Manassas Featured on Huffington Post Travel

You may have heard of the Huffington Post before, and if you haven’t, we could sum it up as a popular online news publication. In their article “Top 25 Things To Do In Northern Virginia”, our city of Manassas was featured in three items on their list! Not only can you live in a brand new apartment home at Arcadia Run in Manassas, but you can also enjoy some of the best attractions in the region nearby! Check out the features from Huffington Post below:

12. Discover how “Stonewall Jackson” got his nickname at Manassas Battlefield aka Battles of Bull Run. Two battles were fought here- both Confederate victories.

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Source: Huffington Post

13. Plan to spend an afternoon and night in Old Town Manassas, nary a Big Box Store or Chain Restaurant in sight. Formerly Manassas Junction, this railroad town, where two lines crossed, was strategically important during the Civil War. Dine at the fine Portuguese restaurant, Carmello’sor adorable casual-Italian restaurant Monza.

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Source: Huffington Post

14. Stay at the 2-room Bennett House B&B in Old Town Manassasfive blocks downtown and within a few minutes walk from the train station (“an hour and $18 roundtrip to DC!”). Amiable couple, Jean and Curtis Harrover outline the many reasons it makes sense to stay in Manassas and take daytrips into Washington DC – no city parking woes, relative quietude, cost – and to top it off, Jean’s wonderful breakfasts are included in the room rate.”

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Source: Huffington Post

Although the Huff Post hit the nail on the head, there are also some hidden gems in Manassas that we want to share with you! Below, we add some more of our top picks for things to do in Manassas:

Jiffy Lube Live

This outdoor concert venue is NoVa’s top place to go for the summer concerts you won’t forget! Another plus – it’s less than 3 miles from Arcadia Run! More info here: http://pavilionbristow.com/

Brewing Companies

Manassas is home to two different brewing companies: BadWolf Brewing Company and Heritage Brewing Co. Both of these top-rated brewing companies are great options if you’re feeling thirsty for an ice-cold brew.

Hylton Performing Arts Center

Although Jiffy Lube Live is great for a large concert venue, the Hylton Performing Arts Center is a more intimate venue for all types of live performances.

For more information on all of the great attractions in Manassas, VA, go to visitmanassas.org. To keep up with everything going on at Arcadia Run, visit our Facebook page.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com

Moving With The Family Made Easier

Moving can be very stressful and laborious for any family, especially if it is your first big move to a new apartment home. There are a few ways in which you can make the transition of moving more enjoyable for the whole family just by following a few simple tips. At Arcadia Run, we strive to make your move go as smoothly as possible, so check out our recommendations below!

1. Research the Moving Company

Many people think that researching a moving company takes too much time. However, it is crucial that you find reliable help who will not only move all of your belongings into a truck, but someone you are willing to trust with all of your belongings. Take the extra time and choose a company who you feel you can trust. That being said, a reliable and helpful mover may not be the cheapest option, but spending the extra money will ensure the safe arrival of your truck with all items still inside.

2. Get the Supplies

Two of the most critical supplies needed when moving are boxes and tape. Make sure that the boxes are sturdy and can withstand the weight of plates, books, and any other heavy objects that will neatly fit inside. Bubble wrap is always good to have when moving fragile items such as glasses or picture frames that you would prefer not to bounce around on the drive. Making a checklist before the big move is always helpful when trying to gather the packing materials.

3. Plan Your Move

Everyone is aware that moving takes a lot of time and energy. If you are moving with children, you know that this is doubly true! However, your time can be more efficiently managed if you plan ahead and write down everything that you want to finish before the big day. Making a list of everything that must be completed is a good way to set goals and have them visualized in front of you If you are moving with small children, plan extra time for breaks so the kids stay happy!

4. Label! Label! Label!

After you have set your goals, made your lists, bought the supplies, and researched the movers, don’t forget to label your boxes! If you forget to do this, moving into your new apartment will take double the amount of time than it should have. Make sure you write the room where each box belongs, and whether the content inside is fragile. Giving movers a heads about the fragile objects will decrease the chances of opening boxes to broken items. If you want to get even more detailed with labeling, you can choose to label the boxes by priority, such as “high” for items that should be unpacked immediately and “low” for boxes that can wait a few days.

5. Pack an Overnight Bag

Finally, make sure that everyone packs an overnight bag. This is the most forgotten item when families move into their new apartment!. A few items that should be packed in the overnight bag include a change of clothes, toilet paper, toiletries, water bottles, phone charger, plastic utensils, garbage bags, any necessary medications, and entertainment for the little ones. This way, you won’t be digging around through all of your boxes trying to find your PJs!

Hopefully, these tips have been helpful and can help you better prepare for the big day! For more information on how you can enjoy a brand new apartment home at Arcadia Run, visit the arcadiarun.com.

Features and Amenities at Arcadia Run

There are so many perks our residents get to enjoy while living at Arcadia Run. Our noteworthy new apartment home designs, unexpected features, and brand new resort-style amenities are just a few examples of why you need to come check out our apartment community and see how you can get used to getting more!

