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.
It’s my favorite time of year. The holidays!
It’s a time for indulgence and parties but also giving. GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world on December 3, and every day. Please remember to donate to your favorite charity or if you need a suggestion, consider Women in Housing & Finance Foundation. I’m on the board and will be happy to tell you more about our charity partners so please call or email me for more information.
Donate to WHFF here: https://whf.memberclicks.net/make-a-donation.
This week’s feature home is a home so beautiful and luxurious that it couldn’t be located anywhere else but Ballantrae Lane. This home was inspired by exquisite European manor homes and truly defines luxury. Built by the elite ALM Builders, 1181 Ballantrae features towering ceilings that rise to gothic vaults, intricate trim work, a large club room, bar, wine cellar, gym, sauna and even a safe room!
A home built for entertaining, it includes a spice kitchen and plenty of entertaining space. Just check out the club level with its interconnecting rooms! The Versailles styled pool is perfect for relaxing and enjoying one of the most spectacular homes in the DC metro area. This home is so stunning that the feature stands alone this week.
To schedule a tour of this beautiful home or any other homes in the DC area, email Brandy Schantz at [email protected] or call 571-263-0206.
1181 Ballantrae Lane McLean (Reduced $475,000)
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.
So begins the holiday season of 2019.
I’m thankful for the year I’ve had both personally and professionally. I’ve gotten to meet some great new people thanks to this column on Tyson’s Reporter as well as helping 34 families move this year. I am headed to the blistering cold of upstate New York for Thanksgiving, but when we return, I can’t wait to take my kids to some of my favorite events every December.
Here’s a roundup for you to enjoy:
Reston Thanksgiving Parade — Friday, November 29, 11 a.m.
Floats, dancers, antique cars, characters, Santa and Mrs Claus — they hand out bells to everyone before the parade begins, so make sure to get one!
McLean Winterfest Parade — Sunday, December 1, 3:30 p.m.
Food trucks, parade stage and includes Santa on his firetruck.
Church Street Holiday Stroll — Monday, December 2, 6 p.m.
Santa arrives at 6:15 p.m. on his fire truck to help light the Holiday tree on Church Street. Live music, marshmallow roasting and more.
James Madison Tiny Tots Holiday Concert — Thursday, December 5, 7 p.m.
Showtimes also available for 10 a.m. on December 5 and 6. This is a great, family fun activity with carols, characters, the JMHS band and surprise flurry ending. PJs are encouraged on Thursday night!
Merry Mosaic Tree Lighting — Friday, December 6, 5 p.m.
Festive celebration on the green including a Tree lighting ceremony.
Wolf Trap Holiday Sing-A-Long — Saturday, December 7, 4 p.m.
Free concert along with the US Marine Band, local choirs and vocal groups lead a sing-along of Christmas carols and Hanukkah songs. Please bring a donation for Toys for Tots.
The Polar Express – PJ Party — Sunday, December 8, 10 a.m.
Tickets are very limited, so if you can’t get them this year, mark your calendars for next year. There’s one at Mosaic and there’s another at the Tyson’s AMC.
Channukah Celebration — Friday, December 29, 4:30 p.m.
Menorah lighting on the green with the JCC of NoVA, including a sing a long, entertainment, jelly doughnuts and dreidel games.
If you’re new to Vienna or McLean, you may not know that sometime in December you’ll have a rockin’ party in your street with Santa riding on his antique fire truck and the volunteer firefighters from both stations. They break it up by neighborhood, so make sure you check the schedules so you’re not caught off guard like we were the first year we lived in Vienna (I ended up ripping my son from his bath and running like a mad woman outside so he could see it and he has loved it every year since then).
Check the McLean Schedule or the Vienna Schedule.
Wishing you a very happy Thanksgiving and Holiday season!
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.
The President recently proposed a new federal rule which will affect the wages of employees who earn tips.
The new rule was proposed on October 8, 2019 by the Department of Labor (DOL) and would permit employers to require widespread sharing of tips with other types of co-workers. One of the major industries affected would be the foodservice industry. The newly proposed rule would permit employers to share wait staff tips with food preparation staff and others (e.g. dishwashers, food delivery personnel).
