Your dryer vent is very important for releasing heat, moisture, lint and gas byproducts (if you have a gas dryer) from your home.  Keeping the dryer ducts and vent system clean ensures your dryer is operating efficiently; a clogged vent causes the dryer to work much harder, increasing energy usage.  So, a well maintained dryer vent system is important for energy consumption as well as fire safety, but what about the cold air it lets in during the cooler winter months?  Or the hot air during the hot summer months?    There is a product on the market called a Dryer Vent Draft Blocker; it is inexpensive and it attaches easily to most dryer vent pipes.  When the dryer is not running, the flapper closes; when the dryer is running, it opens.  This product will make a big difference in the amo... 01/06/2009

Looking for a great place to live in the DC area? What about buying luxury town homes in Arlington VA.  They're close to everything.  Arlington VA is the perfect place to own a garage town homes.  Arlington VA is home to Ronald Reagan National Airport, it has easy access to Washington DC, the Pentagon, the Washington Beltway, and so much more! I compiled the names of currently listed Arlington VA town homes for sale, Arlington VA townhouses and organized them name.  This will allow the consumer to search for them easily.  To find Town Homes in Arlington VA please fee free to browse the list below. Arlington VA Townhomes Analostan Arlington Arlington Court Arlington Village Ashlawn Ridge Ballston Mews I Ballston Walk Barton Place Bromptons At Ballston Bromptons At Cherrydale Bromptons At... 01/03/2009

Homes in Arlington VA?  It's really smart choice! less wear and tear on the car, same time, save gas, and enjoy life!  It really is hard to find a better place to live if you are working in the DC area than Arlington VA.  Arlington VA lies just within the 495 Beltway and is an easy commute to Washington DC, The Pentagon, Ballston, and even Ronald Reagan Airport.  Find out why it's smart to buy homes in Arlington VA.  See the Arlington VA Metro Map Below. ARLINGTON VA METRO MAP ART Commuter Bus METRO - WMATA Metro Bus Metrorail Map Northern Virginia Regional Parks Reston Transportation Link Ronald Reagan -National Airport Virginia DMV Virginia Railway Express Maryland Bus Schedule and Map PDF. (4.43 MB) 01/02/2009

Looking for a great place to live in the DC area? What about buying condos in Arlington VA.  It's close to everything.  Arlington VA is home to Ronald Reagan National Airport, it has easy access to Washington DC, the Pentagon, the Washinghton Beltway, and so much more! I compiled the names of currently listed Arlington VA Condos for sale, and organized them name.  This will allow the consumer to search for them easily.  To find condos in Arlington VA please fee free to browse the list below. ARLINGTON VA CONDOS: Alta Vista Arbors Of Arlington Arlington Court Arlington Heights Arlington Village Astoria Atrium Condo Ballston Ballston Park Ballston Walk Barkley Condo Barton Place Bedford Park Bella Vista Belvedere Cambridge Courts Cardinal House Carlton Condominium Carlyle House Carlyn Pla... 01/02/2009

Are you wondering about Northern Virginia real estate and pondering what has sold recently? Here's some information about the most expensive home sales in Northern Virginia (Arlington County, Alexandria City, Fairfax City, Fairfax County, and Falls Church City) for December 2008.  All information was obtained through MRIS. Overall, there were 50 sales topping $1 million during the month of December 2008.  Despite the economy, there are still people in the D.C. metropolitan area with money to purchase their dream homes. DECEMBER'S MOST EXPENSIVE SALES Single Family Detached Homes: 10015 High Hill Place, Great Falls, VA 22066  -- Sold on December 2nd for $3,625,000.In the Falcon Ridge neighborhood of Great Falls, this Tudor home on 2 acres features an amazing wine cellar, home theater, 5 ... 01/01/2009

For those who wish to truly become involved and have a say which represents your interests, join the Virginia Homeowners Alliance. They are at PO Box 643 in Richmond, VA 23218. Alternatively, their website can be used. 12/17/2008

Today I received a call from a Virginia licensed real estate agent wondering if I could help their client with the purchase of a condo in the Wooster -Mercer building in Arlington Virginia. While I was flattered to be referred to as clearly  "THE ONE AND ONLY ARLINGTON CONISUER", (he had read through this blog and determined we were the ones to call)!  I had to explain that I was actually his competition and did he really want to hand his client over to me for the sale. We had a chuckle over the semantics and continued with a few minute discussion over additional information I happened to know about the building.   Short and long is, PLEASE, please, please dont ever hesitate to call to get any additional information you can about the real estate in Northern Virginia. I am licensed becau... 12/15/2008

