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Welcome to the Franklin Farm February 2012 Home Sales Report and community tour.
The following information lists current home sales activity as well as tracks sales trends over the last 4 months.
Single Family Homes for Sale in Franklin Farm as of February 1, 2012.
5 homes are currently on the market in the neighborhood.
Once in the listings, click on the MLS # to expand the listing and the camera icon to see any pictures there might be.
7 Single Family Homes Sold in Franklin Farm since October 1, 2011.
The average # of “Days on Market” of these homes was 52 with the median set at 51.
“Days on market” means the number of days it took to
get a viable contract from the date the property went on the market. It is not the number of days from list date until settlement.
You don’t often associate neighborhood aesthetics with a housing development.
However the planners of Franklin Farm
have left open space and plenty of natural beauty in and around the neighborhood.
Its tree lined streets are inviting and its amenities and close proximity to employment and shopping make it a great place to live.
It should be on your short list of neighborhoods to visit if you are looking for a home in Western Fairfax County.
Franklin Farm is served by:
Oak Hill Elementary
Lees Corner Elementary
Scott Crossfield Elementary.
Remember that school boundaries can change.
Always check with the school district to verify. For Fairfax County Schools go to this web page: http://boundary.fcps.edu/boundary/
Franklin Farm has 2 playgrounds, 2 pools with
a great swim team: The Franklin Farm Froggers), a community center and tennis courts.
Conveniently located between West Ox
road and Centreville road, with the Fairfax County Parkway only a couple of turns away.
The major Tech Corridor artery of Route 28 is 1.5 miles away. Great schools serve the community and transportation options, shopping and entertainment abound.
If you would like to visit some of the Franklin Farm homes that are on the market please drop us an email and we will make it happen.
Also, if you live in Franklin Farm and would like a free analysis of the market value of your property, we are happy to provide it with no obligation and no sales pressure 
 If your dog is showing signs of joint
stiffness, ask the vet about glucosamine. Our rescue dog Penny
Lane Bachman, has in layman’s terms, frozen hips.
From past abuse or early
onset arthritis, her back legs will stop alternating and she will hop
like a rabbit.
This generally occurs after
too much exercise or too much attempting to assert her dominance over
her much larger daughter, our other dog Eleanor Rigby Bachman.
That vet suggested that we try giving her
glucosamine. The results were amazing and fast. Within 2 days
she was walking as normally as she can.
The vet said that we can
give her human glucosamine which of course is cheaper than the pet
version you get at the store.
 We give her 750 mg a day,
stuck inside a hot dog. There are times that we have forgotten to dose
her up, but its easy to see when that has happened.
We see her hopping and ask
each other who forgot to give Penny her pill.
Penny’s results have been so dramatic
that I have started taking it as well. It took longer for me to feel a
change….about a week BUT definitely an improvement.
So if you have an arthritic pet, ask
the vet about trying glucosamine in the proper dose for its size.
It has helped Penny Lane
continue to discipline that unruly Eleanor Rigby.
 This beautiful home has just been reduced
$25,000 in price.
Come join us at an open house this coming Sunday afternoon September
25, 2011 from 2-5 pm to see this outstanding center hall colonial in
Chantilly Highlands.
Priced
at $575,000, you will find this home to be one of the best values not
only in this sought after neighborhood but in the zip code as well.
2920 MOTHER WELL CT Oak
Hill, VA 20171
If you are looking for a 4 bedroom 3.5 bath,
center hall colonial with 3 finished levels, deck, patio, and fenced
backyard on a quiet low access street within the Chantilly High School
district; it’s right here.
-new granite counters, sink and faucet in kitchen
-Updated bathroom light fixtures
-refinished deck
-new vinyl siding and window wrap
-new carpet in family room, stairs, hallway and
upgraded Berber carpet in the finished basement.
To view the individual property
website for this home please :http://2920motherwellct.IsNowForSale.com/?mls=1
Chantilly Highlands is a
community of single family homes in Fairfax County located between
Herndon Virginia and Chantilly.
Dulles Airport is approximately 5 miles
down the road as is the adult playground of Reston Town
Center, Fair Lakes Mall and
Fairfax Corner are 15 minutes
in the other direction.
Chantilly Highlands has
Oak Hill Elementary
school within its boundaries, a
playground, a pool (home of the Chantilly Highlands Dolphins Swim
Team), community center and tennis courts.
It is conveniently located between
the Fairfax County Parkway and Centreville road. The major Tech
Corridor artery of Route 28 is 1.5 miles away.
Chantilly High School
and Franklin Middle
School also serve the community.
Transportation options, shopping
and entertainment abound within a few miles in each direction of the
community.
