MyFairfaxCountyRealEstate.com     December 2009 Herndon Real Estate Sales Market Report *88 Active HomesSearch Crime Stats by Zip Code   Summary: We sold a few more TH this month but other than not much change.  Herndon is following suit with all the cities in Fairfax County, in that there active homes on the market increased also this month. Distressed properties are down here in Herndon.  Alexandria and Centreville are now the front runners for distressed properties.  There will still be distressed properties here in herndon for a while though. Contact us if you are thinking about buying or selling in Herndon   Single Family Homes Herndon Sold Herndon Homes in December 2009: 23 homes Average Sold Price: $554,169 Median Sold Price: $380,000 Homes sold for about: 98.6% of asking price A... 01/12/2010

It was another freezing day at the county courthouse, standing outside to bid at the trustee sale of properties that have defaulted on their mortgages(foreclosure sales) 12 properties were on the original docket....4 had been removed from the sale for unknown reasons (they could have been cured at the last moment or bankruptcy could have stalled the process) No one there is gleeful about the opportunity...we all know that people's lives have been damaged by the time a home gets here. There is a general quiet comradery among the regulars, with information sharing and fact clarification...you might expect the atmosphere to be cut throat but it's not.                   If you have never been to one of these you need to be prepared for disappointment and non participation. You may have visi... 01/05/2010

  This is a SentriLock Realtor’s lock box How Do Realtor's Lock Boxes Work? Diane: My husband and I have been driving around the Chantilly Highlands area of Herndon..... trying to get a feel for area neighborhoods for our future move. We can see all kinds of lock boxes hanging on the doors of the homes for sale and were wondering how they work. Can you tell me?   Steve: There are basically two types of lock boxes…combination and electronic that are used here in Northern Virginia. The combination boxes are usually put on bank owned (foreclosed) vacant, or inappropriately on normal human owned homes by cheap listing agents.   I have seen some in use that we used for facilitating handyman entrance back in 1983… with the same combination! The combination for the box is either put in the lis... 01/04/2010

Are you looking for a home at a bargain price that could benefit from some loving care?   You might want to cast your eyes on the homes which are available as foreclosed or short sales in Herndon Virginia ... I've put together a link to a list of homes which are offered by their owners for less than their current mortgages or have already been foreclosed by Lenders on the resale market on a 1st come,1st served basis.  You need a Realtor to show them and help you through the process ... And Yes, they've already factored in the Realtor cost so you can get the sort of help you'll need to land one of these bargains.  Visit www.reston-area.com/forsale.htm and  look to the links at mid-page for Foreclosed and Short Sale Homes in Herndon Virginia. 01/01/2010

The inventory of Condos for sale in Herndon was about 10 homes active on the market as of 1 Jan 2010.  Condos sales have really picked up in the Hernon area. If you've been hanging back, this might be the moment to re-start your shopping.  Visit Available Homes at http://www.reston-condos.com/ to view currently available condos in Herndon Virginia. 01/01/2010

  John: Is there a place near Reston and Herndon that can do reupholstery and custom window treatments?Steve: John, you should check out  The Upholstery Shop in downtown Herndon. It is located on Elden street in the heart of old town  across the street from the Ice House restaurant and next to Jimmy's Old Town Tavern. They have a huge fabric selection in stock at great price points, and  both a drapery  and upholstery workroom. To the best of my knowledge, they are the only shop in either Reston or Herndon...certainly they offer the most complete selection of services: Re-upholstery, window treatments, in stock and special order fabric and custom draperies. The Colons can also order furniture frames for you if you wish and build to suit. They are family owned and operated. John: Are the... 12/30/2009

  Sherry: In a previous VERY LONG POST you included a letter from Mrs. Evans of the historical society to Mrs.Franklin (The Franklin Farm name sake) explaining the history of the land that became our community. Can you post the rest of it? Source:www.franklinfarm.com/ff_history.htm - Steve: Certainly. As you can see, land records condense decades of family history into a short, somewhat sad abreviation. Here is the rest of the letter from Mrs. Evans to Mrs. Franklin: THE HOUSE AND ITS INHABITANTS   "So far we can't be sure who built the house and when. If Miss Lewis' oral history tradition from the Lanes is correct, the house was 200 years old or more in 1938, but we can't document that yet. Could it have been Colonel Tayloe who built Oak Hill when he took over the patent form Awbrey? B... 12/29/2009

