Posts (page 2)
I haven't blogged in a while - I apologize. In January I started my Broker course which consisted of 180 hours of classroom work. Each week we spent 8 hours in class learning the material - for 28 weeks.
Our last class was Monday August 4th and on Friday August 8th, I sat for and Passed with flying colors - the Virginia Real Estate Broker Exam!
I am pleased to report that my new official title is: Associate Broker, ABR.
New listing coming soon! Stay tuned for updates.
10 Acre Horse Farm incorporates historic log cabin with a contemporary addition totalling approximately 4200 square feet of living space. A one of a kind home - 4 bedrooms, large kitchen and family room with sweeping views of pond and pool. In-house sauna, second floor laundry, walk up finished attic. Guest house awaits your final touches. Lush, level horse pastures are fenced and ready for move in. 4 Stall barn with separate run in shed. A must see for anyone looking for a truly out of the ordinary property.
No doubt, the rising cost of gas is on everyone’s mind. Will it affect your summer travel schedule? Virginia.org has an array of local events happening literally in our own back yard. They have a great online brochure so you
won’t have to wait for the mailman to deliver yours.
From Civil war trails to weekend or weekly beach or mountain getaways. I found a lot of great ideas on this site. They even have a list of pet friendly places to stay so you won’t have leave pets out of the fun.
The annual Chincoteague pony swim is July 30, 2008. www.assateagueisland.com/ponyswim AND www.chincoteague.com for information. It’s a must see and do event that will leave you with memories to last a lifetime.
Another great on the list is Luray Caverns. I’ve been back there several times since I was a child and I am always humbled when I see this natural wonder. www.Luraycaverns.com for more information.
Hiking enthusiasts already know that you can pickup the Appalachain trail or the “AT” right in Bluemont at Bears Den. What you may not know is that this section of the trail is known to be one of the more strenuous sections (south of Snickersville gap) that many hikers find exceptionally challenging. They say this portion of the trail is less heavily traveled and is crossed by fewer roads than the trail in Maryland. The Northern Virginia section stretches 54 miles from the Virginia/West Virginia State line to the Shenandoah National Park. For more info: www.appalachiantrail.org
Lastly, beach cottage owners from Nags Head to
Corolla are giving away Gas, Gift and Grocery cards to get renters. Make sure to ask if your vacation rental doesn’t offer it.
Have a fun and safe Summer
Circa 1870 home on almost 1 acre fully fenced. In-ground pool. Kitchen completely remodeled, A MUST SEE* Home has had many other renovations & updates and shows like the GEM it is. Greenhouse, Fish Pond, Established Gardens & hardscapes*2 story barn serves as workshop and extra storage*1 car garage*Walk to Elementary school, 2 resturants, shopping & post office. Call Kelly for information and to setup a showing. More photos at www.kellygaitten.com under featured listings.
A shameless plug for my good friend Andy Hawk! His 4th CD was released this month and, well I helped some with back up vocals! The Loudoun Times Mirror just wrote a nice review and everyone involved was named- I think that's great. We all love to see our name in print. The reality of it is that the songs are catchy and fun and I had a blast being involved in the process. (Not that I will win any singing awards but I can hold my own).
Marnie's son - Jake got a great cameo at the end of the "Water Song" which Andy wrote just for him. Jake was so excited about having his name in the paper he told his Mom he was a rock star. He then informed Andy he'll have another drummer to deal with very soon! I love it!
Heartfelt congratulations to Andy, Marnie and Jake. You've got FANS!
Comedian Ben Stein did a news soundbite this weekend that truly touched my heart. See excerpt from the Humane Society website below - please pass the information along to anyone you know who might want to adopt a homeless pet or help with the cause. The story link is: http://www.hsus.org/pets/pets_related_news_and_events/foreclosure_pets_grant_fund.html
"To help keep families and pets together through foreclosures and financial crisis, The Humane Society of the United States has created a new grant program for shelters and rescue groups.
Pets have been among the voiceless victims of the current economic downturn. Animals have been left behind in foreclosed homes, and shelters are reporting that families are struggling to keep and feed pets.
Don't Leave Pets Behind
Abandoned pets face a grim future. Many pets trapped inside abandoned homes aren't found until they're on the brink of starvation. Those lucky enough to reach a shelter have about a 50 percent chance of being adopted
To ease the current hardships, The HSUS is offering grants to animal shelters, non-sheltered rescue/adoption groups and animal care and control agencies to help establish, expand, or publicize services or programs that assist families in caring for their pets during the current economic crisis. " www.hsus.org
| 2008 Loudoun County Monthly Sales Statistics | |||||||||
| Month$ | Residential Units Sold | Average Sales Price | Median Price | Average Days on Market | Active Listings | New Listings This Month | New Pendings This Month | Average S/P as a Percentage of L/P | |
| January | 216 | $431,811 | $370,000 | 123 | 3234 | 943 | 379 | 90.97% |
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| February | 264 | $426,442 | $374,950 | 120 | 3321 | 878 | 420 | 90.14% |
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The Dulles Area Association of Realtors reports total residential units sold for February in ALL of Loudoun County was 264. This was up slightly from the 216 sold in January. So far the 2008 Real Estate market is starting off slowly- anyone can see and feel that.
