Three Stones Residential agents pride ourselves on our consultative service approach, local expertise and real estate market knowledge. With over 26 years of business experience in the DMV, we have consistently performed in the top 2% of local Realtors and are currently the #1 group at Keller Williams Metro Center. 

358 James Street, Falls Church
2 BD/1 BA
Agent: Kw Metro Center
Listed: $430,000
Open: Saturday 2-4 p.m. & Sunday 1-4 p.m.

8380 Greensboro Drive Unit 412, McLean
3 BD/2 BA
Agent: Kw Metro Center
Listed: $619,000
Open: Saturday 1-3 p.m. & Sunday 1-4 p.m

6805 Farragut Avenue, Falls Church
4 BD/2.5BA
Agent: Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
Listed: $649,900
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

7567 Chrisland Cove, Falls Church
2 BD/2.5 BA
Agent: Houwzer Llc
Listed: $474,950
Open: Saturday 1-3 p.m.

6502 Divine Street, McLean
5 BD/5.5 BA
Agent: McEnearney Associates, Inc
Listed: $1,399,900
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

6000 Chesterbrook Road, McLean
3 BD/2.4BA
Agent: Weichert Realtors
Listed: $990,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

9687 Scotch Haven Drive, Vienna
3 BD/3.5 BA
Agent: McEnearney Associates, Inc
Listed: $632,000
Open: Saturday 12-2 p.m. & Sunday 12-3 p.m.

303 Branch Road SE, Vienna
5 BD/4.5 BA
Agent: Ayr Hill Realty
Listed: $1,499,900
Open : Sunday 2-4 p.m.

Our role is to offer sound advice and guidance to our clients in order for them to achieve their goals in either buying, selling, leasing or managing real estate. We are truly “Your Home… for Everything Real Estate.” To schedule a private showing of these or any other properties of interest please do not hesitate to contact us here or email us at [email protected].

Three Stones Residential agents pride ourselves on our consultative service approach, local expertise and real estate market knowledge. With over 26 years of business experience in the DMV, we have consistently performed in the top 2% of local Realtors and are currently the #1 group at Keller Williams Metro Center. 

The following properties were recently listed in the Tysons, McLean, Vienna and Falls Church areas.

• 358 James Street Unit 382, Falls Church — $430,000
• 8380 Greensboro Drive Unit 412, McLean — $619,000
• 5501 Seminary Road 2409S, Falls Church — $345,000
• 7000 Falls Reach Drive Unit 201, Falls Church — $465,000
• 408 Yeonas Drive SW, Vienna — $1,639,888
• 9687 Scotch Haven Drive, Vienna — $632,000
• 303 Meadow Lane SW, Vienna — $1,649,000
• 8220 Crestwood Heights Drive Unit 511, McLean — $685,999
• 910 Chinquapin Road, McLean — $1,100,000

Our role is to offer sound advice and guidance to our clients in order for them to achieve their goals in either buying, selling, leasing or managing real estate. We are truly “Your Home… for Everything Real Estate.” To schedule a private showing of these or any other properties of interest please do not hesitate to contact us here or email us at [email protected].

A curated collection of shops and restaurants conveniently located in the heart of Tysons Corner, The Shops at Fairfax Square presents an exciting holiday shopping and dining experience.

World class retailers, fitness and spa offerings, matched with extraordinary boutiques, personal shopping and culinary experiences provide memorable gift options for all of the special people on your list.

• Elegance by Roya, an exceptional fine bridal salon featuring today’s leading bridal fashion and designers with styles to fit every bride’s preference.
• Equinox is not just a fitness club, it is a temple of well-being offering world class personal trainers, luxurious spa amenities and group fitness.
• Liljenquist & Beckstead features highly skilled artisans in a family owned and operated store where custom designed jewelry is a passion.
• Miele believes in fine lines and timeless elegance. Whatever the style of your kitchen, Miele is always a perfect match.
• Mynd Spa and Salon is a full-service spa with all your wellness and beauty needs in one place and the most skilled technicians you could ask for.
• Roche Bobois offers unique and innovative collections in this spectacular showroom with experienced consultants who can help plan projects at every stage of the process.
• Tiffany & Co., America’s House of Design. The timeless features of jewelry, silver and watch designs have captured excitement worldwide.

