When most people think of a Fort Belvoir address they immediately think of the U.S. Army Post. However Inlet Cove shares the Fort Belvoir postal address with its close neighbor. Inlet Cove is one of newer zero lot line neighborhoods that were built in Northern Virginia between 2002-2005.

With its close proximity to Fort Belvoir you shouldn't be surprised to learn that a large percentage of the owners are current or former military. With the main gate to Fort Belvoir, DeWitt hospital, the PX and Commissary just a stones throw away, it is easy to understand why military families gravitate to either one of the large townhouses or detached homes that dot the winding streets in the neighborhood. The neighborhood is small with only 255 homes but it does have a tot lot and swimming pool.

With the shops of Lorton Market, the restaurants at Lorton Station and the Lorton VRE just a few miles south of the neighborhood finding what you need, if you don't shop on post is easy. Recreation opportunities abound in the area with the Accotink Wildlife Refugee and Mason Neck State Park. Interested in history? Then just across the street is Pohick Church founded in 1732 and Mount Vernon is just a few miles away.

If a PCS move Fort Belvoir is in your future give me a call. Whether you are renting or buying I'll be glad to answer your questions and give you a tour. I've been in your shoes many times and understand the complexities of a military move. You can also check out my Fort Belvoir Relocation Guide for more information on the area.

Over the last few years many military families making the move to Fort Belvoir, the Pentagon or any of the installations within the Military District of Washington made the decision to purchase a home when their orders arrived.  With quick appreciation and fast sales it made the choice easy.  Now with prices lower and the market slow trying to make the choice between buying and renting is harder.

VA loans make buying a home in Northern Virginia with no money down a snap.  With lower prices military members can buy more house today than they could before.  With sellers often making a contribution to the closing costs up to the allowable VA limits it gets even easier to keep your money in your savings.  But is it the right choice?

If this tour is your first to our area and you know that you are coming back in the next five years, buying and using your home as a rental after you leave could be a viable option.   Understanding the costs associated with owning a rental property including maintenance, management fees and  tax implications are a big consideration.  If you know your current tour is less than three years, you have to weigh the risks of  breaking even or even a loss when you go to sell.  There are tax benefits to owning your own home but do they outweigh the concerns you may have when you go to sell?



Finding a rental can take as much time as finding a home to buy.  The more flexible you are in what you are looking for will be helpful.  If you focus on only one type of home or only one school district then you will need to understand that your choices may be limited.  If you own a pet or two the available homes shrinks even further.  None of this is insurmountable it just means that you need to be realistic.

Before you decide which is the right choice for you, talk to your financial advisor and a mortgage professional to understand how buying or renting will impact you.  Then find an agent who is willing to work with you no matter which decision you make.  Just as with buying a home if you decide to rent work with an agent who knows the local neighborhoods, transportation options and school districts. 

If PCS orders to Fort Belvoir, the Pentagon or any of the installations in the Military District of Washington is in your future give the Cindy Jones team a call at 703-346-2213.  We will assist you in your local home search whether you want to buy or rent during your tour to our area.

New construction still continues at the Potomac Club one of the communities growing along the Route 1 corridor in Prince William County.   Located on located on 200 the neighborhood features townhomes style condominiums built by three recognized area builders, Pulte, Ryan and M/I homes. 

The crown jewel of the neighborhood is the incredible $12 million dollar club house which sits at the entrance to the community.  Featuring both indoor and outdoor pools, a rock wall, billiards room and casual lounge the clubhouse was designed as a place for residents to gather and relax.   The club also is a WiFi hot spot and business center giving residents who need to work from home the convenience of quiet spot to hold a meeting or get some work done just outside their own front door.

With the opening of the new Wegmans grocery store within walking distance of the community and the planned additional shopping at the Shops at Stonewall, Potomac Club has been well planned to meet the needs of a variety of buyers. Potomac Hospital part of the INOVA Hospital System is just across the street.   Potomac Mills Mall, Ikea and Costco are all within 5 minutes from the neighborhood.

