Real Estate and Reston, VA: June 2008

Today, two local Northern Virginia papers came out with articles about 'green' remodeling companies which both featured my husband's company, Ardently Green!  My husband, Bob Weatherwax, along with his partners started this company in response to many homeowner requests to help them make their homes more energy efficient. Their primary company, Ardent Homes, does home remodeling in the Northern Virginia area.

The first article was published in the Washington Business Journal and was written by Vandana Sinha. The link to the article is:

http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2008/06/30/story18.html

The other article appeared in the Washington Examiner and was written by Whitney Blake. the link to this article is:

http://www.examiner.com/printa-1461691~Greening_a_home_with_an_energy_audit.html

I am so proud of him and the efforts of his company, Ardently Green!!! The company website is:

www.ardentlygreen.com.

P.S. Does anybody have any idea how to get a copy of the Washington Examiner? We don't get it at our house and I went to at least three places (2 groceries and a book store) with no luck!

Thanks to Lauren Shifflet, Owner of Leesburg Canine Country Club, for getting in touch with me about my recent Reston Blog, http://activerain.com/blogsview/560718/What-are-my-Favorite. Lauren commented that she had many great memories of living in Reston.

She also mentioned that she left Reston, fairly recently, to start a new venture, The Leesburg Canine Country Club.  I am always happy to pass on information about different recreational activities in the area.  TLCCC is an off-leash social club that meets at Falcon Ridge Recreation Center. This one sounds like great entertainment for both you and your 4-pawed pals!

You can  check out their website at: www.LeesburgCanineCountryClub.com. 

TLCCC will  be holding their big annual event on October 4, The Canine Country Jamboree.  You can get more information about this event at http://doggonenatural.com/jamboree2008/.

I have not had the chance to visit TLCCC personally, but I hope to in the near future. I wish Lauren the best of luck with her new adventure!

I am a life-long resident of Reston and would not change it for the world.  What is it that makes Reston so special? I have assembled a list below of some of the things that come to mind. I know that I did not cover everything, but I gave it a shot.

1. My friends and neighbors: We actually know all of our neighbors and celebrate life's events with them. My oldest told me she won't have a party if we go out of town because at least 6 nearby neighbors would call us on our cell phones! They help us celebrate birthdays, religious occasions, graduations and just day-to-day victories! We cover for each other if we can't make the bus and will band together to make dinner for a friend who is under the weather.
   
2. Convenience: I can walk to several local stores and in a  10 minute drive be at Tysons Corner. D.C. is about 20 minutes away.  I feel like you can't get more centrally located than this!
   
3. Great Schools: Our kids have gone to both Public and Private schools in the area and have had great experiences.
   
4. Great parks and recreation: Reston Association Pools and Tennis Courts, Reston Bike Trails, Great Falls Park, Lake Fairfax Park, Baron Cameron Dog Park and so many more! Don't forget all of the events on the National Mall Downtown!
   
5. The Path system: The couple of times we thought of moving from Reston, one of the things that we always talked about was how much we would miss the exceptional path system.  Kudos Reston--It is great!
   
6. The Small Town feel: Everyone knows everyone else...I can't tell you how many friends and neighbors we met when our kids were in preschool at Lake Anne Nursery Kindergarten (L.A.N.K.)!  One day last school year my girls stopped at Starbucks on the way home from school--by the time they got home, I knew they had been there. It is a great thing if you are a parent to have so many folks looking out for your kids!
   
7. The 'Villages' Each one has a different feel: Lake Anne (where I grew up), Hunters Woods, North Point. Within each of these villages are other areas, too: Tall Oaks, South Lakes and more.
   
8. The History: It is pretty cool to see Robert E. Simon (the founder of Reston) around town.  There is a great little Reston Museum located at Lake Anne sponsored by the Reston Historic Trust. While not an old town, I remember reading about Reston in my college Fine Arts text book.
   
9. The Pools and the Swim teams: There is definitely a swimming/pool culture here. Most kids spend some time on a swim team...or at least a lot of time at the pools! Reston has put in some really neat features at some of the lessor used pools to get people to use them (large tube slides, water fountains, volleyball, hot tubs and heated pools, adult-only swim, movie nights)  And access to all of the pools are included in your Reston Association Dues. There are pools for toddlers, teenagers, families...you name it and you can find it.
   
