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Super Cool Home Improvement Apps

May 16, 2012 By

Whether you are beginning to decorate your whole house or someone who is constantly making home improvements -  here are ten really cool iphone apps that will help save time and keep you organized.

  • Dream Home — This app contains beautiful high quality photos of fantastic interior designs to keep you inspired. There is no internet required (other than for updates), they add more photos on a weekly basis and the slideshow navigation is very easy.
  • Houzz Interior Design Ideas — Easily browse 200,000 high quality interior design images. Houzz is a one-stop shop for inspiration. This app gives you full access to their photo libraries and can save images to virtual idea books.
  • Palettes – This app is perfect for both creating and maintaining color palettes because you can grab color schemes from photographs or websites, can manually add colors using different color models and can store as many palettes as you want.
  • Benjamin Moore Color Capture – See a color somewhere that you just love?  Take a photo with this app and it will automatically create a palette from a selection of Benjamin Moore paints. You can then save the search and add notes.
  • Sherwin-Williams ColorSnap — Snap a photo and get instant Sherwin-Williams paint recommendations. You can store and share what you find.
  • Fabric Stash — Take a photo of your fabric swatches and save them in this mobile inventory. You can include details like yardage in stock, and can organize by color, style, project, etc.
  • Space Planning Tool — Have you ever found the perfect piece of furniture only to discover upon delivery that it doesn’t fit?  That won’t happen again with this app. You can input room dimensions and create floor plans, make shopping lists, input fabrics/colors/finishes, and more.
  • Photo Measures — Take a photo of an object or room and write the measurements directly over it, thereby keeping all your measurements in one mobile place and removing the need for elaborate sketches.
  • iHandy Level – A lifesaver for hanging pictures or shelves. Make sure your angles are straight with this nifty (and free) digital level.
  • Handy Man DIY – You’ll never have to do math again with this app! Just input/store room measurements and the app will calculate how much paint, flooring or trim you need for a project. You can also watch useful and detailed how-to videos for a wide array of projects.

 

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Potomac Yard – Special Deal

May 11, 2012 By

The largest new mixed use development in Alexandria is now 20 percent sold and interest from buyers continues to grow. I recently toured some of the models. Prices range from he $500s for a luxury condo to the $900s for the largest townhome. Delivery dates are set for winter 2012 and spring 2012.

Don’t make the mistake of purchasing new construction without a buyer’s agent. I will represent your interests and negotiate the best possible  deal for you. 

If you are interested in purchasing a property at Potomac Yard I can offer you $1000s in cash towards your closing costs or upgrades. Contact me for details

Developers consider Potomac Yard to be a village within a city.  Located just south of Reagan National Airport between Route 1  and Potomac Avenue, the 167 acre development will include 1.8 million square feet of office space, 325,000 square feet of retail, 1,683 residential units, 300 hotel rooms, and possibly another Metro station to Alexandria.

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Looks Like A Seller’s Market

May 10, 2012 By

The latest stats are in and we are clearly experiencing a seller’s market right?  Well sort of.  Inventory is down 15 percent over the same time last year and with unprecedented low interest rates there are more buyers in the market than there are sellers. This has created what appears to be a seller’s market. As interest rates increase and more sellers enter the market we expect this to level off and look like a more “normal” market.

The chart below reflect the current absorption rates and is a clear snap shot of our market.

 

 

The Absorption Rate is calculated by dividing the Under Contracts by the sum of the Actives + the Under Contracts, since the Under Contracts were available during the prior month.
EXAMPLE:
Actives = 3,000
UC’s = 1,000
Rate = 1,000(UC) divided by UC+A (3,000 + 1,000)
1,000 divided by 4,000 = 1/4= 25%
• When the rate is above 33%, it begins to look like a Seller’s Market,
above 50% properties often generate multiple bids
• When the rate is below 20%, it begins to look like a buyer’s market,
where even well-priced homes receive off-price offers.
• When the market is between 20 and 33%, the overall market seems
to be ‘in balance’.

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Best Neighborhoods for Runners &Triathletes

May 6, 2012 By

photo via cover your race

Have you ever been out running or cycling on the W&OD trail, passed through a neighborhood and thought, “how cool would it be to live here? I’d be right next to the trail.”

I know it has gone through my mind more than once.  If you are a runner or a triathlete, living close to the trail network (and indoor pool) is key in terms of convenience, time management and perhaps even motivation.

