This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
One of the things I always talk about is how much Reston has to offer everyone — adults and children alike.
I was thinking about this as I chatted with my friend Susan, who grew up here in the 1970s and lives here today. She said many of her favorite childhood activities are still things she loves to do, such as walking down to Lake Anne, swimming in the pools and boating on the lakes.
Susan offered to talk to some of her friends who grew up here to share their favorite activities. I hope this list inspires you to get out and enjoy all that Reston has to offer.
Susan has wonderful summer memories of walking down to the Lake Anne Pharmacy, splashing in the fountain, and dangling her feet off the pier. If she wasn’t doing that, she was exploring the Reston Association paths or lounging at one of the swimming pools. It seemed like summer in Reston lasted forever.
Rick Morgan remembers summer days fishing off the pier at Lake Anne, eating peanut butter sandwiches and buying Coke from Larry at the pharmacy.
“My father would drop me and my brother at Lake Anne on his way to work, and pick us up on his way home,” said Morgan. “If you remember two red-head boys hanging out at Lake Anne all summer in the late 70s, that was us.” (Susan remembers seeing them in the summer.) Read More
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. In fact, the summer fun that makes Reston a great place to grow up hasn’t changed much over the last 40 years, according to people who grew up in Reston … and decided to stay.
For example, Restonian Lisa Kelly says her absolute favorite activity as a child was movie night at the RA pools. Now her children share the same love of that weekly summer ritual.
“We love it because it is a family friendly event that is free and fun! It’s a unique way to watch a movie outside, and we look forward to it each year,” said Kelly.
There are plenty more opportunities to get in on movies at the pool.
Family Dive In Movies
Reston Association hosts the Family Dive-In movies. Always free, always fun.
RA provides the popcorn and drinks, but you need to bring your favorite float.
Movie titles are advertised at the event location, but does it really matter what the movie is? Movie nights are canceled in the event of rain.
Contact [email protected] or call 703-435-6577 for more information or weather-related cancellations.
Time:
8:30 p.m. – until the movie is over
Dates/Locations:
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
Here’s a look at what homes changed hands in Reston in the last week. Thinking of putting yours on the market? Contact me and I can give you a detailed analysis of prices in your neighborhood.
- 2012 Colts Necks Road, 1 BR, 1 BA Condo. Sold price: $189,900
- 10722 Midsummer Drive, 4 BR, 2.5 BA SFH. Sold price: $625,000
- 1559 Bennington Woods Court, 3 BR, 3.5 BA TH. Sold price: $430,000
- 12000 Market Street #327, 2 BR, 2 BA Condo. Sold price: $399,900
- 11990 Market Street, #1203, 2 BR, 2 BA Condo. Sold price: $810,000
- 11906 St. Johnsbury Court, 2 BR, 2.5 BA TH. Sold price: $400,000
- 1330 Garden Wall Court, 2 BR, 1 BA Condo. Sold price: $225,000
- 12000 Market Street #159, 3 BR, 2 BA Condo. Sold price: $533,000
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
Reston is seeing lots of closings in June as a result of the spring market. Here’s a look at some of the homes that sold in the last two weeks:
- 12000 Market Street, 3 BR, 2 BA Condo. Sold price: $533,000
- 2190 Golf Course Drive, 3 BR, 3.5 BA TH. Sold price: $445,000
- 11104 Wedge Drive, 4 BR, 3.5 SFH. Sold price: $742,000
- 11447 Washington Plaza W, 3 BR, 2.5 BA TH. Sold price: $670,000
- 1544 Poplar Grove Drive, 3 BR, 2 BA TH. Sold price: $379,000
- 11735 Dry River Court, 4 BR, 3.5 B TH. Sold price: $455,000
- 11526 Pine Cone Court, 3 BR, 2.5 BA TH. Sold price: $465,000
- 1577 North Village Drive, 3 BR, 2.5 BA SFH. Sold price: $825,000
- 11191 Longwood Grove Drive, 5 BR, 4.5 BA SFH. Sold price: $980,000
- 2022 Lakebreeze Way, 4 BR, 3.5 BA TH. Sold price: $620,000
- 2004 Chadds Ford, 4 BR, 3.5 BA TH. Sold price: $647,000
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
When I think of summer sports, two come to mind: tennis and golf. In Reston, we have two golf courses and 58 tennis courts.
