Neighborhoods
Arlington Virginia House Styles… Part 7 - What’s Left?
August 12th, 2008 Categories: Arlington Dirt, Neighborhoods
Today I simply offer a few photos that I took while researching my house styles series… I wasn’t too sure what to do with these, so I simply offer them to you for consideration…
I’m sure these styles could be identified by someone more qualified than myself - however, they’re just a bit unusual for around here and caught my eye!
Happy Tuesday
Jennifer
Serving all of your real estate needs in Arlington, McLean and the entire Northern Virginia Region!
Contact me today for a free home valuation or buyer counseling session! Fall is right around the corner!
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Arlington House Styles Part 6 - The Colonial
August 6th, 2008 Categories: Arlington Dirt, Falls Church Dirt, McLean Dirt, Neighborhoods, Northern Virginia Home Buying, Northern Virginia Real Estate Dirt
Here we are – at the granddaddy of them all… The Colonial. Around here, this is definitely the most prevalent house style and there are many iterations. From very small, to very large and grand.
This house style can be traced here in the US all the way back to the European colonization that took place from the 1600’s through the 1800’s - and each country brought their own twist on the colonial style – Dutch, German, Swiss and others.
Some of the more notable characteristics of the colonial style home are:
Square and boxy in shape
Usually very symmetrical
Medium pitch roof lines - both hip roof and gabled roof styles can be seen
Paneled front doors
Sometimes columns and a small front porch adorn these homes
They are found all over the area – from Arlington to Leesburg (and beyond), big and small, simple and very ornate. Usually they are brick, and generally very traditional in appearance. Here are some examples:
(the above is a great example of symmetry, but had an addition put on one side)
the above photo represents a Dutch Colonial with a Mansard roof.
Many have stately settings like the one above, but here in Arlington, those are few and far between.
If you love colonial architecture and would like to find out what options there are out there for you and there’s one for EVERY budget! Call today to discuss.
Happy Wednesday
Jennifer
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Arlington House Styles Part 5 - The Contemporary
August 1st, 2008 Categories: Arlington Dirt, Neighborhoods, Northern Virginia Real Estate Dirt, Real Estate 101
We’re ending the week on the Contemporary home. This can mean so many things to so many different people. I went searching for a definition on the internet this morning before beginning the post – it was difficult to find - even in wikipedia! The best definition/description of contemporary house design I found came from about.com. It said that modern or contemporary homes (defined as built in 1965 to present day) could be characterized as:
Contemporary houses have many of these features:
- odd, irregular shape
- lack of ornamentation
- tall, over-sized windows, some with trapezoid shapes
- open floor plan
- natural materials such as cedar or stone
- harmony with the surrounding landscape
I would also add that many contemporary homes, along with achieving harmony with the surrounding landscape, they are also more interested in sustainable design – eco-building, eco-friendly, green homes, etc…
Although we don’t have an over abundance of these homes here in the area - there are some and when done well, they are spectacular! Let’s look at some examples:
While some of these may look dark and windowless from the front - the insides are usually open and stunning!
There are so many wonderful contemporary properties to see and if they interest you, and you’d like to take a look, call me!
Happy Friday!
Jennifer
Serving all of your real estate needs in Arlington, McLean and the entire Northern Virginia Region!
Contact me today for a free home valuation or buyer counseling session! Spring is HERE!
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Arlington House Styles Part 4 - The Split Level
July 31st, 2008 Categories: Arlington Dirt, Neighborhoods, Northern Virginia Real Estate Dirt, Real Estate 101
Today’s lesson will be a short one – in all actuality it probably should have been included yesterday. Today I’d like to discus the split level home. These were wildly popular in the 70’s although I’m not quite sure why, but we see quite a lot built during that time period – of course some earlier, some later.
The main characteristic of a split level is that the home is quite literally split into two halves and they are 1/2 a story apart from each other. MOST of the time, the split is side to side. So, what you can expect from a floor plan is to enter into a foyer and have a living room, dining room and kitchen on that same floor. Then, you can turn to the left (or right) and choose to go UP 1/2 a flight of steps to the bedrooms (anywhere from 2–4 depending on the size of home) or DOWN 1/2 a flight of steps to a rec-room. Sometimes you can continue down 1/2 flight zig-zagging through the house from side to side to lower level bedrooms or even an unfinished storage area, laundry, etc…
You’ll hear references sometimes to a 4–level split. Conceptually, if you flattened the house out, you’d have a rambler on a basement. Instead, this just gives some interest to the spaces. The most I’ve seen is a 5–level split. Also, and I’ve only ever seen one of these, I once saw a back to front split - it was a very interesting home but you wouldn’t be able to tell it’s a split level from the outside…
Here are our photo examples: This first one is a little tough to read, but look at the window heights on the left side of the home compared with the top of the door frame…
Here’s another one that’s easier to see:
In this second example you see a more typical roof line change.