If you’re looking for easy access to the trails here are some great neighborhoods

Mt. Vernon Trail

Pools: Mt. Vernon Rec Center, Chinquapin, Alexandria YMCA, Wakefield High School

Alexandria (Fairfax County) Belle Haven, Bellview Condominiums, Waynewood

Mt. Vernon Trail with easy access to Haines Point and W&OD

Alexandria – Old Town, Del Ray, Beverly Hills, Braddock Heights

Arlington – Arlington Ridge, Aurora Hills

 

W&OD Trail

Pools: Washington-Lee High School, Providence Recreation Center

Arlington – Aurora Hills, Bluemont, Ballston, Clarendon,  Cherrydale, Lyon Village, Maywood,  Palisades Park, Rosslyn, Shirlington, Falls Church – Falls Park, Winter Hill, Lake Barcroft,

Falls Church – Falls Park, Winter Hill, Smiths Garden,

Open Water Swim Training

Falls Church- Lake Barcroft

If you have questions about these neighborhoods or would like to view the available listings Email me and I’d be glad to help

 

 

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Simple Containers Add Color and Style

May 3, 2012 By

 

Whether you have a quarter-acre lot, a tiny low-maintenance yard or merely a balcony – container gardening can add color and style to your home’s exterior.  An hour spent with a few bags of potting soil, a couple of clay pots and some some inexpensive perennials can really make your home’s entrance or outdoor space pop.

Through trial and error, years of reading Better Homes and Gardens and little advice from my mother-in-law here are some tips that I’ve learned.

  • Height is more dramatic – either incorporate a  tall component to one pot or a do a grouping of tall and smaller containers
  • Smaller containers dry out faster so its best to go with a larger one
  • When planting leave enough room between plants that the container looks full 2-3 weeks after planting
  • If one plant starts to take over the planter you can trim it back
  • Use perennials and annuals with complementing colors.

When preparing your home for sale its important not to overlook the entrance. I advise sellers to create a cheerful and inviting entry to their home with colorful potted plants. Beautiful containers are easy to do yourself and can create a big impact when welcoming potential buyers to your home.

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Save Thousands National Open House Weekend

April 27, 2012 By

National Open House Weekend is April 28-20. I’ve compiled a list of all the open houses in Alexandria and Arlington.

Save thousands of dollars by purchasing one of these open houses through me.

Contact me for details.

 View Open Houses

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Encouraging Stats in Q1

April 7, 2012 By

The past month has been busy. We saw an increase in contract activity of 13.6% over March of 2011. Overall activity for the first quarter is up 5.5% with 65.4% of these properties going under contract is 30 days or less.  Inventory was down 12.3% over this time last year.

 

With low interest rates and lower prices than the boom years buyers are finding they have more purchasing power than ever. The down payment required on an average priced home today is 33.8% lower than it was in March of 2006.

Working with buyers and seller this past month has been busy. Open houses are drawing large numbers of buyers and well priced properties are going under contract quickly and sometimes with multiple offers. This is more a result of the tighter market due to low inventory than an overall change in the market but it is in indication that we are headed in the right direction.

If you would like to see the complete market snapshot for the for Q1 of 2012 email me  and I’ll send you a PDF.

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Arlington Home Show

March 21, 2012 By

Save the date for the Arlington Home Show. Here are specifics from the CPRO website.  On APRIL 14th, the 6th Annual Arlington Home Show & ExpoWill Offer One-Stop Shopping for a Wide Variety of Home Improvements. The Show is a convenient way to learn about remodeling kitchens and baths, finishing or waterproofing basements, replacing windows and doors, as well as flooring, roofing, siding, gutter, and paving solutions, security systems, insulation, shelving, decks, and more from a wide variety of top-rate companies!

via cpro.com

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Arlington’s Hot New Area

February 27, 2012 By

Located less than a mile to the Pentagon and DC, the Columbia Pike Corridor is ideal for commuters and those looking for a walkable lifestyle. Finally this part of South Arlington is getting the facelift it deserves as well as more state-of-the-art public transportation.

 

via CPRO website

The Columbia Pike Revitalization  is fully underway and includes popular restaurants like Eamonns (owned by the Chef Armstrong) and  Taqueria Poblano. This complements the classic Arlington Cinema and Draft House and Lost Dog Cafe.  There is also a new Giant grocery store and construction of a “town center” is underway.

From a real estate investment standpoint it’s best to get in early. If you’ve grown up in Arlington you remember when Clarendon was little more than used car dealerships and Rosslyn was mainly pawn shops. Pentagon City and Pentagon row were just a massive undeveloped lot with a metro stop. Shirlington was nothing more than a retailer called Best Products.  If you purchased real estate in any of these locations back then you would have invested wisely.

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Potomac Yard Development

February 4, 2012 By

Here is some great information about the new Potomac Yard development that comes from an article on Urban Turf.

 

image
Rendering of Potomac Yards with the inspiration for some facades.

UrbanTurf recently maneuvered around construction on the site of what will over the course of the next several years become a mixed-use development in Northern Virginia so expansive that developers consider it a village within a city: Potomac Yard.

On 167 acres of what was once one of the busiest rail yards in the U.S., Potomac Yard, bounded by Route 1 on the west, Potomac Avenue on the east and just south of Reagan National Airport (map), will bring 1.8 million square feet of office space, 325,000 square feet of retail, 1,683 residential units, 300 hotel rooms, and possibly another Metro station to Alexandria.

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