Pat Fales Associates's Blog by Pat Fales Associates

Sellers Get Their Money Back!

Great News! Here is the update on House Bill 1578 that declared fees (Congestion Relief Fee) and taxes by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority null and void. HB1578 requires the settlement agent involved in the real estate transaction to return the congestion relief fee to the individual or individuals who paid the fee. Here is a link to HB 1578: http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?081+ful+HB1578H3 The bill will take immediate effect upon the Governor’s signature. Here is how the refund process will work: 1. The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority will have until May 1, 2008 to return the funds to the Clerks of the Circuit Court in the affected localities. 2. The Clerks return the Congestion Relief Fees to the Settlement Agents within 60 days from the effective date of this legislation. The Clerks are preparing guidelines to create a smooth process for ..(read more)

Spring Cleaning as a Community!

Did you know… The Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program presents a: Community Clean-up Event Saturday, March 29, 2008 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. South County Center (8350 Richmond Highway, Alexandria) This event will allow you dispose of your household hazardous waste, recycle your computers and electronics, and shred your personal documents. For more information, and to learn what types of items can be brought to this event, view the Solid Waste and Recyclingflyer at: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpwes/publications/recycling/event-0329b.pdf What a great way to start the season...A Spring Clean that Goes GREEN!

The Gift of Giving

Well it is that time of year again, the holidays are HERE! And they are by far my favorite time of year, the parties and good friends, the sweet sound of bells and music, the scents of evergreen and cinnamon, the vivid colors of red, green and blue all add to our gift giving and merriment. It is also at this time of year we reflect on the year gone by our successes and our challenges and we start to make plans for the year to come. It truly is a magical time of year, full of lively energy. In the hustle and bustle of the season it is easy to forget that there are many who are not as fortunate as we. I hope that in the joy of the season you take time to remember those in need. Everyone gets busy and stress can build so please remember smiles, patience and good manners cost nothing and yet they are very precious gifts. If you are able, donating time or money to those who have not; truly is the spirit of the season, whether it is locally, nationally or internationally. Happy ..(read more)

Taveling and Safety at Home

Thinking of going away for Thanksgiving or just for a little vacation. Well we plan our trip, make sure we pack all of the right things and quickly rush out the door to start our trip. We never stop to think of what might go wrong at home? Here are a few links to help make sure that not only do you enjoy your time away but come home knowing your home is taken care of. http://www.realtor.org/rmodaily.nsf/pages/News2007072006?OpenDocument http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/home/article/0,1783,HGTV_3655_1466921,00.html

Woodson High School Women’s Field Hockey Team Wins District and Region Championships!

On Saturday November 3, 2007 W. T. Woodson made history once again by beating Oakton high school in the Women’s Field Hockey regional championship game. Meg Thaxton scored a second half goal, off a penalty corner to make the score 1-0. Meg has the honor of being the all time high scorer in Field Hockey at Woodson high school with 49 varsity goals! Woodson's Lady Cavs were also the regional winners from 2002-2004.

Previously in this year’s Liberty District championship game, the Lady Cavs beat out Langley (2-1) in an exciting double overtime game when Woodson emerged victorious 14 seconds before the buzzer would have ended the second overtime period! Sophomore Shelly Montgomery, made the tie breaking goal.

Woodson’s excellent defense has been key to their success in the post season. There were 7 playoff games and only 3 goals were scored against this solid defense. Senior standouts are Lyndsey Butler and Sarah ..(read more)

Change

CHANGE is the topic today…I heard an interesting statistic recently and it got me thinking. They, who ever they are; say that what freshman in college learn today, will be out-dated by time they are Juniors and by the year 2010 technological information worldwide will double every 72 hours. Change is happening faster and faster. Science tells us that change requires us to adapt…to grow…to evolve. History helps us to evaluate our changes, which up until now have been slow gradual modifications. Listening to Science, in Fairfax County, for example we can see change in our growth… in 2006 there were 1,010,443 residing in the county and if we continue to grow at our current rate as reported by the US Census in 2010 there will be 1,052,881…not even close to being double. History shows that Lorton for example “by time it was Formally named Lorton in the late 1800s, scouted by Teddy Roosevelt to become a detention center for the ..(read more)

Who's afraid of the Housing Market?

Deciphering today’s housing market isn’t easy with the media constantly trying to sell doom and gloom. Sure we are in a market correction here in Northern Virginia but with the positive reports on job growth in the region and interest rates recently cut by the feds it’s actually difficult to imagine a better time to buy Real Estate. What people have to remember is it’s not an overnight investment, its long term and for most it’s the place they call home. So the doom and gloom might increase the ratings and sell newspapers but it’s no more frightening than the jack –o- lanterns popping up around neighborhoods near you celebrating the up-coming holiday. Happy to answer questions or discuss concerns; but you won’t hear any scary tales from me. Laura Kafle, laura@patfales.com Licensed Buyer Partner Pat Fales Associates RE/MAX Allegiance