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Thanks for taking the time to visit BobNelsonTeam.com. I hope you will find the information here helpful in your day-to-day life in the Northern Virginia area as well as in your home buying or selling process.
Give me a call at: (703) 999-5812 or send me an email at Bob@BobNelsonTeam.com
Thanks!
Bob
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For those not familiar with Military Appreciation Mondays.
The following is Thanks USA's mission statement:
ThanksUSA is a non-partisan, charitable effort to mobilize Americans of all ages to "thank" the men and women of the United States armed forces. We're doing that by providing need-based college, technical and vocational school scholarships for their children and spouses.
How did the idea of ThanksUSA evolve?
While two sisters, Rachel (10) and Kelsi (8), were on a family vacation in August 2005, they became fascinated with the appeal of treasure hunts. They were trying to locate the treasures hidden by Michael Stadther in his book, A Treasure's Trove, and they asked their parents about the historical basis for the clues in the movie, National Treasure.
The girls wondered whether you could use the appeal of treasure hunts to get kids and their parents to support a national goal. Asked what that goal should be, the girls said they wanted to help the families of military troops. They were inspired by their neighbor, U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Lanier Ward, who had been severely injured in Iraq. Although the girls had already sent care packages from school and church and they had written letters to the soldiers, but they wanted to do something more.
The family discussion turned into the idea of creating a national treasure hunt game, based on American history and American values, which could encourage Americans to "thank" the troops through contributions and activities. After researching what programs are available to troops and their families, they decided to establish a scholarship program for the children and spouses of American troops using private, corporate and federal funding. Ultimately, both the treasure hunt and the scholarship program were grouped under the moniker of ThanksUSA, short for "Treasure Hunt Aiding Needs of Kids and Spouses of those serving the United States of America."
Recent Cosponsors include:
Nelson Family Grossman Family
Sylvestre Family Cox Family Liz Foley
Mary Ann Martel Scott and Dave LaMorte G
Dave and Amber Mclaughlin
Please help support the following business contributors to MAM
Business Sponsors:
Gary Kaihara, DDS - Smiles International
Taylor Allgyer –
James Gaudiosi - Atlantic Coast Mortgage
Last Month's Door Prize Donors
Lodgecliffe on the Choptank B&B
Joan Falls
Great Falls Shell
Neighbors Network
Old Brogue
Welcome to 700 Parrish Farm Lane
Click on the photo for a virtual tour of this wonderful home.
Beautifully sited on a 3 acre professionally landscaped corner lot, this stately stucco and stone home couldn’t be more inviting. So close in to Dulles, Reston, Tyson’s Corner and Washington, D.C., yet you’ll feel like you are miles from civilization. The circular drive offers easy access to the front of the home, and the side driveway brings you to the spacious 3-car garage.
Enter this 5 bedroom, 4-bath home into the light filled 2 story foyer, and right away you’ll be impressed. The sweeping curved staircase, hardwood floors, custom crown mouldings and chair rails speak to the quality of this home. Transom and arched windows bring light streaming into this inviting home.
The formal living room with built in bookcases, display shelves and custom mouldings can be found just off the foyer. A spacious dining room with a beautiful crystal chandelier is ready for dinner parties or family gatherings.
The oversized family room includes a gas fueled stone fireplace wall and an abundance of space for seating and more. Just steps away you’ll find the gorgeous custom kitchen with an expansive array of cherry cabinetry, granite countertops, stainless high end refrigerator, oven and gas cooktop. Abundant counter space, glass-doored buffet area, and walk in pantry offer everything a family could need. Two separate eating areas provide flexibility – a bay windowed breakfast area along with a separate family dining space complete this expansive kitchen. A laundry room is also conveniently right off the kitchen. Views of the private wooded backyard and two level deck can be seen from the entire back of the house.
But you’re not done with the main level of this home. A large main level bedroom and full bath could be used as an additional master, or an au pair/in-law/guest suite. An office/den/library with glass French doors to a covered patio can also be found on the main level.
Climb the curved hardwood staircase to the second level of this home and you’ll find yourself on a large balcony area overlooking the foyer and family room.
