The National Chapter of the Combat Veterans of America Motorcycle Club is gearing up to honor the nation's living and deceased service members by participating in Rolling Thunder this weekend.

The group will gather and then depart the VFW in Dale City at 8 a.m., with a police escort leading anywhere between 150 and 300 motorcycles

If you can’t head into DC to catch the full Rolling Thunder Rally then you can catch a mini-version in Prince William County on Sunday morning.

Find you your spot along Minnieville Road or the Prince William County Parkway to cheer them on as they ride to join the thousands of others participating in Rolling Thunder.

Read more about Rolling Thunder and watch a video of the DC event.

National Memorial Day Parade in Washington DC
Sunday May 30th

The parade will feature a special tribute to the U.S. Marine Corps. Edith Shain, the nurse from the famous World War II "V-J Day in Times Square" kiss photograph, marching bands and floats.
Location: Begins at the corner of Constitution Avenue and 7th Streets, NW, Washington, DC and proceeds along Constitution Avenue, past the White House, ending at 17th Street
Cost: FREE

ViVa Vienna Memorial Day Festival
Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Celebrate the town of Vienna at this three-day community celebration with food, crafts, music, carnival rides and a Memorial Day tribute. The goal of the event is to raise more than $100,000 for local and international charities.
Location: Church Street, from Lawyers Road to Mill Street, Vienna.

Summer Blast Off at Wolf Trap
Sunday, May 30, 8:00 p.m. 
Enjoy a free concert by "The President's Own," the U.S. Marine Band, followed by fireworks.
Location: The Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Rd. Vienna, VA
Cost: FREE

Falls Church Memorial Day Parade and Festival
Monday May 31st
Attend this community festival featuring a parade with bands, floats, military groups, businesses & civic associations, craft & food vendors, entertainment, amusement rides and pony rides. Location:
Location:  300 Park Ave. Falls Church, VA
Cost: FREE

33rd Annual Memorial Day Jazz Festival
Monday May 31st
Enjoy this musical performance by Jazz Ambassadors Dixieland Band, Joe Baione Trio, Al Williams, Larry Brown Quintet and Kaleidoscope Orchestra. No pets allowed.
Location: Fort Ward Museum and Historic Site, 4301 W. Braddock Rd. Alexandria, VA

No matter how you spend your Memorial Day remember to say THANK YOU to all who serve our country so we can celebrate our freedom.

Operation Homefront a non-profit organization dedicated to helping soldiers in need and CDW-G a technology serivce provider, have partnered to provide donated laptops to wounded soldiers in the DC area. 

Soliders recovering at Fort Belvoir and Walter Reed will be able to connect with family, take courses, stay in touch with friends and keep up with the news with the donated laptops. 

In addition to the laptop computer donations, Office Depot will match any Lexmark printer purchase from May 30 through June 5, 2010 with a printer donation to Operation Homefront to be distributed throughout the US.

If you have recently replaced your computer and it is still in good working condition you can contact your local chapter of Operation Homefront to see whether it would be acceptable for donation.

Since Operation Homefront was founded in 2002 they have has provided more than $92 million dollars of funding to programs to benefit military families.

More than 600 museums across the US will be offering to free admission to active duty military and their families this summer as part of Operation Appreciation.

The Blue Star Families and the National Endowment for the Arts partnered to create this opportunity for families to enjoy everything from local children's hands on museums to those that feature art, history and science. 

“The Blue Star Museums initiative is a tangible expression of appreciation to service members and their families,“ said Barbara Thompson, director of the Pentagon’s office of family policy."

Each museum will offer free admission to an active duty military member and up to 5 members of their family.  Special exhibits within the museum may not be included in the free admission.  Families should check with the museum they plan to attend beforehand to make sure they know if there may be charges for those exhibits.

In Northern Virginia some of the free museums and attractions include:

Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre
Bristow, VA

Carlyle House Historic Park
Alexandria, VA

Gadsby's Tavern Museum
Alexandria, VA

Morven Park
Leesburg, VA

Weems-Botts Museum
Dumfries, VA

For a complete list of museums participating in Operation Appreciation throughout the US check out the interactive map.

Even if you don't live in the DC area you can still enjoy the National Memorial Day Concert.  The concert is broadcast in the US on PBS May 30th starting at 8 PM (EST).  The broadcast can be seen by our troops in 175 countries and aboard 200 ships at sea through Armerican Forces Radio and TV.

With the US Capitol as a backdrop Co-hosts Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise and a line-up of performers including Lionel Richey, Brad Paisley and the National Symphony Orchestra lead a tribue to our service men and women in music, documentary footage and dramatic readings.

Per PBS:

"The 2010 National Memorial Day Concert will focus on three main themes: honoring the sacrifices, suffering and love of a new generation of young military widows whose fallen spouses served in Iraq and Afghanistan; paying tribute on the 60th anniversary of the Korean War to the heroic service of the soldiers who fought and perished; paying homage to the more than 125,000 WWI and WWII service members who did not come home but rest in 24 military cemeteries in the foreign lands where they fought for liberty."

