May 16, 2008
Open House Date and Time:
Sunday, May 18th, 1-4 pm
6002 GOOD LION Ct
ALEXANDRIA, VA 22315
Seller’s Comments
Favorite restaurants in the area: Kingstowne Center is loaded with shops and restaurants, from King Street Blues to Stonefish Grille, Noodles, Johnny Rockets, Chipotle and Panera Bread. There’s an Uno’s, a Macaroni Grille, Pasara Thai Restaurant and our favorite, Shiro Japanese Steakhouse! So many choices - you’ll never have to wash dishes again.
Favorite places to go: The Farmer’s Market in Kingstowne Center during the summer months has various vendors and live entertainment. A great way to enjoy a Friday evening. Or enjoy relaxing at one of the two community pools - the south center is within walking distance, and its a great way to cool down at the end of the day.
Best features of the home: We love the open floor plan with the kitchen open to the eating area and family room where we spend most of our time. There’s a gas fireplace that adds a warmth and coziness to cold winter nights. During the warmer months we especially love entertaining on the back patio surrounded by tiki torches and candlelight. The yard is beautifully landscaped, private and quiet.
Favorite room: The living room is wide open with cathedral ceiling and skylights. The plantation shutters keep the room feeling bright and airy and the sliding glass door leads you right out to the patio and backyard.
Any remodeling since last sale price: Replaced the laminate in the kitchen with Quartz counter tops and replaced all the appliances in 2005. The interior of the house was painted in 2007, crown moulding was added in the family room. Plantation shutters were custom made for the first floor and master bedroom. Updated the light fixtures in family room, eating area and hallways. Gutted and remodeled the master bathroom to create a spa-like bath with double vanity and huge walk-in shower.
Most romantic spot: The back yard on warm summer nights.
What’s in the neighborhood: Community centers of Kingstowne. The South Center is located across the street from the neighborhood and it features one of the two community pools, tennis courts, play ground, exercise room, etc. Also there are walking and hiking trails throughout Kingstowne, but the best kept secret is Kingstowne Park, which abuts the neighborhood has hiking trails and three small lakes. In Kingstowne Center there are countless restaurants, shops and services, including a post office, banks and movie theater.
What I will miss the most: Friendly neighbors and sense of community. Convenience of Kingstowne including the close access to public transportation and proximity to major highways. The house is great and the backyard and gardens will be missed.
May 14, 2008
Did you know that Virginia was named one of Travel + Leisure’s top 5 new wine travel destinations in the world in 2007? It was the only U.S. destination named in a list that also included Italy, Spain, Chile and New Zealand. How do you like them apples - or should I say, grapes? (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)
Image: Bluemont Vineyards (from their website)
Virginia is home to more than 100 wineries, 17 of which reside in Loudoun. LoudounFarms.org has information on all of them, and also features a downloadable Wine Trail Map and a brochure that can be used as a “passport” to wind your way through the Wine Trail and accumulate points for prizes. Below, I’ve listed the 5 vineyards that are located in Eastern Loudoun, but be sure to check out some of the others listed on the Loudoun Farms website, like Bluemont Vineyard, Sunset Hills in Purcellville, Village Winery in Waterford, and Notaviva Vineyards, which is also in Purcellville and will be featured on HGTV’s “Dream House” (debut date: July 5th). Also, be sure to check out http://www.myvinespot.com/, a blog written by a local wine lover.
Image: Sunset Hills Vineyard (from their website)
In addition to the wineries, I’ve also highlighted several nearby communities. One of the truly unique things about Loudoun is how quickly it changes from suburban to rural; so while these communities may be a bit off the beaten path, they are a short drive from all the shopping and amenities that Eastern Londoners are used to. Most of the homes in these communities offer enormous lots (usually at least an acre), gorgeous views, and all the privacy you could ever want. A little word to the wise before you get your sights set on living in this area, though: For the most part, it doesn’t come cheap. Prices start in the mid-$700s and go way up into the millions. I did manage to find a property in Raspberry Falls in the mid-600s, but prices like that are few and far between.
