Will's Blog: February 2009

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Will Nesbitt - condos / real estate in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County

Condo 1 Alexandria / Will Nesbitt Realty LLC

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The Exchange at Van Dorn --- condos near Van Dorn Metro

The Exchange at Van Dorn is found on Eisenhower Avenue between the Eisenhower Connector and the Van Dorn Metro. Residents can walk to the Van Dorn Metro in about 5 to 10 minutes. The Exchange operates a private shuttle and the DASH bus stops at the front door. The Exchange has a large well-maintained garage with controlled access. The Exchange has 404 units in four-story condominium buildings. Most buildings at the Exchange have elevators. The Exchange at Van Dorn

The clubhouse at the Exchange has an elegant lobby that features a dramatic spiral staircase and ceiling that rises several floors above the lobby. The clubhouse allows 24-hour access for residents to the fitness center and cardio theater. The clubhouse also has a business center and party rooms. The billiards room is at your service and the gymnasium has an indoor basketball court.

Outside, the Exchange has a swimming pool and sundeck. A sand volleyball court is available for residents and children will enjoy the playground. The Exchange is pet friendly and is nicely landscaped.

The Exchange has an unusual variety of floor plans, ranging from 593 sqft to 1284 sqft in various combinations of one to two bedrooms with single or multiple baths. Units feature nine-foot ceilings.The Roosevelt floor plan is a one-bedroom, one-bath design, yet there’s nothing cramped or modest about its layout. It has an entry foyer, private laundry room with full-size appliances, and a roomy living area that flows into an equally spacious dining room. The kitchen has an open corner with a breakfast bar and even a pantry. The Eisenhower design has the same kind of thoughtful design in a two-bedroom, two-bath arrangement, and even includes a den area that would make a perfect home office or library.

kitchen at the Exchange Many units have gas fireplaces and most have garden-style soaking tubs. The kitchens feature newer and upscale appliances with built-in microwaves. Units have bold crown molding and upgraded lighting to highlight the modern designs and floorplans of the Exchange. All units have a full-size washer and dryer, walk-in closets, high-speed internet access and balconies.

For unit availability in and around the Exchange call Condo 1 or click a link below

For sale --- Live data on all condos for sale in 22304 zip code.
For rent --- Live data on rentals in 22304 zip code.

Homes for sale --- All homes for sale less than $500,000 in 22304 zip code.
Homes for sale --- All homes for sale from $300,000 to $700,000 in 22304 zip code.
Homes for sale --- All homes for sale over $650,000 in 22304 zip code.

About the Author --- Will Nesbitt is the principal broker of Condo 1 Alexandria / Will Nesbitt Realty LLC. 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.

0 comments • Will Nesbitt - condos / real estate in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County • February 11 2009 06:20AM

Audrey Moore RECenter and Wakefield Park

Fairfax County has a number of RECenters throughout the county. One of these is the Audrey Moore RECenter at Wakefield Park. The park is located in Annandale just outside the Capitol Beltway. The center features swimming, fitness and racquetball facilities as well as other recreational activities such as crafts and dancing. The center is ADA accessible with curb ramps, automatic doors, ample parking, an elevator, and a wheelchair accessible unisex bathroom and dressing stalls.

The Audrey Moore RECenter at Wakefield Park has a natatorium (inside pool). The pool and natatorium is accessed via locker rooms containing saunas and showers. At the natatorium one will find a large 50 meter by 25 yard pool with one 3 meter and two 1 meter diving boards. The pool also has a Super Slide. The natatorium is equipped to handle swim-meets with plenty of seats for spectators.

In addition to a natatorium, this RECenter has a gymnasium with six basketball hoops and volleyball nets. The center has various courts for sports like racquetball, squash and wallyball. Local youth and adult leagues make good use of the gym, so it's a good idea to call the center to make reservations for courts. The center also contains a cycle studio.

Overlooking both the gym and the natatorium is a well-equipped fitness center. The fitness room features cardiovascular equipment and Cybex machines that are networked with FitLinxx. There fitness room has has free-weights and an area to stretch-out before your work-out. Check the calendar for both beginners and advanced group fitness classes.

The RECenter isn't just for sporting activities. Retired and older adults gather for activities at Audrey Moore's senior center. Dancers and soon-to-be dancers make good use of the dance room where instructors hold scheduled classes for a wide variety of activities like salsa dancing, ballroom dancing and square dancing and more. You can try your hand at arts and crafts in the craft room or even fire-up the kiln and make your own pottery in the pottery lab. Aspiring photographers can make use of the dark room.

