As a result, I have seen definite improvements in our energy use.  Of course, now that I have shared that success with my family, I have noticed that they have been more casual about switching off the lights.  Even I have 'bumped up' the thermostat  on occasion (and I am the Energy-Enforcer).

This article was a great reminder that these changes and behavior modifications need to become lifestyle changes.  Just like dieting, don't cut back so severely that the change is not sustainable over the long-term. Smart choices, small changes and an awareness of energy use is what we all need to continue our steady improvements in reducing our carbon footprint--and an awareness of how easy it is to back-slide!