Hello Everyone,   Have you looked at the Forest Park subdivision in Dumfries Virginia lately? Well if you are looking for a nice town home that's a great place to start a search. It’s great for buyers because most of the homes in Dumfries are 15 years old or less, once you get towards of the back of the subdivision most of the homes were built in 05 and 06. Right now they have a lot of inventory and they have a rigid but good home owners association. Yeah I know HOA’s can be a pain the butt but they do a great job of keeping the neighborhood nice which will keep the property value up. I have recently sold 2 homes in Forest Park and both of them were “move in ready.”Go a head click on Forest Park Community and see for yourself.               01/19/2012

With over 5200 homes Montclair in Prince Wiliam County VA is one of the few neighborhoods with it's own private lake and three beaches for residents to enjoy in the summer weather.  It's not unusal for residents with homes along the lake front to take a cruise to meet up with neighbors for social events.  Montclair was named in the Top 100 neighborhoods in the US by Money Magazine in 2011.  This week there are only three active detached homes listed for sale as foreclosures in the Montclair area.  $224,900PW7669623 3 Bedrooms/2.5 BathsDumfries VAListed by Keller Williams Realty       $269,000PW76765514 Bedroom/3 BathsDumfires VAListed by RE/MAX Allegiance     $309,000 PW77314674 Bedrooms/3 BathsDumfries VAListed by One Stop Realty     If you are looking for a buyers agent to represent y... 01/15/2012

Wreaths Across America™ is understandably famous for the thousands of wreaths it places each year in Arlington National Cemetery at the burial sites of the men and women who served in defense of America.What is not as well known is that wreaths are placed at 500+ locations in all 50 states and beyond.. For example, we took the photo below at Quantico National Cemetery only 20 minutes from our home. Actually, many of the locations are not VA cemeteries.The organization needs your financial support, but there are a number of other meaningful ways To Get Involved and honor those who served to preserve the American way of life for all of us. Now that we are aware of the opportunity to serve locally we'll be there next year. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Kruschkas are l... 12/14/2011

"A Date Which Will Live In Infamy" President Franklin Delano RooseveltThe two photos of the USS Arizona are in the public domain at nps.gov - the YouTube video is also public. I am proud to put this post up in honor of all the men and women of "The Greatest Generation" Seventy years ago today my husband Arthur was a high school senior - he and his family were enjoying dinner in a Chinese restaurant in Jersey City, NJ when the attack on Pearl Harbor was announced. He reported to USMC boot camp in November 1942 and eventually served in the Pacific Theater and China. Unless he is with other WWII vets he rarely speaks of his service years. He does tell people he went to war to make America safe for me to be born. 12/06/2011

Brittany is a lovely community of detached homes only minutes from I-95 at Route 234 Brittany Dumfries, VA Detached Home Market Report Homes Sold & Settled Year To Date 2011 Vs. Total Year 2010 2010 2011 +/-% Number of Homes 8 7 NA Average List Price $391,200 $434,951 +11% Average Sales Price $392,875 $431,124 +10% Seller Contribution -$5,709 -$8,475 +48% Net Sales Price $387,166 $422,629 +9% Days on Market 19 26 +17 As of 11/25/2011The information above is a community average provided by MRIS® and should not be considered an indication of your homes' value. Contact me at 703-499-9279 for a free Comparative Market Analysis to determine the potential market value of your property. COMMUTING Pentagon and Washington, DC bus stop at the Brittany Commuter lot. The link shows the scheduled t... 11/25/2011

About Montclair, Dumfries VA Montclair is one of the most popular residential subdivisions in Prince William County and Northern Virginia. Montclair is, as the community's website says, "When you recall your hometown, you are bound to think of tree-lined streets, blooming flowers, ample yards, parks for playing and friendly neighbors. For the nostalgic feeling that brings you home, there is no place like the Prince William County neighborhood of Montclair." COMMUNITY Montclair was established in 1968. There are approximately 3,800 homes surrounding a 108 acre lake, with a broad central boulevard separated by exquisite flowering trees, attractive landscaping and bordered by wide sidewalks perfect for walking, jogging or cycling. Another major attraction is the Montclair Golf Tennis and ... 11/21/2011

It's the time of year when we take to the road to join family and friends for Thanksgiving.  Whether you are taking a busy highway or driving on quiet country road remember that everyday is special and hold life dear.   Photo taken at Prince Willam Forest Park in Dumfries VA- a 15,000 acre park maintained by the US Park Service 11/20/2011

