Real Estate and Reston, VA: October 2008

Last week I posted a blog entry about why you should go to your High School Reunions,  http://activerain.com/blogsview/743633/Even-if-you-dont-want-to-GO-TO-YOUR-REUNION.

Yesterday I received an email from an ActiveRain member, Capital District Real Estate, Lewis Beynon, letting me know that he,'gave you some "props" (as my kids would say). Hope you don't mind!!!'  I went to his blog (http://activerain.com/blogsview/743686/High-School-Reunions) since I did not know what 'props' meant and was pleasantly surprised to see him referencing my post.

He also added a link to a really fun application (click on his post to get there) which allows you to create new 'yearbook' pictures for yourself.  Thanks for the 'props,' Lewis...I mad a couple of pictures, just for fun.

1992                                                   1980

Have fun with it! Enjoy!

This weekend was the annual Herndon High School Homecoming.

For as long as I can remember, this has been a community event.  I am a graduate of Herndon High and now I have a daughter there (the High School draws kids from both Herndon and Reston).The formula has not changed in the 30 years that I have watched this weekend take place. It is a combination of tradition, school spirit and a celebration of the community.

The whole week was Spirit Week at the high school, replete with daily dress-up assignments and a pre-game Pep Rally.

Friday Night was the annual Student Bonfire at the high school. This is the kick-off to the weekend festivities and, if I remember my own homecomings correctly, a newer (but not necessarily new) tradition.

Saturday Morning dawned bright and early for those of us who had children participating in the parade.  This time it was my son and husband who play, and coach, for the Herndon Optimist Youth Football League. Besides the marching football players, the parade included floats from each high school class, including the middle school. The cheerleaders and the band were participants, along with the Princesses from each class in the requisite convertibles. The town sanitation department had 2 trucks decorated for the occasion in the parade, local politicians handed out candy, local Boy and Girl Scout troops marched, St. Josephs Catholic School Cheerleaders cheered, as did the HOYF Cheerleaders. The Herndon Middle School marching band played enthusiastically, the HHS Cadets marched and the HHS Dancing Team danced the parade route (I apologize if I left anyone off this list).

Saturday afternoon Herndon High played the Westfield Bulldogs—AND BEAT THEM (if you are from Northern Virginia, you recognize the significance of this. Westfield had not lost a regular season game since November 2006!). 

I had 5 girls getting ready for the dance at my house late in the afternoon and then we went to 2 more houses for pictures.  At the last house there was a marathon photo session for all of the kids  and their families.  It was crazy!  The family then hosted a sit-down dinner for 30 kids.  HHS Graduates from last year came home to attend the football game and pitched in to help serve the sit-down dinner.

This was the first time I was involved in the HHS Homecoming weekend in nearly 30 years.  It reminded me of what a great community we live in and what a special place this is for our children to grow up.

Mark your calendar for Saturday, October 25, 2008-- America Recycles Day'08. I have long been a supporter of community programs designed to reduce landfill waste, so I encourage you to find a location where you can dispose of the items listed below.

If you are in Northern Virginia, there will be a center at Herndon High School, 700 Bennett Drive, Herndon, VA 20170. This location should be convenient for both Western Fairfax County and Eastern Loudoun County residents.

The event will run from 10:00 am  until 4:00 pm. It is sponsored by the Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program in partnership with the Town of Herndon, Fairfax County Public Schools, Herndon H.S. SAGA Club, Covanta Energy, Inc. Service Source, Safeguard Shredding, Bikes for the World, Art for Humanity and The RBRC.

The items that will be accepted are:

• Baby Strollers
• Bicycles (with a $10 donation to cover shipping costs)
• Cell Phones
• Clothing
• Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (broken bulbs will be accepted if wrapped in plastic)
  
• Computers and Peripheral Devices
• Eyeglasses
• Gently worn shoes,
• Clean, working Microwaves
• Rechargeable Batteries (no automobile batteries!)
• Clean Bedsheets, Pillowcases and Towels
• Documents for Shredding (no more than 5 boxes per household)
• Televisions
• Working Window AC Units
• Working Sewing Machines

I know that I have a collection of rechargeable batteries we use in cameras (after a while they stop holding the charge) that I knew I could not throw out, but did not know how to get rid of them...here is my answer.

You can find out more information about this event at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/recycling or by calling 703-324-5052.

Last weekend my sister-in-law called to tell me that my brother did not want to go to their 20 year reunion.  They were high school sweethearts.  She, however, had been long making plans with friends and was very excited about the prospect of catching up with old high school buddies.

