New to NoVa

Traffic? What traffic?

2009-07-28T16:13:00.004-04:00

Now that I'm back in NoVa, I have been running around doing errands daily. I'm still working on decorating the townhome and learning where things are around here so I've been doing a lot of driving.

First of all, I can't say ENOUGH about the invention of the GPS. How did we ever live without these things??? It's made finding everything so much easier. But I can't get over how long it takes to get all my errands done around here.

Yesterday I went to Trader Joe's, then to the grocery store (because Trader Joe's didn't have crushed tomatoes). Thanks to the traffic, driving, lines, and fighting the crowds in the stores, it took me 2 hours! It's amazing how fast your time can get sucked up just going from here to there in NoVa. It's definitely something I need to get adjusted to. I am happy to have so many options to choose from as far as shopping, restaurants, and groceries go, but now I understand why people try to do all their errands on the same day - 'cause it can be exhausting!

Where we live

2009-07-22T10:57:00.002-04:00

I have been wasting away my time in Northern Minnesota over the last few weeks. My parents have a great lake house "up north" so I escaped NoVa immediately following my brother's wedding - which was AMAZING, BTW!

I am very happy that I am able to enjoy a little downtime after the craziness of moving, but now my brain is consumed about all the tasks I need to be doing around the house and in my new neighborhood.

As a follow-up to my last post a few weeks ago I found out that we aren't living in Island Creek - so we don't have access to a pool. This was a bummer, but definitely one of those things I should've verified before we moved in. We read through all the HOA docs but I guess I just wasn't putting 2 & 2 together. This wasn't a deal breaker for me, but it would've been nice.

I have a busy week after I return to NoVa. I have two job interviews, and I need to start focusing on finding doctors, dentists, hairdressers, and the all important - a GREAT Chinese takeout. We are getting a new dog in a couple weeks so I also need to find a vet, possibly a dog walker (if I get one of the jobs), and a place to board our new family member when we go out of town.

I really want to get started on putting my house together - one room at a time - but I just haven't had a moment to get all my ideas together yet. That's going to be my new hobby for the next couple years so I have plenty of time!

Just when I think...

2009-07-07T14:08:00.003-04:00

I can take a rest, the craziness begins all over again!

Today I took a much-needed respite at Bella Donna Spa in my new neighborhood. It was great - I had a mani/pedi! I was getting prepared for this weekend. My brother is getting married in Charlottesville, VA on Saturday. I am headed down there tomorrow for the festivities. Which means that I can't breathe until that's over with. And then I am taking a 2-week break in lake country Minnesota with my family. Hopefully while I am relaxing I can get started on my decorating plans. I have some great ideas, I just need to win tomorrow's MegaMillions so that I can get going on them! :)

After 3 full days of unpacking, cleaning, and relocating things all over our new house - we are "done". When I say "done", that means, things are where they should be. But that also means that I need to do some more decorating and changing things around until I am completely happy about my surroundings.

I ran into a roadblock today - I realized that the community we live in actually isn't the community we live in. :) Confused? So am I. There is a big "planned community" nearby called Island Creek. Which I thought our neighborhood was in. But it's not. So now we don't have a pool to use - at least I don't think we do. I am still trying to work it all out. And each community uses a different trash service, so I've called 3 different trash companies trying to figure out how to get a trash can. I still haven't gotten ahold of anyone who can answer the question for me. Ugh. This is the problem of living in a HOA community. Lots of little hoops to jump through. I did finally talk to someone at our management company who told me that a "Welcome Packet" would be arriving soon. :) Yippee.

Landed!

2009-07-02T08:58:00.002-04:00

We've landed in NoVa. I am currently sitting on a camp chair waiting for the movers to arrive. We were lucky this time around with movers - we got here last night after driving 2 days, and the movers arrive today! I am sure the next few days will be about unpacking.

I want to take a moment to observe my favorite holiday of the year - The Fourth of July! I love barbecues, fireworks, and relaxing with friends & family. There is no pressure on the 4th - and that's why it's my favorite. This year we won't be celebrating in much style, but I did find this great summary of 4th of July events going on in the DC area.

