If you’re in the market to buy a house, you’ve got options.
According to Homesnap, there are 140 homes currently for sale in Reston — 90 condos, 20 detached homes and 30 townhomes. Additionally, as of April 4, there have been 67 new listings in the past four weeks and 123 sales.
This weekend, you’ll find a number of open houses across Reston, including:
1308 Stamford Way
6 BD/4.5 BA single-family home
Listed: $1,350,000
Open: Saturday, 12-3 p.m.
11935 Riders Lane
5 BD/4.5 BA single-family home
Listed: $969,900
Open: Sunday, 1-3 p.m.
11234 Hunting Horn Lane
4 BD/2.5 BA single-family home
Listed: $649,000
Open: Saturday, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
11706 Great Owl Circle
3 BD/3.5 BA townhome
Listed: $595,000
Open: Sunday, 1-3 p.m.
1594 Poplar Grove Drive
2 BD/1.5 BA townhome
Listed: $410,000
Open: Sunday, 1-4 p.m.
Photo via James Lee on Unsplash
Virginia Tech’s Evening MBA program is among the best in the country, according to a 2022 survey of the nation’s top graduate schools by U.S. News & World Report.
In the newly released rankings of Best Part-time MBA programs, Virginia Tech’s Falls Church-based program is ranked No. 28 overall and No. 1 in Virginia.
In addition, Virginia Tech’s Arlington-based Executive MBA was named the nation’s fifth best by GreatBusinessSchools.org.
“The rankings reflect our commitment to providing students with top-quality education, immersive experiences, and a robust network that will strengthen their career prospects for years to come, all at a high-value tuition rate,” said Dana Hansson, director of MBA programs at Virginia Tech.
In January, Virginia Tech announced it will expand this commitment by offering a fully online MBA program.
“Accommodating students with virtual learning over the last year across all of our MBA formats allowed us to explore fully online delivery as a permanent option through the recently announced Online MBA. This new program seats its inaugural cohort this summer, and we’re already encouraged by the level of interest and strength of the applications we’ve received,” said Hansson.
The online program will build on the strength of Virginia Tech’s already established programs, said Parviz Ghandforoush, Associate Dean for Graduate Programs at Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business.
“The new format allowed us to combine some of the tried and true features of our established in-person MBA formats and online master of information technology to craft the best possible educational experience for students who value consistent interaction with their classmates and also want the flexibility of an online program,” Ghandforoush said.
Program leadership is encouraged by the latest recognition for its Evening and Executive formats and looks forward to expanding its suite of part-time programs.
“Our strategic focus since 2013 has been to provide working professionals with flexible options that fit into their personal and professional lives. We’re excited to provide this new opportunity to professionals across the globe who want to further their careers and join our talented group of students and alumni who are proud to call themselves Hokies,” Hansson said.
Learn more about Virginia Tech MBA Programs at mba.vt.edu.
The only thing more damaging to your home than fire is water. Water damage can be truly disastrous. Left unchecked, even a slow leak will rot drywall and studs, create mold, and eventually weaken major structural elements like joists and beams.
Much water damage results from easily curable flaws that homeowners can do on their own. Here are some simple repairs you can make to avoid water damage:
Properly Grade the Soil Around Your Home
The soil directly surrounding the foundation of your home should be at a 30-degree angle, encouraging water to flow away. Ground that declines toward the house will result in pooled water, which can enter the foundation at that point or seep downward and enter through the basement floor.
Simply pack the soil down and rake it so it ramps away from the foundation; picture a small ball being placed at the base of the foundation that would slowly roll away from the home. This grading effect should be at least a foot long.
Attend to the Downspouts
Make sure your downspouts are cleared at least twice per year — or more often if you have a lot of trees near your home that drop leaves onto the roof and downspouts causing clogging. Also, clear the base of the downspouts of debris to ensure they can carry water away from the foundation. These downspouts should be at least 2 feet away from the foundation.
Fix Cracked or Missing Caulk
Walk around your home’s exterior to look for cracked or missing caulk around doors and windows. Pay special attention to the top of the window casing where water can easily accumulate.
Inside, peel off and replace any cracked caulk around bathtubs, showers and sinks. Water can easily seep into these cracks and cause drywall damage and eventually mold.
Inspect Your Roof and Attic
Roof leaks can go undetected for years and cause significant damage. Take a pair of binoculars and look for missing/peeling shingles.
Inside your home, check your attic for mold or water damage and to ensure your bathroom fans are properly venting to the exterior. You don’t have to see any daylight in your attic to have a problem.
Lastly, even if you have a new roof, flashing only lasts 10-15 years whereas the rest of the new roof can last much longer. Have your flashing inspected professionally and replaced if needed.
