If you live in Fairfax County Virginia you don't have to listen to those words every mom hates to hear during the summer; "I'm bored."   Instead you can enroll you children in one of the summer camp programs offered by the Fairfax County Park Authority.  Whether your children are into water sports, tennis, nature or computers the Fairfax County Park Authority will have program for them to enjoy.

If you are moving to Fairfax County and are looking for a new home give me a call at 703-346-2213 to talk about your housing needs. As a native of the area I can help you look at the wide variety of Fairfax County neighborhoods and help you find the one that is right for you.

It's that time of year again.  The sights, sounds and smells of local farmers markets opening after a cold winter bring smiles to residents all over the DC Metro and Northern Virginia area.

This morning I was in DC early and the smell from the spring flowers is still filling my head.  Support your local farmers and businesses.  Head to your area farmers markets and enjoy all the fresh flowers, vegies and baked goods.

List of Virginia Farmers Markets

Photos taken with Droid

If you love airplanes and everything related to high flying performances of old and new aircraft then leave early and stay late at the Joint Services Air Show at Andrews AFB this weekend.

Be prepared for dramatic areobatics with demonstrations by the Air Force Thunderbirds and Navy Blue Angels.

Watch the Army's Golden Kinights parachute team demonstrate their skills.

Tour military jets, cargo planes, helicopters and more on the tarmac.

Talk with military pilots and flight crews about their experiences.


Free shuttles to the event are provided from FedEx field and the Branch Ave Metro Station.  Gates open at 8 AM.

To view all of the events taking place go to the Joint Services Air Show website

Photo by:Tech. Sgt. Michael R. Holzworth

If you are looking for a quiet place to spend a few minutes or a few hours on the Occoquan River then this "secret" spot might be the place to go.

Located in the Occoquan Regional Park just minutes from Lorton, historic Occoquan or Belmont Bay the park offers history, quiet spots to relax, sports fields and a boat launch.

Hope you enjoyed a few minutes of peace and quiet today.

A sure sign of spring in Northern Virginia is the steady stream of PCS orders military families are receiving to head to their new duty station.

This year’s PCS orders bring a different level of stress than in former times.  Families who purchased a home when they arrived 4 or 5 years ago now are faced with a home that has lost value.  Deciding whether to sell or rent their home becomes a difficult decision.

For military families who purchased (or contracted to buy) their home prior to July 1, 2006 the Department of Defense Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP) is one solution that can help.  Designed to help offset the costs and loss associated with selling your Northern Virginia home in a down market the program is working well to help ease the pain of selling.

The program does have requirements and guidelines to follow including filling out the application available on the USACE website, a ratified contract and a loss of value of at least 10%.  In our area there has been no problem in meeting the loss in value criteria.  Homes MUST be sold for fair market value, no accepting low ball offers and due to a limitation of funding the deadline for PCS orders is now September 2010.

The best news would be if Congress authorized additional funding to change the dates associated with the HAP program.  However in the meantime any military member with PCS orders leaving the Northern Virginia area and selling their home needs to start the process.  With the huge influx of applications the real estate specialists in Savannah (supporting the Northern Virginia Region) are slammed with files.

If you are considering selling your home and using the DoD HAP program give me a call at 703-346-2213 to set up a time to talk through your situation.   I’ve successfully helped settled seven transactions in 2010 and have more in process.  I understand the processing guidelines and have the latest updates from the Savannah office.    Let’s see if the HAP program can help you sell your Northern Virginia home.

If you are looking for the perfect place to spend Cinco de Mayo this year then stop by the newest Uncle Juilo’s in Northern Virginia.

The newest Uncle Julio's in our area just opened in the Stonebridge Shopping Plaza just off of Nebesaco Road and across the street from Wegmans grocery store.  Uncle Julio’s started in 1986 in Dallas Texas and has traveled across the US.  They are famous for the “The Swirl” a combination of a margarita swirled with home made sangria.  Make sure you have a designated driver!

The addition of Uncle Julio’s to Stonebridge Plaza is just another step in the comprehensive plan to create new Centers of Commerce and Centers of Community within Prince William County.    As you drive through eastern Prince William County you can see more evidence of the plans moving forward including the new pedestrian bridge at the Woodbridge VRE station and the removal of old buildings at the intersection of Route 123 and Route 1.

Uncle Julio’s is a welcome addition to the community and shows continued confidence by developers and investors in the future of Woodbridge and eastern Prince William County VA.

Photo Credit M.V.Jantzen

The Virginia Rail Express (VRE) is introducing express train service starting in July 2010.

Luckily riders who use the Woodbridge Station will be able to take advantage of this new service. Originally the express train was going to bypass the Woodbridge station located at the entrance to Belmont Bay but after deliberation and political wrangling the station was included in the plans.

Anyone who has been driving along Route 1 has watched the new “Kiss and Ride” and pedestrian overpass being built over the last few months. The grading and paving for the pull off is now being completed and the dedication of the new walkway is set for early May.

The express train will depart Fredericksburg at 5:05AM and make stops at Fredericksburg, Leeland Road, Brooke, Woodbridge, Alexandria, Crystal City, L’Enfant and Union Station. The final schedule has not been published yet but service will start on July 19, 2010.

The new Woodbridge VRE pedestrian overpass is just one of the many changes coming to the North Woodbridge VA area over the next few months.

It was lucky number seven.  Another military family with PCS orders out of the Northern Virginia area using the Department of Defense Homeowners Assistance Benefits (HAP) closed yesterday afternoon.

