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 local properties have upcoming open houses this weekend.

2275 Idylwood Station Lane, Falls Church
2 BR/3.5 BA
Agent: Cranford & Associates
Listed: $595,000
Open: Saturday 2-4 p.m.

6315 Crooked Oak Lane, Falls Church
3 BR/3.5 BA
Agent: Weichert Realtors
Listed: $609,900
Open: Saturday 12-3 p.m.

9835 Marcliff Court, Vienna
6 BR/4 BA
Agent: Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
Listed: $915,000
Open: Sunday 1-4 p.m.

9600 Brookmeadow Court, Vienna
5 BR/4.5 BA
Agent: Samson Properties
Listed: $1,598,000
Open: Sunday 1-3 p.m.

7006 Eastern Red Cedar Lane, McLean
3 BR/4.5 BA
Agent: RE/MAX West End
Listed: $1,025,000
Open: Saturday 2-4 p.m.

10308 Dunn Meadow Road, Vienna
5 BR/3.5 BA
Agent: Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc
Listed: $930,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

2765 Centerboro Drive #158, Vienna
2 BR/2 BA
Agent: Pearson Smith LLC
Listed: $405,000
Open: Sunday 12-4 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.

• 8350 Greensboro Drive #226, Mclean, VA — $680,888
• 6020 Woodland Terrace, McLean, VA — $2,599,999
• 8501 Cottage Street, Vienna, VA — $625,000
• 8001 Snowpine Way, McLean, VA — $1,198,000
• 6535 Mulroy Street, McLean,VA — $750,000
• 8630 Brook Road, McLean, VA — $1,930,000

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.

Spring break is over and everyone is getting back to the grind and our annual countdown to summer.

This also inevitably brings the hustle and bustle of the spring market back to the real estate world as everyone tries to get their housing affairs settled before trips to the Outer Banks and Ocean City commence. Since this area is pretty much a ghost town for spring break, there are many great homes that had price improvements last week.

The most drastic price improvement I saw last week was on this extravagant home in the Peacock Station neighborhood in McLean. 952 Towlston Road has seen a $1 million price drop from its original list price. This impressive estate features over 13,000 finished square feet, a separate caterer’s kitchen, both a dry & steam sauna, cinema and game rooms, and a large bar fit for a great party.

If over the top luxury is what you are looking for, this home is for you. If you decide to buy 952 Towlston, please don’t forget to invite your favorite realtor over for a spa day and drinks. I like cabernet.

You can see more of this buzz worthy home here: 952 Towlston Road

Check out all this week’s Luxury for Less listings here:

• 6125 Old Dominion Drive McLean (Reduced $55,000)
• 1791 Clovermeadow Drive Vienna (Reduced $76,000)
• 3301 Slade Run Drive Falls Church (Reduced $100,000)
• 6113 Franklin Park Road McLean (Reduced $200,000)
• 608 Utterback Store Road Great Falls (Reduced $20,000)

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 is an Escalation Addendum and when should I use it?

Answer:  With so much competition for hard-to-find homes that have just come to market, it’s critical for buyers to understand the purpose and risk/reward of using Escalation Addendums (EA) in their offer.

An EA allows you to make an offer at a starting price while agreeing to increase your offer to a higher price if another offer is higher than yours. It includes a maximum escalation value and an escalation factor, the amount your offer will increase by, over the next highest offer.

The contract allows for the seller to execute a purchase contract (ratify) at an escalated value, without the buyer having to agree to the new price. However, to protect buyers, the seller is required to deliver the next highest contract that was used to escalate your offer.

That other offer must also be materially similar, meaning the other offer cannot include seller credits or a material difference in contingencies (e.g. the other buyer has to sell a home before buying this one).

EAs carry a lot of risk and reward, so be sure to understand them before including one in your offer.

Understand The Risks

The obvious risk in using an Escalation is that buyers are exposing their maximum purchase price and some sellers may ask for that max, regardless of whether or not another offer allows them to get there contractually. There are strategies buyers can use to prevent a seller from doing this and, in my experience, most sellers use Escalations as they’re meant to be used.