If you're looking for more information on the new condominium building in Clarendon (Arlington, VA) - The Phoenix at Clarendon Metro - you've found a great new resource! Today I launched a new blog: "An Insider's Look at the Phoenix Condominium"   www.ThePhoenixInArlington.com As a resident and Realtor, i'll provide updated information on the building as it becomes available! Please check the website for sales information, policies, etc. Feel free to contact me with any questions regarding the condo building, or any other buildings in Arlington! 12/14/2008

If you were eyeing a fairly priced condo at $400,000 and over a couple months it dropped 15% to $340,000, would you jump on it? If you were a serious buyer, you most likely would. Well, that is happening with mortgage rates. Too often, buyers focus on just the list price and don't take it a step further to look at the monthly payment. Just a couple months ago, 30 year fixed rate mortgage were at 6.5%, which historically is still a good rate. Today, I got a couple rate sheets from some of my lenders quoting a 5% interest rate for a 30 year fixed loan. What contributed to the low rates? The announcement by the Federal Reserve on 11/25/08 to directly purchase $500 Billion in mortgage back securities. So, let's look at some numbers.     Loan Amount   Int Rate $400,000 $500,000 $600,000 5.0%... 12/12/2008

Harris Teeter is still staying strong. They're opening up a bunch of other locations across the region very soon. Why do I mention it. Well, there's not much to talk about in real estate transactions in 2720 Arlington Mill Drive, south for November.There were 0, yes zero, sales for November 08. So I can't reference particular models selling better, or being more appealing. I can't talk about average days on market. I can't even talk about sold price to list price ratios. Because there were not SOLD properties for November.There was one property that rented in November. It was a 2 bedroom model. It rented for $2,299/month. The property was on the market for 54 days. That is the high, low, and average days on market for rentals this month.Let's hope that a holiday present this year is a l... 12/07/2008

"You are in real estate.  I feel sorry for you these days." I've lost count of how many times someone has said something along these lines to me in the past few weeks and months. What with the daily news of the economy, devastating media reports about the real estate market, foreclosures, prices taking nosedives, etc. -- what should people be thinking? "You must have a lot of time on your hands these days." "Have you thought about a back-up plan or a part-time job?" Is the real estate market really that bad?  The market presents challenges, for sure, but there are also opportunities.  It is not a bad market, but a changed one here in Northern Virginia and D.C. After my $970,000 settlement on a luxury townhouse in Arlington on November 7th, I've had a new answer to this barrage of questi... 11/18/2008

Days on market.... your clients advantage? One of my clients ddidn't not want to accept a good reasonable offer. Because they had been on the market for only 1 week.How many of you deal with this same issue? I tried to get my clients ( the sellers) to realize that only being on the market for less than a week was their advantage!  Because they have not had a lot of days on market they command a higher price! But they should not turn down good offers because they just came on the market! How do you teach your clients??         11/16/2008

Nov. 12, 2008- Arlington, VA Real estate Market Observations: Found several N Arlington condos heading for foreclosure auction in the next two weeks.  The disturbing thing is that these are coming on from the most prized areas of N. Arlington.  Saw one 2bdrm/2fba at the Odyssey heading for the auction block later this month.  That building was popular and expensive when delivered in 2006.  This was also a period in our credit markets where credit was cheap to say the least.  I'm sure many if not most of these units were financed using now the infamous "100% financing"!  And needless to say, are under water!  But among the rubbles, there are gems to be found in the foreclosure markets:  Found a 2bdrm 2fba unit in Lexington Sq. will be going to auction for the 1st trust amount.  Since the... 11/12/2008

Foreclosures in the Newly Delivered condos in Clarendon, Courthouse... all over N. Arlington are worrying home owners who have bought in the last 12 months thinking they got a great deal- not realizing that the market could go down further in the most prized areas of Northern VA.  But that's where the prices and sales are the best and most brisk even in this credit crunched real estate market.  Station Sq. the newest delivered condo complex in Clarendon- has had a handful of shorsales and foreclosures.  One 2 bdrm 2.5 bath over 1100 sqft about to go to auction in 2 weeks for the 1st trust amount!  Currently listed in the $600Ks with 1st and 2nd trusts combines. Contact poster for more information on this property or others in the DC metro areas! **Ask to be on my list for Arlington or D... 11/11/2008