Franklin Farm: History condensed   Sherry: Do you know anything about Franklin Farm's history? I know that we are a subdividion now with no farm in sight, but I was curious. Also, why are we often referred to as Oak Hill and not Herndon? Steve: In a 30 year old letter from Mrs.Evans of the historical society to Mrs. Franklin, Mrs. Evans lays out all she has found regarding the land that now is home to the Franklin Farm subdivision. Source:www.franklinfarm.com/ff_history.htm - If you can get through the whole thing you will notice that many of the folks involved in the story have been imortalized by having roads named after them.  Where we live was once populated by cows and corn.....much the same as the rest of the mid Atlantic. Enjoy:  When the first settlers began to clear the area wh... 12/29/2009

  Sam: I purchased  a home just prior to Thanksgiving in the Chantilly Highlands neighborhood of Herndon. Do you know where I can find the latest information  regarding how to claim my tax credit? Steve: Sam, since you purchased a home in 2009 (or if you have friends who are are expecting to close on one in the first quarter of 2010), make sure that you check out the IRS links in this post for the latest available info. straight from the IRS website. The IRS has announced its guidelines for home buyers seeking either the $8,000.00, (first time home buyer), or the $6,500.00, (qualified repeat buyer) tax credits. (There is a qualitative difference between a government announcement and when you can avail yourself of the required forms necessary to execute what they have announced. Funny hu... 12/28/2009

Homes sold in Franklin Farm, Franklin Farm homes for sale, sold homes in Franklin Farm   Tom: What single family homes have sold in Franklin Farm this last quarter of 2009? Steve: Tom,  we have posted them here: HomesByBachman.com  Just click and you will be taken to a report that is known as a CMA or Competitive Market Analysis. This report shows in detail the 11 single family homes that have sold in Franklin Farm since October 1 of this year. The first column of interest is the List price. The next one over is the price that the buyer actually paid for the home. The column headed DOMP shows the number of days the property was on the market The acronym stands for Days On Market Property. This figure is very encouraging for sellers. As you will see most homes received contracts within a... 12/24/2009

Chantilly Highlands, Franklin Farm, International food stores in Chantilly, Lotte, Lotte Plaza   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 Chantilly Highlands? Steve: You are in luck. Chantilly Highlands and Franklin Farm are only 1.5 miles 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 ... 12/23/2009

MyFairfaxCountyRealEstate.com     November 2009 Herndon Real Estate Sales Market Report *56 Active Homes   Summary: Herndon continues to have a high number of distressed properties each month.  There are definately some great deals here. Our sales for this month were just slightly lower than last month. Surprisingly there are only 56 active homes right now in Herndon.  Our numbers for December should be slightly lower but then pick up at the begining of the year.   Contact us if you are thinking about buying or selling in Herndon   Single Family Homes Herndon Sold Herndon Homes in November 2009: 21 homes Average Sold Price: $408,439 Median Sold Price: $380,000 Homes sold for about: 99.5% of asking price Average Days on Market: 24 days  Out of the 21 Herndon home sales in November - 10 (... 12/23/2009