Take a shopping break and enjoy a bite at one of our exciting new restaurants, which include Patsy’s American featuring an all-American classic menu and Randy’s Prime Seafood & Steaks with a raw bar, fresh seafood, prime and wagyu cuts and an extensive wine list. Best Buns Bakery & Cafe presents hearth baked breads and sweet treats hand molded by artisan bakers

Fairfax Square offers complimentary on-site and valet parking and transportation from the McLean Metro Station.

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.

This week we’re featuring another wow home in the area. 10015 High Hill Place Great Falls (Reduced $400,000) is a breathtaking English Tudor in Great Falls.

This stately home is situated on nearly 2 acres and is beautifully landscaped. This old world inspired home features stone walls, a slate roof, English coffered ceilings and gorgeous arched windows. The sophisticated touches in this home are unparalleled. The lower level includes a wet bar and custom wine cellar that any wine connoisseur would love. The outdoor pool and private spa is nothing short of stunning.

To see this beautiful home or any of the other homes on the market in the D.C. area, please contact Brandy at [email protected] or 571-263-0206.

Check out the rest of this week’s Luxury for Less listings:

• 600 Tazewell Road NW Vienna (Reduced $10,000)
• 7357 Nicole Marie Court McLean (Reduced $100,000)
• 7826 Swinks Mill Court McLean (Reduced $50,000)
• 9903 Deerfield Pond Drive Great Falls (Reduced $50,000)
• 6803 Dillon Avenue McLean (Reduced $26,000)

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 is a sponsored column by 3Summit Investment Management, LLC based in Vienna, VA. 3Summit designs custom, modern investment portfolios and has unique expertise in managing investment risk.

By Dan Irvine | Principal, 3Summit Investment Management

Nearly half of American households invest in mutual funds.

However, popularity doesn’t equate to quality — investing in mutual funds can be a poor investment strategy. If you own mutual funds, you may be surprised to hear our reasons why mutual funds are not a good investment.

“Stock picking” rarely works

Mutual fund managers attempt to outperform the markets by using stock analysts to pick individual stocks to produce higher returns than the market as a whole. The theory behind the strategy of stock picking is that if you can buy only the best stocks in the market and avoid the worst, your mutual fund should easily outperform the market it seeks to beat.

Unfortunately, the evidence shows that stock picking rarely works and the majority of mutual funds underperform simple market indices that invest in all or most of the stocks in any given market.

No investor can predict the markets. Your chances of picking a mutual fund that outperforms a specific stock market index looks more like Vegas odds than an investment strategy. In 2018, only 38% of the 4,600 active mutual funds beat their comparative market index during that year. If we extend that view over the last 10 years, it gets worse. Only 24% of active mutual funds beat their target market index.

Prudent investors that invested in index funds instead of mutual funds over the last 10 years had a 76% greater likelihood of achieving better performance (Morningstar Active Passive Barometer 2018).

The longer you hold a mutual fund the lower your long-term returns are likely to be

Many professional investment advisors weigh past returns heavily when selecting mutual funds for their clients. Mutual funds with the best recent performance usually attract the most new investors. Research shows that picking mutual funds based on past performance is a poor choice because mutual funds that have performed well in the past, usually do not continue to outperform.

Of the top performing 25% of actively managed mutual funds at the end of 2016, only 7% of those funds remained in the top 25% after three consecutive years. Even worse, only 1.4% of the top performing mutual funds remained in the top 25% performance ranking after five consecutive years (S&P Dow Jones SPIVA Research, September 2018).

Mutual fund performance appears to be a function of luck instead of stock picking skill by the mutual fund manager. The bottom line is that you face uncomfortably high odds of accumulating less wealth by investing in mutual funds instead of index funds.

Mutual funds are structured with inherent disadvantages

In addition to the likelihood of lower long-term performance, mutual funds erode an investor’s potential returns through high fee structures and tax inefficiencies. The commissions for trading mutual funds can be very high as well, depending on the fund and broker used for trading. Furthermore, mutual funds can only be traded at the end of the day, unlike a stock or index fund that can be traded anytime throughout the day at the current market price.

Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of mutual funds is also the reason that mutual funds remain such a popular investment. Many mutual funds have built-in conflicts of interest because many non-fiduciary investment advisors receive minimally disclosed fees through fee-sharing agreements with the mutual fund manager. Investment advisors can receive a fee kickback when they invest their clients’ money in those mutual funds, regardless of the fund’s quality.

