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Alexandria, VA Real Estate News

By Brian Block, Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate
(RE/MAX Allegiance, Managing Broker/Branch Vice President)
Foreclosures can be very rough on an owner of a home. There's lots of blame to spread around. Some of the blame falls on unscrupulous and/or greedy lenders, some on unwise borrowers, some on the frenzy of the recent real estate boom, and yes, even some of it on the bad advice of REALTORS. Despite this, a large number of foreclosures occur because of some change in the owner's financial situation, whether it be job loss, a divorce, or a serious and expensive medical problem. Nobody wants to see someone lose their home, whatever the circumstances.Nevertheless, the rise in foreclosures do present a buying opportunity for people looking to purchase a home at under market value. This can be first-time buyers willing to put in some sweat equity to improve the property, or investors hoping to ...
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By Brian Block, Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate
(RE/MAX Allegiance, Managing Broker/Branch Vice President)
Dear Honorable Mayor William Euille and Members of the Alexandria City Council, As an Alexandria citizen and as an active REALTOR® in the City of Alexandria, I am dismayed by the appearance of graffiti on the side of the vacant CompUSA building at 5901 Stevenson Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22304. In my business, I spend considerable effort promoting Alexandria, Virginia as a wonderful place to live and work.  Through original articles that I write and post on the internet in my real estate blog, I introduce potential homebuyers (and other real estate professionals around the country) to features of Alexandria such as the Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library, the historic homes of Old Town Alexandria, various Alexandria neighborhoods, and updates on real estate market conditions.  I know t...
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By Brian Block, Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate
(RE/MAX Allegiance, Managing Broker/Branch Vice President)
Despite our fast-paced internet and television culture, Americans and Northern Virginians still enjoy cracking open a good book from time to time.  The book industry is a mega-billion dollar industry with giants like Barnes & Noble, Borders Books, and online behemoth Amazon.com leading the pack.  Small independent bookstores have increasingly been forced out of the market as the big bookstores add gourmet coffee shops and plush reading couches to their shops to entice the book-reading public.   However, if you wish to save some money and get a real sense of community, it's time to skip the bookstore and skip on over to Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Alexandria Library.    Located at 5005 Duke Street in the West End of Alexandria, the Charles E. Beatley, Jr. library is the central library of th...
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By Brian Block, Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate
(RE/MAX Allegiance, Managing Broker/Branch Vice President)
George Washington slept here -- and so can you!  Own a piece of history in Old Town Alexandria.  It's been nine years since the City of Alexandria celebrated its Semiquincentennial (that makes it 259 years old, having been founded in 1749).   Residents and visitors alike know Old Town Alexandria for its art galleries, antique shops, great restaurants, lively nightlife on King Street, the George Washington Masonic Memorial on Shuter's Hill, the Potomac River, and cobblestone alleyways.  At the eastern end of Old Town Alexandria lies the Torpedo Factory which was once an actual torpedo factory, now converted into artist's studios where they sell their crafts, paintings and sculptures. Due to Old Town Alexandria's proximity to Washington, D.C., many trade associations, lobbying firms, and ...
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By Brian Block, Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate
(RE/MAX Allegiance, Managing Broker/Branch Vice President)
Looking for a maintenance free, resort style condo with great amenities, an amazing pool, and conveniently located near Old Town Alexandria, the Van Dorn metro station, I-95, the Capital Beltway, the Pentagon, and downtown D.C.?     Your search may very well end when you see what Watergate at Landmark Condos have to offer.  Located in the West End of Alexandria in "Condo Canyon," the Watergate complex consists of 4 buildings: 203 Yoakum Parkway, 205 Yoakum Parkway, 307 Yoakum Parkway, and 309 Yoakum Parkway.       Click here to learn more about the All Inclusive Lifestyle at Watergate at Landmark in Alexandria. The pool alone may have you dreaming about Summer during this cold mid-winter day.  Not to worry, Watergate at Landmark also sports an indoor pool for your use year-round. Curren...
