Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in McLean. Reach the office at 703-790-9090.

Valentine’s Day is coming up and it has me thinking about different kinds of date nights. Something out of the ordinary dinner and a movie option.

If you’re looking for some new ideas, why not consider some live music, comedy or trivia? Various venues in and around town have local artists, cover bands, DJs and more.

Pair that with some good food and/or drinks, and you’ve got yourself a nice night out. It helps if you follow these businesses on Facebook or sign up for their newsletters. Events like Jammin Java 80’s night in January sold out pretty quickly, so you don’t want to miss out!

• Tyson’s Biergarten — Comedy Shows & Live Music
• Art’s Tavern — Karaoke, Live Music Fridays, Trivia Thursday
• JV’s Restaurant — Live Music, Open Mic
• Caboose Commons — Live Music, Music Trivia Bingo, Open Mic
• Jammin Java — Music
• Blackfinn Ameripub — Trivia
• Entyse at The Ritz — Live Music, Jazz
• Open Road — Music
• Paddy’s Bar — Irish Music, Trivia, Live Music
• Wolftrap — Live Music, Opera, Other Performances
• State Theatre — Live Music, Shows, Cover Bands
• Lost Dog Café Dunn Loring and McLean — Tuesday Trivia Nights
• BJ’s Brewhouse — Beer Dinners

Of course there are always more adventurous ideas like:

• iFly Loudoun
• Top Golf
• Indoor Rock Climbing
• Axe Throwing
• Capital Wheel: The Ferris Wheel at National Harbor (bonus: there’s a small “beach” where you can pretend you’re on a beach with your toes in the sand)

Have an idea to add or a business you’re working on? Drop a note in the comments to let people know about it!

This is a sponsored column by attorneys John Berry and Kimberly Berry of Berry & Berry, PLLC, an employment and labor law firm located in Northern Virginia that specializes in federal employee, security clearance, retirement and private sector employee matters.

By John V. Berry, Esq.

We practice employment law. A new trend that the Federal Reserve and others have picked up on recently is the concept of “ghosting.” Ghosting occurs when a job applicant does not show up for their scheduled interview or where an employee does not show up for scheduled work and never returns.

What is Ghosting?

In areas which range from food services to banking, employers have indicated that a tighter job market and labor shortages have led to applicants deciding not to show up for scheduled interviews without notice or in accepting positions and then not showing up for their first day of work.

In other cases, ghosting has meant that an employee just decides to leave their employment without giving notice (or telling anyone) and just never shows up again. Other reasons for ghosting include the fact that because the employment rate is very low, it is easier than ever to find new employment. One report indicated that 20-50% of employers were facing ghosting in one form or another.

Why is Ghosting Bad for Employees and Applicants?

Ghosting is very bad for applicants and employees on a number of levels.

For starters, it isn’t a good long-term career strategy. If an employee doesn’t provide notice to an employer that they are leaving, supervisors may call the police for a wellness check, leading to a host of issues.

Additionally, by leaving in this manner, employees will most likely be deemed by the employer to have abandoned their employment and then classified as having been terminated. As a result, the employee that “ghosts” away from their employment will be left with a negative mark on their employment records, which they may have to disclose in future employment applications elsewhere and/or if they choose to ever seek a security clearance. This also applies to new employees that are hired but do not show up for their first day of work.

For applicants that don’t show up for interviews, doing so can hurt them in other ways. If a recruiter is involved, that recruiter could list the non-appearance in a shared database with other recruiters, essentially blacklisting the person.

With the digital future upon us, it is only a matter of time before such things also end up in background investigations or reports. The point is that “ghosting” is a recipe for hurting one’s own career.

It is important to take the time to give notice to an employer and make a phone call or at least send an email to an employer if an individual they plan to quit or cannot make a scheduled interview. Furthermore, if an applicant “ghosts” a scheduled interview with an employer, that individual’s name may get around to others in the same field, causing them to lose or not get an interview with other employers.

It may be easier to ignore interviews or leave for better employment, but it is far better to do so with professionalism. Ghosting is simply to big a risk for an employee or applicant to their long term career.

Conclusion

If you are in need of employment law advice or assistance, please contact our office at 703-668-0070 or through our contact page to schedule a consultation. Please also visit and like us on Facebook or Twitter.