10. The Shopping: Reston Town Center, Fair Oaks, Tysons Corner I, Tysons Corner II, Dulles Town Center (just to name a few) all within 20 minutes or less. The Leesburg Premium Outlets are a quick 25-30 minute drive.
    
11. Proximity to Cultural and Education venues: Recently voted one of the 10 Brainiest Places to Retire by U.S. News because of proximity to educational and cultural opportunities and the education level of the residents. Many universities have learning centers within 10 minutes of here.  Downtown DC has more theaters than you can imagine. You can be at the Kennedy Center in 20 minutes.
    
12. Wolftrap! It doesn't get much better than an evening under the stars with a great picnic dinner, good friends and great music.  Even better--it is 10 minutes from my house!
    
13. Finding Other People who grew up here--and came back! It happens more and more that I went to school with my children's friends parents.
    
14. The zoning and covenant restrictions: Like it our hate it, it cannot be denied that Reston is a beautiful place to live because of the work that goes in to make sure homeowners and developers follow the rules.  Personally, I love knowing that my neighbor won't be parking an RV next door for the rest of the summer.  When each subdivision was built, the builder was required to leave a certain amount of trees, so each neighborhood is attractive.
    
15. Every possible sports opportunity: Here is a list of the sports that my family has participated in here in Reston: swimming, running races, flag football, soccer, football, baseball, lacrosse, track, basketball, golf, tennis, ice skating (hockey is available),field hockey, yoga, pilates...I am sure there are more. You name it, it is here! There is an annual Reston Triathlon for those of you who are really ambitious!
    
16. The Great State University System: People love living in Virginia because we have so many great State Universities to send our children to (at in-state tuition rates). UVA, William & Mary, James Madison University, George Mason University, Virginia Tech, Christopher Newport, Old Dominion, Virginia Commonwealth University, Radford, Longwood, Mary Washington (I am sorry if I overlooked anything).  Great private universities, too!
17. Great Golfing:Many great public, semi-private and private courses in the area.  The Fairfax Country Park and Rec department has several golf courses and lessons, too.

I guess you could say that I love living here...if there is something special that I have overlooked, please add your comments.

If anyone would like to consider real estate in Reston, I would be happy to provide you with information about purchasing opportunities in and around the area. Go to my website, www.greatexpereince.net or give me a call at 571-643-4902.

After spending the past year working with my daughter to get in to college, I felt like it would be fun to take some college classes again. Alas, with my family and work schedule, that is not likely to happen anytime soon.

Yesterday, I participated for the first time in an event sponsored by One Day University.  I initially found out about this event from an ad in the Washington Post. 

One Day University offers one-day, no homework classes on interesting topics taught by top-notch professors from amazing univerisites.  For just over $200 I spent the day at one of the University of Maryland campuses listening to these professors and lectures:

Wendy Schiller, Brown University:            Political Science: The 2008 Election--The Most Important in Decades

Craig Wright, Yale University:                 Music: The Remarkable Genius of Mozart

Paul Olsen, Columbia University:            Science: Volcanoes, Asteroids and the Shape of Life on Earth

Shelley Carson, Harvard University:         Psychology: Understanding America's Depression Epidemic

The classes are offered on the east coast, roughly once a quarter.  Each session and location offers a variety of professors and topics.

I would highly recommend these courses. I would not have chosen all of these topics, but I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed them all!

Find out more informaiton about One Day University and the opportunity to take courses like this in your area at www.OneDayU.com.

Clinics are being held today in Northern Virginia to assist homeowners who may be facing foreclosure.

The clinics are being held at Chantilly High School,  4201 Stringfellow Road, Chantilly, VA 20151  and at the Northern Virginia Community College - Woodbridge Campus, 15200 Neabsco Mills Road, Woodbridge, VA 22191-4099.

Walk-ins are welcome (and encouraged). There will be counselors on-site to work with homeowners.

If you have questions, but are unable to attend these clinics, Virginia has a website that you should visit:

www.virginiaforeclosureprevention.com

Don't lose your home because you are afraid to take action. These clinics are designed to help you to understand your options.

As I knock on the door, I notice the lovely, well-tended and mature gardening around the front door.  I meet my potential client and I can tell they are more nervous about the listing appointment than usual.  It turns out they have been in their house for 30+ years.  This is not an unusual situation.  The question is always, 'where and how do I begin?'

