It’s Independence Day weekend and what better way to kick it off, than with some great info on visiting Jamestown! We took an impromptu trip two weeks ago and headed south towards Williamsburg. We ended up spending a day exploring both sites. The Jamestown Settlement and Historic Jamestowne sites are minutes apart, and while each one is quite unique and has fun and interesting features, you can easily spend an entire day visiting just one location. However, if you’re traveling with younger kids, like we were, it worked out well to hit both places in the same day.
Historic Jamestowne
This is the actual site where 104 settlers arrived on May 14,1607. After checking in at the Visitors Center (which has many artifacts and lots of information), you are free to walk the grounds and explore. Signs and information boards are set up at different points to let you know where you’re standing and what happened there.
Another way to explore the site is to take a free tour, guided by an archaeologist.
As you visit the different sites and spots, you will get a wonderful account of all that has been found, along with details about the current excavation. Our Guide actually jumped right into a pit and showed us the possible cellar of the building they were excavating!
If you’re ready for lunch or a quick snack, stop by the historic Dale House Café near the water’s edge. It’s a scenic spot to rest up before continuing on to the Archaearium – a museum that houses the most impressive of the two million artifacts uncovered since the Rediscovery Project began in 1994. There are even several places where the flooring is made of glass, so you can see down to the original stones and foundation of the building under the Archaearium.
Jamestown Settlement
After spending a good 2-3 hours exploring the archaeological site, we headed over to the Jamestown Settlement, which is a re-creation of the original and a “living/working museum”. You could spend hours just wandering through the museum itself. Our first stop was actually the Cafe for a quick lunch! The food is cooked to order and they have a decent selection of items to satisfy even the pickiest eaters – and we had 3!
After lunch, we wandered through the gallery exhibits learning about Jamestown’s beginnings and viewing hundreds of objects and artifacts from 17th-century Europe, Africa, and Virginia. The items are integrated into the museum, which features three-dimensional structures and small theaters. The best part was that almost every placard or information board featured an item to touch – linen, wool, deer skin, iron cuffs, etc. so you really got a sense of what the settlers were using or wearing.
After learning more about life in the 1600’s, it was time to explore the three outdoor-living, hands-on history areas. First was the re-created Powhatan village featuring reed-covered houses, crops and a ceremonial circle of carved wooden posts. You can walk in the houses, sit on the deerskin covered beds and even use a chunk of a log and rock pestle to grind corn into meal (we had a hard time dragging one of the little ones away from that!). We were quite fascinated to watch a Powhatan Indian interpreter make a log canoe by burning the inside of a tree trunk and then scraping it out with an oyster shell.
Our next stop was checking out The Ships – re-creations of the Susan Constant, Discovery, and Godspeed that brought America’s first permanent English colonists to Virginia in 1607. The ships are moored at the pier and are completely hands-on! Once aboard the ships, you can explore the tight conditions, try steering with a whip-staff or tiller, tie sailors’ knots, and even climb into a sailor’s bunk. Costumed interpreters are on all 3 ships and give a great account of what it was like to sail from England in 1607 and can answer pretty much any question you might have.
Our last stop was the James Fort. The re-created 1610-14 fort contain structures topped with thatch roofs depicting dwellings, as well as an Anglican church, a court of guard, a storehouse, a cape merchant’s office and a governor’s house. Historical interpreters even forge and repair metal objects in a blacksmith’s forge and show how matchlock muskets are fired (warning: the muskets are loud!). You can even try on armor and play games!
Overall, visiting both sites was a fantastic way to learn about Virginia and American history. Children have plenty to see, handle, and explore, while Adults can enjoy learning new facts about the area and even feel like a kid again! Williamsburg and Jamestown are only about a 3-hour drive from the Northern VA area and is definitely something you could do over a long weekend.
The JS Realty Team prides ourselves on helping our clients through the entire buying and selling process, from the first search for a home, to closing and beyond! Contact us today – we’d love to help you find your dream home!
The JS Realty Team – not only serving Brambleton, serving all of Northern Virginia
LOWER INTEREST RATES – Interest rates can be lowered due to a change in the industry as a whole, such as the example above. Interest rates can also be lowered by shortening the term of the loan. 15 year rates will be lower than 30 years loans. Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARM’s) are loans that are fixed for a specific time period such as 3, 5 7 or 10 years and will typically be offered at rates lower than a 30 year fixed loan.
Our #1 recommendation is to clean the home you are about to move in to. It is the only time that the home is vacant and ready for a full cleaning. Clean things like cabinets, drawers, corners of closets, window, lights, etc. Most homes are cleaned before you move in – but if not, make sure you take a couple hours to put the elbow grease in before you pile all of your things in the home.
Pack a box or bag of essentials that you will need the next few days after the move. Things to include: a few changes of clothes, kitchen utensils, towels, sheets, a can opener, electronic and phone chargers… anything you might need for a few days while everything else you own in still in a box! The last thing you want to do is dig through a dozen boxes to find these little essentials. Also, keep a folder handy that has your most important papers in it, so it is easily accessible in the event you needed to get to them quickly (this helps keeps them safe, too).
family or friends. Remember to label your boxes clearly. Packing and labeling them by room is a great start, and label boxes on their sides, as you will most likely be stacking them. It also helps to make a list of what is in each box if you are considering storing your boxes after moving.