Happy Thursday
Jennifer
Serving all of your real estate needs in Arlington, McLean and the entire Northern Virginia Region!
Contact me today for a free home valuation or buyer counseling session! Spring is HERE!
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Arlington Virginia Home Styles Part 3 - The Bi-Level and the Split Foyer - Cousins of the Rambler
July 30th, 2008 Categories: Arlington Dirt, Neighborhoods, Northern Virginia Real Estate Dirt
Yes – I thought before the description of a rambler became a distant memory, we’d cover a few relatives – remember, a rambler is single level living, most of the time on a basement. In today’s examples, it it ALWAYS on a basement…
What primarily distinguishes between the 3 styles is how and where you enter the home. In a rambler, you enter on the main level and can then proceed downstairs into the basement. Generally these were built on any type of topography ranging from fairly flat to gently sloping downwards to steeply sloping downwards. This gives a nice walk-out basement in the back and brings a lot of light into the home.
In a bi-level, the entry door is IN the basement - you enter generally to a foyer with a garage perhaps to one side, rec room to the other – it’s like a daylight basement but to the FRONT. You then proceed UP the steps to the main level living, laid out exactly as described in the rambler. These are generally only placed on lots where the land slopes upwards.
Here are a few examples:
Some might confuse the bi-level with a colonial, and as we haven’t defined a colonial yet – look at the windows to see if you can determine if it’s 1–level living upstairs (living room, dining, kitchen, bedrooms) all together – the 2nd picture is a little more deceiving, but a bi-level nonetheless.
The second example for today is called a split-foyer – not to be confused with a split level… a Split Foyer is the same house inside as a rambler or bi-level, however, the entrance is BETWEEN levels – so you enter the home to a very small landing to make a choice to go upstairs to the main living level or downstairs to the rec room/basement, garage, perhaps storage and laundry. You can easily spot these once you know to look for the door placement between levels:
So there you have it – relatives of the rambler – all offering lots of living space.
Happy Wednesday…
Jennifer
Serving all of your real estate needs in Arlington, McLean and the entire Northern Virginia Region!
Contact me today for a free home valuation or buyer counseling session! Spring is HERE!
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Arlington Virginia Home Styles Part 2 - The Rambler
July 29th, 2008 Categories: Arlington Dirt, Falls Church Dirt, McLean Dirt, Neighborhoods, Northern Virginia Real Estate Dirt
Yesterday I mentioned my series on house styles found here in the local area – today I thought I’d hit a biggie – The Rambler. This comes in many shapes and sizes, but it’s basically a 1 level home – most of the time here it’s on a basement, but it could just be built on a concrete slab. You will generally find a living room/dining room “L” and kitchen on one side with bedrooms/baths on the other side – a rec room in the basement perhaps with another half bath – and maybe an unfinished utility room. That’s it! Many people have added on perhaps a den on one side or a family room off the back. Let’s look at some examples:
Here is a fairly small (but super cute) rambler:
Here are some additional examples:
Ramblers are also a FABULOUS starting point for a renovation. There are many things one can do with a rambler, and what makes it most attractive for renovating is the large footprint. You have to figure if the entire living space is on 1 level and you double it by adding a 2nd story, you don’t necessarily have to create an addition.
The other fantastic thing about renovating a rambler is that you can turn it into a colonial by going straight up and keeping with colonial architectural aspects. You can add a steep roof with dormers and create a LARGE cape cod. You can create an arts and crafts style (see example below) or a farm house style. You can even create a contemporary.
Here’s an example of a rambler that underwent a whole house renovation taking the square footage from about 1,900 to 4,800.
Before:
And here it is AFTER:
Yes, it is the exact same house!
So, there’s your lesson on ramblers… If you’re in the market for something to renovate, give me a call - I can help you find a great property TODAY!
Happy Tuesday!
