First, put it all behind you and begin with a fresh new start. As with other past stumbling blocks in your life, you must learn from them and move forward. Write down what caused you to get in that situation, whether it was from the housing market, a loan you could not possibly have fulfilled, overspending, not sticking to a budget, making poor decisions, etc. This will give you peace of mind and help you avoid the same scenario again.

The next step is to create a budget. It should be realistic and one you can stick to. Set financial goals and develop a path to reach them. In order to reach these goals, you may have to give up some of the extras in your life. Create a chart to track cash flow coming in and going out. One of the biggest challenges facing you in the coming months will be sticking to your budget!

If you are struggling to pay your bills, it may be advisable to seek help from a financial adviser. They might be able to negotiate a repayment plan for debts that you owe. This will probably have a negative effect on your credit report, but it is better than bankruptcy.

You need somewhere to live, so consider renting a place while you focus on building your credit and cash resources. Generally you need to wait 24-36 months from your foreclosure date before considering purchasing a home and acquiring financing again.

A rent to own or lease option is another consideration. This will give you the ability to gain equity in the home and build a payment history that will help in the future with credit reference.

During this rebuilding time in your life, you must remember to live within your means. Adjust your spending according to your income, and save 10 percent of what you make. This will prevent you from slipping backwards in your credit rating again.

If you have cut back on your expenses and are still finding it difficult to pay your bills, consider ways to earn more money. If you are able, consider a second job. If you have other talents, think about doing freelance work. Check with your employer for extra shifts that pay overtime.

While Google is researching more effective ways for people to find local real estate information, they offer other options to home-seekers: you can still access other information in Maps such as local businesses, directions, and transit times, as well as aerial and Street View imagery to explore where you might want to move. One might use Google search results to find helpful real estate information and websites.

When you go to Google Maps, type in the city and state in which you are looking for property in and a list will come up on your left. A map of your area will come up to start your search. You can click on the balloon in the area you want to search, and a window will come up. This will give you the option to get directions, search nearby, save to map, and much more. Bing search is another option with a nice neighborhood view option.

When you search specifically for Real Estate Companies in an area, agency reviews can help in your decision of selecting the right agent to work with. You will also be able to tell what type of properties they list and be given contact information to connect with them.

Once you select the company you want to start your search with, select the website link. This will take you to the home page of the agent. One option is to look through the featured listings of the agent. This will give you ideas of properties and price ranges offered.

Another option is to search listings. This will give you the ability to refine your search according to the property type, city, county, price, bedrooms, etc. that you are looking for. You will also be able to sign up for Instant Listing Alerts. This is a service many agents use to keep you updated of any new listings that match your criteria.

Another useful section that many agents offer is Real Estate Stats. This section will give you valuable information comparing cost of living in the area of your search compared to other areas in the United States. In fact, you can find a number of real estate stats on the D.C. metro area, Prince William County, Fairfax County, and Prince Georges County on this blog.

It is important to remember that each state has different laws governing service of process. One common law among most states is that a process server, any adult over the age of eighteen years old, that is not a party to the case, or a member of a corporation or organization that is a party, may serve the papers.

Like all process servers, a Maryland, Virginia, or D.C. process server will provide an Affidavit of Service to the individual for whom they are working. This notarized document provides proof that the defendants or other parties involved in the court case were served with the legal documents. In order to guarantee that legal documents are delivered in a timely manner and according to the law of the state or district, the services of a Maryland, Virginia, or D.C. process server should be considered.

Washington, D.C. and Maryland do not require process servers to be licensed. Lobbyists are active in the state of Maryland and laws concerning civil procedure and process serving can change on a regular basis.

In Maryland, process may be served on a Sunday or holiday, except that a Writ of Distraint or for eviction or possession shall not be served on Sunday. In Virginia, no civil process shall be served on Sunday, except in cases of persons escaping out of custody, or where it is otherwise expressly provided for by law.

