This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
We’ve got 206 fully active properties on the market in Reston.
They range in price from $199,000 for a cute 1 bedroom, 1 bath Northgate Square condo in a great walk-able Lake Anne neighborhood, to $1,750,000 for a stunning 14th floor Stratford House Place unit with amazing views looking up Reston Town Center’s main drag to the Blue Ridge mountains beyond.
Properties are generally selling quickly. Average days on market for properties in a pending status, (those that are under contract), is just 17 days; more than half of those pending properties went under contract in a mere 7 days.
If you’ve got something on the market that’s not selling, or worse, not getting showings, it’s time to have a heart to heart with your agent. Ask them to reevaluate list price and then listen and act on that professional opinion.
Here are a few of the new listings in Reston. I thought I might try something different with the “just list listed” so today we’re focusing on new listings priced at less than $350,000.
- 1422 Church Hill Place, 2 BR/2 BA — $325,000
- 11400 Washington Plaza W #1101, 1 BR/2 BA — $289,000
- 11112 Beaver Trail Court, 1 BR/1 BA — $269,999
- 1650 Chimney House Road, 1 BR/1 BA — $249,000
- 2031 Royal Fern Court #22B, 2 BR/1 BA — $225,000
- 11823 Breton Court #2B, 2 BR/1 BA — $222,500
If you have questions about the current value of your home or if you’d like ideas about getting it ready to sell, feel free to call or email me.
The working professionals who pursue the Arlington-based Executive MBA at Virginia Tech get a rich education in the fundamentals of business — accounting and finance, marketing, operations, ethics, communications and leadership.
But woven around those foundation courses are “experiential modules” designed to accelerate development in four essential and current areas:
- Business analytics
- Entrepreneurship & innovation
- Leadership & governance
- Global business
Each module includes two concentration classes plus a “big experience” course that puts the learning to work immediately, says Barbara Hoopes, academic director for Virginia Tech MBA Programs.
Corporate leaders are brought in “to provide guidance and bring real-life projects to students,” adds Parviz Ghandforoush, associate dean for graduate programs in the Pamplin College of Business.
What does this look like on the ground? For the analytics module, which covers BI and data mining along with marketing analytics, Hoopes brought in four software vendors — Microsoft, Qlik, SAS and Tableau — to provide access to their products and act as coaches.
Students addressed pressing issues with U.S. infrastructure using publicly available data to analyze Congressional airport funding and its relationship to economic growth, identify causal factors for large utility outages and predict hazard classifications of dams in order to prioritize inspections.
Hoopes asserts that students really “need to understand how data can be used to support their decision-making.” That means “learning how to tell a story that convinces others” — in other words, traversing that last mile between the data scientist and the people at the very top.
Ghandforoush notes that students often arrive with an expectation that the data work they will do during their MBA is a throw-away “because they don’t need it or they have analysts at work who will do this for them.” And yet faculty hear back from former skeptics that those lessons turned out to be the most valuable in the program “because they’re actually using it at work and they’ve seen the results.”
That’s just what Virginia Tech had in mind when it undertook its redesign of the MBA for working professionals. “It’s not like students graduate and four or five years later we will hear if they have benefited from their MBA,” he concludes. “This is like a laboratory. We get to watch this as it’s happening right before our eyes.”
Meet Reese, a male Bearded Collie & Australian Shepherd mix available for adoption locally.
Here is what his friends at Safe Haven Puppy Rescue have to say about him:
This great young fella is a nice blend of friendly affection and normal puppy playfulness and will be great company.
This friendly guy is going to bring lots of joy to some lucky adopters. Precious dogs like Reese go fast, so please send your application on in pronto so you don’t miss out. He is up to date on all shots and dewormings and has been neutered.
Are you and Reese a match? If so, let us know and our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, will send you some treats and prizes.
Want your pet to be considered for the Reston Pet of the Week?
Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet. Each week’s winner receives a sample of dog or cat treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky’s Bucks.
Becky’s Pet Care, the winner of three Angie’s List Super Service Awards and the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year, provides professional dog walking and pet sitting services in Reston and Northern Virginia.
This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. For a more complete picture of home sales in your neighborhood, contact her on Reston Real Estate.
56 properties changed hands in the past 10 days and another 38 properties went under contract.
The average days on market is pretty steady at 24. More than half the properties which sold went under contract in 10 days or less, so things are moving a good clip. At the current pace, homes sales will out strip available inventory in about 1.3 months.
Every week I talk about the importance of coming on the market at a price that really drives the buyers to take action. It’s important to remember that everyone has access to the same information, buyer’s know the comparable home sales so coming on high won’t help sellers.
