Just a few miles outside the gates of Fort Belvoir visitors and residents of Fairfax County can stop by and see the home of the first Commander in Chief, George Washington.  A home that even by today's standards has one of the number one things you look for.  Location, Location, Location!

Sitting on the best piece of property that any one could have ipicture is Mount Vernon the home of George Washington. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to picture the prominent colonist in the 1770’s sitting on the back porch watching the large mast ships headed into the docks in Alexandria. With the distinguished white frame home, stone fences and outbuildings wandering through the grounds is a great way to get a feel for how life might have been like so long ago.

If George's house wasn't enough to impress the neighbors then the one that was built for his granddaughter Nelly Custis-Lee certainly was.  Woodlawn Plantation built of brick between 1800-1805  is an amazing stucture even though it is 200 years old.  Originally situated on  2,000 acre site, the property the home is a beautiful example of the Federal style popular with mansions at the time. Designed by the same architect, William Thornton, who created the US Capitol the home was furnished with many of the original pieces from Mount Vernon. Situated at the top of a hill known as Gray’s Hill the back porch of the home has a view of the Potomac River and was the first property owned by the National Historic Trust formed in 1951.

Both Mount Vernon and Woodlawn Plantation are open for tours on a daily basis.  Seeing how our first Commander in Chief lived is a piece of US history that you shouldn't miss.  If you are moving to Fort Belvoir or the Fairfax County area give the Cindy Jones team a call at 703-346-2213. Though we can't sell you one of these homes we know plenty of other great ones that are available for sale.

As Fort Belvoir continues to gear up for an influx of over 21,000 new military and civilian jobs by 2011the constuction of the new DeWitt Hospital continues to move forward.

The current DeWitt hospital is a typical military hospital with most of the clinics and services that you will find at any civilian hospital. The outside of the building is showing its age and might remind someone arriving at the main door more of a bunker than a hospital. Our family has fond memories of the old DeWitt as my daughter Kara is one of the 64,000 plus babies that have been born at DeWitt in the last 50 years. Today the hospital handles up to 150,000 patients including the families stationed at Fort Belvoir, retirees and their families as well.

The new hospital construction is well underway. Located just inside Pence gate the site is just down the road from the current hospital but it is easy to see how this new facility will eclipse the old one. The new DeWitt Army hospital will not be a single building but a complex. Featuring state of the art technology eliminating the need for hand carrying of medical records from one facility to another, top of the line clinic services and more inpatient services the hospital will rival any top of the line private hospital.

The new DeWitt hospital is just one of the many changes coming to Fort Belvoir as a result of BRAC. If you are headed to Fort Belvoir or any of the other military bases in our area give the Cindy Jones team a call at 703-346-2213 to discuss your housing needs. Put my personal and professional experience with military relocations to work for you.

It isn't hard to figure out what the developer of the first Kings Park was planning when they laid out the plan for the community and the homes.  With one look at the street names Thames, Victoria, Trafalgar and Cromwell among others you might think you have made a trip back to England.  Then when you add the names of the five original models; King, Queen, Princess, Duke and Duchess, you realize absolutely there is a royal connection!

Our family bought our very first home in Kings Park in 1981.  Having just returned from five years overseas we were anxious to settle down for awhile and having grown up in Springfield it was an easy choice to make the original Kings Park the place to buy our first "real home."  We were attracted to the neighborhood due to the mature trees, green space parks, community pools and easy commuting to our jobs.  With the gentle slope of our 1/3 acre lot we were able to set up a zip line between the top of the back yard and the back fence which became a neighborhood hangout for the under 5 age group!

Since the neighborhood was first built over 40 years ago it has been popular with military families looking for easy access to the Pentagon or Fort Belvoir.   Children attend schools in the Lake Braddock School Pyramid and both Northern Virginia Community College and George Mason University are close by. Public bus transportation, a VRE station and slug lines are easy to get to from anywhere in the neighborhood.  Homeowners can walk to the Kings Park Shopping Center and even the Kings Park Library branch of the Fairfax County Library System.

When you want to take a break you walk or ride your bike through two different "back" entrances to Lake Accotink or for anyone who likes the challenge of dirt biking the nearby trails through Wakefield Park are considered some of the best in the area.  Wakefield Park is also the location for the Audrey Moore Recreation Center  where you will find an indoor pool and popular fitness center.  During the summer Lake Accotink Park hosts free Friday night summertime concerts which are an absolute hit with everyone.  Music ranges through swing, jazz, pop and rock.  If you haven't seen your neighbors for a few days chances are you will find them there with a picnic basket and folding chairs

If you are interested in learning more about Northern Virginia Relocation, local neighborhoods or things to do give the Cindy Jones team a call at 703-346-2213.  No hassle, no pressure, just straight talk about whether now is the right time for you to buy a home in Kings Park or any Springfield (VA) neighborhood.

