Centreville, VA Market Report 1/31/11

Gotta love those economists! A couple of months ago they were all on TV talking about the dreaded “Double Dip” for real estate. Now the local DC area economists are starting to talk about the impending housing shortage and what it is already doing to house prices.

So what is the lesson here? Don’t listen to the experts. When you are ready to own your own place, or go buy a bigger one, Like Nike says, “Just Do It!”

Looking for a good place to live? Check out Centreville, Virginia.

The following statistics reflect the real estate market in Centreville, Virginia:

• Homes for sale: 307 (down from 333 in November, and up a tad from the 288 in December last year.)
• Homes Sold: 78 (Up from 64 in November and down from 90 one year ago during the home buyer tax credit frenzy.)
• Average sold price: $315,810 (up from $304,655 at the same time last year.)
• Average days on market: 44 (very stable all year in mid 30s to low 40s.)

So what’s important to help you make a good purchase? The most important thing is a reputable company backing up a top-notch agent. The agent has to be one that will fully represent your interests and stress over every detail to insure that your transaction goes as hassle free as possible. And the company has to be there for you with the full resources of a well-capitalized company, for when real problems arise, as they sometimes do.

Market data, commentary and statistics provided by David Hess, Executive Vice President.
Search for homes in Centreville, and all of the DC Metro: www.averyhess.com

Western Style Skiing in West Virginia

A lot of people say that outdoor winter activities on the Eastern Seaboard can’t compete with the offerings out West. And to some extent that’s true. The Rocky Mountains are much bigger than the local Appalachians and have plenty to offer. But that doesn’t mean there still aren’t great winter sports here. One just has to travel a bit for it.

Four-and-a-half hours west of Washington D.C. sits one of the best area mountains for skiing and snowboarding anywhere in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic: Snowshoe Resort in West Virginia.

The ski resort is located at the convergence of two peaks, Cheat and Back Allegheny, and the resort and trails rest in the resulting valley. The summit of Cheat Mountain is nearly 5,000 feet, the second highest elevation in all of West Virginia. That height makes for long vertical drops, with some runs falling over 1,000 feet.

Snowshoe Resort is quite large, approximately 240 acres. In that space skiers will find 60 runs, 14 lifts and trails well over a mile in length, allowing for some long, smooth skiing down the mountain.

Snowshoe is unique compared to most local ski areas in that all the resorts amenities are at the top of the mountain. Houses, hotels, restaurants and bars are all at the summit. It’s a nice little touch. Once you arrive and purchase your ticket, instead of waiting in line for a chairlift, you can begin skiing right away.

The resort itself is split into four different sections. During the day, skiers and snowboarders can tackle three of the sections. The Village at Snowshoe is the biggest section of the resort, with more than half of the runs located there. A long, easy run, Hootenanny, can takes skiers to another section, Top of the World, which has several black diamonds for advanced skiing, as well as a nice long intermediate run.

The other two sections of the park are accessible only by shuttle. On the other face of the mountain, for advanced skiers, looms the Western Territory. It contains two double black diamonds, including Shay’s Run, a mile-and-a-half long trail that has the longest vertical drop of any slope in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.

For a less dangerous and more relaxed time, the fourth part of the park is perfect. Silver Creek offers night skiing, which is open until 9:00 pm, and tubing, where kids and adults alike can slide down the mountain instead of swoosh.

Because of its high elevation, Snowshoe Resort gets colder much earlier in the season and records its first snowfall in the early months of autumn. It doesn’t wait for the winter chill like most of the closer ski slopes. As a result, by the time ski season hits, there’s already a fantastic base of snow. As of January this year, the mountain already received over 100” of snowfall. And it gets frequent precipitation, so the runs aren’t nearly as icy as one expects when skiing in the mid-Atlantic.

Lift tickets for the resort are also reasonably priced.  For a full day of skiing, including night runs at Silver Creek, expect to pay about $76. For a two-hour tubing session, the price is only $24. So purchase your tickets and enjoy one of the best mountains anywhere on the East Coast.