There is an organization that formed in 2002 called National Association of Senior Move Managers.  This organization provides resources to help seniors make housing transitions. Sometimes the preparation can be overwhelming, and having a 'manager' can take some of the burden off of both the senior and the family.

This does not eliminate the need for family help--it just enhances it.

If you think this might be helpful to you, or to a member of your family, there is a website you should go to. It is called www.nasmm.org.  At this site you can find out more information about the services they provide and find a service provider in your area.

It sounds like a great way to empower seniors who might not be as enthusiastic about the move as other members of the family. By providing a senior with this resource, they can focus on the things that they find important in a smooth housing transition.

If anyone has any experience with using this service, I would LOVE to hear about it.

Last weekend there were several drownings in the Northern Virginia/DC Metro area and I don't want to see anymore. Now that school is out and the pools are open, it is critical that we all remember pool safety rules.  I was a lifeguard growing up, and I find that to be one summer job I just cannot let go! Some of these rules are obvious, but some are ones that I think don't get enough attention.  Most of these rules pertain to private pools. Always respect all of the rules of your public pool--they are there for a reason!

1. Teach Your Kids to Swim!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Even if you are not a strong swimmer, make sure that they are.  Group and private lessons are available at local pools and recreation centers (and you often do not need to be a member).  A less expensive option is to hire a teenager who coaches the swim team or a local lifeguard.  These kids have to be strong swimmers. Make sure that they teach your child AT LEAST how to float, how to kick to the side, how to dead-man float and how to hold their breath under water. Once they know these things, swimming won't be far behind. I highly recommend putting your child on swim team for a year or two to really build their skills!
2. NEVER leave your children alone in a pool.  For older kids (strong swimmers only) use the buddy system at a pool with no lifeguards. My kids have always wanted a backyard pool and we will never have one because of this rule...it only takes a second for a child (or an adult for that matter) to drown.
3. Know the Depth Before you Dive In If the pool is less than 11 feet, diving is not appropriate (or safe)
4. Slather with Sunscreen Besides the threat of skin cancer from stronger sun-rays, a sun-burn can sideline you for days.  Make sure your children understand how important re-application is to prevention.  My son just finished a week of being inside because he did not reapply sunscreen after I dropped him off at the pool!
5. Keep Unused Floats in the Pool to a Minimum If your child were to sink to the bottom of a pool, you would need to get to them immediately. Random floats impede your view of the bottom of the pool and make it hard to see the bottom.
6. Don't take a Chance with Lightning If you hear Thunder, get out of the pool. Why wait until you see the lightning? What if your first sighting is of the lightning bolt hitting the water? Make sure you wait 30 minutes after the last Thunder is heard.
7. Keep the Music Down  Pools, sun and good tunes go together...just make sure you can hear the swimmers in case one calls for help
8. Watch the Teenagers! Once they become teenagers they think they know everything...they can still drown! Make sure they understand what kind of jumping and diving is appropriate in what water depths and keep an eye on them! Water wrestling is a frequent, and often dangerous, activity.

Have a wonderful summer, but don't let your fun get in the way of keeping everyone safe!

There are those out there who actually have empty rooms in their houses.  When you go to sell, it is probably a good idea to 'stage' these rooms so that potential buyers can get a sense of how they might use the room and how furniture will fit in the room.

One of my clients had a 'junk room' instead of a third bedroom. Since she was a single woman and her second bedroom was used as her office, I felt like it was important to show this room to its best advantage as a spare bedroom. The first thing I asked her to do was clean it out...she had been avoiding the inevitable.  The next thing we did was set up a single bed (she borrowed it from a friend), created a night stand from a piece of otherwise unused furniture and put the rocking chair that had been previously covered with junk in the room as a reading chair.  A couple of simple accessories and all of the sudden it looked like an inviting guest room.

Another client had never bothered to buy dining room furniture. They decided that the best use of the empty room was to set up a stationary bike and a television.  It worked well for them.  When it came time to market the house, however, people really need to see how a dining room table will fit in a dining room. We moved the bike and television down to an empty basment bedroom, set up an 'exercise room' and rented some dining room furniture from a local furniture rental store. All of the sudden we had 2 GREAT rooms that previously looked unused, or at least under-utilized.

There are some people that do not have the ability to 'imagine' a room  any differently than the way they first see it. This is the concept behind the decorating of model homes.  By putting furniture in a room, it helps a potential buyer 'see' how the room could be set up and how it would function.

