Even though the deadline for the completion of the move of upwards of 21,000 jobs in Northern Virginia is still 2 years away the evidence of the upcoming changes can be seen.At the Army Engineering Proving Grounds in Springfield the new headquarters for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is rising on the horizon.  The Engineering Proving grounds are considered "New Campus East" and the cost of the building and infrastructure will top $1.7 Billion.  When the project is done the NGA will consolidate an estimated 8,500 employees in one location.Just down the road at Fort Belvoir the new DeWitt Hospital is underway.  The new DeWitt will not be a single building but a complex.  Featuring state of the art technology eliminating the need for hand carrying of medical records from one f... 03/26/2009

When most people think of a Fort Belvoir address they immediately think of the U.S. Army Post. However Inlet Cove shares the Fort Belvoir postal address with its close neighbor. Inlet Cove is one of newer zero lot line neighborhoods that were built in Northern Virginia between 2002-2005.With its close proximity to Fort Belvoir you shouldn't be surprised to learn that a large percentage of the owners are current or former military. With the main gate to Fort Belvoir, DeWitt hospital, the PX and Commissary just a stones throw away, it is easy to understand why military families gravitate to either one of the large townhouses or detached homes that dot the winding streets in the neighborhood. The neighborhood is small with only 255 homes but it does have a tot lot and swimming pool.With th... 02/26/2009

The first question you might ask is why would a Realtor® blog about base housing?   Don't you want to sell me a house?  It would be nice if everyone who moved to Fort Belvoir would buy a home but in reality many families make the decision to live on base for a variety of reasons. Our family had to make the same decision both in the US and overseas.  We lived both on and off base depending on available housing and our location.  Our 700 square foot house in Okinawa with neighbors who owned a water buffalo was an experience you don't have everyday and one I won't ever forget.   Anyone headed to Fort Belvoir will discover a wide variety of housing options.   Recent construction has replaced many of the older duplexes with new townhouses and detached homes.   Add in the town center and you ... 02/17/2009

Reading bedtime stories to your children is one of the many things that Soldiers miss when they are deployed to Iraq.  Now with the help of United Through Reading, a non-profit organization, they can record a DVD of them reading their children's favorite book to be played at home.The program available worldwide, is coordinated at Camp Victory in Iraq by an Army Chaplain.  Soldiers choose a book from a selection of books available at the camp and record themselves reading the book.  Once they complete the recording they can send the DVD along with a small stuffed animal home.  The program isn't limited to soldiers with children but also aunts, uncles and grandparents can participate too.  Since the program began last summer about 80 Soldiers in Iraq have participated and they are encoura... 02/05/2009

  New  Realtor Tools Help Buyers... This past weekend I had the wonderful pleasure of assisting a couple who is searching for a home to buy.They've recently relocated to the Northern Virginia area and have heard the traffic can be a nightmare. He just wanted to be home early enough to have dinner with his family. "He said is that too much to ask?"  I said not at all. With that in mind they also had a few more specific's in mind. They only  wanted to look at single family homes for sale close to Ft.Belvior that's relatively new, backing to tree's and they want it priced under $500,000. It has to have four bedrooms,a two car garage and if it had a master bedroom on the main floor well they would be over the moon! They have VA Eligibility and want to buy with Zero Down Financing and they w... 01/05/2009

  Fort Belvoir is one of our country's most prominent military installations.  It will be home to the National Army Museum scheduled to open in 2013. Fort Belvoir is approximately 30 minutes south of Washington, DC and 10 minutes from Mount Vernon, home of the nation's first Commander-In-Chief. The proposed site is on North Post along the Fairfax County Parkway just two miles from I-95 and US 1. The main building will be approximately 175,000 square feet.  There will also be a memorial garden, park and parade ground.  "Service and Sacrifice" will be the theme reflecting on the Army's defense of the nation in nearly 200 campaigns.  Space is being planned to accommodate ceremonies, lectures, reenactments, lectures and educational programs. Unlike the Army's 43 other museums this museum w... 01/05/2009