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By Brian Block, Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate
(RE/MAX Allegiance, Managing Broker/Branch Vice President)
As an Alexandria, Virginia resident and REALTOR®, I get to see a lot of Northern Virginia condominiums.  While few wish to be outside on a cold day like today (with snow flurries this morning), most of the year provides beautiful, temperate weather in Northern Virginia.     One criteria that many condo buyers ask for time after time is a balcony, terrace or patio.  Washingtonians as a group spend a lot of time inside at their high-pressured jobs, whether in the government or private sector.  At home, in the evenings, or on the weekends, condo dwellers like to be able to spend some time in the outdoor fresh air.  Unless you live in a single-family home with a big yard or a townhouse with a deck or community park, the next best choice is a big balcony.                                     ...
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By Brian Block, Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate
(RE/MAX Allegiance, Managing Broker/Branch Vice President)
Say this five times fast: "Catch a Cool Cameron Station Condo While You Can."  It's not a tongue twister -- it's real estate advice.    The holidays are over and you've decided to begin your home search in earnest.  One of your New Year's resolutions may be to purchase a home in 2008.  Due to dropping prices and rising inventory, You Might Actually Afford a Home in 2008.        Cameron Station ranks as one of Alexandria, Virginia's premier communities.  The neighborhood is conveniently located off of Duke Street, with easy access to major highways I-395, I-495, and I-95.  Less than a mile from the shopping of Landmark Mall and only 10 minutes from Old Town Alexandria, the community offers an easy commute for people working at the Pentagon, in D.C., or anywhere throughout the metro-D.C. ...
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By Brian Block, Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate
(RE/MAX Allegiance, Managing Broker/Branch Vice President)
Understandably, the already slowing housing market does get slower during December.  People are packing the shopping malls, movie theaters and gathering around the hearth at home.  However, there is a misguided conception that NOBODY BUYS A HOME BETWEEN THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS!   You might even know Realtors who plan their vacations for the 4 weeks in December.  Some start even earlier and for all intents and purposes stop working as soon as they take off their Halloween mask.  Do homes sales slow down a bit during the holidays?  Sure.  So does almost every form of business except retail stores. However, people buy homes just about every day of the year.  Some hurry to purchase or sell their home so they can be settled just in time for the holidays.  So to those who say "Nobody buys ...
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By Brian Block, Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate
(RE/MAX Allegiance, Managing Broker/Branch Vice President)
When it becomes time to purchase or sell your primary residence or to make an investment in real estate, the first part of the process involves choosing a professional real estate agent to represent your best interests.  With over 10,000 Realtors in Northern Virginia, there are plenty of choices.     These numbers are down from a few years ago when the Northern Virginia Association of REALTORS (NVAR) boasted close to 16,000 members.    Nevertheless, it sometimes seems as if everyone has a friend, neighbor, cousin, or uncle who "is in real estate."  When you deal with a home purchase or sale, you are likely considering one of the largest investments you will make in your lifetime.   Should you choose to work with a friend?   Everyone wants to work with someone that they KNOW, LIKE & TRUS...
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By Karen Kruschka, - "My Experience Isn't Expensive - It's PRICELESS"
(RE/MAX Executives)
    The Christmas ornament at the right is a slate roof section from one of the most historic churches in Northern Virginia. Old Presbyterian Meeting House on South Fairfax Street in the City of Alexandria was chartered as a Presbyteian congregation in 1772 .  The sanctuary you see pictured was built in 1775. The front steps were the highest review point in Alexandria.  It was on these steps that General George Washington made his farewell review of his troops as they paraded past. One of the buildings on the church grounds that was built in 1787 is Flounder House - it was the parsonage.  There are only a few of the flounder style homes remaining in Alexandria. The tomb of The Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution is in the church cemetery as is the tomb of Washington's physician, ...