They live out of town and had made plans to come and stay with us. We could watch their kids while the went to the different events.

Friday night arrived and they did, too.  My sister-in-law went off with a girl friend to the pre-party party. My brother stayed back with us and made plans to meet up later. He was not enthusiastic about it and there was a 50-50 chance he was not going to go.

He ended up going and had a great time.  When the big party came on Saturday evening, he was ready to don the suit and head out the door.

I feel like many people are reluctant to go to their high school reunions, but I would say GO!  You have nothing to prove. It is a great time with no pressure...you had no plans to see most of these people  ever and you no longer care what they think of you.  You are released from the bondage of your high-school-self and can just be who you have become. 

When I went to my reunion, I found it really interesting to see who these friends and frenemies (to coin one of my daughters words) have become.  Some will surprise you.  The really awkward guy in my science class had become a really successful lawyer. The name badges with your senior photo on them are a must-have.  It is fun to look at the hair styles (or for some of the men, the hair that is no longer there) and see how we have all changed.

As I watch my kids navigate high school, I remember how hard it can be.  Your reunion is a chance to see how we all survived, and thrived, in the real world!

This post is part of the October 15 BLOG ACTION DAY POVERTY

As the election nears, we have all become accustomed to the 'sound bites;' those little quips that get tossed around that are supposed to make us feel better about one candidate or the other.

The one that sticks in my head (and you don't need to worry, this is NOT a political post) is the middle class family making less than $42,000.   I suppose there must be places in this country where a family could get by on that, but in the D.C. Metro area--and I will use Reston  as an example since that is where I live--you would be hard pressed!

Just for grins, let's evaluate a family of 4 making $42,000. That comes out to $3,500 per month (before taxes, savings or retirement are paid). Assuming that we use a figure that allows for 30% of their income going to housing, this family would have $1,050 for rent or mortgage payments. That leaves $2,450 for everything else.  Not bad but, 1) there are not a lot of properties in that price range--and certainly not suitable for a family of 4, 2) this is before taxes, college funds,savings and retirement--and at least the taxes are non-negotiable.

I just did a search for properties less than $1,050 in Reston with no other limits. I came up with 1 2 BR, 2BA condo. All the rest were 1 BR.  So you can see what happens here...the amount spent on housing increases. If I search for a 3 BR, 2 BA (the size desired by most families of 4), the lease expensive rent is $1,450.  This does not allow for any choice about neighborhood, school, proximity to transportation, shopping or any of the other things my clients ask me for.  This would be all about finding the cheapest alternative for housing.

Now the family is left with $2,050 each month.  If we assume $200 for power, $50 for phone, $800 (conservative) for food, a cable bill of $50 and a cell phone bill of $50, they are left with $900 a month to cover everything else (yes, including taxes, savings and retirement--oh,  and saving for college).  They probably need a car and car insurance, renters insurance, the kids need money for school (field trips, school pictures, activity fees, instrument rentals), and they will have to pay personal property taxes on the car. 

And now, what if one of the kids breaks their arm?  I have not factored in health care costs.  Is this going to come out of the $900 they have left to cover all the car and transportation expenses?  What if the daughter makes the area orchestra? Now they need black pants, black shoes and a white blouse. The car blows a tire or doesn't pass the safety inspection...each of these things could be the difference between being able to pay the babysitter so that the parents can get to work on time, or not.

I could go on and on with this scenario.  Of course, there are ways to improve their situation. They could get better jobs--although sometimes that requires more education (expensive) or additional commuting costs (expensive).  They could move somewhere else, although the salaries are likely to go down as housing costs go down.

Believe me, I understand the value of hard work and I work hard and I expect others to also.  Sometimes, however, the circumstances are not black and white. Not everyone can get the education that leads to a better job--and it is not always because they are lazy. Sometimes they have to go to work as a teenager to pay their family's rent, or maybe they had to drop out to help an ill parent. Maybe they got mixed up with bad kids and drugs and have gotten back on track--but too late to go back and get a 'do over.'

So what is the answer?  I don't know, but I do know that there is a problem. Education is the main way to improve your earning power.  With the Internet, it is becoming increasingly easy to study on line for GEDs, associates & bachelor degrees and even advanced degrees.  That might be one way for the family to improve their situation--of course that would require a home computer (not factored in to my scenario) and some extra cash.

What are your thoughts? 

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If you live in Virginia, and  have been putting off the purchase of a new appliance, clear out the truck and make a path from the front door, because this weekend, Virginia will hold a tax free holiday for Energy Efficient Products. The Sales Tax Holiday begins on Friday, October 10, 2008 and runs through Monday, October 13th, 2008.