3 spacious bedrooms plus a sumptuous master suite can be found on this level. A full bath with natural stone tiles, tub, shower and granite-topped vanity add to the custom touches in this home. The oversized master suite includes a lighted, vaulted, and beamed ceiling, gas fireplace, and plenty of room for relaxing. Glass French doors to his and her closets provide a luxurious touch.
You’ll also find an expansive master bath with 24” natural stone floor tiles, double vanity with granite top, frameless glass tiled shower and oval soaking tub.
But don’t forget about the finished lower level of this lovely home. A wide staircase from the family room lined with a stone wall lease to a spacious area for entertaining. A wood burning stove insert in the fireplace and stone accents throughout add to the warmth and hominess of this space. A bay window draws in even more light in addition to the glass doors to the backyard.
You’ll find plenty of room for a pool table or home theater in addition to lots of seating on the lower level. A granite-topped bar with microwave and refrigerator will make entertaining a breeze. A full bath with Jacuzzi tub are close by.
The lovely pastoral setting of this private home is truly unique. Let your cares slip away as you leave the hustle and bustle of Northern Virginia and come home to this gem of a home.
I am currently down at Keller Williams International’s annual Family Reunion conference in Orlando, Fl. I finished up talking with someone who has encouraged me to get back into the habit of blogging. As the subject line denotes, I will start with the current level of activity for the Great Falls Market.
Whenever doing a search for homes in Great Falls, it is extremely important to differentiate between that part of Great Falls located in Fairfax County and that in Loudoun County. While both in the 22066 zip code, the difference in price is typically at least $200,000 – $300,000 with the Fairfax side of the border costing more. For the purposes of this particular entry, I will be focused on the Fairfax side.
A quick run of homes on the market will bring up a total of 112 listings. Of this number, 10 are rentals ranging in price between $2,800 to $6,800. Since my primary purpose here is to discuss sales, I will eliminate these from the total number of homes. This in turn puts us a 102 active listings which will need further refinement. I normally subtract those listings that are “to be built” homes. My objective here is to determine how many properties are currently available for sale and are ready to move in. A total of 24 listings show up as “to be built”. One more property is really nothing more than a land listing. The to be built properties range in price from $833,714 on a 1.2 acre lot on Thomas Ave. to my listing at 119 Clarks Run Rd. which is priced at $3.95 million and will be built on an 8.9 acre property.
Now with these 25 listing removed, we end up with a total of 77 homes actually move in ready. Twenty-three of these properties are priced under $1.0 million. Twenty-four between $1.0 – $1.5 million. Ten between $1.5 – $2.0 million. The remaining homes range in price from $2.199,888 (not too sure why) to an incredible home on Innsbruck priced at $8.75 million. My whole purpose behind providing this is to show the real diversity of homes and price points available in the Great Falls market.
During the last 30 days, a total of 20 homes sold in Great Falls ranging in price from $440,000 – $3.650 million. As of today, there are a total of 25 homes under contract ranging in price from $425,000 to $4.5 million. With 77 homes available and 20 sold during the past month, that puts our Great Falls inventory at slightly under four months. In normal times, anything under a four month inventory would be termed a sellers’ market!
For the past 2+ years, we have been hearing that housing starts are down. In the shallow way in which our media reports things, this has been presented as something less than desirable. Although not an economist, for the same 2+ years, I have been saying that this is actually a very good thing for the long term health of both our housing market and the U.S. economy in general. Builders and investors got carried away with home construction during 2004 and 2005. They ended up putting way to much inventory into the market place than was needed. We are just now entering into a period where there is beginning to be housing shortages (in certain markets). This in turn has caused rents to increase. This is very much the case in parts of Fairfax and Arlington Counties.
The June 20th issue of the Economist contains an article entitled: “Will housing save America’s economy?” that is discussing the fact that there is a large pent up demand for new housing. To read the full Article, click on the link: Economist Article. Hope you find this of interest.
Five Reasons You Should Sell Your House TODAY!
