Thursday, May 17, 2018

Furious Pace in Market!


Alexandria VA Real Estate Market:

Here are the latest stats for the Real Estate Market in Alexandria VA. 

It shows that new listings are up almost 17% from last month, March 2018 and 13% from April 2017. Houses are going Under Contract at a steady clip, with New Pendings up almost 9% from last month, March 2018 and over 11% from April 2017. Closed Sales are also up over 10% from last month March 2018 and 11% from last year April 2017. This is a phenomenal pace and as you can see the average days on market is down almost half to 28 days from a 5 year maximum of 50. All this means that we don't have enough homes to sell to all the buyers looking to make a purchase. If you are thinking of selling, now is a great time to call Greg Doherty 703.408.5068.

Please let me know if you have any questions, comments or concerns. Thanks!




Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Five (5) Parts to an Offer 2018
How to Secure the House that You Want for the
“Best Possible Price & Terms!”
***The Market is Changing to Favor Sellers!***

 In my opinion there are Five (5) Parts to every Offer:

1.    The Offering Price (plus Closing Costs)
a.    This is first and foremost, but by no means the only part
b.    Closing Costs are typically 2-3%
2.    Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) we recommend 2-3%
a.    You will submit a copy of the EMD Check with the offer, so please bring your check book!
b.    The EMD is your money and it can be part of your Down Payment
3.    Lender Letter or Proof of Assets   ***Buyer Love Letter***
a.    The Lender Letter should reflect the Offering Price
b.    All Cash Offers will need a Proof of Assets Letter from the Bank
4.    Contingencies Typically there are Three (3) ***Except Multiple Offers***
a.    Home/Radon Inspection Contingency 7-10 days
b.    Financing Contingency 21-28 days depends on your Lender
c.    Appraisal Contingency 21-28 days again depends on your Lender. If the house does Not Appraise, Three outcomes can occur:
                                         i.    The Buyer can add the extra cash above the appraised value
                                        ii.    The Seller can lower the price to meet the appraised value
                                       iii.    The Buyer and Seller can negotiate a price in the middle
(If all parties cannot agree then the property goes back on the market. Seller is now looking for a new buyer and the buyer is looking for a new property)
5.    Settlement Date shorter is usually better (trade time for money)
a.    Buyer wants to know "When do I get the house?"
b.    Seller wants to know "When do I get the money?"

The highest price may not always win the sale of the home. It depends on all 5 parts of the offer. I work with Buyers to build the strongest possible offer and with Sellers to evaluate offers on their asset.

I am a Professional Realtor Assisting Buyers and Sellers in their transactions to secure the “Best Possible Price &Terms!”

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you and I look forward to working with you.


Tuesday, March 6, 2018

What it's like to live in...Any Town?
I like to get up early in the morning and walk my dogs first thing. They like it too. You know, I used to think (before I owned a dog or 2) that it was such a PIA (Pain in the A**) to own a dog. You know, you have to walk them all the time. But guess what I discovered? Instead of HAVING to walk them I learned that you GET to walk them 2 X a day (or more). That means...every day...rain or shine...summer or winter...cold or hot...every day. Now I believe dogs are a gift from God because they force you to experience the outside world, Mother Nature in all her Glory, on the same walk...every day, day after day, winter, spring, summer & fall. You GET to enjoy the seasons and LEARN the differences...day after day...rain or shine...year after year!
Sleinte!

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Question from last week's email message:

Greg, do you have anything available below $1.0 M?

Answer: Absolutely!
What are you looking for?
Where do you want to live?
When do you want to move?

We went out early Saturday to look at 3 houses ideally between Connecticut & Wisconsin.
The first one was a no go from the curb for my architect client.
The second was perfect, but so packed with buyers that she is afraid the price will go too high.
The third was nice, busy, but not frenzied, well proportioned rooms, 2 car garage, nice large lot with southern light, could work.

Conclusion, we need to get her Friendship Heights Townhouse on the market ASAP to free her up to move to the next project!

Interested? Text 703.408.5068

Thursday, January 18, 2018

The Basilica of Saint Mary is named a Minor Basilica by Pope Francis.
“The naming of St. Mary as a minor basilica brings honor to the entire diocese and to Roman Catholics throughout the country,” said Father Hathaway. “As the first Catholic parish in Virginia and West Virginia, learning its history is to gain a greater insight into the spread of the Catholic faith in the former English colonies and throughout our nation.”
In 1788, an Irish aide-de-camp of George Washington, Col. John Fitzgerald, held a fundraiser in his home for the construction of a Catholic church. Washington was the first to donate. In 1795, St. Mary was established as a mission of Holy Trinity Church in Georgetown. Eventually, a church was built on South Royal Street, where the contemporary church stands, and was dedicated by Jesuit Father Francis Ignatius Neale in 1827. 

Monday, January 8, 2018


*Virginia infantry includes troops from Alexandria, Va.