Take another look at your investment portfolio

If you own mutual funds, the new year is a good time to re-evaluate your investment strategy and improve your chances of generating higher returns and more wealth over your investing time horizon.

If you would like professional assistance in evaluating your investment strategy and portfolio please call 571-565-2161 or email us, we are always happy to help. Also consider learning more about this topic and gaining unique investing insights by listening to our popular podcast or viewing our investing video series.

3Summit Investment Management is a fiduciary investment advisor providing clients with an alternative to outdated, conventional investment portfolios. We design custom, modern portfolios capable of delivering greater wealth accumulation with much lower levels of risk. To learn more about how we can help you improve your long-term investing results call (571) 565-2161, email ([email protected]) or visit 3Summit.com.

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: We are under contract for a single family house near Tysons and we are trying to decide if we need to purchase a home warranty. How do home warranties work and what do they cover?

Answer: Getting a home warranty is always a great idea, especially if you’re a first-time homebuyer with no experience in maintaining a home. The last thing you want after purchasing a home is an emergency repair that you did not budget for.

A home warranty is an annual service contract that provides repairs for your home, and pays for the replacement or repair of major appliances and home systems (like an HVAC system).

Don’t mistake a warranty for homeowners insurance, which covers your home’s structure and belongings in the event of a fire, flood, or other accidents.

How Does It Work and How Much Does It Cost?                                 

Home warranty companies have agreements with licensed service providers. When something that is covered by a home warranty needs repair, the homeowner calls the home warranty company, which sends a service provider to check the problem. If the provider determines that the needed repair or replacement is covered by the warranty, they complete the work. The homeowner only pays a co-pay, which usually is a flat rate of $75-$125.

The exact price of a home warranty depends on the coverage level you choose. Many companies offer basic plans and add-ons depending on your needs. A typical annual cost might be $200 for major appliances and $600 for a policy covering HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems.

I had the opportunity to talk to Jonathan Asfour with Super Home Warranty, and he answered some of the most frequent questions people have when it comes to home warranties:

What’s Covered?

Always check with your home warranty provider to confirm what’s included in your plan. Coverage usually includes:

• Built-in Microwave
• Clothes Dryer
• Clothes Washer
• Dishwasher
• Range, oven and cooktop
• Refrigerator/Freezer
• Range Exhaust Fan
• Trash Compactor
• Garbage Disposal
• Air Conditioning
• Heat System/Heat Pump
• Ductwork
• Water Heater
• Interior Electrical
• Interior Plumbing
• Sprinkler System

Super also offers a concierge program where we can get almost anything that you’d typically ask a superintendent to do for you (painting, pest control, yard work, handyman fixes, etc.). We also have included maintenance as well — this includes a pre-season HVAC tune up, carpet cleaning and re-key service, all for the price of our co-pay of $75.

The biggest issues that people typically are worried about are any HVAC or water heater claims, as these can be fairly pricey. Home warranties mitigate that risk and cover most (if not all) of costs of repairs to those items.

Read More

The working professionals who pursue the Arlington-based Executive MBA at Virginia Tech get a rich education in the fundamentals of business — accounting and finance, marketing, operations, ethics, communications and leadership.

But woven around foundation courses are “experiential modules” designed to accelerate development in four essential and current areas: business analytics, entrepreneurship and innovation, leadership and governance, and global business.

The hands-on experience of the integrated modules is meant to allow Executive MBA students to immediately put their learning into action. That’s the idea behind all of Virginia Tech’s MBA programs — giving working professionals the tools they need to advance their careers as they pursue an MBA.

“What we did at Virginia Tech a few years ago was to say that we really want to focus on the working professional — someone who wants to enhance their career or make a change in the direction of their career, but not at the expense of continuing to be a business professional,” says Pamplin College of Business Dean Robert Sumichrast. That allows those students to come into the classroom, he adds, “and use what they’ve learned as part of the experience of the MBA program.”

That strategy meant Pamplin had to rethink program formats and locations to ensure they were meeting the needs of their busy students. They now offer three different paths to the same MBA and have centrally located their classes in the greater Washington, D.C., metro area, Richmond, Roanoke and Newport News.

