To begin the season, everyone needs a jack-o-lantern. What’s Halloween without a big orange pumpkin placed outside the front door? Anyone can walk to their local Harris Teeter and grab a gourd, but this year, visit a farm for a bigger selection and better time.

Homestead Farm, in Poolesville, Maryland, is only a few miles west of the Beltway and has everything one wants in a fall farm: apple picking, corn mazes and pumpkins that cost just 59 cents a pound. The farm is open seven days a week, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., so swing by anytime to pick up a pumpkin.

In Virginia, Ticonderoga Farms and its Fall Pumpkin Festival, is the spot to visit. Just south of Dulles, pumpkins may be the least exciting part of your visit. Among the attractions at Ticonderoga are hayrides, hillside slides, Native America Teepees and the longest swinging bridge in Virginia. And Ticonderoga is also open every day of the week, from 9 a.m – 5 p.m.

Since farms are only open during the day, what’s there to do with the nights?

This weekend is one of Washington’s biggest Halloween events, Boo at the Zoo, which runs all three weekend nights, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the National Zoo. For the event, the zoo transforms into a giant Halloween haunt for children, with decorations, spooky trails and opportunities to see your favorite October animals, like spiders and bats. There will also be volunteers in costumes, passing out candy to kids at 40 different spots within the zoo.

Tickets for the event cost $20 for Friends of the National Zoo and $30 for non-members.

While Boo at the Zoo will provide scares to children, this area is replete with places for adults to get the chills while walking around.

Inside Washington, D.C. Lafayette Square Park is known as the most haunted spot in the area. Washington Walks puts on a tour that takes people around some of the most cursed locations in Northwest, telling tales of murder and intrigue. The tour cost $15 dollars, and is held Thursday-Saturday. Tickets can be bought online, but reservations don’t need to be made in advance. You can just show up and pay.

In Virginia, the spot to go for ghost tours is Old Town, Alexandria. Alexandria Colonial Tours, during the Halloween season, takes people through a lantern-lit graveyard tour. For just $12, on any night of the week, you can be led through the cobblestone streets of Old Town by a local dressed in traditional Colonial garb, while he or she tells murder mysteries that are nearly 300 years old.

In Maryland, the place to go for Halloween haunts is Annapolis. Annapolis Ghost Tours leads nighttime walks through the maritime port. If you’re without children, the company’s haunted pub crawl is one of the most fun activities the area has to offer. A $20 ticket takes you to three of the most haunted pubs in Annapolis, where you hear stories of ghost and ghouls who still frequent their favorite watering hole. Starting at 9:00 p.m. on both nights of the weekend, the trip is not to be missed.

So make this Halloween the most haunted yet, and visit many of the great attractions Washington, D.C. has to offer.

-David

Sales volume has a dramatic increase over June, 2010, the average sales price is up nearly 10%, and number of active listings remains relatively stable.

Let’s look at the stats for zip codes 20147 and 20148:

All indications show that the Ashburn market will enjoy a steady increase in value.  The Ashburn market is one of the “hot beds” of new construction in Northern Virginia, with new single family and town homes leading the charge in the Brambleton area.

If you are considering selling your home, now is the time!  Choose from well known, reputable companies, interview 2 or 3 Realtors active in your market, and compare their marketing plans, internet exposure, and social media interaction.

Information obtained from statistics supplied by Metropolitan Regional Information Systems and analysis and comment by Jim Agnew, Managing Broker, Avery Hess, Realtors, Dulles-Westfields Regional Office, Centreville, VA 20120

All indications show that the Ashburn market will enjoy a steady increase in value.  We must remember that  March of 2010 contained a larger number of foreclosures and short sales, and was driven largely by the first time buyer tax credit, particularly is the under $400,000 price range.

Information obtained from statistics supplied by Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, and analysis and comment by Jim Agnew, Avery-Hess, Realtors.

The reality is that houses are still going into foreclosure and people are still having difficulty in working with some banks in regards to loan modifications and short sales.  In our area, foreclosures are lower than they have been in a long time.  We are still seeing them, but short sales seem to be going through more than in the past, resulting in less bank owned properties.  Prices are rising ever so slightly enabling some people to be able to sell their homes outright, when maybe they couldn’t afford to do so a year or two ago.  Rates are still low and we are seeing many Buyers who are able to afford to buy a new home rather than rent.