Welcome to Luxury For Less, a weekly column highlighting the best deals in luxury real estate. Written by Brandy Schantz of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, Luxury For Less offers tips and tricks navigating the competitive real estate market and securing the home of your dreams. To learn more, visit ttrsir.com.

As we approach February, we find ourselves with a similar problem from this time last year — there is very little inventory.

My office is buzzing with multiple offers and buyers trying to get homes before they even hit the market. While Fairfax County’s inventory is slightly up compared to this time last year, it’s still not enough to keep up with demand and the average list price has increased to $985,978 from $820,268 this time last year.

Fortunately, there are still great homes to be found and great neighborhoods to explore. One of the more popular neighborhoods in the Tysons area is the neighborhood around Westwood Country Club.

Westwood Country Club is located just a few minutes from Tysons Corner in the sought-after Town of Vienna. Homes in this neighborhood range from 1950s ramblers to the large, newly built custom homes that are becoming the norm in Vienna.

This neighborhood is one of the more popular because the W&OD trail is just minutes away, you can walk to the country club and Tysons is a short and easy commute. Many people enjoy walking to the mall from this area and anyone who has tried to drive down Maple Avenue at rush hour knows that being close to the Tysons Corner side of the road is a big plus.

You don’t have to have the big, new home budget to get into this great neighborhood. One recently reduced property in this neighborhood is move in ready and just $774,900. Check out 1007 NE Westbriar Drive Vienna (Reduced $25,000) and other great luxury properties for less:

• 603 SE Niblick Drive Vienna (Reduced $50,000)
• 902 SE  Ninovan Road Vienna (Reduced $16,000)
• 2749 Hill Road Vienna (Reduced $20,000)
• 208 SE Audreys Court Vienna (Reduced $25,000)

The properties listed are a small selection of properties available in the Tyson’s Corner area. For a full list of properties listed on MLS and private exclusives, please contact Brandy Schantz.

This regularly-scheduled sponsored Q&A column is written by Val Sotillo, Northern Virginia-based Realtor and Falls Church resident. Please submit your questions to her via email for response in future columns. Enjoy!

Question: My mortgage lender told me a homeowner’s policy was the last thing needed to fully approve our home loan. I want to shop around and make sure I get the coverage I need. What should I know before deciding on a home insurance policy?

Answer: It’s important to understand the basics of homeowners insurance so you can purchase a policy that meets your needs. It primarily covers your home and the stuff inside of it in the event of theft or some disasters (fire, windstorm, hail, lightning, smoke, explosion, theft, vandalism, riot and vehicle collision).

If your house is destroyed by a covered peril, a standard homeowner’s policy will go a long way toward repairing or rebuilding your home.

I’m not an insurance expert, so I talked to Matt Deadrick, with DDM Insurance, and he provided great insight that will help you understand basic insurance coverage and choose additional coverage that will fit your needs.

Dwelling Replacement Cost Coverage On Your Homeowners Policy

The value of your home may vary and this may cause concerns when you think about the amount of insurance you carry on your homeowner’s policy and whether it’s enough or too much. But the bottom line is that what your home can be rebuilt for versus what you can sell it for are two completely different things.

With Market Value, location, school district, distance to shopping and public transportation, etc. go into the calculations.

With Dwelling Replacement Cost, a completely different set of parameters is taken into account. The location is much less of a factor than the square footage of the house. The construction of your home and its features are what count.

When a new application is taken, your agent should ask questions about your home and it’s features such as square footage, age, number of rooms, if there is a finished basement, etc. This will be used to calculate an estimate of what your home can be rebuilt for, and determine the “Dwelling Coverage” on your policy.

Because there is no way to know exactly what a house costs to rebuild until it actually has to be rebuilt, it is imperative to include some coverage that takes into account that the “Dwelling Coverage” may need to be increased in the event of a catastrophic loss such as a fire.

No one wants to find out they didn’t carry enough homeowners insurance after their home is destroyed.

This is where the right homeowner’s policy can save the day. Basic homeowners policy will only pay up to the dwelling limit listed on the policy, even if it costs more to rebuild your home. However, there are several options available which help to make a homeowners policy much more flexible.