On the other hand, if you’re coming on the market on the low side you want to be sure your agent is taking steps to build interest in your property in order to drive your price up to the true market value.
Here are a few of the properties that sold in Reston over the past 10 days:
11114 Harbor Court
2 BR/1 BA
List Price: $524,999
Sold Price: $525,000
12001 Market Street #476
2 BR/1 BA
List Price: $320,000
Sold Price: $315,000
11416 Fairway Drive
4 BR/3 BA
List Price: $575,000
Sold Price: $ 576,258
2315 Rosedown Drive
4 BR/3.5 BA
List Price: $565,000
Sold Price: $589,000
1936-B Villaridge Drive
2 BR/1 BA
List Price: $299,900
Sold Price: $302,000
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.
While we primarily handle employment, retirement and security clearance cases, we wanted to take this opportunity to point to outdated Virginia laws that need to be changed.
This article focuses on both state and local laws in Virginia that don’t make sense or are outdated. While many of these are not enforced, it is time that they are taken off the books for good.
Here are some Virginia state laws that seem to be from a bygone era and should be repealed:
Citizens Must Honk Horns While Passing Other Cars — This law, if citizens followed it, would likely lead to accidents or road rage. I can’t recall anyone honking their horn on a highway in order to indicate they were going to pass someone, especially on the highway.
This is commonly done through the flashing of lights. Honking usually only occurs when somebody is stopped for too long in front of them or when an accident is about to occur.
Regulation of Private Life — Virginia makes it a 4th class misdemeanor to engage in sexual relations with anyone that they are not married to. The law, first enacted in 1950, remains on the books even though it has been declared unconstitutional.
There is some debate as to whether or not the legislature refuses to act based on concerns they may upset constituents concerned with morality issues. Virginia also makes it a crime for individuals to give advice to others about engaging in inappropriate acts.
Adultery as a Crime — Under the Virginia Code, committing adultery while married is a crime and a class 4 misdemeanor. Frankly, Virginia could repeal this law and focus on realistic issues facing the Commonwealth instead of keeping a law that is unenforceable in their code.
Use of Profanity in Public — Using profanity in public is still against the law in Virginia and a class 4 misdemeanor. Some lawmakers have tried to repeal the profanity portion of this statute, but have not yet been successful. Again, this law has been declared unconstitutional, but remains a statute. I wonder how many people have committed misdemeanors under this statute over the last 10 years.
Marriage Restrictions — While most of the world has rescinded these types of discriminatory laws, Virginia has not yet gotten around to amending their Code to eliminate discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation even though the U.S. Supreme Court has left standing a ruling that the ban is unconstitutional.
Harassment by Phone or Text Message — Be sure not to text or use your cellphone to use indecent or immoral language in Virginia because it is class 1 misdemeanor. The language is so broad that practically anything you text during an argument could fall under this statute.
Outdated Local Laws
There were a number of local laws in Virginia that were outdated, but many of them have been corrected. Many of them were very interesting before they were recently fixed. This is the last one I found still on the books:
Chesapeake, Virginia — It is a misdemeanor for children over the age of 12 to trick or treat. While this has not led to a rash of arrests, the law should be repealed. There is no need to punish 13-year old teenagers for trick or treating with their younger siblings.
Conclusion
If you are in need of employment, retirement or security clearance law representation, 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.
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
Last week’s “Just Sold” noted a brisk uptick in closed and pending transactions — this week fewer new properties were added to the market, meaning that new listings are not keeping pace with the sold listings.
It will be interesting to see how this impacts the market. Normally when demand for a product surpasses the supply you’d expect to see prices increase. While we are seeing escalation clauses and “over-list” offers, sellers that come on the market with their prices set high are not moving.
The average days on market for closed transactions is 24 days. If you’ve got a house on the market that’s been sitting for more than 30 days it’s probably safe to say that you’ve not found that nexus of price vs. condition that signals to the buyer — “make an offer now, this one won’t last!”
Here are a few of the new listings in Reston:
Meet Elliot, a Maine Coon & Domestic Long Hair male available for adoption locally.
Here is what his friends at Fancy Cats Rescue Team have to say about him:
Elliot is a vocal cat who is constantly asking you for attention. He loves being close to you and getting petted.
You need to make sure you watch where you step and he will sit on your feet if you are standing and doing something because he wants to make sure you know that he is there
Are you and Elliot a match?
If so, let us know and our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, will send you some treats and prizes.
Want your pet to be considered for the Reston Pet of the Week?
Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet. Each week’s winner receives a sample of dog or cat treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky’s Bucks.
Becky’s Pet Care, the winner of three Angie’s List Super Service Awards and the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year, provides professional dog walking and pet sitting services in Reston and Northern Virginia.
This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. For a more complete picture of home sales in your neighborhood, contact her on Reston Real Estate.
Developed in 1974 by Jeffery Sneider & Company, the Links Pond Cluster of townhomes in South Reston features 3-level, 4-bedroom brick and siding homes.
The 67-home neighborhood borders Reston National Golf Course, and features the pond for which the cluster is named. It’s a common sight in the summer to see people spending lazy days fishing in the pond.
One of the things I love most about this neighborhood is that it feels like a little touch of country in the heart of Reston.
This is a great community for young families. The schools — Terraset Elementary, Langston Hughes and South Lakes High School — are all close. And as the children grow, there is plenty of parking to accommodate your needs as the number of cars you have grows. Each home has one assigned parking space, with plenty of additional parking on South Lakes Drive.
With easy access to the Reston Association paths, it’s easy to get out for a run or walk. Links Pond is close to both South Lakes Village Center and Hunters Woods Village Center, home to the Reston Community Center. Residents also have easy access to the Toll Road and the Wiehle metro.
As with every cluster that is part of Reston Association, Links Pond residents have access to the RA pools and tennis courts — nearby Glade pool with its waterslide is a favorite for kids!
This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. For a more complete picture of home sales in your neighborhood, contact her on Reston Real Estate.
The past 10 days the Reston real estate market has seen an assertive increase in settled and pending transactions.
Just over 30 properties changed hands and 26 properties entered went under contract. It’s an active market, especially under $500,000 price point.
Here are a few of the recent sales in Reston:
1555 Regatta Lane
3 BR/3.5 BA
List Price: $925,000
Sold Price: $925,000
1737 Quietree Drive
2 BR/2.5 BA
List Price: $379,900
Sold Price: $392,000
11520 Links Drive
4 BR/2.5 BA
List Price: $530,000
Sold Price: $525,000
11463 Waterview Cluster
4 BR/3 BA
List Price: $549,000
Sold Price: $540,000
11660 Mediterranean Court
4 BR/2.5 BA
List Price: $597,700
Sold Price: $600,000
Click here for more information on Reston Real Estate.
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
There’s lots of activity in the Reston real estate market.
The new listings are staying even with the pending/sold listing which has our housing inventory holding fairly steady at just under 200.
Of the 35 properties that were listed for sale in the past week, 20 plus will be hosting Open Houses this weekend so if you’re in the market or, if you just like looking at houses there are a lot to see. Prices are ranging from 1.7 million in Reston Town Center to $199,900 in Northgate Square.
Here are some of the properties to hit the market this week:
Meet Ryder, a male Retriever & Dalmatian mix available for adoption locally.
Here is what his friends at Safe Haven Puppy Rescue have to say about him:
Ryder is an adorable little guy who is about 10 weeks old and weighs in at a bit under 8 pounds — we don’t think he’ll be too big when grown, maybe in the area of 40 to 45 pounds give or take. The people who brought him in said retriever and dalmatian but all we know is that he’s a mix and 100% adorable.
This great little fella is a nice blend of friendly affection and normal puppy playfulness and will be great company. He’s doing great in his foster home where his mom says “Ryder has so much expression in that little face of his. He picks up on all the sounds heard in the neighborhood, and gets so excited to meet people.”
Are you and Ryder a match? If so, let us know and our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, will send you some treats and prizes.
Want your pet to be considered for the Reston Pet of the Week?
Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet. Each week’s winner receives a sample of dog or cat treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky’s Bucks.
Becky’s Pet Care, the winner of three Angie’s List Super Service Awards and the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year, provides professional dog walking and pet sitting services in Reston and Northern Virginia.
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.
We meet with federal employees and government contractors who are facing issues in the security clearance process.
They often ask our attorneys at what point they should consult with a security clearance attorney to assist, advise or represent them. The usual response is that an individual with a potential security concern should do so as soon as possible. Generally, the earlier that a person with possible security concerns consults with a security clearance lawyer, the better the odds become in avoiding a potential adverse outcome.
What Does a Security Clearance Lawyer Do?
There are a number of ways that an experienced lawyer in security clearance law can help someone with security concerns. It is often the case that they can advise an individual regarding potential strategies before a security clearance problem develops.
