Summer is in full force and Brambleton is all the BUZZ! As of today, there are 117 Condo’s, Townhomes, and Single Family homes listed for sale in the MLS just in Brambleton. Out of those 117 homes, we’ve listed below a few that we think are worthy of a closer look. There is literally something here for everyone! And don’t forget, in Brambleton everything you need is just minutes away. You can even enjoy a vacation without ever leaving town!
Be sure to take note of these great properties for sale, and contact us if you find one you want to see in person!
The Loudoun County Fair has been a place for the community to celebrate the agriculture of the area since 1936. Originally established for 4-H members to have a fair of their own, the Loudoun County Fair has provided a place for the children to exhibit their animals, home economics projects, and produce. In 1957 a livestock auction was added, and since then, an auditorium has been built, and new barns have been erected. So come out and enjoy one of Loudoun’s longest-running events – the Loudoun County Fair!
Located at 17558 Dry Mill Rd in Leesburg, this year’s Fair runs for 6 days – from Monday, July 27th through Saturday, August 1st. There is something for everyone to enjoy between the animal shows, live music, carnival games, and more! Here’s a sample of what you’ll find each day:
Monday, July 27th Gates and Carnival open at 4PM
Fair Dedication & Opening Ceremony at 6PM
Corn on the Cob Eating Contest at 7PM Stoney Roberts Demolition Derby at 8PM
Tuesday, July 28th Gates open at 9AM Dairy Show at 10AM
Agri Puppets at 1PM & 3:30PM
Reggie Rice – Comedy Hypnotist at 2PM, 4:30PM & 6:45PM
Carnival Opens at 4PM Dean Crawford & The Dunn’s River Band at 7:30PM
Wednesday, July 29th – Children’s Day! Gates open at 9AM Hansen’s Spectacular Acrobatic Thrill Show at 12:30PM & 6PM
Carnial Opens at 1PM
Oreo Stacking Contest at 3:30PM The Reagan Years Band at 7PM & 8:45PM Please note the carnival will be closed from 5 – 6PM.
Thursday, July 30th – Senior Citizen’s Day! Gates open at 9AM
Senior’s Bingo at 10AM
Horse Demonstration at 3PM
Carnival Opens at 4PM
Pie Eating Contest at 6:15PM
Professional Bull Riding at 7:30PM
Friday, July 31st Gates open at 9AM
Bunny Dress Up at 10AM
Heritage Tinsmithing Show at 3PM
Carnival Opens at 4PM
Watermelon Eating Contest at 5PM
Livestock Auction at 6:30PM
Saturday, August 1st Gates open at 9AM Wildlife Ambassadors – Wild Virginia at 11AM
Carnival opens at 1PM
Karaoke Contest at 6PM
Professional Bull Riding & Rodeo at 7:30PM
Kiss-a-Pig Contest at 7:30PM
And all that is just the beginning! Check out the full schedule of events on the Loudoun County Fair website. Purchase tickets online here to receive a 15% discount!
We can’t wait to go to the fair!
The JS Realty Team – not only serving Brambleton, serving all of Northern Virginia.
How does my credit score affect my mortgage loan application?
Today we will look at credit reports for a potential mortgage borrower, what impacts the score, and how to improve your score.
When a lender runs a credit report on a potential borrower, there are three National Repositories that will report a credit score. They are:
1. Equifax
2. Experian
3. Transunion
Most lenders will use the middle of the three credit scores to determine what type of loan and what interest rate a borrower qualifies for. Generically speaking, the higher the score, the lower the interest rate a consumer will be offered.
These three reporting entities will provide a credit score that is used to determine the risk associated with a particular borrower regarding repayment of the loan. A number of credit related variables are used to calculate the credit score. The credit score is used as a predictor as to the likelihood that the consumer will have late payments in the next 24 months. The lower the score, the greater likelihood that the borrower will be late on a payment or payments.
What are the variables that have the greatest impact on the credit score and their relative weight in the scoring?