Difficulties With the New Tip-Pooling Rule
A problematic part of the newly proposed rule would give employers newfound flexibility in assigning non-tipped assignments to workers who rely on gratuities for the major portion of their income. The restaurant lobbying industry has sought these types of changes for some time. Former President Obama’s Administration had previously mandated that tips belonged to the workers that received them.
One of the major problems with the new rule, for employees that earn tips is that it takes funds earned by them and transfers them to employees that don’t earn tips. By doing this, restaurant owners are potentially able to compensate food staff (non-tip earners) with lower salaries.
Tipped Employees Wages will be Affected
The DOL, in their proposal, even acknowledges that the new rule will result in tipped employees spending more time on lower-paying duties:
“The removal of the twenty percent time limit may result in tipped workers such as wait staff and bartenders performing more of these non-tipped duties such as ‘cleaning and setting tables, toasting bread, making coffee, and occasionally washing dishes or glasses.’ …Tipped workers might lose tipped income by spending more of their time performing duties where they are not earning tips, while still receiving cash wages of less than minimum wage.”
Employers will Gain
Employers will gain from the situation and may be able to provide lower salaries to non-tip earners, offsetting the loss with tip income. The DOL also provides the real rationale for the change in the proposed regulation: “[E]mployers that had been paying the full minimum wage to tipped employees performing related, non-tipped duties could potentially pay the lower direct cash wage for this time and could pass these reduced labor cost savings on to consumers.”
The proposal should become final in about 6 weeks and could have some changes in the final version. However, if a new administration comes in, the tip-pooling policy could potentially change once again.
Conclusion
If you are in need of employment law representation or advice, 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.
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: Sunday 1-3 p.m.
1017 Aponi Road SE, Vienna
6 BD/3.5 BA
Agent: Re/Max Allegiance
Listed: $925,000
Open: Sunday 1-3 p.m.
2047 Angelico Way, Vienna
6 BD/5.5 BA
Agent: Kw Metro Center
Listed: $1,350,000
Open: Saturday & Sunday 2-4 p.m.
701 Ware Street SW, Vienna
5 BD/4.5 BA
Agent: Ttr Sothebys International Realty
Listed: $1,695,000
Open: Sunday 1-3 p.m.
7221 Arthur Drive, Falls Church
5 BD/4.5 BA
Agent: RLAH Real Estate
Listed:, $1,345,000
Open: Sunday 12-2 p.m.
7728 Oak Street, Falls Church
4 BD/3 BA
Agent: AM Realty Llc
Listed $749,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.
7428 Tower Street, Falls Church
4 BD/3BA
Agent: Keller Williams Realty Falls Church
Listed: $718,000
Open: Saturday 1-3 p.m. & Sunday 1-4 p.m.
1601 Spring Gate Drive Unit 1214, McLean
2 BD/2 BA
Agent: Soldsense
Listed: $479,000
Open: Saturday 12-2 p.m.
8003 Snowpine Way, McLean
4 BD/2.5 BA
Agent: Keller Williams Realty
Listed: $1,075,000
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.
- 3111 Annandale Road, Falls Church — $640,000
- 7138 Shreve Road, Falls Church — $849,900
- 7000 Lee Park Court, Falls Church — $625,000
- 1017 Aponi Road SE, Vienna — $925,000
- 303 Branch Road SE, Vienna — $1,499,900
- 713 Kingsley Road SW, Vienna — $610,000
- 7887 Jones Branch Drive Unit 401, McLean — $1,324,000
- 1604 Aerie Lane, McLean — $1,200,000
- 8003 Snowpine Way, McLean — $1,075,000
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].
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 an event at the International Country Club in Fairfax on Saturday, December 7 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
This informative brunch will provide insight into acquiring a lot to build on, building a custom home on a lot you already own, construction financing and home renovation.
