Real Estate and Reston, VA: Virginia: Reston

Thursday afternoon (9/2/10) , Veterans Green Jobs (VGJ) announced a partnership with LiUna, Sierra Club, weatherize DC and Ardent 360, to create green jobs for local veterans.

As part of this program, 9 veterans will be trained and employed to provide energy audit and weatherization services to 50 Northern Virginia military households. These services will be at no cost to the military families.

By teaming up, these organizations are creating new jobs while simultaneously improving the living and economic conditions of local military families. These improvements will reduce their monthly costs and make their homes more comfortable.

Unemployment rates for military veterans between the ages of 18 and 24 can reach as high as 21.6%.  This is significantly higher than non-veterans or the employment rate as a whole. This partnership will help prepare these vets for a career outside of the military and help to reduce that unemployment statistic. They will complete the training program, receive on-the-job training and experience and be prepared to work in the home perfomance industry.
 
My husband, Bob, is the President and CEO of Ardent 360 and I am very proud of the work they have done toward forming this alliance and creating these jobs.

For more information and the full press release, to to Local Veterans to Weatherize 50+ Military Homes Through Veterans Green Jobsinitiative.

You can become a fan of Veterans Green Jobs on Facebook, too!

Here in Fairfax County, Virginia, school hasn't yet started, but school year planning has begun.

As you put together your school year calendar, be sure you get your back-to-school night on there!

Cluster 1 (Herndon Pyramid)

Aldrin Elementary            ESOL Parents, Thursday, 9/16 at 6:00 pm
                                      K-6 Parents, Thursday, 9/16 at 6:00 pm
Armstrong Elementary    K-3 Parent,s Tuesday, 9/28 at 7:00 pm
                                      4-6 Parents, Monday, 9/27 at 7:00 pm

Herndon Middle               7-8 Parents , Thursday, 9/23 at 6:30 pm

Herndon High                  9-12 Parents, Thursday, 9/23 at 6:30 pm


Cluster 8 (South Lakes Pyramid)

Dogwood Elemenary      K-6 Parents, Monday, 9/20 at 6:30 pm
Forest Edge                   PS, K-3 Parents, Monday, 9/20 at 7:30 pm
                                     4-6 Parents, Tuesday, 9/21 at 7:30 pm
Hunters Woods              K-3 Parents, Tuesday, 9/28 at 7:00 pm
                                     4-6 Parents, Wednesday, 9/29 at 7:00 pm
Lake Anne                     K,2,4,6, SPED Parents, Monday, 9/27 at 6:30 pm
                                    1,3,5, Art, Music, PE, Tuesday, 9/28 at 6:30 pm
Sunrise Valley                K-6 Parents, Thursday, 9/23 at 7:00 pm
Terraset                        K-6 Parents, Wednesday, 9/15 at 7:00pm

Hughes Middle                7-8 Parents, Thursday, 9/16 at 6:30 pm

South Lakes  High          9-12 Parents, Thursday, 9/30 at 6:30 pm



If you need more information about back-to-school nights in Fairfax County go to the Back to School Night Schedule on the Fairfax County Public School Website.

If you are sending a freshman to Herndon High School next year, Tuesday (8/31/2010)  is  Orientation Day. The Orientation runs from 9-11 and gives the kids a chance to pick up their schedules, find classrooms and meet teachers.

Bus pickup will be centralized at local elementary schools.

Here are the pickup times for freshman who will be attending Herndon High and the Tuesday Orientation:

Aldrin Elementary School               pick up 8:35 a.m.
Armstrong Elementary School      pick up 8:35 a.m.
Clearview Elementary School       pick up 8:45 a.m. 
Dranesville Elementary School    pick up 8:45 a.m. 
Herndon Elementary School         pick up 8:45 a.m. 
Herndon Middle School                  pick up 8:45 a.m. 
Hutchison Elementary School       pick up 8:35 a.m. 
 
Proper dress and behavior is expected when attending Orientation. Buses will leave Herndon High School at 11:10 and drop students off at the elementary schools for parent pickup. 

 Good luck to all the new Hornets!!!

Yesterday, my husband, son and I headed out to buy a new mattress for my son.  

I went into this as an informed consumer:

**I had a budget
**I had done research about what I wanted and why
**I had done some pricing and knew about what I should expect to pay for what I wanted

For some inexplicable reason, we have 3 mattress chain stores within a couple of miles of my house (do people buy that many mattresses? They must!). We decided that we should go to all 3 to make sure we ended up with the best product at the best price.

We went to the first store. The sales person greeted us and I shared with her our budget and the type of mattress that we were hoping to buy. We tried a couple of mattresses that were close to our price range and found 2 that we liked. She provided us pricing and then discretely stepped away to give us time to talk.  The price was about $50 over our budget, but they would provide the low profile box spring at no additional charge. She also volunteered that while we could not pick the set up on Tuesday, as we wanted to, we could get half-price delivery on Friday. It all sounded great, but we wanted to make sure we saw everything that was available and got the best price.