Parades, Fireworks, and other stuff

Happy Fourth!

Movin' on up!

2009-06-29T07:33:00.002-04:00

The movers came a day early and packed us up yesterday. Today they are loading the truck. When movers do all the packing it makes things so much easier, but it is possibly the most boring process ever. Of course I need to stay and keep an eye on things, but the TV/Phone/Internet is packed so I am twiddling my thumbs all day long. I managed to get logged in to a neighbor's wireless so at least I can get online and do some blogging today.

Isn't amazing the amount of "stuff" we have!!?? I always thought that LG & I were pretty good at containing the "stuff" and not letting it get out of hand, but once I saw my place all packed up I realized I was kidding myself. I am sure that once we are all moved in I will be hosting a garage sale ASAP! Plus I need to raise some funds for decorating my new place.

First on the agenda in our new house? Installing recessed lighting in the living room & dining room areas. LG is convinced that he can do this with his buddy. I have no doubt that he can and will do it professionally, but I am concerned about the timeframe. I'd like to have it done before the end of summer. We have weddings, trips, and a new dog on the agenda for the summer, so there isn't much time left for housework.

The second item after the lighting issues are addressed is PAINT! Once again, I am sure we could handle painting ourselves, but I am 90% sure I'd rather have a paint crew tackle it in a couple days. I hate the colors that the builders or previous owners chose for this place - they are neutral but they don't make any sense. The ceiling color is different than the crown moulding and the crown moulding and trim are different colors than the wall. And none of the colors are related (greyish ceiling/white trim/yellowish tan walls??). Plus after 6 years of wear, there are scuff marks everywhere, so the paint issues need to be addressed.

Once we get settled in I am going to start getting quotes on interior painting. I am hope that given the current economy we can negotiate a good deal - but I am not holding my breath. If we do get a good rate, maybe that will give LG a kick in the butt to do the lighting. :)

We are homeowners!

2009-06-26T12:51:00.004-04:00

We closed on the house today! Everything went smoothly. Movers come on Monday and we should be moved in by the end of next week!

D-Day

2009-06-26T08:47:00.003-04:00

We are scheduled to close on our new home today! I am crossing my fingers that everything goes smoothly for LG - he's down in VA by himself doing all the work. We've had a few hoops to jump through over the last few days so I am not entirely convinced that it's going to happen.

Mortgage companies are very finicky right now about EVERYTHING. They want to see cancelled checks, letters detailing all your transactions, and statement after statement. And of course, they don't give you plenty of notice - they call you the day before your close!

My husband and I did a traditional 30 year fixed-rate mortgage, with a 20% down payment. We still have good amount of money in our savings account, and didn't touch our 401Ks or other investments. But apparently even that wasn't enough. Just a word of caution for anyone looking for a mortgage right now - make sure you have ALL your documents in order. LG is a SUPER organized so that made things easier, but I can't even imagine what an unorganized person would do.

I'll post later after it all goes down! We should be homeowners again at the end of this day!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

2009-06-25T08:12:00.004-04:00

Sorry about all the changes on my blog recently - I've had trouble picking out the "perfect template". This one seems to fit the bill for now.

With all the crazy things going on while we are moving - I thought it would be important to give a shout-out to the technology in my life. These are the things I have NOT been able to live without over the last few weeks.

#1 - Our Macbook. We love it so much we are getting another one. If it made dinner, I would marry it. But on a more serious note, it has been SO helpful when I am trying to email documents to our lender/realtor/etc. I love that the save/print to PDF feature is so easy to use - but I don't love how HUGE the PDF files are - I know there is a way to make things smaller, just haven't figured it out yet.

#2 - Our printer/scanner/fax machine. This thing rarely gets used - except when we are moving! I think I have used it every day. And it's so nice to have one at home so I don't have to run back and forth to Kinko's to send faxes. I've also scanned every document related to the move, so now I will have them all stored properly on our hard drive. I don't love our particular machine, but it does the job for now.