Speaking of rental prices, rents are going up in our area.  There are not as many rentals out there as there are Renters.  Many people who have gone through short sales and foreclosures over the last couple of years are not able to qualify for financing yet and therefore need to rent.  We are seeing multiple applications come in on properties, therefore making the rental process more competitive.  With all of this being said, it is a great time for Renters to examine their financial situation and see if it is a good time to buy!  In our area, there are many cases where people are paying as much or MORE for rent than they would be for a mortgage!

To sum it up, spring time is here and so is our spring real estate market!  Units sold are up, new pending contracts are up and median sales prices are up!  Hopefully this trend will continue and 2011 will be a better real estate year for everyone!

Commentary and market stats provided by Amy Cherry-Taylor, Business Manager, Stafford Regional Office.

Search for Home in Spotsylvania County: www.averyhess.com

With that being said, the following statistics are a bit interesting. They really don’t reflect what we are “feeling” and “seeing”. However, next month’s statistics should show what we are now buzzing about!

January 2011 numbers compared to January 2010 numbers are surprisingly down!  Sold dollar volume, average sold price, median sold price, units sold, average list price for solds, average sold price to list price ratio, and average sold prices for both detached and attached homes are all down.  Days on market actually increased slightly by 1.41% which is crazy!

With that being said, active listings are slightly up (we still have a shortage of inventory though!), new under contracts are up by 30.30%, new contingents are up 119.51%!!! and new pendings are up 64.49%!  These are some pretty big numbers and show that a very strong spring market is upon us!

If this activity keeps up, 2011 should be a very good year in real estate!

Commentary and market stats provided by Amy Cherry-Taylor, Business Manager, Stafford Regional Office.

Search for Home in Spotsylvania County: www.averyhess.com

But what many people don’t know is that the best buffalo wings aren’t found in their namesake town in New York.   No, the best buffalo wings come from a country nearly 7,000 miles away: South Korea.

But you don’t need to book a trip halfway around the world to experience these delicacies.  You just need to head to Annandale, Virginia and make a trip to Bon Chon Chicken.

Annandale is a small suburb 13 miles southwest of Washington, D.C.   In the past two decades, Annandale has seen an influx of Korean immigrants and as a result, an explosion of Korean restaurants. On the outskirts of the town, at the intersection of Little River Turnpike and Old Columbia Pike, sits a tiny strip mall, Willow Run Center.  There are just five stores in the shopping center, one of which cooks the most amazing wings in the country.

Bon Chon Chicken began in Pusan, South Korea as a small restaurant specializing in just one thing, fried chicken wings.  In 2006, it came to the United States, first to New York, then immediately after to Annandale.

The restaurant is very small, consisting of an “L” shaped bar with 12 stools, seven booths along the walls, and five small tables in the middle.  The décor is simple, with dark wood paneling and clashing beige linoleum floors.  Of course none of that matters, for no one comes for the accommodations.  They come for the only thing on the menu: Wings.

Choosing what to eat at Bon Chon is simple. Pick one of the two styles of wings: spicy or soy-glazed. Then pick a size.  A small has 12 wings, a large has 20.  That’s it.  Those are your only menu options.   There is no picking your sides; all orders come with pickled radishes and coleslaw, (the Korean equivalent of blue cheese and celery).

Then wait. The wings take a long time.  They are twice-fried, which means an order can take up to 45 minutes. But waiting only increases anticipation, and these wings are worth the wait.

The first thing diners will notice is the size. The wings are enormous, in some cases twice as large as typical wings.  And they don’t appear to be sauced.  There is no sloppy red liquid dumped on top of them, but they aren’t plain.  Instead, the sauce is cooked into the crust of the wing.  It’s a marvelous cooking technique and a proprietary secret.

And it’s perfect — no time is wasted spent licking sticky fingers or wiping down with moist napkins. Yet the skin is just as flavorful as any saucy competitor. In fact, the wings are tastier than any rival. The spicy wings have two different layers of heat: an initial burst and a more subtle, longer lasting burn. Neither is too strong, and it doesn’t detract from the overall flavor of the wing. The soy-glazed wings are also scrumptious, with a lovely salty tang.

The skin, even with the saucing technique, remains crisp. It crackles with each bite, snapping off in delicious pieces to chew. The chicken inside is still juicy and succulent, making these Korean-style birds the perfect combination that wing connoisseurs constantly search for but rarely find.

-David

October was a very slow month, which is typical right before an election, but we rebounded nicely in November.  Inventory is still way down and it is very hard for Buyers to find homes in good condition and in their desired locations.  The majority of homes on the market are still short sales, with foreclosures coming in second and regular sales coming in last.

