This is a sponsored article by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.

Walden Cluster is one of the many hidden gems along the banks of Lake Thoreau in South Reston.

This charming neighborhood consists of 52 townhouses on Swans Neck Way (off of Ridge Heights Road) built between 1980 and 1982. The homes are brick and cedar, 3-level, 2-to-4 bedroom homes. Each house also has at least one assigned parking space.

If you love the idea of living on one of Reston’s lakes, this is a great neighborhood to investigate. About 30 percent of the Walden Cluster homes are direct lakefront property, but all the homes in the neighborhood enjoy the use of Lake Thoreau.

This cluster is wonderful for families — there is a great community tot lot. Better yet, it’s located just across the street from Terraset Elementary, Langston Hughes Middle and South Lakes High School. No missing the bus!

It’s also an easy walk to South Lakes Village Center — with several eateries, a Starbucks, and Safeway. And, of course, this neighborhood is close to the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station.

So if you’re looking for a place to park your canoe, take a look at Walden Cluster.

This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.

There were 12 properties that went from Pending to Sold this past week in Reston. The average days on market for this group was 66 days — reflective of the slower fall/winter market we experienced earlier this year. Average price for this group of sold homes was $497,500.

The buyers are out, so if you’re planning on selling this year you might consider listing sooner rather than later. We have 213 active properties on the market the absorption rate (how long it would take to sell all 213 homes), is a little over four months.

Here are few of the homes that sold this past week:

11314 FAIRWAY COURT. 5BR, 3.5 BA. List Price $750,000. Sold Price $750,000. Seller Subsidy $0

11296 FAIRWIND WAY. 3BR, 2.5 BA. List Price $495,000. Sold Price $485,000. Seller Subsidy $0

10987 THRUSH RIDGE ROAD. 3BR, 3.5 BA. List Price $629,500. Sold Price $629,500. Seller Subsidy $6000

2124 OWLS COVE LANE. 4BR, 2.5 BA. List Price $750,000. Sold Price $695,000. Seller Subsidy $0

2339 FREETOWN COURT #12C. 3BR, 1 BA. List Price $184,900 Sold Price 184,900

1418 NORTHGATE SQ #12C. 3BR 2A. List Price $259,500. Sold Price $259,000. Seller Subsidy $6950

In real estate, they say the spring market begins after the Super Bowl. It looks like that is true this year, with lots of homes with “For Sale” signs popping up in Reston right now.

There are currently 212 homes on the market in Reston, with 117 of of them under contract (“pending”), which shows the market is really picking up.

Here is a selection of the 35 homes new to the market here this week:

1929 A Villaridge Drive, 2 BR, 2 BA Condo, $295,900

1571 Bennington Woods Court, 3 BR, 2 FB, 2 HB TH, $399,900

12123 Kinsley Place, 3 BR, 2.5 BA TH, $939,999

1582 Moorings Drive, 3 BR, 2 BA Condo, $309,900

11600 C Vantage Hill Road, 3 BR, 2 BA Condo, $260,000

1559 Regatta Lane, 3 BR, 4 BA SFH, $999,475

2325 Freetown Court, 2 BR, 1 BA Condo, $169,900

2165 Pond View Court, 3 BR, 2 FB, 2 HB TH, $419,900

11407 Fieldstone Lane, 5 BR, 4.5 BA, SFH, $879,900

1645 Bennington Hollow Lane, 3 BR, 3 SFH, $645,000

11866 Saint Trinians Court, 3 BR, 3 BA TH, $409,000

1558 Northgate Square, 1 BR, 1 BA TH, $199,800

To search for more new listings, visit my website.

This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.

Reston townhomes make great homes for first-time homebuyers — couples, singles, or growing families — or people who just want to downsize.

Sawyers Cluster in South Reston is a particularly good neighborhood if you’re looking for an affordable home in a great area.

This townhome community was built in 1974, the homes are a modest size. Most have around 1,200 square feet of living space, although a few are larger.

Some feature great basements and all have assigned parking spaces. The townhomes are mostly two or three bedroom, but there are a few four-bedroom units. Most of them have one and a half baths, although a few have three.

