Front Doors Speak Volumes In Northern Virginia Homes!

When you think about the focal point of a Northern Virginia home, what comes to mind? For many, it’s the front door. It symbolizes entry and the portal into someone’s living space. Residents and guests go in and out many times each day. With that sort of meaning and significance behind a front door, it’s no wonder that people often get a first impression of a home based upon the color of its entryway. As a Northern Virginia real estate agent, I find that without realizing it, many home buyers actually take away different impressions from various properties based upon the color of the front door.

This can actually be useful information to know if you’re a seller. Depending on your Northern Virginia neighborhood and target buyer, you can use a simple can of paint to create a certain impression about your property. It’s a unique, creative and cost-effective tactic for controlling the first impression prospective buyers will have as they walk up to come inside.

Here are some color schemes that you can use and the meaning behind them:

Blue indicates a place of refuge or retreat.
Green projects health, tranquility and harmony.
Black is a clear indication of strength, power and authority.
Red conveys passion, energy and excitement.
Brown gives off a natural vibe that conveys reliability, warmth and stability.

Now that you know what each color means, here are the questions that you’re going to want to ask yourself before selecting the appropriate color:

•    Which color would look best with my home?
•    Who is my target buyer?
•    What do I want them to feel when they enter my home?
•    Which of these colors best represents the character of my neighborhood and community?
•    What statement do I want to make to potential buyers?

As trivial as paint color might seem, many psychologists have asserted that the color of a front door makes a strong statement about both the owner of the home and the property itself. As a Northern Virginia real estate agent, I always recommend giving your front door a fresh coat of paint as part of the process of preparing your home for showings. It gives it a newer and well-maintained look. Re-painting is also an opportunity to give your home a personality that you’d want it to have and reel prospective buyers in based upon what color you choose.

This is just another fun and creative marketing tactic to think about as you prepare your Northern Virginia home for sale! As always, if you have any questions about your Northern Virginia real estate needs, don’t hesitate to contact me and ask. I’m happy to put my many years of experience to work for you and guide you through your entire transaction, from contract to close. I hope to hear from you soon!


Earle Whitmore
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.
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Get in the Holiday Spirit in Annandale this Saturday!

Thanksgiving is just two days away! You’ve most likely been busy preparing for a feast in your Northern Virginia home or coming up with a dish to bring to the home of a friend or neighbor. Thanksgiving marks the beginning of what is known as the holiday season, and after you put away the leftover turkey and wake up from your food coma, communities all over the Northern Virginia area will be transforming into Winter Wonderlands.

As your Northern Virginia real estate agent, I keep track of all of the fun-filled holiday happenings in the area each year because they promote community togetherness. One of the fundamental values surrounding the holidays is thankfulness for the people in your life, and that includes your community. Each of these holiday festivals is designed to bring Northern Virginia communities together to celebrate, give back, and remind ourselves how fortunate we are to live in such a wonderful region.

There are plenty of holiday-friendly happenings this weekend in the Northern Virginia area! Here are a few of the highlights:

Ford Fusion Street Chic Tour, 10:00am
November 21st, 2012
1100 S. Hayes Street, Arlington, VA
Ladies, this is a great opportunity to give back to women in need in the Northern Virginia area. Ford is partnering with Dress for Success at The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City on November 21st-25th. At this unique fundraiser, you can bring gently-worn clothing for donation and get fitted for a 2013 Ford Fusion that matches your personal style. You could even have the opportunity to win a brand new Ford Fusion or $2,000 worth of accessories and other designer items. This fun, unique and fashionable event will be great for you and your girlfriends, and you’ll be helping other women in the area have a happy holiday season.

Fifth Annual Christkindlmarket, 10:00am
November 24th, 2012
18 S. Berlin Pike, Lovettsville, VA
Sponsored by the Loudoun Valley German Society, this traditional European market will provide the perfect setting to start off your holiday season! Featuring five live musical acts, all of which play a variety of folk music from different cultures, this is one holiday event that will transport you to the environment of our neighbors across the Atlantic. Dine on traditional European sausages and potato pancakes while you shop from various vendors, listen to German storytellers and watch puppet shows. Children will enjoy face painting and craft stations as well. This is a fantastic, family-friendly event that doubles as a cultural experience.

Classical Ballet Theatre Presents “The Nutcracker” 7:00pm
November 24th, 2012
8333 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA
It’s a holiday classic! Enter the world of sugar plum fairies and nutcracker princes at this balletic performance. Complete with stunning costumes and beautiful choreography, you’ll be swept away with the music of Tchaikovsky.

With ample opportunity to get in the holiday spirit this weekend in the Northern Virginia area, you’ll likely end this weekend by counting down the days until Christmas! If you have any questions about the communities in the Northern Virginia area, don’t hesitate to contact me! I’d be happy to help in any way that I can. I hope to hear from you soon.


