Northern Virginia Real Estate Today Blog featuring Mark Wozniak

4195 S. Four Mile Run Drive, #301 - Arlington, VA 22204

Welcome to a beautiful, move-in ready, corner condo with fantastic privacy in a prime location. Enjoy the large room sizes, all the upgrades throughout the home, the spacious inviting balcony, and the open floor plan. Built in 2006 so everything still feels new, and the entire community is a wonderful retreat right in the middle of the South Arlington. All this plus a separate storage room, flexible parking situation, terrific clubhouse/pool/gym, meticulously maintained grounds, and so many more exceptional features.

Join us at the OPEN HOUSE, Sunday, April 29, 1-4 pm!

Call Mark Wozniak at 703-403-5175 with any questions you may have about this great home in Arlington! 

Exceptional Features:

• Spacious corner-unit condo featuring over 850 square feet of finished space plus a large balcony, all in excellent condition. 1 bedroom, 1 full bath.
• Sought-after floor plan combines usable space and thoughtful design, resulting in the perfect balance of well-defined spaces in an open, bright layout.
• Gorgeous, big kitchen with granite counters, separate island/breakfast bar, stainless steel appliances, attractive 42” cabinets, gas cooking, separate pantry, and double sink. Excellent storage and counter space. Separate dining area provides plenty of eating space and additional room for entertaining.
• Beautiful hardwood floors throughout home - foyer, kitchen, dining room, family room, and bedroom.
• Terrific balcony with French door access adds a whole additional outdoor living space, with enough room for table & chairs AND outdoor sofa or settee. Nice views, and ideal for everyday “dine or recline” living!
• Large bedroom - plenty of room for furniture, or even furniture and a crib. Walk-in closet with upscale California Closet organization system. Additional touches include ceiling fan, extra side window for nice light and cross-breeze, and room darkening shades.
• Rare privacy in a condo. Corner unit only shares side wall with one neighbor. Views do not look out onto other units, but rather onto trees and common area. Condo is elevated from ground level to minimize look-ins from foot traffic. None of the four bedroom side walls touch a neighbor. Unit is far from busy street noise, and nestled nicely along private corner of community.
• Bathroom features good-sized tub/shower, ceramic tile flooring, and separate toilet room.
• Programmable thermostat and full-size Maytag washer and dryer (stackable).
• Entire separate 10' X 5' storage room downstairs in the same building - this is an additional deeded space that comes with this unit and was an additional optional when the home was initially purchased. Perfect for storing bikes, large items, boxes, seasonal items, guest items, closet overflow, etc. Secure and climate controlled.
• Open green space right outside next to unit, and huge open courtyard and playground area directly behind the building. Covered grilling and picnic area and garden just moments away.
• Available parking. Unit comes with one parking pass, and is ideally located right by the community’s discretionary parking spaces available for separate monthly purchase. Additional street parking just steps away.
• Ideally situated unit minimizes stair steps required to get to unit (perfect when unloading groceries!) and helps minimize utility bills.
• Pet friendly condo community, with good pet walking areas right onsite.  Nearby dog parks as well.
• Outstanding pool and clubhouse area. Enormous pool area features adult pool and separate kiddie pool, massive sun deck, multiple grilling areas with tables and chairs, showers, and putting green. Clubhouse downstairs features gym with aerobic and weight equipment, computer room with multiple workstations, high speed internet, and printer, media/movie room, and reading area. Clubhouse upstairs feature huge party/lounge room, kitchen, gaming/eating area, large plasma TV, billiards table, fireplace, and patio area overlooking pool.
• So many neighborhood conveniences. Just minutes away from The Village at Shirlington, with a wide array of restaurants, shopping, movie theaters, bars, groceries, and more. Short walk to Four Mile Run and W&OD bike and jogging paths. Convenient access to Barcroft Park softball and soccer fields, and community center.
• Need to commute? Shuttle service to Metro conveniently runs through the community. I-395 just minutes away, with easy routes to downtown Washington, D.C., the Pentagon, Ft. Belvoir, Alexandria, Reagan National Airport, Metro, and more!

