Thank you so much to those who have stepped up to brighten Christmas for the children of our injured servicemen.  Twelve of the sixteen families on the list have been fully accounted for with 25 of the 33 kids ready to have a wonderful Christmas morning.  Nancy and I ran out on Friday to do our shopping for the Helmuth kids.  We simply couldn’t resist the urge to buy “any toy that makes noise” for the one year old girl.  It was a great deal of fun picking out toys we thought the twins would enjoy.  We also had to learn all about transformers for four year old Nathaniel!!

If you are still considering showing your appreciation to our vets, please take a look at the remaining names below.  Once you let me know who you would like to purchase a gift for, drop an e-mail to Santa@BobNelsonTeam.com.  We will then give you the address and contact info for the family.  Feel free to visit the websites for Our Military Kids, Operation Second Chance, Thanks USA, the Semper Fi Fund and the Yellow Ribbon Fund if you’d like to show your support to these wonderful grassroots organizations.

Kids Still in Need of Gifts

Weissmiller Family (Adopted by the Moran and Vamvakias families – Thank you Mary and Don)

• 12 yr old girl: in-line skates (size 6-7)
• 7 yr old girl: roller skates (size 1)

Jensen Family (Adopted by the Grimes family – Thank you James and Susan)

• ·         13 yr old girl: Ipod Touch
• ·         9 yr old girl: Wii gaming system
• ·         6 yr old girl: Littlest Pet Shop toy house

Fulkerson Family

• 18 yr old boy: laptop computer for his school work and for college next year  (A  big thanks to Shiner Roofing and Siding for offering to purchase the laptop.  Again my thanks Kevin.)
• (A short note about this one.  It seems that the Fulkerson boy is a senior in high school.  He had come home from school and accidentally left his car door unlocked.  Someone actually stole the laptop out of the car from the son of an injured vet.  I realize this is a large item to be requesting.  I’m imagine he would be happy to receive a good condition laptop if nothing else.)

Thank You to Those Who Have Agreed to Purchase Gifts for the Families Below

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

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)

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

Pointer Family (Adopted by the Heil family – Thanks Tim)

• 13 yr old boy: ripstick skateboard

Williams Family  (Adopted by the Smiths – Thanks Laura and Gene)

• 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)

According to data from the National Association of Realtors, pending home sales were up 3.7 percent in October, compared to September, and up 32 percent when compared to October 2008.  This was the biggest annual increase in history.  Keep in mind that October 2008 was a historic low so we should not be surprised by the huge increase.

Pending home sales — which equates to the number of contracts signed but have yet to close — rose in all sections of the country except the West.  They were up 20 percent in the Northeast, 11.6 percent in the Midwest and 5.4 percent in the South, but down 11.2 percent in the West.

Part of the surge is probably attributable to buyers rushing to take advantage of the government-subsidized first-time home buyer’s credit, which was set to expire at the end of November but now has been extended through April.  Also, the bulk of sales still are coming from cheaper houses, with little movement in houses costing more than $250,000.

     First-time homebuyers continue to drive the real estate market to the benefit of trade-up or repeat buyers. As discussed earlier, this increased activity appears to be a direct response to the $8,000 first-time buyer tax credit. In April, first-time buyers accounted for 40% of all home sales and the trend is expected to spur more activity in the coming months. According the Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, “Since first-time buyers must finalize their purchase by November 30, 2009, to get the credit, we expect greater activity in the months aheead, and that should spark more sales by repeat buyers.”
A recent change this month allows qualified first-time home buyers to use the tax credit to help pay closing costs on FHA loans, to buy down the interest rate or make a larger down payment.
Existing home sales rose for the third straight month, building on gains in the previous two months. More repeat home buyers are entering the market indicating rising confidence in the market conditions. Home prices edged up 0.2% over the previous month, adding increasing signs for market stabilization. In spite of this, home prices are still lower than the same time a year ago. Foreclosures and short sales, which accounted for 45% of April sales, continue to skew the median price downword, as these properties are sold at a larger discount in comparison to traditional sales. Distressed sales, however, are helping the makret trim off considerable stock of unsold homes in areas with large inventory overhangs. There are currently on 183 foreclosures on the market in Fairfax County, down considerable from previous months.
THIS MONTH IN REAL ESTATE VIDEO

I encourage anyone with a little vision to come on by my open house this Sunday, April 26th from 1:00 – 4:00 to take a look at my listing located at 807 Clear Spring Rd. in Great Falls.  Simply click on the link to see additional details about this fabulous opportunity.

