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

We are so close to the end of the school year and that beloved and sacred summer time!

Avoiding the “summer slide” as experts call it, means getting kids to keep reading over the summer to keep their skills sharp. Our wonderful local Fairfax County Library can help avoid the slide.

Starting on June 13, the last day of school for Fairfax County, you can sign kids up for the Summer Reading Adventure. I’ll detail the rules below, but the idea is the kids sign up and commit to reading a certain number of books before August 31 and in the end they get rewarded with a free coupon book to local places.

Basics:

• Babies through rising 3rd graders: read 15 books (including being read to)
• Rising 4th & 5th graders: read 10 books
• Teens in rising grades 6-12: read 5 books

Prize:

Over 20 businesses have provided coupons for free and discounted items. See a full list here. Examples include free Rita’s, Free Potomac Nationals tickets, Free Comic Book, free laser tag game from Shadowland and more.

In addition to reading, there are events and contests all summer.

• Chris Michael Magic
• Interact Story Theatre
• Groovy Nate
• Henna Harmony

Contests for teens:

• Essay/poetry contest for rising 7th, 8th and 9th graders
• Teen Film Festival
• Teen Cover Art Contest

Download the reading log for babies — 5th graders.

Download the teen reading log.

Read more on the Summer Reading Adventure or find your nearest library.

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 that have been affected by pregnancy discrimination. Here are some tips on the subject.

Prevention of Pregnancy Discrimination 

Pregnancy discrimination, unfortunately, is one of the fastest-growing areas of discrimination law because many employers do not understand the legal requirements that are in place to protect pregnant employees.

The following general guidance is meant to help employers prevent and appropriately deal with, as well as educate employees regarding, issues of pregnancy discrimination in the workplace.

Know Duties and Rights of Pregnant Employees 

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act makes it illegal for an employer with 15 or more employees to discriminate against an employee in all areas of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training and benefits (e.g., leave and health insurance). It is important for employers and employees to understand these rights.

Example: Rachel applies for a position as a pharmaceutical sales representative. She is also five months pregnant. During her interview, the hiring manager explains that the position will require a lot of walking and asks whether Rachel’s pregnancy will affect her ability to work or return to work.

Due to concerns about this issue, Rachel is not hired as a result of the hiring manager’s belief that her pregnancy will affect her ability to work. Jennifer could bring a case of pregnancy discrimination.

Providing Equal Treatment to Pregnant Employees

If an employee becomes pregnant or is unable to perform her job due to issues during and/or after her pregnancy, the employer must treat the employee the same way it treats temporarily disabled employees. Employers often misunderstand this.

Example: Employees at Smith Co. with two years of seniority can apply for promotions. Mary is excluded from an upcoming promotion process at work. She is told that her three months of maternity leave will not count towards her seniority.

At the same time, Smith Co. continues to give seniority credit to employees who take leave for temporary injuries and medical issues, such as back injuries. Mary could bring a case of unequal treatment and discrimination.

Employers Should Not Interfere with Pregnancy Leave

If an employee is entitled to request leave for pregnancy, an employer should not attempt to interfere with such a leave request. If an employee has worked for at least 12 months and the employer has 50 or more employees, then an employee may be entitled to 12 weeks of leave for pregnancy (paid or unpaid) under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Some states (not Virginia) have additional and differing pregnancy discrimination-related laws covering smaller employers.

Read 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. 

2508 Patricia Court, Falls Church
4 BR/3.5 BA
Agent: KW Metro Center
Listed: $975,000
Open: Saturday 2-4 p.m.

1571 Spring Gate Drive #6106, Mclean
1 BR/1 BA
Agent: KW Metro Center
Listed: $295,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

2035 Pieris Court, Vienna
3 BR/3 BA
Agent: Compass
Listed: $685,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m

1915 Anderson Road, Falls Church
5 BR/4 BA
Agent: Optime Realty
Listed: $949,900
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

1809 Prelude Drive, Vienna
4 BR/3.5 BA
Agent: Avery-Hess Realtors
Listed: $1,000,000
Open: Sunday 1-3 p.m.

2010 Crofton Place, Falls Church
5 BR/4.5 BA
Agent: Compass
Listed: $1,095,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

8816 Brook Road, Mclean
5 BR/5 BA
Agent: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty
Listed: $1,695,000
Open: Saturday 1-3 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.