Past Payment History – 35% -Late payments are shown for payments that are 30, 60 and 90 days late. Current Account Balances – 30% -Any account that has a balance of greater than 30% of the available credit limit will reduce the credit score. Balances of more than 50% will result in even lower scores. Credit History – 15% -How long have you had the account? Typically, the longer the better. New credit cards will lower your score at first. -Closing out an account will have a negative impact on your score. Types of Credit – 10% -The most heavily weighted type of credit is those with finance companies Credit Inquiries – 10% -Too many inquiries will result in lower scores
The following table will provide information on the length of time that your credit will be impacted by certain events.
Payment History………….7 years(Date of last activity) Collection accounts………7 years(Date of origination) Judgments………………..7 years (filed) Chapter 7………………10 years (entry) Chapter 13……………….7 years (entry) Inquiries………………….2 years /90 days Tax Liens…………………7 years / (PAID)
By law, there are some factors that cannot be used in the scoring model.
Race/Nationality Gender
Age Religion Marital status/Sexual Preference
Employment/Length of Employment/Position or Title
Income Address
Interest rate charged on a particular credit card
In summary, to receive the highest credit scores, you should have 3-5 credit lines that you pay on time and keep a balance of less than 30% of the credit limit. Spread out the use of multiple cards so that you have a low balance on all of them.
Please feel free to contact meif you are interested in learning more about how to increase your credit score or if you have any questions regarding credit and/or mortgage loans.
Keith Harris
Senior Loan Officer
Intercoastal Mortgage Company
Direct: (703) 259-0788
Cell: (703) 395-6601
The JS Realty Team – not only serving Brambleton, serving all of Northern Virginia.
Recently listed For Lease is the charming and historic “Olde Mill” building, located at 20704 Ashburn Road in Ashburn, VA.
This building is zoned for commercial use, either retail or office space. The building can be divided up as small as 1,500 sq ft or up to 6,000 sq ft. Full Service with 3 year lease available!
Right off the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail and Ashburn Road, this building is in a prime and highly sought-after location!
We love to go golfing! So today the JS Realty Team is going to take a break from providing you with relevant Real Estate information and tell you about the great golf opportunities right here in Loudoun County!
The game of golf (or something very similar) can be traced through history back to 1297 in the Netherlands! The modern version of golf has been played in the United States since the 1700’s. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews in Scotland is one of the oldest and most prestigious clubs in the world. They also recently hosted the 2015 Open Championship, the winner of which was American pro golfer Zach Johnson!
Luckily for us, Loudoun County has a wide variety of clubs and courses – both private and public – to suit your golfing needs!
Loudoun County also has a new TOP GOLF facility opening in September 2015 near One Loudoun!
As you can see there are many options for beginners and seasoned players . If you are just starting out, Brambleton Golf Course offers The SW Golf Academy, run by Steve WenPetren. He offers lessons for all skill levels as well as summer golfing camps for the children. Another great option – and one of The JS Realty Teams favorites – is the Sterling Park Golf and Swim Club. They have 18 par 3 holes, which is also great for beginners!
If you love golfing as much as we do, why not consider living near a golf club or course! Contact us today and we can help you find your dream home close to one of Loudoun’s great courses.
The JS Realty Team – not only serving Brambleton, serving all of Northern Virginia.
This week we are excited to feature a beautiful town home for sale in the highly sought after Dunn Loring Village – 8577 Dellway Lane in Vienna, Virginia.This wonderfully updated town home features 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and 2 half-bathrooms. There is fresh paint throughout the entire home and hardwood floors on main level. The kitchen was recently remodeled and updated kitchen has new granite countertops, new cabinets, a built-in microwave, and tile floor.
A great rec room leads out to a beautiful and spacious fenced in backyard with a deck. This home is in a great location near major roadways and within a mile of the Dunn Loring Metro Station and the Mosaic District. This home is a must see!
If you love history and historical homes, Loudoun County is rich in it. There are currently more than 50 homes that are still preserved and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These are a testament to the past history of Loudoun – some of them are still occupied, some are museums, and some just simply exist.
History tells us that Loudoun County constitutes part of the five million acre Northern Neck of Virginia Proprietary granted by King Charles II of England to seven noblemen in 1649.
