As I look back on 2011 in Northern Virginia Real Estate, I think about all of the things my amazing clients, colleagues and friends have helped me accomplish and what I look forward to in 2012.
Being in what most people were calling one of the toughest real estate markets of our time is pretty interesting to look back on, but being lucky enough to live in the DC Metro area, where real estate was one of the amazing markets which kept itself at a fairly even keel, was awe inspiring. People always need a place to live, whether it is a rental, a short term or a long term investment and I want to thank each and every one of my amazing clients who came to me seeking my guidance and real estate knowledge for the Northern Virginia Market. This is my reflection of my year in the Northern Virginia Communities that I live, work, and play in. I hope you enjoy it as much I enjoyed working, playing, and growing with all of you.
Keeping up a five star rating on Yelp! and through our Arbour Realty website is no easy feat! Northern Virginia home buyers and sellers demand excellence and that is what I aim to provide. Thank you to each and every one of you who allowed me to provide you my five star service. I look forward to ensuring that each and every one of my clients receives phenomenal service that exceed their expectations. From listings rented in a week and in some cases even a day, and of course, every sale closed on time with top notch service beyond the sale, my clients know that they are going to get real estate knowledge and guidance that will help them achieve their ultimate goal.
My social and professional network of GreenDrinks celebrated its one year anniversary this July. We help people interested in sustainability stay in touch with like minded individuals- in some instances helping people find jobs, but always helping to spread the word about sustainability issues, policies, and news. This year, our 2nd Annual Art+Wine Bazaar benefited the Arlington Food Assistance Center. We were able to bring great awareness to this fabulous community non-profit while hosting a fun-filled benefit featuring live music, with local and free-trade artisans from near and far. We had a very successful food drive and raised a great monetary donation for AFAC. Next year, we’re looking forward to another amazing year with GreenDrinks along with my co-founder, Marina Ospina.
For more fun and education, I coordinated the first annual green home guided cycling tour in conjunction with Helen Krause of New World Title and Lawrence Nightengale. We took a 
dozen cycling enthusiasts to 6 homes across Arlington with green features that were for sale and showcased
the ease of which you can live a car-free lifestyle in Arlington. This fun-filled event was awesome, even on my one-gear beach cruiser! Thanks so much to everyone who came out and to AIRE for being so very supportive of this event. Hopefully we’ll have even more butts on bikes for next year’s tour!
As someone who not only lives, works, and plays in Arlington, I feel like I need to be a part of every facet of the community and I was so delighted to be asked to join Nauck United and ultimately the Bonder and Amanda Johnson Community Development Corporation Board. I love working to empower the community to educate and share my green building and healthy living knowledge to Northern Virginia while making a difference where I live; it truly means the world to me. It also means the world to me that the community would ask me to be a part of the redevelopment conceptualization of the Nauck town center and Macedonian business incubator center for business insight and further community development. Helping people grow and foster their strengths is something that I hope I can do for my local area and I am blessed to have been incorporated into such a diverse group.
Partnerships are very valuable to me and as a partner with the EarthCraft Virginia technical adviser, Chris Conway of Conway Energy, I have been able to work new construction and renovation projects to aid in the greening of Northern Virginia Real Estate on many levels. I have been very fortunate to be able to continue my path of green real estate, sin
ce this is where I began when I started working with builders back in Austin, Texas as the director of Green Building so many years ago.
Don’t forget that my trusted vendors keep growing thanks to the group that I host along with Marina Ospina, Lauren Brown, and Jeremy Pearce: We’re called Eco-Op. We have an amazing gathering of sustainable businesses who focus their entire business model around ethical, sustainable business practices, just like mine. Together, we help bring small local businesses together in a forum that empowers them to work together as a highly effective team that all believe in the same core values. It is pretty awesome and I’m so proud to be a part of that. Their energy and drive make me excited every time we meet up!
Looking back at 2011, I know that I had a lot going in a real estate market that many people said was on a downward slope. I didn’t think so- if you listen to what people want nothing is on a downturn. I think many more people are going to take advantage of these great rates we’re still seeing, that more renters will become buyers, and I’m ready to give them my best service. I am going to continue growing the community and helping people to understand about healthy, sustainable lifestyles because that is something that I am very passionate about and hope to continue doing throughout my career and into 2012. I look forward to continuing our relationship that we’ve built together and if we haven’t met yet… let’s get that started, shall we?