In Maryland, a private process server must provide the Court with the following:

1. Printed name of private process server
2. Mailing address of private process server
3. Telephone number of private process server

If the private process server name is unreadable, service will be considered unacceptable.

In Virginia, unless otherwise directed by the court, the person serving process shall make return to the clerk’s office within 72 hours of service, except when the return would be due on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday.

Hi! I’m Brad Chandler of Express Homebuyers and the Following is Your December 2011 Real Estate Statistics for Prince William County, Virginia

The average sales price of a home sold in December was $271,558, less than a 1% decrease from a year earlier. 435 homes were sold in Prince William County in December, that’s 12% less than last December. Those homes took on average 60 days to sell – a 25% increase from a year ago. Based on 374 homes being sold in November there is a 3-month supply of homes in Prince William County. This means that if buyers continued to buy at the same pace as they did in November each month going forward and there were no new homes placed on the market for sale the supply of houses for sale would run out in 3 months. Sellers are getting on average almost 94% of what they list their home for. So if a seller listed their home for $100,000 they would, on average, end up selling it for $94,000. The number of homes for sale decreased 18% from a year ago to 1,132 while the number of homes that came on the market decreased 5.5% to 427 homes. The number of new contracts that buyers placed on homes for sale decreased less than 1% from a year ago. While most of the indicators have slipped from a year ago, I would still say a very healthy real estate market in exists in Prince William County, especially given the 3-month supply of houses. If you have any questions about this information or selling your Prince William County house fast, please contact us at the number above.

Hi! I’m Brad Chandler of Express Homebuyers and the Following is Your December 2011 Real Estate Statistics for Montgomery County, Maryland

The average sales price of a home sold in December was $426,499, a decrease of 7.5% from a year earlier. 713 homes were sold in Montgomery County in December, a 10.5% decline from last December. Those homes took on average 85 days to sell, an increase from 82 days, a year ago. Based on 673 homes being sold in November there is less than a 4-month supply of homes in Montgomery County. This means that if buyers continued to buy at the same pace as they did in November each month going forward and there were no new homes placed on the market for sale the supply of houses for sale would run out in about 4 months. Sellers are getting on average 92% of what they list their home for. So if the seller listed the home for $100,000 they would, on average, end up selling it for $92,000. The number of homes for sale decreased over 13% from a year ago to 2,474 homes while the number of homes that came on the market decreased 9.5% to 571 homes. The number of new contracts that buyers placed on homes for sale decreased 9% from a year ago. So things have slipped a little in Montgomery County from a year ago. While a 4-month supply of homes is very healthy, all of the other indicators have gotten worse. Not dramatically worse – just worse. If you have any questions about this information or selling your Montgomery County house fast please contact us at the number above.

Hi! I’m Brad Chandler of Express Homebuyers and the Following is your December 2011 Real Estate Statistics for Prince Georges County, Maryland

I know like I sound like a broken record… but – prices of homes in Prince Georges County have, once again, declined from the previous year – over 4% since last December, falling to $185,903. Prince Georges County has experienced one of the steepest declines in home values, in the area, over the past four years, with some areas seeing values nearly cut in half. 710 homes were sold in December – this is up 1% from the previous December. These homes remained on the market for 114 days – an increase of 28% and sellers are only getting 89% of what they list their house for. This means that if the seller lists his or her home for $100,000 they will end up selling it for about $89,000. In terms of supply, in November, 2011 there were 626 homes sold. When you divide this into the number of active listings, this signifies a 5-month supply of houses. This means that if buyers continued to buy at the same pace as they did in November each month going forward and there were no new homes placed on the market for sale the supply of houses for sale would run out in 5 months. The number of homes for sale has decreased over 31.5% from a year ago to 3,368 while the number of homes that came on the market decreased 37% to 720 homes. These are significant drops from a year earlier. Speculation is that banks will begin to process more foreclosures, thus pushing up these new and active listings. The number of new contracts that buyers placed on homes for sale increased nearly 24% from a year ago from 797 to 987. This is an indication that buyer activity has increased significantly from a year ago. This could be a combination of lower interest rates coupled with buyer’s perception that we are at the bottom of the pricing cycle and prices will likely increase. Even with this surge in activity, if you are a buyer in Prince Georges County you will find the market is in your favor. Sellers will need to wait longer and expect less from the sale of their home. If you have any questions about this information or selling your Prince Georges house fast please contact us at the number above.

