Buy Alexandria Real Estate: October 2009

The location is Great, but I have to be honest, the house is Second-Rate.

Honesty is always the best policy when it comes to selling homes (or anything else in life for that matter.)

So, here it is.  I'm asking you to buy this house.

And while President Ronald Reagan asked Mr. Gorbachev to "Tear Down This Wall" (referring of course to the Berlin Wall), I'm taking it a step further, don't just tear down one wall, but

Mr. or Mrs. Buyer: TEAR DOWN THIS HOUSE!

Located at 309 Plum Street SW, Vienna, VA 22180, this Rambler was built in 1954.  The location within West Vienna Woods is terrific -- less than 1/2 a mile to the Whole Foods Market in downtown Vienna.  The home is just over a mile from Route 66, and an easy walk, bike or car ride to all the shops and restaurants of Vienna.  It's just down the road from Tysons Corner.

The house sits on almost 1/3 of an acre -- and it's a corner lot.  It's priced at just $425,000 which is a steal for this neighborhood!

NOT A FORECLOSURE NOR A SHORT SALE, it's just a house that needs a lot of work as you'll see from the pictures below.  While solid, intact, and livable, it's outdated, outmoded, and needs some repairs.  Oh, and it does have a 2 car detached garage.

Other re-builds in the neighborhood are selling in the $800Ks+.  This house and lot is primed for the same.

Here's a photo of a typical re-build home in the Vienna Woods neighborhood.  This one's right across the street:

If you want to live in Vienna and you're ready for a project, this house at 309 Plum Street SW may just be for you!  And at a price of just $425,000, it can't be beat!

Halloween is around the corner.  It's a time for ghosts, witches, pumpkins, skeletons, and candy.  Lots of candy.

In honor of the season, the Block Real Estate Group is hosting a contest.

Welcome to the 1st ANNUAL BLOCK REAL ESTATE GROUP HALLOWEEN HOME DECORATING CONTEST!

Are you decorating your home for Halloween?

Some people go all out for Halloween. Do you remember growing up that there was always at least one home on the block that was really decked out for Halloween?

Let's see your pictures. Whether it's your house or another in your neighborhood.

COMPLETE RULES AND INFO ON BLOCK REAL ESTATE GROUP FACEBOOK PAGE:

Post your pictures to the Block Real Estate Group Fan Page on Facebook, email to me directly or send via Twitter to @blockrealestate.

Must be a Fan of the Block Real Estate Group Page on Facebook to be eligible to win.

Pictures are due by 12 noon on November 2nd and winners will be announced later that day.

1st Place Winner will get an iPod Shuffle
2nd Place Winner will get some candy
3rd Place Winner will get some candy

All winners and participants will be acknowledged on ActiveRain, Facebook, and on my blog at http://www.virginiarealestatenews.net

Thanks for participating! 

Happy Halloween!

The other night I snapped a photo of this flyer that's hanging in the elevators in the condo where I live, Alexandria Knolls West:

A condo that gives to the community.  That's something that can make me proud of where I live.

Does your condo or neighborhood give to the community?  Little things like this really do make a difference.

For more information about Alexandria Knolls West or any of the condominium buildings in Alexandria, give me a call at 703-626-0715 or contact me by e-mail at brian@brianblock.com.

Live somewhere you can be proud.

In an effort to "measure. inform. guide.," the City of Alexandria just released its 2009 Community Survey conducted by the Center for Research and Public Policy.  They interviewed 1,000 Alexandria residents between September 8 and 23rd to get their opinions on quality of life in Alexandria, reasons for living in Alexandria, strengths of Alexandria, and issues of most concern in Alexandria.

85.6% of Alexandrians surveyed responded that their overall quality of life was better than 2 years ago or remained good.  Only 10.6% of Alexandria survey responders said that remained poor or became worse than 2 years ago.

Alexandria residents are typically quite happy with City of Alexandria public services, with 88.6% of those surveyed saying that services always or most of the time meet expectations.

View the full survey here: 2009 City of Alexandria Community Survey

and then click here to start your Alexandria, Virginia home search.

October -- for sports fans, it may be the best time of year.  What other month can you watch professional football, baseball, hockey, and basketball? 

