Will's Blog

head_left_image

Summer Concerts in Fairfax County

Summer concerts are found all over Northern Virginia and it's just one of the many benefits of life inside and near the Beltway. Keep in mind that outdoor concerts may be canceled in the event of inclement weather and subject to change without notice.

Fairfax County

Not to be outdone, Fairfax County boasts a full schedule of summer concerts.

Spotlight by Starlight

Spotlight by Starlight is at the Mason District Park Amphitheatre located at 6621 Columbia Pike in Annandale VA.

  • The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra's Dixieland Band July 01, 2009
  • Dead Men's Hollow July 03, 2009
  • NOVA Annandale Symphony Orchestra July 05, 2009
  • Sandra Y. Johnson Quintet July 08, 2009
  • Ganga July 10, 2009
  • The United States Army Band Blues Jazz Ensemble July 12, 2009
  • Knockout King & Bruce Ewan July 15, 2009
  • Debi Smith July 17, 2009
  • The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra Summer Band July 19, 2009
  • David Bach Consort July 22, 2009
  • Little Red & The Renegades July 24, 2009
  • The Capitol Steps July 26, 2009
  • Natty Beaux July 29, 2009
  • Eastern Standard Time July 31, 2009
  • Tonic & Gin A Cappella August 02, 2009
  • Tom Principato August 05, 2009
  • Andrew Acosta & Speedy Tolliver String Band August 07, 2009
  • Falls Church Concert Band August 09, 2009
  • The Oscillators August 12, 2009
  • Ruthie and the Wranglers August 14, 2009
  • The Winstons Band August 16, 2009
  • MSG - The Acoustic Blues Trio August 19, 2009
  • The United States Navy Band Commodores August 21, 2009
  • Jennifer Cutting's Ocean Orchestra August 23, 2009
  • City of Fairfax Band Saxophone Quartet August 26, 2009
  • Squeeze Bayou August 28, 2009
  • Kings Park Band August 30, 2009

For detailed information on any of these concerts check here. For information about last minute performance cancellations due to rain or inclement weather, call 703-324-SHOW (7469) one hour prior to the program start time.

Lee District Nights

Lee District Nights happen on Wednesday nights at at Lee District Park Amphitheater near Kingstowne and Franconia in Alexandria.

  • Rick Franklin & His Delta Blues Boys w/ Mike Baytop July 01, 2009
  • King Teddy July 08, 2009
  • Alexandria Kleztet July 15, 2009
  • The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra Summer Band July 22, 2009
  • The Nighthawks July 29, 2009
  • The United States Army Band Blues Jazz Ensemble August 05, 2009
  • Pietasters August 12, 2009
  • John McCutcheon August 19, 2009
  • The Irish Breakfast Band August 26, 2009

Braddock Nights

Braddock Nights is spread over several venues. The following concerts are at the Lake Accotink Park on Friday nights.

  • Hot Society Orchestra of Washington July 03, 2009
  • Falls Church Concert Band July 10, 2009
  • The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra Summer Band July 17, 2009
  • NOVA Annandale Symphony Orchestra July 24, 2009
  • National Concert Band July 31, 2009
  • Patty Reese Band August 07, 2009
  • The United States Navy Band Sea Chanters August 14, 2009
  • Kings Park Band August 21, 2009
  • City of Fairfax Band Alte Kameraden German August 28, 2009

For detailed information on any of these concerts check here. For information about last minute performance cancellations due to rain or inclement weather, call 703-324-SHOW (7469) one hour prior to the program start time.

Braddock Nights is also at Ossian Hall Park on Sundays

  • HBlues Heritage Night (at Ossian Hall Park) July 05, 2009
  • Filipino-American Cultural Heritage Night (at Ossian Hall Park) July 12, 2009
  • Hawaiian Cultural Heritage Night (at Ossian Hall Park) July 19, 2009
  • Indonesian Cultral Heritage Night (at Ossian Hall Park) July 26, 2009
  • Taiwanese Cultural Heritage Night (at Ossian Hall Park) August 02, 2009
  • Indian Cultural Heritage Night (at Ossian Hall Park) August 09, 2009
  • Russian Cultural Heritage Night (at Ossian Hall Park) August 16, 2009
  • Chinese Cultural Heritage Night (at Ossian Hall Park) August 23, 2009
  • African Cultural Heritage Nights (at Ossian Hall Park) August 30, 2009

On Fridays Braddock Nights is at Royal Lake Park.

  • Mike Seeger July 03, 2009
  • Reggie Wayne Morris July 10, 2009
  • Robbie Schaefer July 17, 2009
  • The Taters July 24, 2009
  • Maggie Sansone & Friends July 31, 2009
  • Honor By August August 07, 2009
  • Night Music August 14, 2009
  • Nero August 21, 2009
  • Luke Brindley August 28, 2009

For detailed information on any Braddock Night concerts check here. For information about last minute performance cancellations due to rain or inclement weather, call 703-324-SHOW (7469) one hour prior to the program start time.