#3 - My cell phone plan - When we moved to Canada we kept our U.S.-based cell phones & numbers and changed our plan to the "North American" plan which allows us to call anywhere in the U.S., Canada, & Mexico (thanks Verizon)! It worked great because our friends & families could still call a U.S. number without being charged international fees. And it's been wonderful during the whole move process too! I rarely had a service problem with Verizon, but I just wish they would get the iphone!! :)

#4 - Our digital camera - SO helpful when looking at houses! We took pictures of all the houses we saw, so that we could hash out the details after house hunting. It was VERY helpful because there are so many things you forget when looking at 12 houses. Don't forget yours when you go to house hunt!

Making it all come together...

2009-06-24T17:17:00.005-04:00

We are crazy busy right now getting insurance agents to talk to mortgage companies to talk to realtors to talk to title companies. It's amazing the work that is necessary to buy a house. And on top of that, we had a MASSIVE panic earlier this week when our bank appraisal came back lower than our agreed purchase price.

Our real estate agent told us that this has been happening A LOT in the NoVa area. Some come back $50K lower! She said that it's been crazy ever since major changes were made to the appraisal system. So what does a buyer do in that situation? They can fork out the difference themselves, they can ask the sellers for a price adjustment, or they can void the contract.

What did we do? We asked the sellers for a price adjustment. Luckily our appraisal wasn't that far off the purchase price, and after some back and forth, the sellers agreed. Supposedly they weren't very happy. But LG & I just were not comfortable paying more for a house than the bank thinks it's worth. We would've backed out of the contract if they hadn't agreed.

Can you imagine my panic while waiting for their answer? We are scheduled to close on the house on Friday and the movers are coming next Monday - where would we have gone?

But I am thankful now that things are moving along. Cross your fingers that the closing goes smoothly. Then I will be an official Virginian!

Join the club!

2009-06-21T18:10:00.006-04:00

I had to take a little break from blogging to get some move stuff situated over the last few days. Stressing the details can really take a lot out of you.

I am looking into some ideas of how to meet people in NoVa. I am VERY fortunate to have some family and friends living in the area, but it's always good to find your own niche. And branching out is very important when you move somewhere new. Most people who are unhappy about their new surroundings usually haven't gotten involved in their new communities. While it's always difficult to leave friends and family behind when you move - it's exciting to start over too!

Here are a few groups that I've discovered during my research:

MOMS Club of Alexandria West - I'm not a mom yet, but I would definitely get involved in a playgroup if I was. It's the easiest way for the kiddos & mom to make new friends! There are many MOMS clubs in NoVa, but this one is the closest to my new area.

Greater Reston Newcomers & Neighbors Club - I won't be getting involved in this group because I won't be living in greater Reston but it looks like a busy group with MANY different activities like bridge, book club & travel treks.

Northern Virginia Military wives & girlfriends group - I came across this group on Meetup.com. What a great idea! I would join - but I am not a military wife (might as well be though, we've moved enough!) They have a big number of members so I am sure it's a fun group!

Alexandria Recreational Walkers - I am SERIOUSLY thinking about joining this group. I love to walk! And when you find people to go with you it makes it so much more fun.

Purdue Alumni Club of DC - LG and I are both Boilermakers! And we can't wait to join a local alumni group again. I strongly encourage people to get involved in their college alumni groups when they can. They are such a fantastic way to meet people - and you will already have one thing in common!

Junior League of Northern Virginia - I wanted to join the Junior League when I was living in Rhode Island - but we moved and I never got around to it. It's a fantastic organization for women that does a lot to promote volunteerism and philanthropy. I am hoping to get involved once we land in NoVa.

There are many more "specialized" groups listed on Meetup.com too. Meetup is a great resource for newcomers! And if there are others groups that you are involved with or would like to mention please feel free to post links or info in the comments section. I know that moving to a new area can be stressful - but it's always easier when you can find others to enjoy it with!

The Waiting Game

2009-06-17T08:06:00.005-04:00

I am waiting. Waiting to move. Paperwork is being signed. Boxes will be packed. But I don't move into our new home or to NoVa until July 2nd. And the time is ticking by slowly.

