With the upcoming influx of military and civilian personnel scheduled to move to Fort Belvoir and NGA close by neighborhoods in Fairfax and Prince William Counties are gearing up for new arrivals.   Here is a quick tour of a few neighborhoods that are close to both Fort Belvoir and NGA but also are popular with anyone who is looking for a wide seleciton of homes, good value and multiple commuting options.  This map highlights Burke, Lorton and the Charlestown neighborhood in Fairfax County.  In Prince William County you get a quick glimpse of Belmont Bay, Lake Ridge and Westridge.  For more details on these neighborhoods and others not highlighted on the map you can check out CJ Realty Group Community Page.Relocation is never easy, no matter how many times you've had to pack your bags. ... 10/29/2010

Today is September 30, 2010 and it is the last day for PCS orders for activity duty military and other qualified individuals to meet the current criteria for the PCS Homeowners Assitance  Program (HAP). As of today there has been no announcement of an extension of the date for orders.  There has been a rush in many personnel offices to try and get orders cut even if the actual PCS date was in early 2011.  There  is a 90 day Report Not Later Than (RNLT) rule which means anyone with a RNLT of December 31, 2010 can still be under the wire.  Orders with a report date in 2011 won't be considered at this time. Unless there is a legislative change to the current policies it appears that anyone with orders next spring will have to look at other options for selling their home.   Since today is a... 09/30/2010

It is that time of year when military families start to plan their summer moves. The weather can be very dangerous to anyone moving in the heat of the summer with a pet. First of all many pets just don't take well to travel of any kind but add 90 degree temperatures on top of that and the combination can be deadly. If you are getting ready for a cross country move you need to make sure that you have checked with the hotels along your route to make sure that they can accommodate your animals. Yes, I know if you have a cat you can sneak them in just about anywhere but if you plan to stay more than one night what are you going to do when the maid arrives to clean your room? Put the cat in your sweltering car? Don't think so. Second tip is do not let any pet, either a dog or cat run loose i... 07/23/2010

Less than a mile from the gates of Fort Belvoir and the 5300 homes that make up Kingstowne, you can hear a rooster crow announcing a new day at Nalls Produce and Nursery. Started as a way for the Nalls family to sell off some of the extra produce from their family garden today Nalls Produce and Nursery is a 5th generation roadside market in Alexandria, VA. As you approach Nalls Produce on Beluah Street you can't help but be drawn in by the display of fresh flowers and vegetables out front. Once you've pulled into the parking lot and start to explore the grounds you will not only hear the resident rooster but you will see the family of chickens peeking around underneath the flower trays. Of course one of the first questions that visitors ask when they see the free roaming chickens is wha... 07/23/2010

That's a quote from this week's Parade magazine that may be,depending on your paper, on your doorstep in the morning if not delivered early on Saturday like mine is. The title of the article is "Red, White, and Scammed," and it focuses on one person, Diann Traina who was ripped off by an unscrupulous car dealer outside her base in Fayetteville, N.C. You've seen them. These are the low class car dealers that have the big signs that say "No Credit, Bad Credit, No Problem." The article goes on to talk about the insurance, rent, pawn shop and check cashing outlets that prey on military personnel. It has become such a pervasive problem that the The D.O.D. have labeled it a threat to national security. The truth is the average person in the service is about 19 or 20 years old. I didn't know a... 07/10/2010

Operation Homefront a non-profit organization dedicated to helping soldiers in need and CDW-G a technology serivce provider, have partnered to provide donated laptops to wounded soldiers in the DC area.  Soliders recovering at Fort Belvoir and Walter Reed will be able to connect with family, take courses, stay in touch with friends and keep up with the news with the donated laptops.  In addition to the laptop computer donations, Office Depot will match any Lexmark printer purchase from May 30 through June 5, 2010 with a printer donation to Operation Homefront to be distributed throughout the US. If you have recently replaced your computer and it is still in good working condition you can contact your local chapter of Operation Homefront to see whether it would be acceptable for donation... 05/27/2010

