This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
As a real estate agent and a lover of mom-and-pop businesses, I love it when I see young entrepreneurs making creative decisions to help them realize their dreams.
That is one of two reasons why I love The Boutique Bakeshop. You just have to look at the pictures of some of their cakes and desserts to know the other reason I love them.
Yes, they are not based in Reston but are very close by at 336 Elden St. in Herndon. You have to head that way if you’re going to Trader Joe’s or Mom’s Organic Market anyway, so you might as well stop in for a treat.
Aside from the amazing sweets, why do I think they are creative? Because the Boutique Bakeshop is a baker’s collective comprised of five very small businesses: Stephanie the Baker, Sweets by e, Sugar Pig Wholesale Sweets, The Itty-Bitty cake company, and Beau Monde Bakers.
Commercial real estate is very expensive, and none of these small businesses would be able to afford the rent alone — that’s a lot of cupcakes and pastries! But together, they can share a commercial kitchen, practice their art, be inspired by their peers, and showcase their talents through the public bakeshop. It’s a quadruple win. Read more about the inspiration for this collective here.
The small retail bakery in the storefront is a stroke of genius — it lets people try out the bakers’ treats before buying a whole cake (or whatever else is on the menu). They’ve got a comfy couch, a few tables, and good coffee. What more could you want? But don’t trust me. Go visit them today!
Photo courtesy of The Boutique Bakeshop website.
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
Reston is full of hidden gems — it’s like a real life treasure hunt here! And The Wharf is one of them.
What makes The Wharf so unique? This community of townhomes surrounds a pair of ponds at the top of a hill AND the community overlooks Lake Audubon. Yes, this is a water lover’s paradise.
Reston architect Michael Oxman conceived of The Wharf in 1977.
“When I decided to become a townhouse developer for my own design, I looked first at some lakefront property,” he told a architectural magazine at the time. “Trouble is, only 20 percent of the townhouses on those sites are actually on the water. Those sell quickly, then there is often a long period trying to sell the off-water homes.”
This is not a problem in The Wharf.
The Cluster was finally built between 1981 and 1986, and is located on Timberhead Court off Glade Drive on Lake Audubon. The 55 cedar-sided, multi-level three- to-five-bedroom townhouses were designed and built to look like a New England fishing village. Most of the homes have garages.
What really makes The Wharf special, though, is the ponds. These delicately balanced living ecosystems are not runoff ponds like other Reston lakes. They are more similar to mountaintop lakes since they are not contaminated from fertilizer and waste running off with rainwater.
Two freshwater wells provide water to the ponds. You will find blue-gill sunfish and large mouth bass in a ratio of ten sunfish to one bass. The sunfish eat mosquito larvae, and the bass keep the sunfish population under control.
In a place renowned for access to nature, The Wharf stands out. This is a neighborhood for people who love water and want to be close to it.
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
Did you know that fireworks retailers sold $369.4 million fireworks in 2012 and fireworks wholesalers sold $508.1 million? Yes, we Americans LOVE our July 4th fireworks shows. And no place is this more evident than the Washington, DC metro area.
As you plan your Independence Day celebrations, think about which fireworks show you want to watch. You can stay local in Reston, head into the city or out to the country. You have many choices!
The fireworks on the National Mall are perhaps some of the most spectacular, and you can get wonderful views of them from various spots around the city. Venture down to the National Mall or hang out at the Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima) in Arlington, near the Rosslyn Metro station. Or stop at the roadside areas areas on the GW Parkwawy along the Virginia side of the Potomac River.
Of course, you don’t need to go into DC to see great fireworks. We’ve got our own right here in Reston at Lake Fairfax Park (1400 Lake Fairfax Dr.). Fireworks begin around 9:15 p.m. Admission is free.
Here is a list of other Independence Day fireworks near Reston:
Herndon: Bready Park, Herndon Community Center, 814 Ferndale Ave. Face painting, balloon sculpturing, bingo and crafts begin at 6:30 p.m. Music at 7 p.m. Fireworks at 9:30 p.m.