Just outside the natorium is an outdoor sundeck. The center is situated in Wakefield Park which has many trails for bicyclists, joggers and walkers. A portion of the pride of Fairfax County Parks, the Cross County Trail, courses through the park. The Cross County Trail is over 40 miles long and connects the entire county from one end to the other.

Outside the center are lighted courts for basketball, volleyball, tennis, baseball, softball and soccer. The Wakefield Skate Park is found here as well. From early May to late October, the grounds are also used on Wednesday afternoons the Wakefield Farmers' Market.

Audrey Moore RECenter
8100 Braddock Road
Annandale, Virginia
703-321-7081
Map/Directions

0 comments • Will Nesbitt - condos / real estate in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County • February 10 2009 04:58AM

The Royalton -- At King Street Metro --- Condos in Old Town

Whole Foods in Old Town Alexandria The Royalton is a condominium community that is a walker's dream and one of the gems of the Carlyle District. The location is listed by some as 1700 Duke and by others as 309 Holland Lane, but either way the Royalton condominiums are located at the corner of corner of Duke Street and Holland Lane in the same building as Whole Foods in Old Town Alexandria.

The Royalton is a short walk from the King Street Metro. This means that the Royalton condos are just a few paces from the King St. Trolley and all the fun of Old Town. Groceries, restaurants and culture are all very close to the Royalton. With it's location in the 22314 zip code, the Royalton is close to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the shops and offices that support the campus of the USPTO. The Royalton is also close to the many national trade and professional associations (such as the Otolaryngologist Association) that are headquartered in Old Town.

The lobbies of the Royalton are gleaming and airy with high ceilings and intriguing and modern architectural details that hearken back to the best of art deco. The interior of the Royalton features an oasis from urban living in the courtyard. The courtyard has manicured gardens and benches protected within the confines of the Royalton. Of course, the building's residents also enjoy a top-quality work-out center with many fitness machines in the gym. The resident library is a nice place to duck into for a few moments of quiet thought.

The condo units of the Royalton are generally luxuriously appointed and bright and open. The Royalton has dramatic 10-foot ceilings and walls. Some of these walls are walls of windows with views to the courtyard or to Old Town. Similarly the kitchens are on a grand scale with 42" cabinets and granite countertops. Upgraded appliances are to be expected here.

Royalton Property Search --- Condos for sale at the Royalton

For sale — Live data on all condos for sale in 22314 zip code.
For rent — Live data on rentals in 22314 zip code.

Homes for sale — All homes for sale less than $500,000 in 22314 zip code.
Homes for sale — All homes for sale from $300,000 to $700,000 in 22314 zip code.
Homes for sale — All homes for sale over $650,000 in 22314 zip code.

0 comments • Will Nesbitt - condos / real estate in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County • February 09 2009 05:26AM

Carlyle House --- at the heart of Old Town

At the heart of Old Town Alexandria, across from City Hall, one will find the historic park know as the Carlyle House. The Carlyle House is a relic of Alexandria’s prosperity and growth in America's colonial days and represents and intrepets the lives of residents, servants and slaves during the middle of the 18th century. The Carlyle House, now owned and operated by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, was restored to its historic state during the statewide celebrations for the Bicentennial. Carlyle House in Old Town Alexandria

The house is name for one of the founders and first landowners in Alexandria, a scottish merchant named John Carlyle. John Carlyle was married to Sarah Fairfax of Belvoir, of the prominent Fairfax family. The house was completed in 1753 and soon became a center of political and social life in Alexandria. In 1755 British General Braddock---for whom Braddock Road is named---used the home as a headquarters to plan the early campaigns of the French and Indian War.

In addition to the stone mansion itself, the Carlyle House gardens offer three quarters of an acre of green space in the center of Old Town Alexandria. The present day garden features plantings and styles that would have been available to the early residents of the home. It's a great place to enjoy peace and quiet amid the hustle of the city. For a fee, the Carlyle House and gardens are available for private functions and weddings.

But the primary purpose of the the house is host to tours, events and programs by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. Tours are given on the hour and on the half hour. The museum is wheelchair accessible on one of the three floors.

Carlyle House is open Tuesday-Saturday 10 am - 4 pm, Sunday noon - 4 pm

Admission Fees	Jurisdiction	Non-Jurisdiction
Under Age 10	Free	Free
Age 11 - 17	$2.00	$2.00
Age 18 & Over	$4.00	$4.00
Pre-arranged Group of 10 or More	$3.00	$3.00
Pre-arranged Student Group	Free	$1.00
Market Square Block Ticket (3 Sites)
Age 11 - 17	$5.00	$5.00
Age 18 & Over	$9.00	$9.00

Carlyle District Entrance

The Carlyle House lends its name to the Carlyle District, the newest part of Old Town. The Carlyle District is home to the USPTO and many supporting offices and restaurants. Carlyle Towers, Post Carlyle Square and many condos are found here in the shadow of the George Washington National Memorial. For help with sales and rentals in and around Old Town and Alexandria, contact Condo 1.