Hi! I’m Brad Chandler of Express Homebuyers and the Following is your December 2011 Real Estate Statistics for Fairfax County, Virginia

The average sales price of a home sold in December was $465,410, a decrease of over 2% from a year earlier. 907 homes were sold in Fairfax County in December, that’s 15% less than last December. Those homes took on average 68 days to sell, an increase of nearly 8% from a year earlier, yet still a fairly fast sales time. Based on 841 homes being sold in November there is roughly a 3-month supply of homes in Fairfax County. This means that if buyers continued to buy at the same pace as they did in November each month going forward and there were no new homes placed on the market for sale, the supply of houses for sale would run out in less than 3 months. This is a sign of a strong real estate market. Additionally, sellers are getting over 95% of what they list their home for. So if a seller listed their home for $100,000 they would, on average, end up selling it for $95,000. The number of homes for sale decreased 13% to 2,263. The number of homes that came on the market 746 is down over 1.5% from a year ago. The number of new contracts that buyers placed on homes for sale decreased roughly 3% from 872 to 847 in December. While buyer activity has slowed slightly and sales and inventory is down, overall most of the above factors indicate a very healthy real estate market in Fairfax County. If you have any questions about this information or selling your Fairfax County house fast please contact us at the number above.

Hi! I’m Brad Chandler of Express Homebuyers and the Following is your December 2011 Real Estate Statistics for the District of Columbia

The average sales price of a home sold in December was $536,764, a decrease of 2% from a year earlier. 495 homes were sold in the District in December, a 2.5% increase from last December. Those homes took on average 76 days to sell – this is a decrease of almost 4%. Based on 447 homes being sold in November there is a 3.7-month supply of homes. This means that if buyers continued to buy at the same pace as they did in November each month going forward and there were no new homes placed on the market for sale, the supply of houses for sale would run out in less than 4 months. Sellers are getting on average 94% of what they list their home for. So if a seller listed their home for $100,000 they would, on average, end up selling it for $94,000. The District currently has 1,657 homes for sale. This number has decreased 27% from a year ago, while the number of homes that came on the market in December – 409 – decreased by 15%. The number of new contracts that buyers placed on homes for sale increased from 468 to 475 – virtually the same from a year ago. Other than active listings and new listings being significantly down, little has changed from a year ago. The supply of houses indicates a very healthy real estate market in DC. Speculation is that banks will begin to process more foreclosures, thus pushing up new and active listings. We will have to wait and see on that. If you have any questions about this information or selling your DC house fast please contact us at the number above.

Covering nearly 500 square miles, the county is split into five regions that are distinctly different:

North County: Bounded by the Capital Beltway and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, North County attracts government and University of Maryland employees and students to towns like University Heights, Mt. Ranier, College Park, Laurel, and Greenbelt. Despite the freeways and the MetroLine tracks, the North County section of PGC has plenty of green space and recreational land available in Greenbelt Park, Lake Artemesia Park, and the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center.

Central County: Set east of the Capitol Beltway, fast-growing Central County includes Mitchellville, Woodmore, Greater Upper Marlboro, Springdale, and Bowie, the largest city in the county, with a population of more than 50,000. Bowie has many century homes from the days when the town was the site of thoroughbred horse racing, but there are many contemporary homes in the area as well. The Newton White Manor is a popular location for weddings and political events, while the Ogden Bowie Mansions, Allen Point, Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Trail, and other planned trails and lakes attract sportsmen.