Many real estate agents will tell you short sales and foreclosures have declined since 2008. While that may be of historical interest it really has no bearing on the present status of short sales and foreclosures. After all, you can only buy or sell a home in the present.The ZIP 22025 New Listing bar graph below was generated by our REALTOR® Multiple Listing System.In the past three months the total number of new listings (blue bar) going on the market has dropped by 13%The number of homes not requiring bank approval (red bar) going on the market has dropped by 16%Short sales and foreclosures (purple bar) have only declined by 5% over the past three months.In August short sales and foreclosures were 27% of the market. As of October they were 29% of the market. Using simple deduction it ... 11/18/2011

The photo above is of Fort Belvoir NCO's marching in the Manassas Veterans Day Parade in 2009, the first year Manassas had a Veterans Day Parade. This will, of course, be the third year of a now ongoing program. Manassas Veterans Day ParadeSaturday, November 12, 201111:00 AM For more details including parade route map see Veterans Day Parade. Veterans Day Parades are always very colorful events as seen in the photo below of a colonial fife and drum corps performing in 2009..++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++The Kruschkas are long term Prince William County residents with 35 years experience as real estate brokers serving Woodbridge, Manassas, Dumfries, Manassas Park, Bristow, Brentsville, Gainesville and Haymarket. Experience Isn’t Expensive – It’s PRICELESS If you plan to ... 11/07/2011

Investors who purchase and rehabilitate distressed fire hydrants for their resale potential would be attracted to the rusty fire hydrant above. However, the vast majority of other purchasers would be drawn to the fire hydrant below.. The contrast between the two is very obviousIf you plan to place your home on the market for sale it would be to your advantage to have it look as sharp as the fire hydrant below.It may not require a major financial investment to accomplish the curb appeal goalIt would be wise to consult with a REALTOR® who has in-depth experience marketing homesThe Kruschkas are long term Prince William County residents with 35 years experience as real estate brokers serving Woodbridge, Manassas, Dumfries, Manassas Park, Bristow, Brentsville, Gainesville and Haymarket. Exp... 11/06/2011

Prince William County roads are regularly evaluated and repaired or modified as necessary to keep up with its' “new”Northern Virginia status.Under DesignMountain Road --- improvements from Jackson Hollow to Bear Hollow Trail (scheduled completion 2012)Logmill Road --- improvements at Parnell Court (scheduled completion 2013)Route 28 --- widening project from Linton Hall to Fitzwater, including the relocation of Vint Hill (scheduled completion 2015)Purcell Road and Route 234 --- intersection improvements with dual left turns (scheduled completion 2012) Route 1/Fuller and Fuller Heights Road --- intersection improvements (scheduled completion 2012)The brief video provides a quick look at existing Prince William County commuting options.++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++The Kr... 11/03/2011

Recently, I overheard an agent say to a client, "The number of available short sale and foreclosed properties is declining in Prince William County."Since I had recently done a study for a client interested in foreclosed properties I double checked the numbers on our Multiple Listing Service. As you can see by the graph generated by the MLS, the facts are different than the statement. Over the past six months there has not been a decline - there has been an increase in the number of short sale or foreclosed houses for sale throughout Prince William County. If you check the dots on the interactive graph you will see the number is actually higher. Montclair is the primary subdivision in Dumfries 22025. I ran the same analysis for Dumfries 22025 as I did for all of Prince William County. ... 11/01/2011

Are you headed to Quantico MCB with PCS orders?  Are you coming to the FBI Academy located at Quantico?  With the expansion of Quantico MCB there are a lot of new organizations now calling Quantico MCB home.  If you are one of the active duty military or civilians headed to the area then you should check out the Montclair neighborhood as a place to call home. Money Magazine recently named Montclair #35 on it's Top Ten List of Best Places to live in the US. There are plenty of reasons why Montclair would make the list. You can start with the 107 acre lake residents have access to. Montclair is one of a handful of neighborhoods in Northern Virginia that offers a private lake and beaches for residents to enjoy.With over 5200 homes Monclair is one of the larger planned communities in the ar... 10/29/2011

For a military family with PCS orders in a turbulent real estate market the options of what to do with an underwater home can be stressful.  For the family of this home in the Southbridge neighborhood of Dumfries VA they discovered they were eligible for the Department of Defense of Homeowners Assistance Program (DoD HAP.) Today they went to closing and to make the sale even better was they buyer was also active duty military stationed at Fort Belvoir.  Since the DoD HAP program was funded in the fall of 2009 I've had the good fortunate to assist 33 Northern Virginia military families with the sale of their homes using DoD HAP benefits.  Each family had purchased their homes prior to July 1, 2006 and meet the other qualifications for the program including PCS orders prior to September 3... 10/28/2011