• 2508 Patricia Court Falls Church, VA — $975,000
• 2711 Bellforest Court #307, Vienna, VA — $409,900
• 8421 Hollis Lane, Vienna, VA — $695,000
• 8526 W Oak Place, Vienna, VA — $849,000
• 1113 Laurelwood Drive, Mclean, VA — $1,399,000
• 703 Ware Street SW, Vienna, VA — $1,549,888
• 8119 Spring Hill Farm Drive, Mclean, VA — $3,995,000
• 7887 Jones Branch Drive #604, Mclean, VA — $3,396,000

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.

It’s the beginning of June and we are lucky enough to have April weather.

I know I’ll be enjoying the cool runs this week and will be taking the dogs for more walks than usual. If you see a lady with 3 feisty Pomeranians on the W&OD Trail this week, be sure to say hi!

Of course, nice weather also means a great opportunity to get out and see some great homes. This week, there is a great new construction home in the Town of Vienna now priced under $1.4M! The home was built by New Dimensions Homes and is situated on .35 acres backing to trees. This model features a main level bedroom with a full bath, perfect for multigenerational living. This seller is motivated!

1201 Ware Street SW is open this weekend on Sunday June 9 from 2-4 p.m. If you stop by, be sure to tell them you saw the home in Tysons Reporter!

1201 Ware Street SW Vienna (Reduced $49,100)

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

• 1203 Stuart Robeson Drive McLean (Reduced $100,000)
• 1655 Strine Drive McLean (Reduced $20,000)
• 9631 Maymont Drive Vienna (Reduced $104,000)
• 601 Park Street SE Vienna (Reduced $41,000)
• 6512 32nd Street Falls Church (Reduced $11,000)
• 9890 Windy Hollow Drive Great Falls (Reduced $51,000)

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: Can you tell me about some of the walkable neighborhoods you suggest living in around Tysons?

Answer: Tysons is more than a corporate district, or an upscale shopping mall. It’s a well-rounded neighborhood because it offers residents a suburban feel while gradually turning into a mixed-use urban city. Tysons is constantly changing, and I truly believe that it’s a great place to live, work and have fun.

Here are the top reasons that make Tysons an awesome neighborhood:

Location

D.C. is a 30 minute drive away; Fairfax, Arlington and Dulles Airport are roughly 20 minutes each. There are 3 Metro stations nearby (Tysons Corner, Greensboro, and Spring Hill) with the Orange and the new and expanding Silver line. Tysons is located off of 495, just a few minutes away from I-66, Route 7 and Dulles Toll Road.

Things To Do… Other Than Shopping

Of course shopping is fun and Tysons has the best! But if you think that’s it, you’re wrong.

Tysons has a great variety of international restaurants. From upscale Eddie V’s, and Nostos (amazing Greek food), to quick bites such as Super Chicken, to Leid Poke. The list is endless!

Tysons has great happy hour. All those corporate employees need somewhere to wind down after a long day at work so it’s a nice place to network and meet people who are career driven.

With the construction of The Boro, Tysons will be a more walkable neighborhood. Their signature park, Boro Park, will be over an acre of green space and will host different events, such as outdoor concerts, movies on the green, markets and festivals. Surrounded by retail, office, restaurants and a movie theater, the park is active day and night.

There are many dog park options, and if you’re outdoorsy you are just minutes away from Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, Great Falls Park for hiking and amazing views, and a 45 minute drive to the mountains.

Housing Options

There are different options from detached homes, townhomes and condos. Within a mile radius from Tysons there are currently 63 properties for sale (including newly built condos at Verse, the newest building in The Boro), ranging from a one bedroom condo for $260,000, to a $2M 8 bedroom newly built Craftman home.

You can see all active listings here.

There are 47 properties currently under contract, ranging from a one bedroom condo at $230,000 to a 2 bedroom penthouse at $2.7 million.

In the past 6 months, 89 condos were sold for a median price of $352,500, 13 townhouses were sold for a median price of $689,000 and 19 single family homes sold for a median price of $891,000.