Whenever you are looking for
your next great home…make sure that the neighborhood has
what you want.Chantilly Highlands has proved itself to
be a destination location in western Fairfax County for years.
If you are not familiar with Chantilly
Highlands, here is a night time photo tour of the
neighborhood. This community looks good any time of day.
Follow
Jan and Steve at the places below
Jan
and Steve Bachman are full time Realtors® with RE/MAX, specializing in
Homes for Sale in Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William and Arlington
Counties.
Check
us out on Google: Jan and Steve Bachman
 
Search for Northern Virginia Homes Like an
Agent Just
play around. No hassle, no spam, we won’t bug you. Fresh listings
emailed to you. Want more info. Drop us a line. You’re in control. For
a regular home search click here:HomeByBachman.com
Peace.
Jan and Steve Bachman
www.HomesByBachman.com
Northern
Virginia Realtors
www.AroundtheHowse.com
Discovering
Reston blog
http://northern-va-homesforsale.com/
We found our 2 rescue dogs
through Petfinders. They’re great! _____________________________________________________________________________
Tommy: What would you suggest I do in Old Town Herndon today since I get off work early.
By the way my wife is coming with me, we both like ale on tap, we need some custom draperies and some reupholstery work and we want to sit down to a nice dinner with music.
Also did I mention that we want to walk no more than one hundred feet to accomplish all this since did I mention that we like ale on tap?
Steve: Tommy, this is an easy one. Old Town Herndon is an awesome place to spend the afternoon and on into the evening. I would suggest that you start with a pint at Jimmy’s Old TownTavern along with some great appetizers.
Once you are in the mood to look at fabric selections for your new draperies, walk out the door, turn left walk 15 feet, turn left, walk 30 feet and turn left into Designs and Interiors bythe Upholstery shop.
After you arrange to get your home beautified…if you time all of this right you can walk straight out the front door of the Upholstery Shop and walk 60
feet on a 35 degree angle to your left and into the Herndon landmark Icehouse Cafe.
You can have some oysters on the half shell, another pint or two and hold your wife’s hand while listening to smooth jazz.
Since you will have saved so much money at TheUpholstery Shop you can go all out for the full dinner treatment that the Icehouse is famous for.
Then if you want to buy a home ...call Jan and me. You will be in just
the right frame of mind.
We’ll leave the light on for ya.
Jan and Steve Bachman are full time Realtors® with RE/MAX, specializing in Homes for Sale in Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William and Arlington Counties.
Check us out on Google: Jan and Steve Bachman
Search for Northern Virginia Homes Like an Agent Just play around. No hassle, no spam, we won’t bug you. Fresh listings emailed to you. Want more info. Drop us a line. You’re in control. For a regular home search click here:HomeByBachman.com Peace.
Jan and Steve Bachman
www.HomesByBachman.com
Northern Virginia Realtors
www.AroundtheHowse.com
Discovering Reston blog
http://northern-va-homesforsale.com/
We found our 2 rescue dogs through Petfinders. They’re great!_____________________________________________________________
This is a rare scene. You can see horses easily in this area of the Outer Banks, but seldom in the surf.
This situation occurred when an older stallion chased a younger male away from his herd of females.
This was not a friendly romp. The young one stayed in the water until the older stallion was out of sight over the dunes.
Wild horses run free in the preserve north of Corolla NC on the Outer Banks.
Although there are beach houses in this area, there are no access roads. Just the beach baby.
Kind of like a mini Daytona Beach. The horses ran free on the Outer Banks in
this area until 2000, when they were moved for the safety of all (they were hit by cars at night as you can imagine) .
Prior to their relocation, we used to have them nosing in our trash cans like
raccoons years ago when we vacationed there.
 Horses have been on the Outer Banks for hundreds of years.
They were left there originally by explorers as well as being thrown into the ocean when ships floundered in storms off the notoriously dangerous North Carolina coast.
Survivors swam ashore and populated the banks. They are not cared for or fed. They are truly wild.
Homes for Sale in Fox Mill Estates, Herndon, VA. 20171 June 2010 report
Sam: Is it true that the commuter bus lot is right in front of Fox Mill Estates and that it can take me to the West Falls Church Metro faster than if I lived closer, like in Vienna and drove to the Vienna metro, parked and THEN got on the Orange Line?
Steve: Yes it is true.
Sam: Wow, I should consider buying there!
Steve: Yes Sam, you should.
Tanya: I may want to put my house in Fox Mill Estates on the market in a couple months. I was wondering if you could post a monthly report that will show homes that have sold here the last 3 months?