Hope to see you there!

My current listing at 807 Clear Spring Rd. offers an fabulous opportunity to purchase a home with over 6,000 square feet of living space on two levels.  Sit on the front porch and enjoy the idyllic setting proved by the nearly 3.2 acres of land.  Break out your best mint julep recipe to watch the world go by out front while the kids play in the Keebler Elf style treehouse situated in the backyard play area.   I don’t know it for fact, but several neighbors have said the Mother Teresa occasionally strolled the property’s trails that wandered through the trees out back.  You may be able to feel her presence when viewing the “Peace Pole” that stands next to the treehouse.

Inside, the home boasts six bedrooms, five full bathrooms and two half baths.  The top quality gourmet kitchen was remodeled by the current owners and includes all new cabinets, appliances and much more.  The living room, dining room, and cozy family room make for a perfect flow for all your parties.  The maid’s quarters/Au-pair suite with private entrance is situated adjacent to the kitchen.  The remainder of the main level includes four bedrooms and three full baths.

The entire lower level (except for two closets) was also fully remodeled by the current owners.  Your guests will love the two room in-law suite which includes large closets, access to a private patio and a totally remodeled bathroom with steam shower.   Who could ask for more?  Also found on the walk-out lower level is an abundance of space for a home theater.

In this day of some Realtors willing to do anything for that next sale, I have to relate a funny story.  As all my clients know, I approach each and every one of them as someone who will help my business in the long run.  No Realtor is going to make their business on one sale.  On the other hand, they can certainly ruin their reputation by pressing forward a sale that would be detrimental to a client.

Two weeks ago I had the great pleasure of meeting Gene and Laura Smith during an Open House at my listing at 807 Clear Spring Rd. in Great Falls.  I believed we had made a special connection and immediately realized that these were two people with whom I could be long term friends.  While the Clear Spring property was not quite what they were looking for, we did run out and take a look at a number properties over the next several days.  We actually found the perfect home for them in Reston on that Wednesday, put an offer in on Thursday and had a ratified contract the following Sunday.

Needless to say, Gene and Laura were thrilled with the home, but were also a bit reluctant to trust this new guy they had just met.  When it came time to do the home inspection, I told them I had the perfect inspector in Steve Messerschmidt with Home Pro Services.  Although Laura was comfortable with me at the time, she did ask if they could select the inspector.  This of course is their perogative, but I truly believed there wasn’t a better inspector for them in Northern Virginia.  Laura went ahead and contacted thier contractor friend, Taylor Smith (no relation), for suggestions on who they should use.  Taylor apparently strongly endorsed Home Pro Services.  Laura then called Home Pro and asked for their most experienced inspector with a knowledge of Deck Homes.  One guess who they recommended.  Steve did his typical 4 hour inspection and uncovered a few items that I am certain noone else would have even considered looking at.  My thanks to Steve for a job well done in support of these wonderful folks.

October                     2008                 2007          % Change

Total $ Volume     $12,472,250     $9,590,000          30.05%

Avg. Sold Price      $ 1,039,354      $1,918,000        -45.81%

Median Sold Price   $1,047,500      $1,300,000        -19.42%

Total Sold                     12                      5                  140%

Avg. Days on Mkt.         89                     72                23,61%

Avg Sale Price as a

percentage of Avg. List    86.79%          88.35%

While at first glance, the statistics show a significant downturn in sold price, prices in Great Falls can vary dramatically.  This will tend to skew the numbers from month to month.  Follow this posting to watch for long term trends for sales.