What’s In The Future

By 2050, Tysons will be transformed into a walkable, sustainable, urban center that will be home to up to 100,000 residents and 200,000 jobs. Tysons is envisioned to become a 24-hour urban center where people live, work and play; where people are engaged with their surroundings; and, where people want to be.

Fun Facts

Some of the big names that have stablished their headquarters in Tysons include Capital One, Cvent, Freddie Mac, Gannett, Hilton Worldwide, Primus Telecom, Space Adventures, Sunrise Senior Living and USA Today.

A water shortage problem in Tysons will be very unlikely thanks to several reliable sources. Flowing through the community are Wolftrap Creek, Moomac Creek, Old Courthouse Spring Branch and Scott Run, which is a tributary of the Potomac River.

If you’d like more information, or would like a question answered in my 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, 2420 Wilson Blvd #101 Arlington, VA 22201, 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.

All of our crazy Northern Virginia weather has me walking around my house weekly to make sure there’s nothing new that’s damaged or needs attention.

Tree branches falling, birds nesting and constant rain working my sump pump makes me think to remind you about some things you may want to be aware of on your own home as we enter the summer months.

There are things you should do annually, of course, but here are some suggestions to keep your house in tip top shape this summer:

• Get your HVAC serviced. Summer months mean constant air conditioning and you don’t want to have to wait a week for service when the companies get booked! A routine check up could help avoid discomfort later.
• Cut back any overhanging trees and bushes. With the sudden increase in tornados, we’ve all seen many trees down!
• Clean your dryer vent — either with a long, flexible brush or you can hire someone to do that.
• Make sure all of your window screens are intact. If they have holes, you can either replace the whole thing or get them patched.
• Clean your kitchen appliances.
• Clean your drains — especially outdoor drains (such as the ones at the bottom of exterior stairs).
• Check on your outdoor playsets and decks — loose or popping up nails, splitting wood, etc.
• Dust off your ceiling fan blades and bathroom vents (you may also want to change the direction in which they turn to push cold air down).
• Check your attic for leaks or signs of water.

The warmer weather is also a great time for repairs you’ve been putting off. Things like chimney repair, skylights, deck, etc.

If you’re looking for a good contractor for a specific task, you can download my Vendor Guide here. It constantly changes as I’m adding and taking off people, so make sure you check for the current version.

You can always email me if you need something specific not listed 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. 

2508 Patricia Court, Falls Church
4 BR/3.5 BA
Agent: KW Metro Center
Listed: $975,000
Open: Saturday 1-4 p.m.

1812 Olney Road, Falls Church
4 BR/2.5 BA
Agent: Keller Williams Realty
Listed: $659,900
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

2212 Reddfield Drive, Falls Church
4 BR/3 BA
Agent: Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.
Listed: $725,000
Open: Saturday 2-4 p.m.

2011 Magarity Court, Falls Church
4 BR/3.5 BA
Agent: Pearson Smith Realty, LLC
Listed: $824,999
Open: Saturday 1-4 p.m.

2430 Caron Lane, Falls Church
4 BR/3 BA
Agent: Howard Brock Realty Company, Inc.
Listed: $838,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

2001 Annies Way, Vienna
6 BR/5.5 BA
Agent: Avery-Hess Realtors
Listed: $1,100,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

1173 Foxhound Court, Mclean
6 BR/3.5 BA
Agent: Compass
Listed: $1,150,000
Open: Sunday 1-3 p.m.

1446 Harvest Crossing Drive, Mclean
4 BR/4.5 BA
Agent: Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc
Listed: $1,750,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 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].

Fairfax County police officers decided to chip in to buy a new car seat for a Merrifield mom after she was in a car crash.

It all started when Officer E.J. Green from the McLean District Station stopped to make sure everyone in a two-car crash in Merrifield on Sunday (May 26) was all right.

No one was hurt, although one of the cars needed to be towed. Its driver — a mom who lives in Merrifield — decided to walk home.

“Green offered to take her child’s car seat to her so she wouldn’t have to carry it, but quickly noticed that the car seat was old and in rough shape,” the Fairfax County Police Department wrote in a Facebook post.