Multiple commuting options are available within a short distance from the community.  Quantico is within 20 minutes to the south (reverse commute), Fort Belvoir is within 20 miles, commuter bus service to the Pentagon or the Springfield Metro is available nearby and the VRE is within a few miles.

If you are interested in learning more about the options available at the Potomac Club give the Cindy Jones team a call at 703-346-2213.   We can help decide whether new construction or resale is the best choice for you in Potomac Club.  No hassle, no pressure just straight talk about buying a home in today's real estate market.

This guide is geared towards "new" Lorton. Lorton neighborhoods have been around a long time. In fact the Lorton area has plenty of history that goes all the way back to our early famous neighbors, George Washington and George Mason. There are older neighborhoods which are just as popular today as they were when they were built in the 50's, 60's and 70's. Over the last 10 years a "new" Lorton has emerged which has brought a renewal to southern Fairfax County.

Most of the "new" Lorton growth came about when the Lorton Prison Complex was ordered closed in 1998. With just over 3200 acres the prison complex gave Fairfax County developers an opportunity to create an entire new vision for the land and its usage. With a Virginia Rail Express Station already in place in Lorton (1994) the area was poised for growth.

On the west side of I-95 multiple neighborhoods were carved out of the prison grounds, along with parks, schools, golf course and arts center. The largest of the neighborhoods, Laurel Hill has 700 homes built by Pulte or Centex Homes. In addition to Laurel Hill, other neighborhoods that have grown out of the redevelopment of the old prison land include Laurel Crest, Laurel Highlands and the over 55 community of Spring Hill.

To the east of I-95 a new town center Lorton Station has grown up around the VRE station. Currently featuring multiple restaurants and a pharmacy more stores are slated to open next year. Just down the road Lorton Market offers a large Shoppers Food Warehouse, UPS store, emergency medical center and banking. All of shopping options make it easy for homeowners to stay in the neighborhood for just about everything they need.

In 2006 the new South County Secondary School opened and the Laurel Hill Elementary School will be open in fall 2009. The Laurel Hill Golf Course an 18 hole championship course operated by the Fairfax County Park opened in 2007 and with a 9000 square foot club house it has become a terrific place for Lorton residents to gather. Bike paths and walking trials connect different sections of the community and also connect with the Fairfax County Cross County Trail

The jewel of the redevelopment is the Lorton Workhouse Arts Center. Officially opened in September 2008 the site has retained the old brick Lorton Prison buildings and revamped them into a blend of artist's studios, classroom and performing arts center. Proposed new stores and restaurants will round out the neighborhood making once was depressing area the newest "it" place in Northern Virginia.

With it's convenience to Fort Belvoir, easy access to I-95, community VRE station and community amenities it is easy to see why the "new" Lorton has become a re-development success in Fairfax County. If you are interested in learning more about relocating to the Lorton area give me a call. We can meet up for coffee in Lorton Station and talk about about whether this is the right time for you to make a move. No hassle, no pressure, just straight talk about the home buying process property in today's market.

A Tour of Lorton Homes and Amenities

If you are a first time homebuyer then the answer could be YES.  Thanks to the latest round of initiatives by the government some first time homebuyers have a nice tax credit headed their way.

First let's not forget that there are some qualifications.  The biggest one is that you must qualify for a loan.  If you haven't already talked to a mortgage professional let me know and I'll give you the names of great local lenders to call.  Next let's review some of the details of new tax credit.

1. 1.  Tax credit is good for home purchases between January 1 & December 31, 2009
2. 2.  Income limits are $75,000 for single filers and $150,000 for married filers.
3. 3.  Credit is equal to 10% of the value of the home up to $8,000
4. 4.  If you file separate returns you can qualify for $4000 each
5. 5.  Available on your primary home, not an investment property
6. 6.  You can use the credit to reduce your income tax liability or qualify for a tax refund.  Always consult a tax professional to determine what is best for your tax situation.
7. 7.  First Time Home Buyer is defined as buyer's who have not owned a principal residence for the past three years.
8. 8.  If you own the home you purchase and it remains your principle residence for 3 years you will not have to repay the tax credit.

