Real-estate

Our notable property is a like-new custom home from The Building Group, a property that offers unsurpassed special features throughout three levels of elegance in a sought-after corner of Great Falls.

The number of improving housing markets continued to expand for a fourth consecutive month in December, rising from 30 to 41 on the latest National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI), released recently. 

Sales of newly built, single-family homes edged up 1.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 315,000 units in November, according to newly released figures by the U.S. Commerce Department.  

The U.S. will not become a nation of renters. There are just too many benefits, both financial and otherwise, to own versus rent. 

Existing-home sales rose again in November and remain above a year ago, according to the National Association of Realtors. 

Recent home buyers are staying well within their means, with notably higher incomes and modestly higher down payments than buyers in the previous year due to the restrictive mortgage credit environment, despite historically favorable housing affordability conditions, according to a study released at the 2011 Realtors  Conference & Expo.

Home sales across Fairfax County in 2011 were down 13.1 percent compared to a year before, part of a regional trend downward, but average sales prices were slightly higher than were recorded in 2010.

Northern Virginia is well-positioned to benefit from a recovering housing market, but low inventory, fewer housing starts and an influx of foreclosed properties could complicate the equation, said John L. Heithaus, chief marketing officer for Metropolitan Regional Information Systems Inc.

Homes sales across the broader Northern Virginia market ended the year softer, with both the total number of transactions and the average and median sales prices down from a year before.

Artisan Builders has found inspiration from the grand sport of polo for this week’s featured property, Meadowbrook, named in honor of the Meadowbrook Polo Club, founded on Long Island in 1911 and going strong as the oldest active polo club in the nation.

More than 280,000 residential properties in the Washington area were “under water” – their owners owing more on the home than it is worth – during the third quarter of 2011, according to new figures.

It’s never a disappointment to travel out to the Falcon Ridge neighborhood of Great Falls, where exceptional architecture on large, verdant lots is the norm.

Much of the U.S. economy finally is perking up after four years in the dumps, but the housing market, which constitutes 20 percent of gross national product and traditionally contributes to economic recoveries, continues to plod along, regional real estate leaders said at a Dec. 14 luncheon in Washington, D.C.

Homes sales across Fairfax County in November posted a double-digit decline from a year before, but the average and median sales prices managed to hold up, and the homes that sold spent about the same amount of time on the market as a year ago.

Home sales across the District of Columbia and inner suburbs showed weakness in November, with overall transactions and prices down and homes that did sell lingering longer on the market before finding a buyer.

Glenn Harris began Harris Custom Homes in 1999, and ever since has been building creative architectural gems throughout the northern tier of Arlington, McLean and Great Falls.

We travel to the sought-after Vienna neighborhood of Wendover for this week’s featured property, a large late-1980s colonial set on three-quarters of an acre amid bucolic surroundings.

Home sales across the commonwealth posted an 8-percent increase during the third quarter of 2011 compared to a year before, although part of the growth appears due to the expiration of the federal tax credit for buyers in mid-2010, which sapped buyer enthusiasm at the tail end of the year.

Set on five acres in McLean and offering exceptional upgrades including a new deck and patios, our featured property represents the opportunity to own a home that is a versatile showplace for entertaining at holiday time, and one that works exceptionally well for daily living.

Home sales across Fairfax County took a tumble in October, while average sales prices stayed put and median sales prices managed to rise a bit.

Homes sales in October across the metropolitan Washington area declined 8.3 percent, while average and median sales prices also declined, according to new figures.

Fond memories of the acclaimed Evans Farm Inn remain in the community of upscale living that took its place near Dolley Madison Boulevard in McLean, and this week’s featured property is an exceptional example of the homes that now are found in such a pristine, prestigious locale.

“One of a kind” is an overused phrase in real estate. But when it fits, it fits. Such is the case with this week’s featured property, a graceful and charming Great Falls home with Arts-and-Crafts stylings, three levels of living and verdant surroundings, all set on a 1.89-acre lot in a community where peace and serenity are the watchwords.