I know there are things to do - I can go through messy drawers, sort out the pantry, donate unused item - but I am impatient and waiting.

But mostly I am waiting to explore my new home! I am super excited to find all my favorite new haunts in the neighborhood. These are some of the places I can't wait to visit once I am in NoVa. Bear in mind that I have been in a quiet part of Canada for 4 years - so it doesn't take much to excite me.

Chipotle - I love this place, I've never lived near one, and soon I will have many nearby! A few people told me I must try Baja Fresh too. I love quick and tasty Mexican food.

There's a little shopping center I've heard about called Tysons Corner. That might be a nice place to spend a quiet Saturday. ;) Seriously though, if you can't find something at Tysons, you can't find it. I can't wait to be near some REAL shopping again.

Ethnic food - In an area as diverse as D.C., you can find ANYTHING to eat. It's so fun to find the hole-in-a-wall restaurants that serve delicious food from every corner of the world. I can't wait to find my favorites.

Slurpees anyone? I am a recovered-Slurpee addict. I gave a speech about the joys of Slurpees in college. I once drove 3 hours round-trip to find one. And I haven't had one in AT LEAST 4 years. Now there is a 7-11 within walking distance to my home. SWEET!

Old Town Alexandria - We bought a townhome in Alexandria (Kingstowne area), but I've never been to Old Town! I can't wait to check it out!

I could add MANY more places, but I am going to keep short & sweet for now. Maybe I will do a list like this every Tuesday. And if you have recommendations of places I should check out once I am there, I will! Can't wait to get there!

Getting back to work

2009-06-16T08:00:00.004-04:00

I've been living easy in Canada for the past 4 years. LG's job has provided plenty for the both of us, so I didn't have to work. I did some volunteer work, and then I got a part-time job at a boutique that I really enjoyed.

But I should go back to work in NoVa so that we can have little fun! We won't be poor if I don't work, but we won't be taking trips to Europe anytime soon. Plus, I feel like I am wasting my college degree. I'd also like to get a job in order to meet people in the area. Eventually I'd like to be a stay-at-home mom, but until the mom part happens I must make some $$$.

Today I am scouring the ads on Craigslist and the Washington Post. Finding a job this way takes FOREVER, so I am considering doing some temp work once we roll into town.

The job searching made me wonder - how do couples/families live on one-income in Northern Virginia? Or can they? The current economy must have forced this on many families, but are people able to do it by choice?

Setting up shop

2009-06-15T08:30:00.005-04:00

I spent the last few days cancelling utilities in Canada.

Now it's time to set up the utilities in NoVa. All were super easy to do over the phone so far:

Gas
Electric
Water

Now I have to make the dreaded decisions about phone, cable, and internet service. I am tempted to go with Cox because of the ease of setting it up. And the price I was quoted was pretty great for all three. I don't think Verizon has FIOS in our area yet, so I would have to go with Direct TV through Verizon. Decisions, Decisions. Any recommendations out there?

Wow, could this be the most boring blog ever?

Huh?

2009-06-14T09:52:00.005-04:00

When you buy a house in 2 days, you don't get to nitpick. Check out this space that's in the dining room of my new 3-level townhome. Weird, eh? It's wide, deep and in an awkward space, I have no idea what to do with it. Anyone else have a problem spot like this in their home?? Or any ideas?

Arlington Rap

2009-06-13T14:10:00.003-04:00

One of my friends sent me this today and it's very funny! I think it gives newcomers to Arlington (or all of NoVa really) a quick taste of what they are in for. ;)

Now what?

2009-06-13T08:28:00.003-04:00

We got the house, the bank account is now depleted, and we haven't even begun to evaluate our furniture needs. Our new house is about 1500 square feet bigger than where we live now. That means a lot of empty space. We don't officially move in until July 2nd, but I am already decorating with money we don't have. :)

I can't figure out how people decorate in Northern Virginia - or maybe they don't. Out of the 11-12 houses we saw, only 2 looked like they had a clue how to design a house. And that doesn't count the hundreds of houses we browsed through on redfin.com or homesdatabase.com.