Jennifer
Serving all of your real estate needs in Arlington, McLean and the entire Northern Virginia Region!
Contact me today for a free home valuation or buyer counseling session! Spring is HERE!
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Arlington Virginia Home Styles - Part 1 - The Cape Cod
July 28th, 2008 Categories: Arlington Dirt, Neighborhoods, Northern Virginia Real Estate Dirt
I was having a conversation with a new client last week and we were talking about architecture. Just general terms really, he was telling me that he didn’t like boxy rooms, tight spaces, etc… but he really can’t afford a large home. I said, “oh, so you probably don’t want a cape.”
He looked at me and said, “I don’t know; I don’t know what a ‘cape’ is.”
So I went to the MLS listings and began describing house styles and what he could expect from the different floor plans – in general terms. It dawned on me that a lot of folks probably don’t know the difference between some of these styles. So I thought it might be best to write this series of posts to illustrate the different types and styles that can be found around Arlington. Now, of course you can also find these in Alexandria, Falls
Church and other surrounding towns and cities – but all of my photos were taken in Arlington.
Today, I want to focus on the ‘cape’ – or as it’s formally known as, “The Cape Cod.”
Here is a classic photo of a cape:
This is a beautiful example of a cape cod style home - they are known for a fairly small footprint, a very steep roof and dormers upstairs revealing usually 2 (or maybe 3 in a big home) bedrooms and a bath. There are obviously bigger and smaller examples, but most of the time you can expect to find a living room, dining room, kitchen and most of the time, you’ll also find a bedroom and full bath on the main level. Some, like this one, has an addition on the side, which is probably a family room.
Here’s another photo I took:
You can find these homes scattered all around the east coast – in fact, the first home we owned in California was a cape cod! It certainly looked out of place there, but here, they are beautiful sightings around Arlington County and the surrounding areas!
Over the week (or more) I hope to cover Ramblers and Bi-levels, Split Levels and Split Foyers, Contemporaries, Tudors and Colonials. There are a few others, but these make up the majority of what we find here. If I run across other great examples while I’m out and about, we’ll toss those in too!
Happy Monday – stay tuned as tomorrow we’ll another exciting house style!
Jennifer
Serving all of your real estate needs in Arlington, McLean and the entire Northern Virginia Region!
Contact me today for a free home valuation or buyer counseling session! Spring is HERE!
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Wildlife in Arlington Virginia
June 28th, 2008 Categories: Area Attractions, Arlington Dirt, Neighborhoods, Northern Virginia Real Estate Dirt
The other day I was driving home and as I was winding my way up a curvy road in my neighborhood - something caught my eye off to the right. At first I thought it was “lawn sculpture” — but then it moved, ever so slightly… Fortunately I had my camera in my cupholder and I pulled over, rolled down the passenger window and snap snap…
Now, for those of you that don’t know – I live in Arlington Virginia. Busy roads, dense population – the closest county to border Washington DC, our nation’s capital. And here, in a neighbor’s front yard, was a deer, peacefully eating their flowers. I stopped the car and watched her for a while and she didn’t seem to be bothered by me in the least.
It’s nice to live in a community where we do still see occasional wildlife – we have cute red foxes, too! We have a nature center down the street, tucked into a great piece of parkland – what a great resource.
If you’re thinking of taking up residence in Arlington County, please give me a call. I can share all of the wonderful resources like this and more with you!
Happy Saturday
Jennifer
Serving all of your real estate needs in Arlington, McLean and the entire Northern Virginia Region!
Contact me today for a free home valuation or buyer counseling session! No time like the present!
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Neighborhood Focus: Ballston - Arlington, Virginia
June 26th, 2008 Categories: Arlington Condos, Arlington Dirt, Neighborhoods, Northern Virginia Home Buying, Northern Virginia Real Estate Dirt
Ballston has certainly been around an awfully long time. For some of us, we remember it as Hechts Parkington! (now I’m aging myself a bit here - but I’m sure I wasn’t more than a baby at the time! wink wink)
Today’s view of Ballston is quite different than that of 40 years ago!
Ballston Common Mall is still there – Macy’s and Macy’s Furniture anchor the mall while there are nice dining options at street level.
Additionally, the new world renowned Kettler Capitals IcePlex is on the roof level of the parking deck. This is the home of the Washington Capitals and it’s an awesome rink.