FABBIOLI CELLARS
15669 Limestone School Road
Leesburg, VA 20176
703-771-1197
HIDDEN BROOK WINERY
43301 Spinks Ferry Road
Leesburg, VA 20176
703-737-3935
LOST CREEK WINERY
43277 Spinks Ferry Road
Leesburg, VA 20176
703-443-9836
winery@lostcreekwinery.com
TARARA WINERY
13648 Tarara Lane
Leesburg, VA 20176
703-771-7100, Metro DC 703-478-8161
blog
WILLOWCRAFT FARM VINEYARDS
38906 Mount Gilead Road
Leesburg, VA 20175
703-777-8161
willowine@aol.com
NEARBY COMMUNITIES
SELMA ESTATES (Off of US-15)
It’s all new construction, but there is one home available immediately.
RASPBERRY FALLS (HOA; Golf & Hunt Club) (Off of US-15)
41723 PUTTERS GREEN CT, LEESBURG, VA 20176
Price: $939,900
4 bd/6.5 ba; 0.95 acres
42031 RASPBERRY DR, LEESBURG, VA 20176
Price: $747,500
4 bd/2.5 ba; 11.04 acres
41851 RASPBERRY DR, LEESBURG, VA 20176
Price: $639,900
4 bd/2.5 ba; 1.05 acres
BEACON HILL (Off of Rt. 7, past the US 15/Leesburg Bypass)
40685 CARRY BACK LN, LEESBURG, VA 20176
Price: $929,900
4 bd/4.5 ba; 0.92 acres
17140 NEEDLES CT, LEESBURG, VA 20176
Price: $899,900
5 bd/4.5 ba; 0.98 acres
17048 NEEDLES CT, LEESBURG, VA 20176
Price: $1,150,000
5 bd/4.5 ba; 0.8 acres
GLYNN TARRA ESTATES (off of US-15)
14055 SPRINGVIEW CT, LEESBURG, VA 20176
Price: $774,900
4 bd/3.5 ba; 5.1 acres
Recent Loudoun County Posts
How Green is My Valley?
Loudoun County Farmers’ Markets
Past Sales, March through Mid-April
May 14, 2008
If you want to buy a place in or around Dupont Circle then you might have to choose between an extra bedroom (or any bedroom) and a parking spot. A piece of land just big enough for your gas guzzler now goes for $40-$50k. At least that’s under $400 per sqft, not quite as much as the average for condos!
I understand why. When I used to live in Dupont (without a designated parking spot) I had to search endlessly for a place to rest my VW. I also had to budget a certain amount for inevitable parking tickets. Zipcar didn’t exist then and Vespa was uncommon here. Despite these more recent innovations, I think it has gotten worse — so definitely take this into consideration if you are planning to move to this area. I also think we need to push for creative solutions to ease the situation. Here are one resident’s ideas from the Greater Greater Washington Web site.
If you do want to buy a parking spot to go along with that new condo you’re planning to get, there are two spaces listed in the MLS at the moment : one at 1501 Swann St. NW and the other at 1210 R St. NW close to Logan Circle. You might also try Craig’s List.
On the subject of condos, my favorite listing at the moment is a dramatic, original, historic, renovated, large, 2-bedroom penthouse that has been on the market for about 6 weeks. It is at 1720 S St. NW and is going for $649,500, down from $675,000. The monthly fee is $381.
I would also want to check out the 2-bedroom unit on sale for $549,000 in a 113-year-old apartment building on Q St NW. It’s probably a rare find, aesthetically speaking. Unfortunately, there are no interior pictures on the MLS listing. Other similar buildings from that era have high ceilings and beautiful details. But watch out! The monthly fee is a whopping $698, enough to rival some of the new luxury condos that may have more amenities.
Cheers,
Allison
Photo credit: Akseabird via Creative Commons
May 12, 2008
After almost a decade of economic revival and gentrification in many areas of D.C., I wonder what will happen now in the wonderfully diverse Mount Pleasant area, including Columbia Heights and Park View, just north of it. This is the type of place where you can buy a 4-bedroom renovated townhouse for over a million dollars, or a 4-bedroom fixer-upper for under $300,000, just 12 blocks apart.