Rural Tier: The rural area beyond the Beltway was the original area settled in the county and was composed of small, unincorporated parishes and the county’s largest collection of tobacco manor mansions and historic homes. Residents aim to keep the area rural. Patuxent River Park draws birdwatchers, canoeing enthusiasts, and kayakers.

Inner Beltway: This densely populated area of PGC borders the District of Columbia’s northeastern and southeastern quadrant. Capitol Heights, “The Gateway to the Nation’s Capitol,” District Heights, Forestville, Suitland and Seat Pleasant are the major communities, which were developed around 1904 for those who wanted to live on the outskirts of the district. A Metro station runs through Capitol Heights. The area around it is an Enterprise Zone, ripe for development.

South County: Communities such as Clinton, Oxon Hill, Temple Hills and Fort Washington are on the Potomac River, where the National Harbor project has been developed into a major area for shopping, entrainment, and riverside condos.

Over the past four years, Prince George’s County has seen home values drop by 60%. With homes in the area averaging less the $172,000, homebuyers have a good chance to buy a beautiful home with urban amenities and rural charm, both nearby. The State of Maryland, the county, and individual towns have many programs in place to help buyers settle there, as well as to help current residents living in Prince George’s County prevent foreclosure.

The average sales price of a home sold in November was $279,824, a 2% decrease from a year earlier.  374 homes were sold in Prince William County in November, that’s 22% less than last November. Those homes took on average 62 days to sell. While it’s a 26% increase from a year earlier –it’s still a relatively short sales time. Based on 394 homes being sold in October there is a 3-month supply of homes in Prince William County. This means that if buyers continued to buy at the same pace as they did in October each month going forward and there were no new homes placed on the market for sale, the supply of houses for sale would run out in 3 months. Any monthly supply number under 5 usually indicates a Sellers Market. Additionally, sellers are getting on average almost 96% of what they list their home for. So if the seller listed their home for $100,000 they would, on average, end up selling it for $96,000. The number of homes for sale decreased 15% from a year ago to 1,285 while the number of homes that came on the market decreased 16% to 501 homes.  The number of new contracts that buyers placed on homes for sale decreased about 2% from a year ago. Most of the above factors indicate a very healthy real estate market in Prince William County. If you have any questions about this information or selling your Prince William County house fast, please call us at the number above.

The average sales price of a home sold in November was $465,527, an increase of almost 2% from a year earlier. 841 homes were sold in Fairfax County in November, that’s 13% less than last November. Those homes took on average 61 days to sell. This is the same number of days from a year ago and 61 days is still fairly healthy. Based on 815 homes being sold in October there is roughly a 3 month supply of homes in Fairfax County. This means that if buyers continued to buy at the same pace as they did in October each month going forward and there were no new homes placed on the market for sale the supply of houses for sale would run out in 3 months.  Any monthly supply number under 5 usually indicates a Sellers Market. Additionally, sellers are getting over 95% of what they list their home for. So if the seller listed their home for $100,000 they would, on average, end up selling it for $95,000. The number of homes for sale decreased 11% to 2,747. The number of homes that came on the market 1,017 is down over 3.5% from a year ago.  The number of new contracts that buyers placed on homes for sale decreased for the second straight month -this month by nearly 5% from a year ago. This is concerning and puzzling. As interest rates remain near an all time low, one would think there would be more buyer activity to take advantage of these low rates. While buyer activity has slowed, overall most of the above factors indicate a very healthy real estate market in Fairfax County. If you have any questions about this information or selling your Fairfax County house fast please call us at the number above.

