Military families stationed at Fort Belvoir, the Pentagon, Quantico and other Military District of Washington linstallations who purchased a home prior to July 1, 2006 may find that Homeowner Assistance Program (HAP) may offer some relief if you have upcoming PCS orders to move.

Originally designed to help homeowners who were affected by BRAC, the program has been enhanced to help military families who have been affected by lower home values.






The HAP program is aimed towards helping:

Active Duty Military Personnel with PCS orders who can't sell their home
Wounded soldiers who must relocate due to medical conditions (wounded after 9/1/2001)
Surviving Spouses (death of military member after 9/1/2001)

According to the Homeowners Assistance Program information the Department of Defense (Dod) will reimburse the covered groups up to 95% of their loss if their homes was purchased prior to July 1 2006.  The final Department of Defense guidelines will be available by May 15, 2009 for personnel who qualify for the program.

Download information on how to apply for the HAP program.

For more information on military relocation stop by www.MilitaryRelocationNews.com or contact Cindy Jones at 703-346-2213 to discuss your upcoming relocation to Fort Belvoir, Quantico, Pentagon or Military District of Washington installations,

If you are just moving to West Springfield (VA) from another part of the country the term "slug line" make you go YUCK.  However for anyone who has lived in the area for awhile the term "slug line" means a great way to get from a West Springfield neighborhood to the Pentagon or other major DC employment areas.

One of the questions that anyone relocated to the area asks is about public transportation options.  Once newcomers understand the value of a slug line...it is FREE then they wonder if they can find a home within a mile of a slug line. 

The good news is that the local MLS does give us the option to do a map search based on homes within a radius and it is easy to provide a list of available homes within a specified area.  For example this map shows a one mile radius around four specific slug lines close to popular West Springfield neighborhoods.

1. Cardinal Forest Shopping Center/Shell Station
 South side of Old Keene Mill Road

2. Daventry 
  Hunter Village Drive and Old Keene Mill Road

2. Sydenstricker Commuter Lot
  Sydensticker and Fairfax County Parkway
Bus and Slug Line

4. Rolling Valley Commuter Lot
   Next to Rolling Valley Shopping Center
9300 Old Keene Mill Road
Bus and Slug Line

 

 

If you are considering a move to West Springfield and need help look for a home close to a "slug line" or any other form of public transportation give the Cindy Jones team a call at 703-346-2213.  Let our experience put you on the road to home ownership and maybe even find you a free ride to your office.

There are a number of ways to make your home stand out in today's market.  One of them is to make it noticeable to everyone that drives by.  Honestly every time I pass this home it makes me smile.  I have no idea what the neighbors think but since it is on a street lined with eclectic homes I'm sure they don't even notice.

If you are thinking of putting your home on the market in the near future you may want to forego the bright pink paint and consider instead some more traditional methods of getting your home ready to sell. 

 

 

How many times have your heard the words Curb Appeal?

The value of curb appeal is to get the buyers out of their car and up to your door.  If your are selling this spring or summer then you need to make sure the yard is green and mowed, the bushes trimmed and colorful plants are on hand.   If you have a busy schedule then sometimes the cost of a quick clean up by a landscape crew pays for itself through a faster sale  Make sure your door has a fresh coat of paint (if needed) and if your old mailbox has seen better days replace it.

What Will Buyers Find When they Open the Door?

Alright you have done a good job and gotten the buyers out of their car and inside the door.  Now what?  The first to deal with is pets.  If you have them you need to make sure that all evidence of them is out of sight.  If you have dogs make sure that they are contained in an area that you can keep clean and smelling fresh.  With cats it can be harder to contain them but make sure you scoop the box every day.

Remove as many of the personal photos as you can, take half the books off the bookshelf, organize the kitchen cabinets and if you have a garage make sure you include it on the clean up list.   Let buyers visualize their own belongings in the house.  When you leave for the day turn on lights, even in the day time, makes your house appear more inviting, cheerful, and even spacious.

Costly Repairs are not always required!

A quick coat of paint and other relatively affordable cosmetic upgrades might take years off a home's appearance. A light neutral paint color has the broadest appeal and may also make rooms look larger. Will undertaking significant repairs prior to putting your home on the market generate the best return or will selling your home "As Is" at a lower price point be the best choice? I can help you with that decision.

If you are ready to put your home in Northern Virginia on the market give the Cindy Jones team a call at 703-346-2213.  Let us help you make the right decisions on what you may need to do to get your home SOLD in today's real estate market.

As someone who has moved all around the world with the military the first few days after the PCS orders arrive the questions about housing, schools and shopping can lead to sleepless nights and the big question “where are we going to live?”