This historic area suffered a big set-back after the riots related to Martin Luther King’s assassination — so many years ago and yet so recent in memory for this city. Since the real estate boom, and slowly, block by block moving east and north, the number of seriously neglected houses compared to fixed-up and cared-for homes has changed the face of Mount Pleasant. When the Columbia Heights Metro station opened on 14th St., NW near Irving Place, that was a real boon. Then Target and other major stores decided to take a stand next to the Metro. I don’t even recognize 14th St. anymore. But now that the real estate boom is over, what’s the situation?
Well, for a clue, take a look at the Redfin map showing houses for sale there. The distribution of “for sale” signs is heavily skewed to the streets east of 13th St. NW, around Sherman Ave. NW, and across the eastern side of Georgia Ave., NW, in the direction of the Washington Hospital Center where Children’s is located. A lot of them are fixer-uppers, some with half-started jobs waiting for completion. At least 3 are foreclosure sales. Most have been on the market for a long time (average 90 days) and most have had price reductions.
In other words, the locations that were on the frontier of gentrification seem to be suffering the most as the risk/reward equation changes for new owners. No surprise there, it’s just hard to see it actually happening. Look at the sales map for Ledroit Park and you see the same thing, with quite a few more foreclosures.
How far will this go? I don’t know. But in Columbia Heights I would hope that the Metro and 14th St. shopping will continue to positively affect the whole area over time. If you have thick skin, deep pockets, and can wait this out, there may be some bargains out there now as people try to off-load. If you already rent in the neighborhood and have been hoping to buy a home, this may be the breathing space you need to get into the owner’s market before it goes up again.
Things like crime and general living atmosphere are different from block to block, like in New York. So if you don’t already live there you need local intelligence, like this community discussion thread advising someone moving to the area. Other discussion threads talk about fun stuff like roof-crawlers (people, not animals, although you can get lots of raccoons in D.C. too!)
Other relevant blogs:
http://newcolumbiaheights.blogspot.com
http://theheightslife.blogspot.com
http://parkand14th.blogspot.com
Final note: Never write off a local public school until you visit it. Bell Multicultural High School on Highland Place is a gem - and I am not talking about the sparkling new building. I don’t know what the stats say with respect to meeting No Child Left Behind measures, but the principal, staff, students and programs there are amazing, despite enormous challenges. The real stats - like graduation (over 90%) and college-qualification rates (over 80%) are outstanding for a D.C. public school. It is supported by a public-private partnership called MCIP, which was instrumental in getting D.C. to build the new school building a few years back.
Cheers,
Allison
Photo credit via Creative Commons
May 10, 2008
Just when we thought it was safe to water our lawns, Loudoun Water is reminding us of last year’s drought and asking us to practice a little preventive conservation. We can help by watering less and only on designated days, using the following schedule:
*Tuesday and Friday for nonresidential buildings and apartment complexes
*Wednesday and Saturday for odd residential addresses
*Thursday and Sunday for even residential addresses
In addition, it helps if we don’t water on rainy days. While that may sound obvious, automatic irrigation systems are the biggest burden on Loudoun’s water supply, and most stick to a set schedule regardless of conditions like weather and soil conditions. According to this Loudoun Times article, irrigation systems account for about 70% of the drain on the County’s water supply. I was truly shocked by that number, but maybe I shouldn’t be since we are just about the only people in my neighborhood without underground sprinklers.
One solution being proposed by Loudoun Water is to switch to “smart” sprinkler systems, which are equipped to monitor both soil and weather conditions. Visit http://www.irrigation.org/smartwater/homeowners/index.html to learn more about these systems and how they can help the water conservation cause.
You can find more information about Loudoun Water’s summer conservation campaign and how you can do your part here.
Happy watering!
May 10, 2008
I was looking at condos for sale in Cleveland Park last week and, as always, I noticed a few front yard signs saying “Save Klingle Road” or “Save Klingle Park.” The Klingle Road debate is many years old by now. It concerns a half-mile stretch of “reclaimed” parkland based on the providentially washed-out remains of a section of Klingle Rd. It used to connect Mount Pleasant to the southern part of Cleveland Park, via an off-shoot of the bridge over Rock Creek at Porter St.