Perhaps I should clarify the Lucky Number Seven.  That is the number of DoD HAP closings I’ve had the good fortunate to settle in 2010.  There obviously are thousands of military families throughout the country who are qualified for and using the benefits to help them sell.

The question most often asked by both buyers and sellers is “how long will the process take?” In this case the contract was ratified on March 4th and settlement occurred on April 28th.  Less than 60 days from start to finish.  The amount of time may vary based on PCS orders and a few other factors but it is not a  6 month process as some think.

Thanks to the DoD HAP program another family has moved to their new duty station without the worry of becoming reluctant landlords or dealing with the stress of a short sale.  The seller’s are already settled in their new location in Hawaii and the buyer will be moving in soon.

If you are a military family in Northern Virginia and qualify for the DoD HAP benefits give me a call at 703-346-2213.  Let’s talk about the process and see if I can help get you on your way to your new duty station.

For those of you who like to get from Point A to Point B faster than your feet can take you then you might be ready to get your bike out of storage and pedal your way around Northern Virginia. Though not as bike friendly for commuters as other cities, the recreational rider can cover a lot of territory with a variety of trials and places to stop along the way

Back in the mid 90's my son and I cycled 300 miles through the Loire Valley in France for 6 days and you can get a bit spoiled by pedaling for a few hours taking in a Chateau or two and ending your evening at French café. You won't get Chateau's in Northern Virginia but you can get national monuments, wonderful parks and a water views. If you plan it right you can also get a nice evening in a Bed and Breakfast at the end of one of the trails as well.

For those of you who just want to take a short ride you might want to head over to Burke Lake Park just off of Route 123 in Burke VA and ride around the 4.7 mile dirt path.

If you are a bit more ambitious and want to enjoy a view of the Potomac River and National Monuments in DC then consider heading to the Mount Vernon Trail which runs 18 miles (one way) from Mount Vernon to Teddy Roosevelt Island just across the River from DC.

Once you have explored Teddy Roosevelt Island you might want to use this as the starting point for your next ride. When you are ready you can head out on the W&OD trail that runs run north to Whites Ferry in Loudoun County. This 75 mile (one way) trip is all on paved paths that make up both the longest and skinniest park in Virginia. Maintained by the Northern Virginia Park Authority the trail runs along the old rail tracks from the Washington and Old Dominion train system which was created in 1859. Once you get to the end of the trail you might want to spend the night at the Norris House voted the best B&B in Loudoun County.

Finally for those with true grit and gel seats there is the 184 mile Chesapeake and Ohio Canal path that starts in Washington DC and ends in Cumberland Maryland. The towpath is rough made primarily of crushed stone and this is not a trail to tackle if you aren't in shape. You can take shorter trips along the trail if you just want to enjoy some of the local sites and I recommend that if your are just out for the day that you stop by and take a look at Glen Echo Park.

So park your car and enjoy a ride around Northern Virginia. You can be as ambitious as you want to be and if you want to pretend you are in France then chill a bottle of nice bottle of Champagne before you go.

Enjoy Earth Day!

Recently I’ve found myself answering a number of calls from around the country about the Department of Defense Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP).  The issue?  Rumors that it will take 6 months to close a deal, that HAP has to ratify the buyers contract, that active duty military families buying a HAP listing get extra incentives and so many more.

Now the real experts on the DoD HAP program are the real estate specialists in the 4 regional offices throughout the country.  However after working with a number of military families in the Northern Virginia area list and sell their homes I’ve gotten a solid education on the process and an appreciation for the hard work that the staff at the regional offices are doing to process thousands of files.

So here are the answers I’ve learned in working with the program to help dispel some of the rumors and innuendos:

In the beginning before the program was fully approved and funded it did take 6 months to close a deal.  Today with funding, staff and processes in place my deals have been closing in a 60-75 day range.  This may vary depending on where your home is located and the date of your PCS orders but for my deals it seems to be a solid estimate.

NO-HAP does not ratify the contract.  The seller ratifies the contract. HAP processes the application and benefits.  There are eligibility requirements for the program that a seller must meet and the home must be sold at Fair Market Value.  The seller’s lender is not required to approve the sale as the loan is paid in full at settlement.  All within 30 days of them first contacting me about the program.

NO-there are no special incentives for another active duty family to buy a home being sold with HAP benefits. 

NO- military families do not pay tax on the amount of the benefits they receive.  This was removed as an amendment at the end of 2009.

NO-HAP sales are not short sales.  If a family sold their home as a short sale prior to the program implementation they can apply to HAP for retroactive benefits.  Consult your HAP region to discuss the process.

I’m sure other agents across the country may also have answered a number of these questions and more.  If so please add your information to the list.  Please no more rumors and innuendos.  The HAP program is working and more military families need to know that it exists and not have their sales derailed by incorrect information.

Recently a Prince William County family that had their home under contract as a short sale for 6 months contacting me about the program.  They were frustrated and visible upset by trying to get their short sale approved.  After talking over their situation they learned they were eligbile for HAP benefits,  a buyer  expressed interest in the home and the sellers ratified the contract.  We learned this week, 30 days after submitting the application, that the property will settle in May. 

If you are a military family living in Northern Virginia and qualify for DoD HAP benefits give me a call at 703-346-2213.  Let me show you how I’ve helped multiple families in area get their homes SOLD with the assistance of HAP benefits.



Note:  The Department of Defense HAP program is administered by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.   The program was expanded as part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to include PCS families, wounded warriors and surviving spouses.