For others, October brings entertainment and fun in the manner of ghosts, goblins, witches, and vampires. 

Halloween! 

When you live in a city (Alexandria, VA) that has ghosts around every corner, Halloween is even that much more special. 

Ghosts & Real Estate -- What You Need to Know:

Houses with ghosts or haunted houses fall under the category of stigmatized property.  A stigmatized property is one where an event or condition (murder, suicide, or haunting) occurred that does not affect the physical nature of the property but which may affect its value to some people.  In other words, knowing that a murder occurred in a house or that there may be a ghost can have a psychological effect on the homebuyer.

There is NO federal law or requirement to inspect for, investigate, disclose, or verify whether a property is stigmatized.

Similarly, Virginia exempts disclosures about stigmatized property.

A house can be haunted, in fact, it can be swarming with ghosts, and neither the seller, the listing agent, nor the buyer's agent is required to report that news to you. 

Truly buyer beware.

CAUTION:  Don't shop for a home right after watching the movie Poltergeist!

So, what to do if you want to ensure that your house-to-be is not occupied by floating departed souls?

You can ask your REALTOR.  They are not under an obligation to disclose this, even if they've seen the ghost themselves.  However, perhaps they can help.

The other year, I had some clients who were looking at historic homes in Old Town Alexandria.  Historic means the house has a plaque and is over 100 years old.  They very seriously told me that they did not want to purchase a home with a ghost.  Not sure what to do, I did some research and sent them to this website: Haunted Virginia.  I figured it was a start and they could continue with their own research.

To some people, a ghost may even be a selling point!

Did you know that Old Town Alexandria is fabled to have some ghosts living among the historic homes and cobblestone streets?

During the month of October, you can actually take a Ghost Tour or Ghosts & Graveyard Tour of Old Town Alexandria and learn what ghoulish spirits continue to haunt Northern Virginia.

Whether you want a home with or without a ghost, I'd be happy to help.

October's a great time to buy a house.  You'll be settled in for the holidays.

Are you wondering about Northern Virginia real estate and pondering what has sold recently?

Here's some information about the most expensive home sales in Northern Virginia (Arlington County, Alexandria City, Fairfax City, Fairfax County, and Falls Church City) for September 2009.  All information was obtained through MRIS.

Luxury home sales have been slowing down quite a bit during the last few months.  The majority of the activity in Northern Virginia real estate is occurring with first-time buyers anxious to take advantage of the $8000 tax credit expiring on November 30th.  Needless to say, most of these first-time buyers are not purchasing in the luxury price ranges.

Overall, there were 54 Northern Virginia home sales topping $1 million during the month of September 2009, down from 76 in August and 90 in July 2009.

Currently, there are 845 homes on the market in Northern Virginia with list prices topping $1 million.

SEPTEMBER'S MOST EXPENSIVE SALES

Single Family Detached Homes:

• 10447 New Ascot Drive, Great Falls, VA 22066  -- Sold on September 14th for $2,780,000.
  Think short sales are only for lower price ranges?  Think again.  This one was listed for sale at $3,499,999 and sold for a lot less.  This 6 bedroom, 11,000 square foot home on 2 acres has a 4 car garage, an in-ground swimming pool, an elevator, home theater, and 2 wine cellars.  It was built in 2008.
  
  
• 7624 Burford Drive, McLean, VA 22012  -- Sold on September 28th for $2,525,000.
  Built in 2008, this 6 bedroom home also has 7 full bathrooms and 3 half bathrooms.  With a 3 car garage , an open floor plan and fully finished basement, this home spent nearly 2 years on the market before selling.
  
  
• 824 Whann Avenue, McLean, VA 22101  -- Sold on September 22nd for $2,251,000.
  Located in Langley Forest on one acre in McLean, this home was a foreclosure sale.  Most of the home was completed, but it did not have fixtures and appliances.  The home has 7 bedrooms and 8.5 bathrooms.
  
  
• 4701 N. 34th Street, Arlington, VA 22207 -- Sold September 29th for $2,200,000.
  In the Country Club Hills area of North Arlington, this 5 bedroom, 4.5 bathroom home was built in 1952 and has been renovated and expanded.  It features a top of the line kitchen and sits on 1/3 acre of land.
  