Earle Whitmore
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.
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Have a Stress-Free Holiday Feast in Northern Virginia!

You have all the ingredients you need for your Thanksgiving dinner. The guests know what time to arrive, and you’re busy preparing your home for a wonderful feast when all of a sudden, disaster strikes. Several homeowners in the Northern Virginia area have faced predicaments similar to this one, and it can cause a lot of stress during a time when you’re supposed to be giving thanks for the blessings in your life. Hosting a holiday is stressful enough without the sudden issues at home.

We’ve compiled a few ideas that will help you prepare your Northern Virginia home for hosting a Thanksgiving celebration. If you take action now, you may actually be able to ENJOY your Thanksgiving dinner, despite being the host.

Can your appliance really make it one more year? Thanksgiving is just as good a time as any to consider getting that new stove or microwave. The last thing you want is for your oven to go on the fritz when you’re trying to cook the turkey. If you’re going to have to replace an item in your kitchen, now would be the time to do so! That way, you can rest easy knowing that everything will actually work when you start preparing your culinary specialties.

Is your oven ready to go? Many people think that the best time to run your oven’s self-cleaning cycle is in the days before Thanksgiving. This isn’t true. The process is actually very draining on the appliance and could cause it to break down as you put the turkey in the oven. Instead, use a damp cloth, wipe out your burners and do some basic cleaning and run the cycle AFTER the holiday.

Do your basic appliance maintenance and cleaning. Make sure your refrigerator, microwave and dishwasher are all in good working order by performing some basic maintenance.  Ensure that your refrigerator coils are clean, remove caked-on foods from your microwave and clean your dishwasher tubs. These will help your appliances run more efficiently as your prepare and clean up your meal.

Clean out your refrigerator. Just like you can guarantee that you’ll be in a food coma after dinner, you know that there will be leftovers. The last thing that you want is to have to juggle and shuffle items all over your fridge for the extra space. Cleaning it out beforehand will give you the room to store your leftovers and allow you to get rid of old and expired items in one shot. It’s worth the extra time and effort when you’re cleaning up your meal!

These are just a few of many pre-meal preparations you can make in order to ensure a smooth and successful Thanksgiving dinner. As your Northern Virginia real estate agent, I think that the ability to host large family gatherings is just one of the many benefits of being a homeowner. However, this privilege also comes with a bit of stress, and these ideas can help you relax during the anxiety-provoking preparations.

If you need any help with your Northern Virginia real estate needs, don’t hesitate to contact me! I’d be happy to help in any way I can. I hope to hear from you soon!


Earle Whitmore
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.
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Don’t Be Afraid to Buy Your NOVA Home in the Off-Season!

Happy Election Day, Northern Virginia! November has arrived, the weather is getting a tiny bit cooler, and the time to buy a home this year has passed…right?

Not exactly. Contrary to popular belief, it IS possible to start the home buying process during the holiday season. You just need to know what to expect. As a Northern Virginia real estate agent, part of my job is to help people find the home of their dreams at ANY time of year. I certainly make it a priority to tell my buyer clients the pros and cons of starting their search in the off-season, but know this: it IS possible. Here are a few things to expect when you enter the real estate market at this time of year:

Lower inventory. Fewer homes are listed in the Northern Virginia real estate market during this time of year, which can be one of the pitfalls of starting your home search in the off-season.

More serious buyers. While the number of homes available on the market might be a bit smaller, one of the major benefits of starting your search now is that the sellers who ARE listing their homes are serious about moving. Nobody is going to list their home in the off-season unless they are trying to move as quickly as possible. As a buyer, this puts you in a great position. It ensures that you’re entering into negotiations with a serious seller and that you can work with them to come to a mutually beneficial agreement. Sellers who aren’t as serious can be unreliable when you go under contract. In this season, however, that obstacle is less likely to become an issue.

You won’t have to compete with as many offers. Since fewer buyers will be searching for a new home during the off-season, you won’t have as much competition when you decide to submit an offer. Buying now could help you avoid a bidding war in the spring.

The holiday season is the perfect time to start over. Think about it: there’s no better time to start thinking about your future than during the holiday season! Pretty soon, people will be giving thanks, wrapping presents and listing out their New Year’s resolutions. It’s really a time when you can start thinking about making changes in your life. Having a new home provides the perfect setting for you to start improving the livelihood of your entire family.

These are just a few of the emotions, obstacles and benefits to expect if you choose to start searching for your dream home during the off-season. As a Northern Virginia real estate agent, I try to prepare my clients for their transaction as thoroughly as possible. There are several benefits to starting your home search now, but you do need to know what to expect and use the market conditions to your advantage.

If you have any questions about buying a home in the Northern Virginia real estate market, don’t hesitate to contact me! I’d be happy to guide you throughout the entire transaction, from contract to close. I hope to hear from you soon!


Earle Whitmore
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.
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