On these nice spring days, getting outside to play golf or tennis just feels like the right thing to do. If you’re new to Reston, here is the lowdown on local golf and tennis:
Reston Golf Courses
Legendary golf architect Ed Ault built both of Reston’s beautiful courses: Hidden Creek Country Club and Reston National Golf Course.
The Hidden Creek Country Club course is a classic, playable design renowned for its meticulously landscaped tees and greens where beautiful plants and flowers adorn each hole. This PGA-quality course is a favorite for serious golfers. Click here for club membership information.
Located in South Reston, Reston National Golf Course is Reston’s public golf course. This secluded course is full of shaded fairways that provide a Read More
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
Yes, you can have it all. The privacy of a single-family home, the convenience of a townhome community, and easy access to shopping, schools, and recreation. That place is Arbor Glen in North Reston.
The Arbor Glen community of 44 townhomes was built between 1986 and 1988.
Privacy was top priority when Miller & Smith designed these spacious three- and four-bedroom homes.
The townhouses are arranged in groups of four to six in a “Z” row, which means that each house feels more private — you never look in to a neighbor’s house, and the row design minimizes noise from the adjoining homes. Read More
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. It does not reflect the opinion of Reston Now.
Although I live on Lake Anne, I am more than willing to admit that the two lakes in South Reston are beautiful.
Lake Audubon and Lake Thoreau dominate the landscape of South Lakes. On spring and summer days, you will see people canoeing or lounging on their lake barges. You’ll also see plenty of people enjoying the Reston Association pathways that circle the lakes.
If you want to live on a lake in South Reston, here are some neighborhoods to consider.
Cedar Cove Cluster
All of the 66 townhomes in Cedar Cove Cluster have lack access and about 20 percent of the homes are direct lakefront property.
These lovely cedar-sided, three-story homes have three or four bedrooms, as well as one-car garages. The cluster was built between 1980 and 1989 and is located off South Lakes Drive.
This family-friendly neighborhood on Lake Audubon boasts a large playground for the children and is close to schools.
Walking through Cedar Cove Cluster on a beautiful day with a gentle breeze rustling the many trees, you feel a bit like you’re at a resort. This neighborhood is the ideal in lakeside living. If you see one of these homes come on the market, jump on it!
Lakewinds
Lakewinds Cluster is situated on shore of Lake Thoreau. The charming townhomes are located with in walking distance of South Lakes Village Center, and are a short drive to the Dulles Toll Road and Reston Metro Station. Read More
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
It’s been a busy spring market in Reston. We have a lot of houses — there are 330 active listings.
That’s more inventory than we’ve had in quite a while. Things are active; there are 189 pending contracts and 136 properties sold in the past 30 days. That leaves us with a 2.4 -months supply of homes. Days on market is still slightly long, with the average Reston home on the market for 42 days.
Here are a few of the recent sales.
11990 Market St #2101. 2BR, 3BA. List Price: $1,600,000. Sold Price: $1,600,000.
11603 VANTAGE HILL RD #C. 3BR, 2BA. List Price: $195,000. Sold Price: $211,000.
1926 UPPER LAKE DR. 4BR, 3BA. List Price: $1,300,000. Sold Price: $1,150,000.
2313 FREETOWN CT #2B. 2BR, 1BA. List Price: $155,000. Sold Price: $155,000. Seller Subsidy: $5,000.
12128 CHANCERY STATION. 3BR, 3.5BA. List Price: $724,500. Sold Price: $710,000. Seller Subsidy: $6,000.
1629 PARKCREST CIR #101. 1BR, 1BA. List Price” $189,900. Sold Price: $186,500. Seller Subsidy: $5,400.
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
You’re almost there — it’s closing day on your new home.
As exciting as that is, you aren’t done yet. You will need to do one last, very important step in the final walkthrough.
While it’s a great opportunity to visualize where to hang your favorite paintings, there is more to it than that. This is your last chance to make sure there are no deal-breaking problems. Whether it’s as simple as realizing screens are missing from the windows or as serious as major water damage in the basement, this is the last chance you have to have the previous owners fix it. And in my years as an agent, I have seen it all; and in rare instances, the deal has fallen through as a result.