For information about concerts in Alexandria or Arlington County, check here.

Looking for an affordable rental in a decent neighborhood inside the Beltway?

Look no further EOS-21 is located inside the Beltway in West End Alexandria. It's comfortably close to both I-395 and I-495 as well as the Van Dorn Metro.  The community offers a free shuttle to Van Dorn Metro and loads of amenities. Compare this offering at $1349 to the rentals in the same community for $1600 or more!

Summer Concerts in Arlington

Summer concerts are found all over Northern Virginia and it's just one of the many benefits of life inside and near the Beltway. Keep in mind that outdoor concerts may be canceled in the event of inclement weather and subject to change without notice. Here are a few of the concerts you'll find in Arlington VA.

Rosslyn Music & Farmer's Market

The Farmers Market at Wilson Boulevard & N. Oak Street in Rosslyn VA features lunchtime concerts on Thursdays from May through September 24th. The music begins at a quarter till noon and ends at 1:30 in the afternoon.

  • July 2, 2009           Texas Chainsaw Horns    Five Funky Horns & an attitude
  • July 9, 2009             Sandra Y. Johnson    Jazz Vocals 
  • July 16, 2009           Laurie Rose Griffith & Peter Mealy    Original Folk
  • July 23, 2009           Robert Jospe    World Beat
  • July 30, 2009           Andrew Acosta & the New Old-Time String Band   Folk/Bluegrass
  • Aug. 6, 2009           Annie Sidley    Pop/R & B
  • Aug. 13, 2009          Magpie   Folk/Swing/Ragtime
  • Aug. 20, 2009          Steve Wolf & Swingspeak   Upbeat & Jazzy
  • Aug. 27, 2009          Dixie Power Trio     New Orleans Gumbo
  • Sept. 3, 2009           Coleman's Cross    Celtic Fusion
  • Sept. 10, 2009         Vaughn Nark & Panorama     Contemporary Jazz
  • Sept. 17, 2009         The Lovejoy Group   Jazz & Latin Rhythms
  • Sept. 24, 2009         David Bach Consort    Smooth Instrumentals

Pentagon City

Pentagon Row in Pentagon City also offers exciting outdoor events, including a 10-week Summer Concert Series.

  • July 2, 2009 Fools & Horses rock and roll combined with British pop
  • July 9, 2009 Gonzo's Nose 80's and 90's cover band
  • July 16, 2009 King Cadillac retro rock and roll
  • July 23, 2009 Sloth Loves Chunk high energy rock and roll
  • July 30, 2009 Shane Hines and the Trance pop/rock
  • August 6, 2009 The Justin Trawick Group singer/songwriter
  • August 14, 2009 Brother Shamus bluesy rock
  • August 20, 2009 Taylor Carson singer/songwriter

For information about concerts in Alexandria or Fairfax County, check here.

Summer Concerts in Alexandria

Summer concerts are found all over Northern Virginia and it's just one of the many benefits of life inside and near the Beltway. Keep in mind that outdoor concerts may be canceled in the event of inclement weather and subject to change without notice.

City of Alexandria

In the City of Alexandria, concerts are coordinated by the City's Department of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities Special Events Office. Although Alexandria has many parking garages and lots, the City of Alexandria encourages visitors to historic Old Town to use the Metro rail. Both the Yellow and Blue metro lines stop at the King Street Station in Old Town. From there, visitors can hop on a Metro or DASH bus, but the King Street Trolley is free and fun. Alexandria offers:

The Lunch Brunch Concerts

These concerts are at Canal Plaza in Alexandria VA which is located at 44 Canal Center Plaza. Music starts at noon.

  • June 24, 2009     La Tanya Mari (Jazz Vocal)
  • July 8, 2009         Legend of Lummy Hallin (Original & Classic Pop/Rock)
  • July 22, 2009       2nd Story Band Duo (World Beat Blues)
  • August 5, 2009   Chemistry (Jazz)

For up-to-date information, call the Special Events Hotline at 703.883.4686.

Music At Twilight Concerts

Music at Twilight is at Fort Ward Park Amphitheater. Fort Ward Park is located at 4301 West Braddock Rd. Music usually begins at at 7:30 pm. 

  • July 16, 2009       Ebenezer Baptist Church Evangelical Women’s Choir (Choral)
  • July 23, 2009        Alexandria Harmonizers (Barbershop)
  • July 30, 2009        Irish Breakfast Band (Traditional Irish) Music starts at 7 pm.
  • August 6, 2009    All Scottish Night featuring the No.Va. Branch, Royal Scottish Country Dance Society and the Alexandria Pipes & Drums (Traditional Scottish) Music starts at 7 pm.

