What Fountains at McLean Floor Plans are Available?

Fountains at McLean Floor Plans

The Fountains at McLean is a condo community located in McLean, VA, just down the street from the Spring Hill Metro Station along the Silver Line. Built in 1988, there are twenty-six 3-story mid-rise buildings with outside parking and two 4-story mid-rise secure access buildings with underground parking located in the community. The Fountains at McLean offers 502 units, ranging from 1-2 bedrooms. There are 360 1BR units and 142 2BR units.

There are 12 different floor plans available at the Fountains at McLean. There are seven 1-bedroom models ranging in size from 624-849 sf. There are five 2-bedroom models ranging in size from 952-1050 sf. All of the units offer a balcony, and have an in-unit washer/dryer that is located just off of the kitchen.

One Bedroom Condos at the Fountains at McLean

Pine – Model Pine is a 1BR/1BA 624 sf unit located in buildings 1530, 1532, 1533, 1535, 1537, 1538, and 1540. There are a total of 42 units with this layout, 6 in each building.

Elm – Model Elm is a 1BR/1BA 626 sf unit located in the four story mid-rise buildings 1504 and 1524. There are a total of 80 units with this layout, 40 in each building, 10 per floor.

Birch – Model Birch is a 1BR/1BA 689 sf unit located in the four story mid-rise buildings 1504 and 1524. There are a total of 89 units with this layout.

Cedar – Model Cedar is a 1BR/1BA 690 sf unit located in buildings 1513, 1515, 1521, 1523, 1534, and 1536. There are a total of 36 units with this layout, 6 in each building.

Spruce – Model Spruce is a 1BR/1BA 762 sf unit located in buildings 1513, 1515, 1521, 1523, 1525, 1527, 1530, 1532, 1533, 1534, 1535, 1536, 1538, 1539, 1540. There are a total of 90 units with this layout, 6 in each building.

Maple – Model Maple is a 1BR/1BA 779 sf unit located in the four story mid-rise buildings 1504 and 1524. There are a total of 15 units with this layout.

Sycamore – Model Sycamore is a 1BR/1BA 849 sf unit located in the four story mid-rise buildings 1504 and 1524. There are a total of 8 units with this layout, 4 in each building.

Two Bedroom Condos at the Fountains at McLean

Willow – Model Willow is a 2BR/2BA 952 sf unit located in the four story mid-rise buildings 1504 and 1524. There are a total of 40 units with this layout, 20 in each building.

Magnolia – Model Willow is a 2BR/2BA 969 sf unit located in the four story mid-rise buildings 1504 and 1524. There are a total of 8 units with this layout, 4 in each building.

Dogwood – Model Dogwood is a 2BR/2BA 973 sf unit located in buildings 1525, 1527, and 1539. There are a total of 18 units with this layout, 6 in each building.

Linden – Model Linden is a 2BR/2BA 1034 sf unit located in the four story mid-rise buildings 1504 and 1524. There are a total of 16 units with this layout, 8 in each building.

Oak – Model Oak is a 2BR/2BA 1050 sf unit located in buildings 1501, 1503, 1505, 1507, 1509, 1511, 1517, 1519, 1541, 1543. There are a total of 60 units with this layout, 6 in each building.

For more information about The Fountains at McLean, visit The Fountains at McLean Community Overview page, or contact Peggy Yee at 703-349-0143 to arrange a private showing of condos for sale at the Fountains at McLean.

Thinking about selling your unit at the Fountains at McLean?

Contact Peggy today at 703-348-0143 for a free personalized consultation or click here to see what your property is worth.

Floor plans courtesy of The Fountains at McLean.

What Rotonda Floor Plans Are Available?

Rotonda Floor Plans

The Rotonda is a gated condo community located in McLean, VA, just down the street from the Greensboro Metro Station along the Silver Line. There are five 10-story high-rise controlled access buildings and underground parking located in the community built between 1978 and 1980. The Rotonda offers 1165 units, ranging from 1-4 bedrooms. There are 256 1BR units, 696 2BR units, 189 3BR units and 5 4BR units.