This event features Brandy Schantz of Schantz Group at TTR Sotheby’s International Realty to discuss acquiring a lot and building the right home in the right neighborhood, Paradigm Building Group to discuss building your dream home or doing a renovation or pop top to an existing home, and Jerry Berry of First Heritage Mortgage to discuss financing options. There are many great opportunities to build or renovate in this area and Saturday’s event will be a great start.
To RSVP to this event, email Brandy Schantz at [email protected] or call 571-263-0206.
Check out the rest of this week’s Luxury for Less listings:
- 314 Locust Street SE Vienna (Reduced $20,900)
- 6424 Old Chesterbrook Road McLean (Reduced $50,000)
- 2363 Chadlington Road Falls Church (Reduced $10,100)
- 9193 Ripple Brook Road Great Falls (Reduced $100,000)
- 916 Mackall Avenue McLean (Reduced $100,000)
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: What can you tell me about living in Oakton?
Answer: Oakton is a great place to live. According to a new set of rankings released by Niche, Oakton is the 8th best place to live in the state. The ranking looked at several factors, such as public schools, housing, diversity and family environment. Oakton received an A+ for its public schools, A for diversity, A+ for family environment and B for housing.
So What’s So Great About Oakton?
Location — The Vienna Metro is the last stop on the Orange Line. The station is located in Oakton, in the median of Interstate 66 at Nutley Street, which provides quick access to 495 and can take you to D.C. in 25 minutes. You can get to Dulles Airport in 20 minutes. It’s also less than 3 miles from the Town of Vienna and all its amenities. (Check my past column about Town of Vienna).
Shopping and Dining — The Oakton Farmer’s Market operates year round. Hunter Mill Plaza and Oakton Shopping Center have a great selection of eateries, including Chipotle, Luciano’s Italian, Old Peking, Yoko Japanese, Starbucks and other services include Giant, CVS, Wells Fargo Bank and a wide variety of medical offices.
It’s only a 5 minute drive to the thriving Mosaic District, offering many options for dining, shopping, fitness and entertainment.
Active Community — Oakton has plenty of parks for different activities: Oakton Community Park has a nice playground, Tattersall Park has quiet jogging and hiking trails, and Waples Mill Meadow Park is great for birding (who knew!).
The Oak Marr Golf Complex includes not only the challenging 1,456 yard, 9-hole par three golf course, with holes from 95-200 yards, but also a lighted 78 station driving range with target greens and covered, heated tees. And the Oak Marr Rec Center offers a gym with state-of-the-art equipment, group exercise classes, swimming pools, racquetball, spa, and many activities. Check the full calendar here.
If you have a dog, you can walk to Moorefield Park. The play area is shaded by mature trees and completely fenced in, providing a cool and safe retreat for dogs and their families. Water is available on site as well. All dogs must be licensed by the Town of Vienna or Fairfax County.
Housing
There are many different options for detached homes, townhomes and condos. There are 48 properties for sale, ranging from a one bedroom condo for $249,900, to a brand new 8,000 sq. ft., 7 bedroom single family home for $4,895,950. You can see the active listings here.
Twenty-nine properties are under contract, ranging from a 1 bedroom condo at $260,000, to an 8 bedroom single family house at $1,699,900.
In the past 6 months, 46 condos were sold for a median price of $290,900; 34 townhouses were sold for a median price of $523,450; and 88 single family homes sold for a median price of $900,000.
If you’d like more information, or would like a question answered in my bi-weekly column, please reach out to [email protected]. I hope to hear from you soon.
Val Sotillo is a licensed Realtor in Virginia, Washington D.C., and Maryland with Real Living At Home, 4040 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite #10C Arlington, VA 22203, 703-390-9460.
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in McLean. Reach the office at 703-790-9090.
With Thanksgiving upon us next week followed closely by the December holidays, it’s important to know that due to the high cost of living in Northern Virginia, there are many families in need this holiday season.
Whether you’re looking for an in-person volunteer opportunity to do as an adult or with the family, or if you’d prefer to work behind the scenes and donate something, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in our community at the local level.