With home prices in our area lower than they have been in years, with low interest rates and many sellers willing to provide closing cost assistance this new tax credit can provide you an additional boost to the benefits you already receive from being a home owner.

If you are ready to explore the option of buying your first home then give the Cindy Jones team a call at 703-346-2213.  No hassle, no pressure just a chance to talk about your options in today's market and whether the new tax credit might be the last piece of the puzzle to get you into a new home.

The first question you might ask is why would a Realtor® blog about base housing?   Don't you want to sell me a house?  It would be nice if everyone who moved to Fort Belvoir would buy a home but in reality many families make the decision to live on base for a variety of reasons.

Our family had to make the same decision both in the US and overseas.  We lived both on and off base depending on available housing and our location.  Our 700 square foot house in Okinawa with neighbors who owned a water buffalo was an experience you don't have everyday and one I won't ever forget.  

Anyone headed to Fort Belvoir will discover a wide variety of housing options.   Recent construction has replaced many of the older duplexes with new townhouses and detached homes.   Add in the town center and you might have a hard time distinguishing the neighborhoods on post with some outside the gates of the post.   Obviously the Villages at Fort Belvoir housing office is the official place for you to learn about which neighborhood and type of house you may be eligible for should you decide to look at post housing.

Driving around both the north and south post you will find  housing divided into 12 villages with homes ranging from the historic older brick homes in the Gerber and Belvoir Villages to the brand new "green" homes in Fairfax Village.  Fairfax Village is the site of a LEED-Platinum certified neighborhood center.  Platinum LEED-Certification is the highest award and the neighborhood also features a native species butterfly garden.

With the close by Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge for families to enjoy, a Fairfax County elementary school on post and multiple recreation centers, living on post has certainly improved.  If you decide that off post housing is a better fit for you please give me a call at 703-346-2213.  I'd be glad to help you look at neighborhoods that will meet your needs.

Fort Belvoir has a lot to offer military families on post.  However we all know that you can't find everything you want at the PX or the Commissary so knowing where to shop for other essentials and special treats is important.  It isn't hard in Northern Virginia to find what you need. Whether you are looking for a bag of chips, a paint brush to put your own touch on your new home, clothes to deal with our ever changing weather or a whole house full of furniture because you are ready for something new, there are number of places to shop all convenient to the main gate.

One of the hardest things to get used to when you move to a new area is the differences in the grocery stores.  In Northern Virginia you can find all types and sizes of grocery stores.  For more "upscale" grocery shopping you will find Harris Teeter and Wegmans, smaller "speciality" stores, like Trader Joe's or Whole Foods or our regular chain stores of Giant, Safeway or Bloom.   If you are looking for alchohol outside of beer and wine then you need to go the  then you need to head to a Virginia ABC store (usually located close by to one of the mega chain stores) to pick up the stronger stuff.

 

 

Northern Virginia offers a variety of malls for you to choose from. The closest mall to Fort Belvoir is the Springfield Mall with large stores such as Macy's, JC Penney and Target as its anchor stores. A variety of smaller stores fill in the in the GAP in the middle. Just across the street from the mall you will find two smaller shopping centers which feature Old Navy, Linen's and Things, DSW (shoes) and for those who would like to include an intellectual pursuit to their shopping trip Borders and Barnes and Noble book stores are there as well.

If you are looking for a few new items for your home you might want to take a jaunt just a few miles down the Springfield Parkway to Kingstowne. There you can look for bargains at Home Goods or World Imports.   If you need an entire house full of furniture then head to Haverity's or Ikea at Potomac Mills Mall.

 

So don't worry when you move to Fort Belvoir you will find plenty of places to buy what you need. If one of the things you need when you get here is a new home give me a call at 703-346-2213.  I'll be glad to show you not only lots of great neighborhoods to call home but point out the local shopping and dining spots as well.

