Like to hike/bike/run/walk? We’ve got hundreds of miles of trails for you to explore and enjoy. Like to boat and/or fish? We’ve got several marinas and miles of waterways packed with honey holes. And if you just want a nice place to take the kiddos for an afternoon of outdoor fun, the area is packed with parks where you can let the little ones run around and work off some of that excess energy.

No matter what your preferred outdoor activity, you’ll find a place nearby where you can indulge in your favorite hobbies. Not sure where to start? Click here to get started: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/metro/communities/fairfax/sports-and-recreation/

Other big attractions in the area are the many national parks and historic places. You can get in some good outdoor time and learn something, as well. Click here to find a nearby park: http://www.nps.gov/findapark

There are lots of options, so get out there and enjoy all of the great outdoor spaces that are in your new backyard.

The Veterans Administration was on track to insure 300,000 mortgages this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, versus 325,000 in 2009.  The V.A. insures 25% of the loan amount on a V.A. loan, available to those who can show 24 months of continuous active duty service and no dishonorable discharge.

Remember, active duty folks, the IRS has stated that eligible taxpayers must buy, or enter into a binding contract to buy, a principal residence on or before April 30, 2011. If a binding contract is entered into by that date, the taxpayer has until June 30, 2011, to close on the purchase.  Members of the uniformed services, members of the Foreign Service and employees of the intelligence community are eligible for this special rule. It applies to any individual (and, if married, the individual’s spouse) who serves on qualified official extended duty service outside of the United States* for at least 90 days during the period beginning after Dec. 31, 2008, and ending before May 1, 2010.  Read more about the home buyer tax credit extension for eligible military personnel stationed overseas here.

If you need assistance starting your home search in the Greater Capital Region, please contact us.

The site had its inspiration in a local Arlington County resident, and is not without its own controversy around privacy and other matters. Nonetheless, it’s a valuable tool for buyers investigating potential neighborhoods.

It doesn’t appear to have Virginia data yet (the site has a form where you can request the data from your local police department); DC and Montgomery County, MD are already online.  Another valuable tool as you narrow the search?  The local police department — just give them a call and get the rundown on crime.

One more useful  site as you are getting to know the area is the sex offender registry.  There is no requirement in our area that sellers disclose that a sex offender is nearby, so do your homework! Here is the link for the DC registry, and Virginia registry.

It depends whom you ask.  For real estate statistical purposes, the local association defines “Northern Virginia” as Alexandria City, Arlington County, Falls Church City, Fairfax City, and Fairfax County. These are also the counties covered by our local association Northern Virginia Association of Realtors (NVAR), and NVAR members have access to all the homes for sale in those jurisdictions.

But if you ask locals, many would also include Loudoun County to the West,  Prince William County to the West and South, and sometimes Stafford County to the South as well as part of our metropolitan area.  You can see a map of counties at Wikipedia here. To look at homes in these ‘outer’ counties, you need to work with a realtor who is a member of those local associations.

The Washington, DC, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) includes counties in VA, MD, and also includes the District of Columbia–a large swath!   It is further divided into two divisions:

• the Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV Metropolitan Division, comprising the majority of the metropolitan area, and
• the Bethesda–Gaithersburg–Frederick, MD Metropolitan Division, consisting of Montgomery and Frederick counties.

Counties include:

• MD: Calvert, Charles, Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George’s
• DC: District of Columbia
• VA:  Arlington, Clarke, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Warren Counties, PLUS the independent cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Manassas, and Manassas Park.
• WV: (Yes, you read that right…our MSA stretches all the way to West Virginia) Jefferson County

Obviously the MSA is too large a tract to  be looking at for your next home (and be careful drawing any conclusions from real estate statistics based on such a large area).  Commuting times here are a big issue, so it’s critical to narrow your search based on where you’ll be working.  Contact our team for help thinking through what some viable options are for you!

Read More: Wikipedia entry on “Northern Virginia”

Probably not. Let’s cover some basics to see why.

What is a short sale?