Fairfax: Fairfax City, Independence Day Parade through the downtown area beginning at 10 a.m. Musical entertainment begins at 7 p.m. at Fairfax High School with a spectacular fireworks display at dark.
Falls Church: George Mason High School, 7124 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church. Live music will start at 7 p.m. followed by fireworks at 9:20 p.m.
Leesburg: Ida Lee Park, Rt. 15 (King Street) and Ida Lee Drive, Leesburg, Virginia. Gates open at 6 p.m. Fireworks around 9:30 p.m.
McLean: Langley High School, 6520 Georgetown Pike, McLean. Grounds open at 8 p.m., fireworks at 9:15 p.m. Free admission and parking. Shuttle buses will be available from St. John’s Lutheran Church (on Douglass St. and Georgetown Pike) and the McLean Community Center.
Vienna: Vienna Community Center, 120 Cherry Street SE. Arts and crafts, food, live music, vendors, and games. Celebrations start at 11 a.m. Fireworks at 9:15 p.m. at Southside Park on Ross Dr.
Have a great July 4th!
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
It’s been a strange few weeks in Reston Real Estate. Moving into summer the market seemed to throw on the breaks — calls to other agent confirmed that it wasn’t just my listings that were not being shown. I don’t know if it was the crush of end of school year activities or what but it felt like the air had come out of the balloon!
The numbers tell a slightly different story: June saw 104 houses sold with an average days on market of 31. We have 370 active listings, which gives us 3.5 months’ worth of housing inventory.
We have 131 Pending transactions, whose average days on market is 41. So the market is moving slower, but it is moving. Sellers should anticipate a longer time to get their property under contract but things are still selling. Generally, activity has been picking back up. Hopefully that trend will continue as we move through the summer.
Here are a few of the houses in Reston that recently sold:
1617 INLET CT. 4BR, 2.5 BA. List Price: $695,000. Sold Price: $675,000.
1451 ALDENHAM LN. 5BR, 3.5 BA. List Price: $599,000. Sold Price: $601,014.
11599 NEWPORT COVE LN. 3BR, 2 BA. List Price: $695,000. Sold Price: $695,000.
1363 HERITAGE OAK WAY. 3BR, 2 FB, 2 HB. List Price: $514,900. Sold Price: $514,900. Seller Subsidy: $6,500.
12228 QUORN LN. 4BR, 3 BA. List Price: $697,000. Sold Price: $697,000.
2221 WAKEROBIN LN. 4BR 3.5 BA. List Price: $639,800. Sold Price: $639,800. Seller Subsidy: $1,500.
For more real estate information, visit our website or Facebook page.
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
I love dining out, especially in the summer when I can sit outside to enjoy a great meal and some wonderful people watching.
I also love trying new restaurants, so I was pretty happy when three new places opened this spring in Reston Town Center. All are great, and I’m looking forward to many wonderful evenings on the patios (or inside when it starts getting colder). Next time you’re in Reston Town Center, try one of them.
Barcelona is known for Spanish food and a long wine list– featuring, of course, lots of Spanish wine. The food is simple and filled with the flavors of olive oil, lemon, smoky paprika.
The restaurant is designed to recreate the feel and the look of an evening on the Ramblas in Barcelona. The result is sophisticated décor that evokes the world’s hippest cities such as Milan and Rio de Janeiro.
For the wine lovers, they have a comprehensive list of wines by the glass from around the world, with an emphasis on the lesser-known regions of Spain and Portugal.
Bartaco is for those who want an upscale TexMex menu. Can you say duck tacos? How about cauliflower tacos? And, of course, you can get all of the wonderful side dishes that make TexMex so popular — chips and guacamole, plantains, rice and beans.
Bartaco is like the best food truck you can imagine placed into a hip restaurant. It’s a great place to meet friends for a drink and a bite.