The other not-so-obvious problem is with non-financial differences between two contracts. The Escalation Addendum says nothing about differences in settlement date, contingencies and other non-financial terms that make a material difference between contracts (e.g. no Home Inspection Contingency vs full Inspection Contingency is treated equally in the Escalation Addendum).

When To Use An Escalation Addendum

Escalations are best used when there are multiple confirmed offers and the seller has set a deadline for “best-and-final” offers. It’s important for buyers to establish expectations with the seller before they include an Escalation Addendum to maximize the benefit and reduce the risks.

This is where having an experienced agent working for you can be the difference between making a smart decision and irresponsible one or securing a home and helping somebody else secure it.

Proper Communication Is A Win-Win

I strongly believe that with proper communication between sellers and buyers, Escalation Addendums benefit both parties by allowing the seller to draw out the highest available price for their home and allowing buyers to confidently maximize their chance of securing a home. Improper communication leads to a lack of trust and a lack of trust will almost always earn sellers less and may keep the most motivated buyer out of the home of their dreams.

It’s Not Always About Price

Being the winning offer amongst multiple offers isn’t always about price. Buyers need to focus on non-financial terms as well to set themselves apart and it’s important to understand how you can increase the strength of your offer without taking on excessive risk, but that’s a topic for another day.

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.

On May 4 and 5, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. each day, you have the opportunity to join the Northern Virginia Parade of Homes tour of the areas most popular builders and remodeling contractors.

Admission is free and they have a great interactive map of the homes on the route. They’re listed alphabetically or you can focus on a city. Below I’ve highlighted some questions to ask them if you’re thinking of building.

Make sure you click the “add to my tour” button when looking at builders. Some of the addresses listed are their offices and not the model home they’re using for the tour.

Some of the homes listed are actually for sale, some are not.

Questions to ask:

• If you like some of the features of the home and hate others — ask if the house was a custom build for someone (i.e. it’s someone else’s taste and not necessarily representative of what the builder normally does).
• Ask about lot acquisition. If you’re looking for a specific lot size, location/school zone, type of home (i.e. 3-car garage), talk to the builders about how they find lots, what they do if they get a call with one that might match your needs.
• Look for personality — building a home is a highly personal transaction, way more than buying/selling normally. You want to make sure you actually like the person you’ll be dealing with almost daily for a year.
• Ask all the questions you’ve heard rumors about (does a pool count a lot coverage? How about a deck?) These guys will know the answer.
• Do they have floor plans they’re able to reuse if you like a specific one (check their websites, most have full photos and floor plans for the home they’ve built previously)? Find out if they have architects they’d recommend if you want to do something truly custom.

Ask about financing options. They’ll happily give you the names of local banks they like working with and give you options.

• When you’re walking through these houses, really get a feel for the space. How does 5,000 sq. ft. feel? Compare that to 4,000 or 6,000. You’ll see so many models on the parade of homes, you should be able to get a good feel of what you need, don’t really care about, size/space, etc.

The homes are beautiful! Enjoy the tour!

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 local properties have upcoming open houses this weekend.

1808 Old Meadow Road #1114, McLean 
2 BR/2 BA
Agent: Samson Properties
Listed: $389,900
Open: Saturday 12-3 p.m.

7974 Vigne Court, Vienna
4 BR/4 BA
Agent: Weichert Realtors
Listed: $859,995
Open: Saturday 1-3 p.m.

1450 Pathfinder Lane, McLean
6 BR/5.5 BA
Agent: Pearson Smith Realty, LLC
Listed: $1,550,000
Open: Sunday 12-4 p.m.

2777 Knollside Lane, Vienna
3 BR/3.5 BA
Agent: Samson Properties
Listed: $529,999
Open: Saturday 1-3 p.m.

1221 Kelley Street SW, Vienna
5 BR/4.5 BA
Agent: Compass
Listed: $1,424,999
Open: Saturday 2-4 p.m.

8296 Elm Shade Court, Vienna
5 BR/4.5 BA
Agent: RE/MAX Allegiance
Listed: $1,199,000
Open: Sunday 2-4 p.m.

301 Park Street NE, Vienna
3 BR/3 BA
Agent: McEnearney Associates, Inc
Listed: $849,000
Open: Saturday 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].

