Archive for October, 2007
Boo!
October 31st, 2007 Categories: Around the City of Alexandria, Blue Plate Specials
The window display at Foxglove Florist on Quaker Lane.
Halloween is a big party night here in DC for kids of all ages. Whether you are going to Georgetown, a private party, or the local pub– please don’t drink and drive. Even though there is a taxi strike in DC– Sober ride will still pick you up in DC and drop you off in Virginia or Maryland.
1–800–200–TAXI (1–800–200–8294) use it- it’s free.
Now, if you are going to over do it on chocolate- you are on your own! 
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A Week in the Life of A Busy Realtor
October 21st, 2007 Categories: Buyers, Real Estate News, Sellers, The Road Less Taken
It’s mid-October and business should be winding down for the year. But it’s not. That’s not a complaint– trust me. Real Estate is a seasonal business and you work when it’s there. This year, despite the media reports– there has always been business.
It was a crazy week for me which started off with a flat tire. Flat tires are never fun. And when a Realtor’s car is out of commission– we’re practically out of work or at least side-lined. Of course– my new tires- or what felt like new tires, really turned out to be THREE years old- so my road-side assistance expired. Without going into details- the tire was fixed by Tuesday morning and my AAA membership- which had just expired was also renewed. Time flies when you’re in the real estate business.
Most people think that Realtors only work on weekends and we slack off during the week. That’s hardly the case. We work with people anytime they’re available and spend our week checking on listings, previewing property, visiting new construction, talking to loan officers about the mortgage market, and researching questions for clients. Before you know it, it’s Thursday and you’re scheduling your weekend of work. Whether you are showing property to buyers or planning a Sunday open house for your listings– the weekend time slots are quickly filled.
This week I was showing property every night after my clients get off work. I will show property on any day of the week– I am very flexible for my clients. I only have one rule– I won’t show property in the dark. I know that sounds silly- but not only it is difficult to find a property in the dark, there are added safety issues and you can’t see the light in a home or condo. This is a important factor in buying a home, whether you realize it or not. No one likes to live in a dark home. In the summer I don’t mind working until 8–9 o’clock- but come the fall, my day it cut short to 7pm.
One night it was the Eclipse– which has some great views and is still selling new construction.
Another night, the North Hampton West in Alexandria off Route 7– another great building, but a tricky location.
We also stopped by to see what was going on with the Parkside in Alexandria and the upcoming auction.
Then there was the West Village of Shirlington– sales are still brisk there.
I was also previewing some single family homes in Aurora Hills for another client. Let’s not forget my continuing education class, putting some advertising together for one of my listings and responding to inquiries from people about available rentals, my listings, new listings on the market and how to fix a washing machine. And sometime during the week- the leaves starting changing. Yeah, I noticed.
I will find some time to tell you what a great market this is to buy, but if you can’t wait, just email me, I’ll be sure to respond.
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Shirlington’s Face Lift is Almost Complete
October 16th, 2007 Categories: Arlington Urban Villages, Around Arlington County, Buyers, Condos, Shirlington, The Native Tourist
This is so many development projects opening in Shirlington that I’ve spent these first few months on my blog writing about all the new openings. The “other half” of Shirlington has taken shape and has a completely new feel. With only Saigonique left to open and Harris Teeter opening on October 23, 2007– the main expansion is just about done.
The last commercial building is still under construction and there are still plans on the table for a extended-stay-type hotel in the parking lot next to the movie theater. While we wait to see if there will be more street-level shops in the commercial building and the plans for the hotel to work itself out, there is lots to enjoy in this new Shirlington. So take a virtual tour and call or email me if you are interested in living in the area. Besides all the new residences, there is still a large community of existing condos for sale.
Related Posts:
Shirlington Crest & Bow Hill Townhomes
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Taste of The New Harris Teeter in Shirlington
October 14th, 2007 Categories: Arlington Urban Villages, Around Arlington County, Blue Plate Specials, Shirlington
It’s finally here- the opening of Harris Teeter in Shirlington. To celebrate, Harris Teeter is sponsoring “Taste of Teeter” evening on Tuesday October 23, 2007.
