Julie and I rode bikes from Old Town up to Washington DC to take a look at the cherry blossoms. We rode along the GW Parkway on the Mount Vernon Trail to Theodore Roosevelt Island and then we turned back crossing the river into the city. It was a pleasant morning and a good time.
Cherry Blossoms
Washington Monument as seen from Virginia during cherry blossom
Washington Monument surrounded by cherry blossoms
Jefferson Memorial at Cherry Blossom
The cherry trees bloom every Spring along the Potomac River
Will Nesbitt is the principal broker of Condo Alexandria.
Because we do business as Condo Alexandria, I'm often asked: do you only work with condos?
The answer is of course: no. Condo Alexandria works with all types of real estate in the Commonwealth of Virginia. But we do fill several niches and have expertise in a few specific areas that might be of interest to you.
brick home in Belle Haven
Condo Alexandria serves the condo market in Alexandria (mainly in the West End and Old Town), Crystal City, Pentagon City, Arlington, Fairfax County, and Kingstowne. Our focus these days is on buyers and landlords. As a buyer's agent we are well equipped to find the property that suits you needs and make the sale proceed smoothly and quickly. As property manager we take the hassle out of being a landlord. We of course have listings for sale but if the time isn't right to sell, we'll let you know and advise you of your best options.
Condo Alexandria also does business as Nesbitt Realty. In the capacity as Nesbitt Realty, we focus on homes and properties near our offices and homes.
Our agents and I have particularly good insight in Alexandria especially around Bucknell and Belle Haven, but also in Kingstowne and Old Town. These neighborhoods have condos, but they also have single family homes and town houses.
If you have questions or if I can be of service, please don't hesitate to contact me! If you need help finding properties please help yourself to our fast and free database of properties that are currently on the market. The number of listings that are available can sometimes be overwhelming, so feel free to contact me if you'd like for us to do the search.
Will Nesbitt of Condo AlexandriaWill Nesbitt is the Principal Broker of Condo Alexandria / Nesbitt Realty.
The federal government is driving demand for office space, according to Jones Lang LaSalle’s annual report on federal real estate procurement.
US Capitol Dome
In Washington, D.C., the federal government will require more than 5 million square feet of new office space by the end of 2010. That is more than both public and private entities combined will require elsewhere in the United States.
"I’d say it would make sense for brokers to be targeting federal agencies rather than private agencies," says Scott Homa, senior market research analyst at Jones Lang LaSalle.
Source: GlobeSt.com, Robert Carr (03/31/2010)
Alexandria Residents To Benefit From Emergency Rental Assistance Program
Residents in Alexandria who are facing financial hardship due to the coronavirus crisis can benefit from the COVID-19 Emergency Rent Relief Assistance Program recently launched by the City.
Alexandria Opens Temporary Drop Off Site For Collection Of Yard Waste
Reisdents of Alexandria will now be required to drop off their yard waste at a temporary drop off site set up by the City. Due to concerns of the coronavirus the City was forced to suspend the collection of garbage as it seeks to protect employees from the risk of the virus.
Amazon Makes Donation To Alexandria And Greater Washington In Fight Against COVID-19
Amazon has provided assistance to the City of Alexandria and the Greater Washington area through a monetary donation of $1mil. The $1 million donation will aid in the emergency COVID-19 response funds which will benefit four local community foundations.
Increase in Real Estate Tax To Be Approved By Alexandria City Council
The Alexandria City Council has voted for a real estate tax rate increase to $1.155 per $100 of assessed value from the current $1.13 which would represent an increase of 2.5 cent.
Home prices that approach what they were before the bust are at least five years away, says Peter Morici, a University of Maryland professor of economics.
Carlyle Towers
“I think we’ll see housing values rise 20 or 25 percent and then more gradual appreciation," Morici says.
The problem, he believes, is the oversupply of housing. “Supply is a couple of years ahead of demand,” he says.
Other housing observers were less optimistic. “Foreclosures are still going to bite the market. Given the preponderance of negative housing data, we may see another leg down,” says Joseph Brusuelas, president of Brusuelas Analytics.
Source: Bloomberg, Courtney Schlisserman (03/30/2010)
Home Prices In Arlington Continue To Hike
The housing market in Arlington County is getting more and more expensive as potential buyers continue to have fewer homes and condos to choose from.