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By Tamara Inzunza, Close-In Alexandria and Arlington Living
(Realty One Group Capital)
By now I'm sure you've received newspapers from your favorite stores annoucing special holiday deals.  How about those emails from your favorite online stores with 'special' deals like free shipping, or an additional percentage off for a limited time.   If you've been receiving email alerts from the MLS, you would have also seen significant price reductions for homes across the area.  Not only is December the end of the calendar year, but it's' also the end of the final quarter.  Banks and mortgage companies with foreclosure homes currently on the market DO NOT want to carry these homes into 2008.   Why?  For two main reasons: (1) in Northern Virginia, it will cost sellers more to sell after January 1, 2008.  The grantors tax will increase from $1 per thousand to $5 per thousand of the ...
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By Cindy Jones, Pentagon, Fort Belvoir & Quantico Real Estate News
(Integrity Real Estate Group)
Today’s church is not quite as old as the others in the previous articles in the series but it is a beautiful church with a long history in Old Town Alexandria. Not as famous as its neighbor Christ Church the Washington Street Church has its place in Alexandria history as well. The cornerstone for the Washington Street Church was laid in September 1850. However, the history of the church actually began almost 40 years before when a split erupted in the Methodist Church over the issue of slavery occurred. The church split into two factions, just as the country did, a North Group and a South Group. Prior to the split the congregation was meeting in the Trinity Church built in1803. When the congregation split a bitter battle for the church property ensued and finally the original site chur...
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By Karen Kruschka, - "My Experience Isn't Expensive - It's PRICELESS"
(RE/MAX Executives)
This is one of the market reports I publish on a monthly basis for KINGSTOWNE 22315.  Many REALTORS® prepare a report for all of Fairfax County or Northern Virginia.  In my opinion, that covers too broad an area to be meaningful.  I do believe my approach will give you a much more realistic picture of the market in the area closest to your home.Currently, there are 43 TOWN HOMES FOR SALEThe sales figures in this report are for the MONTH ENDING NOVEMBER 30, 2007  SALES STATISTICS (6 SOLD)AVERAGE LIST PRICE $468,600          AVERAGE SALES PRICE$454,817 MINUS SELLER SUBSIDIES$9,717NET SALES PRICE         $445,100CONTACT ME for assistance with KINGSTOWNE, VA or FAIRFAX COUNTY REAL ESTATE. 
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By Karen Kruschka, - "My Experience Isn't Expensive - It's PRICELESS"
(RE/MAX Executives)
This is one of the market reports I publish on a monthly basis for KINGSTOWNE 22315.  Many REALTORS® prepare a report for all of Fairfax County or Northern Virginia.  In my opinion, that covers too broad an area to be meaningful.  I do believe my approach will give you a much more realistic picture of the market in the area closest to your home.Currently, there are  7 DETACHED HOMES FOR SALEThe sales figures in this report are for the MONTH ENDING NOVEMBER 30, 2007  SALES STATISTICS (NONE SOLD)          DOMM = Days on the market for the current listingDOMP = Total number of days on the market for this property (one or more listings total)CONTACT ME for assistance with KINGSTOWNE, VA or FAIRFAX COUNTY REAL ESTATE. 
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By Karen Kruschka, - "My Experience Isn't Expensive - It's PRICELESS"
(RE/MAX Executives)
This is one of the market reports I publish on a monthly basis for KINGSTOWNE 22315.  Many REALTORS® prepare a report for all of Fairfax County or Northern Virginia.  In my opinion, that covers too broad an area to be meaningful.  I do believe my approach will give you a much more realistic picture of the market in the area closest to your home.Currently, there are 2 PATIO HOMES FOR SALEThe sales figures in this report are for the MONTH ENDING NOVEMBER 30, 2007  SALES STATISTICS (4 SOLD)AVERAGE LIST PRICE $529,935          AVERAGE SALES PRICE$522,875 MINUS SELLER SUBSIDIES$10,975NET SALES PRICE         $511,900CONTACT ME for assistance with KINGSTOWNE, VA or FAIRFAX COUNTY REAL ESTATE. 