Read More

Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in McLean. Reach the office at 703-790-9090.

Super Bowl LIII is quickly approaching as the Patriots take on the Rams on Sunday, February 3 at 6:30 p.m.

We all know Super Bowl Sunday is where new year’s resolutions are forgotten. Or maybe that’s just my junk food loving heart talking. If you are thinking of hosting a party this Sunday, I have some great take-out options to help make it easier.

• Don Pollo — The Vienna Charcoal chicken newcomer is offering a free chicken with any Fiesta Family Platter.
• Taco Bamba in Vienna — Is taking catering requests by Thursday, 1/31 for their wings, nachos, tacos and all of their other goodies.
• Foster’s Grill — For wings, order ahead of time or they WILL sell out.
• Santini’s — In Oakton or McLean for pizza, party subs and their other decadent food.
• Open Road — In Merrifield has platters for wings or chicken bites with pre-order.
• Bonchon — In Fairfax or Arlington for some of the most delicious wings that exist.
• Founding Farmers — To go catering where you can order off the full menu.
• Liberty BBQ — In Falls Church, offering Super Bowl specials on their BBQ meat, wings, sides and desserts. Must pre-order and pick up on Friday.
• Rocco’s — In McLean for pizza or wings.
• O’Malley’s Pub — In McLean for wings.

Check out Tyson’s Biergarten if you would rather go out to watch the game. They have a long list of beer and food.

Welcome to Luxury For Less, a weekly column highlighting the best deals in luxury real estate. Written by Brandy Schantz of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, Luxury For Less offers tips and tricks navigating the competitive real estate market and securing the home of your dreams. To learn more, visit ttrsir.com.

Monday was a holiday in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. In 1994, Congress designated this day as a national day of service and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).

This federal agency that leads service and volunteering, launched an effort to make the third Monday in January a “day on, not a day off.” In honor of Monday’s day of service, I would like to highlight volunteer opportunities in the Tyson’s Corner area that you can dedicate some time to throughout the year.

Volunteer service has always been an essential principal in my life and I am proud to be a member of an organization such as TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, a brokerage firm that truly supports local communities.

Nationalservice.gov highlights volunteer opportunities in your area. These opportunities are typically available all year round and always in need of help. Volunteer Fairfax declares volunteering a new year’s resolution worth keeping.

Their website has a database of local opportunities so you can find the right one for you. If you can’t find something there, Volunteer Match offers another database of opportunities and don’t forget to get your kids involved! There are many benefits to volunteering and I hope that 2019 can be a year of service for you.

Now back to house hunting! It’s brutally cold outside so head inside to a great open house this weekend or look at some of these warm interiors:

• 6616 Jill Court McLean (Reduced $25,900)
• 7507 Fisher Drive Falls Church (Reduced $151,000)
• 495 River Forest Drive Great Falls (Reduced $149,000)
• 9102 White Chimney Lane Great Falls (Reduced $20,000)
• 514 SW Meadow Lane Vienna (Reduced $30,000)
• 7008 Churchill Road McLean (Reduced $40,000)

The properties listed are a small selection of properties available in the Tyson’s Corner area. For a full list of properties listed on MLS and private exclusives, please contact Brandy Schantz.

Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in McLean. Reach the office at 703-790-9090.

You know what’s even more cut throat than daycare registration in Northern Virginia? Summer camp registration. Watch out parents, those registrations start EARLY and they fill up fast.

McLean Registration —  McLean has already released the 2019 camp catalog. Registration for McLean residents starts February 4, and everyone else can register starting February 11. My son did the McLean Camp for 3 year-olds last year, where they bring in entertainment and have water play on site.

Fairfax County Registration — Begins on February 7. You can search the available camps on the Partakes website. They will upload a full camp guide soon.

Town of Vienna — Summer Camp registration starts in early April for town residents, and usually the week after for everyone else. They have a variety of camps offered, so it’s great if you have a random week to fill in, or maybe just want a few hours in the morning before the pool opens.

Personally, my son did the “Learn to Ride a Bike Camp” and it was great for him. He went from training wheels to riding on his own in 3-4 days. They also did an art and lego class which was good, especially for a one day drop off if your kids are close in age. You’ll be able to find the camp options here in a few weeks.