We have found that most individuals have a good sense as to whether or not they may have a security concern (e.g. recent drug use, bankruptcy, foreign contacts) as they prepare to complete their security clearance forms like the e-QIP, SF-86 and/or different various of the SF-85. The earlier advice is sought when there is an issue, the more that can be possibly done to mitigate the concern.
Clearance lawyers also advise individuals during the investigative process and during any security clearance responses or appeals.
Delays Can Hurt the Ability to Mitigate Security Concerns
One of the major issues that we see in the clearance process is where an individual has waited too long to consider or in starting to address a potential security clearance concern until it may be too late.
Sometimes, individuals who have had financial issues which could have been explained or refuted initially, wait too long thinking that if they lose during the clearance hearing or personal appearance that they will just retain an attorney further on in the appeals process. This is usually the worst strategy.
When people with serious security concerns have waited too long to address them, or gone through an in person response without representation, it is usually too late to do much on further appeal. One example I remember is a case where a government contractor had an alleged debt that was overdue, didn’t respond with evidence that it was not his debt thinking that he could appeal it after the administrative judge had ruled.
The debt was clearly not his, but because the clearance appeal could only be based on the evidence already presented, the clearance could not be saved.
This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. For a more complete picture of home sales in your neighborhood, contact her on Reston Real Estate.
I’ve been writing about the fast pace of Reston real estate and about the constrained inventory.
It’s true that things are moving fast — although not all segments of the market are moving with the same intensity. More than half of Reston’s current housing inventory is condominiums. Condos also account for slightly less than 50% of the year-to-date property sales.
This segment of the market has its own dynamics.
I’m always writing about the price sensitivity of our markets — this is especially true in the condo market. Because the condo market has a larger supply you must price to drive motivation from the buyers. Presentation is also especially important in the condo market — you have more competition so you need to make your property stand out to the buyers.
Reston has a huge variety of types and prices of condos, from very low density properties like Vantage Hill to much more urban settings like Reston Town Center.
Likewise, prices cover a huge range as well; current condo listing prices go from a low of $189,900 for a garden style in South Reston to $1,750,000 for a penthouse property in Reston Town Center; clearly something for every price point.
For many buyers condominium living has a lot to offer. If you’re a person who can deal with living in closer proximity to your neighbors, then condo living might be a good option.
Many people love being able to just shut the door and go without having to worry about yard work and everything else that comes with single family living.
Meet Ginger, a Hound mix adult available for adoption locally.
Here is what her friends at Boxer Rescue and Adoption Inc have to say about her:
Ginger needs a family to give her attention, love and the time to turn her into their special girl. She has learned a lot while she’s been with us and we’d love to see her get a home that has a fenced yard.
Give her a Jolly Ball and she’ll play with it by herself. Ginger needs someone who can wear her out playing, taking walks, or just plain loving on her.
Ginger is very pretty and is a sweet girl, but needs lessons in how to behave nicely. She plays with our younger rescues, but is way too mouthy, which could cause trouble with dogs that don’t know her.
Are you and Ginger a match? If so, let us know and our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, will send you some treats and prizes.
Want your pet to be considered for the Reston Pet of the Week?
Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet. Each week’s winner receives a sample of dog or cat treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky’s Bucks.
Becky’s Pet Care, the winner of three Angie’s List Super Service Awards and the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year, provides professional dog walking and pet sitting services in Reston and Northern Virginia.
This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. For a more complete picture of home sales in your neighborhood, contact her on Reston Real Estate.
The past 10 days saw 23 Reston properties make it to a successful settlement and another 47 properties go under contract.
In that same period of time we added 57 new listings plus 6 are showing as “Coming Soon.” We’re adding a few more to the market than we’re selling but not by much; total inventory of houses for sell is still under 200.
Of those 200 houses currently on the market more than half are condominiums. The single family market in Reston is very constrained with just 29 properties currently on the market; 62 townhouses round out the balance of the housing inventory.
Prices of the properties that went under contract or sold in the past 10 days ranged from a $175,000 condo to a $1,195,000 single family home — Reston really does have something for every home buyer’s budget.
Here are some of the recent sales:
1386 Cameron Heath Drive
4 BR/3.5 BA
List Price: $1,250,000
Sold Price: $1,195,000
11315 Handlebar Road
4 BR/3.5 BA
List Price: $749,000
Sold Price: $740,000
2042 Royal Fern Court #1B
2 BR/1 BA
List Price: $230,000
Sold Price: $238,000
11233 Silentwood Lane
2 BR/1.5 BA
List Price: $374,900
Sold Price: $374,900
1629 Parkcrest Circle
2 BR/2 BA
List Price: $278,500
Sold Price: $275,000