Selling your house in today’s market can be extremely difficult. It is for that reason that every seller should take advantage of each and every opportunity that appears. Each fall, such an opportunity presents itself. This fall, that opportunity may be just too good to pass up.
Below are five reasons you should consider pricing your house to sell in the next 90 days. Meet with your real estate agent and mortgage professional today and see whether it is the right move for you and your family.
1. Entering this time of year, the buyers are more serious.
We all realize that buyers are not quick to pull the trigger on the purchase of a home today. There is no sense of urgency with the supply of eligible properties at all time highs. However, at this time of year, the ‘lookers’ are at the stores doing their holiday shopping. The home buyers left in the market are serious and are more apt to make a purchasing decision. Less showings – but to more motivated purchasers.
2. If you are moving up, you can save thousands.
The Chicago Tribune stated in an article last week that sellers who want to ‘trade up’ should act now:
It could be a bigger house, different neighborhood or a better school district, but it comes with a higher price tag. Do the math; this might be the right time.
A home that was once worth $300,000 may now be worth $240,000 in a market where prices have fallen 20 percent. Wow, you think, the seller is taking a bath. But that seller may also be a prospective buyer who wants a house that once was valued at $400,000. With an equivalent market drop and a realistic listing price, that house may now sell for $320,000. So, in effect, the person is losing $60,000 on the sale of one home but coming out ahead $20,000 on the purchase of another.
Keep in mind the spread may be even greater. There’s a smaller pool of potential buyers for more expensive homes, so sellers may be more willing to cut their price to get a deal done.
3. Interest rates just fell again – to 4.19%.
Professor Karl E. Case, the founder of the Case Shiller Pricing Index in an article in the New York Times last month actually did the math for us:
Four years ago, the monthly payment on a $300,000 house with 20 percent down and a mortgage rate of about 6.6 percent was $1,533. Today that $300,000 house would sell for $213,000 and a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with 20 percent down would carry a rate of about 4.2 percent and a monthly payment of $833 … housing has perhaps never been a better bargain.
4. You beat the rush of inventory that is coming next year.
Every year there is an increase of inventory which comes to market from January through April as homeowners put their houses up for sale in preparation for the spring market. As an example, here is the number of listings available for sale in each of those months in 2010.
- January – 3,277,000
- February – 3,531,000
- March – 3,626,000
- April – 4,029,000
You won’t have to worry about this increasing competition if you sell now.
5. You have less ‘discounted’ inventory with which to compete.
This year, sellers of non-distressed properties have been given an early holiday present. With banks declaring a suspension on the sale of many distressed properties (foreclosures), there has been a large supply of discounted properties removed from competition. No one knows how long this self imposed moratorium will last. However, while it does, every homeowner has a better chance of selling their property.
Bottom Line
If you are looking to sell in the near future, there may not be a more opportune time than this fall. Serious buyers, great move-up deals and less competition from foreclosures creates the perfect selling situation. Don’t miss it!
470 River Bend Rd.
25/04/10
Priced at $4.785 million
This warm and elegant country manor home located in Hidden Springs, one of Great Falls, Virginia’s premier communities provides ample space to host diplomatic style receptions. The nearly 20,000 square feet of living space includes a spectacular main level master bedroom suite, library, kitchen/family room, pub, party room, billiards room, exercise room and so much more. The hilltop siting of this fabulous home on nearly six acres provides panoramic views of the surrounding horse country yet provides unparalleled privacy. Click on the photo above to view the Mouse on House Virtual Tour.
National Month of the Military Child
14/04/10
Military Appreciation Mondays
Supports
Our Military Kids
April is national Month of the Military Child.
I hope you can come out for this month’s Military Appreciation Mondays event at the Old Brogue which will be in recognition of the contributions made by the children of our Servicemen and Women. I am particularly proud to be bringing back the truly special program – Our Military Kids. These dedicated folks provide support to children of deployed National Guard and Reserve personnel as well as to children of injured service members through grants for enrichment activities and tutoring. Such activities help these children cope with the stress of having a parent in a war zone or recovering from injury at home. OMK grants are made to honor the sacrifices that military families make and to ensure that their children have access to sports, fine arts, or academic tutoring programs.