Located off South Lakes Drive in South Reston, Sawyers Cluster has easy access to swimming pools, tennis courts and basketball courts. The short drive to the Toll Road and Wiehle-Reston East Metro station make trips to Dulles International Airport or into DC a breeze.

And, of course, the miles of Reston trails, Reston Town Center, and South Lakes Village Center are also close by.

For families looking for an affordable townhome in Reston, Sawyers Cluster is the perfect place.

This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.

This Saturday, you’ll have a good reason to tell your friends and family to go jump in a lake!

That’s right — people will be jumping in Lake Anne on purpose. But it’s for a great cause, and that’s why participants do it year after year.

I’m talking about the Annual Freezin’ for a Reason Virginia Polar Dip. Superheros, Gumby, and whole lot of BFFs in pink tutus will make the plunge for raise money for Camp Sunshine.

It’s the ice bucket challenge, only you jump into the ice rather than it dumping onto your head.

Charities don’t get much worthier than Camp Sunshin. The weeklong sleepaway camp provides respite, support, joy, and hope to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. The program is free of charge to all families, and includes 24-hour onsite medical and psychosocial support. Camp Sunshine also provides bereavement sessions for families who have lost a child to supported illnesses.

Freezin’ for a Reason raises much-needed money to send children to the camp. This year’s goal is to raise $100,000, which will allow 50 families from the Mid-Atlantic area to go to the camp. Through pledges or self-sponsorship, each participant will raise/donate a minimum of $100 for the opportunity to take the icy plunge.

In addition to knowing they’ve helped a child in need, they all also receive very cute shirt that proclaims “I DID IT” event shirt. If you aren’t ready to jump, come and watch the fun — it’s a great time on the plaza!

The plunge takes place on Saturday, Feb. 7 at Lake Anne Plaza. It kicks off at noon with family-friendly activities and warm-up, and the actual dip begins at 2 p.m.

For the fifth year, 97.1 WASH-FM morning show radio personality Chilli Amar will emcee the event.

Event sponsors are: Lake Anne Plaza, Whole Foods Market Reston, Reston Lifestyle Magazine, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, David Madison Photography, Reston Association, Reston Community Center, Spotted MP (Marketing + Public Relations), Kalypso’s Sports Tavern, Fairfax Christian School, 97.1 WASH-FM, Salon Khouri, Fusion 360, Small Change Consignment, and Sheraton Reston Hotel. For more information about the event or to register to participate, visit the event’s website or become a Facebook Fan (Virginia Polar Dip).

Are you brave enough for the challenge?

Photo of 2014 Virginia Polar Dip/Credit: David Madison Photography

This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.

I admit I’m partial to Lake Anne neighborhoods — they are beautiful and convenient to all the amenities Reston has to offer. Lakeside Cluster is a great Reston neighborhood that does not get as much attention as its famous neighbor, Waterview Cluster.

Frankly, the community likes it that way. This is a friendly, quiet, unassuming neighborhood.

Lakeside Cluster has everything all of the neighborhoods that border Reston’s Lake Anne share — access to the lake, a quick walk to Lake Anne Plaza, well-designed homes, many of which are direct lakefront.

Lakeside Cluster was built between 1965 and 1969, and comprises 90 lovely two- and three-level townhouses and patio homes with two to four bedrooms. They also have garages, which makes them different than most of their Lake Anne neighbors. All homes have lake access via a trail to the cluster dock, even if they are not direct lakefront property.

The cluster couldn’t be positioned better. It is located on Greenbriar Road and Orchard Lane off Fairway Drive, which is the south shore of Lake Anne. Fairway Drive provides easy access to both North Shore Drive and Wiehle Avenue.

For families with children, the cluster is an easy walk to Lake Anne Elementary. Children also attend Langston Hughes Middle and South Lakes High School.

For the parents, Lake Side Cluster is only 1.5 miles to the Wiehle-Reston East Station Metro station, and a short hop to Reston Town Center and the Dulles Toll Road. And, of course, a five minute walk to Lake Anne Village Plaza — home of the Reston Farmers Market and several great locally owned restaurants.

This is a sponsored post form Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.

Only nine properties went from pending to sold in Reston last week. That small number is consistent with the very sluggish November/December numbers we were seeing.

