Real Estate and Reston, VA: September 2009

The Reston Citizens Association will be sponsoring a  Reston Home Expo this Saturday, October 3, 2009 at the Sheraton Reston Hotel (11810 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA 20191). This event is FREE to the public.

The Expo, which is free of charge, is resource for Reston Residents, providing them with an opportunity to meet with local service providers. The service providers will be available to discuss specific projects as well as to provide tips and advice about exterior and interior home improvement and maintenance. The event is also designed for Cluster and Condominium Board Members to meet and have access to these specialists.

Participating in the event will be professionals from  different service industries including, arborists, attorneys, landscapers, maintenance and design professionals, paving and concrete specialists, reserve studies professionals,  waste management specialists,  interior designers, plumbers and more.

Don't miss this opportunity to meet the folks who know and work in Reston and maybe pick up some great advice, too!

Are you looking for a great house or a great neighborhood?

Luckily, when it comes to buying a home, not everyone is looking for the same thing. Someone who is looking for acreage, is probably less likely to be concerned about finding a very involved neighborhood association. Another buyer who is looking to find a 'Mayberry' type setting,  replete with Memorial Day Parades and Halloween Parties for the tots, is probably not as focused on lot privacy.

When you put your wish list together,  most of us focus on the number of bedrooms and the number of baths. Next on the list is usually the style of house (detached, townhouse or condo) and then the lists begin to take on a more personal element.  Age of house, recent remodels, fireplaces, pool, etc. are all things that are important to some buyers and not to others.

As you begin your search, however, you may want to think about what kind of community, if any, you are seeking. 

I have talked to many people who say that their thought process, and needs,  were different when they originally bought their house than it is today.  As you decide where you want to live, try to think a little bit further down the line.  If you have little children, try to picture what they will need 5, or even 10, years down the road.  Will you still be here when they are old enough to play outside unattended? If you are single or a couple, do you want to pay a premium for the tot lot down the street? Maybe not, but you might, if it means that the people in the neighborhood look out for one another--or you might feel like it is just throwing your money away to support amenities that you won't use.

Here are some ideas of the type of questions you might ask to help you determine what kind of neighborhood it is:

1. Do you have a neighborhood watch--either part of a formal program or informally?
2. Is there a neighborhood association? Who is on the board? Do they organize neighborhood events?
   
3. What is the parking situation when people have parties?
4. Is there a community pool or other place where neighbors gather?
5. Are there any annual events for the neighborhood?
6. Are there any clubs that are organized within the neighborhood (Dinner Clubs, book clubs, etc.)?
   
7. Do informal gathering ever take place, or do most people keep to themselves?
   

Obviously, this is not intended to be an all inclusive list, but it might give you some ideas about the kind of questions that you would like to ask.  The objective here is to figure out what is important to you.

Saturday night one of our neighbors had a 'Harvest Moon Soiree.' It was a great time to catch up with the neighbors and it seems well on the way to becoming an annual tradition. A couple of weeks back another neighbor did  back-to-school movie night outside in their cul-de-sac.  If these kind of events appeal to you, it is important to spend some time walking around the neighborhoods that you are considering and talking to the neighbors. Ask about annual parties, neighborhood cook-outs and other annual events. It might mean going at different times of the day, or maybe on the weekend, but the information you find out will be extremely helpful to you in determining what kind of neighborhood it is. 

It all goes back to the old saying, 'location, location, location.' You can always modify a  floor plan or improve a kitchen, but whether you are looking for a close-knit neighborhood or something that provides you a little bit more autonomy, you would be well advised to do your research ahead of time--a neighborhood is not as easy to change as a paint color!

According to the Wall Street Journal, (Seeking Real Estate Bargains? Try Looking at the High End, Sept.23, 2009), luxury home buyers are continuing to see the prices of homes come down. 

The Virginia Association of Realtor's Trends in the Virginia Housing Market, 2nd Quarter 2009 Report shows that unemployment in Fairfax County is down at 4.3%. A low unemployment rate, a government funded program of first time buyer incentives, great deals in the foreclosure/ short-sale markets, and low interest rates have all resulted in a 2nd quarter (the most recent information available) increase in both sales volume and median prices in Fairfax County.

Does that mean we have hit the bottom and are on the way up?  I think it depends on the market segment. In the lower end, those homes that are considered 'starter' homes, sales are brisk and it is becoming harder and harder to find a 'deal.' For many, that would indicate that we have left the bottom of the real estate market crash.