To show your support, simply come out and have dinner at the Old Brogue in Great Falls. Myself and my cosponsors will each be contributing a 10 percent match (typically a total of an 80 percent match) of your dinner tab to Our Military Kids.
You can also show your support through:
A. The purchase of door prize entries. (ALL Proceeds go directly to Our Military Kids.)
B. Our buy a vet dinner initiative. A minimum donation of $25 to OMK entitles you to purchase dinner for one of our vets.
C. Or you can make out a fully tax deductible donation to Our Military Kids.
Be Certain to make a Reservation for
Either the 5:30 or 7:30 Seating by Calling
The Old Brogue at: (703) 759-3309
Hope to See You There
Feel Free to Post the Attached Flyer in Your Office
and forward this email to whomever you think may want to attend.
We Would Love to Break 150 Attendees
I am proud to say that last month’s event in support of the Lift Me Up! therapeutic horseback riding program for our injured vets had approximately 125 people in attendance and raised approximately $4,500. This was our best total to date. I would like to particularly thank Col. Pete Hilgartner (USMC Ret.) for helping out with a book signing at the last two events. Let me know if you would like to purchase a copy of Colonel Hilgartner’s book “High Pockets War Stories”. A $10 donation will be made to OMK with each sale.
Please be certain to support my co-sponsors whenever you have a chance.
James Gaudiosi – Wells Fargo Home Mortgage
Danny Ott – George Mason Bank
Gary Kaihara, DDS
and our door prize donors:
Join us for dinner at
The Old Brogue in Great Falls
Monday, March 29th
Seatings at 5:30 PM and 7:30 PM
Reservations Highly Recommended
Approximately 90% of your dinner bill
will be matched and donated to this month’s charity.
Lift Me Up! Therapeutic Riding
Door Prize Drawings will be held
Also Ask About Our Buy a Vet Dinner Donations
Hosted by
The Bob Nelson Team
Previous Co-sponsors Include:
Bob Nelson
Knight Point Systems
Terry Nelson – Mercury LLC.
Kevin Shiner – Shiner Roofing and Siding
James Gaudiosi – Wells Fargo Home Mortgage
Danny Ott – Wells Fargo Home Mortgage
Chris Melnick – LSA Title Services
Gary Kaihara, DDS
The Old Brogue
Previous Door Prize Donors include:
Golds Gym
Dominion Title
Adeler Jewelers
Casa Noble Tequila
Elite Fitness Concepts
Campbell Mechanical
PF Chang’s Restaurant
Great Falls Design Build
Lodgecliffe Bed and Breakfast
I have recently teamed up with Our Military Kids and Operation Second Chance in an attempt to bring some holiday cheer to our injured service members and their families. We’ve compiled a Christmas Gift Wish List for the families of our brave veterans. I’m hoping everyone will check out this list and consider purchasing one item, serving as Santa for an individual child or even sponsoring an entire family. The latter is a great option for a small company or office to consider.
The list below will be posted until Christmas and will be updated over the next few weeks. Give me a call or drop me an e-mail (santa@bobnelsonteam.com) to let me know how you would like to brighten a family’s Christmas day. Once you have done so, we will give you the full contact info for the family to allow you to send your gift(s) directly to them. I would also encourage you to click on the links above and visit the two websites to learn more about these wonderful grassroots organizations.