What’s much more encouraging is the large number of pending home sales, which is at 66. More than half of those properties went under contract in the past two weeks. That confirms there is a lot of activity in the market — certainly more than at this time last year.

Overall inventory is at 218 active homes for sale, or about a three-month’s supply.

Here are a few of the homes that sold this past week in Reston.

11990 Market St. #2014. 3BR, 3 BA. List Price: $1, 362,834. Sold Price: $1, 362,834. Seller Subsidy: $ 0

12001 Market St. #276. 1BR, BA. List Price: $299,990. Sold Price: $295,000. Seller Subsidy: $0

2078 Beacon Heights Dr. 3BR 2.5 BA. List Price: $939,000. Sold Price: $918,000. Seller Subsidy: $0

12148 Captiva Ct. 4BR, 2.5 BA. List Price: $325,000. Sold Price: $305,000. Seller Subsidy: $6,800

11685 Bennington Woods Rd. 4BR, 3.5 BA. List Price: $799,900. Sold Price: $794,000. Seller Subsidy: $0

12001 Taliesin Place. #23. 2BR, 1.5 BA. List Price: $329,500. Sold Price: $322,500. Seller Subsidy: $5,800

12195 Chancery Stations Circle. 3BR, 3 BA. List Price: $749,000. Sold Price: $740,000. Seller Subsidy: $580

11400 Washington Plaza W #1003. 2BR, 2 BA. List Price: $440,000. Sold Price: $440,365. Seller Subsidy: $0

This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.

Reston real estate has had a great start to the New Year and we’re coming out of the post-holiday slowdown with some strong activity.

We’ve had 18 properties listed for sale this past week bring us to a total of 213 active property listings.  That represents a 3.8-month supply of homes for sale.

Here are a few of the new listings for this week.

11797 INDIAN RIDGE RD 4BR 2.5 Baths List Price $507,000

1325 VINTAGE PL 2BR 2.5 Baths List Price $452,500

2206 SPINNAKER CT 3BR 3 Baths List Price $825,000

1645 YORK MILLS LN 4BR 2 Full 2 Half Baths List Price $665,000

12108 CHANCERY STATION CIR 3BR 3.5 Baths List Price $988,000

1855 STRATFORD PARK PL #103 2BR 2 Baths List Price $435,900

This week in Reston there is property ranging from $2,490,000 for a 20,000 sq. ft. 8BR 11.5 Bath giant to $110,000 for a 497 sq. ft. efficiency at Thoreau Place.

This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.

In my opinion, January is not too early to start thinking about Valentine’s Day. And let’s be honest, about the lovely chocolate treats that make it a day worth celebrating.

One of my favorite local Reston businesses for cakes and confections is Edibles Incredible Desserts at Reston Town Center. I can practically taste the fudge as I write this.

A common passion for desserts led couple Alan Furman and Robyn Hanna to pursue their dream of creating a shop specializing in irresistible gourmet treats. Edibles Incredible Desserts launched in 1999 with a kiosk in Fair Oaks Mall, selling fudge and toffee.

Today, Edibles Incredible Desserts is a local favorite — named winner of Northern Virginia’s best bakery and best kids cakes as voted by 150,000 readers of Northern Virginia Magazine. But the greatest joy for Alan and Robyn is when seasoned customers come in and begin telling others how great their treats taste.

Immediately after launching their business, their two flagship products “Robyn’s English Toffee” and “Alan’s Secret Recipe Fudge” became hot sellers at Dean and DeLuca in Georgetown. Soon after, they opened their first store in the Reston Town Center at 11917 Freedom Dr.

You don’t have to go to Reston Town Center to enjoy a delicious dessert as they ship their cakes, cookies brownies, candy and cupcakes, among others, anywhere in the country.

In early 2007, they opened a commercial kitchen and production facility in Sterling, just minutes from Dulles International Airport. This allows them to ship their baked goods and other desserts right out of the oven and ship fresh directly.

Their motto is “to please palates everywhere. ” And they do … in our stores and online.

Enjoy browsing through their site, and maybe order a cake online. Call them anytime to discuss their products 703-437-3008.