It’s a wine tasting event in their store on the corner of Campbell Street in Shirlington. They are offering a special 15% discount on a case wine purchased then.
There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony to launch all the festivities.
Tuesday October 23, 2007
5:30 pm– Ribbon Cutting
5:30 pm – 8 pm – Taste of Teeter
Just in case you can’t find it– here is their address:
Harris Teeter at Shirlington Village
4250 Campbell Avenue
Arlington, VA 22206
This is one of the final openings in this phase of the Shirlington expansion. It’s almost over. Still under construction is this commercial building. There is suppose to be street level shops, offices and even more parking. But up next is Saigonique– a new Vietnamese restaurant.
I love this new face of Shirlington! Now if we could just get a metro station…..
Related Posts:
Harris Teeter Finally Shows Signs of Opening
| Discussion: 2 Comments »
The Bon Air Memorial Rose Garden in Arlington, VA
October 10th, 2007 Categories: Around Arlington County, Ballston, Neighborhoods, The Native Tourist
It’s almost mid-October and it was 92 degrees today here in the DC area. We broke a record set back in the 1930s. I can’t even imagine what it was like to live in 92 degrees in the 1930s. It was the time before air-conditioning. So hot was hot- there was no escape.
I know what the houses were like in the 1930s because we still have many of them around. It was before WWII, FDR was president & the term “urban sprawl” wasn’t even a concept, let alone the common place it is here today. Yes, life was different in the 1930s.
So instead of searching for the beautiful color of the changing leaves, I went to the Bon Air Rose Garden today. The roses where still in bloom and the leaves at still green. I love this little park. It’s maintained by the county and has a loyal following. I’m glad that Arlington County has given us a rose garden.
The smell of roses just fill the air. The bike path passes right through it. There are rows and rows of roses. A few tennis courts, basketball & volleyball courts, a tot lot and lawns with picnic tables to sit.
The Bon Air Memorial Rose Garden sits off of Wilson Blvd on North Jefferson Street. I wonder what it would be like to live in the houses across the street from this rose garden. As you leave for work each day- you can really stop to smell the roses.
So while I wait for the leaves to change and fall to arrive– I hope you will enjoy my visit to the rose garden.
There is another rose garden in the DC area more people have heard about- it sits behind the gates of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. I was fortunate to visit that rose garden once. I was disappoint. It’s nothing like Arlington’s rose garden. But much more historic for sure and visited by people more famous than me.
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Stanley Martin: A Builder With A New Approach
October 7th, 2007 Categories: Arlington Urban Villages, Around Arlington County, Buyers, Neighborhoods, Shirlington
During 2006, I started seeing construction equipment on the hill overlooking Shirlington. Then the fence went up. When the fence goes up– I know something is coming. A quick search on the Arlington County website revealed the plans for a whole new development of garaged townhomes– 171 of them! I had no idea that the small garden apartments, Green Valley, was sitting on that kind of lot!
Shirlington Crest
Shirlington Crest is an ambitious project by local builder, Stanley Martin. There hasn’t been much information available other than us locals watching the hills clear over these past weeks and months, a stone entrance erected and more construction equipment arrived. I received emails with information of pre-construction sales. Still not a whole lot of emails- just teaser information.
Just from being a realtor, I know Shirlington Crest is going to be a community of luxury garage townhomes, with large master suites, great looking kitchens, open floor plans and maybe even a fireplace.
When the news first hit the Arlington County website sometime in 2006– it was clear that these townhomes were going to be priced in the low $700,000s. But now that pre-construction sales have started, & we’re in a different market, Stanley Martin isn’t committing to a price, only to say that they are in the $600s. I’m sure if you are a buyer, a price list would be available. Smart.