Six Tips for a Productive Final Walkthrough
1. Make sure they items that convey are there. If you think the washing machine or the stained glass window are yours, make sure they’re still there during the walkthrough. Your purchase agreement should list everything that conveys, so there shouldn’t be any surprises. But double check it. I’ve seen sellers remove something because they forgot it conveyed.
2. Conversely, if something is supposed to be gone, make sure it’s gone! Assume that anything you see around is still going to be there when you move in. If you don’t want it, make sure the sellers take it away. I’ve seen people try to leave broken furniture and all sorts of things.
3. Make sure the seller has completed any repairs. The purchase agreement should list what items the seller is supposed to repair. Ask for receipts if the repair isn’t something you would necessarily notice on the walkthrough.
4. Make sure there is no new damage. This can be as simple as a scratch in floor from moving furniture out to a broken pipe (yep, I’ve seen that on walk through). You’ll want to discuss costs of repairs for these things at the closing and negotiate the repair costs.
5. Make sure everything works! Chances are, when you first saw your dream house, you were so excited you didn’t methodically walk room to room and test every light switch, close every door, latch every window, and turn on every appliance. It’s not too late. Things break between home inspections and closings, and it’s not fun to discover that after you’ve purchased the house. Make sure you have copies of warranties and owner’s manuals for appliances.
6. Fixing What’s Broken. Keep a list of everything you’ve found on the final walkthrough. Your agent will help you negotiate getting these items fixed/replaced/corrected with the seller.
Once your walk through is complete and there are no deal breakers, do a happy dance to celebrate your new home!
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
The busy spring market is fully underway. Here’s a look at some of the homes that sold in the last two weeks in Reston:
12001 Talesin Place, #34. 1 BR, 1 BA Condo. Sold price: $214,900
11027 Saffold Way. 4 BR, 3.5 BA TH. Sold price: $360,000
11477 Washington Plaza W. 4 BR, 2.5 BA TH. Sold price: $574,000
1830 Fountain Drive, #1505. 3 BR, 3.5 BA Condo. Sold price: $1,525,000
11102 Lakespray Way. 3 BR, 3.5 BA TH. Sold price: $587,500
10819 Cross School Road. 4 BR, 2.5 BA SFH. Sold price: $635,000
2621 Steeplechase Drive, 5 BR, 3 BA SFH. Sold price: $610,000
11991 Sentinel Point Court. 3 BR, 2.5 BA TH. Sold price: $450,000
11515 Wild Hawthorn Court. 4 BR, 3.5 BA TH. Sold price: $525,000
1519 North Point Court. 3 BR, 2 BA Condo. Sold price: $338,000
11421 Hollow Timber Court. 3 BR, 3 BA TH. Sold price: $610,000
To see more homes for sale, visit my website.
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. It does not reflect the opinion of Reston Now.
We love our lakes in Reston, and we love the being near all of the amenities Reston has to offer.
The Lake Newport area of North Reston delivers both — whether you want a Contemporary or Colonial single family home, a spacious patio home, or even a condo.
Whatever style of home you want, your neighborhood focal point is Lake Newport, a 12-acre man-made lake built in 1981. On any beautiful day, you’ll find residents canoeing and fishing in the lake or using the walking path that loops the lake and takes you on a tour of the neighborhood.
The Lake Newport neighborhood is fairly large. It is divided into several smaller sub-neighborhoods. Townhomes and patio homes can be found at Hemingway, while large, luxurious single-family homes are located in the Newport, Greenwich Point, Belcastle, Newport Shores, and Newport Cove neighborhoods.
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. It does not reflect the opinion of Reston Now.
From high rise Midtown at Reston Town Center to garden-style communities like Parc Reston to townhomes like Ivy Oak, many of Reston’s amazing neighborhoods are condo associations. And that means condo fees — often in addition to the Reston Association fees.
One of the most common questions I get when showing condos is where the fees are actually used. This is a great question because when you know how the fees are used, you can decide if you believe the monthly condo fee fits into your budget and needs.