Call Mark Wozniak at 703-403-5175 with any questions you may have about this great home in Arlington! 

Condos in Arlington, VA - Single Family Homes in Arlington, VA - Townhouses in Arlington, VA

4429 Park Road | Alexandria, VA 22312

Single Family Home in Alexandria, VA on Over Half an Acre

4 Bedroom, 2 1/2 Bath

 $524,900

Exceptional Features:

• 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths on two levels
• Over half an acre lot size, with plenty of trees & landscaping throughout
• Ideal Inside-the-Beltway location – a commuter’s dream! Minutes to I-495, 395, 95. Close & convenient to major work centers such as downtown Washington, D.C, the Pentagon, and Ft. Belvoir. So many shops, groceries, restaurants, and entertainment options just moments away.
• Completely remodeled kitchen with lots of granite counter space, upgraded cabinets, stainless steel appliances, recessed lights and under-counter lighting, and hardwood floors
• Sizeable living room with fireplace and hardwood floors.
• Dining room with hardwood floors and built-in display cabinet.
• Fantastic, inviting sunroom that really ”brings in the outdoors” – just perfect for everyday relaxing or entertaining
• Sizeable master bedroom with hardwood floor, attached half bath, and bonus built-in storage cabinets
• Rear corner bedroom with gorgeous Brazilian cherry hardwood floors
• 3rd main level bedroom with hardwood floors, double closets, and additional built-in storage and countertop
• Incredible and huge downstairs rec room area with fireplace, hearth, and bar area – ideal space for large screen TV, “toy” area or “play” area, exercise equipment, pool table, gaming area, and so many other uses!
• Large downstairs bedroom with attached full bath
• Downstairs office, also great as hobby room, library, or den
• One-car garage with great built-in storage system and workbench
• Enormous and flat back yard, absolutely ideal for recreation, gardening, or just enjoying the views and privacy, plus a storage shed for all your lawn equipment
• Backyard brick patio with grill that conveys - bring on the barbecue!
• Beautiful landscaped front yard – wonderful size, and set back nicely from the road for additional privacy
• No homeowner’s association…no hefty HOA fees, no hefty rulebook

Loaded with recent upgrades:

• Complete kitchen remodeling & renovation - 2007
• New HVAC – 2007
• New carpet – 2012
• Hardwood floors >refinished – 2008
• New tankless water heater – 2009
• New front door - 2009
• Upgraded hall bath (toilet, fixtures, vanity, counter) – 2005
• New shower tower in hall bath – 2009
• New sump pump & French drain – 2008
• New washer & dryer – 2009
• Basement bedroom window well (to code)– 2011
• Newly painted – 2012
• New bar area ceramic tile - 2012
• New garage door & opener – 2007
• New garage cabinets & storage/mounting system – 2008
• New ceiling fans – 2006
• Solid pine doors throughout – 2007
• Replacement of all light switches, sockets, and fixtures
• Cat5 wiring and FIOS
• Professional landscaping
• All information is believed to be accurate but should not be relied upon without verification.

Call Mark Wozniak at 703-403-5175 with any questions you may have about this great home in Alexandria.

Other Single Family Homes in Alexandria | Condos in Alexandria, VA | Townhomes in Alexandria, VA

Swimming can be a great family activity because it’s fun, inexpensive and everyone can participate at their own level. In addition, you can burn hundreds of calories, build strength in your back, shoulders, and arms, and give your heart, lungs and all the major muscle groups in your body a good workout.

There are many homes with swimming pools available for sale in Northern Virginia in a surprising variety of price ranges. Many Northern Virginia Subdivisions have community pools, which are an affordable option for many homeowners. But if you want to swim before Memorial Day or after Labor Day, there's nothing like having your own swimming pool.