It looks innocent enough.  A small house located just off the main road through Dumfries Virginia. If you ask local historians and ghost hunters they will tell you the Weems-Bott Museum is not for the faint of heart.  The museum is listed as the 2nd most haunted spot in Virginia.    Lets start with a little history.  The town of Dumfries is the oldest charter city in Virginia.  At one point it was a bustling seaport but silt from the Potomac River eventually closed the port.  The museum is named after two of the owners.  The first was Mason Weems, George Washington's biographer.  He is credited with the stories about George Washington chopping down the cherry tree and throwing a silver dollar across the Rappahanock River.  He also wrote biographies of other famous people during colonial... 10/27/2011

One of our favorite activities is an annual Fall trek to a Virginia location after all the crowds have gone home until next year, but it is still warm enough to enjoy being outdoors. We have just returned after a delightful week in historic Williamsburg and Yorktown. That rocking chair was one of my favorite afternoon reading spots.++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++The Kruschkas are long term Prince William County residents with 35 years experience as real estate brokers serving Woodbridge, Manassas, Dumfries, Manassas Park, Bristow, Brentsville, Gainesville and Haymarket. Experience Isn’t Expensive – It’s PRICELESS If you plan to buy or sell a Prince William County home or property contact Karen and Art by Email or call us at 703-499-9279. Put our record of customer servic... 10/23/2011

About Montclair, Dumfries VA Montclair is one of the most popular residential subdivisions in Prince William County and Northern Virginia. Montclair is, as the community's website says, "When you recall your hometown, you are bound to think of tree-lined streets, blooming flowers, ample yards, parks for playing and friendly neighbors. For the nostalgic feeling that brings you home, there is no place like the Prince William County neighborhood of Montclair." COMMUNITY Montclair was established in 1968. There are approximately 3,800 homes surrounding a 108 acre lake, with a broad central boulevard separated by exquisite flowering trees, attractive landscaping and bordered by wide sidewalks perfect for walking, jogging or cycling. Another major attraction is the Montclair Golf Tennis and ... 10/04/2011

Brittany is a lovely community of detached homes only minutes from I-95 at Route 234 Brittany Dumfries, VA Detached Home Market Report Homes Sold & Settled Year To Date 2011 Vs. Total Year 2010 2010 2011 +/-% Number of Homes 8 5 NA Average List Price $391,200 $429,954 +10% Average Sales Price $392,875 $422,594 +8% Seller Contribution -$5,709 -$7,485 +31% Net Sales Price $387,166 $415,129 +7% Days on Market 19 44 +25 As of 10/4/2011The information above is a community average provided by MRIS® and should not be considered an indication of your homes' value. Contact me at 703-499-9279 for a free Comparative Market Analysis to determine the potential market value of your property. COMMUTING Pentagon and Washington, DC bus stop at the Brittany Commuter lot. The link shows the scheduled tim... 10/04/2011

You just presented your CMA. Then the owners said, "That was great, but we're really not ready to list until the Spring of 2012."No matter what persuasion you try they will not sign a listing . What do you do to keep in touch? It has been my experience periodic market sales reports are one of the most effective tools for follow up.Our market consists mainly of subdivisions that have both detached and town homes. People want to know what is happening where they live, not in an entire ZIP code.We have developed a simple Word table that highlights most of the features of homes for sale, under contract and sold within the last 30 days in their subdivision. Using the MLS statistics and simple editing we can update the form below in less than 30 minutes - it goes out as an email attachment ev... 09/30/2011

Over the past year we have had a substantial increase in the deer population in Prince William County. The Mamas and the Papas were very busy. Acorns are an important component of their diet over the winter. The oak trees are not producing the normal crop of acorns this year.The deer are not in danger of starvation. However, the shortage will force them to leave the woods in search of other food sources. They will be on the road shoulders and crossing the road creating a hazard to drivers as well as themselves.We are blessed to have so much wooded land in Prince William County. (80,000 acres at Quantico Marine Corps Base and Prince William Forest Park) plus Manassas National Battlefield Park, the lands of the Chesapeake Watershed, etc, etc.Quantico Marine Corps Base has had 32 deer rel... 09/26/2011