There are 11 different standard floor plans available at the Rotonda ranging from 1-3 bedroom condos and 3 combined unit floor plans ranging from 3-4 bedroom condos. The size of the standard units range from 902-2097 sf. The combined units range from 2069-2535 sf. All of the units offer a balcony, and have an in-unit washer/dryer that is located just off of the kitchen.

One Bedroom Condos at The Rotonda

Model B – Model B is a 1BR/1BA 902 sf unit located in each of the high-rise buildings. There are a total of 100 units with this layout, 20 in each building, 2 per floor. All of the Model B units end in #02 or #16.

Model C – Model C is a 1BR/1BA 992 sf unit located in each of the high-rise buildings. There are a total of 156 units with this layout. All of the Model C units end in #04 or #09 and in Building 8340, 8350, 8370 units end in #18 or #23

Two Bedroom Condos at The Rotonda

Model D – Model D is a 2BR/1.5BA 1077 sf unit located in each of the high-rise buildings. There are a total of 72 units with this layout. All of the Model D units end in #06 or #20

Model E – Model E is a 2BR/1.5BA 1208 sf unit located in buildings 8340, 8350 and 8360. There are a total of 56 units with this layout. All of the Model E units end in #10 or #24

Model EE – Model EE is a 2BR/2BA 1208 sf unit located in buildings 8370 and 8380. There are a total of 39 units with this layout. All of the Model EE units end in #10 or #24

Model F – Model F is a 2BR/2BA 1132 sf unit located in each of the high-rise buildings. There are a total of 290 units with this layout. All of the Model F units end in #03, #05, #11, #17, #19 or #25

Model G – Model G is a 2BR/2BA 1327 sf unit located in each of the high-rise buildings. There are a total of 189 units with this layout. All of the Model G units end in #07, #08, #21, or #22

Model H – Model H is a 2BR/2BA 1504 sf unit located in each of the high-rise buildings. There are a total of 50 units with this layout, 10 in each building, 1 per floor. All of the Model H units end in #14.

Model D	Model E
Model EE	Model F
Model G	Model H

Three Bedroom Condos at The Rotonda

Model J – Model J is a 3BR/2BA 1685 sf unit located in each of the high-rise buildings. There are a total of 100 units with this layout, 20 in each building, 2 per floor. All of the Model J units end in #12 or #26.

Model AA – Model AA is a 3BR/3BA 1780 sf unit located in each of the high-rise buildings. There are a total of 45 units with this layout, 9 in each building, 1 per floor, except the 1st floor. All of the Model AA units end in #01.

Model CD – (Unique) Model CD is a 3BR/2.5BA 2069 sf unit located in buildings 8340, 8350, and 8380. It is a combined Model C and Model D unit. There are a total of 8 units with this layout.

Model RR – Model RR is a 3BR/3BA 2097 sf unit located in buildings 8360 and 8380. There are a total of 30 units with this layout. In building 8360, all of the Model RR units end in #18 or #23. In building 8380, all of the Model RR units end in #18.

Model GC – (Unique) Model GC is a 3BR/3BA 2319 sf unit located in buildings 8340, 8350, 8370 and 8380. It is a combined Model G and Model C unit. There are a total of 6 units with this layout.

Model J	Model AA
Model RR

Four Bedroom Condos at The Rotonda

Model GE – (Unique) Model GE is a 4BR/3.5BA 2535 sf unit located in buildings 8340, 8350, and 8370. It is a combined Model G and Model E unit. There are a total of 5 units with this layout.

For more information about The Rotonda, visit The Rotonda Community Overview page, or contact Peggy Yee at 703-349-0143 to arrange a private showing of condos for sale at the Rotonda.

Thinking about selling your unit at the Rotonda?

Contact Peggy today at 703-348-0143 for a free personalized consultation or click here to see what your property is worth.

