Lisa Sells Virginia

Enjoy FREE Carousel Rides, Fishing, Boat Rental, Face Painting and Mini Golf at the Lake Accotink Park Celebration Day this Saturday, August 24 at 11 am! 🎊 🎠🎣
Explore the trails, enjoy the scenic views, and relax in a beautiful park setting with your family. 🤩
Details: https://bit.ly/3yMZX58

Take a look at the newly listed homes at McEnearney Associates! To view the full list, please visit mcenearney.com/new-real-estate-listings.

🚗 Heads up motorists and bicyclists! 🚴

🛑 Three new all-way STOP signs have been installed at Little Falls Street, Spring Street, and Oak Street along the W&OD Trail.

Contract activity in the Metro DC area during the week of August 11 -17, 2024, fell by 4.1% compared to the same seven-day period last year.

Key Takeaways:
• While interest rates have been trending down over the last month, they ticked up a bit last week, and contract activity ticked down a bit.
• We hoped for a little more positive news on the contract front, but August has been quiet in general. A slight change in interest rates doesn't counteract a sluggish market.
• Only Prince George's had a positive week among the six jurisdictions we track – up 16.0%.

Why it Matters:
• It seems like the market is holding its breath for news on interest rates from the Fed after Labor Day.
• While most experts expect a cut in the Fed funds rate of .25% to .5%, mortgage rates are not directly tied to the Fed.

Take a look at this weekend's open house guide! For more information on these homes, visit mcenearney.com/open-houses-new.

It’s almost time to head back to school! Arlington County has installed 10 new School Zone Speed Safety Cameras to deter speeding and improve safety in school zones.

PhotoSPEED program cameras are installed at the following locations:

NB 1300 block of Kirkwood Road
WB 5800 block of Wilson Boulevard
SB 400 block of N. George Mason Drive
SB 600 block of S. Carlin Springs Road
SB Unit block of S. Carlin Springs Road
SB 1900 block of S. George Mason Drive
NB 1900 block of S George Mason Drive
SB 1200 block of S. George Mason Drive
EB 4500 block of Washington Boulevard
EB 5200 block of Yorktown Boulevard

There will be a warning period designed to help raise public awareness about the new safety camera locations and encourage driver compliance with posted speed limits. The warning period for these new cameras will be August 26 - September 24, 2024. Tickets for violations at these locations will be issued beginning September 25, 2024. At the conclusion of the warning period, speed zone violators will be issued a $100 ticket (civil fine) per infraction to the vehicle’s registered owner.

For more information on PhotoSPEED, view the release in our Newsroom: https://www.arlingtonva.us/About-Arlington/Newsroom/Articles/2024/Arlington-County-Launches-School-Zone-Speed-Safety-Camera-Program

Charitable Donations | GreenDrop Donate gently used clothing and household items to a local nonprofit partner at GreenDrop. It is easy, convenient, and eco-friendly, helping to save reusable items from landfills.

Dulles begins construction on new concourse Construction is underway at Dulles International Airport on a new concourse. Transportation Reporter Adam Tuss takes a look.

How do you know your home was worth what you paid? How did the bank determine if the loan was secured properly? How did the seller and their agent come up with the list price in the first place? ⤵️

The work of one person – an appraiser – answers the above questions!

👉 An appraiser is an independent, impartial, and objective professional in the mortgage transaction who develops a report that is a credible, reliable, and supported opinion of value. The work that they do has a direct impact on how much buyers might pay for a home and whether a loan may be approved at all for the property.

If you are considering selling or buying a home, here's what your future appraiser would like you to know!

https://www.mcenearney.com/blog/real-estate-appraisals-in-a-shifting-market/

Contract activity in the Metro DC area during the week of August 4 -10, 2024, rose by 1.1% compared to the same seven-day period last year.

Key Takeaways:
· In a week where 30-year fixed mortgage rates dropped to their lowest level – 6.47% - in over a year, it was encouraging to see an increase in the number of newly ratified contracts.
· Three of the six jurisdictions we track - Loudoun, Prince William, and Prince George’s - posted increases, while the remaining three had minor losses.
· Despite this year-over-year increase, the number of contracts was down 2% from just one week ago.

