Mount Vernon HomeLifeStyle

Mount Vernon HomeLifeStyle

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Like Magic

New plan in built-out 1940s colonial gains vital square footage as young family looks ahead.

In the end, a skillful spatial reconfiguration is like a deft magician's trick — you've seen it with your own eyes, but you still can't figure out how they did it. “Really, I don't know how this plan created so much more usable space,” Alexandria resident Alice Goulet said, discussing a recent reconfiguration to several rooms in the family's 1,800-square-foot center-hall Colonial.

Mount Vernon Home Sales: July, 2013

In July 2013, 124 homes sold between $1,195,000-$76,125 in the Mount Vernon area.

Mount Vernon Home Sales: July, 2013

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Is Your Home Ready for Back to School?

Local designers offer tips for creating functional and stylish homework spaces.

Summer will soon come to an end, and children everywhere will be heading back to school and coming home with homework. To keep students engaged and excited, some local designers offer suggestions for creating a space so fun and inviting that your children will want to hang out there — even if that means doing homework.

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Outdoor Elegance Meets Cutting Edge Technology

A design/build team explores fine architecture in weather-resistant materials.

If anything in the summer of 2013 points to still evolving homeowner expectations, it may be the frequency with which locals are integrating screen porches, patios, fire pits, and outdoor kitchens into original landscaping schemes that artfully marry the house to its setting.

Keeping Pets Safe

Veterinary experts say common household items can harm animals.

Did you know that a bowl of grapes sitting on your counter can be fatal to your dog or that a bouquet of fragrant lilies could be lethal to a cat? Were you aware that a stick of gum might cause a life-threatening canine emergency? Veterinary experts say that while pet hazards are lurking around almost every home, many pet owners are unaware of them. From favorite foods to over-the-counter-pain relievers, a number of common household items are dangerous to family pets.

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Mount Vernon Real Estate: May 2013 Top Sales

In May 2013, 157 homes sold between $1,400,000-$65,000 in the Mount Vernon area.

Mount Vernon Real Estate: May 2013 Top Sales

Mount Vernon Home Sales: June, 2013

In June 2013, 165 homes sold between $1,278,000-$78,000 in the Mount Vernon area.

Mount Vernon Home Sales: June, 2013

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Housing’s Roaring Rebound?

Pent-up demand creates seller’s market for Northern Virginia real estate.

In February, Patricia Stack, a broker with Weichert Realtors, held an open house for a single-family home for sale in Vienna just listed for $739,000. Within three hours, more than 70 people toured the home. “The home went under contract substantially above list price,” Stack said. “2013 has started with a bang in Northern Virginia real estate. In fact, it appears to be a market more like 2005-2006 than anything we've seen since,” Stack said.

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Housing’s Roaring Rebound?

Pent-up demand creates seller’s market for Northern Virginia real estate.

In February, Patricia Stack, a broker with Weichert Realtors, held an open house for a single-family home for sale in Vienna just listed for $739,000. Within three hours, more than 70 people toured the home.

Crafting a Wheel-chair Friendly Master Bath

Acessibility designer inspired by personal experiences.

“We are seeing more seniors choosing to stay in their homes than ever before,” says aging-in-place specialist Russ Glickman.

Senior Center Enriches Mount Vernon Life

Fairfax County is rich with senior living centers, according to Julie Ellis, Director of the Mount Vernon Center. The Mount Vernon Center, Hollin Hall Senior Center for Creative Retirement, just celebrated its 30th anniversary in January.

Bulletin Board

Thursday/June 6 Do More in 24. 4-6 p.m. at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 8531 Riverside Road. Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services is hosting a free event to raise awareness and funds for homeless families. Will include chalk drawing, door prizes, music and more. Donations of books encouraged. 703-768-9404.

Military Notes

Navy Ensign Megan E. McGarry, daughter of retired Air Force Col. Brian J. and Elizabeth N. McGarry of Alexandria, was recently commissioned upon graduation from Reserve Officer Training Corps Program with Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps Unit, University of Notre Dame. She is a 2011 graduate of Notre Dame with a BBA degree.

School Notes

Army Cadet John T. Rice has received the George C. Marshall Award from the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Va. The Vanderbilt University student is the son of Julia Rice of Alexandria, and William Thomas Rice of Annapolis. He graduated in 2009 from West Potomac High School.

And the Winners Are …

Cappies Gala on Sunday, June 9, at Kennedy Center.

The 14th Annual Cappies Gala will take place at 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 9, in the 2,400-seat Concert Hall at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.