Floor plans courtesy of The Rotonda.

How close are Tysons Corner condos to the Silver Line Metro Stations?

One of the most important aspects of buying a Tysons Corner condo is how close the condo is to the Silver Line Metro Stations. There are four Silver Line stations that run through Tysons Corner: McLean, Tysons Corner, Greensboro and Spring Hill. The McLean station is the furthest from restaurants and shopping, but closely located to many office buildings. The Tysons Corner station connects to the Tysons Corner Shopping Center. The Greensboro and Spring Hill station are along Route 7 and close by to many restaurants and stores. Depending on your situation and needs, there may be a particular Metro Station you’d like to live near.

There are several condo communities within the Tysons Corner area, each with their own unique characteristics and amenities. I’ve put together an infographic that shows how close each Tysons Corner condo community is to the Metro Station.

For more information on any of these condo communities, or for a private showing of condos for sale in Tysons Corner, please contact Peggy today at 703-349-0143.

McLean Station

The Gates of McLean [0.2 miles]

Regency [0.7 miles]

The Colonies [0.5 miles]

Tysons Corner Station

Regency [0.4 miles]

Encore [0.4 miles]

The Colonies [0.5 miles]

Lillian Court at Tysons [0.6 miles]

The Gates of McLean [0.8 miles]

The Rotonda [0.9 miles]

Greensboro Station

Lillian Court at Tysons [0.4 miles]

The Rotonda [0.5 miles]

Park Crest [0.7 miles]

Fountains at McLean [0.8 miles]

Spring Hill Station

The Rotonda [0.4 miles]

Westwood Village [0.4 miles]

Park Crest [0.7 miles]

Lillian Court at Tysons [0.7 miles]

Fountains at McLean [0.7 miles]

About the Silver Line

OPERATING HOURS:
Monday-Thursday: 5AM – Midnight
Friday: 5AM – 3AM (Sat)
Saturday: 7AM – 3AM (Sun)
Sunday: 7AM – Midnight

Connects to existing Metro system at East Falls Church Station

Rush hour service: Every 6 min
Off Peak/Weekend: Every 12-15 min

Why should I get a home inspection for my Vienna home?

Once a house is under contract, one of the first things to do is to get a home inspection. Unless you are a cash buyer planning to tear down the house, I would highly recommend getting a home inspection. The purpose of the home inspection is two-fold.

First, is to have a qualified professional take a look at the house to make sure there are no issues with the home.

Remember, you are paying your home inspector to be picky. They will write down every issue they see with the house, ranging from a roof that is falling apart to a door that doesn’t latch properly. Just remember: Not all issues are created equal. The main questions to ask yourself are:

Is this a safety or health issue?
What is the cost/time to fix the issue?
Is it something I can do myself?
Is it something that needs to be fixed now to move into the house? Or can it be repaired later?

I have had buyers who want the seller to fix every little item found in the report. Are you going to walk away from the deal because the seller won’t replace a ripped screen? I’ll leave negotiating home inspection items for another post, but just keep in mind that every house is going to have issues (even new construction), and it shouldn’t stop you from purchasing a home.

Second, it is a chance for the buyer to ask the home inspector any questions about the maintenance and operation of the house.

Follow your home inspector around and don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you don’t know what something does, ask. Some things to make sure you ask the inspector:

Where are my main shut off valves (e.g., water, gas, etc…)
How often should I replace my air filter and what size is it?
Where is the electrical panel? Is it labeled?

After you get the home inspection report, the inspector is available to answer any further questions you have, so don’t hesitate to ask!

Virginia is a buyer-beware state, so it is very important to get a home inspection before your purchase your Vienna home. I have a list of recommended home inspectors that I have personally worked with who can conduct your home inspection.

Are you still looking for Vienna homes for sale?

Check out these available properties below and call/text Peggy at 703-349-0143 to arrange a personal showing.

