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Secrets of Sustainable Staging

With more home buyers interested in eco-friendly features, property stagers are placing more emphasis on the overall performance of green dwellings. To give their listings a competitive edge, they can perform an energy audit and indicate the changes and upgrades made as a result to boost energy efficiency. They also should provide a checklist detailing the benefits of the home's green features, ensure cleaning products in cabinets are eco-friendly and food in pantries is organic, and include an aesthetically pleasing recycling center that goes beyond the traditional blue bins. Additionally, chemical odors should be eliminated from the home, living plants should be added a to help enhance indoor air quality, sustainable upgrades should be encouraged, and eco-friendly landscaping like vegetable gardens and native grasses should be chosen over lawns that require a lot of maintenance. Source: RISMedia (06/16/10)

Barcroft Park

Barcroft Park
Barcroft Park
Barcroft Park is 65 acres of highly-maintained family oriented recreational facilities. Barcroft supports a variety of sports and family activities.  Barcroft is the home for several baseball leagues as there are 5 baseball diamonds with bleachers here. Four of these fields are for youth; one is for one adults. There is a batting cage to support the baseball community. Barcroft has a a lighted rectangular playing field for sports like soccer, football or rugby. This field has a synthetic surface, concession stand, restrooms, and goals. Other sports are also supported by:
  • a basketball court;
  • two new tennis courts (opened in 2007);
  • a volleyball court;
  • a handball court;
  • and horseshoe pit.
At this location, Barcroft Sports and Fitness Center has a gymnasium to support several indoor sports. The gymnasium has everything needed for a boxer to train. This includes a boxing room with speed and punching bags, sparring ring, and floor exercise area. The gym can also host basketball, floor hockey, and indoor soccer. On-site, there are a variety of classes such as
  • aerobics,
  • boxing/kick boxing,
  • and gymnastics.
For the benefit of picnickers and visitors the park has three water fountains, a rental picnic shelter, picnic tables, charcoal grills. There is also a paved path throughout the park to walk, jog or bike. That path has a bridge, and stream. Hours for the park are sunrise to half hour after sunset except on lighted facilities. The facilities are open Tuesday, Thursday and weekends. 4200 South Four Mile Run Drive Arlington, VA 22204 (703) 228-0700 Park Map (PDF)
Barcroft Park
Baseball field at Barcroft Park
Barcroft is a part of what makes Arlington such a great place to live. To search condos in Arlington or property of any type in Northern Virginia, try our fast and free database of all available properties. Barcroft is located not far from Skyline Square and Skyline Plaza.

How does number of bedrooms impact price if square footage is equal

Question:

All homes listed have 1.5 baths, are close in square footage (1200-1270 sq feet), historic, built in same time period (1870s-1880s), and located in the same neighborhood: Home #1: Sold for $517/sq ft this month. Three bedrooms. Two of three bedrooms are small but would accommodate twin bed, nursery, or office. Home #2: Sold for $518/sq ft this month. Two bedrooms. Renovated kitchen with granite, cherry, stainless. My house, home #3, sold for $480/sq ft one year ago. One true bedroom. Also has a large room (but no door) that is used as informal living space or could be a home office. A third small room is used as a laundry/walk-in closet. If the closet fittings were removed, it could be used as an office or nursery (it has windows). For listing purposes, it was counted as a second bedroom. To access the "laundry" room and the full bathroom from the rest of the house, you must walk through the bedroom. What is Home 3 worth now relative to Homes 1 & 2?

Answer:

The prices of residential real estate are often "notional". That is to say that notions in the buyers and sellers of real estate will impact the price in ways that we can't always quantify. In a large market like Alexandria, real estate is a commodity in the sense that it is difficult to find something the market hasn't already rewarded or punished. But is it not a commodity in the sense that you can tally a square footage price and add an amount per bedrooms or multiply the price by a certain factor based upon the number of bedrooms. Are they at the same address? In the same building? In your example above, what is the view from these units? Is the condition of these properties identical? Even a licensed appraiser with answers to all these questions would be hard-pressed to give you an answer without know the tax assessments and the contract price on these properties. In the end, a home is worth exactly what a buyer will pay for it, if the seller will sell for that amount.
Will Nesbitt
Will Nesbitt
Will Nesbitt is the principal broker of Condo Alexandria / Nesbitt Realty.