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By Brian Block, Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate
(RE/MAX Allegiance, Managing Broker/Branch Vice President)
As more and more people from around the country and around the world move to the D.C. metropolitan area, purchasing an affordable home close in to D.C. becomes a greater challenge.  Job growth remains the major impetus for population growth in D.C. and Northern Virginia.  See Not Just "Office Space" -- D.C. Area has the Good Jobs. Traveling West and South of Washington D.C. into the Northern Virginia suburbs, homebuyers find increasingly affordable homes the further distance they drive and the more willing they are to submit themselves to the rigors of a lengthy morning commute on Route 66, the Capital Beltway, and Interstate 95.  Over the last several years, home builders have been scrambling to meet the demand of this growing population by developing new communities throughout Fairfax...
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By Brian Block, Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate
(RE/MAX Allegiance, Managing Broker/Branch Vice President)
More than 58% of the homes currently available for sale in Alexandria, Virginia are condominiums.  See Alexandria Virginia Condominium Inventory -- November 2007.  However, there are still a good number of single family homes and townhouses in all price ranges available throughout Alexandria City.As of December 5, 2007, there are 338 townhouses and single family homes on the market in Alexandria.  65 homes sold in the last 30 days.  This means that there the current inventory represents a 5.2 month supply of Alexandria homes available.  Despite media reports to the contrary about the Northern Virginia housing market, at least in Alexandria there remains a healthy and stable resale inventory.  Additionally 69 Alexandria homes are currently under contract and pending sale.Where are the ho...
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AHHHHH the joys of December! Leaves have all been swept and (choose one) bagged, sucked up, turned to compost, tossed over the fence. Thanksgiving is just a warm memory of leftovers and your family has blissfully go home. Now it is time for part "2" of the holiday extravaganza. You can have Chanukah or Christmas or both. My family does. This year we are having a Druid join our family. So let us light that the Menorah, spin the dradle and go out for Chinese. We will trim the Christmas tree and as the Christian grandchildren wander off it will be the Jewish granddaughter who will finish the job. Then we'll finish it up by by painting our faces blue and worshiping an oak tree! O.K. maybe not that last part; but, we will respect our Druid's way of bringing back the light on the 22st as he c...
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By Carol Lynne Bull
(Keller Williams)
Ahhhh the joys that are December! Leaves have all been swept and (choose one) bagged, sucked up, turned to compost,tossed over the fence. Thanksgiving is just a warm memory of leftovers and your extended family has blissfully gone home. It is now time for part "2" of the Holiday extravaganza. You can have Chanukah or Christmas or both. We do. This year we welcome a Druid to our family. So let us light the Menorah, spin the dradle and go out for Chinese. We will trim the tree and as the Christian grandchildren wander off, it will be the Jewish grandchild who will finish the job. Then we'll wrap it all up by painting our faces blue and worshiping an oak tree! O.K. maybe not that last part but we will respect our Druid's way of bringing back the light on the 22st as we help him celebrate Y...
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By Brian Block, Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate
(RE/MAX Allegiance, Managing Broker/Branch Vice President)
If you are considering selling your home in Alexandria, Virginia, it is important for you to understand the timing of the current real estate market.  Despite media reports, properties are still selling in Northern Virginia, albeit slower than in years past.As of December 1st, 2007, the average amount of time on the market for all properties currently available in Alexandria is 93 days.  The amount of time it takes to sell a home can vary quite a bit depending upon the price range.The chart below provides a breakdown by price range of all homes currently on the market in Alexandria, Virginia.  Red columns indicate that the homes in this price range have averaged more days on the market than the overall average of 93 days.   Almost all homes under $900,000 hug the overall average of 93 d...
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