[idx-listings city=”Vienna” statuses=”1″ propertytypes=”132″ orderby=”DateAdded” orderdir=”DESC” showlargerphotos=”true”]

Image Source: Flickr / Justin Baeder

Silver Line Metro Provides Easy Access In and Out of Washington DC

The first phase of the Silver Line Metro officially opened on July 26, 2014 and builds on the current Metro System in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area. The Silver Line extends out from the existing Orange Line, branching off at East Falls Church Metro Station. This first phase consists of five metro stations (see map below):

Ridership along the line has mainly focused on commuters coming in from the Wiehle-Reston Station going to/from Downtown DC. The Spring Hill and Greensboro stops are along Route 7, which has access to businesses, restaurants, and shopping. The Tysons Corner Metro Station is directly connected to Tysons Corner Galleria, which allows now allows visitors direct access to the large shopping mall (similar to Pentagon City). And finally, the McLean station provides another access point to businesses and residences before heading into DC.

In addition to building the Metro stations, there are also several bus lines, private parking lots, bike storage, and kiss & ride areas that serve each station. For more info on the Silver Line, visit www.silverlinemetro.com.

Since the successful opening of the Silver Line, residents are also awaiting the anticipated second phase of the Silver Line, scheduled to open in 2018. The second phase will continue west from the Wiehle-Reston Station and terminate at Dulles International Airport.

Homes For Sale Near the Silver Line Metro Stations

Interested in buying a home near the Silver Line Metro? Check out the properties next to each Silver Line Metro station:

Image Source: Flickr / Aimee Custis Photography

Fairfax County Public School Reviews and Resources for Parents

Which Fairfax County Public School is best for my child?

For many parents, choosing where to live depends on which elementary, middle, or high school the property feeds into. Here are our top resources for finding more information about Fairfax County Public Schools.

Fairfax County Official Websites

Fairfax County Public Schools Main Website – A great starting point to learning about the school system

Fairfax County Boundary Locator – Type in your property address to see which schools your child will attend

Fairfax County School Profiles – Fairfax County publishes detailed statistics about each public school, including demographics and test results.

Website Reviews of Fairfax County Public Schools

There are several websites which current parents provide reviews of the schools and prospective parents can ask questions.

DC Urban Mom – My favorite discussion board on finding the latest information on Fairfax County Public Schools. There is also a separate forum for the Advanced Academic Program (AAP) Tip: Type in the school in the search bar to filter out the results faster.

GreatSchools.org – A popular website that provides a score for each school. Parents can also leave reviews for a school, which can provide more insight than just the score.

SchoolDigger.com – Another popular website to search for schools. The site also provides rankings for each school

Find the Best – Another website with local information including public school score information

US News and World Report Rankings of Fairfax County Schools – Ranking of Fairfax County Public High Schools

While rankings can help parents narrow down which schools and areas to focus, I also recommend meeting with the school principal, touring perspective schools, and talking with other parents to get a better sense of a prospective school. Rankings are just a pre-determined formula each website uses based on available data. Ultimately, it is the parents that will make the best choice for their child.

Need to find a home in a specific school district?

Call or Text Peggy today at 703-349-0143 to get the latest properties for sale in your preferred Fairfax County School District!

The First Three Things To Do Before Buying a Northern Virginia Home

Buying a home in Northern Virginia is probably one of the biggest purchases you’ll make if your lifetime. Fortunately, you don’t have to do it alone. Here are the first three things you should do when buying a Northern Virginia home:

1) Get Pre-Approved

A pre-approval letter is a MUST HAVE these days, so you should get one sooner than later. Many agents will not take buyers to showings without getting a pre-approval letter first. While this ensures an agent’s time isn’t wasted, it’s really in your best interest to talk with a lender to make sure you qualify for a loan and know how much you qualify for. I’ve had two instances where the buyer found a place they loved, only to realize they couldn’t afford it or their credit wasn’t good enough to get a loan. Both were really disappointed and I would hate to see that happen to you! Pre-approvals are usually good for up to 3 months and you can ask your lender to provide an updated letter if you need a new one.