The average sales price of a home sold in November was $514,274, a decrease of 7% from a year earlier. 447 homes were sold in the District in November, a 9.5% decrease from last November. Those homes took on average 73 days to sell – this is an increase of nearly 16%. Based on 421 homes being sold in October there is a 5 month supply of homes. This means that if buyers continued to buy at the same pace as they did in October each month going forward and there were no new homes placed on the market for sale, the supply of houses for sale would run out in 5 months.  A 5-6 month supply is considered healthy for supply. Because supply isn’t as low as it once was, sellers are getting on average 94% of what they list their home for. So if the seller listed their home for $100,000 they would, on average, end up selling it for $94,000. The District currently has 2,007 homes for sale. This number has decreased almost 24% from a year ago, while the number of homes that came on the market in November – 587 – decreased by over 14%. The number of new contracts that buyers placed on homes for sale increased from 497 to 565 – that’s up over 13% from a year ago. This is an indication that buyer activity has increased significantly from a year ago. This could be a combination of extremely low interest rates coupled with average sales prices declining and buyer’s perception that we are at the bottom of the pricing cycle and prices will likely increase. This is what we have been seeing for most of the year, with October being the exception – new contracts were actually down in October. If you have any questions about this information or selling your DC house fast please call us at the number above.

To this end, Prince William County was the proud recipient of $200 million in road improvements that directly impact the county, as a part of federal transportation funding. As Rob Clapper, President and CEO of the Prince William Chamber of Commerce noted when Governor Bob McDonnell made the announcement, the funding, “… will facilitate the movement of goods and people in our community. Our 2011 Legislative Agenda also emphasizes roads projects that would spur economic development. Obviously, we are excited at the progress the governor’s announcements represent for businesses in the Prince William region.”

The improvements will include numerous improvement such adding lanes, building new interchanges at Gainesville, and widening I-66, replacing some bridges, and widening, adding lanes, and improving traffic management on other area roads.

Not only will the road improvements reduce congestion for the workforce, they will assist visitors who come to see other area attractions. Prince William County is the site of the Marine Corps Heritage Museum, the Hylton Performing Arts Center, the Old Dominion Speedway, and the Manassas National Battlefield Park. It will also be the location for the new American Wartime Museum and the 150th commemoration of the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War and the famous First and Second Battles of Manassas. Other tourist destination are the Potomac Mills outlet mall, the 10th most popular tourist destination in the state, the Jiffy Lube Live concert facility, and Prince William Forest Park – the largest National Park Service property in the Washington, D.C. region.

The roadwork is a step in the right direct to complete the county’s 2008 Comprehensive Plan for land use in the area. The county hopes to attract increasing numbers of high-paying professional jobs with transit-oriented housing to serve the workforce. New roads, widened roads, and well-engineered traffic management will compliment expanded regional mass transit. As the Metro service is expanded to Tysons Corner in Fairfax County, legislators discuss the possible expansions of the Metro into Prince William County as well as other options.

With the area growing, stay tuned for other upcoming improvements in Prince William County.

Since 1929, the county has qualified as an Urban Entitlement County by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, which makes it eligible to receive housing funds to benefit low and moderate income households. Two programs of note to help new buyers, including ones who qualify for rental assistance, are active in area.

First Time Homebuyer’s Program (FTHP) With applications available on January 9, 2012, the FTHP offer no cash down loans with closing help for Prince William County buyers. The requirements for these are:

• You are first time homebuyers (which means that your or co-borrower have not owned a home in the past three years.).
• You can qualify for mortgage through a reputable lender.
• You complete state-sponsored credit and responsible owner’s counseling.
• Your income cannot exceed $97,500 for two person or $112,950 for three or more.
• Your credit score is 620 or more.
• Your loan amount does not exceed $450,000.

The benefits vary by area. Some areas qualify for 100% financing and all closings costs paid: Alexandria, Arlington, Loudoun, Prince William, Clarke, Fauquier, Spotsylvania and Stafford counties.