This is also one of the tenets of Staging. As an ASP (Accredited Staging Professional) Realtor, I would be happy to help you find other ways to quickly and efficiently sell your home.

If you have additonal questions about Staging and why you should consider Staging your home, you can go to the following website for more information:

http://www.stagedhomes.com/

Be sure to check ou the Before and After photos located in the middle of the Home page. These will give you some great ideas for working with empty rooms.

Saturday Morning I made my almost-12 year old run errands with me. Our last stop was at the Lake Anne Village local farmers market in Reston. I could tell by his gait as we left the car that he was less than eager.  He had a blast!  Fresh food, snacks, plants and more...what's not to like? He now told me he wants to go every week. I told him that in our area (Fairfax County, Eastern Loudoun areas of Northern Virgnina) we are fortunate to have one of these markets almost every day. 

Here is a list of local markets you might want to try:

Monday: If you know of one, please let me know and I will update the post--I could not find one.

Tuesday

Fairfax Farmers Market

3730 Old Lee Highway
Van Dyck Park
Fairfax, VA 22030

The Fairfax farmers market is held on Tuesdays, generally early May through late October. Expect to see local venders showing off a selection of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Hours:
Opens: 8:00 AM
Closes: 12:00 PM

Wednesday

Frying Pan Park Farmers Market

2709 West Ox Road
Herndon, VA 20171

This farmers market is held on Wednesdays, generally early May through late October. Expect to see local venders showing off a selection of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Hours:
Opens: 8:00 AM
Closes: 12:30 PM

Thursday

Herndon Farmers Market

The corner of Elden and Spring Streets
Next to the Herndon Town Hall
Herndon, VA 20172

The Herndon farmers market is held on Thursdays, generally early May through late October. You can expect to see local farmers showing off their produce and offering a fresh selection of fruits and vegetables.

Hours:
Opens: 8:30 AM
Closes: 12:30 PM

Field of Flowers

37879 Allder School Road
Purcellville, VA 20132

Cut-your-own flower farm. Full-service wedding flowers for small weddings. Open Thursdays only, May through October from 7am-7pm, or by appointment.



Hours:
Opens: 7:00 AM
Closes: 7:00 PM

Friday

McLean Farmers Market

1659 Chain Bridge Road
Lewinsville Park
McLean, VA 22102

The McLean farmers market is held on Fridays, generally early May through late November. Expect to see local venders showing off a selection of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Hours:
Opens: 8:30 AM
Closes: 12:30 PM

Saturday

Reston Farmers Market

Lake Anne Plaza
Reston, VA 20190

Every Saturday from May 10 until November 1 from 8am until 12 noon.

The Reston Farmers' Market, chosen as the "Best in NoVA" by Northern Virginia Magazine, is in the parking lot of Historic Lake Anne Center. Come support local vendors who offer a variety of homegrown/homemade healthy fresh products such as fruits, vegetable, baked goods, cheese, meat, flowers, etc.

Accessibility:  

Hours:
Opens: 8:00 AM
Closes: 12:00 PM

Sunday

Cascades Farmers Market

21060 Whitfield Place
Sterling, VA 20164

Open Sundays beggining the first weekend in May - Last weekend in October. 9am - 1pm

I would be happy to add any favorite local markets to my blog...just send me the information and I will post it.

Happy Shopping!!!

I was driving along today behind a car when I noticed the driver was smoking. So what...their car, their business.  That was until they tossed the smoldering butt of their cigarette onto the street.  It irked me, but what can you do? And then it happened again!

Why is it that perfectly respectable people find that it is okay to litter if it is a cigarette butt?

I doubt that any of these fine, upstanding (I suppose) citizens would ever consider tossing a finished soda can out the window, but they think nothing of tossing out a burning piece of paper wrapped around a filter?  Never having been a smoker, all I can figure is that they don't want it burning in their car and causing litter INSIDE.Gosh, they would have to pick it up. Why not have the county/city/state bear the cost of cleaning up all of those nasty cigarette butts?

Guess what? CIGARETTE BUTTS ARE LITTER!

Please think twice before you toss that little piece of burning paper out the window next time...

I think it is time to bring back the crying Indian Chief (I know I am dating myself).  I doubt anyone raised after spending their childhood watching that wants to litter! If you've never seen the ad, here is the YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3QKvEy0AIk