As far as the feel of the area - it’s certainly become somewhat of a concrete jungle, with high rises everywhere you look. I can think of 10 major residential buildings (condominiums only here, there are MANY MANY rental apartment buildings, too) off the top of my head – and I’m certain there are many other smaller complexes, but I’m just looking at Ballston corridor along Fairfax Drive & Wilson Blvd. They are:
Alta Vista – 2 units currently for sale
The Continental – 9 units currently for sale
Hyde Park – 4 units currently for sale
880 Pollard – 4 units currently for sale
Lexington Square – 3 units currently for sale
Tower Villas – 2 units currently for sale
These are all wonderful places to live each with their own personality, and if you’d like, you can always get in touch with me for further info.
There are also 2 brand new building projects being sold right now: The Hawthorn and The Residences at Liberty Center. Both of these are fabulous projects – here are some highlights:
Residences at Liberty Center:
Liberty Center is a mixed use project with fabulous, dramatic architecture – 1/2 of the building are condos, 1/2 of the building are apartments for rent. Each half has their own private roof-top pool/sun bathing deck, workout room, etc… Street Level is home to some wonderful shops and restaurants including one of my personal favorites, Marvelous Market.
Additionally they have done an exceptional job of working in nice green spaces with benches, fountains and art.
There are 1 and 2 bedroom units available; additionally, there is still at least 1 penthouse unit available to my knowledge!
The Hawthorn Condo
The Hawthorn Condo is located just a block away from Liberty Center. This is a smaller building, more intimate in feel.
With super cool modern accents… check out this trim on the exterior of the building:
There are 1 and 2 bedroom units for sale here as well…
…as evidenced by the signs in all of the windows.
Last but not least, because there is something here for everyone, there is also The Jefferson Retirement Condos. So if you’re looking for something as you reach retirement age, but want to stay here with all of the local amenities, The Jefferson is just your spot!
Ballston has so much more to offer than what I can say here in 500 words – the METRO, Golds Gym, Metro, Cosi, Harris Teeter, Starbucks (of course!), Best Buns burger joint, Va Piano, Ted’s, The Willow Restaurant and so much more. It’s definitely an area worth checking out. Give me a call anytime to discuss –
Happy Thursday!
Jennifer - your Ballston area expert!
Serving all of your real estate needs in Arlington, McLean and the entire Northern Virginia Region!
Contact me today for a free home valuation or buyer counseling session! No time like the present!
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Condo Focus: Residences at Station Square in Clarendon Virginia
May 4th, 2008 Categories: Arlington Condos, Arlington Dirt, Neighborhoods, Northern Virginia Real Estate Dirt
I haven’t done a condo focus in a while, but I was showing a few units in Station Square yesterday and it’s such a great property in such a HOT area, that I thought I’d share.
The complex is made up of 3 buildings that take up the 2 blocks between Garfield and Fillmore Streets and bordered by Clarendon Blvd to the north. They were built in 2006/2007 and range in size from 500 square foot studios to monstrous 1760 square foot units with 2 bedrooms, 2 baths and a den. The complex shares a pool, fitness center, party room (s) — they receive discounted membership to the Gold’s Gym in the building.
This area is the hub of urban chic in the Arlington area – the neighborhood grew up around the Clarendon metro stop and now stretches west almost all the way to the Virginia Square area and east almost all the way into the Courthouse area. There are shops (Apple Store, Container Store, Crate & Barrel, Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Barnes & Noble, Ethan Allen etc…), restaurants (Cheesecake Factory, Harry’s Tap Room, Restaurant 3, Mexicali Blues, Baja Fresh, and so many more that I can’t begin to list), condos, apartments, Whole Foods… you get the idea.
Here are some streetscape photos I took yesterday:
Currently on the market for sale in Station Square:
1 studio – $339K
1 1 bedroom/den – $525K (this is a fabulous unit looking over all the hustle/bustle of Clarendon!)
2 other 1 bedroom units in the high $300’s
3 2bedroom/2bath units that range from $555K – $585K
THAT’S IT! Not much to choose from… but if you’re interested in seeing more about what Station Square has to offer - give me a call. I’d be happy to show you around this fun area!
Happy Sunday – enjoy the absolutely beautiful weather we’re having here today!
Jennifer
Serving all of your real estate needs in Arlington, McLean and the entire Northern Virginia Region!
Contact me today for a free home valuation or buyer counseling session! Spring is HERE!
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