Another historic neighborhood of Arlington, Lyon Village, is located near Clarendon. Bordered by Lee Highway, Wilson Blvd, Veitch and Kirkwood Roads, Lyon Village is known for it's suburban feel of tree-lined streets and 1920s and 1930s mix of single family homes. The neighborhood is also just a few blocks from both Clarendon and Courthouse metro stations. The community has it's own park, located at 1800 N. Highland St. The park has a basketball court, tennis courts, picnic tables, playground, and a spray park in the summertime for kids.   Home Prices in Lyon Village: Currently, there are 5 properties for sale in Lyon Village. Prices range from $750k to $2.7M Recent sales in Lyon Village: 2 Condos and 10 Single Family Homes 4 Bedroom homes on average sold for $915k 5 Bedroom homes on av... 10/28/2008

Just a stoplight away from the Pentagon and tucked in the trees off of I-395, sit the seven neighborhoods that make up the community of Fairlington. The connection between military families stationed at the Pentagon, Fort Meyer or other Military District of Washington facilities remains as strong today as it did in the 1940’s when Fairlington was first built. Originally Fairlington was constructed as a garden apartment complex to house defense workers and their families during World War II. The community remained popular as a rental complex for almost 30 years and then in the early 1970's the property was converted to condos. In 1998 the areas of North and South Fairlington were added to the Virginia Landmarks Register and in 1999 they were added to the Federal registry of National His... 10/23/2008

Lyon Park is one of the many residential neighborhoods located throughout Arlington. Lyon Park consists of about 5,000 residents. It was founded in 1919 by developer Frank Lyon. It's also on the National Register of Historic Places as a planned community. Lyon Park goes from Clarendon, to Rt 50 to Pershing St in Arlington - all in all, about 102 acres originally were used to form Lyon Park. Lyon Park has it's own community center, citizens association, Women's Club, and so much more. It's a very community orientated area. Today, there are mostly Single Family homes (Cape Cods, Bungalows, Ramblers, etc) and some townhomes throughout the area. Currently there are 10 properties in this neighborhood that are up for sale. Prices range from $550,000 to $2,400,000. There is so much to offer in... 10/16/2008

On Friday I was recruited to play softball for a co-ed rec league that's based out in Alexandria. My old college teammate asked me to join them for a makeup game - and then told everyone that I played 1st base in college. Seeing as how that was years ago - she only set me up for failure! (That's me on the right at bat...key the song "Glory Days") In case you're interested, I did have an error (the first ball that was actually thrown to me after 3 long innings), but I redeemed myself with a triple! I'm still unsure if i'll be invited back.. :( For those of you that are interested in meeting some new people in Arlington, below is some information on local recreational sports teams in Arlington County. It's a great way to make new friends, network, and get some exercise! Arlington offers t... 10/11/2008

So the stock market is crashing to the worst week ever (I think due to off books Enron style account, see 07 warning). So how will that affect the housing market for luxury homes? Don't care? Then don't read this. I had a theory- albeit obvious - that those buying Virginia luxury homes over $1 Million in Arlington and the DC area would come to a halt since these buyers most likely "had" their money in stocks. Who is going to unload their stocks down 25-45% to buy a house? With a 20-25% down payment (5%-10% down is much harder, if not impossible, now) that can make that $2 million property feel like $2.2M overnight, and without another wing on the home. My data-pull results (not regurgitated data): I pulled up homes in the DC area from $1 Million to $4 Million that went under contract (m... 10/10/2008

Will this trendy area be able to withstand the seasonal drop off of real estate transactions?See the September statistics below:ZERO homes SOLD in September at Shirlington VillageOne that's available now = http://picasaweb.google.com/AgentKnows/ShirlingtonVillageLoftCondoForSale#ZERO homes RENTED in the month of SeptemberOne that's available now = http://picasaweb.google.com/AgentKnows/2720ArlingtonMillDrS2BedroomForRENT#CLICK HERE --> For more Stats and Downloadable Shirlington Village informationInformation gathered from the MRIS. Information is deemed reliable, but not accurate. 10/02/2008