In 1757, by act of the Virginia House of Burgesses, Fairfax County was divided. The western portion was named Loudoun for John Campbell, Fourth Earl of Loudoun, a Scottish nobleman who served as Commander-in-Chief for all British armed forces in North America and honorary Governor of Virginia from 1756 to 1768. Leesburg has served continuously as the County Seat since 1757.
Settling in Loudoun began in 1725 to 1730. The lower portion of Loudoun was being established as large tobacco plantations.
Loudoun was known for its agricultural business and an area where the rich came to vacation (away from the hot city, DC), however in the 1960’s a shift began. Dulles International Airport was built and the airport attracted new businesses, workers and their families to the area. Roads began to be built and the rest is modern history!
Loudoun is now home to more than 363,050 people (2014 Census) and our history will only continue to grow. We can only hope to leave a piece of history for those looking back on us 300 years from today.
As you can see, Loudoun’s history is almost 300 years old, and we are fortunate enough to have homes that still exist to tell the story of settlers that started what we call home today.
We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of most of the Historic Homes in the Loudoun area. If you’re looking for a fun “stay-cation” adventure, pick out your 3 favorite homes to drive by and/or visit. Maybe you will be able to step back in time and learn about the daily lives our fore-founders were living, making history and supporting how we got here today.
We love historic and even just “older” homes. If you’re looking to move to Loudoun County, contact ustoday to set up a tour of homes to see – we will customize the tour to suit your taste and needs!
The JS Realty Team – not only serving Brambleton, serving all of Northern Virginia.
A few weeks back we gave you some info on how to decide whether it made more sense for you to Rent or Buy a home. Today we’re going to discuss renting out your home versus selling it. There are many factors to consider before making that decision. Here are just some of the questions you must answer to make an informed decision:
Monetarily, how would renting affect your bottom line? How does the rental market compare to the sale market in your neighborhood? How emotionally attached to your home are you? How permanent is your reason for moving – are you moving out of the area for good or do you want a new/different home? What condition is your home in, has it been updated?
ALL ABOUT THE MONEY
If you need the proceeds from the sale of your home to purchase another home then obviously renting is definitely not an option. If you can cover the costs of owning your home by the rental income your home will bring, then you might be a candidate for renting your home. Remember: your costs not only include your mortgage and any HOA/Condo fees, but the upkeep and maintenance. If you can make a positive cash flow plus receive the tax benefits, then renting might be an option.
Another financial part of the equation is how your homes market will look 5-10 years from now. Although no one has a crystal ball to know exactly how the Real Estate market is going to react, determining what the market is likely to do will help in your decision. If your homes market is on the rise, then you could possibly benefit from having tenants that pay for the cost of keeping the home, and you’ll also be making money on the equity that’s being built!
WHY ARE YOU MOVING?
The reason for your move also needs to be examined. If you are leaving the area and do not plan on returning, then renting and managing your rental home becomes more difficult. If this is the case, but you definitely want to rent, you should consider using the experience of the Property Management Team at the JS Realty Team. Our Property Management Team will make the managing of your home as stress-free as possible. And if you do plan on returning to the area after a couple of years away, then you need to determine if you are going to want to move back into the same home, or find a new one.
ARE YOU ATTACHED TO YOUR HOME? This is another major factor to consider. How tolerant will you be of strangers living in your home? For example, if having your prized landscaping not kept up to your standards would make you upset, you may want to reconsider if renting is right for you. No matter how well you screen your potential tenants, there is still the potential that they will not treat your home like you do. The JS Realty Team performs our due diligence when screening potential tenants and we have had tenants that have left our clients homes in better condition than when they first moved in. On the flip side, we’ve also had tenants that did not fare as well as we would like. You are always taking a chance when you let strangers live in your home.
IS YOUR HOME UPDATED? Tenants tend to be less fixated on items such as fixtures, appliances, and such because they are renting and only going to be there on a short term basis. Buyers are going to be more selective when choosing a home, and may rule out one that has not been updated. If you need to invest time and money to update your home for the sale market, this also needs to be entered into your decision making process.
There are many factors that go into deciding whether to rent out or sell your home. Trust the experience our JS Realty Team members have to go over your personal situation and discover what the best options are for you. Contact us today to get started!
The JS Realty Team – not only serving Brambleton, serving all of Northern Virginia.
