Are looking for a home with loads of updates? Would you like multiple commuting options throughout Fairfax County (VA) and DC? Would you like to be close to shopping, parks and recreation? If the answer is YES then 1806 Courtland Street in Alexandria VA should be on your must see list.

Enjoy the video tour highlighting this terrific home and surrounding area. 

To schedule your personal tour call Cindy Jones at 703-346-2213. Stop by our website to see more details on 1806 Courtland Street in Alexandria VA.

Currently I'm working with a number of families in Northern Virginia who are qualified for the Department of Defense Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP) but there is another option for military families who have received orders and are upside down on their home value.

If you have a VA Loan you may be eligible for a VA Compromise Sale.  In our region of Northern Virginia the VA Regional Office which will provide you with the latest updates is the Roanoke office.  The VA Compromise sale does have several factors that are important to remember:

• The property must be sold for fair market value.
• The closing costs must be reasonable and customary
• The compromise sale must be less costly for the Government than foreclosure
• There must be a financial hardship on the part of the seller
• On loans that originated on or before December 31, 1989, the seller must be willing to sign a promissory note
• There must be no second liens or other liens (unless the amount is insignificant).
• The seller must first obtain a sales contract in order to be considered for the program.

To protect the seller's interest, the seller should make the sales contract contingent and/or subject to the approval of a VA compromise sale.

VA Compromise Sale Information Packet

There is an extensive list of VA approved list of Loss Mitigation Servicers available on the VA site. A VA Compromise sale does require that the VA approve the HUD-1 be reviewed and approved by the VA prior to settlement so making sure the buyers documents are in order at least 48 hours in advance is a must.

If you are stationed at Fort Belvoir, the Pentagon, Quantico or any of the Military District of Washington installations give Cindy Jones a call at 703-346-2213.  Let's see if a VA Compromise Sale or the Department of Defense HAP program might help you with your home sale.

If you have been waiting for the right opportunity to purchase an immaculate three level townhouse in the Townes of Orange Hunt in West Springfield then your wait is over.

Offered for sale through an exclusive FSBO arrangement with Cindy Jones of RE/MAX Allegiance this home in the Townes of Orange Hunt offers buyers a lot to like.  Step into the foyer and notice the new gleaming hardwood floors which flow into an updated kitchen with adjoining eating space.  The living room and dining room combination have new carpet and sliding glass doors that open up to a fenced yard that backs to a common area and woods.   Upstairs are three nice size bedrooms and two full remodeled bathrooms.  The lower level has a recreation room, third full bath and laundry room.

Located just minutes from the Rolling Valley commuter lot and within walking distance of both Fairfax County Connector and Metro buses, the home makes commuting into DC a breeze.  The home is ideally situated for anyone stationed at Fort Belvoir, the Pentagon or any of the Military District of Washington Installations. 

For families the townhouse is located within walking distance of Orange Hunt Elementary School and is part of the West Springfield HS pyramid, including Washington Irving Intermediate School.  The Pohick library is less than a mile away and you can shop at a variety of grocery stores within a few mile.

This home is priced to sell at $299,000. 

This home will not be offered for sale in the MLS and is only available to be shown directly to qualified buyers. If you are looking for a great townhouse then give Cindy Jones a call at 703-346-2213 to schedule your appointment to see this terrific property in the Townes of Orange Hunt. 

Congratulations you've decided to buy new construction in Prince William County Virginia.  Watching your new home go from an empty lot to dream home can be an exciting process.  It also means that you need to be prepared for a process that can take from 4-6 months for a "stock" built home and a year or longer if you are building a totally custom home.  During that time period you are going to have a lot of decisions to make and certainly you will second guess your decisions along the way.

Just as with buying any home you should have a firm idea in your mind what you want to spend and where you want to live.  In today's market in Prince William County there are a number of new home communities going up in Bristow, Dumfries, Manassas, Woodbridge and everywhere in between.  You may be tempted to jump in your car on a Sunday afternoon and view all the model homes you can. 

 STOP, don't leave home yet.

First you need to talk to an independent lender to get pre-qualified.  By independent I mean a lender who is not associated with any builder you might visit.   You can go to any of the major lenders in your area or if you belong to a credit union talk to them.  Have that pre-qualification letter in hand so you know what they are offering you in the way of an interest rate, loan fees and projected closing costs.  They lender should provide you with what is known as a "Good Faith Estimate" (GFE).  Now armed with a pre-qualification letter and a GFE you might think you are ready to go. 

