Open House in Ashton Heights Arlington, Va.

3205 N. Pershing Dr. Arlington, Va. 22201

This wonderful 1922 Bungalow with extra large lot has just been listed for $1,199,000. If features 5+ bedrooms and 3 full baths. The home has an almost 16000 sq ft (yes, that’s right) fully fenced yard and is only .7 miles to the Clarendon metro. It will be open from 1-4 on Sunday March 6, 2016. Call me at 571-228-5656 toes this home.

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Just listed in Arlington. Duplex $399,000

3102 24th St. S. Arlington, Va 22206

This home was fully renovated in 2012. It’s gorgeous. 3 bedrooms and 3.5 including a master bath. Short distance from Shirlington. Great, great opportunity to own in this growing area. No condo fee, no HOA. Call me to see this 571-228-5656.

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Tell the county (Arlington, Va) how you really feel

Here is a press release from the county. If you sign up, you can provide your comments/input on both expenditures AND the proposed tax rate. For now, the county is advertising no increase in your property tax rate. It can’t go up….but it could go down. Do not expect your tax bill to decrease either way though. For most of us, our homes have increased in value (although no one loves paying taxes, in the big scheme of things…this is a good thing), so we’ll see some increase in our tax bill.

Here is the release:

It Just Got Easier for You to Tell the County Board How to Spend $1.54 Billion

Arlington’s County Board is looking for your thoughts on the Proposed Fiscal Year 2017 Budget. You can weigh in at two public hearings scheduled in March.

There’s a lot at stake. Arlington’s Proposed Budget is $1.19 million. About 40 percent of that goes to support public schools. About $727.5 million pays for County operations.

The Board has advertised the same tax rate for Calendar Year 2016 as it adopted for CY 2015.  Under law, it cannot adopt a tax rate higher than what it has advertised – but it could go lower.

Unlike past years, this year you can comment on both the proposed property tax rate, and the proposed expenditures at either of the two public hearings on the Budget. The Board used to hold one hearing on tax rates, and another on expenditures. If you wanted to speak on both, you had to show up for both meetings. Now you can tell the Board everything Budget-related on your mind at one hearing.

The first public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, March 29 in the County Board Room. The second will be held on Thursday, March 31, also in the Board Room. Both will begin at 7 p.m. with testimony on tax rates and fees. After a break, they will take up expenditures

To speak, sign-up in advance beginning at 8 am 5 business days before the Tuesday hearing date. Advanced sign-up will close at 5 pm the day before each hearing date. To register, visit the County website, call 703-228-3130 or visit the County board Office at 2100 Clarendon Blvd.

You can also sign-up to speak the evening of the hearings. And if you can’t make it to either public hearing, no worries. You can send us your comments through this easy-to-use online form.

To learn more about the new procedures for the Budget Public Hearings, visit the County website.Learn  more about the FY 2017 Proposed Budget.

 

Media Contact: Mary Curtius, 703-228-7943


Coming Soon: Arlington Bungalow near Clarendon

Love Craftsman style homes? I do.  Large windows, beautiful molding?  Me too. If you’re like me you’re going to love this classic Arlington, Va. home originally built in 1922. Long time owners raised their family here.  It’s being freshly painted, highlighting all that beautiful 1922 molding.  This home has been updated but all the things you love about the classic bungalow are there. Welcoming front porch, large living room with wood burning fireplace, spacious dining room with gorgeous windows. 5+ bedrooms. The 3 upstairs bedrooms include a master with large sitting room (maybe a future luxury bath or walk in closet?). 2 bedrooms plus a full bath on the main level. Lower level has a family room, a room used as a bedroom and a kitchenette (sink and refrigerator).

All of this and the home sits on a 15,777 square ft flat lot. If you don’t know how big this is you haven’t been looking at Arlington, Va real estate for long. In a neighborhood of 5000-10,000 sq. ft lots, this is an incredible find. Imagine what you could do with that.

All of this within .7miles of the Clarendon metro and all of the shopping, restaurants and other activities that the area has to offer.

The home will be coming on the market the first week of March. It will be priced between $1.2M-$1.3M.  Be on the look out…or call me to see 571-228-5656. janejensen@comcast.net. Your Arlington, Va real estate specialist.