Lynn Cooper is a licensed REALTOR in Virginia with McEnearney Associates in McLean. Whether buying or selling, Lynn is 100% committed to her clients before, during, and after the transaction. Connect with Lynn at 202-489-7894, [email protected] or @lynncooperrealestate.
Reston’s Pet of the Week is Pav, an easy-going 4-year-old kitty who loves to play.
Here’s what his friends at Fancy Cats Rescue Team had to say about him:
4-year-old Pav is curious and confident and loves exploring his environment. In the morning he loves watching birds from a safe distance, pouncing on his toys, and jumping into boxes and hiding. He’s playful and energetic. When it’s time to settle down, he likes long afternoon naps in a sunny window and will keep you warm during the nights on a warm, soft bed.
Pav is friendly and well socialized and gets along well with everyone from young kids to big dogs. He is an easy-going cat and loves being engaged. He is healthy, with full shots, neutered, microchipped, and no health issues.
He would like to be an only cat.
Are you and Pav the perfect match?
This is a sponsored column by attorneys John Berry and Kimberly Berry of Berry & Berry, PLLC, an employment and labor law firm located in Northern Virginia that specializes in federal employee, security clearance, retirement and private sector employee matters.
By John V. Berry, Esq.
The Commonwealth of Virginia did not have its own overtime laws until the recent passage of the Virginia Overtime Wage Act (VOWA), in Virginia House Bill 2063, signed on March 30, 2021, by Governor Northam.
Those who were able to argue for lost overtime compensation had to previously rely on federal law, the Fair Labor Standards Act, known as FLSA. While the new VOWA is similar to the FLSA, it increases costs and penalties (both civil and criminal) for Virginia employers that don’t pay required overtime to employees.
Like the FLSA, Virginia’s new overtime law generally requires payment of time and a half at an employee’s regular rate for hours worked in excess of 40 hours in a workweek. But although the law largely tracks federal standards, significant differences are likely to result in new liabilities for Virginia employers and higher damages for overtime violations for employees in Virginia who have not received their overtime pay.
The new Virginia law establishes a new formula for calculations for salaried employees in Virginia, which will yield larger recoveries in overtime cases. VOWA will also yield larger recoveries for misclassified workers. Additionally, while the FLSA has a two-year statute of limitations to bring claims — unless they are willful (intentional), which extends it to three years — VOWA expands this. VOWA extends overtime claims to three years. This will bring greater liability to employers.
Finally, VOWA presumes an employees’ ability to obtain double damages for all overtime violations. The FLSA allows employers to argue they acted in good faith as a defense to such claims. The new VOWA takes this defense away. Under VOWA, all overtime wage violations are subject to double damages (in addition to pre-judgment interest of 8% per year). Finally, VOWA goes further and permits triple damages for employees where an employer had actual knowledge that it failed to pay the overtime wages due and acted in deliberate ignorance or reckless disregard as to whether it was paying all overtime wages owed.
VOWA also includes criminal provisions against employers. Employers can be now found guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor if the value of the overtime wages earned and not paid is less than $10,000. If the amount unpaid is over $10,000, the employer can be found liable for a Class 6 Felony charge. A felony charge can also apply no matter the amount of wages at issue for a second conviction.
There is a lot to sort out with the new VOWA overtime legislation in Virginia, but employees are going to have much stronger state claims for overtime in the future.
Contact Us
If you are in need of employment law legal representation or advice, please contact our office at 703-668-0070 or through our contact page to schedule a consultation. Please also visit and like us on Facebook or Twitter.
If you’re in the market to buy a house, you’ve got options.
According to Homesnap, there are 97 homes currently for sale in Reston — 97 condos, 21 detached homes and 43 townhomes. Additionally, as of March 28, there have been 69 new listings in the past four weeks and 109 sales.
This weekend, you’ll find a number of open houses across Reston, including:
2004 Chadds Ford Drive
4 BD/3.5 BA single-family home
Listed: $814,000
Open: Saturday and Sunday, 1-5 p.m.
12806 Old Club Lane
4 BD/2.5 BA townhome
Listed: $699,900
Open: Sunday, 1-3 p.m.
11811 Great Owl Circle
3 BD/3.5 BA townhome
Listed: $625,000
Open: Saturday, 1:30-4 p.m.
12025 New Dominion Parkway #412
1 BD/1.5 BA condo
Listed: $449,000
Open: Saturday, 2-4 p.m.
Photo via James Lee on Unsplash
March was a busy month in real estate — 116 homes were sold across Reston.
As of March 28, homes spent an average of just 28 days on the market, and the average sales price was $465,500, according to Homesnap.
Below are a few of the most expensive homes sold in March:
- 1258 New Bedford Lane
5 BD/4.5 BA single-family home
Sold: March 12 for $1,573,000 - 1307 Stamford Way
6 BD/4.5 BA single-family home
Sold: March 18 for $1,075,000 - 11331 Woodbrook Lane
4 BD/3.5 BA single-family home
Sold: March 19 for $1,025,000
In the market? Check out the latest in Reston real estate.