STOP, don't leave home yet.

The next and most important step is to find a buyer's agent who has experience working with new construction in Prince William County.  The builder's representative works for the builder.  Just as the listing agent is working for the seller on a re-sale home.  You may be under the impression that you can't have your own representation when you buy a new home but that is not true.  The cost of sale to the builder already accounts for an agent's commission.  You won't get any more of a deal without an agent and having an agent with you might save you thousands of dollars in your home purchase.

How do I know this?  I have been representing both buyers and builders on new construction projects in Prince William County during both the boom and bust of our real estate market.    In 2009 I've closed nine new construction deals and have 4 more under contract.  Now armed with a pre-qualification letter and an agent experienced with new construction in Prince William County you are ready to take a tour of your first new construction project.  Remember your agent must be with you when you step in the builder's door or they will consider you fair game.

Stay Tuned for Part 2 of the Prince William County New Construction Buyer's Guide-"What to look For as You Tour the Model Home.

Yesterday my clients signed their lease on the place they will call home for the next year.  Now most agents will say "I don't do rentals" but I do.  They aren't where I concentrate my time or effort but they do have their benefits and there are times when a rental is the best choice in today's Northern Virginia real estate market.

This rental started as so many have this year, with an email.  A military family stationed in Germany had orders to the DC area.  They were searching the internet and found my blogs posts and website.  The first email said it all.  They were looking for a "military friendly realtor" someone who knew the area and understood how difficult it was to get settled in a short period of time.

After a series of emails about their family and what they needed it was easy to narrow down the neighborhoods that would work.  With young children schools were important, the commute, shopping and activities all played into the selection.   We found just the right place in the Raceway Farms neighborhood just minutes from the gates of Fort Belvoir.  The owner of the property is also military and had just made a move to Korea. Do you see a pattern here?  

Decisions about where to live for military families with orders often happen on a weekend house hunting trip.   Understanding that situation, even if it is "only" for a rental is a big part of being able to help military families make a quick transition to a new duty station.    Last night another email arrived.  A family stationed in Okinawa, where I lived for over three years as a military spouse arrived and they have orders to the Pentagon for December.  

They only want to rent, would I be willing to help them?  What do you think my answer will be?

Anyone with PCS orders to Fort Belvoir looking for an affordable townhouse community just minutes to the Telegraph gate should take a look at the Village of Mount Air.

As one of the smaller townhouse communities close to Fort Belvoir, the Village of Mount Air has 182 townhouses, both garage and non-garage models.  Originally the Village of Mount Air was part of a historic estate that dated back to the 1700's.  The estate changed hands over the years and of course parcels of land were sold off.  The original home on the property burned in 1859 and second home was built on its foundation.   The second home and property remained in use from 1859 to 1992.

The last owner of property in the Village of Mount Air deeded 40 acres of the estate to developers to build the townhouses and kept 25 acres as a buffer to the estate property.  The current townhouse community was built between 1986-1989.   Shortly after the owner of the estate died a fire destroyed the historic home on the property and the remaining land was sold to a second developer.  You can still find the ruins of the two homes that stood on the property as well as a few outbuildings which are maintained by the Fairfax County Park Authority and protected as part of a Historic Overlay district in Fairfax County.

Today the Village of Mount Air provides owners with access to all of the modern amenities.  Besides the close proximity to Fort Belvoir, it is only a few miles to the Landsdowne shopping center and the Kingstowne library.   The Springfield or Van Dorn Metro Stations are within a 15 minute drive and the neighborhood has easy access to I-95 & I-495 and the Fairfax County Parkway.   A recent change in bus service has discontinued the Fairfax County Connector Bus that ran through the neighborhood.     

When you need more activities you can head to the Lee District Recreation Center (pool closed Aug-Sept 2009 for renovations) or the Greendale Golf Course both run by the Fairfax County Park Authority.  The restaurants and movie theaters at Kingstowne are close by as well as historic Mount Vernon and Woodlawn Plantation.   Elementary school children attend Island Creek Elementary School and older students attend Hayfield Secondary School.  Always check the schools boundaries with the Fairfax County Schools as schools do occasionally change.

If living in a smaller community close to Fort Belvoir with a bit of history close by appeals to you then give the Cindy Jones team a call at 703-346-2213 to take a tour.  No hassle, no pressure just straight talk about whether buying a home in today's market is the right choice for you.

Photos of the Mount Air Historic Site