It can be said that this is the typical trend but what we didn't have this time last year was the Federal Government involvement in bailing out mortgage companies and investment lenders. Not to mention the sixth rate cut in as many months. This is not business as usual. But, what does it mean?
I am hearing from Countrywide that their foreclosures are slowing down so that feels like maybe, just maybe some of the action taken by the Fed could be helping. Or maybe, we've gone through the cycle and things are turning. At any rate, the rates are getting better. The Fed cuts do not directly affect mortgages - it'll take a little time but refinancing has already begun. The only issue I see for anyone looking to refi right now is that appraisals are still going to be much lower than, say, this time last year.
I'm not an economist- I'm reporting on the trends I see and what I am seeing out here in my "field" of vision as a Realtor. Things have slowed considerably. I'm starting to feel the usual Spring - start, then stop. I am getting buyer calls and on warmer days, I've noticed more people out looking at property. That can't be all bad.
My niece turned 15 in January. She is at the age where she and her Mother argue and fuss with each other. Casie is very independent. She also works part time in her Mom's Salon so they are together alot. Everything is a battle and my sister is so frustrated I know this is testing her. We were all teenagers - you know what it is like you just have to work through it whether you are the kid or the adult and it will (hopefully) pass.
I noticed shortly after the holidays, that The Little Mermaid was scheduled to open on Broadway. Having never been to New York City (I know, I know) and having never seen a true Broadway performance, I decided to go and take my niece, Casie along for some Auntie bonding and time away from everyone to just breathe. Just us two girls. Oh boy!
We left at 4:30 am on Saturday March 9th from Union Station. We arrived in New York Penn Station promptly at 10:20 am. By 11 am we were in our hotel room. One glitch I hadn't counted on - check in is 4pm. Oops. I begged and they weren't that booked so it was not a problem. We stayed at the Broadway Millenium which is 2 blocks from the Lunt Fontaine Theatre and within a 7 block walk to almost anything you'd want to walk to see.
We showered, changed and went to lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe and walked two blocks to the 2 pm matinee of The Little Mermaid. The show was incredible! Casie was a bit hard to read- she didn't want me to know what a great time she was having. After the intermission it was impossible not to tell. She was all smiles and kept talking about how cute the Flounder character was - he really did steal the show.
After the show, we changed clothes (we had been in heels and it was now raining). Umbrellas in hand, we walked 36 blocks to see what we could see. We were looking for FAO Schwarz but didn't make it there until later when we had to grab a cab. We passed Radio City Music Hall (twice), Times Square and walked up then down 5th Avenue on our adventure. What a treat! We stopped for a quick dinner before falling exhausted into bed!
Sunday 8 am- we were awakened by the room service guy banging on the door. We both popped up out of bed, ate, showered and were out on the street by 9:30 am to explore. Sundays in New York are sort of quiet. It had gotten considerably colder so we had to buy ear muffs and gloves. We had warm coats and scarves thankfully. We wandered North and ended up at the Trump Plaza which is open to the public. We walked around, got warm drinks and waited until 10:30 when the Museum of Modern Art opened.
When we got into the museum, Casie immediately walked up to a very modern painting - studied it for a moment and said with youthful clarity "it really makes you think- doesn't it"? It thought her statement was very profound. Art is supposed to make you think, feel and ponder. We had an excellent time going through the 6 stories of the museum. So much so that we both got books that had all of the highlights of our tour. The final bonding moment was when we walked by a street vendor selling knock off Coach and Gucci bags. Casie was in heaven! Having seen the prices in the real stores on Fifth Avenue, she got a great bag for very good price and now had something to show off when she got home.
We caught the 2pm train - although it was almost 3 when it arrived and we were back home by 6:30 PM. Seems like we packed 3 days into 1 1/2, but it sure was fun. Casie has the map the hotel gave us and is noting things we must see on our next trip - The Site of the WTC, Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, etc. I think this trip sparked a young girl's attention, if only for a moment, away from teenage woes to something wonderful-- The memory of a great trip - the hope of going back to New York again soon, and a life long appreciation for art! We also had some great discussions about everything and nothing. She is very funny and smart - Casie knows what she wants and she isn't afraid to fight for it.
By Sunday evening, Casie missed her Mom - I could tell. She has no idea right now, how truly alike they are- but she'll come to appreciate that later. If only she could see that through someone else's eyes - sort of like Art at the Museum. It really makes you think.