Why it Matters:
· It’s just another indication that the market remains pretty flat, as buyers and sellers alike seem to be waiting for more significant drops in mortgage rates before getting off the fence.
· As noted before, the lower end of the market is more sensitive to high rates. Contract activity for homes priced under $750,000 is down 7.1% so far this year, while activity for home prices above $750,000 is up 9.1%

How To Stop Mice From Getting Indoors Naturally – 7 Simple Secrets To Success! - Gardening Tips and News Nearly everyone encounters a mouse in their home at some point. Here are natural methods to effectively remove them and establish measures to prevent a future infestation.

Need a kayak?

Front Royal Outdoors

Front Royal Outdoors

Dog friendly!

Dog-Friendly Spots in Northern Virginia Fairfax County is a pet-friendly travel destination. Find ideas on pet-friendly dining, hotels, breweries and wineries, attractions and more for your next Northern Virginia vacation.

Contract activity in the Metro DC area during the week of July 28 – August 3, 2024, fell by 8.8% compared to the same seven-day period last year.

Key Takeaways:
• The market is static, sluggish, idle, and stuck in Neutral. It’s not bad, but it’s not robust either.
• The modest drop in mortgage rates last week wasn’t enough to spur the market forward, as contract activity looks much like last year. Two of the six jurisdictions (Loudoun and Prince William Counties) posted increases, but the other four were down.

Why it Matters:
• Year-to-date, five of the six jurisdictions are virtually unchanged. Contract activity in Montgomery County is up 2.6%, while Northern Virginia, Loudoun, Prince William, and Prince George’s County are down between 0.5% and 2.4%. Flat.
• Washington, DC, continues its struggles, with contract activity falling 15.2% this year.

If there's one thing we all know by now about summer in the D.C. area, it's both swelteringly hot and humid. ☀️

Fortunately, the greater DMV area is close to various beaches, lakes, and rivers, which are ideal for cooling off! Check out these top picks for a quick day trip—or weekend getaway.

https://www.mcenearney.com/blog/beaches-lakes-rivers-washington-dc/

Maybe we could all chip in?

The Greenbrier Resort to be auctioned off on courthouse steps According to the Notice of Trustee’s Sale, the public auction will be held on August 27.

Contract activity for the week of July 21 – 27, 2024, in the Metro DC area fell by 5.2% compared to the same seven-day period last year.

Key Takeaways:
· The 26.3% drop in the number of newly ratified contracts in Washington, DC was almost entirely responsible for the overall drop in the DC metro area.
· The other five jurisdictions were pretty flat. Three posted modest gains (Prince George’s County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County), and two posted modest losses (Northern Virginia and Montgomery County).

Why it Matters:
· Washington, DC is the outlier – year-to-date contract activity is down 15%, while the other five areas are almost unchanged from last year.
· It’s almost as if the market has hit the “pause” button, perhaps waiting for the Fed to make a move on interest rates.

Summertime is the perfect time to catch up on home maintenance! Whether you own your home or are renting, take an overview of the systems in your home – big and small – to ensure you live in a house that is sound, energy-efficient, and healthy for everyone.

Your home is one of your most significant investments—whether you own and pay a mortgage or rent—and a little TLC goes a long way. Here are a few of our best suggestions for keeping your home maintenance on track this summer!

Slow down!

Speed Camera Expansion With 50 More Cameras Eyed In Fairfax County Fairfax County Police presented a plan to add 50 more speed camera locations in addition to the nine already active.

Contract activity for the week of July 14 – 20, 2024 in the Metro DC area rose by 0.8% compared to the same seven-day period last year.

Key Takeaways:
• The gains in Montgomery County (up 24%) and Northern Virginia (up 2.3%) were enough to offset modest losses in the other four jurisdictions we track.
• The modest drop in the 30-year mortgage interest rate last week helped a bit, while the continuing scorching heat kept many people from looking at houses.

Why it Matters:
• The real estate market in the Washington, DC metro area is OK – just OK. It’s been a lot worse before, like during the Great Recession, and it’s been a lot better, like when interest rates were below 3%.
• The reality is that there is less activity from buyers and sellers alike than in the several years before the onset of COVID. We have a long way to go before returning to “normal.”