I’m in a townhouse right now looking to buy a single family home. In NOVA, that’s a million dollar decision. But one thing I’ve learnt is that it goes way beyond just affordability. You could have 20% down saved up, and the income to support the monthly mortgage payments, but your skin has got to be thick enough to deal with all the other bullshit that’s been going on right now.

1. Agents: these people do very little work and expect to be paid 5% of the sale. On a $1.5M home, each agent can expect to be paid $30-40k. And their incentives are totally misaligned with the buyers. I want to buy a home at the lowest price possible. But their comp is tied to the price so they constantly try to beef up the sale price. They tend to have zero sense of value, and any home I’ve ever been interested in, no matter how long they’ve been sitting, the agents always push you to offer at asking price or better. So if you’re trying to negotiate and get the best value, you have to do that homework yourself.

2. The lenders: mortgage rates are absolutely brutal right now. You’re looking at 6.5%+ with perfect FICOs. ARM or even interest only rates aren’t much better either. Now one thing you need to know is that the agents all work with local lenders because obviously they share commissions. I bring clients to you - I screw them once, then you screw them on the rate. And we screw them together and share the commission. They will badmouth any lender that can beat their offers (typically the big banks, the Zillow/rockets). And all lenders will seem super friendly and timely at first but when origination is done and you’re working with underwriting, that’s when you become their bitch. Meetings and followups are on their schedule. You play the waiting game. And they all collude on the rate as well - “I’ll match the lowest rate”. But if everyone’s saying that then there is no lowest rate anymore is there? And then they do the whole “I’m disappointed you didn’t choose my high rates and points buydown even though I wrote a letter for you so I’m not going to work with you again” emotional blackmail.

3. The sellers - these motherfuckers think it’s still 2021. They haven’t put any money into their homes, and they expect top dollar when they list their homes. The kitchens are old. Bathrooms are old. Windows need replacing. HVAC unit is on its final Odyssey. You haven’t even bothered to pay some guy $200 to power wash the patio on a $1.5m listing. The zestimate is $1.4m btw. And thankfully the market is slowing down. They’re finally realising this and inventory is starting to pile up, some sitting for 2+ months and have already gotten 2-3 price reductions.

On top of this, you’re also dealing with inspection people, appraisal people, contractors, and getting clapped left and right along the way.

So after six months of dealing with all the bullshit, as Michael Corleone once said: here’s my offer. Nothing.

Defend Democracy Bridge Brigade Reston VA

...The night of the homicide, Cedillos-Campos left work early, upset that Puch "sent screenshots of their affair" to Cedillos-Campos' girlfriend, according to the criminal complaint. A witness told police the suspect said he was going to kill Puch.

https://bluevirginia.us/2026/09/after-16-year-old-student-hit-by-car-near-south-lakes-hs-in-fairfax-three-former-current-school-board-members-urge-the-board-of-supervisors-to-reconsider-the-defunding-of-high-school-crossing-guard/

A long, but good read on the current state of our electricity grid and why electricity bills keep rising. I also read a separate analysis today that suggested the models used to price electricity in our region are riddled with errors and as a result, consumers are paying more than they actually should.

https://thenewenergycrisis.com/series/part-1

...Her return marked a rapid reversal at South Lakes after Fairfax County eliminated crossing guards at high schools as part of budget reductions. It was not immediately clear Tuesday afternoon whether guards had been returned to other Fairfax County high schools.

Rivera said the next step is securing an airline, something he said the airport is “very close” to doing. His hope is that the first flights begin in November 2027.

The airport’s journey into commercial service will eventually include building a 32,000-square-foot terminal that will have Transportation Security Administration screening checkpoints, gates, baggage claim facilities and concessions. There’s also a plan to add parking, with at least 2,000 parking spaces for airline passengers.

According to social media posts from multiple witnesses, the force of the collision sent the youth into the air before he landed. Scanner traffic indicates his foot may have been injured.

“Preliminarily, the driver of a vehicle struck a 16-year-old student who was walking to school,” the Fairfax County Police Department told FFXnow. “The teen was transported to an area hospital with minor injuries. The driver remained on scene.”

The driver has been charged with failing to stop before entering a highway, a citation that carries a $97 fine.

“Officers continue to investigate this incident,” the police department said.

According to the FCPD, the student was not in a crosswalk at the time of the collision, and the crash reportedly took place near the entrance from South Lakes Drive near doors three and four — not a spot where a crossing guard had been previously stationed.

(copied from their email)

This weekend we are celebrating STAR TREK's 60th anniversary!!

Here's the scoop:

STAR TREK films I, II, III, and IV will be shown this weekend. The fun thing is they are paired with the TV episode that inspired each film, and these are the directors' cuts. Fantastic, right?

STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE (1979) is rated G and will play 3:45pm and 7:10pm on Friday (with Season 2, Episode 3: "The Changeling");

STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (1982) is Saturday at the same showtimes (with Season 1, Episode 22: "Space Seed");

STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK (1984) is Sunday at the same times (with Season 2, Episode 1: "Amok Time");

STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME (1986) is Monday, also at the same showtimes (with Season 1, Episode 28: "The City on the Edge of Forever").