Other towns offer 100 percent financing and all closings costs paid: include: Haymarket, Gainesville, Manassas, Manassas Park, Bristow, Occoquan, Woodbridge, Dale City (part of Woodbridge), Quantico, Catharpin, Dumfries, Nokesville and Triangle.

Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Home Ownership Program: Current participants in the county’s rental assistance program can use their voucher to purchase a home in Prince William County if they meet several criteria:

• You are first time homebuyers (which means that your or co-borrower have not owned a home in the past three years.).
• You can qualify for mortgage through a reputable lender.
• You can put up 3% of the downpayment or find help through a down payment assistance program.
• You are willing to obtain a home inspection at your own expense.
• You have a household income of at least $40,000.
• You have been employed at least one year.
• You complete state-sponsored credit and responsible owner’s counseling.

HCV will contribute toward the mortgage payment for up to 15 years on loan terms of more than 20 years or up to 10 years on a mortgage term of up to 20 years.

Aside from what is available to help homebuyers in Prince William County, there are other area resources available to homebuyers:

• U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• National Association for County Community and Economic Development
• National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials
• Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments

If you are interested Prince William County homeowner resources, please contact your Realtor® or visit one of the sites mentioned.

Centered in the heart of the city is Dupont Circle, one of the most famous, affluent, and prominent districts within D.C. Its deep rooted art culture, funky shops, and trendy bars and restaurants make Dupont Circle one of the most sought after in the D.C. area. In a 2009 poll by NBC Washington.com, it even won out over Georgetown as the best place to live in the District.

The neighborhood is a preferred habitat for the wealthy diplomatic set, but it also prides itself on its culture diversity and welcomes alternative lifestyles. If money were no object, many young adults moving to DC would always choose to live in Dupont Circle. However, real estate and rental prices here are among the highest in the city.

Dupont Circle actually is a circle with a lush green park that is a gathering place, with plenty of benches for socializing. People come to eat lunch, stroll, play chess, people watch, or enjoy the tranquility. There are also 22 Art on Call boxes in the area showcasing the art and history of this vibrant area that represent the work of local artists that pedestrians can enjoy. The tall, beautiful Dupont Memorial Fountain marks the center of Dupont Circle’s thriving commercial district of retail stores, office buildings, cafes, restaurants, and cultural attractions surround the park.

A bit southeast of the downtown, Chinatown in Washington, D.C. is a small, historic neighborhood nestled in along H and I Streets between 5th and 8th Streets. Originally a German area, Chinese immigrants started to populate the area in the 1930s when they were displaced from their original settlement on Pennsylvania Avenue with the building of the Federal Triangle government complex. The new residents added decorative metal latticework and Chinese signage, including the glittering gold and tiled gate, the Friendship Arch, Chinatown’s most visible and beautiful landmark and the gateway to the neighborhood.

D.C.’s 4-block Chinatown is smaller than the Chinatown districts in New York or San Francisco, but it is still an authentic, colorful and charming ethnic community that was renovated several years ago. What people come to Chinatown for is still there. You can still shop for teas and herbs at grocery stores and enjoy a steaming bowl of shrimp dumpling soup at Full Kee or watch the chef making noodles in the window of Chinatown Express. Each winter, the Chinese New Year is still celebrated here in a dazzling fashion complete with a colorful parade featuring drummers, musicians, lion and dragon dancers and thousands of popping firecrackers. The 20 or more Asian restaurant coexist with national chains, which hang their signs out front in Chinese.

However, Chinatown is now a bustling scene for nightlife, shopping and entertainment and up-an-coming place to live and work. There are new and renovated condos in the area, including the Clara Barton, the Lafayette, and Ventana, plus a new mixed-use development Gallery Place with 192 condos and 250,000 square feet of restaurants, bars, and retail. Chinatown is home to 700 Six, a 12 LEED certified green office building.

Dupont Circle and Chinatown rank as two of D.C.’s most interesting neighborhoods.