Green then talked to the rest of the McLean daywork — the A squad — about how the car seat wouldn’t protect the child, and they all decided to pool their money to buy a new car seat for the mom.

Green and Officer Brian Hungarter surprised the mom and her daughter with the new car seat about an hour and a half later at 1:30 p.m., a spokesperson for the police department told Tysons Reporter.

“The woman was grateful, calling the officers’ actions sweet, kind and unexpected,” the police department wrote on Facebook. “We applaud these officers for making a positive difference in the lives of our community members!”

Photo via Facebook

Editor’s Note: This biweekly column is sponsored by Dominion Wine and Beer (107 Rowell Court, Falls Church). This week’s Guide is written by Arash Tafakor of Dominion Wine and Beer.

Spain has arguably one of the most amazing arrays of grape varietals in the world.

With over six hundred types of wine making grapes to choose from, Spanish wine makers have an arsenal of choices to make that perfect wine, and Spanish wine comes close to perfection.

Going to your local wine store’s Spanish section could be a bit overwhelming. Spanish wine varietals are confusing even for me. I’m going to write a quick guide to help you navigate and understand Spain’s most popular varietals, but before we can go into that a consumer must first interpret Spanish labeling terms.

Most Spanish wines are labeled based on how long the wine is aged and the region the wine comes from. If a label has the term Joven, this indicates the wine has not been aged in oak.

The term Crianza means red wines are aged at least two years with a minimum of six months in oak barrels, Reserva means red wines are aged at least three years with a minimum of one year in oak barrels, and the term Gran Reserva means the wines are aged at least five years with a minimum of eighteen months in oak.

Also on the label of Spanish wine is the region the wine comes from. Premium wine regions of Spain include Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Priorat, Catalunya, Rias Baixas, Jumilla and many other smaller regions.

Here are some of Spain’s most popular grape varietals:

Tempranillo

Known as Spain’s most popular red varietal, this is the main grape in Spain’s Rioja region. This grape gives full or medium-bodied reds, with medium acidity, medium tannins and red fruit flavors. One of my favorite Rioja’s that uses predominately Tempranillo is the 2103 Viña Pomal (by the glass at our wine bar upstairs).

This wine has been given over a year of oak ageing, making it a perfectly smooth balanced wine with powerful fruit flavors. Regions like Toro, Ribera del Duero and La Mancha also widely use Tempranillo in red wines.

Garnacha (Grenache)

Garnacha grapes are large thin-skinned grapes that ripen perfectly in hot, dry climates such as Spain’s. Garnacha wines are full bodied and high in alcohol content. Garnacha typically have red fruit character with spicy notes and a low amount of tannins. Garnacha is grown in many premium wine-growing regions of Spain such as Calatayud and Aragon.

My favorite Garnachas are the 2016 Espelt Garnacha and 2016 Bodegas Borsao Tres Picos. Both retail around 12 dollars and deliver excellent value and quality. If you don’t mind spending more, the 2016 Alto Moncayo Garnacha is a world class Spanish Garnacha.

Monastrell (Mourvedre)

Monastrell is the most significant grape of the region of Jumilla. Typically difficult to grow, Monastrell is a wine with high levels of tannin, high alcohol content and a slight sweetness. Monastrell’s are typically earthy with hints of herbs and very low level of fruit notes making it a rich savory wine.

My favorite Monastrell is the 2016 Juan Gil Monstrell. This wine is aged in French oak for one year making it a perfect wine that balances fruit, alcohol and oak tones.

Albarino

One of my favorite white varietals in the world, Albarino is grown in the Riax Baixas region of Spain. Usually unoaked, this grape variety gives light to medium-bodied wines with fresh green and citrus fruit and refreshing high acidity. Albarino pairs perfectly with any seafood dish as well as on it’s own for casual consumption.

My favorite Albarino is the 2018 Nessa Albarino. This fruit driven acidic white is light, crisp and extremely food friendly. Excellent alternative to your everyday whites such as Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon blanc.

As always, these wines are available at Dominion Wine and Beer to go as well as upstairs at our wine bar. We pour Viña Pomal by the glass but others can be opened by the bottle with a small corkage fee.