Target Photo from j.reed through Flickr Creative Commons License

For years commuters and residents of Northern Virginia have referred to the mess of merging roadways in Springfield as the "mixing bowl."  It is easy to see why it got that name.  With 50 ramps and 20 lanes, merging of three major interstate highways, I-95, I-495 and I-395 it has gotten a reputation of being both a bottleneck and a confusing interchange.

As the huge Springfield Interchange project came to an end and Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) turned its attention to "hot lanes" and other projects the 8 years of road construction in Springfield began to fade from commuters minds.  However in doing some research on other road projects recently I discovered that the real "mixing bowl" in our area is not and has never been according to VDOT the Springfield Interchange.

In fact the "mixing bowl" is actually the intersection of roads in Arlington leading to and around the Pentagon.  That's right the Pentagon.  The first intersection was completed in 1944 were part of what "natives" know as Shirley Highway.  The interchange has been rebuilt a couple of times and according to VDOT this interchange has 52 lanes, four highway junctions, reversible HOV lanes and numerous local road intersections all within a 2.5 mile section of the road. 

Pentagon Mixing Bowl Photo

Springfield Interchange Photo

Most commuters in the area know that if you make it past the Springfield Interchange with no problems that the next point you are most likely to be stuck in rush hour traffic is around the Pentagon.  If you didn't know why before perhaps this little "history" lesson of Northern Virginia roadways will help you understand why.  The next time you hear one of the local traffic announcers say there is a traffic jam at the Springfield Mixing Bowl you will know they haven't read my blog!

Wow that is a pretty big reputation to live up to.  Most of us who have lived and worked through the up and down markets in our area know real estate in the DC and Northern Virginia areas has always recovered faster than other parts of the county.  Now Forbes magazine has recognized the opportunities in our area as well.

The news over the last few months has also been positive regarding new jobs coming to our area including Hilton Hotels moving its headquarters from Beverly Hills CA to Fairfax County, VA.   In addition the Base Realignment and Closures (BRAC) movement is underway with 19,000 jobs shifting to the Fort Belvoir and Alexandria areas. 

Parts of our market have shown a significant upturn in sales volume in the last few months.  Prices are at or below 2004 levels in some neighborhoods and with lower interest rate loans available it has made more buyers seriously take a look at getting into a new home.  With the tax benefits of homeownership and rising rents it makes buying a home in our area a proposition worth considering in 2009.

If you are thinking of exploring the option of buying a home in Northern Virginia this year give me a call.  Let's prove Forbes Magazine is right and put you in a new home in the top real estate area in the world!  Give the Cindy Jones team a call at 703-346-2213 to talk about a new home.  No hassle, no pressure just straight talk about buying a new home in 2009.

The smell of pies baking is not coming from my house. That is the good news for my friends and family The even better news is that we only have to go a few miles away from our home in Belmont Bay to the historic town of Occoquan to find Mom's Apple Pie Company and General Store.

All of the pies at Mom's are made fresh with local ingredients. You can actually find someone peeling apples in the kitchen and you have your choice of the traditional two crust apple pie or the brown sugar crumb topping. Even though the store is called Mom's Apple Pie you will of course find a few other popular choices as well. Depending on the season you can find blackberry, raspberry and rhubarb fruit pies available. In the fall the pies change to the classics you would expect for Thanksgiving and Christmas with pumpkin, mincemeat and pecan.

Of course with any good bakery the pies aren't the only thing you can find when you walk in the door. If you time your visit right you can grab one of the great spinach and feta cheese croissants which are a great to share for dinner and there are always the cookies. Looking at the stack of coconut macaroons is enough to put you instantly into sugar overload.

Mom's Apple Pie Shop just isn't about the sweets. During the summer you can also pick up fresh veggies straight from the farm. In Occoquan, Mom's also has a General Store that carries a wide selection of wines, organic groceries and bait. Yes that is fish bait. Occoquan does sit on a river and you will see the locals out on their boats casting a line for dinner.

The next time you are headed to Occoquan take a few minutes to enjoy the sights and smells of Mom's Apple Pie Store. Your waistline might not be glad you did but your stomach will be very happy!