If your home has a swimming pool, pool safety is an important issue. A pool can be a source of great joy and exercise, but it can also be a source of great danger. Proper fences and barriers, pool covers, and proper drain covers are some of the safety guidelines recommended by www.PoolSafety.gov, a government website to educate consumers about pool safety. It's also advisable to learn CPR and of course, to supervise children closely.

If you're buying a home with a backyard pool, be sure to have your home inspector include it in the inspection. Make sure the pool and the barriers (fencing) are up to the latest safety codes for your county. Having a safe and well-maintained swimming pool can add a lot of value and enjoyment to your new home.

Here's a terrific blog from a home stager on reasons that homeowners give for not wanting to stage their home.  Through our own experience with selling homes here in Northern Virginia, her advice on why this DOESN'T make sense is so accurate.  We know for a fact that staging in Northern Virginia homes for sale works - and it works well.

Read through the great points in blog below...and then watch our video on how the Equity Rise team can help you with staging your home for sale in Northern Virgina.  We even take you on a tour of a home staged by Equity Rise so you can see how it can lead to a faster home sale for a higher price.

As we head toward the Spring housing market, it’s helpful to understand what kind of market we’re experiencing in Northern Virginia.  Is it trending towards a seller’s market?  Is it a buyer’s market?  Are we in a well balanced market?  The answer for Northern Virginia is “yes” - it just depends on which price range we’re considering.   Don’t worry…we’ll explain.

A common way to gauge the overall health and activity of the current market is to determine the home absorption rate.  The absorption rate measures how quickly all the current inventory of unsold homes would take to clear off the market if no additional homes were introduced.  It’s based on how quickly homes have been selling, and how large the inventory is of unsold homes.  The shorter the absorption rate, the faster the home inventory is being cleared off the market, which would tend to favor home sellers.  Alternatively, a longer absorption rate signifies that homes are lingering on the market and conditions favor home buyers.  In general, an absorption rate of less than 5 months is considered a “seller’s market”, and more than 7 months is considered a “buyer’s market”.  A rate of 5-7 months is considered a “balanced market”, where sales conditions overall don’t tend to favor one side of the transaction (seller or buyer).  

So how does all this apply to our Northern Virginia housing market?  Here are the most recent absorption rates within various price ranges.  These statistics are calculated for Fairfax County real estate, but the trend holds true throughout the area:

Home Price      Absorption Rate  Market Type

-------------   ---------------  -----------

Up to $250K      4.8 months      Seller’s market (slightly)

$250K - $500K    5.0 months      Balanced, but trending toward sellers

$500K - $750K    7.0 months      Balanced, trending toward further balance

$750K - $1M     11.3 months      Buyer’s market

$1M+            14.3 months      Buyer’s market 

As you can see, different price ranges are experiencing completely different kinds of markets even within the same area.  The composite absorption rate for Fairfax County, which again is analogous to the Northern Virginia region, is at exactly 6.0 months – about as “balanced” as you can expect.  In reality, though, if you’re selling in the lower price ranges, you may see quite a bit more buyer competition and multiple offer situations than at the higher price ranges.  Whether you’re buying or selling, these differences are so important to understand so you can take appropriate steps for the type of market in which you’re dealing.  As always, the Equity Rise Team will be happy to analyze and advise on the type of market that YOU’RE dealing with for YOUR specific situation.

If you are searching for Northern Virginia end unit townhomes for sale, you are certainly not alone.  End unit townhomes are popular for several reasons:

-          More privacy and less concern over “noisy neighbors”, since they only share one wall with a neighbor compared to interior units that have neighbors on both sides

-          Potentially more windows and light.  The end unit position allows builders to add windows to the side wall, although not all have taken advantage of this opportunity.  When they do, the extra windows often make the home brighter and even more inviting.

-          Potentially a preferred floor plan.  Some builders give the end units a unique floor plan, such as moving the main entrance to the side and really changing up the layout compared to an interior unit.  Sometimes these floor plans can be more spacious and have side bump-outs (like a bay window) that just aren’t available on an interior unit.