Neyla is the newest addition to Reston Town Center. Although I was sad to see Paolo’s go, I am excited about having a new Mediterranean bistro in town. This is a place where “old world leisure combines with new world convenience.” The menu is filled with garden fresh vegetables, select cheeses, meats and fish prepared with an Eastern Mediterranean influence. Their dishes feature coriander, cinnamon, basil, thyme, and coffee with cardamom… yum.
Are you hungry yet? I am. Maybe I’ll see you at Reston Town Center.
Photo: Barcelona at Reston Town Center
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
You don’t need to move to Greece to have your own beautiful Mediterranean home. You simply need to visit Mediterranean Villa in Reston.
Developed in 1970, the Mediterranean Villa homes feature pink stucco exteriors with tiled roofs, two-car garages, and about 1,900 to 2,500 square feet of living space. It’s a small and tight-knit community of 37 homes sited on a quiet cul-de-sac.
Yes, these patio homes are nestled among oaks and pines rather than the coast, but they are as bright and airy as you will find anywhere in the Mediterranean.
Mediterranean Villa is in an ideal location. Just off North Shore Drive, both Reston Town Center and Lake Anne are an easy walk. In fact, the Reston Association paths in this area are among community favorites and you are guaranteed to run into friends as you walk.
The neighborhood is also close to the Wiehle-Reston East Metro, Dulles Toll Road and Dulles International Airport.
The kids can walk to Lake Anne Elementary, which is just two blocks away. And the entire family can enjoy the Reston pools and tennis courts, also within walking distance.
Mediterranean Villa has it all.
For more real estate information, including home listings, visit Reston Real Estate.
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
What a difference a few weeks can make. After years of constrained housing inventory we’ve suddenly got close to 400 properties on the market in Reston.
At the rate that houses are selling that’s still only 3.3-month’s supply but it does translate into a lot more options for the buyers.
But is it a buyer’s market? A buyer’s market is one in which supply exceeds demand, giving the buyers the advantage over the sellers in price negotiations. A Seller’s market occurs when the opposite condition exists — demand exceeds supply and sellers have an advantage over the buyers in price negotiations.
While there is a lot more property on the market than we’ve previously had a 3.3 month’s supply is still considered a “seller’s market” although we’re not seeing the appreciation that is typically associated with a seller’s market — prices have been flat, especially above the $500,000 end of market.
Does that mean you can throw a sign in your yard and expect the offers to roll in? Not by a long shot.
Buyer’s are demanding and they’re informed. They recognize the when a seller has reached the correct intersection of price and condition.
Current Conditions in Reston: 331 properties for sale; 126 pending home sales; and 118 properties sold in the last 30 days. The average days on market is 31.
Here are a few of the houses that sold in the past week in Reston.
2414 ALBOT RD. 3 BR, 2.5 BA. List Price: $399,990. Sold Price: $395,000. Seller Subsidy: $4,500.
2228 WHEELWRIGHT CT. 3 BR, 2.5 BAA. List Price: $400,000. Sold Price: $412,800. Seller Subsidy: $5,000.
1550 CHATHAM COLONY CT. 3 BR, 3.5 BA. List Price: $439,000. Sold Price: $439,000. Seller Subsidy: $5,250.
1629 BENTANA WAY. 3 BR, 3.5 BA. List Price: $410,900. Sold Price: $430,000. Seller Subsidy: $0.
1629 BENTANA WAY. 2 BR, 3 BA. List Price: $455,000. Sold Price: $445,000. Seller Subsidy: $5,700.
11609 BROMLEY VILLAGE LN. 3 BR 2.5 BA. List Price: $559,900. Sold Price: $555,000. Seller Subsidy: $2,500.
For more information, visit Reston Real Estate.
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
Summer is almost here, and it’s hard not to spend my days daydreaming about the adventures I could be having.
While Reston has so much to offer — pools, tennis courts, walking paths, parks and more — sometimes you just want to get in the car and take off. Fortunately, Reston is perfectly located so you can do any number of fun day trips. Here are three of my favorites.
The Beach and Shark Teeth
Did you know you could be at the beach within an hour? Yes, we are that close … at least to the beaches of the Chesapeake Bay. (If you want to drive three hours, the entire Eastern Shore is waiting for you). Chesapeake Beach, Maryland is about a one-hour drive, and it is well worth it.