Greentree Village is what you might expect to see in a community in Fairfax County, Virginia. Located in West Springfield, the neighborhood seems typical of many in the area. Brick front townhouses backing to trees and grassy islands slow traffic down for the kids to be able to play safely. Across the street from the neighborhood is one of the 380 parks maintained by the Fairfax County Park Authority. A Fairfax County Connector bus stop is at the entrance to the neighborhood, within 15 minutes is the Springfield Metro, the Rolling Valley and Sydenstricker Slug Lines are all close by as well.   Multiple shopping centers add to the appeal as well as being in the West Springfield HS Pyramid.

However the neighborhood also contains a little mystery as well.  Tucked behind the basketball court protected by a wrought iron fence are three gravestones from the 1800's. One has the name Addison Keen and another one with the name Clarintine V. Close by you can also see a broken headstone for W. Keen. Unlike other historic graveyards in the area there are no markers to explain how these final resting places ended up in this location.

Anyone who drives through Springfield knows the main road is called Old Keene Mill and Greentree Village lies at an "L"to Old Keene Mill and Keen Road. So what part of the history of the area did the Keen family bring to this particular area? First of all there was a mill on the Pohick Stream that runs through the area and records show it was owned by William Keen. An 1850 census of the area shows that William Keen was 35 years old, married and his occupation was miller.

In 1855 William Keene was convicted of murdering another local man. Local history reports disagrees as to whether William Keen was legally convicted of the murder but he was sentenced to death by hang. Over the following years additional information came forward that perhaps there had been jury tampering which led to his conviction. In 1858 his death sentence was commuted to 10 years in prison by the governor of Virginia. However it is unknown what actually happened to him. Prison records were lost when parts of Richmond was burned during the Civil War. It is not known whether William Keen died in prison, was released or walked out along with all of the other prisoners in 1867.

Whatever the story it makes living in one of the 124 townhouses in Greentree Village just a bit more intriguing. So as you are wandering through your neighborhood in Fairfax County take a closer look around. There is an amazing amount of history tucked in very unusual places.

In a market full of short sales and foreclosures working with regular sales is a treat.  Yesterday we put the SOLD sign in the yard of this home in the Terra Grande neighborhood of West Springfield.  The owner had the home on the market with another real estate agent for close to one year when the Cindy Jones team took it over.

After giving the owner some suggestions on staging, a few additional fix-ups and pricing the home went back on the market.  In less than three weeks and with a ton of showings the owner accepted a contract from a young couple using their VA benefits to buy the home.

The buyer's agent and I had crossed paths before but never had the chance to work a deal all the way through.  There were some issues with decks and fencing that needed to be resolved but by working together we were able to get it to the closing table.  The former owner is on their way to live closer to their family in NY and the new buyers have the painters ready to give it their personal touch.


If you are thinking of selling your home in Springfield this year give the Cindy Jones team a call at 703-346-2213.  Let's talk about how we can help you be the next owner in Springfield to put the SOLD sign in your yard.

If you have been in or around the military for as many years as I have there are some things that you remember fondly and others that weren't so great.  One of the best things our family encountered was our "sponsor."  The member of your unit who started sending you information about your new assignment before you arrived.  The sponsor was assigned to help make the transition from one installation to another as smooth as possible.

Back in the day the sponsor loaded up packets of information and mailed them off to you.  There were maps, directions to various locations on the installation, local lore, things to do and what ever else was available.  Gaining the knowledge of their experience before you arrived was invaluable.

Today much of what a new arrival is looking for can be found on line.  The "sponsors" have faded away and been replaced by friends who may already be stationed in the area or Realtors® who know the area installation themselves.  No matter what you find on-line the personal connection and knowledge still say more than a cut and dried outline you find in the in-processing handbook.

Knowing what you should consider before you arrive, learning more about what is available both on and off the installation and hearing real world experiences are important.  Had our sponsors not told us about how easy it was to bring our pets to Okinawa or to leave our electronics at home when we went to Germany we might have given up our family pets or destroyed our stereo as soon as we turned it on.

We were then able to take our personal experiences and pass them on to the next group of incoming personnel at every stop we made.  That is the great part about blogging, passing along those experiences to anyone who finds themselves with orders to the area.  Sure you can and will read all of the official installation websites but I know from experience that you also want to know the personal side of the area.   My relocation guides give you the feet on the street view of what is is like to come to Fort Belvoir or the Pentaon from a personal perspective just as our sponsors did for us for many years.