When most people think of a Fort Belvoir address they immediately think of the U.S. Army Post. However Inlet Cove shares the Fort Belvoir postal address with its close neighbor. Inlet Cove is one of newer zero lot line neighborhoods that were built in Northern Virginia between 2002-2005.With its close proximity to Fort Belvoir you shouldn't be surprised to learn that a large percentage of the owners are current or former military. With the main gate to Fort Belvoir, DeWitt hospital, the PX and Commissary just a stones throw away, it is easy to understand why military families gravitate to either one of the large townhouses or detached homes that dot the winding streets in the neighborhood. The neighborhood is small with only 255 homes but it does have a tot lot and swimming pool.With th... 12/30/2008

The 2009 Basic Allowance for Housing Rates (BAH) have been published for active duty military members.  For military families moving to Fort Belvoir, Quantico, Pentagon or other duty stations in the Northern Virginia, DC and MD areas the new rates are an increase of an over last year's rates. 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 Pentagon choose to live in Prince William or even Stafford County where home prices or rental rat... 12/28/2008

As the mortgage market continues to shift away from the risky loans of the past five years, active duty and qualified retirees are rediscovering one of the great benefits at their disposal.   VA loans were often overlooked when the market was hot pushing military families to choose other loan products some of them potentially risky adjustable rate mortgages. Today the VA loan is one of the few dependable 100% financing options left.  Buyers are required to pay your own VA funding fee which can be financed as part of the loan and the funding fee is waived for disabled veterans.  With seller contributions towards closing costs you could get to the settlement table with no money out of your pocket!   VA loan limits in the Northern Virginia area are set to $729,750 and available at this rat... 11/25/2008

When most people think of a Fort Belvoir  address they immediately think of the U.S. Army Post.  However Cook Inlet shares the Fort Belvoir postal address with its close neighbor.  Inlet Cove is one of newer zero lot line neighborhoods that were built in Northern Virginia between 2002-2005.The first issue to clear up about the neighborhood is the name.  The first issue to clear up about the neighborhood is the name. Though the official Fairfax County tax records show the name of the subdivision as Cook Inlet the neighborhood is also advertised as Inlet Cove and the entrance sign coming in the community says Inlet Cove. Talk about confusing. If you want to search for the neighborhood you should use the Cook Inlet name in order to find available listings With its close proximity to Fort B... 11/11/2008

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 HousingFort 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 secondary education opportunites. No... 11/05/2008

The first question you might ask is why would a Realtor® write about base housing?   Don't you want to sell me a house?  Certainly it would be nice if everyone who moved to Fort Belvoir would buy a home but in reality many families make the decision to live on base for a variety of reasons. Our family had to make the same decision both in the US and overseas.  We lived both on and off base depending on what housing was available for us and our location.  Our 700 square foot house in Okinawa with neighbors who owned a water buffalo was an experience you don't have everyday and one I won't ever forget.  Anyone headed to Fort Belvoir will discover a wide variety of housing options.   Recent construction has replaced many of the older duplexes with new townhouses and detached homes.  Add in... 10/24/2008

Perched high overlooking the Potomac River the Fort Belvoir's Officer Club has one of the best views in all of Northern Virginia.  The Officers Club isn't the only place to enjoy time with Mother Nature on post.  In fact Fort Belvoir which is comprised over 8,500 also has over 1,300 acres of dedicated wildlife refuges as part of the base property as well.  The largest piece of the refugee established in 1980 is the Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge on the north post.  The trail offers nine miles of walking paths through a variety of wildlife habitat and includes a handicap accessible Pohick Trail. On the south post of Fort Belvoir is the Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge.  Established in 1988 to protect a local wetland area the refuge is a great spot for local fisherman (with a valid VA fi... 10/21/2008

Tucked away among all of the traditional homes, both old and new on Fort Belvoir stands a home that isn't like any of the others.  Just as the Lustron homes on Quantico were a response to the US Government's need for quick delivery homes after WWII, the Thermo-Con house on Fort Belvoir stands as a reminder of the Army's attempt to use alternative building materials in the 1940's. Situated next to the traditional Cape Code homes of Gerber Village, the Thermo-Con house looks more like Frank Lloyd Wright's Pope-Leighy House just a few miles down the road than it does its traditional brick neighbors.  The house derives its name from the material that was used to create the home a mixture of "Portland cement, water and a patented formula of mineral origin."  Completed by the Army Corps of En... 10/20/2008