For buyers and sellers in the luxury market, it may be too early to see the same upturn.  There is a 'trickle up' aspect to prices in the Luxury Home Market.  How often does a first time buyer purchase a $1 million home? It happens, but the conversation usually involves a house purchase, as well as trust funds and Lear jets. Most first time buyers are firmly in the lower half of the price spectrum.

Another reason the luxury segment has not rebounded as quickly could be the result of another government program; the temporary increase in the Jumbo Conforming Loan limit. It used to be that a lower Jumbo Conforming Loan limit almost demanded that a home over $750,000 would require both a first and second trust. Between the new higher limit of $729,500 and the reluctance of banks to make 2nd Trust loans, many high end buyers are buying homes that allow them to combine their cash-on-hand with the Jumbo Conforming limit of $729,500 to determine their offer price. I wrote about my take on this back in June, (Are New Higher Jumbo Conforming Loans Driving Down Prices?).

The stock market has also significantly impacted the luxury market. Many investors have lost too much money to take principal out right now and are waiting to re-gain some of their profits. They may  be hestiant to put too much cash into a market segment, real estate, that has recently seen such significant loses. Fianlly, losses in the stock market may have left them feeling less wealthy and not as interested in lifestyle improvements.

As a Luxury Home buyer, however, all of this may be coming together to create  the 'perfect storm' of a continuing buyers market in the luxury segment. If you have a mid-priced home to sell, the buyers seem to have come back.  Selling your home quickly and for a fair price could allow you to get a great deal as you move up in to the luxury market.

Please let me know if I can provide you with information about luxury homes available in the Northern Virginia area.

John Grisham, Judy Blume, Ken Burns, Julia Alvarez, Paula Deen, Kate Dicamillo, Gwen Ifill, John Irving...does the opportunity to meet any of these authors send excitement down your spine?  If so, clear your calendar for Saturday, 9/26/09 and head to Washington, D.C. for 'Bookfest on the Mall.'

The National Book Festival will be held on The National Mall on Saturday, September 26, 2009. Admission to this amazing event is free and more than 75 acclaimed authors and illustrators will be there!  The Festival, which goes from 10 am until 5:30 pm.

The festival is organized by the Library of Congress and this year will have President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama as honorary chairs.

The Program Participants will discuss their books and have book signings. The  book groupings are organized by the following categories:

• Poetry & Prose
• History & Biography
• Mysteries & Thrillers
• Fiction & Fantasy
• Teens & Children
• Children

The participants list is literally a 'who's who' of the literary world. My favorite books are fiction and I was easily able to find (too many) authors that I would like to hear speak.

There is a website for The National Book Festival  where you can find lists of the specific authors who will be attending and more information about the times that they will be available for signing books and when they will be speaking.

You can also get text updates to your phone by texting BOOK to 61399 (regular texting rates apply).

I hope you get a chance to enjoy this amazing event!

Tomorrow is the GRACE ART Collector's Choice event. Participants purchase a ticket (or more than one) for $150. Artists donate pieces of art, which can be previewed in advance. Numbers are drawn in quick order, and  if your number is drawn you must provide the number of the art piece that you want. The pace is fast and the air is charged with excitement.

All art is donated and proceeds go to GRACE to aid in promoting their mission, 'GreaterRestonArtsCenter (GRACE) enriches community life by promoting involvement and excellence in contemporary visual arts. In pursuit of this mission, GRACE provides a year-round program of visual art exhibitions, education programs for all ages, and special events.'

Tickets can be purchased at GRACE which is located in the Reston Towncenter at 12001 Market Street Suite #103 Reston, VA 20190. The total number of tickets sold will not exceed the number of art works that have been donated, so everyone will go home with a unique work of art. The first choice is raffled off at the beginning, so don't forget to buy your first choice raffle ticket for an opportunity to be the first to choose.

This will be my third year attending this wonderful event. In the past I have come home with a table top sculpture and last year I got a beautiful photograph.  I just spent an hour at GRACE prioritizing things that I want to take home this year. Of course, due to the nature of the event, my list may end up worthless (if everyone else wants the same things and my number is called late). There is a break half way through the event so that people who have tickets that haven't yet been called can adjust their list and, perhaps, make some new choices.

Bring a folding chair and plan on spending the afternoon. The doors open at 11 am and the event begins at 1:00 pm. It will continue until every ticket has been called. You will see lots of folks from in and around Reston, you will be supporting the local arts and arts in the schools and, best of all, you will go home with your own special work of art!

Last night was the big football game between Herndon High School and South Lakes High School. Herndon came out victorious, but it was a nail-biter down to the last 9 seconds when Herndon intercepted a South Lakes pass as South Lakes made their way down the field hoping for the winning touch down.