I want to see what is happening with sales trend in the neighborhood.
Also, before you do that could you post a link to show me what homes are currently for sale in Fox Mill Estates as well as those that are under contract?
Steve: Happy to do so Tanya. This report shows homes for sale in Fox Mill Estates along  with those under contract as of June 24, 2010: Homes For Sale in Fox Mill Estates, Herndon VA 20171
The following report shows those homes that have sold in Fox Mill Estates in the last 3 months: Homes sold in Fox Mill Estates
 Once in these .pdf files you can expand the size to a more readable format by clicking on the “+” sign at the top middle. This report shows homes that have sold in the last three months…it also shows any seller concessions, last list price and final contract price.
After you look at this report, scroll down and there is a second format with pictures. Lots of good stuff to help you determine the market trends in the neighborhood.
Oh yes, and here is the link to Fox Mill Estate’s Home Owners’ Association web site.
Diane: What home styles can I find in Fox Mill Estates?
Steve: There are four basic styles: Rambler, Split Foyer, Colonial and Split Level. The community was built in the late 1970′s through the mid 1980s. Therefore you will also find many nice additions and variations on the main themes. You will also see some contemporary styles here that might interest you.
Most of those can be found off Magna Carta near the part of the neighborhood close to the Fox Mill road entrance. Here are a couple pictures of these above and to the right and of this paragraph.
Ted: What schools serve Fox Mill Estates?
Steve: Fox Mill Estates is served by the following schools, with links embedded:
Fox Mill Elementary
Rachel Carson
South Lakes
Always double check the Fairfax County School Locater website by entering in the address of any home you plan to purchase. School boundaries change and 3rd party on line school info is not always up to date or accurate. A follow up email or phone call to the school would also be advisable.
Fred: Is there any shopping close by?
Steve: There are more options for shopping,  entertainment and dining near Fox Mill Estates than you can shake a stick at. At the main entrance to the neighborhood, you can find everything for your daily needs.
Reston Town Center is just up the road a couple miles. Fox Mill Estates borders the west side of Reston, so all the shopping and dining establishments there are easily at your disposal.
Diane: Fox Mill Estates sounds good and looks great from these photos. What philosophical advice would you give us regarding our house hunting adventure there?
Steve: Check out the totality of the choices before you, analyze your needs and wants, separate the two, visit as many properties as you need to until you can connect with just the right home for you. It will be almost a spiritual sensation….a 1970’s terminology…you should feel the right “vibe”.
The right real estate agent will understand this and enjoy the hunt as much as you will…do not work with anyone with whom YOU don’t also have that “vibe”.…. there is no point in that.
….And try to be at peace about the whole process.
Diane: Would you and your wife be interested in helping us find just the right home?
Steve: Happy to help with no hassle and no pressure Diane. Just drop us a line and we can chat about your requirements.
Whole Lotte Love, yoja chingu.
 Terri: I am not a person that just wants to eat meat and potatoes all the time and I am sorely dissapointed in the produce and international food sections of the standard local markets. Do you have any suggestions for alternative shopping venues not too far from Reston, Herndon and Chantilly?
Steve: You are in luck. Herndon and Reston are only 15 minutes from the Shangri La of international food emporiums. Lotte.…..The produce section is about 3 times the size of your basic Safeway or Giant’s section and the prices are usually 1/3 to 1/2 that of other stores with nowhere near the selection.
 Fresh snow peas generally run $4/lb at the Giant…Lotte had them for $.99/lb a couple weeks ago. Normally they run around $1.5/lb. (I love snow peas can you tell)Bean sprouts are $.79/lb and are of awesome quality. The seafood selection cannot be matched anywhere and the guys will clean your catch at no extra charge.
Tom: Do they have Vietnamese, Spanish, Indo/Pak, Korean,  Chinese and Japanese sauces and specialties and 20 different kinds of soy sauce?
 Steve:Yes, and they have a sushi counter that is cheaper than you can get anywhere I have seen and the guy will make it custom if you want. There is a bakery, a food court, Asian cooking and serving implements, optometry and kitchen and bath remodeling. I am not making this up.
Green onions:Seven 1 inch bundles for a buck, frozen pot stickers at
1/2 the price of Giant and 40 times the selection. There are isles dedicated to the different cuisines. We got 6 full bags of stuff there last week for $27 …unbelievable.
Sue: Can you tell me how to use this stuff to make an amazing concoction out of Ramen which you can buy 6 packs for a buck?
Steve: OK Sue. Get your Ramen and follow the directions. Put sliced
mushrooms in the water at the start. Cook a couple minutes then add the noodles as directed, then with one minute left to go throw in some snow peas, bean sprouts, seafood mix (or sliced meat of your choice) turn off the heat and use scissors to top it off with cut green onion tops and cilantro ($.79 for a big bunch).