Over the years it has become obvious there has been a need to replace the Army's DeWitt Hospital.  Clients of ours who have served as staff and members of military families have commented on the need for modernization. Of course, DeWitt provides all of the services found in a military hospital, but two of its' most impressive service facilities are the Warrior In Transition Unit and The Family Clinic.  Its' case load approaches 150,000 patients annually, but only about 1,500 are of the inpatient category.  Originally, there were plans to convert DeWitt to an outpatient facility.  However, those plans were never put into effect with the BRAC announcement that Walter Reed Hospital would be closed. A 1.2 million square foot six level complex is being built a short distance from the existin... 10/17/2008

The 8,656-acre tract of land along the Potomac River which now makes up Fort Belvoir was once part of a land grant from a 17th century English king to Lord Fairfax.  For over 100 years the land was passed through the Fairfax family and other land sales until in 1912 the War Department acquired the land and established Camp A.A. Humphreys later renamed to Fort Belvoir. Today you find a thriving military and civilian community that is a significant presence in Fairfax County.  Most people think of Fort Belvoir as a huge Army base which is true but it is also home to over 100 organizations including the Army, US Army Reserve, Army National Guard, Department of Defense and Department of the Treasury among others.  Within the 8,656 acres that make up Fort Belvoir you will find an 1,360 acre ... 10/16/2008

  Fort Belvoir is one of our country's most prominent military installations.  It will be home to the National Army Museum scheduled to open in 2013. Fort Belvoir is approximately 30 minutes south of Washington, DC and 10 minutes from Mount Vernon, home of the nation's first Commander-In-Chief. The proposed site is on North Post along the Fairfax County Parkway just two miles from I-95 and US 1. The main building will be approximately 175,000 square feet.  There will also be a memorial garden, park and parade ground.  "Service and Sacrifice" will be the theme reflecting on the Army's defense of the nation in nearly 200 campaigns.  Space is being planned to accommodate ceremonies, lectures, reenactments, lectures and educational programs. Unlike the Army's 43 other museums this museum w... 10/12/2008

How will BRAC affect area real estate? Well, one of the big pieces to that puzzle was solved at the end of last month when the announcement was made that Fort Belvoir was going to add the Mark Center to its list of holdings rather than heading for Springfield. Donald Carr Director of Public Relations for the US Army at Fort Belvoir contacted me in response to my recent post. He said, "of the total 19,300 jobs, 4,400 are coming to main post Fort Belvoir; 8,500 to the EPG (Engineer Proving Grounds); and, 6,400 to the Mark Center. Additionally, only about 500 of the 19,300 are actually new population incoming to the region." This makes clear that there will probably be no great regional surge in home values as a result of these changes. In fact, many service members may opt to stay where t... 10/11/2008

It seemed appropriate today to check in on the changes at DeWitt Army Hospital as Fort Belvoir gears up for an influx of over 21,000 new military and civilian jobs by 2011.  Why today?  It is my daughter Kara's birthday and she was born early in the morning at DeWitt 28 years ago.  Kara is just one of the 64,000 plus babies that have been born at DeWitt in the last 50 years.The current DeWitt hospital is a typical military hospital with most of the clinics and services that you will find at any civilian hospital.  The outside of the building is showing its age and might remind someone arriving at the main door more of a bunker than a hospital.  Today the hospital  handles up to 150,000 patients including the families stationed at Fort Belvoir, retirees and their families as well.Rumor h... 09/24/2008

The Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) team has continued to put in place the plan for moving over 21,000 military and civilian jobs to Fort Belvoir by 2011.  Popular neighborhoods close to Ft Belvoir including Kingstowne, Lorton and Springfield are already beginning to see some of the changes to the infrastructure that will help accommodate the huge influx of new personnel. For buyers who are part of the relocation the opportunity to purchase homes in popular neighborhoods close to the base has never been better.  With lower prices and the VA home loan program being one of the few 100% financing programs available, military and eligible civilians are finding good buys throughout the area. Recently one of my clients decided this was a great time to buy an investment property close to F... 08/29/2008