Below is a list of private schools who offer camp options that run all summer if you want more continuity:

• Congo Camp (Congressional School, Falls Church)
• The Langley School (McLean)
• The Potomac School (McLean)
• Brooksfield School (McLean)
• Camp TRS (Temple Rodef Shalom, Falls Church)
• Summer on the Hill (Flint Hill School, Oakton) – they’re hosting a Washington Nationals Baseball Camp
• Vienna Youth Sports Camps (Vienna)
• Chesterbrook Academy (Vienna)
• Harmonia School of Music and Art (Vienna)

Northern Virginia complied a list of the best summer camps of 2017 here!

This is a sponsored column by attorneys John Berry and Kimberly Berry of Berry & Berry, PLLC, an employment and labor law firm located in Northern Virginia that specializes in federal employee, security clearance, retirement and private sector employee matters.

By John V. Berry, Esq.

We represent employees in Virginia who have been terminated in retaliation for whistleblowing. Whistleblower cases are unique and present their own unique challenges.

Employees are advised to seek counsel as early in the process as possible if they believe that they have been terminated (or will be terminated) in retaliation for whistleblower activities.

Whistleblower Law in Virginia

In Virginia, if a whistleblower reports alleged wrongdoing or states that they intend to report it, this can subject the employer to a civil lawsuit for retaliation if it falls under certain criteria. While Virginia is an at-will state, and employees may be fired for any reason or no reason at all, exceptions can apply.

In the past 30 years, exceptions to this general rule have started to emerge in Virginia. One such exception involves employee termination in retaliation for whistleblowing.

The Virginia courts carved out this exception to the at-will doctrine in the 1985 case of Bowman v. State Bank of Keysville. Other rules on whistleblowing can apply to federal employees and state or local employees. This article focuses on private company employees in Virginia.

What Kind of Retaliation is Covered?

An employer may not terminate an employee for reporting an issue that relates to the public policy of Virginia. An employee has a potential claim for wrongful discharge when the basis for the discharge violates public policy.

In order to determine what constitutes public policy, Virginia courts have pointed to statutes to determine if an issue has been endorsed by the state (e.g., the right to collect unemployment compensation benefits if eligible) or prohibited (e.g., criminal laws prohibiting perjury).

Example: Employer is sued for a personal injury by a shopper in their department store. Employee Jim Smith is a witness to the injury. The employer asks the employee to lie in court so that they won’t be liable. Mr. Smith refuses to lie in court. Employee A testifies truthfully and is then fired.

Statutory Whistleblower Retaliation in Virginia

In addition to the exceptions carved out by the Virginia courts, the Virginia General Assembly has passed specific statutory protections for certain activities. Employees who engage in protected activities under laws in certain areas are also protected from retaliation. These include asbestos, lead, and home inspection contractors; occupational safety and health issues; and workers’ compensation.

However, because the Virginia assembly has not passed a general whistleblower protection statute, most workers have to rely on the exceptions carved out by the courts to pursue a whistleblower claim. The courts in Virginia have seen an increase in the number of these types of cases in recent years.

I believe that more cases will expand this doctrine as Northern Virginia grows and exerts influence in Richmond for these types of employment protections.

The most usual remedies for Bowman Whistleblower claims can include:

• Reinstatement
• Damages
• Lost Benefits
• Attorneys fees

Conclusion

If you are in need of employment law advice representation, please contact our office at 703-668-0070 or through our contact page to schedule a consultation. Please also visit and like us on Facebook or Twitter.

Welcome to Luxury For Less, a weekly column highlighting the best deals in luxury real estate. Written by Brandy Schantz of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, Luxury For Less offers tips and tricks navigating the competitive real estate market and securing the home of your dreams. To learn more, visit ttrsir.com.

The big question on everyone’s mind right now is, “How will the government shutdown affect the housing market?”

The honest answer right now is, not that much. While there are many people who are opting to wait until this is over to buy, it hasn’t affected the overall market just yet. Time will tell how much it will affect the market but according to the National Association of Realtors, 75% of realtors have experienced no impact at all.