3205 N. Pershing Dr. Arlington, Va. 

3205 N Pershing Dr photo-2


Coming soon. Arlington,Va Duplex $399,000

You’re going to love this home. It’s was completely updated in 2012 with gorgeous hardwoods, stainless steel and granite. 3 levels and 3 bedrooms and 3.5 baths. Home includes a 3,357 Sq. Ft lot. Plenty of space for gardening. Near Shirlington and a great commute to Mark Center, DC and other locations. No HOA or condo fee. It will be coming on the market early March. 3102 24th St. S. Arlington, Va 22206. Questions? Call me at 571-228-5656 or email janejensen@comcast.netIMG_6143IMG_6141


Home on Valentine’s Day

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There it is. That lovely saying…Home is where the heart is.

Long before I became a realtor, I loved houses….no, that’s not really correct…I loved homes. A home is a place for people to live whether it’s already been lived in or will be soon. A house…well a house can be any structure. As a realtor, I don’t know if I am unique in this..but every home I go into has a feeling to it. Sometimes it’s a happy home, and sometimes it’s not. I can walk into a home and say to myself…”divorce”, or “having a baby”, or something else. I generally keep these thoughts to myself as “knowing” the reason for the sale seems presumptuous even to me. Almost without exception I’m right. I don’t know if it’s a sixth sense or it’s a vibe a house puts out that most people just don’t pay attention to. But..for me, it’s always there.

I think a home absorbs the energy of the person(s) living there and even if the furnishing are long gone…something of the people who lived there gets left behind.

So, on Valentine’s Day, I am sending wishes and hopes that your home is filled with laughter, good friends, great loves, warm tidings and chocolate (dark for me but if you really think that milk chocolate is chocolate…well, it’s all yours).

And, if you haven’t found the home that you can fill with all the good energy you have coming to you…here’s a list of open houses today. If you would like some help falling in love with your new home, just give me a shout. 571-228-5656. janejensen@comcast.net. And, don’t forget to click the subscribe button at the top of the page to keep up on all the latest real estate news.

http://mrislistings.mris.com/Matrix/Public/Portal.aspx?ID=66877663728


Arlington, Va property values increase modestly

Arlington County issued the following press release on January 15, 2016. Most of us can expect to see a slight uptick in our assessments and hence a slight increase in our taxes. No one likes taxes, but everyone likes their home value to increase so try to smile when you pay up.

Arlington 2016 Property Values Increase Modestly

  • Overall increase of 2.8%
  • Average residential property up 2.8%, to $603,500
  • Commercial values slightly positive
  • Assessments available online 11 p.m. tonight

Arlington County real estate assessments for 2016 show an overall increase in property values of 2.8 percent over 2015. Residential and commercial property values increased slightly.

The value of the average Arlington residence (existing single-family properties, including condominiums, townhouses and detached homes), increased 2.8 percent from $587,100 in Calendar Year (CY) 2015 to $603,500 in CY 2016. New construction value was up 0.7 percent, and existing real estate value was up 2.1 percent.

“Arlington’s real estate market remains solid,” said Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz. “We see strength in both our residential market and commercial properties, particularly new construction. This is the best evidence that Arlington remains a very desirable place to live and do business.”

Real estate assessments will be mailed today to all Arlington property owners. Calendar Year (CY) 2016 assessment information also will be available online at 11 p.m. tonight. Look up your property assessment.

The commercial tax base, which includes office buildings, apartments, hotels, and retail, increased 1.3 percent over CY 2015 for existing properties.

Existing office property values increased 2.2 percent, due in part to a stabilizing office vacancy rate. Apartments, which represent just over 40 percent of the commercial tax base, increased in value almost 5 percent, with half of this growth from new construction. Values of general commercial property (which includes various types of retail) declined 3.5 percent, due in large part to redevelopment and to general commercial properties becoming commercial office space.

Budget outlook

 

As the County develops its Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Budget, the challenge is to balance investment needs – including strategic investments necessary to enhance Arlington’s economic competitiveness, respond to growth in school enrollment, and meet other core service demands — with the need to minimize the burden on County taxpayers.

The Board gave the County Manager budget guidance in November 2015 for the FY 2017 Budget. At that time, tax revenues were projected to increase from 1.9 percent to 2.4 percent, and there was a projected combined County and School gap of approximately $15 million. With slightly higher real estate assessments, additional funding can be considered by the County Board during the FY 2017 budget process to address County and School needs.

The County’s single largest cost is funding the Arlington Public School (APS) system. For FY 2016, the County’s funding of Schools is 46.5 percent of all local tax revenue and an investment of more than $18,000 per student. Continued year-over-year growth in school enrollment has led to the need to expand some School facilities and build new ones. Educational costs also have risen.

