The Fairfax Village Community Center at Fort Belvoir is the first building on a U.S. military installation to be recognized with a Platinum LEED Award.  Built as a public-private partnership with the U.S. Department of the Army and Clark Pinnancle, responsible for the renovation and construction of more than 2000 homes on Fort Belvoir, the center is a showcase of green design.

For families who live on Fort Belvoir, the new village community center is more than just an award winning green design project.  It is a place where community functions can take place, where children can play or learn about native plants and where families can walk the historic Fort Belvoir trail.

When you first pull up to the building you can immediately notice one of the first green aspects of the building.  An array of solar panels on the roof above the main entrance.  Some of the things you can't see are the geothermal heat pump, the spray foam insulation and the motion controlled light sensors.  The bathrooms are outfitted with low flow toilets and the kitchen features energy star rated appliances.   It is estimated that the water savings will be 45% over a traditional building and that with the combination of solar and geothermal that there will be a 70% savings in energy bills.

Platinum LEED status is not something that is earned easily.  Awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council  projects must follow a rigorous set of guidelines from initial design through construction.  Being the first project to achieve the highest green rating on a military basis is a distinction that both the U.S. Department of the Army and Clark-Pinnacle can be proud of. 

Learn more about the U.S. Green Building Council
Learn more about LEED Certification

If you have PCS orders bringing you to Fort Belvoir give the Cindy Jones team a call at 703-346-2213.  Let our experience with Fort Belvoir Relocation and our knowledge of the communities surrounding Fort Belvoir help you make a smooth transition. 

Less than a mile from the gates of Fort Belvoir and the 5300 homes that make up Kingstowne, you can hear a rooster crow announcing a new day at Nalls Produce and Nursery.  Started as a way for the Nalls family to sell off some of the extra produce from their family garden today Nalls Produce and Nursery is a 5th generation roadside market in Alexandria, VA.

As you approach Nalls Produce on Beluah Street you can't help but be drawn in by the display of fresh flowers and vegetables out front.  Once you've pulled into the parking lot and start to explore the grounds you will not only hear the resident rooster but you will see the family of chickens peeking around underneath the flower trays.  Of course one of the first questions that visitors ask when they see the free roaming chickens is what happens if they try and cross the road?  Not to worry since the chickens have plenty of bugs and feed they haven't tried to do the impossible and get across busy Beluah Street.

The summer produce at Nalls is a site to see.  Artfully displayed in wagons, a tribute to way they first started selling produce, the fresh vegetables are reasonably priced and all locally grown.  The prices are far better than grocery store and in many cases less than the local farmers markets as well.  You will always find a great selection throughout the season.  In addition to the produce you will find a fresh jams, honey and a variety of sauces for your cooking as well.

Back outside you can wander through the rows and rows of beautiful hanging baskets, flowers and trees.  Nalls Produce and Nursery sells a great selection of plants labeled for buyers who need shade, full sun or even deer resistant plants.  While you wander through the plants you will encounter butterflies and an occasional hummingbird as well. 

Nalls Produce and Nursery isn't just about summer produce and flowers.  They are open through all four seasons.  The pumpkin patch is a fall favorite with kids and of course if you are looking for a fresh tree for Christmas Nalls is the place to go.   As a local community business Nalls also supports other local business as well through sponsorships of local schools and charity organizations. 

If you are looking for great produce, beautiful plants and a local business to support then look no further than Nalls Produce and Nursery on Beluah Street in Alexandria, VA.  Stop by and hear the rooster crow, buy some fresh vegetables but remember the geese bite so approach with caution!

Driving into the small town of Clifton VA you expect to find ladies in long skirts shielding their faces with parasols and you might during historic Clifton Day but the rest of the time you find a great place to live, eat and shop.  With only 200 residents within the town boundaries it is smaller than most planned communities in Fairfax County.

As with most of Northern Virginia, Clifton was the scene of numerous battles during the civil war and due to the railroad was a strategic location for the Union Army to set up camp.  After the civil war the town survived, where others did not, with the ingenuity of the citizens who took advantage of the railway location and opened hotels, salons and restaurants.  Over the years the town "grew" and eventually in 1925 Clifton became the first town in Fairfax County to have electricity.