The products that qualify for the tax holiday include:  compact fluorescent light bulbs, ceiling fans, washing machines, refrigerators and room air conditioners, and water efficient products for the bath. A complete list of the items that are exempt is available at: http://www.tax.virginia.gov/site.cfm?alias=EnergyStarQualifiedProductsHoliday

Not only will you save money on your purchase, but if the item is a replacement, you will immediately see a reduction on your energy usage.

The Governor's office reports that last year Virginians saved approximately $166,000 on taxes during the Energy Efficiency Tax Holiday.

Between the Columbus Weekend sales and the sales tax holiday, this is a great weekend to buy those appliances you have been coveting. So get out there and go shopping!

Beginning Friday, October 10, 2008  Algonkian Regional Park in Sterling, Virginia (Loudoun County) is hosting The Haunted Forest. Get in the Halloween spirit by going to their website, www.halloweenwoods.com. Here you can see pictures, read the story behind the event and get the schedule.

The first night will be a bargain with a $10 admission fee. It opens each day at 7:00 pm and the last ticket will be sold at 10:30 pm (9:30 on Thursday and Sunday).

The dates are:

• Friday, October 10 ($10)
  
• Saturday, October 11 ($10)
  
• Friday, October 17 ($13)
• Saturday, October 18 ($13)
• Friday, October 24 ($13)
• Saturday, October 25 ($13)
• Sunday, October 26 ($13)
• Thursday, October 30 ($13)
• Friday, October 31 ($13)
• Saturday, November 1 ($13)

Don't miss this unique opportunity to really be scared this Halloween!

Algonkian Regional Park is located at 47001 Fairway Dr., Sterling, VA 20165 Directions: From the Beltway (495) take Route 7 West for 11 miles to Cascades Parkway North) Go 3 miles to the Park Entrance.

Most, if not all, of us have been touched in some way by Breast Cancer. While many studies have been done to try to determine the cause, these studies generally include women who already have Breast Cancer. Maybe you saw the NBC evening news last night, or the TODAY Show yesterday morning. Dr. Susan Love, in conjunction with Avon, is launching a campaign to recruit women who do not have Breast Cancer or who have been cured of Breast Cancer to help in studies to find out what causes the disease. By the time a woman has Breast Cancer, determining the cause can be a difficult, if not impossible, exercise.

Watch the Today Show announcement:

 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/26971703#26971703

NBC News with Brian Williams:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#26978410

If you go to the website and register, you will become part of an email distribution list. Each time a new study is begun an email blast will go out and you will have the opportunity to ‘self-select’ yourself for a study. The example given was, ’women in New York who had their first child before 25.’ You might be asked to come in and give a blood or urine sample if you meet the criteria.

Up until now, all we could do was raise money (which is a VERY, VERY important activity), but now we can actually DO both—raise money and participate in finding a cure.  With three children of my own, I see this as my chance to keep them from suffering through the pain of losing a friend or family member to Breast Cancer—or worse yet, watching one of them suffer through it.

I hope that you will consider signing up for this very worthwhile, and ambitious, Army of Women (www.armyofwomen.com).

By the way, I also sent this out to every woman in my personal email distribution list...you may copy it and do the same.

Fairfax County has an organization called Fairfax County Master Gardeners which has been serving the community since 1976.

Most people have some responsibility for a plant in their life. You might care for an acre large, fully landscaped yard, or you might just care for the violet that used to belong to your grandmother. At some time or another, you may find yourself stumped over how to best care for your 'garden.'

This organization, which is sponsored by Virgina Cooperative Extension and supported by Merrifield Garden Center and the Fairfax County Park Authority can help you with your questions.  They are often present at the county's Farmers Markets and Libraries.  They ask that you bring plant and insect samples for them to see. If they don't have your answer, they have use of a diagnostic lab that can help in answering your questions. There is a schedule available on their website under PLANT CLINICS.

Some of the sample questions that they can answer include:

1. What is eating my tomato plants?
2. When and how do I prune my crape myrtle tree?
3. Should I fertilize my lawn? When?
4. How should I re-pot a house plant?

If it is not convenient for you to go to them, they are also available at:

http://fairfaxmastergardeners.org/default.aspx

You can call their help desk at 703-324-8556 or email them at mgfairfax@vt.edu

This is a wonderful free service! Thank you Fairfax Master Gardeners for helping us all keep our yards and house plants happy and healthy!