The day has finally arrived – it’s moving day! You have accomplished your goal of buying a home and now reality is setting in. Packing up and moving your belongings can be a stressful event. Good preparation and planning will help minimize the stress.
One fabulous benefit of moving is that it’s a great time to purge your home. The more you purge the less you have to pack! So it saves you time and money in moving expenses. If you haven’t worn or used an item in the last 6 months, donate it! There are many great charities that will take unwanted clothes, books, furniture and anything else you don’t need or use. The JS Realty Team uses 
Now that you have reduced the amount of unneeded items in your possession, it is time to organize your new home! If everything has a place then it is easier to keep your new home organized. There are many resources out there to help you organize every corner of your home. From the garage to the Master Bedroom closet you will be amazed at how a little planning and a few organizational tools can help you make the best use of the space you have. 
With these 4 unique locations to choose from, you can’t go wrong when you want to pamper yourself! Get a new ‘do, have a facial, enjoy a mani/pedi – the list of options are impressive.
CATCH A MOVIE
BRAM’s Sizzlin’ Summer Concert Series is back! Every Thursday night at 6PM. Concerts are FREE and you can bring a cooler and blanket/chairs to sit on while you listen to some good music. Check out the 
And don’t forget to stop by the 
Earlier this month the JS Realty Team at Samson Properties provided a 
the previous year and units sold are also up +16.88%. The percentages are obviously not as large when compared to Brambleton, but keep in mind we are looking at Loudoun County as a whole, not just one of its most popular subdivisions. When you compare average days on the market in Loudoun County to the previous year you will see a modest increase from 58 in 2014 to 81 in 2015. This can be mostly attributed to the increase in inventory from the year before – classic “supply and demand”. Overall, similar to Brambleton, the whole county is experiencing a market that is on the move in a positive way.
We expect this positive market to continue for the foreseeable future. The JS Realty Team has stayed busy helping our clients achieve their goals through the buying and selling of homes. It has been a great year so far and we look forward to helping even more of our clients in the remainder of 2015.
Tons of natural light floods in through wood case windows, and solid wood doors are found throughout the home. A two-car extended garage and spacious, paved circular driveway has lots of room for parking, and this home is perfect for those who want privacy but still need to commute – it’s only a short drive to Route 15 & Route 50.
The beautifully maintained yard with custom landscaping, mature trees, and stone walkway lead you to a spacious wrap-around porch. A 2-story deck with a screened in Gazebo is perfect for grilling & throwing parties or just enjoying your morning coffee & taking in the quite scenery around this lovely home.
It’s not always convenient to travel into Maryland when you’re craving some delicious Blue Crab. Did you know there were 5 great places here in Northern Virginia that serve it up fresh? These restaurants don’t disappoint! In fact, a few might even surprise you.
Tucked away in the Cascades Marketplace off Cascades Blvd, Captain Mas offers up all-you-can-eat blue crab. Their impressive menu is worth the wait, as everything is made to order and fresh!
This family owned restaurant is making a name for itself with it’s “Fresh-Off-the-Hook” seafood. Their current menu specials have just what you’re looking for!
Family owned and operated for 30 years, this “hidden gem” near Manassas features steamed & spiced blue crab by the dozen or half-dozen!
Head over to Lowry’s! Great food, and that fun, relaxed, “beach” vibe make this a great destination for freshly steamed blue crab.
mortgage loan. The fees can be separated into several categories: lender fees, escrow deposits, prepaid items, title fees, government recording and transfer fees, and additional settlement fees.
Most loans require the borrower to pay for property taxes and homeowner’s insurance on a monthly basis as part of the mortgage loan payment. When property taxes are due (typically twice a year), and homeowner’s insurance (annually) the lender will pay the bills out of the escrow funds.
–Government Recording Fee – fee charged by government to record the deed of trust
Seems like this would be a pretty easy question to answer, but it really depends on the state that you are closing in, and how that state handles defining the term “settled”, or when escrow has occurred. Most often this has to do with the way the money is funded and disbursed, and how the Deed (the paper work that deems you are the owner of the property) is recorded and recognized in your state. Since we are located in 
the Seller to sell their home and then buy their next home. Physically, though, this can be a real challenge. Offering the Seller to stay a couple of extra days after settlement could be just what they need to make selling their home to you easier. In this case, you (the Buyer) will be offering a “rent back”. This is done through a signed agreement (a Post-Settlement Occupancy Agreement) that states they will stay in the home for a specified period of time, for a certain amount of money, and will be exiting the property on a specified date.
So does this mean you get keys or not? In most cases the Seller will agree to give you one set of keys with the understanding you will not need to access the property until the specified date that they will be exiting the property. Once they have exited the property you will be able to re-inspect the home and take possession based on the terms in which you both agreed to. This is pretty common and often occurs with little to no issues.
Technically it is, however we often do not recommend it due to many various risk factors that could make this a bad idea for both the Buyer and the Seller. There is a possibility that something unforeseen happens and the deal does not go through at the last minute. Or worse, if something tragic happens to the home while the Buyer is occupying it and the Seller is still the owner. This would create a potential insurance nightmare. The reasons this could be a bad idea are numerous, however if you and the Seller are prepared to face these risk and are able to come to mutual agreeable terms, this is an option and does occur from time to time. It would be similar to the “rent back” method and it is called a Pre-Settlement Agreement.
day of the settlement in the event something unforeseen causes a delay.