Photo: Cake by Edibles Incredible/Courtesy of Edibles Incredible.

This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.

Reston Architect Ken Bonner is well known in Reston for his contemporary, single-family homes.

But he also designed townhome communities. Among them, Colts Neck Cluster on Escalante and Greywing Courts, built in 1972-1973. These contemporary townhomes are three levels with cedar siding exteriors. The homes have between 1,600 and 2,000 square feet of living space.

This community is comprised of 60 townhouses in South Reston, near the intersection of Colts Neck Road and South Lakes Drive. Escalante Court is off South Lakes Drive and next to the South Lakes Drive Park. Greywing Court is off Colts Neck Road.

The Colts Neck community is close to the Reston National Golf Course and the Hunters Woods Village Center Shopping Center. It is also within two miles of the new Silver Line Wiehle-Reston East Metro station.

The community is within walking distance of the Reston Town Center, Reston Community Center, and Reston Association offices, as well as schools, public pools, tennis and basketball courts, athletic fields, a golf course, community gardens, grocery stores and restaurants, and much more.

These lovely homes are perfect for anyone looking for well-designed, contemporary architecture in a close-knit, townhome community.

Photo courtesy Colts Neck Cluster

This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. We’re 12 days into the New Year and so far 15 properties have sold — not bad for a notoriously slow time of year.

Total inventory is down to 209, lower than it has been but not unusual for this time of year. Expect inventory to climb as we move into February and March.

Here’s a few of the properties that sold in the last 12 days:

11400 WASHINGTON PLZ W #1401. 2BR, 2BA Condo. List Price: $359,000. Sold Price: $350,000. Seller Subsidy $0

12000 MARKET ST #479. 2BR, 1.5BA Condo. List Price: $399,900. Sold Price: $404,000. Seller Subsidy $0

1635 PARKCREST CIR #301. 2BR 1.5 Baths List Price $229,000 Sold Price $214,000 Seller Subsidy: $0

1503 STUART RD. 5BR, 3.5 BA SFH. List Price: $838,000. Sold Price: $825,000. Seller Subsidy: $5,000

12212 DORRANCE CT. 3BR, 3.5BA SFH. List Price: $779,900. Sold Price: $743,600. Seller Subsidy: $0

2253 CHESTNUT BURR CT. 4BR,  3.5BA TH. List Price: $389,900. Sold Price: $390,000. Seller Subsidy: $9,435 Here’s a look at 2014 sales in Reston:

This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.

The year 2014 was an one in Reston real estate.

It was a year marked by rapid changes that made it tricky to get listings properly positioned in the marketplace. We had a protracted winter. When the spring finally came, houses were moving fast. Then suddenly in late May and early June, it was like the air sputtered out of the balloon and things started dragging along slower and slower.

It’s not that things were not selling — they were — but there was no sense of urgency in the market. By late July, it seemed that all the buyers had left for vacation.

The year-end numbers reflect this sluggishness — we sold 13 percent fewer homes in Reston than in the previous year. In 2013, 1,138 residential properties sold in Reston compared to 1,005 in 2014.

Overall appreciation for 2014 was up slightly, but when you dig into the numbers by different housing types you see that some segments of the market saw significant appreciation.

For example, small townhouses (attached two bedrooms or fewer) were up 10 percent in value as were large townhouses (attached four  or more bedrooms) up an average of more than 8 percent.

The smaller (three bedrooms or fewer) detached single family homes sold for an average of 8.15 percent more than last year, while the larger (four or more bedrooms) were up an average 4.13 percent.

The median sold price for a property in Reston in 2014 was $423,000, up 3.4 percent over last year.

So what does the future hold for Reston real estate? Low gas prices, good job numbers and vastly improved consumer confidence should translate into strong sales. The market is in the neutral zone — not overtly favoring buyers or sellers.

Mortgage rates are low allowing qualified buyers get more house than they may have in the past. Reston continues to be a great community with a wide range of options available to home buyers.

My Magic 8 Ball says “The Outlook is Go” for 2015.

This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.

I don’t typically believe that one time of year is better for selling your home verses another.

For as long as I’ve been selling real estate, I have always had at least a couple of transactions around the winter holidays, but conventional wisdom says that there is something magical about spring.

