I am Mark Worrilow and the Broker/Owner of Confidence Realty. This blog is my first attempt to as a mentor Matthew Rathbun tells me; Educate, Edify and Engage. I hope that as this evolves it becomes as useful to you as any other blog to which you subscribe. There will be a link where you can provide feedback to me on what you would like to see or how you think this is going. So "Welcome" to my view of the real estate world as well as my listings.
Sincerely,
Mark
On February 10, I wrote about this and I am glad to add more on the subject. This facility opens on March 7, but there is an Open House on March 3. Take the opportunity to visit and see this superb addition to our medical community and something that also adds to the great news of Prince William County.
http://potomachospital.blogspot.com/2012/02/youre-invited-to-sentara-lake-ride.html
This is super news for our area. It doesn’t matter if we are #1 or #10, the fact is that there are 5 counties in Northern Virginia that are in the top 10 nationally in median income. This figure is from www.mainstreet.com.
Below is the full article and it is pretty interesting. The 5 counties from bottom to top are Prince William, Stafford, Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun. Many of the other counties, just below and just above the first 3 are in the DC suburbs of Maryland. I can hear the questions now, what about Alexandria? Remember, Alexandria is a city not a county; it is the City of Alexandria. Now I’m sure if you include Alexandria I would guess it would fall around Arlington/Fairfax numbers.
http://www.mainstreet.com/slideshow/money/investing/richest-counties-america
Along with Mainstreet.com’s ranking, CNN/Money ranked Prince William County 13th nationally in job growth. So what good does that do our county in the scheme of things? Well it bodes well, in my opinion, for all of us. We are seeing that the housing market has bottomed out and is on an upslope. No there is no rocket attached to the back of that movement upward, but it is there (see upcoming blog). Seeing the median income so high and the number of jobs created here how can you NOT see the betterment of housing in this community. We speak of Prince William but how can you ignore the impact that these numbers have on Manassas/Manassas Park? My guess is that their median incomes may not be as high as Prince William, but close.
So with some trepidation and a whole lot of optimism I am telling you that for the housing market 2012 should be wonderful.
Many in Prince William County have complained about ER waiting times. Well the head of the Sentara-Potomac Emergency Department has done some superb work in reorganizing the ER and making the treatment of patients a much better process. Yes there are still times when waiting room times seem to border on and feel like the duration of the Great Depression. That, however, occurs anyplace because sometimes the stars line up, or don’t, and there is no exception to this. But those whose situation dictates having to visit the Sentara-Potomac Hospital ER, I’m sure note the better treatment time and better process.
Now, a second relief is mere days away. Sentara-Potomac is opening a much-needed walk-in ER in Lake Ridge. The below article discusses this opening and you can also find more information on the side bar. This will be excellent for the community and for Sentara-Potomac (which in the interest of disclosure I am a member of the Medical Affairs Committee).
http://potomachospital.blogspot.com/2012/02/sentara-lake-ridge-opening-soon.html
http://www.varealtor.com/news/2012/02/varbuzz-cfpb-director-says-banks-need-guidance
Above is an article from the Virginia Association Of REALTORS® website. This was my comment on that site and on FB:
OK so the lenders that executed (and I mean it that way too in SOME cases) the lending parameters enacted by our government and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can’t be trusted. But they follow closely what the rules are. Therefore we are punishing with extreme oversight the practitioners of the policies of the entities calling for severe oversight! However, the members of Congress who pushed the lax regulations through and then blamed the industry bear NO responsibility. I am confused….
There are plenty of factors that enabled, facilitated and finally broke the great housing market we had from about 2000 to late 2006. One of the best reasons for the boon was the lax lending criteria enabled, directed and heavily promoted by Congress, and I include Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae as they are quasi-governmental organizations that help in the housing finance arena. Much has been made of the foreclosure crisis and for me as a member of the real estate industry to not recognize our industry’s involvement would be both derelict and ostrich-like. Did I see abuses by my contemporaries, lenders and settlement agents; absolutely. I saw people buying $400,000 homes with no money down and because the husband was in an hourly job and the wife did daycare in their home the banks lent $400,000. Did they deserve a home; absolutely! Did they deserve the right to buy a home; without question! So how did they buy the home? No Doc loans. Essentially:
Credit Good – Check!
Do you have a job? – Check!