Resource: http://rrc.dc.gov/rrc/cwp/view,a,1193,q,445658,rrcNav_GID,1415.asp

Bordering Arlington, Loudoun, and Prince William counties in Virginia, Fairfax is right across the Potomac from Bethesda, Maryland and right across the Chesapeake Bay from Princes George County, Maryland. Fairfax County is over 395 square miles. Within the county, there are three incorporated towns (Clifton, Herndon, and Vienna), two independent cities (Falls Church and Fairfax), and about 34 unincorporated CDC’S (unincorporated census places.)

In 2011, the population of Fairfax County is 1.3 million, a population growth of over 6% since 2000. It reigns as the most heavily populated jurisdiction in the state, the Washington metropolitan area, and the Washington-Baltimore area – and one of the most congested. Delay in traveling the 13 miles to the District or coming into Tysons Corner are legendary, which accounts for ongoing roadwork to expand the use of HOT lanes as well as recent expansion efforts of the Metro Line to Dulles National Airport. Tysons Corner will gain four stops.

Fairfax County is a wealthy one, with an average individual income of $67,909 and household income $107,075. The first county to have a six figure per capita income, Fairfax County is now the second highest household income in the U.S, right after neighboring Loudon County. Residents receive good value for their tax dollar, as the city spends over $4,300 per resident, while its top-ranked schools receive an allocation of 52.2% of the county budget and spend about $7,272 per student. Unemployment is often half than of the U.S. average, while about 3% of citizens have incomes below the poverty level. One trade-off for the high income is a cost of living about 50% higher than the U.S. average.

The area has the biggest concentration of high workers next to Silicon Valle and is home to seven Fortune 500 headquarters, 11 Hispanic 500 companies, and five companies on the Black Enterprise 500 list. Many of the nearly 900,000 jobs in Fairfax County are in high tech application for the U.S. government, including the CIA and the Pentagon, or in industries that support them. Large employers include Freddie Mac, Sallie Mae, Booz Allen Hamilton, Inova Health System, SAIC, Lockheed Martin, Northop Grumman, ExxonMobil, and Capital One, plus the Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, and George Mason University. In Tysons Corner retail workers are in big demand, but they need to be techies too, as stores such as the Apple Store and the Microsoft Store are located there.

The research firm Sperling’s Best Places ranked D.C. as the top place in the country for teleworking, allowing people to work anywhere at anytime, due to the availability of broadband internet access, fuel prices, commuting time, and high percentages of telework-friendly jobs. Teleworking saves Fairfax county workers nearly $500 in transportation costs and over $2,700 in time per year.

Whether you work at home or in the many businesses in the area, Fairfax County living offers an exciting employment landscape.

When you think of D.C. neighborhoods, Georgetown may be the first one that comes to mind. Characterized by historic row-homes, cobblestone streets, steep inclines, and nearness to the Potomac River, it is a destination for shopping and nightlife. Today, Georgetown is one of the most affluent neighborhoods in D.C. and the home to many politicians, lobbyists, and wealthy citizens. The main campus of Georgetown University occupies the western edge of the neighborhood and may historic building dot the landscape.

You don’t have to actually live in Georgetown to enjoy shopping at Georgetown Park at Wisconsin and M Street, where you can visit the stores of designers Betsey Johnson, Hugo Boss, Kate Spade, and Ralph Lauren, and others, then dine at a variety of restaurants to site every taste. In homage to Georgetown’s former shipping days, you can cruise the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal on a tour boat or walk or jog along the canal’s adjacent trails.

President John F Kennedy put the spotlight on Georgetown when lived there as a congressman and Senator in a townhouse at 3307 N Street; the area became the scene of many parties that diverted the prominent political nightlife from downtown. However, Georgetown always attracted politicians, from the early days when men like Thomas Jefferson lived there and George Washington drank in its taverns, including the City Tavern, which still exists at the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street. Georgetown was the fashion and cultural center of young Washington, D.C. but eventually it lost its luster as wealthy residents moved to new Victorian homes around DuPont Circle. The area fell into disrepair, but has been restored and gentrified.