Bellis Family (Adopted by the Hoernig family – Thank you Laura and Family)
- 14 yr old girl: electric guitar, JC Penney’s gift card
- 11 yr old boy: football, Tennessee Titans merchandise, JC Penney’s gift card
- 6 yr old girl: Barbie doll, furreal electronic dog, JC Penney’s gift card
Broesch Family (Adopted by the Heil family – Thanks Tim)
- 15 yr old girl: art supplies (paint brushes, charcoal pencils), iTunes gift card
- 7 yr old girl: books, craft supplies, a Barbie doll
Brown Family (Adopted by Knight Point Systems – Thank you Lindsey)
- 7 yr old boy: Xbox 360
- 1 yr old girl: Disney princess toys/merchandise
Christiansen Family (Adopted by the Christianson family- Thank you Vickie and Family)
- 9 yr old girl: Girl Gourmet Cake Bakery
- 4 yr old girl: Girl Gourmet Cupcake Maker
Deen Family (Adopted by the Matthews family and Collingswood Nursing Home – Thank you Catherine)
- 16 yr old girl: iPod
- 15 yr old boy: video games
- 14 yr old boy: video games
- 9 yr old boy: board games
- 3 yr old girl: educational toys teaching the alphabet and numbers
Fulkerson Family
- 18 yr old boy: laptop computer for his school work and for college next year
Helmuth Family (I can’t resist. Adopted by the Nelson Family. 
- 3 yr old boy: Transformers, action figures, books
- 1 yr old girl: any toy that makes noise! (I love this one)
Loper Family (Adopted by the Borland Family – Thank you Dodie and family)
- 12 yr old girl: digital camera
- 11 yr old boy: remote controlled cars
- 10 yr old boy: nintendo dsi
- 7 yr old girl: American Girls doll
Sherrill Family (Adopted by the Copito family – Thank you Debbie and family)
- 14 yr old boy: new sports bag (for carrying sports equipment to practice)
- 11 yr old boy: new sports bag (for carrying sports equipment to practice)
Weissmiller Family
- 12 yr old girl: in-line skates (size 6-7)
- 7 yr old girl: roller skates (size 1)
Williams Family
- 14 yr old girl: gift cards to Barnes & Noble or AMC Theaters
- 6 yr old girl: Barbie doll, clothes (pants size 6x, shirts size 7)
Hall Family (Thundercat Technology)
- 8 yr old boy: gameboy
Holsey Family (Adopted by the Grossmans. Thank you Jackie!)
- 15 yr old boy: gift cards to Footlocker and Macy’s
Jensen Family
- · 13 yr old girl: Ipod Touch
- · 9 yr old girl: Wii gaming system
- · 6 yr old girl: Littlest Pet Shop toy house
Pointer Family (Adopted by the Heil family – Thanks Tim)
- 13 yr old boy: ripstick skateboard
Christmas Gift Wish List
19/11/09
We are getting close to publishing the Christmas Gift Wish List. Please keep track here and watch for an e-mail to learn how you can help out the children of our service men and women.
Please read the exchange below.
From: Tricia Bellis [deleted to protect]
Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 2:20 PM
To: mcvoght@ourmilitarykids.org
Subject: RE: A Holiday Opportunity from Our Military Kids
What a wonderful thing to do! It has brought tears to my eyes, the compassion your organization has for wounded soldiers and their families. I can’t tell you how much this means to us to have someone help out….a true Santa Claus.
We have 3 children and it seems like the older they get, the more expensive and electronical things they want become. Please let me know if it is 1 item per child and up to what dollar amount for each. I don’t want to come off sounding greedy but am very excited that you have thought of us.
Thank you again, and I will be waiting for you to write me back before I make our list.
sincerely,
Tricia Bellis
From: mcvoght@ourmilitarykids.org
To: deleted to protect
Subject: A Holiday Opportunity from Our Military Kids
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:25:07 -0500
To whom it may concern:
A local businessman, Robert Nelson, already a proud sponsor of Our Military Kids, recently expressed an interest in providing additional recognition to several of Our Military Kids grant recipients during the holidays. With your permission, and some gift ideas for your children, we would like to compile a list of children and one special “Christmas Wish List” item to Bob. He in turn will forward this list to his personal business associates. If interested, these business associates will contact us and indicate the child they would like to shop for. This opportunity will help brighten their holidays knowing they could give something back to a military family who has served our country.
If you are interested in participating in this opportunity, please respond back to this email. Include your current mailing address, names and ages of your children and a gift idea for each. We appreciate the opportunity to offer you this special holiday thank you. (Last names and mailing addresses will be made available only to the individual doing the shopping.)
Sincerely,
Our Military Kids