If the orders in your hand mean you are heading to the Pentagon then let me welcome you to the neighborhood! Most military personal headed to the base often choose to live in Northern Virginia close to public transportation and the famous "slug" lines. Whether you are going to buy or rent there are plenty of neighborhood options for you to choose from. The first thing you need to do is check the 2009 BAH rates for the Pentagon. Pentagon rates fall in the Washington District (DC053) and you can use zip code 22152 as an example.

If you are thinking of buying a home, the current Northern Virginia market provides you the chance to find a good value on a home. Many military personal are dusting off their VA Certificate of Eligibility and checking with local lenders about the options available to use their VA loans. Knowing what monthly payment you are comfortable with is important for looking at homes in neighborhoods that meet your price criteria.

Once you have determined your price range you have the option to start your search on-line to get an idea of the type of homes that are within your price range. There are a number of neighborhoods in Northern Virginia that have always been popular with military families stationed at the Pentagon including Kingstowne, Lorton and Lake Ridge. If you have school age children starting with information on local schools through the Fairfax County or Prince William County sites or the Great Schools website will also assist you in determining the right neighborhood for your family.

If you have decided to forgo a purchase on this tour of duty don't worry. I can also help you find a rental property in one of Northern Virginia's great neighborhoods as well.

The best way to get to know the area is to call on a Realtor® who not only has been through the stress of numerous military moves but is a native of the area. I’ve lived through the best and worst military moves and know how to help your family learn about Northern Virginia and find a neighborhood that you will want to call home while stationed at the Pentagon.

My military relocation network is at your fingertips through my on-line resources, on the phone and in person. Don’t lose sleep over your orders. I’m here to help you with a smooth transition!

As the mortgage market continues to shift away from the risky loans of the past five years, active duty and qualified retirees are rediscovering one of the great benefits at their disposal. VA loans were often overlooked when the market was hot pushing military families to choose other loan products some of them potentially risky adjustable rate mortgages.

Today the VA loan is one of the few dependable 100% financing options left. Buyers are required to pay your own VA funding fee which can be financed as part of the loan and the funding fee is waived for disabled veterans. With seller contributions towards closing costs you could get to the settlement table with no money out of your pocket! VA loan limits in the Northern Virginia area are set to $729,750 and available at this rate through October 2011.

Not sure whether you are eligible for a VA loan?

VA Loan Eligibility Requirements

Need to request your VA Certificate of Eligibility?

VA Form 26-1880

If you need a trusted lender to help answer your questions about a VA loan let me know. I'd be glad to provide you with a list of lenders who work with VA buyers everyday. You can also check with any military credit union to discuss your options for using your VA loan as well.

Once you get your PCS orders to Fort Belvoir, Pentagon or Quantico you will find a terrific selection of Northern Virginia neighborhoods you would be glad to call home. With lower prices in the area you can a wide selection of homes well within the new VA loan limit. New, resale and even foreclosures are all possibilities with a VA loan.

If you are looking for an agent who understands a military move, drop me an email or give me a call. I've walked in your shoes from the Far East to Europe and know what it is like to pack up and move to a new home. I'm always glad to answer any questions you have about the home buying process and the Northern Virginia area.

Perched high overlooking the Potomac River the Fort Belvoir's Officer Club has one of the best views in all of Northern Virginia.

The Officers Club isn't the only place to enjoy time with Mother Nature on post. In fact Fort Belvoir which is comprised over 8,500 also has over 1,300 acres of dedicated wildlife refuges as part of the base property as well. The largest piece of the refugee established in 1980 is the Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge on the north post. The trail offers nine miles of walking paths through a variety of wildlife habitat and includes a handicap accessible Pohick Trail.

On the south post of Fort Belvoir is the Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge. Established in 1988 to protect a local wetland area the refuge is a great spot for local fisherman (with a valid VA fishing license) to cast a line in the pond. With a one mile paved walking trail and places to picnic it makes a great spot to exercise during lunch.

Both of these wildlife areas can be accessed by civilians as well as military families with proper identification and are open dawn until dusk all year. If you have orders to Fort Belvoir and are looking for an agent who knows their way around both inside and outside the gates of the post give me a call. I'd be glad to lend a hand with your relocation.

 

 

 

 

 

When you drive through the gates of Fort Myer and see the historic brick buildings and Victorian style mansions on Generals Row you realize that this post may be a bit different than any others where you may have visited before.  From the civil war when the post, then called Fort Whipple defended Washington DC from the Confederate Army to today the traditions of the Army stand strong.

 

 

Fort Myer is home to the US Army School of Music and The Old Guard the Army's premier ceremonial unit. Driving through Fort Myer you will find stables for the horses and the caisson used for both military and Presidential funerals. The most famous horse remembered from the Old Guard in Black Jack the riderless horse seen in the funerals of presidents John F. Kennedy, Herbert Hoover and Lyndon Johnson. 