While interest rates have been bouncing around, they are still extremely low and Buyers need to take advantage of them!  This is not the time to wait and see if prices are going to drop any more as the statistics below show that the median sales price in Stafford has increased by 6% from last year.  Even if prices do go down a little more, Buyers will not benefit from waiting if interest rates go back up.  Please read on for the latest statistical picture of Stafford County!

For November:

For Year to Date:

Market data and commentary by Amy Cherry Taylor, Business Manager and Realtor at Avery-Hess, Realtors.

Search for homes in Stafford, and the all of the DC Metro: www.averyhess.com

• Homes for sale: 466 (down from 495 in September and up from 391 one year ago)
• Homes sold: 90 (down from the 101 units in September and down from last year’s 102 units)
• Average sold price: $410,646 (down from $445,265 last month but still up from $382,665 last year)
• Average days on market: 50 (amazingly stable in the 40-50 day range for the last year)

When you read in the paper about falling real estate prices nationwide, they are NOT talking about Ashburn.  This area has had steadily rising prices for almost two years now. Not only are the prices stable to rising, it is also a genuinely great place to live!

Market report provided by David Hess, Executive Vice President, Avery-Hess, Realtors.

Search for Homes in Ashburn, VA: www.averyhess.com

Fifty miles west of Arlington, a leisurely, winding drive along Route 7 sits Bluemont Vineyard. The winery rests on top of the highest hill in the area. At an elevation of 951 feet, their slate outdoor patio has sweeping vistas of the plains and farms below, and on a clear day, visitors can catch planes landing at Dulles Airport.

The place has an almost Colonial feel to it. When arriving, you might find gentlemen engaging in a form of craft-making. Last Saturday, standing to the side of the door was a retired man carving a table leg by hand, the wood flying on a spindle, a smile on his face as he enjoyed a reasonable warm November day.

Inside the feel of the winery is just as charming, with soft yellow walls accenting a grey stone floor. Eccentric wooden benches encircle unique wooden tables, an atmosphere that begets enjoyment. For just five dollars guests can enjoy six tastings, small sips of an array of different wines. Among the pours last week (they rotate depending on the mood of the server) were oaky chardonnays, fruity peach and strawberry wines, and a range of bold and dry reds. After the tasting, be sure to head upstairs, where local farmers bring wares to ply. Last Saturday, a Mennonite man offered samples of homemade cheese. Among his finest was a sharp, white cheddar, aged two years, crumbly yet soft.

A good second winery to visit, just ten miles back toward Leesburg, not far from the beautiful rural town, is Dry Mill Winery, the newest vineyard to hit the growing Virginia scene. But it may be its finest.

Dry Mill resides inside an old, converted barn, and the best place to do tastings there is the second floor banquet hall. The barn remains in the same state from when it was first built, with all the floors, exposed beams and trim still the original wood. Sharp white walls provide a lovely contrast to the dark oak. In the hall are two long tables, which can hold up to twenty people.

While the scenery at Dry Mill is nowhere near as picturesque as Bluemont, they make up for it with superior wines. While all their reds and whites tasted outstanding, their 2007 syrah packed a punch, a vintage and grape capable of holding its own against any syrah from any winery across the United States.

The red is a fantastic way to end an afternoon, a reminder that Virginia has the potential to one day be mentioned in the same breath as California. They already though, have the atmosphere and culture down pat though. While less than 45 minutes outside the Beltway, the wineries feel a country way, a Napa-esque world, right in our own backyard.

- David

• Homes for sale: 494 (same as in August and up from 404 one year ago)
• Homes sold: 101 (down from the 117 units in August but up a smidge from last year’s 97 units)
• Average sold price: $435,266 (down from the statistical spike of $460,373 in August but up from $424,550 last year)
• Average days on market: 47 (amazingly stable in the mid 40s for the last year)

Ashburn is a very stable market based on the stats and what agents are telling me. After the financial panics, people get back to the basics and ask, “where is a good place to live?” Then they go buy a home there. This is exactly what we have seen in Ashburn for the past 21 months since prices bottomed in November 2008.

The market place has normalized in the absence of any more government intervention. Hello Congress did you hear that! Consumers can actually make good decisions on their own.

Market report provided by David Hess, Executive Vice President, Avery-Hess, Realtors.

Search for Homes in Ashburn, VA: www.averyhess.com