From charming restaurants to sandy beaches, it’s the perfect summer day trip. It’s fun to hunt for shark’s teeth, an activity that keeps kids young and old occupied for hours. The best spot is along Calvert Cliffs, and you will see people sifting through the sand at all hours of the day.
Hiking in the Catoctin Mountains
Most people know of the Shenandoah Valley, and it is certainly beautiful. But some of my favorite close hiking is in the Catoctin Mountains in Maryland. The expansive vistas are stunning. Although you can get to hiking in trails within an hour of leaving Reston, you can stay overnight if you want — many people enjoy camping out in the Adirondack Shelters. Many of the hiking trails take you near Camp David, so it’s always fun to try to glimpse the President (no, you won’t get a glimpse, but it’s fun to try).
Ladew Topiary Gardens
There are actually many lovely gardens within a three-hour drive of Reston. One of my favorite (aside from Meadowlark Gardens in Vienna) is the Ladew Topiary Gardens in Monkton, Maryland, which is about an hour and a half to the north of Reston.
It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the grounds are stunning with more than 100 topiaries filling the landscape, including a pack of dogs traipsing through the grounds (I think they may be on the hunt, but I’m not sure).
If you can swing a vacation this summer and want to have some local fun, give these day trips a try. Or, for more ideas, visit Northern Virginia Magazine’s list of 52 day trips.
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
Spring is here, and that means people are buying and selling homes in Reston.
Whether you’ve lived here for years or are relocating to our community, it’s always helpful to know the neighborhoods. The sense of place is an important characteristic of Reston. While all the neighborhoods are great, they each have their own feel — a feel that will come through as you wander around the neighborhood and get to know the area.
Reston Association developed an interactive map of Reston, which is a great starting guide to orienting yourself to where each Reston neighborhood is located. Click the link above to visit the site.
Reston has 134 cluster associations (townhome and patio home-style neighborhoods), 30 condominium associations and 4,800 single-family homes. There are also 17 apartment buildings in Reston, comprised of over 3,800 units. There are six primary areas, five of which are built around each of the original village centers.
- Lake Anne: The first village center. Most of the homes were built in the sixties. Here you’ll find Waterview Cluster, Hickory Cluster, and Hook Road. And, of course, Lake Anne!
- Tall Oaks and the Uplands: This area is known for its fantastic natural areas, in part because much of the Tall Oaks area abuts Lake Fairfax Park. Tall Oaks is right off Wiehle Avenue, so easily accessible to the Metro. Uplands is close to Route 7.
- Hunters Woods: The first village center in South Reston, and home to the primary Reston Community Center facility. There are many single-family homes in this section of Reston. It is close to the Walker Nature Education Center.
- South Lakes: The second village center in South Reston, South Lakes is close to both Lake Thoreau and Lake Audubon. It’s also close to South Lakes High School, and students love wandering down to the village center after school.
- North Point: This is the newest Reston area. It was built in the 1980s. There is a great mix of single family, patio, and town homes in this area. It also has Lake Newport pool, the only 50-meter pool in Reston.
- Reston Town Center: Often viewed as the hub, there are many luxury condos in the Town Center area. Town Center itself has wonderful restaurants, shops, and access to all of Reston’s walking paths. It provides urban living in the heart of Reston.
The weather is glorious, so take advantage of it. Download the Reston map and explore Reston’s neighborhoods.
Map of Reston/Courtesy RA
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
There has been a lot of churn in the Reston real estate market.
We have 368 active listings , 120 properties with contracts pending and 95 properties that successfully went to settlement in the past 30 days. The influx in new listings has pushed the housing inventory to almost four-month’s’ supply. Still not enough to create a buyer’s market but not a good time to “test the market” with an over priced property.
Here are a few of the houses that sold this past week.