 How the land that makes up the Army post as well as surrounding Arlington Cemetery came into the possession of the US Government is an interesting piece of US history.  Originally owned by Mary Ann Randolph who married Robert E. Lee, the land was confiscated by the government when the Lee's were unable to pay the property taxes.  When the government took the land they created Arlington Cemetery and Fort Myer.  The Custis-Lee Mansion still stands on the Arlington Cemetery portion of the land.

 If the information that the land that comprises the Fort Myer came to the US by tax confiscation isn't enough history it is also the site of the first military aircraft flight by Orville Wright and the site of the first military aircraft fatality. On the second flight attempt Orville Wright was injured and Lt. Selfridge was killed. So much for the fame of Kitty Hawk!

Fort Myer offers breathtaking views of the Air Force Memorial, Washington Monument and Arlington Cemetery at various locations throughout the post.  If you find yourself with orders to Fort Myer then be ready for a treat.  It may be small but the history and tradition connected with the post are some of the oldest in the US.

In seems logical that the Army would build green homes.  Where else can you see more green than on an Army post?  But the green homes at Fort Belvoir have nothing to do with fatigues or uniforms but are all about the environment and building housing to support those who sacrifice to serve our country.

Under a partnership with Clark-Pinnacle the 12 Villages of Fort Belvoir have been undergoing a transformation.  Over 1100 homes have been demolished and replaced with "energy star certified" homes."   In order for a home to qualify as an "energy star certified home" they have to be built with the appliances, AC units, windows and insulation that meets the US Department of Energy standards.

Open in late summer 2008 the Fairfax Village Neighborhood Center has been awarded Platinum LEED Certification the first in the country on a military installation.   With a butterfly garden, playground and community center the neighborhood center is one of 5 centers that will be available to residents of Fort Belvoir housing.

Driving through the different neighborhoods on Fort Belvoir it is great to see how far military housing has come.  Having lived in military housing both in the US and overseas our family learned both the good and bad that came from living in housing that didn't always meet a families needs.  The partnership between the Army and Clark-Pinnacle at Fort Belvoir proves that the military recognizes how important it is to support military families today.

If you have orders to Fort Belvoir and on base housing are an option you want to consider contact the Villages at Fort Belvoir Welcome Center at 703- 454-9700. 

If living off post is in your plans call the Cindy Jones team at 703-346-2213 to talk about your housing needs.

 

Army Green Homes at Fort Belvoir

Tucked away among all of the traditional homes, both old and new on Fort Belvoir stands a home that isn't like any of the others.  Just as the Lustron homes on Quantico were a response to the US Government's need for quick delivery homes after WWII, the Thermo-Con house on Fort Belvoir stands as a reminder of the Army's attempt to use alternative building materials in the 1940's.

Situated next to the traditional Cape Code homes of Gerber Village, the Thermo-Con house looks more like Frank Lloyd Wright's
Pope-Leighy House just a few miles down the road than it does its traditional brick neighbors. 

The house derives its name from the material that was used to create the home a mixture of "Portland cement, water and a patented formula of mineral origin."  Completed by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1949 it was one of only two buildings built on Fort Belvoir from this material.  The second building has been destroyed.

 

The home was added to the Virginia Landmarks Registry in 1997 and is currently used as a guest house.  With the new housing being built at both the North and South Post of Fort Belvoir, including the Platinum LEED Certified Fairfax Village Community Center it is nice to see something a bit different still standing as a testament to the resources of the Army Corps of Engineers.  It was an idea and building material ahead of it's time.  Today the idea of building anything but a well insulated and moisture resistant home just wouldn't be considered.

 

 

 

 

 

Ever wonder how you could take in the sites of Fairfax County without having to put up with stoplights and honking horns?   If you are ready to shake off the winter time blues and enjoy green shaded paths then dust of your bike or your comfortable shoes and head out to the Fairfax County Cross County Trail (CCT).

Starting at the Occoquan River at the Occoquan Regional Park and heading north to Great Falls National Park the trial winds through some of the prettiest parts of Fairfax County.  Covering 40 miles of paths that cross streams and includes paths in a number of the Fairfax County Parks the trail gives you a good flavor of the county from urban to rural.  Not all of the CCT is a stroll in the park.  For more hardy bikers there are streams to ford and more difficult terrain such as the highly rated dirt bike trail at Wakefield Park.  For others you can handle the five miles around Burke Lake Park and not worry about breaking a sweat.   

If a 40 mile trek isn't enough for you then the CCT also has access points to the Washington and Old Dominion trail (W&OD) which leads you all the way to Purcellville another 45 miles away.  If you are looking for exercise, adventure and nature in Fairfax County then check out the CCT and see how the vision of community leaders and county officials came together to provide a protected trail for residents to enjoy for generations to come.

View CCT Map