The D.C. City Council finally voted to repair and reopen the road, and proposed a $7 million budget for this. Now, the measure has been blocked again, and a public hearing on Thursday night packed the room full of “Save Klingle Park” supporters. While I am personally happy that the squirrels and walkers don’t have to run for cover quite yet, at the same time I am getting tired of this debate and at some point we have to respect the public process. Don’t we? Or maybe you’d rather buy a condo there knowing you can take a walk in Klingle Valley without breathing in exhaust fumes ….
Keep your eye on DCWire and The North West Current for updates. The Council is voting on the budget next week. You can get some basic facts and background from www.klinglevalley.org or www.repairklingleroad.org (which seems to have more money behind it, although not necessarily more supporters.) Also, for some thoughtful words on this and other urban development issues, try Richard Layman’s blog.
So, what about the condos in Cleveland Park, which is better-known for its large and historic single-family homes? Well, the condos are generally in older buildings (30-80 years old), sometimes very charming, clustered near Connecticut Ave., and not cheap for what you get. People go for them because this is a well-heeled, long-established urban community with everything you need within walking distance. I used to work in Cleveland Park, so I felt it was my neighborhood for at least several hours a day. The Metro will take you to K St. in five minutes, if you should be so lucky/unlucky to work there (or you could walk there in 30 minutes). You can walk to the Zoo. There are always people about, lots of restaurants, some interesting stores and small businesses, schools, and a very active set of residents. You can learn more at www.clevelandpark.com.
There are over 20 condos for sale in Cleveland Park now, mainly 1-bedroom apartments in the $300-400k range. Condo fees vary widely depending on the state of repair/renovation. The two listed below are open on Sunday - including a rare 3-bedroom unit - but check Redfin for more before you go out:
- 2712 ORDWAY St, #23 - $315,000, 1 bed/1bath, 727 sqft. Monthly condo fee is $258. This is a quiet street, right in the heart of Cleveland Park and close to the action. Open Sunday 1-4 pm.
- 3411 29TH St NW, #4 - $539,000, 3 bed/2 bath duplex, 1300 sqft. Monthly condo fee is $718. The MLS pictures are gorgeous! Open Sunday 2-5 pm.
Cheers, Allison
May 9, 2008
Long surveys suck. Especially when you know many of the results are going to end up on a corporate Powerpoint as useless filler. That’s why we’re getting down to the nitty gritty. We want to know who are readers are and why you read Redfin Sweet Digs. That’s it. Please take a minute to fill out our blog survey. It will help us improve Sweet Digs, Scout’s honor.
Click here to take the survey.
We’ll share the results with everyone in a couple weeks. Thanks.
-The Sweet Digs Team
Photo credit: glenOX on Flickr
May 9, 2008
Open House Date and Time:
Sunday, May 11th, 1-4 pm
1802 LANSDOWNE Way
SILVER SPRING, MD 20910
Seller’s Comments
Coffee shop of choice: Panera Bread - with their free wi-fi and huge selection of soups and sandwiches, it’s a great place to read or study. Since it’s in Downtown Silver Spring, there’s always Borders, Starbucks, and the Majestic (a 20-screen movie theater) in case the studying wears thin…
Favorite restaurants in the area: It’s a 10 minute walk to Woodside Deli for breakfast or Armand’s Pizza for lunch. Only a short drive or 1 metro stop away is Downtown: Mandalay (Burmese), Canyon Grill (similar to Houston’s, but better), Thai Derm, Mrs. K’s Tollhouse, Great Eggspectations, Baja Fresh, and the Shopping Mall.
Favorite places to go: American Film Institute (AFI) Theater - great seats, fantastic selection of new and indie movies, and they even serve alcohol!
Best features of the home: Location, location, location. 10 minute drive to NNMC Bethesda/NIH via the “back way” without ever getting on the beltway. 10 minute drive to WRAMC as well.
Favorite room: Toss-up - I love spending time in the kitchen (the new appliances and granite counter tops and all the space make it fun to spend time there), but I also love our upstairs office with its large window and great view of the city and the walking bridge. The deck is a nice place to hang out in the evenings.
Any remodeling since last sale price: Yes! The kitchen is almost entirely new - new hardwood floors, granite counters, stainless appliances. New carpet, new hot water heater, and a fresh coat of paint (interior) round out the improvements.