Here are highlights from the 2009 National Memorial Day Concert

Also check out the Rolling Thunder Rally in the morning on Memorial Day

Not everyone is packing up the car and heading to the beach this weekend.  If you are staying in the DC area then the biggest event is the annual Rolling Thunder Rally.

The rally started in 1987 with 2500 motorcycles riding through the streets of DC.   Over the years the rally grew and now close to 250,000 motorcycles participate in the ride.  Today the reason for the event is still as important as it was when it first started.   Remembering there are those who are still unaccounted for from previous wars and those who still sacrifice to keep us free.

Starting from the Pentagon, traveling across the Memorial Bridge and in the shadow of Arlington Cemetery, down Constitution Ave towards the US Capitol and then loops to an end at the Lincoln Memorial.

The event brings tears to not only the eyes of the veteran’s who ride but to those who watch.  Make sure you get there early for you place along the route.

With the new National Geospatial-Intellegence Agency (NGA) being built on the old Fort Belvoir Engineering Proving Grounds almost 6500 employees will be working in to the Springfield and Lorton area in the next few years.

For employees who will be moving to the new facility finding homes nearby will be important. Traffic in and out of NGA will be tough. Let’s face it anytime you move a significant amount of employees from diverse locations to one place no matter how well the various government agencies plan commuting will be a pain.

Fortunately there are a number of terrific communities that provide a variety of housing prices and styles within a few miles of the NGA facility.

Here is a selection of homes priced between $125,000 and $1,000,000 for sale in Lorton & Springfield close to NGA to give you an idea of what is available. You can sort the list by price and bedrooms to narrow the search to your price range. If buying a home isn't in your plans that's okay too. Our team handles rentals as well.

If you are relocating to the new NGA facility in Springfield in the near future give me a call at 703-346-2213 to talk about your housing needs. Let me show you the variety of options available that will fit for your needs. No hassle, no pressure just straight talk about whether buying a home in today’s market is right for you.

This week two more of of my listings for Northern Virginia military families closed using the Department of Defense HAP benefits. One family followed the Government Acquisition (GA) process and the other the Private Augmented Sale (PAS) process.

One of the questions that I"m often asked by families who are eligible for the HAP benefits is how do I decide which benefit option to select? In some ways it is a very easy decision. If you purchased your home with a VA loan or 100% financing then chances are you are going to select the GA process. However if you made a significant capital improvements to your home since you owned it and can provide receipts then you may want to go with the PAS as you may be able to recoup some of the money you invested in your home.

The good news is that either route saves you from a short sale and ruined credit. With HAP benefits your negative is covered between 90-95% and when you are ready to buy your next home your credit is intact.

If you are an active duty military family in Northern Virginia who qualifies for the Department of Defense Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP) then let my record of success in working with the program to work for you.  Remember the deadline for PCS orders has been changed to September 30, 2010.  Don't worry if you have already left the area and are renting your home you may till qualify for HAP beneftis. Call me at 703-346-2213 to talk about your options.

SOLD IN KINGS PARK IN SPRINGFIELD VIRGINIA

Most people moving to the Lorton area of Fairfax County don't realize the history surrounding the area.  Starting with our nations founding fathers, George Washington and George Mason, Lorton has always held an important place in our local history.  From Pohick Church built in 1774 to today Lorton has been a place where many put down roots.

Today with the BRAC expansion of Fort Belvoir and the National Geospatial Intellegence Agency Lorton once again is taking center stage with it's popular new Lortion Station Town Center, the Lorton Workhouse Arts Center,  Laurel Hill Golf Club and the Viriginia Rail Express (VRE) station in the center of town.

Enjoy our Lorton Virginia neighborhood quick tour and view available Homes for Sale in Lorton Virginia

If you are relocating to the Lorton Virginia area, Fort Belvoir, NGA or any of the District of Washington Military Installations or work centers give mea call at 703-346-2213.  Let's talk about whether now is the right time for you to buy a home in Lorton Virginia or anywhere in Northern Virginia.  No hassle, no pressure just straight talk about the Northern Virginia real estate market.

It didn't start out to be that kind of day.  You know the one where everything is all lined up and ready to go....or so you think.  Then the phone starts to ring.   It looks as if the buyer's lender needs a couple of extra hours to get the loan documents delivered and we're sorry the last documents from the settlement attorney for HAP isn't back yet.  Before you know it two out of three settlements are pushed right smack into one that is going along smoothly.

Anyone who knows Northern Virgina traffic knows even if they had been spread out between 1-3 PM with one if Stafford County, one in Prince William County and one in Fairfax County the 75 mile trip wasn't going to happen for simultaneous settlements.  Fortunately as the listing agent for each transaction I was quickly able to rally some additional hands to cover two of the settlements (one the seller was already gone) and attend the one that was on time.

Out of the insanity comes the good news that two more military families, both moving to the Far East, were able to sell their homes using the Department of Defense Homeowners Assistance Program benefits.  With the deadline for PCS orders quickly approaching Northern Virginia military familes who qualify need to get their applications in place with the Savannah office soon. 

Now it is time to put my feet up and relax for a few minutes before I look at the calendar for tomorrow.  Hopefully I won't have to figure out how to be three places in once again for awhile.