-David

Leesburg, VA Market Report – 1/24/11

An Unparalleled Library

Washington D.C. certainly has fantastic architecture. No one, though, would consider this town’s buildings to be on par with some of the greatest cities in the world.

There is, however, one building in Washington that can rival any place on Earth in terms of beauty and grace.

The Thomas Jefferson Building, part of the Library of Congress, is a must see for anyone that’s never been, as well as anyone who is interested in visiting one of the most elaborately ornate buildings in America.

Sitting almost directly behind the Capitol, the Thomas Jefferson Building was commissioned in 1886 to hold America’s burgeoning collection of literature.

It took 11 years to complete, and the result is one of the most beautiful places you’ll ever set foot in. It was built in the Italian Renaissance style and compares favorably to some of the greatest works from that period.

The building is the size of a city block. Approach it from the west, which is the building’s main entrance, and you’ll be greeted by a giant copper fountain featuring Neptune, the Roman God of the seas, which mimics the infamous Trevi Fountain in Rome.

Behind the fountain, up a flight of stairs, are three massive stone porticos that house the entrances to the building. Above those are 16 columns, rising 40 feet high. These columns support the copper roof, faded to a dull jade.

Upon entering and passing through security, visitors head to the Great Hall, which, despite its size is astounding in its intricacy.

It begins with the marble floor. At the center is a yellow Sun, with tiles of orange, white and yellow spreading out from it, easing into a slate and brown pattern. Around the edges of the floor are brass tiles with signs of the Zodiac carved on them.

Seventy-five feet above the floor is a vaulted ceiling, inlaid with gold leaf, housing six separate stained glass windows.

The entire hall is surrounded by marble walls, staircases and Corinthian columns. Take the stairs up to the top floor. From there it’s possible to look down below at the Great Hall. Also on the top floor is a viewing area to look down at the Library of Congress’ Main Reading Room, which itself is a work of art.

And while the astounding architecture and ornate interior are worth a trip alone, the exhibits at the Library of Congress are just as fascinating. On the ground floor in the Great Hall is the Giant Bible of Mainz, one of the last handwritten bibles still in existence. It was completed in 1453.

On the second floor of the building are revolving exhibits. One current exhibit is the “Road to the Constitution,” which features original letters by Ben Franklin about the Stamp Act and one of the first drafts of the Constitution. A permanent fixture on the floor is Thomas Jefferson’s original library, containing his personal collection of thousands of books from the 1700′s.

This pairing of amazing artifacts and unbelievable architecture make the Thomas Jefferson Building a place everyone needs to visit.

-David

Arlington County Market Report – 1/19/11

The end of the year came to Arlington with a little more than a whimper, but certainly not a bang. Statistically December 2010 was almost identical to December 2009.

The good news is that during the year, although prices continued to drop, December’s average sold price was $592,267 compared with $548,048 in November.  But, where there’s good news you can usually find some cautious news as well.

While the overall average sales price is up, the detached homes are up by 9% but the attached homes (condo’s/coop’s) are down by 6% and they make up about 56% of the active listings. So the lower end home prices are what have been keeping the prices down.

The outlook for 2011 is favorable for 1^st time homebuyers.  As the general real estate market improves people who have been waiting for the bottom will realize that it’s time to make a purchase decision while prices and interest rates still favor the buyer.  Rents are starting to increase as inventory begins to decline so the traditional renter may see the benefit of ownership. The spring market is on the horizon. Look for a shift in market conditions and don’t be left wishing you had bought when the price was right.

Commentary and analysis provided by Charlie Carroll, Managing Broker, Avery-Hess, Realtors
Find Your Home. Plan Your Life. www.averyhess.com

MyLife In Metro DC: Southern Rockin at Red Palace

This past Friday, I announced the winner of the second MyLife in Metro DC giveaway. I was thrilled to let Laura Dudley know she had won two tickets and a meet and greet for the Truth & Salvage Co. concert that night in DC. Laura lives in Charlotte, NC, but was flying into DC just for the night to celebrate her birthday at the show with some friends here in the city.  I couldn’t think of a better birthday present to win and I was so excited to share one of my favorite bands with my friends and Laura!

