Another Home Just Listed & Already Under Contract in Bramear

Another Home Just Listed & Already Under Contract in Bramear

People who view the real estate industry from the outside often seem to want to console me this time of year.  “With the holidays it’s got to be a hard time of year.”  You know, that kind of attitude.  I’m here to tell you, November and December are busier most years than July and August.

Not only did I put two deals together in Manassas the week of Thanksgiving, but after the Thanksgiving holiday, on November 29th I listed this Braemar Yardley.  The home had three finished levels, a walk out basement, fenced yard, five bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms.  It boasted built-in book cases in the family room and hardwood floors on the main level.  However, as a Short Sale in need of a painting makeover and light fixtures, and maybe some TLC in other places, the Seller and I came upon $399,000 as a fair price for the home.  Knowing the average marketing time for a Heritage Series home in Braemar, in the most recent Braemar Property Value Report, was forty days, we settled in for a wait.

By December 5th, this Yardley had an offer.  Well, that was unexpected…and completely welcome.   On December 7th, this Yardley at 14045 Rora Moss Place was under contract.

Best expectation as to when this might make it to settlement would be April.  The sale will be posted here on SellingBraemar.com when it happens, so stay tuned.  In the meantime, enjoy your holiday and when you are ready to move, give me a call for a free market analysis of your specific home’s value.  No One Knows Braemar Better!

Chris Ann Cleland, Associate Broker-Licensed in VA

Long & Foster REALTORS®, Manassas VA

703-402-0037, ChrisAnn@LNF.com

www.SellingBraemar.com, www.UncompromisingValues.com

It’s Honeysuckle Time in Braemar

It’s a wonderful thing when the honeysuckles are in bloom in Bristow, VA’s community of Braemar. Makes me wish my blog had the ability to convey a scent. Insert a scent instead of a picture or a film clip. Think of the emotion you could convey.

There’s nothing like the sweet fragrance wafting in the window of your car as your drive down Tartan Hills Parkway in Braemar. With the abundance of tree save areas in the community, giving rise to so many shrubs, the scent of honeysuckles is ever present in Braemar this time of year.

In fact, one of the things that attacted my husband and I to living in Braemar was the tree save areas. The community, while having newer homes, and still delivering new construction at the time, had the feel of being a more established community with all the mature trees around. So many developments ripped the mature trees out to start from scratch. Definitely not the case in Braemar.

Whether you’re driving down Braemar Parkway, or Tartan Hills Parkway, there is a wide median separating opposite directions of traffic with mature trees, and whatever shrubs grow there naturally. Some areas are more sculpted with mulch beds and flowers alongside those trees, giving a nice flash of color to the greenery.

Driving down those parkways is also where the scent of honeysuckles is strongest.  So when you’re heading into Braemar on Braemar Parkway or Tartan Hills Parkway, roll down the windows and take a deep breath. That sweet smell with instantly relax you as it welcomes you home.

Braemar Residents May be Shocked to Know Their Cul-de-Sacs are No Parking

The Bristow community of Braemar will soon have a safety restriction enforced on it’s cul-de-sacs with center islands.  The Prince William County Fire Marshall determined while Braemar was under construction, that  cul-de-sacs with islands could pose a problem for fire trucks needing to turn around in these areas if there were cars parked along the curb.   Unfortunately, signage to date has not stopped the parking and many residents do not know that their cul-de-sacs have always been a No Parking area.

This safety hazard was brought to light by concerned residents of one of Braemar’s sub-associations, Tartan Hills Village, in 2007. At that time, the County Fire Code was reviewed and No Parking signs were installed by VDOT (Virginia Deparment of Transportation) in Tartan Hills Village culd-de-sacs with islands, after the approval by the Prince William Board of County Supervisors.  This was a move to make enforcement of parking restrictions easier.  The signage in place before was ambiguous to police officers an enforcement next to impossible.

The same process was just followed by the Master Home Owners Association of Braemar for the remaining cul-de-sacs with islands within the community.

According to information in the Braemar newsletter, the no parking signs will be installed on the west side of Sudley Manor Drive during the Spring and Summer of 2010. The east side of Sudley Manor Drive will have no parking signs at a later time, at this point undetermined. First cul-de-sacs to have the No Parking signs installed will be:

Ballagan Court

Banchory Place

Crail Court

Cromarty Court

Daldownie Court

Dunblane Court

Fisherford Court

Garrow Court

Grady Pond Way

Kinloss Mews

Kyle Moor Court

Laurencekirk Place

Nethy Bridge Court

Potential Braemar home buyers looking for cul-de-sac lots for the convenience of additional street parking need to be aware of the restriction when house hunting. Cul-de-sac homes have longer driveways provided by the builder for this exact reason, so it shouldn’t be an issue.  Howevr, it’s best to know all the facts before purchasing your Braemar home.  Just another reason to ensure you are working with a neighborhood expert if you have narrowed your search to Braemar.