How much do you make? – Wait I can tell you but I don’t have to prove it.
Sound insane. Yep! would a bank trying to make a profit normally do this’ No! Just figure this out people! That is not abuse by the lenders but abuse by the people who should have had the vision to not direct these policies.
OK so as I date myself as a Garrett Morris Fan from the original Saturday Night Live episodes when he was Chico Escuela, the fact remains that I am a fan of baseball. Yes to the consternation of many of my friends I am a Phillies Fan, but I do follow the Nats and hope they finish in 2nd place each year (to the Phillies). I am however a loyal P-Nats fan and enjoy going to their games. I have advertised with them in the past and hope to again this year.
Many in Prince William County do follow them and are familiar with Pfitzner Stadium the County Complex. I am sure there are many in Fairfax, Stafford etc., who follow them also and are also familiar with the stadium. I for one would love to see a new stadium and especially one in Eastern PWC, strictly for my benefit since I live over here. However, it is more important that the stadium and team STAY in Prince William because I think that we do identify with the team and as the Washington Nationals become more and more relevant in the national baseball scene, it will bring more and more benefit to the county. I for one don’t want to lose the team as it fills the emotional vacancy for baseball while at the same time doing so in a very friendly and cost effective manner. I sincerely hope that the P-Nats stay in Prince William County and that this new stadium comes to fruition, whether along 95 or off the Prince William Parkway by 66. I am hoping for this because our county and citizens (including Manassas & Manassas Park) deserve this. I know Lani Silber a bit and I believe I know the way the Silbers have handled the team and their fans, let alone those businesses who support them. I am proud to have been a part of this and to have benefitted, both in a business sense and for my Woodbridge Rotary Club, in their personal and community approach to the team. I am thrilled that we as a community would retain such business people.
OK, OK so I also hope to have enough money someday to be part owner (at least I am realistic) in a suite at the new park and know how the major league Kahunas feel. Lets Go P-Nats!
http://www2.insidenova.com/sports/2012/jan/29/1/new-p-nats-stadium-may-be-along-i-66-ar-1649106/
Anyone who follows anything in Eastern Prince William has heard repeatedly about the RT 1 Corridor, known at times as the Potomac Communities. When the economy was steaming along like an aircraft carrier so much was made about the revitalization of Rt 1 and the new road projects at Rts 123 & 234. Things backed of when the economy went south, but thanks to the county’s planning and BOCS action we are still in progress mode. This Kiss & Ride is not a sign that the financial angels are spreading gold nuggets, but it is a sign, at least to me, that proper planning and corporate and government cooperation and mutual benefit are alive.
Not so fast my friend in the famous words of Lee Corso! Yes there is plenty of evidence that the buyer still has the upper hand, but things are changing and buyers need to be aware of this. However the greatest fallacy is that banks are selling for pennies on the dollar; this is not true. Yes there are good to great deals but no giveaways. As Chris Ann also says in this blog, we hear the commercials saying banks and the government don’t want to hold homes (true) and are selling them so that your payments are less than your VISA bill. Jeez, I’ve been tempted to call….
C’mon, do you think this is true? …. especially around here. If that were the case there are plenty of investors with cash who would buy 10 at those prices instead of 2-3 at the market prices. Anyway, Chris Ann is a friend and one of the best REALTORS® I know; OK just a notch below me (LOL), but still. She is an avid blogger and I have learned things from her that have helped me in my business and instructing. she makes excellent points and clarifies the situation extremely well. So, here is her article:
http://activerain.com/blogsview/2764541/contrary-to-popular-belief-banks-aren-t-giving-homes-away
Now, talk to me about your plan on homeownership.
This is really neat! Ever wonder when the plows are going to come to your area, or how things are progressing with the plows? VDOT now has a link that allows us to view how the plowing is going on state roads. This is interactive and you can check to see how plowing is going in your neighborhood. You enter your complete address and there you go! Here are the links for you.
This video is for how to use the site:
This is the link to the site to check plowing status:
http://novasnowplowing.virginia.gov/pages/MapStreet.aspx
So if we ever get 2” or more log on.
Just listed this last week and the video is now ready. This is being sold by the mother-in-law of my friends. It is IMMACULATE and ready for a quick closing. Fellow REALTORS®, if you are in the neighborhood stop by.
Well I finally got the video with better looking photos and music. Hope this looks better to everyone.