Ballston is home to the Executive MBA program, an 18-month, cohort-based option for mid-career professionals that meets every other weekend.

The nationally-ranked Evening MBA program is just two Metro stops away in Falls Church. It is designed to provide maximum flexibility by allowing students to change their course load each semester to balance work and other commitments.

The Professional MBA program is a 24-month hybrid online and in-person option with once-per-month class meetings that rotate between Richmond, Roanoke and Newport News.

Visit mba.vt.edu to learn more about Virginia Tech’s MBA programs or register to attend an upcoming information session.

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

Welcome to December! It’s time again for holiday light displays! Holiday lights really do make everything look more beautiful, unless you love yourself some tacky lights!

I’m redoing and updating my best holiday light displays list from last year to include some new additions. Make sure you check the hours of these light shows if it’s not just a decorative yard.

Vienna

• 10203 Lawyers Road — Lawyers is a busy road, so you’ll have to drive slowly because there’s nowhere to pull over, unless you go to the street across from the house (Galloping Way).
• 10000 Garrett Street — Also on the corner of Lawyers road and Garrett, this a beautiful corner lot with white lights and décor. Very pretty!
• 117 Hickory Circle SW — This is usually a large draw for animated lights but they’ll be dark in 2019. The front of the house will have some lights and blow ups, but no show this year. Follow them on Facebook.
• 117 Kingsley Road SE — This location is blow up heaven! They have so many favorites on display including Disney characters, Santa in a sleigh being pulled by his reindeer suspended mid-air above their roof and more. Plenty of street parking so you can easily take a walk by the house.
• 118 James Drive SW — 12.5 ft tall Christmas Ferris wheel with riders! If you get out of the car, they also have a magic button to start the display. Lights and sounds on 4:30-10:30 p.m.
• 2438 Cedar Lane — Beautiful and abundant light display, including a dancing tree of lights. No music from what I could tell, but beautiful.
• 2528 Drexel Street — The Ni Family Light show is one of the hits of Vienna. There’s plenty of street parking to pull over and watch. They have a playlist that accompanies the choreographed light show. Running a new playlist for 2019 including Baby Shark, A Million Dreams from the Greatest Showman, and You’re a Mean One, Mr Grinch. The show runs 5-10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 5-9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.
• 317 Patrick Street SW — Lots of lights and blow ups. On 5-10 p.m.

Other homes with lights and blow ups: 1419 Cottage Street SW, 1405 Cottage Street SW, 922 Cottage Street SW, 401 Hillcrest Drive SW and 517 Hillcrest Drive SW.

• 1801 Beulah Road — This house has an amazing front yard that is completely decked out, including a mailbox for “Letters to Santa!” I’m not sure where those letters go, but this Christmas décor is stunning! There’s a pull off and a street across from it (Chestnut Farm Drive) if you want to pull over to take it all in.

Honorable Mention: The Vine Church (2501 Gallows Road) — The Ni Family also helps with this light show, which has over 10,000 pixels (it’s huge!)

McLean

• 1201 Balls Hill Road — Light show animated with music and blow ups.
• 7815 Birnam Wood Drive — The show runs 7-9:30 p.m. on weekdays, 6-11 p.m. on weekends. Completely covered in lights, even the lawn has light displays and blow ups.
• 6530 Heather Brook Court — Show runs from 5 p.m. to midnight daily. There is a start button and a radio station to listen to music while watching the light show. The display includes lights and tons of blow ups.

Remember, don’t go on the lawns! Stay on the sidewalk or the street and enjoy the display safely.

Are there any homes that were missed? Any other neighborhoods in the area worth a visit? If so, leave a comment with details.

Also, don’t forget about the Winter Walk of Lights at Meadowlark Botanical Garden. There’s also the Bull Run Festival of Lights where you can drive through the display.

Welcome to New Homes, a monthly column highlighting the new construction real estate market, written by Conor Sullivan and Dave Moya of Three Stones Residential at Keller Williams Realty. We are here to share our experience and expertise in lot acquisition, financing and construction of custom homes. 

Do You Need A Home Inspection For New Construction? 

If you’re in the process of building or are looking to purchase a new construction home, you may wonder if getting a home inspection is worth the money — especially since the home is brand new, right?!