Both the County and Schools have prioritized needs and made funding decisions over the last several years during lean financial times. The County and Schools will work with the community to balance their priorities within this year’s fiscal constraints. The County Manager and School Superintendent will present their proposed budgets to the County Board and School Board in late February. The County Board will set the real estate tax rate in April.

For more information on the budget process, visit the County’s Budget web page.

About real estate assessments

 

Real estate assessments are appraisals — the County’s opinions of value for each parcel of real property in Arlington. Assessments are made according to accepted methods, techniques, and standards of the real estate appraisal and assessment profession. The 2016 assessment is an estimate of the fair market value as of January 1, 2016.

Residential assessments were based primarily on neighborhood sales occurring July 1, 2014 through August 31, 2015. The real estate tax rate determines the amount of tax that is levied on the property. A uniform tax rate for all real property is set by the Arlington County Board. State code requires the County Board to use a uniform tax rate. In addition, Arlington levies additional taxes on commercial and industrial properties dedicated to transportation investments, as well as taxes for business improvement and sanitary sewer needs.

For more information, visit the County website and search “real estate assessment.”

 

Media Contact: Richard Stephenson, 703-228-3412.


Yes, Virginia…Virginia is a Buyer Beware State when it come to Real Estate

cautionbuyerbeware

Considering buying real estate in Virginia? If this is your first time you need to know, Virginia is a Buyer Beware state. With few exceptions, real estate transactions are governed by the laws of the state that the transaction occurs in. People who have purchased real estate in other states are often surprised by the lack of protection Virginia provides buyers. Here is the first article in the Virginia Residential Disclosure Act which will govern your purchase:

  1. CONDITION: The owner makes no representations or warranties as to the condition of the real property or any improvements thereon, and purchasers are advised to exercise whatever due diligence a particular purchaser deems necessary including obtaining a certified home inspection, as defined in § 54.1-500, in accordance with terms and conditions as may be contained in the real estate purchase contract, but in any event, prior to settlement pursuant to such contract.

54.1-500 noted above defines what a certified home inspector is.

This is sometimes a tough pill to swallow for first time buyers or for people who have bought property in other states where the state may favor the buyer and require sellers to disclose a lot of information about the condition of the property.

It’s important to know this when you are buying a home. Unless you are an experienced contractor, or you are tearing down the home to build something else, you must (well the law doesn’t make you but your realtor should insist)get a home inspection. The home inspection can uncover any defects that you may want the seller to remedy and also allows for you to void the contract.

Additionally, if you have any concerns about that vacant lot next to your dream home, a quick call to the county would be in order. It may be the beautiful home of your new best friends or the newest 7-11 in the neighborhood….nearby slurpees may be your thing, but if they are not….you may want to know about it.

 


Congratulations on client’s new home purchase in Falls Church

Over the years I have helped many State Department employees buy and sell homes in the Northern Virginia area.  Dave and Vivianna Nicholas were referred to me by former clients from the State Department. The first time we spoke they were still packing up and getting ready to leave their lovely home India. When State Department people are posted overseas, often, their accomodations are provided, and, they are often spacious. Then, when they get ready to come here we have to do deal with the high real estate prices and the difficult commutes. Fortunately, Dave and Vivianna already had a target market geography in mind. Their daughter had chosen a high school and they preferred to be in a townhome. Finding a home within their budget that met their entire list of criteria wouldn’t be easy. We got very, very close. Their new home is lovely, walking distance to their daughter’s school and well within budget. They didn’t get the garage they were hoping for but they did get 3.5 baths, 4 bedroom, 2 fireplaces and a gorgeous updated kitchen. This home closed on September 14, 2015. Congratulations!

The Nicholas' new home in Falls church Virginia.

The Nicholas’ new home in Falls church Virginia.

If need help buying or selling a home, I can help. I’m your Northern Virginia Real Estate Specialist.


Coming Soon, new townhome listing in Fairfax $375,000

Great townhome in sought after Glen Cove. 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths with 1771 finished square feet. This home has been well maintained with a four year old HVAC, new water heater and disposal. Long time owner is leaving area and selling this home as is for an incredible price of $375,000. Check the comps and you will see what a great deal this home is. Call me to see it.
571-228-5656. janejensen@comcast.netIMG_5459