For up-to-date information, call the Special Events Hotline at 703.883.4686.

Ben Brenman Park Concerts

The concerts begin at 7 pm at Ben Brenman Park at the amphitheater. Ben Brenman Park is located near Cameron Station at 4800 Brenman Park Dr. Alexandria VA.

  • July 15, 2009      Wes Tucker & the Skillets (Folk Rock)
  • July 29, 2009    Steve Smith & the Meteors (Original Blues)

For up-to-date information, call the Special Events Hotline at 703.883.4686.

 

For information about concerts in Arlington or Fairfax County, check here.

Founder's Walk -- condos on Founder's Hill

Founder's Walk

fireplace at Founder's Walk

Founder's Walk is located just outside the Beltway near Van Dorn Metro. Although it has an Alexandria postal address it is in Fairfax County. The units at Founder's Walk are relatively large compared to similarly priced units in the Alexandria area. These garden-style condos are recently built and have the types of upgrades that folks have come to expect such as a fireplace in the unit or hardwood floors in the dining area. As you can see these condos have plenty of windows and light. The neighborhood is pleasant and quiet, despite being very close to the Capital Beltway. There is no charge for parking.

dining at Founder's Walk

Click Founder's Walk to learn more about pricing and to see a map of the area. Or contact us to learn more about buying or selling in this neighborhood.

Founder's Walk

 

Jennie Dean Park at Shirlington

Jennie Dean Park is part of the Arlington County Parks system. Jennie Dean Park is located near Shirlington at 3630 27th St. S. Arlington, VA 22206. A stream runs through the park. The park has restrooms open year round and two water fountains. In addition to picnic tables, Jennie Dean Park offers a small picnic shelter which may be reserved for events. Charcoal grills support the shelter and picnic tables.

For activities and play the park has a school-age playground, two baseball fields, two tennis courts and a basketball court. The baseball fields include one adult field available by permit only with lights, dirt infield, bleachers and a dugout; as well as one youth field (also available by permit only) with lights, dirt infield, bleachers and a dugout. The tennis courts and basketball courts are lighted. There is also a large open green space for sports without a permit.

What does a property manager do?

I recently received this email:

Will,
 
What all kinds of assistance do you provide?  Do you check the background and credit of the perspective renter?  If work needs to be done what happens?  I know that the carpets will need to be cleaned before the renters would move into the place.  Does one have to use your people to do any work necessary?  What happens if I were to need a new renter, would your service handle that too?  I have never used a service such as yours before, so I have a lot of questions.
 
Thanks for your help.
 
Sincerely,
(name withheld)


Lost most property managers, our services to the landlord are broken into two different jobs.  The first task that landlords ask us to perform is often the task of finding a renter.  To describe, explain and memorialize how we find your renter, write and sign a listing agreement.

The listing agreement is not unlike the listing agreement a homeowner signs when he or she sells a house. The listing agreement is what lets us put a lockbox on the door. We need a listing agreement to put the property in the MLS (multiple listing service).

The listing agreement describes the terms and conditions under which we get paid. We only get paid if and when we find a renter. Most agencies charge between one-half to a full month's rent to get this service done. If our client is using our property managment services, we let the client set the fee, but we take the time to explain how agents get paid.

Like all listing agrements, the listing agreement will set a term or time period and then expires.  In the past few years I can't remember having an expired listing agreement as we push hard to rent quickly.

Once Condo 1 Alexandria or another agency finds a prospective tenant, we take an application and proof of income. We then pull a background check to make determine a recommendation regarding the applicant.  If the tenant can afford the property and has a good payment history give a positive recommendation. If the tenant has a questionable credit history or if the tenant can't afford the property we advise the landlord that we have an application but do not recommend proceeding with a lease. In some cases, we can provide solutions to guard the landlord against potentially problematic tenants, but still find a way to move forward with the applicant.

After we are settled on a tenant, we prepare a lease and have it signed by the landlord and tenant. This is the end of our duties as a listing agent.

But that's when our duties as a property manager begin.  As a property manager, we collect the rents and make payments to the landlord as descibed in the property managment agreement.  From time to time, we respond to service calls from the tenant, dispatching appropriate handymen, electricians, plumbers, etc. to solve the problem. When this happens, we deduct the cost of these services from the rent collected and pay the landlord the remainder. From time to time we make inspections of the property and we occaisionally recommend maintenance or upgrades.

Unlike some property managers, we only collect fees when the property is occupied.  No rent equals no charge.

If the property needs to be preppred prior to leasing, we can and will make some efforts to put the property in order. Some properties need a little clean-up to prepare for market. We don't charge for managing a clean-up. We simply pass the cost without mark-up back to the landlord.  We will take some deposits from the landlord as required to take care of this clean-up. 