Most romantic spot: We really enjoy taking walks in our neighborhood all 4 seasons…it’s hard to pick one spot.
What’s in the neighborhood: Snyder’s Grocery store, Armand’s Pizza, and Woodside Deli are all within short walking distance. Only a 5 minute drive away are the Forest Glen Commissary, Silver Spring Cycles, and a FedEX Store. There’s also a small park with a playground, tennis courts, and basketball court just about 2 blocks away.
What I will miss the most: The location! Convenient to work, hike and bike trails, and good neighborhoods to explore on foot, while at the same time the metro allows easy access to the Mall, downtown DC restaurants and nightlife, and even the airport - it’s been great to fly in and out of Ronald Reagan National Airport without having to worry about finding or paying for parking or a taxi cab!
May 8, 2008
Image: The Loudoun Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains
I’ve been hearing a lot more about solar panel usage in Loudoun recently, but I always just assumed that none of the “big name” communities would allow them. I was happily surprised (and impressed) to read in this Loudoun Times-Mirror article that quite a few of those communities do allow them, even if some of them place conditions on their use.
So, which communities are solar-friendly? The article specifically names Ashburn Farm, Cascades, Ashburn Village and CountrySide as allowing residents to use them. Broadlands also allows solar panels, as long as their use is under the accepted guidelines.
South Riding and Brambleton both disallow the use of solar panels, but South Riding is investigating changing that bylaw.
Lansdowne, Belmont Country Club, Belmont Greene and River Creek were not mentioned as being either for or against it. It would probably just be a matter of a simple phone call to find out where they each stand, so I’ll try to follow up on that.
Do I expect there to be a stampede of consumers charging the solar panel stores as a result of this discovery? Of course not. But it’s interesting to me how open-minded many of these HOAs are, since so many of them get a bad rap. The lesson here is obvious and simple: Always ask. Especially if you’re a homebuyer, it’s important to ferret out the details about the community you’ll be living in. And always read thoroughly through your HOA documents, if applicable. HOA docs may seem to fall under the “Seen one, seen them all” category, but that’s just simply not the case. What you find in them might surprise you.
If you’re really into the environment, EcoVillage of Loudoun County might just be the place for you. According to their website, “Our inspired community is nestled on 180 organically managed acres of beautiful rolling hills north of Leesburg, VA, close to the Point of Rocks commuter rail station serving Washington, DC and suburban Maryland.” Among other “green” practices, the village clusters homes to encourage land preservation, builds with environmentally safe materials, and uses the “solar envelope” concept to best take advantage of the sun’s light.
To find out what other Loudoun residents and business are doing to help the environment, click here. You can also read about how the recently elected Board of Supervisors is getting in on the action by joining 3 area environmental programs, including the Cool Capital Challenge.
For more information about Loudoun’s environmental policies, activism and activities, check out the websites below.
http://greenerloudoun.wordpress.com/
http://www.keeploudounbeautiful.org/
http://www.loudounwildlife.org
May 7, 2008
Last time I posted past sales, I waited 3 weeks since the last past sales post and wound up with only a handful of transactions to report. This time, I gave it 6 weeks and it’s a much, much different story. Usually, I search by subdivision instead of by zip code, but there were so many sales that I had to organize the data by zip this time. Below are the numbers for 20176, 20147, and 20148 for March through Mid-April. The stats for 20176 are small in comparison to the other 2 zips, but only because I only cover one subdivision in 20176 (Lansdowne). Note that several Ashburn subdivisions (the Farm, the Village, and the Broadlands) take up parts of both 20147 and 20148.
20176 (Lansdowne)
20 sales
Average sale price: $509,211
Median sale price: $507,500
The stats for 20147 and 20148 take up too much room to fit on this page, so only the highlights are shown below. Click on “Read the rest of this entry” to view the sales tables for both of those zips.
20147 (Ashburn Village, Ashburn Farm, Belmont Country Club, Belmont Greene, Broadlands)
120 sales
Average sale price: $377,829
Median sale price: $332,500
20148 (Ashburn Village, Ashburn Farm, Brambleton, Broadlands)
48 sales
Average sale price: $474,618
Median sale price: $420,250
Read the rest of this entry »
