Saluting All Military Spouses!
May 7th, 2008 categories: Military Life
May 9th is Military Spouse Appreciation Day. I’d like to honor all the faithful family members who serve at home and abroad as they support their military spouse. Being a military spouse brings a lot of sacrifices and challenges with it. It’s a unique lifestyle that nobody can really understand unless they’ve lived it.
Thank you for choosing to be a part of the support system that helps our military men and women fulfill their mission. Our thoughts and prayers are especially with those who have spouses deployed overseas.
Thank you for all the moves you’ve made across the country or overseas, sometimes alone. Thank you for all the birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and special occasions you’ve had to celebrate alone. Thank you for taking care of the family and household and all it entails while your service member was away.
Thank you for your devotion and service!
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Delays Ahead on I-95!
May 5th, 2008 categories: Local News
Beginning tonight you can expect delays on I-95 southbound from the Prince William County line to the Garrisonville exit/143 in North Stafford. VDOT is milling and paving the southbound lane in the area mentioned. Work will only be done during night time hours from Monday through Thursday for the next four weeks. Bad weather can extend that time frame.
At 9 pm one lane will be closed and at 10 pm two lanes will close. All lanes reopen at 4:30 am. Once the work is done the pot holes should be gone and the pavement markings should be brighter.
So be warned, you might want to take Rte 1 if you are traveling south during those times in the next month!
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Aaron Cohen Visits Quantico
April 28th, 2008 categories: Quantico MCB Happenings
Meet author Aaron Cohen on May 7th at the Quantico Exchange. The author will be signing copies of his new book, “Brotherhood of Warriors.” He will be at the Main Exchange at 1100 hours.
The following is a small biography on Mr. Cohen from Harper Collins:
“Aaron Cohen grew up in Beverly Hills, California. After spending three years in one of Israel’s “black ops” units, Sayeret Duvdevan, he returned home and founded IMS Security, a consulting firm that specializes in protecting politicians, business executives, Hollywood actors, and rock stars, and offers counterterrorism training to the United States military, to local and state police departments, and to various SWAT units around the country. He lives in Los Angeles. “
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Caveat Emptor - AKA - Buyer Beware When Buying a Home!
April 26th, 2008 categories: Real Estate News
In the Commonwealth of Virginia ”CAVEAT EMPTOR” - from the Latin : “Buyer Beware”, applies when buying a home. It is up to the buyer to make sure he is getting what he paid for. In Virginia all agents are deemed to work for the seller, whether the agent knows the seller or not. This can easily be changed if the buyer chooses to do so. This is commonly done through a “buyer/broker” agreement, or the “Exclusive Right to Represent Buyer” agreement.The first questions most buyers have is: “How much is this going to cost me?” Well, most real estate brokers will not charge anything extra, as typically commissions are paid by the seller. The next question is: “How does it benefit me?” - The exclusive buyer representation makes a particular brokerage firm and its agent just that, the buyer’s legal representative in the purchase of the property sought. This is a two way street, at least in the Northern Virginia contracts. The agent agrees to represent the buyer exclusively, but by the same token the purchaser agrees to work with that agent alone. This actually makes good sense, since the agent is committing herself to promoting the purchaser’s best interest and perform different tasks for the purchaser. Below is an excerpt from the buyer representation agreement used in the Northern Virginia area that describes an agent’s duties to the purchaser.
“BROKER’S DUTIES. The Broker and Sales Associate shall promote the interests of the Buyer by:
A) Performing the terms of this agreement;
B) Seeking a property at a price and terms acceptable to the buyer;
C) Presenting in a timely manner all written offers and counteroffers to and from the Buyer;
D) Disclosing to the Buyer all materials facts related to the property or concerning the transaction of which they have actual knowledge.
E) Accounting for in a timely manner for all money and property received in which the Buyer has or may have an interest.”
The agreement also mentions the fact that amongst other things, the broker shall maintain the confidentiality all financial and personal matters, plus any other matters the buyer identifies as confidential. The broker will also practice ordinary care, comply with all applicable laws and regulations and treat the sellers fairly.
I think having this agreement in place makes both parties feel better about the relationship. There is a commitment from the agent to diligently work for the buyer, and the agent knows the buyer will not be visiting other Realtors for their services. Since this is a commission based business, the agent feels better about knowing that their hard work will pay off at the end of the transaction. This also makes it easier for the purchaser, having one person as their resource to all the transaction related needs and as he builds a relationship with a particular agent, trust is also built. Trust in knowing the agent understands the needs and desires of the purchaser, that the agent will handle all matters related to the transaction with care, and that the agent is truly looking out the for the purchaser. Having this agreement in place also frees the agent to provide a wealth of information to the buyer that he cannot provide otherwise.
There are many duties that a buyer’s agent performs, and a buyer should rest assured that having a competent agent looking our for his interests and rights will make the home buying process a lot less stressful, a lot smoother and a lot simpler. Buyer agency - it’s a no brainer!
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A Porch With A View
April 8th, 2008 categories: Local News
It’s that time in Washington, the Cherry Blossom Festival is here. Thousands of people flock to D.C. every year to see the Tidal Basin cherry blossoms in all their glory. I’m fortunate, I have a beautiful view from my very front porch of a Yoshino cherry tree. It blooms at the same time as the Tidal Basin trees, so I get a small glimpse of what, multiplied many times over, is going on a little further 
up the road. We managed to visit D.C. last Thursday, it just happened to be the day the blossoms peaked. Even though we arrived before ten in the morning, there were quite a few people strolling around the Basin, including groups of students and tourists from other parts of the world. The views really are spectacular with all the trees in bloom. The many activities planned for the day had not begun yet, but we were happy to stroll about without huge crowds. If you have not visited the festival before, it is not too late. Festivities will take place until this coming weekend. You are still in time to take in a Cherry Blossom Lantern Walk with a Park Ranger, the 20th Annual George Washington Invitational Regata, the Sakura Matsuri - Japanese Street Festival, and the long standing Parade of the Natinal Cherry Blossom Festival. Events go on throughout the week as well as on the weekend, so get on out to D.C. and take in some of the views and great events!
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