It is that time of year when military families start to plan their summer moves. The weather can be very dangerous to anyone moving in the heat of the summer with a pet. First of all many pets just don't take well to travel of any kind but add 90 degree temperatures on top of that and the combination can be deadly. If you are getting ready for a cross country move you need to make sure that you have checked with the hotels along your route to make sure that they can accommodate your animals. Yes, I know if you have a cat you can sneak them in just about anywhere but if you plan to stay more than one night what are you going to do when the maid arrives to clean your room? Put the cat in your sweltering car? Don't think so. Second tip is do not let any pet, either a dog or cat run loose i... 05/20/2010

Base Realignment and Closure or otherwise known as BRAC will bring more than 12,000 jobs will be relocated to the Northern Virginia area. This is part of the military realignment. This is sure to hopefully increase property values because there is going to be a huge demand for housing.   The question is how this process affect traffic? Answer: Traffic will be HEAVY!   Some of the military bases are listed below in the DMV area. Maryland National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda Fort Detrick Fort Meade Aberdeen Proving Ground Andrews Air Force Base Virginia Fort Belvoir Naval Medical Center Portsmouth Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) Arlington Quantico Henderson Hall DC Walter Reed Army Medical Center Naval District Washington NCR Leased Locations Bolling Air Force Base If you... 05/11/2010

Slug line to the Pentagon and Ft Belvoir....a Washington DC institution. A few days ago I wrote a blog post about transportation options for folks moving to a duty station at the Pentagon. An alert reader, Nancy Murraya retired Navy commander who was stationed at the Pentagon some years back left a comment that she had "slugged in from Fairfax Station". I had  forgotten about THE SLUG LINE.       Slugging is a cross between organized hitch hiking and random carpooling. It is human ingenuity at its best. As my friend Rich who slugs to the State Dept. says: "Slugging is an example of a government policy (HOV lanes) creating the desired  government result (cheap alternative transportation) without government involvement". What is slugging? Well, slugging has become so organized and entrenc... 02/02/2010

One year Home buyer Tax Credit extension for Extended  Duty Military and Foreign Service Personnel. Short Video below. Good news from the IRS! Now there's an oxymoron....but here is a rule change that makes sense. According to the video, qualified extended duty military and foreign service folks will receive a one year extension until 2011. Take a look...it's only a minute in length Alert realtor friend Frank Kliewer brought this to our attention last night. If you are in the Seattle/Puget Sound area, make sure that you touch base with Frank or his partner Nina Cross for first class real estate service. 02/02/2010

Over the last few weeks three of my listngs using the US Army Corps of Engineers Home Owners Assistance Program (HAP) have finally gone to  settlement. There hasn’t been anything quick about the first few of these transactions.  One of the biggest reasons was due to the delay in the publishing of the final guidelines and review by Congress.  Since most PCS orders arrive in the summer it didn’t take long to figure out that a number of these transactions were going to be the length of a short sale to complete. Fortunately every buyer involved in the transactions I was representing in Northern Virginia stayed the course.  In 4 out of the 5 current transactions we were even able to work out all of the details for a pre-occupancy settlement.  Since the HAP program offers different options on... 01/17/2010

Thinking of buying a home in the Northern Virginia area? Wonder what the cost of owning that home and commuting in the area might cost you per year? Transportation and housing affordability are a big part of the buying process. The Urban Land Institute has developed a calculator to help show how these costs vary among different locations. One of the first decisions that Northern Virginia buyers look at is whether they should buy a home "inside or outside" the beltway. Commuting is a big part of that decision. The calculator gives you a chance to play with the numbers and compare costs at a number of locations. "The Housing + Transportation Calculator was developed to help individuals, households, planners, and municipalities understand the true costs of housing and transportation, as we... 01/03/2010

In a real estate market where prices have declined military families with PCS orders face a difficult decision.  Do you hold on to your home and rent hoping for prices to rebound in another 3-5 years or attempt a short sale and hope that your lender will consider PCS orders a "hardship?"There are two other options that may be available for you to consider as weill. Military families stationed at Fort Belvoir, the Pentagon, Quantico and other Military District of Washington installations who purchased a home prior to July 1, 2006 may find that Homeowner Assistance Program (HAP) may offer some relief if you have upcoming PCS orders to move.The HAP program is aimed towards helping:Active Duty Military Personnel with PCS orders who are upside down on their mortgageWounded soldiers who must ... 12/26/2009

