July 2005 Article History

There are 10 articles published in July 2005. Here are the first 20:

Lovettsville Town Center Approved 1790 Log Home | Round Hill, VA Need to cool off? Help is here. A Secret Garden Bubble Bursting? IDEAS Home Improvement Modern Conveniences Industry bad rap! Celebrating Northern Virginia Feeding frenzy over? Not quite!

You will find a complete Index of Articles by Category in the History Archives.

July 29, 2005

The innovative Lovettsville Town Center received approval and all are elated! The development will cover 85 acres at the heart of Virginia's northern most towm. Central is the Town Center, perhaps the only "Town Square" in the state of Virginia. About 160 homes will be developed on 58 acres in a neighborhood design that includes tree lined streets, sidewalks, walking paths and rear property garages.

The development is expected to be completed in 2006. It is a neo-traditional design and is a unique approach to a neighborhood built around a Town Center. There will be 120,000 square feet of retail space and 25% of the plan is for open space. This might be the cornerstone of future development designs for Loudoun! More information can be found at the Lovettsville town offices.

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July 27, 2005

SOLD Historic log cabin on a 3.15 acre wooded lot. Originally built in 1790, this unique home features 8 ft ceilings, cinder block walled basement, 2 fireplaces, living room, kitchen with modern appliances and dining area, upstairs master bedroom with full bath (jacuzzi tub too) and sitting room (can be used for office or second bedroom). Detached 2 car garage with upstairs large bedroom with full bath. This room was also used as a studio by previous owners. Has forced air heat and air conditioning. Screened front porch for relaxing, meals or just sipping your favorite drink and enjoying the wildlife.

Click picture(s) for a larger view. Take a Visual Tour. All the home info at my Renowned Properties.

Quiet, secluded and absolutely charming. The logs are hand chiseled and so old they are petrified. The stone used for the fireplaces display abundant evidence of fossils. A unique home waiting for a special buyer to care for it. Call us for details or a private showing. 703-431-2145 or 703-431-2146

Offered at $659,000. Map it.

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July 26, 2005

Cool pictures for oppressive heat. A heat wave makes it way east. We are suffering again today in 98-degree heat with 60% humidity. This cool, serene setting can help you imagine the wonders of a winter wonderland.

It is also one of our newest listings. A log cabin originally built in 1790. A 1200 square foot gem on 3.15 pristine acres. Two levels with a basement. Modernized with all the latest conveniences. Located in Round Hill, Virginia. It will take a special buyer to care for this historical masterpiece.

The logs actually have chisel chips and the stone has fossils. The logs are so old they have become petrified!

Want to know more? Call us. Want to cool off? Click on the picture for a larger view.

Enjoy.

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We encountered this inspiring setting on a listing appointment in Round Hill, Virginia. We know there is some history here...what might it be?

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July 25, 2005

The Washington Post is reporting this morning:

D.C. Area Housing Market Cools Off

Inventory Up 50%; Region Still Strong

Home sales tend to slow in the summer, but the number of houses for sale in the Washington area has climbed by 50 percent in recent months. The available inventory has risen to about 35,300 homes, up from an average of about 23,000 in the past three years, according to Metropolitan Regional Information Systems Inc., which runs the local multiple-listing service.

The average number of days a house stays on the market has crept up by two days in Fairfax County, to 16 days in June from 14 days a year earlier. In Montgomery County it has risen to 20 days from 18 days, according to MRIS. Those are, however, still short turnaround times by historic standards.

Should we panic? Not yet. July and August are historically slower months in the real estate cycle. It should pick up a bit after school starts. Plus or minus a few days on the market doesn't constitute a major shift. No doubt about it. Some properties are taking longer to sell, especially above the $700,000 price point. There are properties in the $300,000 to $400,000 range that sell in less than a week.

