365 Reasons to Love Falls Church. Reason #10: Home to Veterans

Thank you to all of our Veterans and those still fighting to keep our Country safe and free.

I'm a little late getting this out today. Sometimes being a wife, mother and business owner overwhelms me, but if it wasn't for our Veteran's who knows if I'd even have the great opportunities and privilege's that I have today!

Ever wondered why we have so many homes built in the 50's in Falls Church? That there are such a multitude of 2 and 3 bedroom 1 and 2 level cape cod or rambler homes? After World War II there were many homes built for the GI's returning home. I recall a neighbor, Josephine telling me her husband and her had paid $8000 for their 1 level, 3 bed, 1 bath home. They'd finished the attic later to help give their three girls a space of their own to play. Suffice to say there are many Veteran's living in our area!



Photo courtesy of Peter M Kiesel www.pmkprophoto.com

 Give your neighbors a shout out and thank them for their service. Don't wait for Veteran's Day, any day will do!

365 Reasons to Love Falls Church. Reason #9 It's Fall in Falls Church



Photo by Peter M Kiesel http://www.pmkprophoto.com/



Don't you just love fall? The amazing colors. The crisp, cool, air. The smell of the dried, fallen leaves. A fire in the fireplace...Heaven.

I got married in the Fall for these very reasons. It rained at first, but as the storm departed, the crisp, cool air came in and it was amazing!  

In Falls Church we have so many wonderful Autumn activities to enjoy. Of course there is Halloween and Thanksgiving, but locally we have the Fairfax Fall Festival to look forward to and the Falls Church City Fall Festival & Taste of Falls Church. You could also take a stroll or ride a bike on the W&OD trail or wander around one of our many parks. Of course Fido might like to get out for a little exercise and we've got several wonderful dog parks in the area as well. My husband and I used to take our boys (dogs) out to a dog park in East Falls Church and then to Baskin Robins for ice cream after. I don't know who enjoyed it more. Us or them.

Keep an eye out for the yellow signs in your neighborhood letting you know when Fairfax County's finest will be around for leaf collection!

365 Reasons to Love Falls Church. Reason #8 Family Fun Night!

I'm always asking my friends, clients and neighbors what they love most of about living in Falls Church. A wonderful neighbor mentioned that he's always in search of great activities and things to do with his three year old. He most recently told me about Family Fun Night at the Silver Dinner in Merrifield. Kids Night is every Tuesday with a host of activities. For example, tonight is football night and anyone and everyone dressed in football gear gets a chance to win a Silver Dinner gift card. Plus face painting and freebies for the kids including balloons! Did I mention that they've recently updated their menu's to include healthy options as well as organic choices for adults and kids? They score big with me. http://www.silverdiner.com/family-fun-night

Silver Dinner is just one of the many great options for kids in the area. On Tuesday night's kids eat free at Chevy's and Argia's and many of our other local restaurants have a fantastic kids menu such as Pie-Tanza, Old Hickory Grill and iHop!

If you're interested in more information about Falls Church real estate, Northern Virginia real estate or the DC Metro area please send me an e-mail! I am licensed in DC, MD & VA.

365 Reasons to Love Falls Church. Reason #7 The Thomas Jefferson Library

This library is a wow! Brand new and opened just days ago it's got a super cool contemporary design.

There are 24 computers equipped with internet access and Microsoft office products plus wireless access & meeting/conference/study rooms.  They also offer English classes and a multi-lingual staff to assist our diverese community.

Book clubs meet each week and a weekly children's program with various readings/storytelling for children a range of ages is available and FREE!

Check out the link to the Thomas Jefferson link here: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/tj/

If you or someone you know would like more information about moving to Falls Church or the surrounding area please give me a call! I'm committed to helping you find a home you love.

How Do Realtors Get Paid?

On occasion my Northern Virginia real estate buyers have asked me "How do you get paid?"

First of all, it's important for your Realtor to have a written Buyers Agency Agreement. This agreement outlines the agents obligations and responsibilities to you as well as their pay. I'll tell you more about Buyer Agency in Northern Virginia real estate in another blog soon.

Here's the gist:

When a seller signs a listing agreement to sell Northern Virginia Real Estate he agrees to pay the listing agent. The listing agent then agrees to pay a portion of that to the buyers representative - an offer of cooperation. The amount paid to the buyers representative is decided upon by the listing agent and seller.

When a property is listed in the MLS it must offer some sort of compensation to the buyers representative or agent. When you, the buyer make an offer to purchase the home the contract says that seller instructs the settlement company to pay the agents. The commission is then paid at settlement out of the sellers proceeds in most cases. There are always a few exceptions to that, but they are rare.

The buyer does indirectly pay for the commission. You pay for it as part of the sales price of the home and the seller takes a reduction from their proceeds.

So, since you are paying it's important that you make sure you have the right agent! Call me today to set up an interview! 

Today's adventure.

I'm not perfect. I put the key in my pocket from the home I was showing and I drove all the way home with it. I pulled into my driveway, put it in park and immediately realized it. I drove back and quickly replaced the key. Yes, in the meantime I called the agent to let her know and she laughed at me. Luckily, that made me feel better.