This prompted me to think of the VA loan, a loan I am very familiar with as an Army veteran myself and one that is not affected by the current shutdown. I thought this would be a great time to discuss how you can use your VA loan to get into an expensive real estate market such as this one.

When many people think of VA loans, they think of low limits and young soldiers trying to buy a home with little or no money down. In the D.C. metro area, we are surrounded more by senior officers and retired military who are embarking on their second career than young soldiers. The VA loan can be a great loan for those active military and veterans to get into what seems like an impossible market.

First, the VA loan “limit” is not a limit at all. It’s just the amount you can borrow with no money down. Any amount above that limit, $726,525 for the D.C. metro area, requires a down payment of 25%. For example; if you are purchasing a home for $1.3M, you are responsible for a 25% down payment of $573,475 or $143,368.

The VA loan has many benefits including possible lower interest rates so I encourage those who are eligible to consider using their VA loan rather than a conventional loan.

To better understand what loan programs work best for you, be sure to contact an experienced loan professional. To learn more about how the VA loan can work for you, contact my go to VA loan professional, Heather Devoto at [email protected].

Now check out some of this week’s luxury properties for less:

• 9222 Brian Drive Vienna (Reduced $100,000)
• 9134 Ermatrude Court Vienna (Reduced $34,900)
• 6928 Butternut Court McLean (Reduced $50,000)
• 6806 Lupine Lane McLean (Reduced $425,000)
• 10127 Nedra Drive Great Falls (Reduced $35,000)

The properties listed are a small selection of properties available in the Tyson’s Corner area. For a full list of properties listed on MLS and private exclusives, please contact Brandy Schantz.

This regularly-scheduled sponsored Q&A column is written by Val Sotillo, Northern Virginia-based Realtor and Falls Church resident. Please submit your questions to her via email for response in future columns. Enjoy!

Question: Are there certain considerations to be aware of when re-listing your home in the spring/summer market if you listed and then pulled it during the fall/winter market? Are there things that you would need to fix up in a slow winter market that you could let slide in a hotter market?

Answer: You’ve been on the market for months, had a few interested buyers, but nothing has stuck. Your house is still for sale during the coldest and darkest days of the year so you’re asking if you should pull your listing and wait for the market to heat back up in the spring.

There are three scenarios that I’ll consider advising sellers to take their home off the market during the winter:

• You are living in the home, are under no pressure to sell, have been on the market for more than 60 days without an acceptable offer and have exhausted conversations with any buyers who have shown interest.
• You have received feedback from agents and potential buyers that the home needs work and you will take time over the winter to make the necessary improvements, providing that the cost of those improvements will net you better terms than an immediate price reduction and avoiding additional carry cost.
• A key selling point of your home is landscaping and/or a view that is difficult to recognize during the winter.

Pros & Cons Of Re-Listing

Pro: More Buyers. The number of homes that go under contract drops substantially from November-January and picks up quickly in February. On average, the number of new purchase contracts more than doubles by March compared to December and January.

Pro: Faster Sales. The increase is buyer activity (demand) results in homes selling a lot faster in the spring/summer.

Con: Not Necessarily Higher Prices. The increased buyer activity impacts days on market a lot more than it does pricing. The amount somebody is willing to pay or qualified to pay for a home often does not change based on the season, rather larger economic factors.

Con: If you decide to re-list in the spring, you are probably planning to do so at a higher price. Be careful with this decision because agents and buyers have easy access to previous asking prices and if you have not made any substantial capital investments to your home to justify the increase, most buyers will base their negotiations on your previous asking price, not the new one.

Pro: If you’re off-market for 60 days or more, your days on market count officially resets to zero when you re-list. This is a system rule for BRIGHT (the database of record for agents), although most buyers use sites that show the full listing history and can easily see that something was withdrawn and re-listed.

The Spring Isn’t Easier

Don’t ease up on the marketing of your home in the spring just because there are more active buyers than the winter. You will be competing against 2-3 times more homes for sale so you could make a case that you need to do even more to stand out in the spring, not less.

However, if you’re on a budget, you may want to allocate your repair, improvement and staging funds differently based on the season such as the warmth of the family room in the winter vs outdoor dining in the spring.

If You Decide To Keep It On The Market

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