Having grown up in Reston, I can tell you that this rivalry is as organic as they come. There is some interesting history between the two schools that contribute to this.

Back in the seventies my high school class entered Herndon Middle and proceeded on to Herndon High School for our freshman year. At that time, Herndon High had students from Herndon, all of Reston and western Great Falls. In 1978, Fairfax County opened South Lakes.  There was huge demand for the new Reston high school and many parents were dismayed to find out that the only students who would be attending were those on the south side of the Dulles Access Road (the Dulles Toll Road did not yet exist). I remember my dad attending many meetings in an attempt to get our neighborhood included in the boundaries for the new school. We all wanted to attend the big new school with the great football stadium!

The new school opened in Fall of 1978. The school opened with 2 grades: 9 grade and 10th grade. The 10th grade was comprised of half of my class from Herndon High School. Our class, which had started together at Herndon Middle was literally divided in half.  Each year the school added a 9th grade until they had their first graduating class in 1981. I was part of the class that remained at Herndon High.

As you can imagine, when we watched half of our class go to a new school and begin competing against us, the rivalry was pretty intense. Many of the Herndon students  had gone to school with the South Lakes students since preschool. Of course, by starting with a 10th grade class, it took a couple of years before South Lakes Varsity sports program was at full capacity, but it was immediately a fun, and intense, rivalry.

In the years that have followed, the boundary between the schools has changed. Baron Cameron Avenue now creates the logical divide for the South Lakes boundaries; everyone north of Baron Cameron (with a few exceptions) goes to Herndon High School and south of Baron Cameron goes to South Lakes.

Last year, Fairfax County adjusted the boundaries for South Lakes which resulted in a pretty intense boundary fight/discussion between parents and the county board.  Over the years, the families who have stayed at Herndon High School all these years have become passionate supporters for the HHS traditions. If anything, the rivalry intensified following this process.

In addition to the boundary discussion, the children of Reston generally play youth sport together up to and into the middle school years. Once they hit high school, they separate and head off to their respective schools.  This also contributes to the intense rivalry.

So this football game last night, which somewhere along the way became known as the Baron Cameron Bowl (the Washington Post keeps saying it is named after the local park, but I would bet money that it is based on the road that serves as the boundary between the two schools) was, as always, a big game between two long time rivals.

Both of these schools have strong traditions,loyal supporters, and  a wonderful, competitive and exciting cross town rivalry in each other!  May it continue for a long, long time to come.

I was an early registrant of Twitter.  I got it.  I did not, however, jump on the Twitter bandwagon. Frankly, I was focused on ActiveRain and did not want to get distracted. I really never cared what Ashton Kutcher was doing and I get my news soundbites  from TV, Radio or computer.

THEN ActiveRain added the Twitter feed.  Soon I was Tweeting with the best of them--only not really.  Yes, I was sending out Tweets with  links to my blog, but I was not using Twitter the way others were. I wasn't sending out Tweets.  I felt good though; when people asked me if I Twittered, I could say yes.

Last night I logged on and spent a couple of minutes looking around. I did a search on Real Estate and analyzed what came up.

I have decided to try a 2 week experiment.

I am going to Twitter.  REAL Twitter...brief updates about my business, real estate and the area.  I am going to use the # before key words to help the search engine find my Tweets. I am going to post at least one a day and I am going to provide links back to my website and or blog.

In other words, I am going to give this a shot. Who am I to say no to free marketing?  I will keep you posted on my results. For record keeping purposes, I currently have 52 followers...

If you want to follow me on Twitter, my twitter name is (surprisingly) hollyweatherwax.

• Congressman Joe Wilson shouts out, 'You Lie' from the floor of the house while the President addresses the nation
• Serena Williams shouts obscenities at a line judge during the US Open resulting in her loss and strict penalties
• Kanye West jumps on stage during Taylor Swifts acceptance speech at the MTV VMAs, grabs the microphone and says that Beyonce should have won the award
  

What kind of role models are these people for our kids? A Politician, a professional athlete and a music superstar all behaving badly.

This is in no way a judgment of the opinions that these protesters hold.  They have a right to their opinion and a right to be heard.  But since when has it become socially acceptable to voice your opinion by being so blatantly disrespectful of other people?

It is important to me that I teach my children, and that all children learn, respect for others and civility.  These folks are role models who are behaving badly for the world to see.  Yes, they are all being censured or punished by public opinion (or governing bodies), but why did they behave this way to begin with? The President, a sports official and an honoree are all people who are more than deserving of our respect.