Well, not so fast. While we would like to hope that a brand new home has been built perfectly, it is important to have a certified third party do a full inspection of the home to ensure everything is operating and built correctly. Some common issues found in new construction inspections include structural defects (foundation cracks & improper grading), window leaks, HVAC issues, plumbing issues and incomplete projects.

If you’re in a situation where you are working with a builder to build a custom home, you could have the opportunity to have three inspections:

Pre-Pour Inspection: Done before the foundation is poured, you can get an inspection completed to make sure the excavation and grading was done correctly. Once that concrete is poured, it’s tough to go back and make changes so this could be an important one to go through.

Pre-Drywall Inspection: This is done before any of the drywall or sheetrock go up inside the home. This allows the inspector to take a look at beams, posts and other structural items that can’t necessarily be looked at once the walls are up. This is also an opportunity to look at electric wiring and plumbing.

Final Inspection: Once the home has been completed, you can get the standard home inspection that most would get for any home they are about to purchase. This is to ensure that the home is safe to live in. If any issues arise during any of these inspections, it is important to talk with your builder as soon as possible.

If you have any questions about the building or buying process of a new construction home, our team is here to help. At Three Stones Residential, we have worked with clients building, selling, and buying new homes and can provide guidance for each step of the experience. We are happy to share our expertise with you and help you through the process. Please contact us at (571) 429-7670 or [email protected].

Below is a list of new homes currently on the market in the Tysons, Falls Church, Vienna and McLean areas:

• 6251 N. Kensington Street, McLean — $1,995,000 — 5,930 sq. ft.
• 7316 Reddfield Court, Falls Church — $1,674,999 — 5,770 sq. ft.
• 7687 Morris Street, Falls Church — $949,900 — 2,602 sq. ft.
• 1804 Gilson Street, Falls Church — $1,399,000 — 7,044 sq. ft.
• 215 Elm Street SW, Vienna — $1,599,000 — 3,700 sq. ft.
• 303 Branch Road SE, Vienna — $1,499,900 — 4,674 sq. ft.
• 701 Ware Street SW, Vienna — $1,695,000 — 5,549 sq. ft.
• 7127 Merrimac Drive, McLean — $1,924,995 — 4,471 sq. ft.

Want to learn more about financing a New Home build? McLean Mortgage (NMLS ID: 99665) can handle all of your construction financing needs. You can build your new home with as little as 5% down. Contact construction loan expert Troy Toureau (NMLS ID: 5618) at 301-440-4261 or AnyHomeLoans.com to learn more.

Three Stones Residential agents pride ourselves on our consultative service approach, local expertise and real estate market knowledge. With over 26 years of business experience in the DMV, we have consistently performed in the top 2% of local Realtors and are currently the #1 group at Keller Williams Metro Center. 

8380 Greensboro Drive Unit 412, McLean
3 BD/2 BA
Agent: Kw Metro Center
Listed: $619,000
Open: Saturday 2-4 p.m.

3705 S George Mason Drive 2210s, Falls Church
1 BD/1 BA
Agent: Re/Max Allegiance
Listed: $245,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

2013 Mayfair McLean Court, Falls Church
3 BD/3.5 BA
Agent: Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc
Listed: $980,000
Open: Sunday 1-3 p.m.

6434 Lakeview Drive, Falls Church
5 BD/3 BA
Agent: Ttr Sotheby’s International Realty
Listed: $1,525,000
Open: Saturday 1-3 p.m.

8072 Sebon Drive, Vienna
2 BD/1.5 BA
Agent: Pearson Smith Realty Llc
Listed: $499,900
Open: Saturday 12-2 p.m.

2665 Manhattan Place Unit 305, Vienna
3 BD/2.5 BA
Agent: Redfin Corporation
Listed: $600,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

9550 Pine Bough Place, Vienna
3 BD/2.5 BA
Agent: Century 21 New Millennium
Listed: $799,000
Open: Saturday 2-4 p.m. & Sunday 1-3 p.m.

7887 Jones Branch Drive Unit 401, McLean
2 BD/2 BA
Agent: The Maywood Company
Listed: $1,324,000
Open: Saturday & Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Our role is to offer sound advice and guidance to our clients in order for them to achieve their goals in either buying, selling, leasing or managing real estate. We are truly “Your Home… for Everything Real Estate.” To schedule a private showing of these or any other properties of interest please do not hesitate to contact us here or email us at [email protected].