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.

Rosé wine sales in the U.S are increasing year after year. Why this change? Simply put, quality and affordability.

After decades of Americans categorizing any pink colored wine with the sweet White Zinfandel variety, the U.S wine consumer has discovered the light, dry, crisp and perfectly fruity rosé wine. Winemakers, instead of using excess red wine grapes to make Rosé, they are now growing those quality grapes specifically for rosé wines.

As winemakers start off with the intention of making rosé from the beginning, the quality of these wines has improved dramatically.

What makes rosés pink? A true rosé is not a blend of white and red wine. Instead, like red wine, rosé wine is made from red wine grapes. But instead of leaving the wine in contact with the pressed grape skin to ferment with the juice for an extensive period, rosé producers keep the skins in contact with the juice for only a brief period of time.

Then the pinkish juice is drained from the skins, resulting in a color ranging from a pale pink to a deep salmon or coral. Winemakers make rosé from the red grape varieties traditionally grown in their particular region, grapes best suited to the local soil and climate.

Rosés from the entire world typically display a range of colors, textures and flavors. Yet all rosés have some common characteristics: they tend to be bright with great acidity, fresh, crisp and dry. The most popular rosé producing region in the world is Provence, France. There, rosé is a part of everyday life, widely embraced as the best lunchtime, seaside and all occasion wine.

This spirit of Provence lifestyle has started to catch on. Wine makers from around the world are making more rosés than ever before as part of their wineries. Amazing dry style rosés are also being made from California to Virginia, and all at a great affordable price. With the spring and summer here, this is a great time to come in and try a fresh 2018 vintage dry rosé for any occasion.

Rosé food pairings: Rosé’s versatility really comes out when it comes to food pairings. You can almost drink a dry rosé with any meal.  For international cuisines, rosé pairs well with spicy Asian dishes, Mexican, Italian pizza, sushi and even Indian curries.

American fare, rosé’s go well with burgers, salads and even soups and stews. With meat you can pair a rosé with any BBQ as well as ham, steak, turkey and veal. Fish and seafood; grilled fish goes extremely well with rosé as well as steamed fish and lobster.

Here are a two new 2018 vintage Rosé wines we recommend at Dominion Wine and Beer

Commanderie de la Bargemone Coteaux d’Aix en Rosé Provence, France 2018

The 2018 vintage Rosés from Southeast France were grown in ideal weather conditions according to the Vins De Provence association. This Rosé from a benchmark producer of the delicious, dry rosé for which Provence is famous, the Commanderie was founded by the Knights Templar in the 13th century, and is home to a proud viticultural tradition with more than 160 acres of sustainably grown vineyards. 91 points from Wine Enthusiast.

Wölffer Estate Summer in a Bottle Rosé Long Island, NY 2018

Easily our best-selling Rosé the past few years, Summer in a Bottle not only comes with a catchy name but also a beautiful package making it great for a wine for a picnic or an elegant dinner party.

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 bad news this week is the mortgage rates bumped up a bit for the second week in a row.

The good news is that the luxury market has softened a bit and there are a lot of great properties at great prices. There are still plenty of new builds in the Tysons area and people are willing to pay a premium for brand new and customization.

Larger homes as young as just a few years are sitting as result. These homes have the same great location and large size, they just don’t have the latest and trendiest finishes.

If you preferred the darker kitchen cabinets to today’s all white or grey, it’s great news. If you like the newer finishes but don’t have the big budget, buying a 7 years young home gives you the opportunity to live in the neighborhood you want and you can always update later. Don’t forget, those white or grey cabinets are going to look very dated in another 10 years too.

This home was built in 2012 and is situated in a neighborhood that sees new build homes sell for over $2 million. It’s close to Tysons Corner, walking distance to Westwood Country Club and just 1 block from the W&OD Trail.

A great value in a great neighborhood:

• 600 Alma Street SE Vienna

Check out all this week’s Luxury for Less listings here:

• 10108 Nadine Drive Vienna (Reduced $20,000)
• 413 Yeonas Drive SW Vienna (Reduced $50,000)
• 600 Alma Street SE Vienna (Reduced $25,000)
• 9314 Arnon Chapel Road Great Falls (Reduced $25,000)
• 2003 Mayfair McLean Court Falls Church (Reduced $50,000)
• 913 Lynton Place McLean (Reduced $100,000)
• 603 N West Street Falls Church (Reduced $30,900)

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.