It’s a sale where the debt owed combined with the costs associated with the sale exceed the property’s market value.  In other words, the borrower (owner) is “underwater” on the house.  The creditor(s) MAY be willing to agree to allow the property to be sold for less than the loan amount.

You can recognize these listings by key phrases in the comments section such as “short sale” or “third party approval required” or “lender approval required.” They are typically priced very aggressively so they get a lot of buyers’ attention.

How long do they take and why don’t they close?

Though the stats are far better than they used to be, relatively few short sales close – about 1 in 8. The reasons are varied: they are tremendously complicated transactions, they require demonstration of true financial hardship (not simply being underwater), they required reams of paperwork, they take a long time causing frustrated buyers to walk away, and all the while the seller is playing ‘beat the clock’ against the foreclosure department. There are even some who say that banks make more money in a foreclosure than a short sale so the incentives for the bank to cooperate are not there. Of course, you have to look at each case individually, and there ARE some ways that you can optimize the odds of (though not guarantee) a short sale closing.

So in summary, it is notoriously difficult to close a short sale, and the timing is impossible to predict. You can read more here. If you’re on a timeline for a move, then short sales, in most instances, are not going to be a viable option for you. If you do decide to pursue a short sale, make sure you have contingency housing plans in place.

If you’re PCSing to the DC area and starting your home search, call us to talk about timing and the current state of the market. We’d love to help you find your next home!

Dan & Beth were truly a pleasure to work with, and it was my honor to help them find their home just in time for Dan’s recent deployment.  Here’s what they had to say (I find their individual differences in style hilarious, so had to share them both here):

Katie doesn’t just help you buy a house in the dc area.  She takes
the time to teach you about how to find what you are looking for and  is there with you throughout the entire process.  She is trustworthy  and intelligent and offers resources and information we didn’t find  elsewhere.  We feel very fortunate to have had the chance to work  with her and recommend her whole heartedly!  – Beth

Katie is a  straight shooter who knows her stuff.  – Dan

Thanks, Dan & Beth, for the kind words!

If you are PCSing to the Washington, DC, or Northern Virginia area, I’d love to help you find a home, too.

• Falls Church City AND Falls Church in Fairfax County
• Alexandria City AND Alexandria in Fairfax County
• Fairfax City AND Fairfax County

It’s critical to know which area you’re talking about — services and schools are provided by the jurisdiction and can vary widely! Falls Church City, for example, has its own school district.  But you could have a mailing address of Falls Church and instead be part of Fairfax County, and part of their school district.  Even within the “Falls Church” portion of Fairfax County, the high school district might be Marshall, McLean, Stuart, or something else!  (And to make it even more confusing for out-of-towners, the East Falls Church metro stop is actually in Arlington County!)

Similarly, there is a portion of Fairfax County that has a mailing address of “Alexandria” which is a different jurisdiction from the “Alexandria” that is actually Alexandria City.  And again, with “Fairfax” in Fairfax County vs “Fairfax City” (at least they use “city” to help us out on that one.)

With all this confusion, it’s no wonder that many agents in their real estate listings don’t enter the school pyramids in the listings.  Even if they do, it’s best to check the address using the individual jurisdictions’ school boundary locators on their websites (see right hand side bar).

When looking through our Multiple Listing Service (MLS) for a home, you can tell the jurisdiction by the MLS code, which is a two letter code followed by 7 digits.

AR = Arlington County

AX = Alexandria City

FA = Falls Church City

FC = Fairfax City

FX = Fairfax County

So read carefully!  And when someone asks whether you’re interested in “Falls Church” or “Fairfax” or “Alexandria,” ask them “Which one?!”

For help with your real estate search in Northern Virginia, please contact us!

- Rental Resources

- Purchase Resources

- Schools and Other Local Information

- Traffic & Commuting

and more.  Please bear with us as we add resources, and don’t hesitate to contact us if you are relocating and need information.   You can also visit our main web site at: www.wethmangroup.com and our other blog at http://blog.wethmangroup.com