Inlet Cove is alongside Route 1 This neighborhood of townhouses is near grocers and eateries Inlet Cove is close to Fort Belvoir, Alexandria, and Potomac Mills shops, in the city of Woodbridge Interior to these properties are multilevel Inlet Cove is serene
Pending home sales increased again in March, affirming that a surge of home sales is unfolding for the spring home buying season, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in March, rose 5.3 percent to 102.9 from 97.7 in February, and is 21.1…
Some of the best housing deals are on high-end homes, many over $1 million. Some of them need TLC or they aren’t in the most-coveted locations. But there are plenty of desirable properties and lots of sellers who are getting impatient. Buyers with cash have the best opportunities. Buyers who need a mortgage should move…
The National Association of Realtors recently did a study about the characteristics of home buyers. Some of the findings might surprise you. Thirteen percent of buyers purchased a home with one or more parents and grandparents together with adult children. There were several reasons given for purchasing a multi-generational home. Cost savings; Children over the…
view of Pentagon CityThe expert says: “I understand. But no matter what price we set for your property, there is always a chance it may not sell. I would like to set an appointment to review the activity and reconsider the price in two weeks. We will be monitoring the calls from signs, ads, and open houses to determine our best strategy for locating a buyer. Then we will analyze this information and adjust our marketing campaign as needed until it is sold.”
— Rich Levin, Real Estate Trainer and Coach
It's true: we're still in a buyer's market. I don't see prices continuing to decline, but there are only two options if you want to sell your home: wait patiently for a buyer to see the value of your home, or lower the price to entice a buyer to act now. In the past, homes were selling for more than what they are worth. Today, they are probably selling for less than what they are worth. If you have the time to be patient, hold out to get your price. If you want to act now, don't worry too much because if you sell at a low price, you'll be buying at a low price.
Will NesbittWill Nesbitt is the Principal Broker of Condo Alexandria.
Fairfax County officials are encouraging residents to help remove dirt and sod left on the roads by snowplows. Residents and business owners also are asked to replace any missing grass on their properties.
The county already is taking action on this issue with help from the Sheriff’s Office Community Labor Force (CLF). During the next few weeks, these crews will clean up dirt and sod from the roads as they perform landscaping at bus stops and parking lots across the county.
“Because this problem is so widespread, VDOT won’t be able to clean up every one of the 17,000 miles of roads that they’re responsible for in Northern Virginia,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova. “This is why we’re asking for help from the community and the county is stepping in to assist too.”
In many cases, the sod can be transplanted back on the sides of the roads.
The Sheriff’s Community Labor Force provides an innovative approach to incarceration and work release. The CLF partners with other county agencies to provide light landscaping services on county-owned property, saving taxpayer dollars. Labor crews, consisting of well-screened offenders, provide necessary services to the county that include graffiti removal, blight abatement, countywide litter pickup, bus stop maintenance, and overall beautification.
The CLF program participants can engage in meaningful work and develop employable skills. They also may earn “Exemplary Good Time” for their efforts, thereby reducing incarceration periods and the cost of incarceration to taxpayers.
Courtesy Fairfax County Government Website
Biking is a fun way to see the sites of Northern VA
Tandem bikes are available
Go green and explore the city by bicycle! Bike and Roll Alexandria offers bike rentals including Trek comfort hybrid bikes as well as tandem bikes. Children’s bikes and accessories such as tandem trailers and burleys are also available.
Bike rentals allow you to hop on two wheels and see DC and Northern Virginia in a completely new way. All rentals come with a helmet, U-lock, bike rack, flat kit and city map. Just let us know where you are heading and we’ll point you in the right direction! You may even rent from one shop and ride one-way to our other location (in Washington DC) for a small drop-off fee.
Choose between comfort or performance.
For day long reservations for any equipment in Old Town Alexandria, VA, call: 703.548. ROLL (7655).
Bike and Roll Alexandria
One Wales Alley
Alexandria, VA 22314
Bike and Roll Alexandria is located at the corner of Wales Alley and The Strand in Old Town Alexandria. This
Bike Path on GW Parkway
shop is convenient to the King Street Trolley Stop at North Union Street and a couple hundred yards south from the Water Taxi.
Bike and Roll
Huntington Metro
A new study contends that only 39 percent of U.S. communities are affordable for typical households when the cost of transportation is included in the calculation of housing costs.
The Center for Neighborhood Technology analyzed the Housing + Transportation Affordability Index, which examined 161,000 neighborhoods housing 80 percent of the U.S. population, and concluded that for most families, transportation is the second-largest household expense.
It is also a fairly unmanageable one, the study concluded, because it is difficult for families to estimate the full cost of a location before they move there. Gas prices and employment demands aren’t very predictable for many.
Factors that can help people control transportation costs include walkable neighborhood streets, access to public transit, and nearby retail.
Source: Center for Neighborhood Technology (03/23/2010)
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