The 2010 Basic Allowance for Housing Rates (BAH) have been published for active duty military members. For those who are not familiar with BAH, the rates are based on the median rental rates in the area and may not cover what a service member pays in a monthly mortgage if they decide to buy a home while stationed in the area. The median rental rate includes not only the rent but average utilities and the cost of rental insurance. It is not uncommon in our area to have military members stationed at the Fort Belvoir choose to live in Prince William or even Stafford County where home prices or rental rates may be lower. However they still will receive the BAH rate for the Fort Belvoir (zip code 22060). Northern Virginia is one the 350 Military Housing Areas (MHA) that looks at the rental m... 12/17/2009

Holidays are one of the hardest times for military families separated by deployment.  It is also one of the best times for friends and neighbors to lend a helping hand.  It isn't about money it's about a few minutes or a few hours to help with the little things that need to be done. Simple things such as helping put up their outside holiday lights or getting the Christmas tree in that pesky stand.  How about volunteering to stand in line at the post office or UPS store for them. Does mom or dad need a few hours to get the shopping done? Then offer to keep the children occupied while they head out. Have a video camera?  Help the family make a holiday video to post for mom or dad to see. There are so many little things during the holiday season (and all year long) where an extra hand is a... 12/14/2009

After a long wait the checks are beginning to roll out for military families who qualify for assistance from the Department of Defense Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP). Three weeks after the funds were made available the surviving spouse of a Fallen Warrior received her check. Then a check went out to an Air Force Major in Colorado and since then the checks have been rolling out on a regular basis.  Each check issued means one of the thousands of military families impacted by the declining market value of their home comes one step closer to financial relief. The expanded program has had a few holdups.  First the funds part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 needed to be made available, then the program rules needed to be reviewed by the Office of the Secretary of D... 11/18/2009

It includes the extension of the tax credit to military families who have been stationed outside the US for at least 3 months in 2009. For qualifying families they have until June 30, 2011 to purchase a home a qualify for the tax credit.  Now that is good news!   11/05/2009

Relocation is never easy. It doesn't matter how many times the PCS orders arrive there are the usual questions about your new area and this on-line guide is here to help you answer a few of them.  What is the BAH rate for Fort Belvoir? Use zip code 22060 Where is Fort Belvoir Located?Northern VirginiaFairfax County What's On Post?To know everything about the post you need to check out the official Fort Belvoir website. In addition here are a few posts on my personal perspective of Fort Belvoir: Fort Belvoir HousingFairfax Village-Platinum Green StatusFort Belvoir Accotink TrailFort Belvoir Not Your Usual Army PostDeWitt Hospital   Where can I find out about local schools?We have compiled a list of the local school systems in one place for you to be able to see both secondary and post se... 10/23/2009

Anyone who has gone through the process of in-processing at a military installation knows it can be complicated.  At Fort Belvoir it means 24 stops at the various required departments located throughout the installation.Starting in 2010 anyone arriving (or departing) from Fort Belvoir will be able to head to one location on post and find all of the departments they need under one roof.   With the influx of BRAC personnel, cutting down on traffic on post is one reason for moving all the in-processing to one location. The new offices will be located on the North Post next to the Bowling Alley between Gunston and Belvoir Roads.  Though it may not cut down on some of the crazy lines it will certainly cut down on the frustration of trying to find the right office on an 8500 acre military ins... 10/20/2009

The changes at Fort Belvoir continue as the date for the BRAC influx gets closer.  On post housing is just one of the many transformations taking place but it is one of the most important ones for families who choose to live within the gates of Fort Belvoir.Gerber Village is what you might term "traditional" military housing.  The brick cape cod style homes sit on nice tree lined lots.  The photo taken last fall shows the trees right before Halloween and before the neighborhood began its transformation.  Gerber Village is made up of 68 single family homes (and 6 duplexes) built between 1930-1939.  With slate roofs and all brick construction the homes were built to last.  The homes are reserved for E-7 to E-9 Army personnel. Today when you drive through Gerber Village you see the transfo... 09/22/2009