0 comments • Will Nesbitt - condos / real estate in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County • February 06 2009 06:52AM

A Newbie Contest - It's even better than American Idol, Would YOU try on that swimsuit, if the clerk had to accompany you into the dressing room?

Condo 1 of Alexandria serves Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church and Fairfax County

Via Pat Tasker Realtor Milwaukee Metro Area WI (Shorewest Realtors):

Really! Would you? Would you like it if the store had a rule: the clerk has to ACCOMPANY you INTO the dressing room, and wait while you disrobe, and try on that dress, or pants or worse SWIMSUIT?

OF COURSE you would hate it, you would probably hurry out of the store, uncomfortable, and even irritated, as you did seem to like it.....but with the clerk hovering and watching, you certainly didn't want to try it on! And without trying it on, you probably pass on buying it.

Well, that is exactly what happens when the seller stays home for the showing! The buyers feel uncomfortable...They want to look in the closets, but feel they are invading the sellers privacy since the seller is standing right there! They want to flush the toilet....does that really matter? No, but they wantto do it, just to make sure everything is ok....But with the seller standing there, hovering, they don't...So they leave the house, probably sooner than they would have, if they had a private showing with only their agent (NOT THE SELLERS)! They didn't feel comfortable asking questions of their agent or discussing items right there, in front of the seller. They might later, that is if they don't forget....

What if the store clerk kept going on and on and on about what a deal that dress was, and how much time and money had been put into it? And how it was made with special thread, or that the address sign was made out of blond walnut or WHATEVER.....Yes it would seem like the clerk was desperate for a sale for some reason...well that is also what happens when the seller stays home! Every time the buyer says something (that is IF the buyer says something with the seller standing right there), the seller has a come back, they are defensive,....pretty soon, that seller is sounding desperate!

Does it really matter to the buyer how much the custom drapes costs? (usually thousands, and usually the buyer will be removing them once they move in!) NO!! Does it matter that the seller did this, and did that, and that? NO!! The buyer is looking at the house and knows if they like it by the FEEL of it...most likely nothing the seller will say will really push the buyer over the edge of buying! BUT, something the seller slips might cause the buyer to be more interested....something that shows the seller is desperate to sell, and now the buyer wants a DEAL on the house! I know of a buyer who was ready to buy. They looked at the house one more time. The seller was home, and said a little too much. Now the buyer knew the seller was desperate, and the buyer wrote $5,000 lower due to that information! The buyer got the house cheaper, and the seller's big mouth statement COST HIM MONEY!!!

So next time you have a seller that wants to stay home for showings, tell them to think twice! Better yet, ask them if they'd like it if the clerk had to come in the dressing room with them!!

0 comments • Will Nesbitt - condos / real estate in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County • February 04 2009 06:08AM

What Makes A Great Condo Building Great?

Via Patricia Kennedy (Evers & Company):

Like people, condos have reputations. And the reputation, good or bad, will influence what people are willing to spend to live there.

My first condo was in a building that had been purchased and renovated by the tenants. We did the project as a joint venture with an out-of-area developer. It was not pretty. Neither was our reputation when the project was completed.

Luckily, I sold my place at the first opportunity and bought my house. But the people who stayed had a tough time.

There were a lot of young attorneys in the building, and they never met a problem they could not solve by litigation. It was a very acrimonious conversion, and half the people in the building were not speaking to the other half when the process ended. The work done was uneven, and a lot of it super shoddy. It took the building a couple of decades to recover.

Before you obligate yourself to buy a condo, check out the building and its reputation. And try to get the following information before you are obligated to buy the place:

Look at the budget. If there is a big number for legal fees, that might be a reason to pause. There are almost always better ways to resolve conflicts.

Ask to see the minutes of any meetings. That will give you a good idea of what the issues are that could impact the unit's value.

Check out any pending major work, like a new roof, elevator or redecorating projects, and make sure there is already money set aside ot pay for it.

Talk to people who live in the building to see how they like living there.

Here in Washington, there is a long list of information you get once you and the seller have an agreement, and you have three work days to read and approve of these documents.. Should you find something you are not comfortable with, you can void the contract.

Some condos are really well run and great places to live. Others are a pain.

You want great place to live!