Most of the detached homes in our area do not belong to a homeowners association (HOA).

Most are regulated by county or town ordinance, but there are some that belong to an HOA. Some people love or hate this. Many of the HOA’s around Tyson’s include very little, maybe some yard maintenance in common areas, sometimes trash removal, but usually maybe one community party a year. If you see a townhouse, assume those always have an HOA.

I put together a list of HOAs in Vienna, McLean and Falls Church that actually give you something for your annual fees. Below is a list of the name and location, along with what the amenity included is. If you’re thinking you want to skip that 8 year wait for the Vienna Woods pool, try one of these neighborhoods instead (listed alphabetically):

Vienna

• Edgemoore — Tennis courts
• Estates at Great Falls — Outdoor pool, tennis courts, basketball courts
• Hunter Mill Estates — Outdoor pool and tennis courts
• Lakevale Estates — Outdoor pool and tennis courts
• Oakton Glen — Tennis courts and basketball courts
• Shouse Village — Outdoor pool and tennis courts, basketball courts
• Williamsburg Commons — Outdoor pool

McLean

• Evans Mill Pond — Tennis courts
• Evermay — Tennis courts
• McLean Hunt — Basketball courts
• The Courts — Tennis courts
• The Dogwoods at Langley — Tennis

Falls Church

• Walnut Hill — Tennis courts

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.

While we primarily handle employment, retirement and security clearance cases, we wanted to take this opportunity to point to outdated Virginia laws that need to be changed. This article focuses on both state and local laws in Virginia that don’t make sense or are outdated. While many of these are not enforced, it is time that they are taken off the books for good.

Here are some Virginia state laws that seem to be from a bygone era and should be repealed:

Citizens Must Honk Horns While Passing Other Cars — This law, if citizens followed it, would likely lead to accidents or road rage. I can’t recall anyone honking their horn on a highway in order to indicate they were going to pass someone, especially on the highway.

This is commonly done through the flashing of lights. Honking usually only occurs when somebody is stopped for too long in front of them or when an accident is about to occur.

Regulation of Private Life — Virginia makes it a 4th class misdemeanor to engage in sexual relations with anyone that they are not married to. The law, first enacted  in 1950, remains on the books even though it has been declared unconstitutional.

There is some debate as to whether or not the legislature refuses to act based on concerns they may upset constituents concerned with morality issues. Virginia also makes it a crime for individuals to give advice to others about engaging in inappropriate acts.

Adultery as a Crime — Under the Virginia Code, committing adultery while married is a crime and a class 4 misdemeanor. Frankly, Virginia could repeal this law and focus on realistic issues facing the Commonwealth instead of keeping a law that is unenforceable in their code.

Use of Profanity in Public — Using profanity in public is still against the law in Virginia and a class 4 misdemeanor. Some lawmakers have tried to repeal the profanity portion of this statute, but have not yet been successful. Again, this law has been declared unconstitutional, but remains a statute. I wonder how many people have committed misdemeanors under this statute over the last 10 years.

Marriage Restrictions — While most of the world has rescinded these types of discriminatory laws, Virginia has not yet gotten around to amending their Code to eliminate discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation even though the U.S. Supreme Court has left standing a ruling that the ban is unconstitutional.

Harassment by Phone or Text Message — Be sure not to text or use your cellphone to use indecent or immoral language in Virginia because it is class 1 misdemeanor. The language is so broad that practically anything you text during an argument could fall under this statute.

Outdated Local Laws

There were a number of local laws in Virginia that were outdated, but many of them have been corrected. Many of them were very interesting before they were recently fixed. This is the last one I found still on the books:

Chesapeake, Virginia — It is a misdemeanor for children over the age of 12 to trick or treat. While this has not led to a rash of arrests, the law should be repealed. There is no need to punish 13-year old teenagers for trick or treating with their younger siblings.

Conclusion

If you are in need of employment, retirement or security clearance law 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.