The conclusion is: people spend all their money buying the house and now there is no money left to put it all together. This makes complete sense to me, especially because of the cost of housing in Northern Virginia. But that also makes me - a massive HGTV/home design magazine buff - so sad. Your home should be your sanctuary, and it should be a reflection of who you are, but if you can't afford a new dining room set for your new dining room then it just isn't as fun.

I am on a mission to get creative and figure out how to decorate all this space on a dollar budget. I know I can do it. There are certainly a lot of shops in our area for inexpensive decorating ideas - HomeGoods, IKEA, Target, even Walmart. I'd like to post some before & after shots of the rooms I put together with a price tag of costs. Maybe it will help others get some ideas.

The House Hunt

2009-06-11T08:07:00.007-04:00

The company gives us 1 week to house hunt. This translates to 2 days for my workaholic husband (LG: Lovely Guy). Last Friday we met with our real estate agent, narrowed 20 houses down to 12 and ended up visiting about 10 or 11. By the end of the day we had it narrowed down to 2 we would buy. One was a super compact (translate: small) one-car garage townhome in the Kingstowne, Alexandria subdivision. The other was a MUCH larger 2-car garage townhome in the Fair Oaks, Fairfax area. We headed back to our hotel after a long day to hash out our decision.

LG was voting for the Fairfax townhome. Why? Because it had more space, more garage, and more value for the $$.

I was voting for the Alexandria townhome. Why? Because it was a great space, nice community amenities, AND a much easier commute for LG.

LG's job is at the Gallows Rd/495 exit in Falls Church and EVERYONE told us that the commute from the Fair Oaks area into the beltway is a nightmare. And we drove the commute from Alexandria and it was pretty painless: 20-40 minutes. Apparently LG didn't see the value in an easier commute.

So we argued back & forth for most of the evening and into the next morning. I searched a little more online and found a property I'd add to the list. When we met with our agent on Saturday morning we scheduled 2nd visits at both properties and added one more to the list.

The third house was over our budget but had MORE space, a 2-car garage, and was still in the same area as the Alexandria townhome. So wouldn't you guess it? That's the one we chose! We negotiated a price down to something we were comfortable with and it was a win-win situation for all.

So if you want to save yourself some stress and time house-hunting in Northern Virginia here is how you do it:

Work with a GOOD AGENT!! I can't stress that enough...If you email me directly, I'll be glad to recommend ours. She was/is FANTASTIC!
Don't see too many houses - try to narrow the list down to an easy to manage number and add a few as necessary
Don't get caught up in the small details: paint, carpet, countertops, and the way it's currently decorated. All of these things can be changed easily and you can add your own thumbprint on the home.
Narrow down your priorities: # of bedrooms, # of bathrooms, parking, outdoor space, neighborhood, price, and don't vary too much in any direction - this will save you TONS of time

Like I said in yesterday's post - I hope that I can provide some help to the numbers of people relocating to Northern Virginia. I am not an expert - just a regular girl who is going through the process too!

New Kid on the Block

2009-06-10T12:04:00.005-04:00

This is my story:

My husband works for a big "corporation" and sometimes we have to move for his job.

This June/July we will be moving to Northern Virginia! We've never lived in Virginia before so this will be a completely new experience. I wanted to start a blog to chronicle the adventures and simple observations I have throughout this move.

Here is a little background about myself:

I just turned 30! My husband (let's call him LG: lovely guy) and I have been married for 6 years. We don't have any children - yet! We adopted a dog, but he won't join our home until after all of the dust settles from the move. I am college-educated, and I've had a variety of liberal arts-type jobs since university. I will be looking for a job in Northern Virginia, but I am not sure where I will end up in this economy. It appears that we will be here at least 3 or 4 years for LG's job, but right now the relocation is indefinite.

I hope this journal is helpful to other new transplants to the NoVa area, because I know there are A LOT of them!!