Elementary Schools of Northern VA

Find homes for sale by school district in Northern Virginia

One of the most import decisions you'll ever make for your child is where they will attend school. Northern Virginia prides itself on many fine public schools and our website empowers parents to find homes find homes by school district. If you need help finding a home or would like suggestions that will fit with your commute, please feel free to call us at any time.
School in Cameron Station
Cameron Station school

Owners Optimistic About Home Values

More than 16 percent of home owners say their houses increased in value during the past year, the highest percentage in nearly two years, according to a Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan survey. While 75 percent of home owners viewed current home-buying conditions as good, citing attractive prices and low mortgage rates, about 89 percent thought market conditions for selling a home were poor. While still an overwhelmingly negative number, it was still better than the results of the May 2009 survey when almost 100 percent of home owners panned the climate for sales. Some 43 percent of home owners said their home decreased in value during the past year. Nevertheless, home owners believe their homes will ultimately rise in value, with the average annual anticipated gain over the next five years at 2.1 percent. Source: Reuters News, Julie Haviv (05/21/2010)

  • Reviving A Stale Listing In 22314 In Alexandria In 22314

    Do you have a abode similar to 124 Roberts Ln #201 in Alexandria that hasn't sold? Did you know that in Fort Ellsworth:

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  • What Has Recently Sold At Lyon Village?

    Do you have a home in Arlington that won't sell? Did you know that in Lyon Village:

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  • Reviving A Stale Listing In Alexandria, Virginia In Alexandria

    Do you have a property similar to 301 N Beauregard St #114 in the City of Alexandria that isn't getting any action? Did you know that in The Fountains:

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  • Residences That Have Recently Sold At Arrowood — But Mine Hasn't? What's The Problem?

    Do you have a place in 22124 in Fairfax County that just isn't selling? Did you know that in Arrowood:

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  • Listings Similar To 10074 Daniels Run Way In 22030 That Have Sold At Farrcroft

    Do you have a home similar to 10074 Daniels Run Way in the City of Fairfax that won't sell? Did you know that in Farrcroft:

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Now is the Time to Buy, Investment Firm Says

When you compare the real estate downturn to the real estate market in the 1980s, Blumberg Capital Partners, which provides real estate investment management, finds similarities that lead the company to think now is an optimal time to buy. Its analysts point out that the recession of the 1980s lasted 16 months, running from July 1981 to November 1982. Unemployment peaked in November of 1982 at 10.8 percent. From that point it took 38 months for the economy to recover fully and for unemployment to fall below 7 percent. It was another 10 months before unemployment was consistently below 7 percent. Philip Blumberg, CEO of Blumberg Capital Partners, said in a note to investors that the real estate cycle is still three or four years from an optimal selling period, so now is the time for investors to buy. Source: Blumberg Capital Partners (05/19/2010)

  • Home Prices In Arlington Continue To Hike

    Glendale
    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.

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  • Inlet Cove is near Fort Belvoir and Potomac Mills

    Inlet Cove outside Belvoir
    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

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  • Pending Home Sales on an Upswing

    home inspector
    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…

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  • A Good Time to Buy a High-End Home

    Station Square
    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…

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  • Who is today’s homebuyer and why are they buying?

    Nesbitt Realty 703 765 0300
    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…

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Kayaking the Dyke Marsh

Julie and I rented a tandem kayak at Belle Haven Marina and tooled around in the Dyke Marsh and in the Potomac.

Arlington Price per Sqft. Show Minimal Decline

Arlington average price per square foot The chart above plots the price per square foot of 1 Bedroom condos in 22201 vs. all Arlington over the past year. While there has been some decline, the change is almost statistically insignificant. The chart below shows little change in 2 BR's in the same area. Arlington average price per square foot

Properties in 22201

258 N Barton St, Arlington 22201
$2,199,999
View Details
Lyon Park
5 bd
4 ba
5,143 sqft
On Site: 64 Days
Listing courtesy of Taylor Properties

2605 11th St N, Arlington 22201
$2,749,000
View Details
Clarendon
5 bd
5 ba
5,664 sqft
On Site: 13 Days
Listing courtesy of RE/MAX Distinctive Real Estate, Inc.

3108 Key Blvd, Arlington 22201
$1,250,000
View Details
Lyon Village
4 bd
2 ba
2,076 sqft
On Site: 2 Days
Listing courtesy of RE/MAX Home Realty

1021 N Garfield St #413, Arlington 22201
$540,000
View Details
Clarendon 1021
1 bd
1 ba
839 sqft
On Site: 5 Days
Listing courtesy of KW Metro Center

18 N Garfield St, Arlington 22201
$1,595,000
View Details
Ashton Heights
5 bd
4 ba
4,307 sqft
On Site: 109 Days
Listing courtesy of Ikon Realty

See more in 22201

Will Nesbitt
Will Nesbitt

Crystal City condo market in transition

The Market Activity Index in Crystal City continues show sawtooth pattern. This pattern often indicates tension between sellers who want to move property but who are not willing to dump property at lower prices.  At the same time buyers are moving swiftly to snag deals, indicating we are near the bottom, or at least in a period of transition.  The days on market fell dramatically, and this means that real estate is selling again. The chart was drawn from the past 180 days of condo activity in 22202 zip code.