Then you can sauce it up as you see fit. We use hoisin and red pepper sauce to create what we call ”fast faux Pho” (Pho, pronounced FA is a Vietnamese soup…you probably have seen the stores in your local strip shopping center with names like Pho 90 or Pho 27 or some variation)
 After a hard day of showing property to clients, we will make this version of Ramen and have pot stickers to go with it. Takes about 15 minutes total and is extremely non boring. Check it out yoja chingu…..
it’s a trip.
Chantilly Highlands, Franklin
Farm, International food stores in Chantilly, Lotte, Lotte Plaza
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
You came here for real estate or community information…not to read about all the fantastic things that we have to say about ourselves…so we don’t say it. You want to search for Homes? Same deal.
Go here: Search for Northern Virginia Homes Like an Agent
Just play around. No hassle, no spam, we won’t bug you. Fresh listings emailed to you. Want more info. Drop us a line. You’re in
control. For a regular home search click here: HomeByBachman.com
Peace.
Jan and Steve Bachman
www.HomesByBachman.com
DiscoveringReston blog
Bob: What is the difference between list price, sales price and appraised value? I want a  thorough and long answer please. I am thinking about buying ahome in Reston Virginia.
Steve Bachman: Bob, the list price is the seller’s current advertised price for his property. The price that the seller sets could be at, above or below the property’s market value. In a buyer’s market, when prices are flat and/or falling and there’s a lot of housing inventory available, you could reasonably expect to offer at or below the market value.
Bob: How does the agent figure out the market value? Can’t we just go with what Zillow says?
Steve Bachman: Bob, the market value of your Reston home of interest should be determined by your agent who will analyze the prices of recently sold comparable properties near that home, using what should be the “net” prices received by the sellers of those homes used for comparison. By “net” price, I mean that any seller’s subsidy or monetary help the buyer receives back from the seller should be subtracted from the published sales price of properties being used for comparison.
For example, if a comparable home sold for a sales price of $350,000 with the seller paying $10,000 of the buyer’s closing costs, the net sales price of that home is $340,000 not $350,000. Your real estate agent should be able to obtain and compile this data for you. It is a major part of her job.
 Do not rely on Zillow estimates or the like, they are notoriously prone to error because those folks are not using the most current data and they cannot make adjustments for improperly recorded square footage or condition of the subject properties. In a tight market, every $5,000 makes a huge difference to you as buyer, and in our experience that is the closest that the public national programs can do…. usually they are more prone to error than that.
Bob: I have heard the acronym CMA. What does that mean?
Steve Bachman: It is a home pricing analysis tool that your agent should use to provide you with data you will use to determine your offer price. It stands for Comparative Market Analysis. There is a CMA that most agents can compile from the local MLS in a relatively short period of time. These are very good for getting a “close” approximation of market value to use in comparing your homes of interest.
However,when you get down to writing an offer, if the properties that are being used as comparables are very different in style, lot size and square footage (this is often the case), the standard CMA may not be good enough.
Your agent should have the ability to do a spread sheet analysis using square footage records obtained from the tax records (which are often inaccurate and must be adjusted by experience) as well as provide you with a ratio of sold price to tax assessed value for all the properties being evaluated for comparison with the home you are offering on.
This can take hours for her to prepare since the data does not auto load from the county’s tax records and everything needs to be double checked for accuracy. Once this is done, you will then be able to see what homes in the neighborhood have been selling for on a square footage basis as well as see how the net sales price to tax assessed ratio lays out for all the properties used in comparison. With this data at your disposal, you as buyer will be well armed for negotiations.
Bob: Man, that’s a lot to remember.
Steve Bachman: Bob, don’t sweat it…good agents know how to do this. In fact when you interview prospective buyer’s agents you may want to ask them to show you some of the spread sheet analyses they have done for previous buyers.
HA! That will sort them out fast, since no amateur or real estate hobbiest will know what you are talking about.
 As far as the last part of your original question regarding appraised value…..the appraised value is a certified appraiser’s estimate of the worth of a property, and is based on comparable sales, condition of the property, square footage and numerous other somewhat “subjective” factors. It is the basis for the mortgage lender’s valuation of the property and determines in large part what they will lend on a particular home.
Bob: That was pretty thorough.
Steve Bachman: Thanks Bob, when you actually see a detailed CMA you will be pleased..they are very cool.