  
• 7837 Kent Road, Alexandria, VA 22308 -- Sold on September 28th for $2,050,000. 
  A 1938 colonial home on over an acre of land with tall trees and mature plantings, this 1938 home  features a pool, grand circular staircase, 4 fireplaces and 5 bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms.
  

CLICK TO SEARCH FOR AVAILABLE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA 

Townhouses: 

• 6 Keiths Lane, Alexandria, VA 22314 -- Sold on September 25th for $1,275,000.
  With views of the Potomac River in Old Town Alexandria, this Fords Landing townhouse was built in 1999 and featurs 3 bedrooms including a decadent master suite with a spa-like bathroom.  the grourmet kitchen with granite counters enhances the open floor plan of the main level.  
  
  
• 423N N. Columbus Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 -- Sold on September 15th for $957,000.
  Another Old Town Alexandria townhouse originally built in 1890 that has been totally renovated and remodeled but retained some period fixtures, antique chandeliers and transom lights and the original southern pine floors.  It has 2,541 square feet of living space.
  
  
• 717 Potomac Street, Alexandria, VA 22314  -- Sold on September 15th for $875,000.
  This 1978-built townhouse in Old Town Alexandria features an off-street parking space and front and rear private brick patios.  It has 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms which are newly renovated.  There's also a separate au pair/in-law suite with an extra kitchen.
  
  
• 2044 Beacon Heights Drive, Reston, VA 20191 -- Sold on September 15th for $875,000.
  Built in 2003, this townhouse is on the waterfront at Lake Audubon.  The townhouse has 5 levels with an elevator, gorumet kitchen and a Trex deck.  With 3 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms, this large townhouse offers 3,237 square feet of space.

SEE AVAILABLE TOWNHOUSES IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA

Condominiums: 

• 1600 Clarendon Blvd. #W303, Arlington, VA 22209 -- Sold on September 15th for $1,142,000.
  At the ever-popular and ever-expensive Wooster and Mercer Lofts, this 2 bedroom plus loft condo features 1,990 square feet of living space and ultra-high end appliances and finishes.
  
  
• 635 First Street #101, Alexandria, VA 22314 -- Sold on September 21st for $850,000.
  This condo at Liberty Row in Old Town Alexandria has 2,100 square feet of space spread throughout 3 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.  It features a gourmet kitchen, a custom sound system, and 2 underground parking spaces.
  
  
• 1781 Chain Bridge Road #208, McLean, VA 22102 -- Sold on September 9th for $792,380.
  Newly built, this condo at the Morgan at McLean is a corner unit with over 2,100 square feet of space in a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom unit.  It is very close to the upcoming Tysons East Metro stop.
  
  
• 1600 Clarendon Blvd. #W311, Arlington, VA 22209 -- Sold on September 8th for $680,000.
  Another Wooster & Mercer Lofts gem, this one is a one bedroom unit with 2 full baths.  The condo has 18 foot ceilings with walls of glass overlooking a park and measures in at 1,365 square feet.
  

SEE AVAILABLE CONDOMINIUMS IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA 

Contact Brian Block, Managing Broker, REALTOR/Attorney, RE/MAX Allegiance: Licensed in Virginia & Washington D.C.  703-626-0715. If you are interested in purchasing or selling a property in Northern Virginia including Arlington County, Alexandria City, Annandale, Burke, D.C., Fairfax County, Falls Church City, Great Falls, Lorton, McLean, Springfield, Washington D.C., contact Brian today.

"They're Definitely Interested in Selling!"

"Thanks for letting me know" was my response to the listing agent who told me this nugget while informing me that there was a lockbox on the home and that I needn't call the sellers before showing.

Hmmm...  I thought that's why most people put their house on the market -- because they're definitely interested in selling.

From the tone of the agent's voice and the number of days the home had been on the market, it was clear to me and to my clients that these sellers were more than willing to consider offers on the home:

low offers

crazy offers

any offer.

This was not the home that my clients eventually ended up selecting.  However this story teaches a valuable lesson of negotiating:  Don't give away the farm!  Do not give away important pricing information before a negotiation even begins.

A listing agent represents (or is supposed to) the interests of the sellers.  That particular agent failed miserably.

Sure, my clients are "definitely interested in buying"  -- just not that house.