Loudoun County: Data show that since the first of the year, average prices increased nearly 16%...down from nearly 25% the last couple of years. We fully expect prices to settle down with more normal appreciation rates in the single digit range in the future. There are three forces counter balancing the housing market in the D.C. Metro area:

• Job growth: The metro area is still experience healthy job growth and is expected to do so for the foreseeable future creating housing demand.
• Inventory: While the Post reports inventory rising, there is still a several thousand-unit shortage of new homes built. In addition, as counties struggle with growth controls, the inventory shortages will continue.
• Interest rates: Every report I read say rates are going higher. Listen to Greenspan. This fact alone will moderate demand, as potential move up buyers will think twice about getting into potentially higher mortgage payments.

The regions more significant real estate problem is affordable housing. In many cases, our teachers, police and emergency personnel can't afford to live in the jurisdictions in which they serve! We need to demand that our elected officials treat this issue with high priority.

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July 18, 2005

We recently expanded our services to home preparation to enhance the value of our client's listings. "Ideas" is truly a great find! They do high quality woodworking, painting and restorations at very affordable prices. Pictured from left is Carlos (CEO), Hector (Chief Deputy CEO), Brazil (Chief Craftsman) and Dabid (kneeling, Chief Craftsman Deputy).

We've used them on two of our listings and they did an awesome job.

Now that I let the IDEA out of the bag (so to speak), I'll only give out their contact numbers if you become a client and need assistance getting ready to sell! Call us.

Sorry, they are one of our competitive advantages. Click on the picture for a larger view of this great team.

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Speaking of new technology for the home improvement set...How long have these been around? Features: All plasic for durability and low maintenance, unisex design, privacy control and bacteria fighting hand lotion dispenser! Need an extra bathroom at home? Try one of these. Very inexpensive.

(Taken at the 2005, 50th aniversary, Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, July 8, 2005)

Comment on Modern Conveniences. Follow this article is off. More articles like this one filed in: Simple Worldy Pleasures

Geeeeeez! I get Inman News alerts emailed to me at least twice a day. Inman is a recognized Real Estate information provider. Here are the top three headlines this afternoon:

Title insurers slapped with regulator questions
Colorado investigation of 50 companies continues

New Jersey man charged in $30 million real estate fraud
New charges in existing case

Title insurance executive pleads guilty in $70 million scam
Looting operation caused company's collapse

And, this is just today. I read these kind of headlines daily! We all talk about complete honesty and integrity. Who can you really trust?

This is making my head spin!

Comment on Industry bad rap!. Follow this article is off. More articles like this one filed in: In the News

Once in a while a free product is made available that has great value. This is the case of a new little monthly publication entitled "Celebrating Northern Virginia." It's chock full of local information of interest and a calendar of events in and around Northern Virginia. It easily fits in a ladies purse or a gentleman's inside coat pocket or briefcase. It is available for free at select boutique shops, stores and merchants throughout Northern Virginia. The inaugural edition was published June 1, 2005 (cover above, right).

The second edition (July 1 cover depicted to the left) is devoted to horses in Northern Virginia, new wineries and July events including the 4th of July and Summer concerts. For more information and downloadable content, visit www.celebratingVA.com.

PS: We are proud cornerstone sponsors of this great little publication. Can't find one? eMail us and we will gladly send you the latest copy!

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July 17, 2005

In Loudoun County, prices are still rising and home sales are brisk. But, instead of days on the market, some segments are taking a few weeks. Here are the averages according to the Dulles Association of REALTORS®...

2005 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	508	$469,168	$419,900	31	714	439	557	98.69%
February	485	$462,467	$429,000	30	908	720	678	99.15%
March	698	$501,491	$450,500	24	930	1007	808	99.84%
April	760	$525,525	$470,000	23	1259	1298	898	99.67%
May	799	$515,239	$475,900	14	1486	1295	942	100.28%
June	994	$547,057	$491,000	21	1779	1485	802	99.47%
**July**	**631	**$584,344		**21	**1995	**1224	**499	**99.01%
August
September
October
November
December
Metropolitan Regional Information Systems,Inc.   ::    Last Updated on 07/08/2005 **Unofficial Estimate Only

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