Property in Georgetown is always in demand, although many of the historic Federal townhouses are small enough that people joke you can stand in the living room and touch both walls with your outstretched arms. It is one of the few areas that was unaffected by the housing slump. Limited new building is currently underway but there are several exciting restorations of historic buildings in progress. The average price of property in Georgetown is often double the average listing price of properties elsewhere in D.C. About 78 percent of properties in the area are single-family homes.

Though its housing prices may not be for the faint of heart or many young first time buyers, there are many affordable properties in the neighboring vicinities. Even those who don’t live in Georgetown (whose boundaries are Whitehaven Street, Rock Creek Park, Potomac River, and the Georgetown University campus), you can live in a neighboring area (such as DuPont, Palisades, Glover Park & others) and be there in a 10-15 minute walk to enjoy its many attractions.

Glover Park, for example, just northwest of Georgetown and west of Observatory Circle, is a tight-knit residential community and a “destination” for those in search of vibrant nightlife options. It is also home to the US Navy Observatory, the Vice-Presidential Mansion, and several embassies, but the young professionals who flooded into the area a few years ago were more interested in nightclubs and trendy new restaurants than embassy tours. This new population, often known as “DINK’s”- double-income-no-kids – tried to blend into a close-knit residential neighborhood with residents of all age.

Part of the long-term appeal of Glover, (pronounced like “clover”), Park stems from the surrounding parks. The community has a very green, suburban feel – with smaller residential streets and a number of shady trees. Many residents enjoy that this community is surprisingly quiet, especially considering its close proximity to the rest of the city. There is a Farmer’s Market and a Whole Foods in town, plus a hardware store that is a member of “A Few Cool Hardware Stores” co-operative that offers residents nearby options for home repair supplies.

Housing in Glover Park is a mix of apartment buildings and porch-front row houses built in the 1930s, and housing is actually very affordable. The neighborhood’s elementary school, Benjamin Stoddert Elementary, is one of the most highly-rated schools in the District; its athletic field is home to the Glover Park Co-ed Softball League, and D.C. Stoddert Soccer. Even though Glover Park does not have a Metro station, several bus routes run through the area and provide access to Georgetown, DuPont and downtown, as well as several subway stations.

Georgetown and Glover Park are D.C. neighborhoods worth a look.

Brad Chandler shares October 2011 Real Estate Statistics for Prince William County, Virginia

Representing a 1 percent increase from a year earlier, the average sales price of a home sold in October was $275,43. Almost 12 percent fewer home (394) were sold in Prince William County than in last October. Those homes took on average 54 days to sell. While it’s a 26 percent increase – it’s still a short sales time. Based on 410 homes being sold in September, there is a 3-month supply of homes in Prince William County. This means that if buyers continued to buy at the same pace as they did in September each month going forward and there were no new homes placed on the market for sale, the supply of houses for sale would run out in 3 months. On average, sellers are getting almost 96 percent of what they list their home for, which means that if the seller listed their home for $100,000 they would, on average, end up selling it for $96,000. The number of homes for sale decreased 14 percent from a year ago to 1,409 while the number of homes that came on the market decreased 17 percent to 575 homes. Undoubtedly, this is because the foreclosure process temporarily came to a halt in late 2010. Supposedly, this will soon change and the banks resume processing foreclosures. Buyer activity has increased over the last year, as the number of new contracts that buyers placed on homes for sale increased by more than 15 percent. A combination of lower interest rates – which are currently at an all time low – coupled with buyer’s perception that we are at the bottom of the pricing cycle and prices will likely increase has sent homebuyers shopping. All of the statistics indicate a very healthy real estate market in Prince William County. Have any questions about this information? Want to sell your Prince William County house fast? Please contact us at the number above.