-          More yard, since the end units usually have a certain amount of yard space on the side that belongs to the homeowner.  Sometimes this also allows end unit homeowners to add steps to their raised deck that wrap around the side of the home instead of taking up back yard space.  Of course, that could depend on what’s allowed by the homeowner association, but it shows just another potential way of taking advantage of that extra yard area.

-          More convenience outside going from front to back of home.  If you have an interior unit and need to wheel a lawn mower or a trash can from your front yard to back yard, you may need to walk around several other homes to do it.  In an end unit, you’re just going back and forth in your own yard.

-          More likelihood that you’ll be next to common area (field, trees, landscaping, pond, etc).  Just by the nature of how townhome communities are designed, the end units often have an increased chance that they might be next to some common area element.  Sometime this can add further spacing between homes or give more feel of privacy or provide an enhanced view.  This is certainly not always true and is on a case-by-case basis…but it’s something to keep an eye on when searching for Northern Virginia end unit townhouses for sale.

-          Potentially better resale value or a faster resale.  All of the advantages discussed above can make end unit homes more appealing to buyers, plus they are certainly more rare than interior units.  As such, end units homes often have a price premium compared to their interior neighbors, and often garner more interest from buyers.  Of course, there are no guarantees of that, and condition and amenities are crucial.  But all other things being equal, end units can have distinct resale advantages.

The links above in this article will take you directly to a fantastic search tool that focuses strictly on Northern Virginia end unit townhomes for sale.  And please contact the Equity Rise Real Estate Group – we can save you time by showing you just the types of townhouses you want to see.

The Equity Rise Real Estate Group is proud to present 6700 Rock Fall Court for sale in Clifton, VA.  The home is being offered for $799,900.

This is a gogeous remodeled and expanded FOUR fully finished level home in the sought-after Little Rocky Run subdivision! This Chevy Chase model home by Craftmark rests on beautiful cul-de-sac and boasts six bedrooms, four full and two half baths, and over 5,000 sq. feet of living space! Just minutes from schools, shops, restaurants, Rt. 28 and I-66!

AS SEEN ON TV!! - The remodeled true gourmet kitchen featured on The Chef Emeril (Bam!) Lagasse Cooking Show! All the bells and whistles! Stainless appliances, rare granite, custom handmade ceramic tiles, gas Wolf 6 burner and grill range, crab or pasta pot filler, range hood with stone updraft chimney to vaulted ceiling, large double oven, warming drawer, microwave, center island with extra sink, dishwasher, refrigerator with front dispensers. 42” cabinets, under-cabinet lighting, appliance panels matching cabinetry, copper faucets and cabinet handles, and desk area.

Welcoming entry foyer features wood staircase and door to main level study with built-in cabinetry. The formal living room flows into an elegant dining room.  Step down to 19’x19’ family room with wide plank heart pine floor and brick floor-to-ceiling fireplace with mantel.  Mud room from garage has built-ins and hook-ups for the original location of the washer/dryer.

Upper Level One boasts huge Master Suite with sitting room and two walk-in closets, fully renovated bath with granite, custom mouldings, double sink vanity, two person whirlpool tub and beautiful archways. Four additional bedrooms and two more baths. Linen closet and clothes washer and dryer.

Wooden riser staircase leads to finished 4th level (upper level two) which hosts sixth bedroom, separate bonus room, and full bath. Fabulous teen or au-pair suite!

Expansive finished lower level with Berber carpet in play area/rec room, includes granite wet bar, and step down media room with projector and screen. (Projector and screen convey.) Powder room, wall of closets, and storage/utility room too. Brilliantly designed faux lighting creates a warm, sun-filled atmosphere.

Upgraded 3 ¼” tongue-in-groove hardwood on main and two upper levels, designer ceramic tile flooring, ceiling fans, recessed lighting and upgraded fixtures, 2-tone paint. Plantation shutters, upscale mouldings and 9’ ceilings throughout. Dual zone gas heat w/ programmable thermostats. Verizon FIOS ready.