Fort Belvoir Relocation Guide
Pentagon Relocation Guide

Ryan homes is starting construction of the next section of Port Potomac and September deliveries are now selling.

The new home models being offered have some changes over the previous homes in the community.  Ryan homes is no longer delivering the detached garage option that you will currently find on a number of the models.  In addtion a new ranch style model, Springbrook is being introduced.

For families looking for a first floor master bedroom option the Springbrook model could be just the ticket.   With a split floor plan the master suite still overs privacy from the two other bedrooms on the first floor.  An optional loft which would make a great private home office can be added to the second floor.  There is a full basement and currently the builder is offering a finished basement at no additional charge. 

Please remember that builders change incentive packages on a regular basis so make sure you ask about the current incentives when you go. 



Current Prices

Port Potomac Tour

The Osprey Golf Club in Belmont Bay is a challenging 18 hole course that is open to everyone! Despite the fact that the course is tucked away in the premier waterfront community of Belmont Bay, the course which is managed by Billy Casper Golf does not require you to be a member to play.

The club does offer memberships for "regulars" and offers a discount on membership prices for Belmont Bay residents. Haven't yet decided whether the golfing addiction is right for you? Then stop into the club house or call the pro shop and ask for Keith. As the resident instructor and a Belmont Bay neighbor Keith can help you with either private lessons or sign you up for a group lesson.

The Osprey offers on-line sign up for T-times up to a week in advance. During the winter the course is fairly empty, though on a balmy day it isn't unusual to see a few early morning golfers heading out. In the summer golfers are out until the waning minutes of sun, scrambling back to the club house before the sun sets.

Speaking of club houses, the Osprey Landing Restaurant offers a great place to end your day of golf or just to go and have Sunday brunch, lunch or dinner. In the summer time the patio overlooking over greens is a great place to be.

If you are looking for a new place to try out your golfing skills this year, check out the Osprey Golf Club in Belmont Bay. With great rates for just one day or a membership you will enjoy the challenge of not sinking your ball into the Occoquan River or one of the many other water holes along the course.

If you decide you would like to walk to your Tee time then give me a call and we can talk about finding you a home in the community! With the proximity to Fort Belvoir, easy access to the Pentagon and the Virginia Rail Express Station within walking distance you can commute to DC during the day and play golf after work as often as you want.

Today thousands upon thousands of motorcyclists roared into DC for the annual Rolling Thunder Memorial Day event and everyone cheered (even the parents who used to cringe).  For anyone who hasn't seen the spectacle of Rolling Thunder it can be quite deafening but at the same time you know that all of the men and women participating in the event want you to know:

We will not forget those who have lost their lives in the service of their country. 

We will not forget those whose fates are still unknown.  

We will not forget that there is a cost to our freedom and we will honor those who have served and who continue to serve to keep us free.

Most people hear the term "sticker shock" and they think of cars. For military families relocating to Northern Virginia from other bases around the country the term can also explain their first reaction to housing prices in our area. Today's market has helped lessen that shock but it is still something to consider as you decide whether you should buy a home in the area.

One of the many benefits that the military offers is the VA loan which has made a comeback for buyers in Northern Virginia over the last year. The first thing I recommend to anyone with PCS orders is to verify their BAH rate, this will help you with understanding how much of a payment you might be comfortable making. Then take a look at your VA loan eligibility status. If you are eligible most lenders will have the ability to request the certificate electronically or you at the time of your loan application.

Why have VA loans become popular again?  VA loans offers the advantage of a zero down payment, no pre-payment penalties, easier qualification and loans are assumable which could be an advantage when you go to sell your home in a few years.  In our current market the many sellers are offering closing cost assistance which truely can make a VA loan a no cost loan to you. 

Once you have looked at your BAH rates, spoken with a mortgage professional who understands the VA loan process (if you need a recommendation let me know), then you are ready to begin to explore many of the great neighborhoods within commuting range of Fort Belvoir, Quantico, Pentagon or any of the Military District of Washington installations. Whether you are looking for a condo, townhouse or detached home there are some terrific choices in Northern Virginia.

You can start your search for a new home near online to get a feel for some of the local communities. Once you narrow down your search you need an agent who is knows the area (I'm a native) and understands military moves then you may want to give me a call. I've walked in your shoes from the Far East to Europe and know what it is like to make a military move. I promise I'll help you through your "sticker shock" and find a place that you will be glad to call home during your assignment to Northern Virginia.

Fort Belvoir On-Line Relocation Guide
Pentagon-On-Line Relocation Guide