Condo fees fund two categories: operating expense and reserve funds. The operating expenses are the monthly costs required for trash removal, grounds maintenance, and snow removal, administration and condo management.
The reserve funds represent the anticipated cost of replacing and repairing common elements of the property like roofs, sidewalks, and elevators. All of these costs are estimated and used as the basis for the monthly condo fee.
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
Spring is in the air — finally. True, the weather may decide to turn again. But that won’t keep Restonians inside. It is time to get out and take advantage of all the fun activities happening around town. Here is a run down of what is on the immediate horizon in our neighborhood.
Want to get out and experience live music? You can every week — Thursdays at Tavern 64 and Friday’s at M&S Grill. On May 7, bring your dog out to the Pet Fiesta. It’s your chance to meet some great adoptable dogs, find fun dog-themed things you must have or just hang out with fun people.
The Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival is May 21 and 22. This is one of my favorite events every year. There are more than 200 artists from across the nation who come out to share their work. They are all amazing (this is a juried festival, so they have to be good).
In addition to art, you can enjoy two days of live performances, acclaimed children’s activities, and more. $5 donation encouraged. Get tickets for the Friday night Festival Launch Party.
Finally, Reston Concerts on the Town start June 4 and go through the summer on Saturday nights at 8:00 p.m.
Are you ready for the premier farmer’s market in Northern Virginia? What about the Reston Arts Market? They both begin on May 7. Come on down every Saturday through November. And starting on May 19, you rent a paddleboat to explore Lake Anne.
There is always a lot to do at Lake Fairfax Park, but I really had to mention Pirate Fest on April 16. I mean, it’s a PIRATE FESTIVAL. How fun is that? Pirate Fest is Saturday, April 16 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This festival celebrates Virginia’s seafaring past. Join with Pyrates Royale singing traditional sea chanteys, tavern tunes and pirate ditties. Experience the life of a sailor first hand with our many fun activity stations. Wear your most dashing pirate clothes and enter our costume contest. Learn about global trade in the 18th century, and discover the luxury goods from international ports that compelled pirates to sail the seven seas.
This is just a small taste of what will be happening around town in April and May. Have fun!
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
I’ve lived in Reston for years, and I’m still surprised sometimes when I come across a charming townhome community that is new to me.
Pinecrest Cluster is one of those places. It’s a little off the beaten track, which is perfect for anyone who wants to access to the bustle of Reston without being in the middle of it.
The best part of this community for young families is how affordable it is –these homes offer so much at some of the lowest prices in Reston, ranging from the mid-$200,000s to $300,000s.
Located off Glade Drive, near Dogwood in South Reston, Pinecrest Cluster is a diverse community of 220 townhouses. Built in 1973, these wood-sided homes have two or three bedrooms, and most are three levels.
Most of the units have been remodeled, and feature large windows and an open, airy feel. And each unit has access to two assigned parking spaces (which is not always the case with home built in the 1970s).
Great news for young families: the cluster recently installed a new, state-of-the-art tot lot — which is sure to become THE gathering place for families in the nice weather. Dogwood Pool is also nearby.
Like most communities in Reston, the common areas are well maintained, and wooded areas make you feel like you live in the forest.
Pinecrest Cluster is just off Reston Parkway, a few short miles from Reston Town Center, Hunters Woods Village Center, and the Dulles Toll Road.
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
This is the time of year when Realtors are running as fast as they can to keep up with client demands.
The Reston Real Estate market has been very active. 57 new listings were added to Reston’s housing inventory over the past 10 days. We have 199 properties that are pending settlement and 245 properties in an Active status. The housing inventory is holding steady at just under three months’ worth of houses. Average “Days on Market” for the property sold last month was 62 days.
Here are a few of the new listings.
2261 HUNTERS RUN DR #2261. 1 BR, 1 BA. List Price $215,000
11800 SUNSET HILLS RD #503. 1BR, 1 BA. List Price $309,500
1702 QUIETREE DR. 2BR, 2 BA. List Price $329,000
12024 WALNUT BRANCH RD. 6BR, 4.5 BA. List Price $979,900
11931 TRIPLE CROWN RD. 4BR, 3.5 BA. List Price $810,000
Visit Reston Real Estate for more listings and real estate information.