It is nearly the new year, which means the spring market is just around the corner. If you are thinking of putting your home on the market soon, pay attention to the “To Do” list to get it into top shape.

The first place to start is by cleaning. I don’t the mean the vacuum and dusting kind of cleaning; I mean the scrub the grout with a tooth brush kind of cleaning. I mean you do your best imitation of your crazy Aunt Sadie with the obsessive-compulsive cleaning disorder kind of cleaning.

Some clients opt for hiring a cleaning crew. If you’re going to do that, you should de-clutter your house before bringing in a cleaning professional. If your “To Do” list includes painting, save the professional cleaning for the last item on your list.

So what does the typical seller “To Do” list look like?

• Reduce contents of all closets by half. Stuffed closets speak to prospective buyers — they say “this house doesn’t have enough storage.” This may not be the case; maybe you’re just really bad about getting rid of the excess we all seem to accumulate.
• Neutralize your home: Pre-pack most of your personal items like family photos, your ceramic frog collection and other things that can distract buyers from seeing the house.
• Be prepared to put furniture and other items in storage.
• 50 percent of the houses I see prior to listing need to be painted — go neutral.
• Clean everything — every, nook, cranny, light switch cover, door jamb, door knobs, everything.
• Do not overlook the utility areas of your home, they should be thoroughly cleaned and organized including the area around the furnace, and water heater including the area around the furnace, and water heater

A super clean and orderly home says “I have been well maintained.” A clean house reduces buyer anxiety.

One of the first things I do for clients after signing a listing agreement is to drop off 100 office-sized boxes to be used to de-clutter, or as we like to call it, pre-packing. A home that is free of clutter makes room for the prospective buyer to mentally picture themselves with their own possessions in that home; which in turn helps to move the buyer from thinking to acting … writing a contract.

The more you can do to clean, organize, neutralize, paint, upgrade, the faster your home will go from being on the market to being sold.

This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.

The holiday season will be winding down shortly. As I make my final Christmas preparations, I’m already thinking ahead to what I want to do this New Year’s Eve. Here are some ideas for celebrating New Years’ Eve in and around Reston.

Cocoa and Ice Skating

I do love watching the children skate while I sip a cup of hot cocoa. And you don’t have to leave Reston for this one; just head down to the Reston Town Center Pavilion. The rink is open New Year’s Eve until 8 p.m.

First Night Celebrations

Family friendly first night celebrations are among my favorites. Falls Church has a wonderful (free) one called Watch Night featuring live entertainment, activities for the kids and great vendors.

Holiday Lights

One of my favorite things to do is enjoy holiday lights. We’re lucky in this area to have two wonderful displays to visit: the regionally renowned Bull Run Festival of Lights or the extraordinarily breathtaking Meadowlark Garden’s Winter Walk of Lights. Both are open through Jan. 4.

Whatever you decide to do on New Year’s Eve this year, have fun and be safe.

Happy Holidays!

This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.

Chanukah begins today, and Christmas and New Year’s Eve will be here very soon too.

With everything going on this time of year, many sellers opt to wait until well into the new year to list their home. Some believe summer is the best time to sell, and others simply don’t want to interrupt their favorite holiday traditions.

Selling at this time of year can actually be very beneficial to the seller. I recently came across an article on Realtor.com that discussed 10 reasons why you can sell your home during the holidays. There are three points in particular that I like.

1. More international buyers

The number of home buyers from other countries has increased dramatically — especially in Reston. These buyers don’t observe the same calendar of events as most Americans.

2. Seller competition is lighter during the holidays

There are plenty of buyers out there right now. But with sellers reluctant to list their homes during the holidays, there is a shortage of inventory. Take advantage of that.

3. You don’t have to forgo holiday decorating or take phone calls during the holiday feast.

You can set boundaries about when you show your house (and even set up blackout dates), and decorations don’t turn off most buyers. But having your house listed means it will be on the website, and during the holidays the number of online searches soars. This means your house will be viewed virtually, and that’s a good thing.

Read the article for more insights as to why this is a great time of year to sell your home. Or call me and I can help you get ready.

Or call me and I can help you get ready.