At the second store, we were greeted by the sales person. We provided the same information and he showed us 2 options.  When we indicated that neither of these was quite what we wanted, he began telling us of all of the problems with other manufacturer's mattresses. Finally, he began disucssing the benefits of one of their private brand and why we should buy that one.  I began to feel like it was in his best interest to sell us the private brand --one that we didn't want.  He seemed confused when we asked about the low-profile box spring and told us if we wanted it, we would have to wait a week and a half.  We excused ourselves and headed to store #3.

The third store was much larger than the first two and very well appointed. There were a lot of really fine mattresses displayed, all without prices. There was only one salesperson and he was working with other clients when we arrived. By now, we knew approximately what we were looking for. We headed in the direction of those mattresses.  The sales person finished up with the clients and we were finally able to ask him some questions. He answered all of our questions, but did not really work to provide us with options and alternatives. He was more like a receptionist than a salesperson.  We, again, excused ourselves and left.

So how did the shopping expedition end? We went back to the first store and bought the first mattress from the first sales person. We liked the way she treated us, we liked the product, we liked the pricing and we had the best experience there. Yes, I ended up exceeding my budget (by an acceptable amount), but I am happy with the purchase.

This experience got me thinking about how Realtors approach potential clients.  There were many parallels in what we were doing to a client walking into an open house with no agent representation.  By facilitating the process, asking the right questions, being involved, but stepping back at the right time, the first salesperson won our business.  In an open house situation, you don't know who is walking in that door--or how far along in the process they are--but you have the opportunity to learn about them. Simply selling them the house that you are holding open, may, or may not, be in their best interest (think of the salesperson who tried to sell us the private brand).  The salesperson who is busy when you arrive, and indifferent about your needs, will not win your business either (the third salesperson).

It is the Realtor/Salesperson who is interested in finding out your needs, understanding your wants, working with your budget and is respectful of your need to process what you have seen that will likely win the client!

These lessons are all around us; Real Estate is not so different from many other businesses. Having spent years in consulting, successfully working with a client is about understanding the challenge, proposing solutions, identifying the best answer and working to a successful outcome. Clearly, that is the best way to sell a mattress, too!

Are you incorporating these techniques into your business?  It is a sure way to be the Realtor that the client ends up selecting!

P.S. For you Herndon/Reston people, it was the Mattress Discounters at 322 Elden St. in Herndon, VA who won our business. Thanks for your help, Andrea Bodmann!

It is too late to enjoy the Farmer's Market at Lake Anne Plaza in Reston, VA this week, but it will be back again next week!  The Farmer's Market, which runs from May until October, is held each Saturday from 8 a.m. until 12 noon.

I was not able to get a good shot of the portion of the Farmer's market that features the produce, fresh meats, baked goods, flowers and other goodies. This shows the area where many vendors set up and sell goods ranging from baskets to sunglasses, to clothing, jewelry and more!

It was a beautiful day to wander around the market. I picked up some fresh Italian Sausage from one of our favorite organic farmers, some fresh corn and fresh tomatoes.

I overheard one of the Farmers say that this is the most successful Farmer's Market that he participates in and that he comes from quite far away to be here each Saturday.

If you haven't been to the Farmer's Market at Lake Anne Plaza yet this summer, why not make plans to be there next Saturday? I will probably see you there!!!

Pre-season football continues tonight with a match-up between two local favorites: The Washington Redskins and the Baltimore Ravens .

Kick off is at 7:00 p.m. at FedEx Field.  If you are planning to go, make plans to leave early...the traffic to FedEx Field is often nightmarish, but will hopefully be better since there is no rush-hour or early morning beach traffic to contend with!

Tailgating at Redskins game is an art. If you don't plan to have your own tailgate, take some time to walk around and observe the spreads put on by other fans. One of my favorites is the bus with the couch attached to the roof.  Clearly, this is a fan that has a vehicle for one purpose only...to tailgate!

The Redskins have an infamous waiting list for tickets, but StubHub and several other tikcet services can usually provide tickets to the games.

The game will be televised tonight on Comcast SportsNet HD / NBC 4.

If you are a Redskins fan and wish to get on my mailing list for an annual Magnetic Game Schedule of the team, let me know at hollyweatherwax@mris.com and I will add you to my mailing list. I also send out Nationals schecudles in the fall.

It is another great weekend for live music in the Reston & Herndon, Virginia Area!

Friday Night Live  is located in the Downtown Herndon, Virginia on the Town Green. TownGreen is located behind the new Municipal Building at 777 Lynn Street in Historic Downtown Herndon, VA. It is adjacent to the W&OD Hike & Bike trail and the new town library.  Tonights concert features The Benjamins. Their high energy rock show which covers songs from every genre to the most current rock,  is truly a phenomenon to experience. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. and the concert is free. 

The Loudoun Summer MusicFest features two concerts this weekend! On Saturday night, enjoy The Original Wailers
Featuring Al Anderson & Junior Marvin
Artist website: www.originalwailers.com
General Admission advance tickets: $12.50/Gate: $15
Gates at 5pm, showtime at 6pm

The concert on  Sunday night is a real treat with The Dukes of September Rhythm Revue 2010, featuring Donald Fagen, Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs. General Admission advance tickets: $26.50, Gates open at 5pm, showtime at 7pm.