The concert was held at the Red Palace; a venue spawned from the merger of two existing bars: The Red & The Black and The Palace of Wonders.  United the two bars have created a unique bar & concert venue on H Street. (Unders beware, unless otherwise stated entry is 21+ )

The Red Palace - 1210 H Street, NE

Located at 1210 H Street NE, we found it most convenient to cab to the venue (it was around $22.00 from Georgetown).  There was street parking available, but it appeared to be pretty limited. The closest metro stop to The Red Palace is Union Station, which is a bit of a hike at 1.2 miles away.

When you first walk in, the bar feels small and understated. As I approached the bar and ordered a PBR (they don’t serve Bud Light) “fancy” was not one of the words that came to mind but I did however find the bar to be very cozy.  The bar’s interior channels a New Orleans theme with dark distressed wood and walls, a tin ceiling and red velvet drapes. And if you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of a cat (yes, a real cat) curled up next to the bar like I did.

Taking a "Catnap" on the Bar

Finding your way to the stage is a bit of a maze. First, you’ll need to walk to the back of the first bar and through a door that will lead you into the second bar. Then, turn left into the second bar (a right turn will take you to the bathrooms — you’ll want to remember this as there are none in the concert area) and stop at the stairs where you’ll pick up your “will call” tickets, purchase tickets or get your name crossed off the guest list. Finally, once you’ve been stamped you can head up the stairs.

When you reach the top of the stairs you’ll find a red velvet curtain hanging in the doorway.  You might find yourself having a moment of hesitation, a “what could possibly be behind this drape” moment, but as you pull back the curtain you’ll be relieved to find that you’ve finally reached the concert stage – not the inner sanctum of a Vodoo Shaman.

The upstairs has a capacity of 200 people and Friday’s show was sold out. We arrived during the A Thousand Horses set (the incredible opening band from Nashville, TN) and quickly found ourselves packed in surrounded by people.

The stage is set in the back corner of the room.  And while there is a bar upstairs, it is located in the corner diagonal from the stage.  If you are looking to get a good spot close to the front, my suggestion would be to get your drinks early so you don’t end up stuck in the back!

Truth & Salvage Co. on Stage

Truth & Salvage Co. took the stage around 11pm and was greeted by a packed house of cheering fans.  The show lived up to all my expectations – the band’s four lead singers keep the room’s energy high and as the audience sang along you could tell the band was having as much fun as we were.

After the show, I took Laura with me to meet the band.  The guys cheerfully greeted her, smiled for a few photos, congratulated her on winning the tickets and thanked her for spending her birthday with them. The band was truly a pleasure to talk with and they were all ecstatic to have such a warm welcome in DC.

Laura with Walker, Tim & Scott of Truth and Salvage Co.

When I asked Tim Jones, one of the band’s lead singers and guitar players, what he thought of that night’s show he replied, “We loved playing DC more than if Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and George Washington had all taken us out bowling! A sold out show with everyone singing along – couldn’t have been any better!”

Scott Kinnerew, one of the band’s other lead singers and guitar players, echoed Tim’s praises. He told me, “When you live the majority of your adult life sequestered in a van with five grown men, the mission of it all can grow convoluted. And to roll into a town where you don’t know anyone and you have strangers arrive in masses, singing the lyrics to your songs, well that has to be one of the most validating feelings ever, and it all makes sense again. DC wins the band appreciation contest, y’all don’t need more sugar you are too sweet!”

Overall the night was a huge success -I could not have asked for a better Friday night concert or a nicer band to work with on my second MyLife in Metro DC giveaway!    Laura left the show with some great pictures and a huge smile on her face and Truth & Salvage Co. left with some newly devoted DC fans.  And while I personally forgot to snag a picture with the band, I left with this awesome limited edition poster to add to my collection .

Autographed Truth & Salvage Co. Poster

A huge thank you again to Truth & Salvage Co. for making this giveaway a success!

To share your concert experiences, learn more about MyLife, view pictures, videos, post comments, and suggest adventures “like” MyLife in Metro DC on Facebook!

- Kristin