Please check out some of the organizations and their needs at this time of year:
SHARE of McLean
Share has a Holiday Celebration which is their biggest event of the year. They need volunteers, as well as donations. You can also sign up to host a food drive to help stock their pantry which they use to give food and gift cards to families in need. They have in person volunteer hours which may include moving furniture, sorting clothing, or restocking the shelves. If you want a more hands-on interaction, you can also greet and register the clients.
Committee for Helping Others (CHO) of Vienna
CHO hosts a Christmas Store on December 7 for families in need in the Vienna and Oakton areas. They’re looking for new toys, gently used clothing and gift cards. Gift cards can be dropped off to the church office on the 2nd floor (Vienna Presbyterian Church — 124 Park Street NE ,Vienna). All other physical items can be dropped off by December 1 to the bins outside of the the VPC Narthex. You can find a list of their needs on their website.
Women Giving Back (Sterling, Virginia)
WGB is an organization that supports women and children with the basics to get back on their feet. They are collecting new, unwrapped toys for their children to be donated by December 13. You can drop them off locally at First Excel Title just outside of Oakton at 3201 Jermantown Road Suite 350, Fairfax, VA 22030. The store throughout the rest of the year needs clothing, accessories, shoes and kids clothes. Learn more.
You can also search more volunteer opportunities throughout Fairfax at Volunteer Fairfax.
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.
3320 Grass Hill Terrace, Falls Church
5 BD/3 BA
Agent: RE/MAX West End
Listed: $879,000
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 1-4 p.m.
444 West Broad Street Unit 508, Falls Church
2 BD/2 BA
Agent: Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.
Listed: $550,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.
125 Carter Court South West, Vienna
3 BD/3.5 BA
Agent: Samson Properties
Listed: $719,900
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.
8520 Idylwood Mews Court, Vienna
4 BD/4.5 BA
Agent: Weichert Realtors
Listed: $1,085,000
Open: Sunday 1-3 p.m.
8355 1st Avenue, Vienna
2 BD/3.5 BA
Agent: Weichert Realtors
Listed: $699,900
Open: Saturday 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
1450 McLean Mews Court, McLean
3 BD/4 BA
Agent: KW Metro Center
Listed: $930,000
Open: Sunday 1-3 p.m.
1805 Briar Ridge Court, McLean
3 BD/3.5 BA
Agent: Keller Williams Realty
Listed: $1,250,000
Open: Saturday & Sunday 1-4 p.m.
1613 Forest Lane, McLean
5 BD/4 BA
Agent: Keller Williams Realty
Listed: $1,355,000
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].
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 head into the holidays, the housing market is still humming along.
I always tell my clients that winter is actually the best time to buy or sell a home because all parties are motivated. There aren’t many sellers testing the market to see how high of a price they can get or neighbors just looking at homes in case they decide to buy. These are buyers and sellers with a mission. Currently, I have quite a few buyers focused on buying a home before the new year. If you want to sell quickly, if priced right, now is a good time.
This week’s feature home has been featured in this article before. The home was taken off market and recently came back on. It’s been reduced in price by over $150,000 and is now priced below the tax assessment. This home is in Ballantrae Farms, one of the most prestigious and sought after neighborhoods in the area.
With nearly 8,000 square feet of finished space, this is one of the larger homes we’ve featured. There is an additional 2,500+ square feet of unfinished space that can be finished. Situated on a .58 acre lot, this home features a Baccarat chandelier, Calcutta marble floors and a main level master suite. Priced at $2,397,000, this home is now a steal!
To see this beautiful home or any others, you can schedule an appointment by emailing or calling me at [email protected] or 571-263-0206.
1285 Ballantrae Farm Drive McLean (Reduced $152,000)
Check out the rest of this week’s Luxury for Less listings:
- 1922 Byrd Road Vienna (Reduced $50,000)
- 755 Kentland Drive Great Falls (Reduced $45,000)
- 7815 Old Falls Road McLean (Reduced $96,000)
- 508 Plum Street SW (Reduced $25,500)
- 3421 Greentree Drive Falls Church (Reduced $105,000)
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.