11990 MARKET ST #813. 2BR 2BA. List Price:$799,989. Sold Price: $800,000.
10929 HARPERS SQUARE CT. 2BR, 2BA. List Price: $425,000. Sold Price: $420,000. Seller Subsidy $7,000.
1851 STRATFORD PARK PL #209. 2BR, 2BA. List Price: $345,000. Sold Price: $341,500. Seller Subsidy: $4,000.
11707 NORTH SHORE DR. 3BR, 2FB, 2HB. List Price: $487,500. Sold Price: $485,000.
1536 TWISTED OAK DR. 3BR 1.5BA. List Price: $249,900. Sold Price: $350,000. Seller Subsidy: $7,000.
Here are a few of the new Reston listings:
11308 BRIGHT POND LN 5BR 4.5 Baths List Price $899,500
11819 RIDERS LN 4BR 4.5 Baths List Price $799,900
1561 TRAILS EDGE LN 5BR 3.5 Baths List Price $750,000
11500 FAIRWAY DR #402 1BR 1 Bath List Price $319,500
1601 INLET CT 4BR 2 Full 2 Half Baths List Price $600,000
Visit Reston Real Estate for more information.
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
Reston is known for it’s custom designed homes. From its inception in the 1960s, the most talented architects were drawn to the area and put their signature on many of the neighborhoods.
One of the things I love most about Owl’s Cove Lane in South Reston is how each one of these contemporary homes is unique. What they all have in common are designs that are as relevant today as the day they were built.
Among the architects that made this neighborhood special are P.D Gravett and Peter Gulick, Cumberland Custom Builders, Roy Mason Associates, Rob Wellington Quigley, Oxman Stewart Associates and more. Each house is truly special.
The diversity of the homes adds to the charm. And you cannot beat the location. Residents have easy access to Lake Audubon, and it’s just three blocks from South Lake High School, Langston Hughes Middle School and Terraset Elementary.
You can enjoy the walking paths along the lake, and take easy strolls over to South Lakes Shopping center (and Starbucks, Cafesano, and soon, Red’s Table). The neighborhood is also convenient to the Reston Metro, Dulles Toll Road and every amenity Reston has to offer.
If you are looking for a unique, contemporary, single-family home, Owl’s Cove is worth a visit.
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
In Reston, 55 houses came on the market this past week. That brings our our total housing inventory to 348 active listings.
There is a lot of activity, with 37 properties going from active to pending. While it’s a lot of houses on the market, they are moving off at a good pace with 103 sold in the past 30 days.
At that rate, the current inventory would be completely absorbed in a little less than 3.5 months. The average days on market is 38.
Here are a few of the new listings.
11650 Mediterranean Court. 5BR, 4.5BA. List Price: $589,000
11301 Woodbrook Lane. 5BR, 4.5BA. List Price: $949,500
10823 Cross School Road. 5BR, 3.5BA. List Price: $719,000
1523 Park Glen Court. 3BR, 2.5BA. List Price: $429,900
11403 Hollow Timber Way. 3BR, 3.5BA. List Price: $644,500
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
Spring is here, and that means it’s time for the free (or nearly free) festivals you can find every weekend in Northern Virginia. Three of the best places to get a fine arts fix happen to be in Reston, and happen to be coming up very soon. Perhaps I’ll see you at one or all of them.
Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival
Saturday, May 16, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, May 17, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The 24th annual Greater Reston Arts Center Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival at Reston Town Center is a nationally top-ranked fine art and craft festival, and one of my absolute favorite spring activities. It typically draws 30,000+ patrons to support GRACE — the area’s largest non-profit dedicated exclusively to enhancing community life through excellence in and the promotion of the visual arts.
The festival features over 200 skilled artisans, all of whom are juried into the show. You’ll find both traditional and unconventional materials and techniques used in the hand-crafted, original works of art. All of the artists are there, and it’s fun to talk to them about their art. The art is diverse, both in style and price. See the list of participating artists for 2015!
The Reston Market
Saturdays May through November at Lake Anne Plaza
Reston’s indie arts market runs every week from the first Saturday in May through the first Saturday in November, 8:00 a.m. to about 1:00 p.m. (sometimes the artisans stay a little longer if they’re having fun).