To purchase tickets to either of these events, go to the website for Loudoun Summer MusicFest.

Saturday night at the Reston Town Center Pavillion, enjoy the sounds of Airmen of Note, The U.S. Airforce Jazz Band. Bring your chairs or picnic blankets and enjoy this free concert. The concert runs from 7:30-10 p.m.

 It is a great weekend to hear some exceptional music. I hope you get a chance to enjoy one, or more of these concerts!

Let's hope the weather cooperates, because there are some really exciting outdoor concerts this weekend!

Friday Night Live  is located in the Downtown Herndon, Virginia on the Town Green. TownGreen is located behind the new Municipal Building at 777 Lynn Street in Historic Downtown Herndon, VA. It is adjacent to the W&OD Hike & Bike trail and the new town library.  Tonights concert features B2B.  B2B is a Jimmy Buffett Tribute band located in Richmond, Virginia. Most of the band members are also long standing members of the Parrot Head Club of Richmond. B2B's main musical inspiration, of course, is Jimmy Buffett, but they also play a wide variety of music that ranges from The Beatles to Kenny Chesney.

Saturday night at the Reston Towncenter will feature Johnny White & The Elite Band as part of the Reston Town Center Concert Series. This Motown Style band is described on its website as:  'two powerful lead vocalists, JOHNNY WHITE and SHIRL, and three "songbird" BACKGROUND SINGERS.The combination of their singing ability and HIGH ENERGY CHOREOGRAPHY, will make you, the spectator, a part of their show.' The show begins at 7:30 p.m. and will take place Rain or Shine.

If you are looking for a way to educate your young ones about different types of music, The Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts is sponsoring a family workshop on Monday, August 16 called,' Family Day at the Opera.'  This is part of the Wolf Trap program, 'Behind the Curtain.'  The cost is $15 per family member for this interactive workshop. More information is available at: Wolf Trap, Behind the Curtain.

 
I hope you can get out this weekend and enjoy some great music!

Whenever a Reston, Virginia client with an in-ground pool considers listing their home, they are always surprised when I tell them that the pool generally ends up neither adding nor subtracting from the value--it is a net-neutral.

Especially here in Reston, where all members of the mandatory Reston Association are entitled to go to any one of 15 pools, having your own is not necessarily a plus! There are a wide variety of pool types from those designed for young children to pools for competition--and everything in between.

Of course, there are always folks who 'just want one.'  There are, however, just as many who say, 'you couldn't pay me to have a pool.'

It might be the upkeep, the responsibility or the hassle that keeps someone from buying a house with a pool, but it can also be a costly proposition, as explained in the August 11, 2010, Wall Street Journal Article, 'Taking a Bath on Your Pool.'

If you are in the group that has always wanted a pool, go ahead and get one. Just be aware that in a market like Reston, Virginia, you should not expect to recoup the costs of installation. And it can make your house more of a challenge to market when you go to sell.

I can help you find properties either with, or without, a pool in the Reston, Virginia and Northern Virginia area. Please let me know how I can help you find your dream home!

If your child will be attending a Fairfax County School this fall, it is time to get them registered! School always  begins the Tuesday after Labor Day in Fairfax County. For the 2010-011 school year, that will be Tuesday, September 7, 2010.

Children may attend FCPS Kindergarten if they have turned 5 by September 30. If they have turned 6 by September 30, they must either enroll in school or be registered as participating in a home schooling program.

All Fairfax County Schools follow the same procedure for registering new students. That information can be found on the Fairfax County page called:Starting School in Fairfax Couny Public Schools, and is summarized below.

Each school registers the children within its geographical boundaries. To determine which local elementary, middle or high school, your child will attend,  use the FCPS Boundary Information System. Once you have determined the school, contact the school directly and make an appointment with the Registrar. Contact information for all FCPS is available at the Schools and Centers Directory.

You will need to bring the necessary forms, along with:

1. Proof of Residency
2. Proof of Birth
3. Documentation of previous educational program
4. Health Documentation

Information about what constitutes each of these items is available at 2010-11 General Registration Requirements.

On the site, you will find the forms that must be completed as well as information about the medical vaccines that are required for registration.

The website and contact information for some of the schools serving Reston, Virginia are as follows:

Aldrin Elementary: 703-904-3800 

Armstrong Elementary: 703-375-4800

Crossfield Elementary: 703-295-1100

Dogwood Elementary:703-262-3100

Forest Edge Elementary :703-925-8000

Hunters Woods Elementary:  703-262-7400

Lake Anne Elementary :  703-326-3500

Sunrise Valley Elementary:    703-715-3800  

Terraset Elementary:   703-390-5600  

Herndon Middle School:  703-904-4800

Hughes Middle School:  703-715-3600  

Herndon High School: 703-810-2200  

South Lakes High School: 703-715-4500

If you are new to the area and need assistance purchasing a new home, I would be happy to provide you with information about different communities in and around Reston, Virginia and the Northern Virgina Area. I can be reached at 571-643-4902 or at hollyweatherwax@mris.com. Visit my website and read my blog for more information about buying and selling a home and how I can help you to find your new home in the Northern Virgina area.