Today the Town of Clifton has its own Mayor and town council and boasts one of the best collections of historic homes in the area.  Even though Clifton "proper" is only one quarter mile in size the main street has numerous sites to see.  The Homestead built in 1771, the Harris House built in 1850, the Mayhugh Tavern built in 1870, and the Clifton Baptist Church built in 1876 are all still in use today.

A few times a year Clifton is over-run by tourists for the Spring Garden Tour (April), the Clifton Wine Festival (September), Clifton Day (October), and Holiday Candlelight Tour (December).  The rest of the year anyone who knows the area  or discovers it by accident, finds a peaceful town with a General Store, antique shops and one of the best local restaurants around, the Heart and Hand.

If you are looking to get off the beaten path in Fairfax County then take the winding drive down Clifton Road and see what you will discover in the Town of Clifton.  A word of warning though, don't come to Clifton on Halloween night or you could become the next victim of the "bunny man."

They say that fine wine ages well.  The same thing can be said for the townhouse neighborhood of Charlestown in West Springfield.   Maybe it is the all brick construction or the tree lined streets that make it standout from other area neighborhoods.  It might even be the residents of the neighborhood who have a strong home owners association which even maintains the exterior of the townhouses.  But whatever the combination it has worked well for 40 years.

Anytime you read an MLS description for Charlestown you will see somewhere the words "dramatic curved staircase."  Having lived and owned a townhouse in the neighborhood I would have to say the word dramatic is a bit much but they are eye catching when you open the front  door and provide a terrific open two story foyer that agents forget to mention but an owner will point out to your right away.

Designed after Colonial Williamsburg the townhouses feature brick courtyards where owners take pride in maintaining a private yard.  If you explore the neighborhood during the annual garden tour you will find homes with Koi Ponds, wild flowers, Dogwood trees and wonderful patios.   A spring drive down the two main roads will also provide you an explosion of color with the white blooms from the Bradford Pear trees on one side of the street and the pink Cherry trees on the other.

Another surprise for anyone exploring the neighborhood for the first time is the size of the townhouses.  Though there are a few two level townhouses (rarely available) and the three level homes range in size from approximately 1900 square feet up to a whopping 2700 square feet.  The Concord model has 4 bedrooms on the upper level, a den as well as living, room dining room and eat-in kitchen on the main level and a full basement that can often boast a legal 5^th bedroom as well. 

Despite the feel of seclusion you get in the Charlestown neighborhood you are in fact only blocks away from two large shopping centers.  One features a Whole Food Market and the other a Giant Grocery store.  There are plenty of places to eat with both chain restaurants like Austin Grill or Chicken Out and smaller local haunts like Milano's.  If you need to commute to DC you can walk outside your front door and catch a metro bus directly to the Pentagon or a Fairfax County Connector to the Springfield Metro Station. 

For families with children the neighborhood falls in the West Springfield HS Pyramid.  Younger children can walk to Cardinal Forest Elementary School and older kids skip the "cheese mobile" and walk to West Springfield High School.  The intermediate school is Washington Irving and though it is in walking distance many kids elect to take the bus.

One of the biggest treats about living in Charlestown is the back door access to Lake Accotink though Carrleigh Park.  Either by bike or by foot you can enjoy a few minutes or a few hours walking on the paths that will take you to the lake, the oldest carousel in Fairfax County or around the 3.75 mile loop.

In a time when older neighborhoods have been altered to a point beyond recognition having a neighborhood such as Charlestown maintain its original character and charm is a surprising treat.  If you are interested in learning more about the neighborhood give Cindy Jones a call at 703-346-2213.  Let me show you why my family called Charlestown in West Springfield home.

This sign proudly sits in front of C&E Auto Service in Woodbridge VA

Just as Virginia Senator Jim Webb provided support for Military Families with the proposal to increase the funding for the Department of Defense HAP program, Virginia Congressman Jim Moran has provided support for the allocation of infrastructure funds for the continuation of improvements to the Fort Belvoir area as part of BRAC.