This charming 2 level rambler has 4 bedroom, 2 full bathrooms and is a short drive to shopping, dining, and entertainment – including the popular Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets! Perfect location for commuters, as it’s just a short drive to Rt. 7, Rt. 15, and the Dulles Greenway. This home is close to so many amenities, but also offers privacy, with its 1.35 acres.
MAIN LEVEL The main level of the home features an open layout with a designer front door that leads into a spacious living room. Hardwood floors and crown molding can be found throughout the living and dining rooms. In the gourmet kitchen a beautiful custom tile back-splash is set against oak cabinets. There is plenty of granite counter top space, stainless steel appliances, tile flooring, and access to a spacious screened in porch – perfect for enjoying the morning coffee!
In the sunroom, enjoy custom tile flooring while tons of natural light filter through all of the windows. And on cold, wintry nights, just get the wood stove going for some additional warmth.
The spacious Master Bedroom features hardwood floors, ceiling fan, and tons of natural light. The additional 3 large bedrooms contain closets and plenty of windows. Full bath has tile flooring, vanity, and shower/tub combo.
LOWER LEVEL In the large Recreation Room that leads to the beautiful backyard, find recessed lights, a nice bedroom with a closet, storage area with a utility area and laundry room, and a full, tile floor Bathroom with a vanity and Jacuzzi tub!
EXTERIOR The home sits on 1.35 beautifully landscaped acres and backs to trees. The back yard boasts a greenhouse and a large garage with workshop area and extra storage. A spacious screened in porch with a fan is perfect for entertaining, and a deck that is great for grilling. The driveway is paved and has a turnaround area.
Call us today at 703-475-1003 to schedule a tour of this beautiful home in Leesburg, VA!
The JS Realty Team – not only serving Brambleton, serving all of Northern Virginia.
America just celebrated her 239th birthday! The Flag, or “Old Glory” as she is often called, is the emblem of our country. She was displayed nation-wide on July 4th and was being waved all day by proud Americans. This isn’t anything new, though. You see flags all the time; in front of schools, public offices, even homes. But did you know there is an official Flag Code? This code formalizes and unifies the traditional ways in which we give respect to the flag, and also contains specific instructions on how the flag is not to be used. According to the code, “The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing.”
Initially, there were no reasons left as to why Red, White, and Blue were chosen to represent the USA. However, in 1782, Congress chose the same colors for the Great Seal and offered this designation:
Red – hardiness and valor
White – purity and innocence Blue – vigilance, perseverance, & justice
Also listed in the code among the various do’s and don’t’s is a detailed list of the days on which the flag should be displayed.
So when should “Old Glory” be displayed? The Flag should be displayed on all days, but especially on:
New Year’s Day—January 1
Inauguration Day—January 20
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday—3rd Monday in January
Lincoln’s Birthday—February 12
Washington’s Birthday—3rd Monday in February
Easter Sunday (variable)
Mother’s Day—2nd Sunday in May
Armed Forces Day—3rd Saturday in May
Memorial Day—last Monday in May (fly at half-staff until noon)
Flag Day—June 14
Father’s Day—3rd Sunday in June
Independence Day—July 4
Labor Day—1st Monday in September
Constitution Day—September 17
Columbus Day—2nd Monday in October
Navy Day—October 27
Veterans Day—November 11
Thanksgiving Day—4th Thursday in November
Christmas Day—December 25
State holidays
States Date of Admission—June 25th for Virginia, April 28th for Maryland
And other days as may be proclaimed by the President of the United States.
In addition, half-staff the Flag (sunrise to sunset) on these days:
Peace Officers Memorial Day—May 15
Patriot Day—September 11
Fire Prevention Week—Sunday, usually of week in which October 9th falls
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day—December 7
Additional details about Old Glory and the full Code can be found here.
If you have a flag that is weathered, tattered, or beyond repair, please contact the National Capital Area Council Boy Scouts of America so that it may be disposed of during a flag retirement ceremony.
This is a great time to buy and sell a home in Loudoun County! Contact us today for a no-obligation consultation and find out how we can help get you into the home of your dreams!
The JS Realty Team – not only serving Brambleton, serving all of Northern Virginia.