Moving to Northern VA? Afraid that we are nothing but the Beltway and traffic frustration?  Nah. We have mountains, farms and rolling meadows. The Chesapeake Bay is only an hour away. You can live wonderfully here with your choice of all sorts of relaxation and enjoyment.       Let's visit a Virginia classic: Fredericksburg VA is a thriving town of 22,000 residents, 50 miles south of Washington DC and 60 miles north of Richmond.  It has retained the heart, soul and backbone of it's American history, preserved and enhanced its old downtown yet offers all the modern amenities.         Many residents commute to Quantico Marine Base, Ft. Belvoir, the Pentagon and Washington DC by the Virginia Railway Express, and well planned bus routes and car pool arrangements from large commuter lots.... 06/27/2014

What's a Foodie? Well, basically foodies are folks who love good food, are not necessarily gourmets but find all things food - not to mention wine and beer - to be of great interest, from ingredient sourcing to preparation to consumption.  Or as they say at Foode:  Gourmet for the Rest of Us.  This Fredericksburg VA restaurant is not only for foodies, but is for all of us who cherish a well prepared meal in a cozy setting, amidst some unique shops and a strong shot of history, thrown in for good measure.  The folks at Foode have a simple philosophy:  serving the best dishes made with the freshest and cleanest ingredients.  And they support the local community by sourcing 85% of the food they serve from local farms and merchants.  We're talking organic beef, free-range chickens, heirloom... 01/03/2013

Fredericksburg, VA has the beauty and charm of a small American town.  One of the reasons is that it is an old town filled with homes that look as though they should be on postcards or calendars.  Fredericksburg's history is long and filled with interesting events.   When you stroll up and down some of the street within this small town you can see sites that have been seen by generation after generation of residents.  When I think of small towns along the east coast this is part of the vision that I conjour up.  Fredericksburg fits the bill perfectly.  It has a number of streets that are meant to stroll down enabling you to get a good look at the porches, picket fences, gardens, and homes filled with character.  These are the type streets that I like to walk with a camera in hand.  The ... 01/07/2012

With so many foreclosures out there now, selling for so much less than some comps out there, my question is this.Do appraisers look any differently at foreclosures when doing appraisals? For instance, in my neighborhood of 400-550k homes, there is a new foreclosure listing for $299k. It is in really nice shape, no damage that a good cleaning would not take care of.I assume that when it sells for $275k, it will be a comp, and will affect the values of other homes in my neighborhood. I have had a couple of people say otherise, but a sale is a sale, and if it is comparable to other properties, then it is a comp, right? Kevin McGrathThe Wallace & McGrath TeamColdwell Banker Elite"Selling Homes In The Fredericksburg Virginia Area"www.fredva.com  11/14/2007

In a sales meeting today I heard a comment that I am still trying to get my mind around. I heard that banks will grade agents on BPO's. Basically - if you do a BPO and get the listing, you are graded on the percentage that it sells for in reference to your BPO price. But if the market is in a free fall, and the banks are dumping (see Stacy Magids very interesting blog from earlier this evening) then how can they grade the agent? Does anybody have any experience with this?Thanks The Wallace & McGrath TeamKevin McGrathColdwell Banker Elite"Selling Homes In The Fredericksburg Virginia Area"www.fredva.com  11/14/2007