It’s not just one of my favorites because I run it. It’s my favorite because of the talented regional artisans who choose this venue to show their art — hand-crafted jewelry, linens, garden sculpture and more. The beauty is that the vendors can change week to week, so there is always something to discover here. And, of course, you can enjoy live music and shop at the Reston’s Farmers Market. Lake Anne Plaza is the place to be on Saturday mornings in the summer!
Second Annual Lake Anne Chalk on the Water Festival
Saturday and Sunday June 13 and 14, 11:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.
So maybe this isn’t technically fine art, but it is great fun. And everyone can participate! Your inner artist can come out and paint Lake Anne Plaza red (or green, blue, yellow…) as we turn the Lake Anne Plaza into a chalk art museum. There are three categories and cash and prizes are awarded in each category. This event is fun for the whole family. Register online.
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
I think Golf Course Island Cluster is one of Reston’s gems.
From the outside, these contemporary, cedar sided homes look small. But walk inside and it’s like one of those magic tents in Harry Potter–the space just expands. This may be one of the reason’s the community won an architectural design award when they were built in the late 1960s.
There is a lot going on in Golf Course Island Cluster right now. Over the last five years, the original owners have been moving out and young families and young professionals are moving in. As this happens, people are renovating the homes — mostly updating the kitchens. With 188 units, homes come up for sale often; some are fixer-uppers, others have been freshly renovated. Whatever you are looking for, you will find it here.
The Golf Course Island townhomes come in various sizes. Most are three bedrooms, although there are a couple with two bedrooms and a few with four bedrooms and lofts.
The hallmark of all are a well-designed space that flows, large closets, and privacy. Yes, privacy in a town house. The cluster is designed so that every home feels private and secluded–you won’t hear your neighbors through the walls.
Much of the cluster backs Hidden Creek Country Club’s golf course, and the main living areas open to the common areas and green space.
The common spaces are beautifully maintained. For the children, there is a new playground with wonderful slides in block 12 (there are 12 blocks in the cluster). The children love it. On most nice afternoons, you will see the neighborhood families sitting on the bench while the children run around the quad in delight. For those with dogs, there are many paths through the neighborhood, and plenty of squirrels to chase.
Each townhome is assigned one carport space, and there is ample open parking for every unit to have a second car. For visitors, there is parking on Links Drive and North Shore Drive.
Golf Course Island is about one mile from the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station, Reston Town Center, and Lake Anne Plaza. There is easy access to the Reston Association pools and other recreation areas.
Prices are ranging here depending on the condition of the home, but for the most part are in the mid $400,000. Check out this beautiful and friendly cluster.
This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
The past seven days, we saw 31 Reston properties go from Active to Pending and 13 properties go from Pending to Sold.
The Reston real estate market is bolstered by a strong job market and general desirability. There’s still a lot of “softness” in the broader regional housing markets.
It’s important to remember that from the buyer or seller’s perspective the real estate market can only be viewed through a local lens, sometimes even hyperlocal. In any case, the Reston market continues to be strong.
Here are a few of the houses that sold this past week.
1645 Bennington Hollow Lane. 3BR, 3.5BA. List Price: $614,500. Sold Price: $614,500. Seller Subsidy: $0.
1577 Church Hill Place #1577. 2BR, 2BA. List Price: $315,000. Sold Price: $315,000. Seller Subsidy: $0.
2316 Hunters Run Drive #2316. 2BR, 2 BA. List Price: $259,900. Sold Price: $245,000. Seller Subsidy: $1,300.
1984 Solaridge Court. 3BR, 2.5BA. List Price: $679,000. Sold Price: $660,000. Seller Subsidy: $3,000.
11990 Market Street #914. 2BR, 2BA. List Price: $638,500. Sold Price: $633,000. Seller Subsidy: $0.
1848 Golf View Court. 3BR, 2FB, 2 HB. List Price: $499,000. Sold Price: $500,000. Seller Subsidy: $8,000.