Sandy:We want to buy a house with a pool in Reston and are concerned about
our young  childrens’ water safety. They have never had swim lessons since they are both in pre-school. Can kids that are so young learn much? Are there any swim programs for children that young in Fairfax County?
 SwimteamAnswerman:I hate to use negative motivation to encourage parents to get their water safe at an early age, but you are right to be concerned. Whether you buy a home with a pool or not, you undoubtedly will go to the community pool, be around friends or neighbors who have pools or ponds, or be in or around water on vacation. Nothing can totally prevent disaster but you can go a long way to help protect your children by getting them trained as early as a few months old to float, hold their breath, and try to get to the pool side and hold on.
Sandy: Can really young children learn to do those things? I didn’t learn to swim until I was 7 years old.
SwimteamAnswerman: Unless you have seen what really young children can do, you would  not
believe it. My wife and I took our children to the community pool most nights after work in the summer starting when the were 6 months old. By 2 years old they were holding their breath under water, picking things up from the bottom of the pool with their head under water and eyes open and floating on their back pretty well. At that time, we were amateurs in children’s aquatics. Folks who are really trained well, can
teach your children more at an earlier age. What our kids could do between ages 2-3 can be done by children from 6 months to 1 year old if they are given the right instruction. The best web site I have seen that demonstrates with video what your children can do is at : InfantAquatics.com.
Check it out, if you have not been around children’s swimming programs you will not believe what you see.
Sandy: That website’s videos and program are awesome but I did not see that company’s programs anywhere near here. Does such training exist in other places?
 SwimteamAnswerman: Sandy, my observation is that most suburban areas with indoor pool access have infant and toddler water safety programs. Nationwide, the aquatics fraternity is very active and passionate about what they do… whether it is teaching swimming lessons, coaching summer swim teams or being involved in scholastic swimming up through college. Locally in Fairfax County you can check out program availability at the parks website: BabyAquatics.
In Reston you can check out: Infant and Pre-school swim lessons. In addition to helping your children improve their water safety skills, they will have FUN! Should you decide to enroll them in a local swim team later, (most are a combination of advanced swimming lessons, stroke clinics and an intro to competitive swimming for kids 5-18 …both genders) they will advance more easily due to their ability to control their breathing and comfort in the water.
Sandy:Really, what can 6 year olds do on a swim team?
SwimteamAnswerman: Sandy, once again unless you have seen it you will not believe it.  Our
daughter teaches a group of 6-8 year olds who are doing freestyle, backstroke, and a couple can do breaststroke. They swim around 500 yards in 25 yard increments in around 30 minutes. That is a beginners
class. There are kids that young who can swim for an hour in 50 and 100 yard or more increments. You can follow a new blog for swim team parents that I am working on that will answer this type of question at:
SwimTeamAnswerman.com. Both of our daughters were on a swim team by 5 or 6 and could do all four competitive strokes reasonably well by age 7. They were not athletic phenoms…this is common place. Your kids can do amazing things in the water regardless of their natural abilities. All you have to do is provide the transportation and pay for the training. Beginners training is usually very cheap for what you get. Go get wet!
Get your kids in the water now!
Karen: Do you think swimming or aquatic therapy is appropriate for my special needs kid?
SwimteamAnswerman: Absolutely, positively without equivocation. In general, the swimming community is the most supportive group of families we have come across in the 17 years that we have been involved with kids sports in Fairfax County. The Special needs volunteers are as you can imagine…outstanding human beings. Your child does not need to be involved in competitive Special Olympics programs to physically and mentally benefit from aquatic training. For some reason, water has a special power, it is almost spiritual. It has a calming effect on children when they are introduced to it in the right way.
The following information was taken directly from Fairfax County park web page on Adaptive Aquatics: Click here to view.
Adapted Aquatics
“The Park Authority’s award-winning Adapted Aquatics is an individualized swimming and water activity program for customers with physical and developmental disabilities. This  success-oriented program targets individuals who do not currently meet the prerequisites for participating in an inclusive environment. The program is designed to develop basic swim skills in a structured setting with one-on-one support from trained volunteers.
Students may register for:
- Adapted Aquatics Group Classes – These courses are conducted by American Red Cross certified Adapted Aquatics Instructors and trained volunteers.
- Small group lessons (one to four students) – These lessons are offered at all RECenter pools. Flexible scheduling is available. Classes can also be arranged for school groups and group homes. Call 703-324-8565 for more information.
Please note that family members may be requested to assist in the water if volunteers are not available.”
Also available are Special Olympic prep programs for developmentally delayed youth who want to participate in swimming competitions. These swim meets are awesome and encouraging. Check out what the county currently has available HERE.
Here is the main Aquatics Specialty page: Swim now!
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