Flagstone front stoop, walkway and flowerbeds adorn the front yard. The in-ground sprinkler system conveys. Two car garage with new doors. Multi-level Trex deck and pergola lead to fully fenced rear yard.

The Little Rocky Run Community offers great amenities including: pools, tennis courts, all purpose courts, tot lots, walking paths and open space. Dues include trash and recycling pickup, snow removal, and common area maintenance.

If you have Northern Virginia homes for sale or may be relocating to Northern Virginia, it’s certainly important to keep a close eye on trends in the local housing market.  The following brief video gives an overview of market conditions using the most recent available Northern Virginia aggregate housing data from November 2011.

So, should you be enthusiastic about this news?  As always, we strongly encourage you to consult a Realtor in Northern Virginia who can help you to further interpret this data and determine how it applies to your specific situation. 

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One of the tremendous advantages of living in Northern Virginia is that we have so many businesses and local amenities available nearby – restaurants, stores, parks, entertainment centers, schools, hospitals, banks, etc.  In daily life, the question comes up as to how convenient all these amenities are to a certain home location.  When buyers are looking for Falls Church homes for sale, they may want to know if they’ll need a car for everyday outings.  When buyer are looking at Bristow homes for sale, they may want to know if they can walk to some amenities from a particular home, or perhaps bike, or if most trips will require a car.

WalkScore.com is a website that tells you how "walkable" your current or prospective home is. You can enter the address of your current home or a home you're thinking about buying. This website then shows you how close various amenities are and calculates the property's "Walk Score".  You can also get a map with different icons that show exactly where these amenities are in relation to that home address.  There’s a selection list so you can view just the amenities you want to see.  If the amenity you want to see isn’t on the pick list, you can even try searching on your own custom amenities (with varying degrees of success).

Another great feature of the site is the “Your Commute” tool.  This allows you to enter a destination address from the home and it will provide a map and time estimates for walking, biking, and driving to that location.  So, if you want a rough estimate of how easy it will be to get to the grocery store or your office, you can just plug in the destination address and you’ll get estimates from the home address location.  Now keep in mind – these are just estimates, and the further the destination from the home, the more likely that the estimates might not hold true (especially in rush hour!).  However, it’s still quite useful to see if walking or biking MIGHT be reasonable from a home location.

For those who can’t visit neighborhoods in person – such as those relocating to Northern Virginia – the Walk Score site is an excellent way to get a feel of how convenient and compatible an area or specific home location may be with your lifestyle.

Finding a commuting strategy is simply a way of life for homeowners in Northern Virginia.  Aside from driving yourself all the way to work, there are multiple options available – metro rail, buses, carpooling, Virginia Rail Express (VRE), and more.

For those who want to take a bus to work, or take a bus to a rail station, or want to meet for a carpool, a common challenge is where to leave your car all day so you can take advantage of those options.  Luckily, there are a large number of commuter park & ride lots throughout Northern Virginia to provide a solution.  If you’re relocating to Northern Virginia and you’re not familiar with our commuting situation here, it will be important to get a good grasp of how these park & ride lots might fit into your commuting strategy.  The same can be said for anyone looking for Northern Virginia homes for sale who may want an alternative to driving all the way to work. 

The concept of a park & ride lot is quite simple – it’s a designated place where you can park your car and where buses come to serve commuters or you can meet up for a carpool.  In some cases, these lots are situated next to metro rail or VRE stations.  All lots that serve the WMATA metro rail stations have a fee associated with their parking lots.  Otherwise, the park & ride lots are typically free of charge. 

For more information on park and ride lots in various locations, please consult the following links:

Arlington County Commuter Park & Ride Lots

Fairfax County Commuter Park & Ride Lots

Loudoun County Park & Ride Lots

Prince William County Park & Ride Lots

These sites offer varying levels of information, including number of parking spaces.  For the Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince Williams sites, you’ll be able to see maps of each lot and bus routes served, plus other helpful information.

Your Northern Virginia Realtor should be able to assist in pointing out commuting options, such as park & ride lots, from the neighborhoods you’re considering.