Their website hasn’t been updated to reflect the emails I’m getting with a few of the details: Shirlington Crest and three other communities are open for sales, the builder will pay the closing costs up to $15,000 on the townhouses & $20,000 on the single family homes and it this offer ends on October 31, 2007.
Why the Shirlington Crest Project is Ambitious
This is the first large scale project on this kind to go up in Shirlington since the Village at Shirlington Condominium & West Village at Shirlington- but those are condos. They are the first townhouses built since the Windgate townhouses in the 1980s. But even Windgate is a condo. So– this is the largest non-condo project to go up in Shirlington since Fort Barnard Heights in the 1940s.
If you are familiar with the area, you would also know that there were single family homes build up Glebe Road in Nauck in the 1990s & a few other townhome projects over the past few years. Most recently, Bowman’s Hill Towns. Technically– that’s not Shirlington. Or maybe Shirlington Crest is technically not being built in Shirlington? Who’s to say? Shirlington ends at Four-Mile Run after which the Nauck neighborhood begins. Nauck also has plans for expansion- but that’s for another few posts.
Arlington County seems to think that giving these townhomes the Shirlington name will make them more attractive. Maybe it will. Maybe it won’t. Whatever it’s named, right now it’s still across the street from the cement factory. Aside from the cement factory, the location has other great things going for it: it’s next to the W&OD Bike Path, walkable to Shirlington, close to I395 & easy access to other commuter routes and we can’t forget to mention the Weenie Beenie.
I’m interested to see what happens with this project. I want nothing more for it to succeed. I think it will do wonders for the neighborhood. If you are interested in buying, give me a call, because you are going to need a buyer’s agent.
Stanley Martin Is A Builder With A Fresh Approach
In addition to this townhome community, Stanley Martin is starting two other new projects inside the beltway.
- Beauregard Station in Alexandria: “Quaint community” of 41 townhomes priced in the $600s
- The Courtyards at Falls Gate in Falls Church: “An exclusive enclave of 19 homesites” priced in the $800s
AND– just this past week, Stanley Martin began marketing it’s new “Build on your own lot” program- where they are seeking out “tear down” homes all over Arlington, Falls Church and anywhere else in the metro DC area and will built a custom home for any buyer willing to wait for it.
When all the other builders are running from this slower market and announcing falling profits, Stanley Martin has turned inside the beltway, where things are not as slow. And instead of developing large-scale neighborhoods, they scaled down their business to smaller communities and even custom homes.
Will it work? I think they may be onto something. And bravo to Stanley Martin for remaining committed to the DC area. They have not been frightened away and turned everything into a rental apartment. They’ve looked at the market, adjusted their business plan and are moving forward.
It’s the experienced builders like this who have and WILL survive a slow market.
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Wilson Blvd & Oakland Street: The Start of Something Big?
October 2nd, 2007 Categories: Arlington Urban Villages, Around Arlington County, Ballston, Condos, Neighborhoods, Virginia Square
I was driving down Wilson Blvd on Saturday heading to pick up clients and had a “WOW” reaction when I saw the tearing down of this building on the corner of Wilson Blvd & Oakland Street. I often see the cranes going up and the buildings being built– but rarely get to see the destruction that precedes the new birth.
While there is no sign up yet on what’s to come, it appears to be the home of a new residential building– The Amelia Residences at Virginia Square.
Originally scheduled as am 8–story building with 108 unit condominium, 147 underground parking spaces and 3500 square feet of retail at street level, it is now simply called a “residence.” In Developer speak that means that there is a possibility that is won’t be offered as a condo- but as rental apartments instead. The developer is Dittmar- which is a long-time local builder with a solid reputation. Even Arlington County’s press release from 2004 would not commit to condos.
This is a great location– between Ballston & Virginia Square Metros. Virginia Square is the home of the George Mason Law School and still one of the least developed areas of the Orange Line Corridor.
3801 Wilson Blvd– keep you eyes on it.
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