Chantilly Highlands homes for sale, Homes for sale in Chantilly Highlands, Chantilly Highlands realtor   Current Chantilly Highlands Homes for sale click: Homes for sale in Chantilly Highlands     Cindy: Can you tell me what homes have sold in Chantilly Highlands since last September?       Steve: Cindy, click on this link: HomesByBachman.com  It will take you to a report that is known as a CMA or Competitive Market Analysis. (you can make the report bigger by clicking on the appropriate icon on the midde of the top tool bar) This report shows in detail the 6 homes that have sold in Chantilly Highlands since September 1 of this year. The first column of interest is the List price. The next one over is the price that the buyer actually paid for the home. The column headed DOMP shows the ... 12/22/2009

 mortgage insurance,what is PMI,what is private Mortgage Insurance, Chantilly Highlands realtor   Tim: I purchased a home in Chantilly Highlands two years ago and I have something called PMI on my loan. What exactly is the function of PMI, Private Mortgage Insurance, and as a homeowner do I have to pay it forever? Steve: If you purchased your home within the last 5 years and put less than 20% down, you probably had to acquire PMI when you purchased your home, even if you used and FHA mortgage. Private Mortgage Insurance protects your lender in the event that you default on your mortgage.   It enables lenders to offer lower interest rates and make loans to folks that might not otherwise be deemed to be good credit risks. You can see how necessary it has become due to the high default rat... 12/22/2009

Chantilly Highlands realtor, Chantilly Highlands homes for sale, Homes for sale in Chantilly Highlands Active Homes for sale in Chantilly Highlands: HomesByBachman     Days on Market: What is the significance? Dave: As a prospective home seller, what is the significance of the length of time my property is on the market?   Steve: One of the first things that buyers want to know before making an offer on a home is how long it has been on the market  compared to similar homes in the neighborhood. Most buyers tend to make lower initial offers on homes that have been for sale for more than the community's average. The buyer's agent will determine the community's average days on market for his client and as the seller, your listing agent should have provided you this information when you dis... 12/22/2009

Chantilly Highlands realtor, Chantilly Highlands homes for sale, Homes for sale in Chantilly Highlands       Chantilly Highlands. Snow bound. Well, so much for a restful Sunday.  Three dedicated  hours of shoveling yesterday plus a visit by a Swim Team neighbor and his snow blower (God bless the -------family in this and all coming years. He knows who you are!)     shoveling that was in addition to the three hours on Saturday, positioned us to escape our street and capture some photos from around Chantilly Highlands.           The sun  and traffic conspired to keep us from getting as many good photos as we would have liked. I thought that once we escaped from our driveway, that we would have the streets to ourselves and would be able to peacefully pull up and jockey for just the right a... 12/21/2009

Are you looking for a home at a bargain price that could benefit from some loving care?   You might want to cast your eyes on the homes which are available as foreclosed or short sales in Herndon Virginia ... I've put together a link to a list of homes which are offered by their owners for less than their current mortgages or have already been foreclosed by Lenders on the resale market on a 1st come,1st served basis.  You need a Realtor to show them and help you through the process ... And Yes, they've already factored in the Realtor cost so you can get the sort of help you'll need to land one of these bargains.  Visit www.reston-area.com/forsale.htm and  look to the links at mid-page for Foreclosed and Short Sale Homes in Herndon Virginia. 12/15/2009

The inventory of Condos for sale in Herndon was about 5 homes active on the market as of 15 Dec 2009.  Condos sales have really picked up in the Hernon area. If you've been hanging back, this might be the moment to re-start your shopping.  Visit Available Homes at http://www.reston-condos.com/ to view currently available condos in Herndon Virginia. 12/15/2009

Are you looking for a home at a bargain price that could benefit from some loving care?   You might want to cast your eyes on the homes which are available as foreclosed or short sales in Herndon Virginia ... I've put together a link to a list of homes which are offered by their owners for less than their current mortgages or have already been foreclosed by Lenders on the resale market on a 1st come,1st served basis.  You need a Realtor to show them and help you through the process ... And Yes, they've already factored in the Realtor cost so you can get the sort of help you'll need to land one of these bargains.  Visit www.reston-area.com/forsale.htm and  look to the links at mid-page for Foreclosed and Short Sale Homes in Herndon Virginia. 12/06/2009

The inventory of Condos for sale in Herndon was about 11 homes active on the market as of 6 Dec 2009.  Condos sales have really picked up in the Hernon area. If you've been hanging back, this might be the moment to re-start your shopping.  Visit Available Homes at http://www.reston-condos.com/ to view currently available condos in Herndon Virginia. 12/06/2009