Glad I got that out of my system, don't want to make that mistake again!

365 Reasons to Love Falls Church. Reason #6: Positive Changes are Coming!

There's a lot going on in and around Falls Church! There's so much going on that I could write a ridiculously lengthy blog, but let's keep it simple.

East Falls Church has and is undergoing a lot of change. In the past couple of years the Loehman's Plaza was given a facelift. Westlawn Plaza has plans on the table and renovation is expected to begin in 2011. The East Falls Church Metro area - which is actually on Falls Church City/Arlington's watch is planned for a facelift soon as well which may include some additional shopping/dining and housing and potentially a parking garage for the metro. East Falls Church is also expecting Northrop Grumman to relocate their corporate headquarters to the Fairview Park complex and the former Raytheon building has been leased by the government.

Nearby in Merrifield the new Mosaic District is under construction and expected to be LEED certified. Target has committed to the project.

All of these things make Falls Church an even better place to live than it already was! If you're interested in moving to Falls Church or a nearby town please send me an email or give me a call! You can also visit me on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/mlschnur

365 Reasons to Love Falls Church. Reason #5: Falls Church Farmers Market

Today is the perfect day to tell you about the Falls Church farmers market! I tell all of my Falls Church real estate clients about this awesome event! It's located in the City Hall parking lot at 300 Park Ave. It's open virtually all year round. Tomorrow, October 9th they are celebrating that the Falls Church farmers market won an award as "Americas Favorite". http://www.fcnp.com/around-fc/7435-public-invited-to-celebrate-fc-farmers-market-as-americas-favorite.html.

I love taking my family to this market. We often buy our produce here for less than we'd pay at the local grocery and it tastes amazing! You can also buy flowers, fresh bread, milk, cheeses, crafts and activites for the kids. Local vendors for services and other products also participate.

There's a playground nearby where my son plays. There's also a barn that displays many tools that were used...."back in the day" if you will. The barn's a story for another blog.

365 Reasons to Love Falls Church. Reason #4 It's Inside the Beltway

Call me a Beltway snob. I admit it, I am. Blame it on my husband. He insisted on staying inside the beltway when we bought this home. So glad we did. Falls Church real estate has certainly seen some depreciation - especially East Falls Church real estate, but we've also seen an amazing recovery and Falls Church real estate continues to rise. That's more than most towns outside of The Beltway can say! It's still a very affordable area in contrast to most of Arlington.

Recently, the majority of my Falls Church real estate clients are migrating into Falls Church from Arlington. They desire all or most the conveniences and charm that Arlington has to offer, but for less money.

Looking to move to Falls Church or the surrounding area? Call or email for a hassle-free buyer consult!

365 Reasons to Love Falls Church. Reason #3: The W&OD Trail

A lot of my Falls Church real estate clients are thrilled to know the W&OD trail runs through town. 45 miles long, it passes through Falls Church for about 5.5 miles. Bike, walk, run...but get there fast to enjoy the Fall Foliage!

365 Reasons to Love Falls Church. Reason #1: A Commuter's Dream!

Whoever coined the phase "location, location, location," must've lived in Falls Church! We have amazing access to 495, 66 and Route 50. If you like traffic, we've got it! If you like to avoid it, we've also got public transportation - WMATA gives us the Metrobus and Metrorail. Falls Church has two dedicated Metrorail stations dubbed "East Falls Church" and "West Falls Church". Dunn Loring is nearbu and there are multiple new stations being added in the Tyson's Corner area on the new Silver Line.

Falls Church is a commuters dream!

365 Reasons to Love Falls Church.Reason #2: The Celebrity Delly

I've got to put the Celebrtiy Delly (no, it's not a typo, they spell deli, Delly) at the top of my list when it comes to Falls Church. In business since 1975 the Delly is one of the most popular lunch joints around. They've also got a killer breakfast that packs 'em in on the weekends too (also avaialble on weekdays).

I love to take my clients/friends there. As a matter of fact if you've ever been out to see property with me in the area, you've probably been there. There's something for everyone and people love to read the random plaques on the wall with various colloquiallisms.

The sandwiches are too big to get a mouth around and have some great names like "The Terminator" and the "Jimmy Lange". The fries are to die for. My favorite sandwhich? I go for the California Club (formerly known as the Shriver). My husband loves the New Yorker topped with a kosher dog.

When you pop in for a bite, tell them your favorite Falls Church Real Estate Agent, Melinda sent you!
http://www.celebritydeliva.com/

365 Reasons to Love Falls Church.

I moved to Falls Church in 2003. At the time my husband and I thought we were "settling" since we weren't able to afford to live in a home we liked in Arlington or DC. Jason was such a beltway snob. He wouldn't set foot in any town on the other side of 495. We had to make Falls Church work for us. So, every weekend we set out in search of Falls Church culture. At first our efforts were futile. We stumbled upon some not so great places, but we also found a few gems which I hope to share with you over the next year. Stay tuned!

Melinda L Schnur
MLS Real Estate Consultants
RE/MAX ALLEGIANCE – The Number One Selling RE/MAX Company in the World!
ABR, CDPE, CRS, GRI
Licensed to Serve You in DC, MD, VA
571 437 8039
www.movingtodc.com