2) Sign up on FranklyMLS

If you haven’t already, go to FranklyMLS right now and sign up for an account. Then come back here to finish reading this post. FranklyMLS is one of the best sites for searching for Northern Virginia homes for sale. First, the site is local to the Washington DC Metro Area. For example, one each listing, there is a “Verify Schools” link which will take you to the Fairfax County Boundary Locator website. There is also a link to the Fairfax County Tax Assessment Information too. I haven’t seen any other website with as comprehensive information as FranklyMLS.

3) Go to Open Houses

If you aren’t sure about what you want to buy, going to open houses is a great way to start looking at homes that you might be interested in and a chance to see what different neighborhoods are out there. Be aware that most agents will ask you to sign in and may follow up with you in hopes of getting you as a client. (Although I do hope you contact me if you are ready to work with an agent!)

BONUS FranklyMLS Tip – Search for Open Houses on FranklyMLS!

If you did Step 2, then searching for open houses on FranklyMLS is super-easy. Just type in your search term and scroll down to the spreadsheet mode and click on the “OH” column to sort by open house. Here’s what the symbols mean:

~ means “maybe” there is an Open House. Mouseover the MLS # to see if the remarks have an open house.
ˆ means “yes” there is an Open House officially scheduled in the FUTURE (probably this coming weekend).

When you are ready…

Contact a REALTOR to represent you. A lot of people hesitate to be “locked in” to one agent, but there are many benefits to working with a buyer’s agent. But that’s a post for another day. In the meantime, read more about why it’s good to have a dedicated buyer’s agent over at Frank’s blog.

Buyer Strategies – What’s in Your Agent’s Toolbox?

It’s finally happened…after months and months of searching online, going to open houses, meeting with your agent…you’ve finally found a place you want to call home. Now it’s time to put in an offer! But what should you offer? Should you try to low-ball? Or give your best and final upfront and move on if the seller doesn’t accept?

Buyers should hire a buyer’s agent to strategize on how to make your offer. Unfortunately, there is no magic formula for creating the best offer. Each situation is different (different neighborhood, different house, different seller, different listing agent, etc..). Therefore, you want a buyer’s agent that is experienced in various buying strategies in their toolbox and knows when to apply them.

Here are two very different situations of two clients I represented last year and how I was able to apply the right strategy to get them the property they wanted at the best price possible:

Example 1 – Negotiate on Terms, Not Just Price

Last December, I was able to get the buyer a great price on a townhouse, because we were able to negotiate not only on price, but on terms as well. It was a townhouse in Alexandria was on the market for a few weeks already. Since we were nearing the end of the year and the property was already vacant, I saw an opportunity to offer the seller a quick close date before the end of the year but to have an aggressive price. Since we were able to close in just over 3 weeks, my buyer was able to get the property at 94% of list price. The appraisal even came in at OVER the list price!**

Example 2 – Avoiding a Multiple Offer Situation

In another example, I showed a single family home in Herndon to another client. The property was well priced and you could tell it was going to be a multiple offer situation with the property going over list price. The seller listed it on a Monday, and I was able to quickly get my buyer into the house and make an offer by Wednesday. I told my buyer he had to act quickly in order to avoid a multiple offer situation and have the property bid up over list price. In this case, because we were able to put our offer in quickly, we were able to get it under contract before the weekend and got the property without a bidding war.

These are just two example of the many different ways a buyer agent needs to read the situation and advise their client on the best strategy to get the property they want at the best price possible.

Want to hear more strategies I use as a buyer’s agent? Contact me today!

**Keep in mind that appraisals are just one person’s opinion also – and in this particular case, it came in higher than the contract price. It could have easily gone the other way if it was a different appraiser. This is a topic for a future blog post!

Photo Courtesy of Flickr – lungstuck