Image via Google Maps
Meet Quincy, Reston’s latest Pet of the Week. Quincy is a sweet 2-year-old mix who’d make the perfect running or hiking companion.
Here’s what his friends at Fancy Cats Rescue Team had to say about him:
Quincy is a sweet 2-year-old German Shepherd/American Staffordshire Terrier mix. He loves going to dog parks where he can exercise those legs. He loves his humans and would do best in a home where he’s the sole recipient of your affection! He does best with older children. Quincy has an average activity level and likes to go on 2-3 walks a day. He’d be a great running and hiking companion. He’d love nothing more than to find his forever home!
Are you and Quincy the perfect match?
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This week in Reston, there are 85 properties available to rent, according to Homesnap. These range from a $4.5K two-bedroom condo with a view to a $1.5K/month one-bedroom within walking distance to Reston Town Center.
Below are six recently listed rentals:
- 11990 Market Street #1613 — 2 BD/2 BA — $4,500/month
- 11514 Waterhaven Court — 3 BD/3 BA — $3,400/month
- 11621 Newbridge Court — 3 BD/2.5 BA — $2,700/month
- 12024 Taliesin Place #22 — 2 BD/2 BA — $2,150/month
- 11401R Gate Hill Place #78 — 2 BD/2 BA — $1,950/month
- 2050 Royal Fern Court #11 — 1 BD/1 BA condo — $1,495/month
In the market? Check out the latest in Reston real estate.
Reston’s newest luxury community has something for everyone.
Faraday Park’s vibrant community caters to makers, adventure seekers and creative minds. The mixed-use residence is just a half-mile walk to the Wiehle-Reston Metro station, a 15-minute drive to Dulles International Airport, and just blocks from neighborhood favorites like Whole Foods, Target and Founding Farmers. With retail shops on site and Reston Town Center just minutes away, Faraday Park offers unique access to shopping, dining, and more.
This world-class community provides one-of-a-kind amenities such as a pet spa, maker’s workshop, commercial and baking kitchens, and a bike repair service. Seek adventure by exploring the Washington & Old Dominion Trail right outside the front door or relax by a luxurious rooftop pool.
The two residential towers — the West and East Towers delivering in April and May 2021, respectively — include residences ranging from studios starting at 465 square feet to three-bedrooms up to 1,499 square feet. Residences showcase refined details with ample natural light, modern kitchens and bathrooms polished with chrome fixtures and beautiful cabinetry to create an everyday retreat.
Visit www.faradaypark.com for more information and discover a home where every day you can have a Faraday.
Reston’s Pet of the Week is Twinkles, a short-haired cat who’s spent the past year in a West Virginia shelter awaiting her forever home.
Here’s what she told her friends at Fancy Cats Rescue Team:
Hi y’all! My name is Twinkles. I am a sweet, vocal, loud purring, snuggly tuxedo cat from West Virginia. I came to the Fancy Cats Rescue Team after spending over a year in a West Virginia shelter. (Can you believe it?!)
Right now I am enjoying spending time with my foster family and getting a well-deserved, relaxing reprieve from shelter life. Within less than a week, I have become a snuggle bug to my foster mom. I chirp to greet my housemates when they enter the room!
I am 3 years old, female and in good health. I would do well with other kitties or as an only cat. If you wish to learn more about me, you can fill out an adoption application online, and/or check out my Instagram @twinkles_little_cat.
Are you and Twinkles the perfect match?
If you crave Italian at least once a week, know you’re not alone. But Carrabba’s Italian Grill, located on Sunset Hills Road in Reston, has your back (and your stomach).
Depending on your mood, you can dine in, order delivery or swing by for car-side carryout.
The Italian staple has all their classics available on the menu, including Lasagne layered with fresh pasta and pomodoro sauce and everyone’s favorite Chicken Marsala. But it also has seasonal made-from-scratch dishes available through April 4, including:
- Tuscan-Grilled Lamb Chops with a mint-bourbon demi-glace
- Mahi Wulfe with the signature basil lemon butter sauce
- Chicken Piccata, which you can also order as part of the family bundle and feeds up to five
Oh, and each order comes with the famous Carrabba’s bread and olive oil for dipping.
So next time you’re craving Italian, stop by and grab a (socially distanced) table, or place an online order for delivery or car-side carryout
Carrabba’s Italian Grill
12192 Sunset Hills Road, Reston
703-464-7909
www.carrabbas.com
This is a sponsored column by attorneys John Berry and Kimberly Berry of Berry & Berry, PLLC, an employment and labor law firm located in Northern Virginia that specializes in federal employee, security clearance, retirement and private sector employee matters.