Some properties need something more than a clean-up.  When a property needs a renovation, we may charge a fee to manage construction and clean-up to put the place in order. 

Eventually the renter moves out and we'll need a new renter. At that point, we'll sign a new listing agreement and start the process again. 

We manage houses, townhouses and condominiums. We bring a special expertise to condo management because we know how condos operate, but we don't limit our business to condos.

It's hard to describe everything we do in a format like this, but that's what we do in a nutshell. There are additional services and limitations I'll describe when we go through the agreements, but this should be enough to get you started.

Hollin Hills a unique Fairfax County neighborhood


Designed by renowned architect Charles M. Goodman and developed by Robert Davenport in the late forties, Hollin Hills brought contemporary style to home construction in Northern Virginia.

The community of houses with large expanses of glass, sleek lines, and unusual siting has earned national recognition from the early fifties to the present.

Landscape designs for Hollin Hills homes were prepared by landscape architects Lou Bernard Voigt, Dan Kiley and Eric Paepcke to reflect the belief that interior spaces should flow into exteriors, and that grounds of one home should merge with the next, all in a park-like setting. These original concepts are still visible in the look of the neighborhood as a whole and in the individual homes.

Hollin Hills has won many awards, beginning with the Revere Quality House award from the Southwest Research Institute in 1950 and including two 1982 Test of Time awards from the Virginia Society of the American Institute of Architects, for houses on Stafford Road. Hollin Hills also is on the Fairfax County, Virginia, Inventory of Historic Sites. Search here for Hollin Hills homes.

Hollin Hills

No picture can really do this neighborhood justice.
It must be seen first hand. Call today for arrange a visit to local homes for sale.


Will Nesbitt About the Author --- Will Nesbitt is the principal broker of Condo 1 Alexandria and Will Nesbitt Realty. Will specializes in condos, townhouses and single family residences in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County, Crystal City, and Kingstowne. Will resides in Belle Haven Estates just outside Alexandria VA in Fairfax County.

Ben Fornshell joins Condo 1 Alexandria!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Ben Fornshell, the newest member of the Condo 1 Alexandria team, has been running his own business helping people with computer needs for the last twelve years. Now, with his wife taking the mantle of his computer consulting business he’s putting his extensive knowledge of the area to use. Just don’t ask him what he thinks about Vista.

Ben grew up in Virginia, but calls from Florida. He’s an avid aviator, and remains unchallenged in his title of flying the slowest airplane in the world’s most restricted airspace. Ben flies one of the few ultra-lights that’s been cleared by the FAA for flight in the area. He’s the proud step-parent of three kids, one working close to home, one studying to be an opera singer, and one on mission, enjoying far better weather in Brazil than we’ll ever see. You’ll also bump into him and his wife on the local dance scene, but don’t bother looking in bars or clubs, they’re avid ballroom and latin dancers. Click Ben's photo for a few more pictures and a little more insight into the wonderful world of Fornshell.

Ben Fornshell real estate agent

Eisenhower Metro stop on the Yellow Line in Alexandria VA

Eisenhower MetroThe Eisenhower Metro stop is located at 2400 Eisenhower Avenue. It is across the street from the Hoffman Town Center and entertainment complex. Eisenhower station is just inside the Capital Beltway (I-495) at the Telegraph Road exit. The Eisenhower Metro is served by the Yellow Line.

Eisenhower is a two platform station. Access to both platforms is provided to two escalators and an elevator. Bike parking is available with 10 bike racks and 6 lockers in the station.

The first train departs at 4:51 am Huntington and the last train departs at 12:37 am Huntington. Service became available to the public on December, 17, 1983. The REX bus provides service nearby at the corner of Swamp Fox Rd. and Eisenhower. Eisenhower is served by DASH buses 2, 6, & 7.

Metrorail fares are posted on the WMATA site. Fares are discounted for children and seniors.

The Eisenhower Metro serves the Carlyle District and is convenient for workers at businesses in and around the Hoffman Center. The Eisenhower Metro is also useful for many residents in the condos of the Carlyle District. For some residents, the Eisenhower Metro is more convenient than the King St. Metro.

The Eisenhower Metro is in the 22314 zip code, which is generally considered Old Town Alexandria, but there is very little that is "old" anywhere near this stop in the Carlyle District.  The Carlyle Towers and several other new structures dominate the skyline here. For more information about Carlyle Towers, or the condos of the Carlyle District, please contact Will Nesbitt of Condo 1 at 703 765 0300.

Eisenhower Metro Station


Will Nesbitt About the Author --- Will Nesbitt is the principal broker of Condo 1 Alexandria and Will Nesbitt Realty. Will specializes in condos, townhouses and single family residences in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County, Crystal City, and Kingstowne. Will resides in Belle Haven Estates just outside Alexandria VA in Fairfax County.