Too little emphasis is being given to the old adage, 'think before you act.'

As a society, we need to stand up and let public figures know that it is not all right to behave this way.

If one of my kids throws down a lacrosse stick after losing a play, or kicks a soccer ball in anger, I am quick to lecture them on the importance of sportsmanship. Isn't sportsmanship just another way of saying to have respect for your opponent?

As Realtors ®, and professionals in the real estate industry, we recognize the importance of treating each other with respect.  We Realtors® have a whole Code of Ethics , that tasks us with respect, good behavior and ethical practices. It is a good idea to read it once in a while to remind ourselves about the importance of how we treat our clients and colleagues (you can click on the link above to review it; it is a quick read).

But, back to the behavior mentioned at the beginning of this post. Obviously, these folks can behave as they want, but as the public, we need to speak up and let them know that we will not tolerate this type of behavior. Would you want to see your child, family member or neighbor behave this way? For once, I would love to see the media take a subject and beat it to death. Let's stop giving these folks personal attention for the behavior and start talking about the bad behavior itself.

Let's bring RESPECT  and CIVILITY back to our country!  In my opinion, we are way off track on this.

I am a long time Dell customer. Our family owns 4 Dell computers and my husband's company owns another 12 or so.

In July, all of the sudden a vertical line appeared on the display of my Inspirion 9300 laptop. After exhaustive research, another vertical line and several calls to the Dell help line, I had come up against a wall; they offered to let ME pay to repair a known problem. This, despite the fact that like a good consumer, I had registered my PC--and was never notified that this was an issue for this model.

That was just plain wrong.

I wrote a letter to Michael Dell and copied it to two Vice Presidents at Dell.

Yesterday, I got a call that they will repair my laptop at no cost to me.  I will be without it for a week to 10 days (not ideal), but will get back a display that no longer has vertical lines (I now have 4 of these brightly colored lines).

Ideally, I would have purchased a defect-free PC, but as I said in my letter, it is almost impossible to avoid problems, but the mark of a good company is in how it deals with them.

Thanks, Dell for doing the right thing!

I keep hearing about people who have been ticketed by Police for  this little known law.  I can tell you that police officers are actively enforcing the Slow Down Move Over Law.

The law, violation of which is a Class 1 Misdemeanor reads like this:

§ 46.2-921.1. Drivers to yield right-of-way or reduce speed when approaching stationary emergency vehicles on highways; penalties.

The driver of any motor vehicle, upon approaching a stationary emergency vehicle, as defined in § 46.2-920, that is displaying a flashing, blinking, or alternating emergency light or lights as provided in §§ 46.2-1022, 46.2-1023, and 46.2-1024, shall (i) on a highway having at least four lanes, at least two of which are intended for traffic proceeding as the approaching vehicle, proceed with caution and, if reasonable, with due regard for safety and traffic conditions, yield the right-of-way by making a lane change into a lane not adjacent to that occupied by the stationary emergency vehicle or (ii) if changing lanes would be unreasonable or unsafe, proceed with due caution and maintain a safe speed for highway conditions.

Violation of any provision of this section shall constitute a Class 1 misdemeanor. If the violation resulted in damage to property of another person, the court may, in addition, order the suspension of the driver's privilege to operate a motor vehicle for not more than one year. If the violation resulted in injury to another person, the court may, in addition to any other penalty imposed, order the suspension of the driver's privilege to operate a motor vehicle for not more than two years. If the violation resulted in the death of another person, the court may, in addition to any other penalty imposed, order the suspension of the driver's privilege to operate a motor vehicle for two years.

In layman's terms, if you are on a highway and see an officer or other emergency vehicle pulled over on the side of the road, you are required to move from the adjacent lane to one away from the stopped vechicle if moving is a reasonable and safe option.

My daughter finished her classroom Driver's Ed a year and a half ago and was licensed within the last 10 months. Yet, this law was never mentioned to the students. From what I was able to find on line, this law  was written about in 2007 and according to the article,
Virginia: Unknown Traffic Violation Carries $2500 Fine it has been in effect since 2002. Surely, young drivers (and the rest of us) should be told about this it?

Unless you have been ticketed for this, how many of you have heard of it?

I am not arguing against the law--I think it is long overdue.  But why hasn't their been a public information campaign to let us know how the law expects us to behave in this situation?

Kudos to Virginia for looking out for our Police Officers, but what about letting us know about new laws that impact our day-to-day driving?  It makes me wonder what other laws are out there that I am unknowingly violating?