The Bloody Shamrock
-The commander of the artillery battery that opened fire on Fort Sumter was Capt. John Mitchel, who had escaped from Van Dieman’s Land with his father, Irish patriot John Mitchel.  After the surrender of the fort, Mitchel allowed defending Major Anderson a cannon-salute to their flag in tribute to a courageous defense.  However, with fire and sparks all around the cannon, a flake of fire entered the muzzle of one of the guns and when the cartridge was rammed down it exploded, killing Private Daniel Hough and wounding five men.  Private Hough, who became the first casualty in the American Civil War, was a recent immigrant from Ireland.
In April, 1861, Lincoln called for volunteers and Col. Corcoran’s pending Court Martial was dropped so he could lead the 69th to protect the nation’s capitol.  One Hundred and Fifty years ago, on July 21, Confederate forces marched north and Union forces were sent to Manassas, VA to meet them at a creek called Bull Run.  The largely untrained Union forces were buttressed by Corcoran’s 69th while on the Confederate side Brigadier General Thomas Jackson commanded a brigade of Virginians.  Jackson, whose great-grandfather hailed from Coleraine, Co. Derry, held firm in the face of furious assaults against his lines earning him the nickname Stonewall, and launching a legend in military history.
In Jackson's command was the 1st Virginia Infantry, whose Company C, Montgomery Guards, was almost totally Irish, led by another Irish patriot, John Dooley.  There were also Irishmen from Alexandria, Va. in the Emmett Guards and O'Connell Guards, which were incorporated into the 17th Virginia Infantry.  There were other Irish in the Confederate forces as well, like the rough and tumble Irish longshoremen from New Orleans, fighting with Roberdeau Wheat's 1st Louisiana Special Battalion, known as the Louisiana Tiger Rifles.
The Irish in the Union and Confederate forces met at Bull Run where the Confederates built up enough troops on the Union right side to overrun their flank leading to a disorderly retreat to the North.  This was the first major engagement of the War and the Federal army was routed, but the 69th regiment had charged bravely and stubbornly held its ground.  Even after its commander, Col. Corcoran, was wounded and captured, the 69th retreated in order, protecting the rear while panicked Union soldiers swarmed around them headed for Washington.  After the battle, Union commander General McDowell personally thanked them for their gallantry.
Shortly after the battle, the regiment was re-enlisted and re-formed as the 69th New York State Volunteers.  Capt. Thomas Francis Meagher was commissioned colonel, and the War Department authorized him raise four more regiments to form a brigade.  Col. Meagher formed the Irish Brigade – a name chosen not merely to describe the nationality of its men, but also in honor and remembrance of the men who had gained a reputation for valor during the preceding century in the French Army where names like Fontenoy and other great European battle-fields flew among their battle-ribbons.  The original Irish Brigade was dissolved in 1791 by the revolution.  In 1792, Count de Provence (later Louie XVIII) presented them with a ‘farewell banner’ embroidered with an Irish Harp, shamrocks and fluer-de-lis.  The future King said, We acknowledge the inappreciable services that France has received from the Irish Brigade in the course of the last 100 years; receive this Standard as a pledge of our remembrance, a monument of our admiration, and our respect; and in future, generous Irishmen, this shall be the motto of your spotless flag: Semper et ubique Fidelis  (Always and Everywhere Faithful) – a motto not unfamiliar to U.S. Marines!
Meagher intended the brigade to be made up of two New York, one Boston, and one Philadelphia infantry regiments, with artillery forming the fifth regiment.  Initially made up of the 63rd 69th and 88th NY regiments and four small artillery companies of the 2nd NY Light Artillery Battalion, they began training at Fort Schuyler, NY, the first Headquarters of the Irish Brigade.  In the fall of 1862, the 2nd New York Light Artillery was reassigned and the 28th Massachusetts and the 116th Pennsylvania were added.  Meagher ordered 69-caliber smoothbore muskets, which many considered obsolete, but were very effective at close range which was the style of fighting he had in mind for the Irish Brigade. Close fighting had won the day at Fontenoy, and he intended to follow this tradition. These tactics would make the Irish Brigade famous on both the Union and Confederate sides, but would also produce heavy casualties within its ranks since they had to get up close before being effective.
The Irish Brigade fought in every campaign of the Army of the Potomac, from the Peninsular Campaign in the early half of 1862 to the surrender of Lee's army at Appomattox on April 9th, 1865. At various points throughout these campaigns the brigade's ranks became so depleted that its very existence was threatened and they were actually reorganized in February 1863.
After First Bull Run, when Gen. McClellan was put in command of the Army of the Potomac, he placed the Irish Brigade in the 1st division of the II Corps.  The emblem of II Corps was the Club (playing card suit) and 1st, 2nd and 3rd Division colors were Red, White and Blue; thus as part of the 1st Division of the II Corps, the emblem of the Irish Brigade was a Red Club.  
Out of a total enlistment of 7,000 men during the war, the Brigade returned to New York in 1865 with just 1,000; one company was actually down to seven men.  The 69th NY suffered 75 per cent casualties among enlisted men; compare that to the famed Light Brigade which rode into the ‘Valley of Death’ at Balaklava and lost only 36.7 per cent of its men.  Is it any wonder that the men of the Irish Brigade referred to McClellan’s Red Club emblem as the ‘Bloody Shamrock’!
*More on Alexsndria Volunteers.
"The Virginia Infantry battalion went on active duty soon after the Ordinance of Secession was passed on May 23, 1861. Two companies of Irish citizens of Alexandria were added to the battalion on April 25, 1861--an artillery company, the Irish Volunteers, and a light infantry company, the Emmett Guards. " 



Thursday, December 28, 2017

It's Christmas Time in Old Town and the city tends to quiet down a little with folks spending time with family & friends and entertaining out of town guests. It's a great opportunity to go out and enjoy the fine local restaurants and see the lights up and down King and Washington Streets.

Click the link below to hear Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin Sing the "Old Long Song"
 
 
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne
And there's a hand, my trusty friend
And gie's a hand to thine
We'll take a cup of kindness yet
For auld lang syne

For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne
We'll take a cup of kindness yet
For auld lang syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne

For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne
For auld lang syne
 
 
Happy New Year! I hope 2018 is Your Best Year Ever!
 
Oh, by the way… If you have any friends, relatives or business associates who are thinking of moving, I would appreciate it if you would pass my name on to them and let me know so that I can contact them directly. Thank you.
Warm regards,
Greg Doherty 703-408-5068