By Kimberly H. Berry, Esq.
With the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, many federal employees have recently been giving more consideration to their retirement options. One of the more common forms of retirement matters that we handle involves the legal representation of federal employees in the disability retirement process before the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and in the appeals process.
Federal employees filing for disability retirement with OPM are typically covered by either the Federal Employees Retirement System or the Civil Service Retirement System. There are a number of questions that a federal employee should consider as they contemplate whether to file for federal disability retirement. These considerations include, but are not limited to:
1. How serious are the federal employee’s medical issues (and are they linked to the federal employee’s position description duties)?
When making a disability retirement decision, a federal employee should keep in mind that OPM evaluates an individual’s continued ability to work with their medical condition in the context of the duties described in their position description (PD). If the medical disability is not deemed serious enough, or not fully supported by medical documentation or other evidence, and is not sufficiently linked to their inability to “usefully and efficiently” carry out their PD duties, then OPM may deny the disability retirement application.
2. To qualify, how long is the medical disability realistically expected to last?
OPM requires that a medical disability be expected to last at least one year in duration. When considering whether to file for OPM disability retirement, it is important for a federal employee to evaluate the expected duration of their medical disability. Disabilities with known shorter duration could be problematic in the application process.
3. Can the federal employee survive on a reduced annuity?
If a federal employee is considering filing for OPM disability retirement, it is important to understand that this type of retirement usually provides an individual with a lower monthly retirement annuity in comparison to full retirement. As a result, we recommend that federal employees obtain a benefits estimate from their human resources representative and consult with a financial advisor about the impact of a potentially reduced annuity prior to filing for disability retirement. It is important to evaluate one’s ability to support themselves on a reduced annuity before filing for OPM disability retirement
4. Are there changes to a federal employee’s position that can be made to allow the federal employee to continue to work?
It is often the case that a federal agency will work with a federal employee to provide them with a reasonable accommodation (i.e. change in hours, duties, telework or other possible accommodations) that can make a federal employee’s current position and medical condition workable. This can alleviate the need for filing for disability retirement. As a part of the OPM disability retirement process, a federal agency is required to certify that it is unable to accommodate a federal employee’s disabling medical condition in their present position. The federal agency must also certify that it has considered them “for any vacant position in the same agency, at the same grade or pay level, and within the same commuting area, for which [you] qualified for reassignment.” Usually, this does not present a major hurdle to obtaining OPM disability retirement.
5. Do the federal employee’s medical professionals support the disability retirement application?
This is an important factor when filing for disability retirement. In most cases, physicians will be open with their patients about whether it is a good idea to keep working in their current federal employment position. Typically, most physicians are supportive of such applications.
There are at least two good reasons for a federal employee to discuss their possible filing for OPM disability retirement with their treating medical providers in advance. First, a federal employee’s health should be of primary importance and consideration when determining whether continuing in a particular position hinders or impedes their medical recovery. Second, physicians and their medical opinions are necessary and, in fact, crucial in the OPM disability retirement application process.
OPM will require a physician’s statement about a federal employee’s medical condition, and the physician’s statement can often make or break the outcome of an OPM disability retirement application. Sometimes, a federal employee can seek an outside medical expert opinion to support their application for disability retirement, but it is very important to also include a longtime treating physician or other medical professional where possible.
When considering whether or not to file for OPM disability retirement, it is important to obtain the advice and representation of legal counsel. The OPM link for disability retirement is located here. You can contact our law firm through www.retirementlaw.com, www.berrylegal.com or by telephone at 703-668-0070 to schedule a consultation to discuss your individual federal employment retirement matter. Please also visit and like us on Facebook or Twitter.
If you’re in the market to buy a house, you’ve got options.
According to Homesnap, there are 135 homes currently for sale in Reston — 85 condos, 16 detached homes and 34 townhomes. Additionally, as of March 14, there have been 62 new listings in the past four weeks and 110 sales.
This weekend, you’ll find a number of open houses across Reston, including:
1296 Golden Eagle Drive, Reston
5 BD/3.5 BA single-family home
Listed: $837,900
Open: Saturday, 1-3 p.m. and Sunday, 2-4 p.m.
11437 Hollow Timber Court, Reston
3 BD/3.5 BA townhouse
Listed: $774,900
Open: Sunday, 2-5 p.m.
11767 Great Owl Circle, Reston
3 BD/2.5+ BA townhouse
Listed: $615,000
Open: Sunday, 2-4 p.m.
11764 Great Owl Circle, Reston
3 BD/3 BA townhouse
Listed: $595,000
Open: Sunday, 1-4 p.m.
12001 Market Street #231, Reston
1 BD/1 BA condo
Listed: $285,000
Open: Sunday, 12-2 p.m.
Photo via James Lee on Unsplash