On Tuesday, they will all play in order at 10am, 1pm, 4pm, and 7:10pm, with no TV episodes included.

Tickets are $15 for all showings.

I recently spent some time in a large award-winning local hospital where I shared a room with another patient. Over the course of a few days, we enjoyed several very pleasant conversations. We were continually interrupted however by the ringing of our outside lines. Every call was an automated telemarketer, solicitor, and/or scammer. The nurses claimed nothing could be done about it. I eventually unplugged my outside line because it was impossible to rest otherwise.

As I got to know my roommate better, I learned he'd been courageously fighting a rare and aggressive form of cancer. He'd just undergone a liver biopsy and was waiting for the lab results to come in, which typically took 2-3 days. He was under the impression that one of his cancer medications was likely harming his liver, and that he'd probably need to stop taking it. We made plans to have lunch together as soon as we got out of the hospital.

A couple days later, his condition worsened. His family was with him constantly, spending a disproportionate amount of their time repeatedly answering his phone and explaining in vain to the robocallers to please stop calling their hospital room. Against this backdrop, his nurse dropped in one afternoon and casually mentioned offhand that his biopsy results had come in, and showed the cancer had spread to his liver.

There was a collective gasp of disbelief. My roommate was still lucid enough to mildly swear under his breath. His wife said this was the first they'd heard of this news, and asked to speak with a doctor asap. The nurse deflected her request, responding that his hospital care team was aware of the biopsy results and would eventually drop by to see him when they could.

Several hours later, some type of medical authority finally showed up. Against a cacophony of spam calls in the background, he explained to my roommate and his family that their oncology team had tried to reach them but couldn't (hinting the patient was to blame), so instead tasked him to carry the water in their place. He confirmed the cancer had metastasized into the liver, didn't think that aggressive curative measures were appropriate, and strongly urged them to transition asap to hospice care, pushing for an immediate decision... the whole thing sounded very similar to a hard sales pitch.

The family was completely overwhelmed and crying. It was about this time at their darkest hour that I was discharged. I wanted so badly to talk to the family, but restrained myself. I had only just met my roommate and had no business butting into their affairs. I tried to leave the room as quietly and somberly as possible, wishing them the best of luck. But what I really wanted to say was don't give up yet... go to one of the nearby National Cancer Institutes and have a dedicated oncologist look at your situation, and get a second opinion. But I couldn't.

The entire situation has haunted me. The glibness of how a terminal diagnosis was so casually handed out by a nurse, the gasping reaction of the family, the lack of available doctors, the sales-like push for hospice, and perhaps most of all, the indignity of the whole situation with the constant spam calls which the hospital was either unwilling or incapable of stopping. The situation has made me rethink how I want to die one day -- I simply do not want to be in an environment where this could happen to me.

Apologies for the rant. I hope my roommate can recover.

Not sure if they hit but heard a sound. In case that person needs this.

Parents visiting from FL and are requesting some amazing BBQ. Any gems? Thanks!

With JBG Smith’s authorization, a subsidiary of the home builder Toll Brothers submitted a rezoning application to Fairfax County yesterday (Monday) that proposes replacing the hotel and its parking garage with townhouses and duplexes.

“The proposed community will include up to 114 dwelling units, comprised of a mix of single-family attached and bi-plex dwelling units,” land use attorney Robert Brant wrote in an Aug. 28 statement to the county’s zoning division. “The proposed mix of units will contribute to the diversification of housing types in Tysons West and Tysons at-large, and will add to the supply of workforce housing.”

Has anyone here tried a preschool co-op school or considered one for their kids? Is it worth it? And does it feel like an actual school, or is it basically just a glorified daycare?

Looking to learn and at some point get one; don’t know anyone to teach me so next best option.

I’m around Woodbridge if anyone has anything anywhere from Sterling to Arlington and back to Woodbridge would be great!!

Got a townhome that needs roof replacement. If you guys have any tips/recommendations of roofing companies, please feel free to share! Much appreciated!

Figured I’d try here because…why not.

My date fell through for show Tuesday next week, Sept 8. So, I have an extra ticket.

The show is at Songbyrd in DC (a great little local venue by Union Market, if you’ve never been). At 7pm with an opener.

The headliner is a fantastic indie “country rock” band called Brown Horse. Check them out: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mKxMFlRj6xw&list=RDmKxMFlRj6xw&start_radio=1&t=540s&pp=ygUQYnJvd24gaG9yc2UgbGl2ZaAHAQ%3D%3D&ra=m

So, if you’re a single lady interested in some good live music, hit me up. The ticket is yours. Maybe we can grab a drink beforehand.

As mentioned, I’m 38. Honestly, pretty exceedingly normal. I enjoy being outside, primarily kayaking. And live music.

This will be a low pressure, non committal thing. If all we do is enjoy each other’s company and some live music…that’s cool!