The House Appropriations Committee has passed a number of military funding requests for 2010 under the Military Construction and Veterans' Affairs Appropriations Bill (H.R. 3082). 

The bill provides the following provisions for Fort Belvoir:

Fort Belvoir Access Road -- $9.5 million. To construct a new entrance from U.S. Route 1 onto the North Post of Fort Belvoir.  Currently, the only access point from US Route 1 onto the North Post is via Woodlawn Gate (Route 618).

Road and Infrastructure -- $20 million. The National Museum for the US Army will be located at Fort Belvoir´s North Post which is bounded by the Fairfax County Parkway and Kingman and Beulah Roads. Transportation and utility infrastructure at the site is not adequate to support the projected one million annual visitors. The funding will be used to improve road and parking access to the proposed museum site.

Flight Control Tower -- $8.3 million. The flight control tower at Davison Army Airfield on Fort Belvoir was constructed in 1958, and is outdated, posing an aviation safety risk. Funding will be used to upgrade the flight tower with more modern equipment.

Fort Belvoir Hospital Construction -- $106.3 million. Funding will support construction of the new Fort Belvoir community hospital which is scheduled to replace the current DeWitt Hospital and portions of the Walter Reed Medical Center.

WRAMC HQ Building -- $17.5 million. To relocate the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) headquarters facilities to Fort Belvoir, VA, adjacent to the new hospital.

Dental Clinic -- $12.6 million. A new dental clinic will be constructed at Fort Belvoir in accordance with the 2005 BRAC decision which calls for quality dental care to be provided in accordance with its relocation actions at Fort Belvoir.

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency -- $168.7 million. Funding will go towards consolidating and relocating the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) facilities to the Engineer Proving Ground (EPG) at Fort Belvoir in accordance with the 2005 BRAC requirement.

BRAC Infrastructure -- $61 million. This project will provide infrastructure improvements for units and agencies relocating to Fort Belvoir as a result of the 2005 BRAC requirement.

Though the final bill has not been published the proposed funds will be a boost the local economy and provide the funds necessary to make Fort Belvoir and the surrounding areas ready for the move of almost 21,000 jobs scheduled for 2011.

Information Source:  American Chronicle

As families currently eligible for the Department of Defense HAP program await updated guidelines to be published, additional funding is being proposed in the US Senate by Virginia Senator Jim Webb for Fiscal Year 2010.

Senate bill (S 1309) proposes an additional $350 million dollars to enhance the funding provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed last fall.   With over 2000 applications for assistance for wounded warriors, surviving spouses, families with PCS orders and BRAC transferees in the south east district waiting to be processed, it is apparent that the current funding could easily be depleted before the deadline for the program expires.

The financial burden military families who are required to move with PCS orders in a sagging housing market can be significant.  Currently I'm working with three Northern Virginia families stationed either at Fort Belvoir or the Pentagon eligible for HAP assistance and our weekly conversations with HAP counselors suggests that the required guidelines will be published by mid-August.    With the HAP benefits most of that burden of negative equity can be lifted with HAP funds provided at settlement.

If you are a military family stationed at Fort Belvoir, Quantico, the Pentagon or any of the Military District of Washington installations who qualifies for the HAP program give the Cindy Jones team a call at 703-346-2213.  We are currently working with families in your situation and understand the process, application requirements and have successfully negotiated sales contracts to help you sell your home in our current market.

The evidence of the BRAC deadline for development and movement of personnel is starting to take shape in the Fort Belvoir area.  Not only can you drive through the main post and see the changes but outside the gates local neighborhoods can see the impact as well.

Two of the most visible projects in Springfield include the extension of the Fairfax County Parkway along Rolling Road and the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency building.   The final leg of the FXC Parkway has been on the books for years waiting funding.  The push to ease the impact of 6500 personnel headed to the new National Geospatial Intelligence Agency building at the old Engineering Proving Grounds in Springfield has made the road a reality. 

Now as you exit the parkway at Rolling Road instead of seeing the woods and fences that hid the grounds from sight you see the long stretch of future roadway and the dust from earthmovers.  Utility lines along Rolling Road by the Saratoga neighborhood are being moved in anticipation of the widening of the roadway there as well.  The new NGA building is a little harder to spot but you can see it emerging from the tree tops off of Fullerton Road.


The good news for local businesses like one of my favorites, Saratoga Pizzeria is that a portion of those incoming 6500 personnel are going to be looking for a place to eat lunch.   Homeowners in the Saratoga, Terra Grande, Springfield Oaks and Lorton Station neighborhoods thinking of selling in the near future may also benefit as well.   Though only a small portion of the new jobs coming to the area due to BRAC are from outside our region, there are transferees coming and they are looking in neighborhoods close to Fort Belvoir.

If you are relocating to Fort Belvoir, the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency or any of the BRAC locations in Northern Virginia,  then give the Cindy Jones team a call at 703-346-2213. Put our experience with military relocations and knowledge of the area to work for you.  No hassle, no pressure, just straight talk about today's real estate market and whether now is the right time for you to buy a new home.

If you have been waiting for perfection then this home is the one for you.  Nestled in the small subdivision of Mason's Passage just minutes from the Lorton VRE, Lorton Station, Lorton Market, Fort Belvoir and the new National Geospatial Intelligence Agency this home offers you a terrific home and location all in one.

Welcoming two story foyer leads you to a formal living and dining room.  The nicely appointed kitchen opens to a spacious family room with a wall of windows and gas fireplace.  Step out on to the deck and enjoy the privacy with woods and wildlife as your venue.   The lower level features a nice size recreation room, storage and additional space which could be converted to more finished living space.

The top level features three double size bedrooms and a master suite.  The master suite offers a walk-in closet and private bath with soaking tub, separate shower and dual vanities.  This home is a wonderful find and detached homes in Mason's Passage don't come on the market often.

Priced to sell at $425,000 this home is being offered as part of the Department of Defense Home Owners Assistance Program.  Call for details on the program and how you can make this your new home!

More and more we hear buyer's (and agents) complaining that all they can find for sale in Northern Virginia are short sales and foreclosures.  But is that really true?  For most of the first half of 2009 anyone searching through the Northern Virginia MLS quickly found short sales dominated the listing categories.  In Prince William County which many in our area used to refer to as foreclosure ground zero the number of foreclosure properties listed in the MLS has dropped dramatically.  

Yet when you search the MLS you find that the majority of properties listed for sale are regular sales.  So what is the issue?   Is it a matter of price point that makes the difference for buyers to find a regular sale?  Turns out the answer is NO.  Our market seems to be dominated by first time homebuyers hoping to take advantage of the current $8000 tax credit and the competition for lower priced properties is fierce.  Yet 32% of the properties below $250,000 are NOT short sales or foreclosures and overall in Prince William County 64% of the active listings are NOT short sales or foreclosures.

So what gives?  Have buyers been seduced by the media that says the best deals available are foreclosures and short sales?   Has anyone noticed the new construction properties with deliveries available in the next few months available below $250,000?  My buyers in the last two weeks have snapped up two regular sales and one new construction property with absolutely no hassles or any other offers!

If you are a buyer in the Prince William County market you may be missing out on a great opportunity.  While you sit and wait on what seems to be a bargained priced short sale or figuring out how to pay for the repairs on a foreclosure, a regular sale a block away is just waiting for an offer.  With strong negotiations you may find you have saved yourself time and money by dealing directly with a seller.  Don't be seduced by the media that wants you to believe that the only good deal is a distressed property.  There are more regular sales on the market than short sales and foreclosures combined.  Take a look you might be surprised at what you find.

One thing to always caution about listings and numbers in the MLS is that not all agents accurately flag their listings per new data fields added to the system.  If a property has been in the MLS for over 60 days without any changes it could be a short sale and not appropriately identified.