Features

Located in Manassas, Virginia, our new apartment home complex offers more features than you could imagine! They include everything from oversized kitchens with gorgeous granite counter tops and designer kitchen cabinets to 9-foot ceilings with vinyl hardwood flooring. It doesn’t stop there, however. For your convenience, a full size washer and drying, a walk-in closet, and extended windows are included in Arcadia Run apartments. With a variety of floor plans to choose from, you’re sure to find a new apartment that suits you and your needs.

Not only are our apartment homes beautiful on the inside, but each apartment boasts balconies or patios attached so you can enjoy time spent outdoors. Also, our apartment community welcomes not only friendly neighbors but your furry friends as well.

Amenities

Whether you choose to sign a 6 or 12-month lease, you’ll have the chance to make use of our amenities for as long as you’re a resident! With a resort-style swimming pool, a fitness center and ball courts, we provide ample means for you to keep up with your energetic lifestyle. Our apartment community has so much to do you won’t know where to start!

Arcadia Run is guaranteed to leave a lasting impression with all of the features and amenities included. Arcadia Run provides more of what our residents want when renting a new apartment. After choosing the perfect floor plan, enjoying all the features our apartments have to offer and staying active with all of our amenities, Arcadia Run residents will have to get used to getting more!

 

 

5 Signs Renting Is For You

Anyone in search of a new place to live will have to make the choice of whether to rent or buy their home. Buying a home has it’s own appeal but today’s market conditions are making a great case for Renting an apartment. While the age-old debate of buy vs. rent can’t be settled in one article, hopefully these points will guide you in making your decision.

You Are Investment Minded

It used to be a sound part of any retirement plan to buy a home with the intent to downsize later to add to your nest egg. But this strategy is quite a bit riskier in today’s market where home values can just as easily go down as they can go up.

Some believe the downside to renting is you will never obtain the valuable asset of a home after paying off a mortgage. However, as a renter you can take the down payment you would have put down on a house into a more sure investment.

And while the mortgage you pay may be less than rent, your actual expenses as a homeowner may be more when you factor in things like property tax, insurance and maintenance. Experts say these expenses can add around 3% to the cost of your home annually—money that could be invested wisely instead.

Your Life Is A Little Unpredictable

According to the New York Times, it takes at least five years of paying a mortgage before the monthly savings catch up to extra cost of your monthly rent. Most experts believe in the “5-year rule,” which is if there is a chance you will be moving again in 5 years, then you should stick to renting.

If you have a job that is unpredictable or if you feel you are in an unstable job market, then it probably makes more sense to rent. Also, if you want the freedom in the future to look for jobs outside of your current city, then renting is an easier way to keep that option open.

You Have A Busy Schedule

Owning a home not only requires an investment of money, but often requires your time to maintain the home. This may not be an issue for some, but for those with busier schedules it’s a point worth considering.

The benefit to renting, especially for a busy professional, is the fact that it’s the landlord’s responsibility to handle costly and time-consuming maintenance issues. Not to mention the peace of mind that comes from not being financially responsible for surprise maintenance issues that are inevitable with any home.

You Want to Grow Your Family

This goes back to the 5-year rule. If you are growing your family it’s important to consider if you will outgrow your space over the next few years. Moving expenses, down payments and closing costs can really add up especially when moving multiple times in a span of just a few years.

You’re Not Particularly Handy

 This one may be a little difficult for some of us to admit, but it’s important to consider what we can and can’t do ourselves before investing in a home. Consider the expense of the maintenance you can do yourself as well as the cost of hiring professionals to do what you can’t.

While the decision to rent or buy will depend on your individual situation, hopefully you now have a little more insight to make the best choice for you. Check out the new modern apartment homes in Manassas, VA we have available at Arcadia Run.

SOURCES: NYtimes.com, USnews.com, WSJ.com

What Do Apartment Tenants Really Want?

Finding the perfect apartment can certainly be an overwhelming task – there are many factors to consider, and the idea of the “perfect unit” varies from tenant to tenant. However, there are several factors that many apartment hunters look for in their future residence. The following are some of the most popular factors that future tenants strive to find in their new apartments:

· Location, location, location. You’ve likely heard all about the importance of location when looking for a real estate property. When searching for any type of property, location is often the biggest factor, and apartment hunting is no exception. At Arcadia Run, it’s no wonder tenants love where they live – located in Manassas, our location offers the perfect mix of urban convenience and historic charm. Proximity to Washington, D.C. allows for convenience to the best our nation’s capital has to offer, and being removed from the hustle and bustle of the city means that our residents can take full advantage of beautiful and historic Manassas.

· Ample closet space. Closet space is particularly important for apartment tenants since apartments usually don’t offer as much square footage as single-family detached homes. This means that a little extra closet space can go a long way. Thankfully for Arcadia Run residents, our units offer great closets, some of which are walk-in units.

·  Plenty of natural light. There’s no doubt that natural light can do wonders to brighten up a room, allowing it to feel warmer, inviting and spacious. The extended windows in our Arcadia Run apartments offer a great source of natural light, and this spacious feeling is further amplified by our high nine-foot ceilings and open floor plans.

·  Great kitchen. The kitchen is often the focal point of any residence – it’s where friends and family can meet to spend quality time together and where memories are often made. For many apartment tenants, the size and layout of the kitchen is vital to their decision of where to live, since they’ll want to make the most of this important space. In our Arcadia Run floor plans, we’ve carefully planned for the kitchen to open up to the living and dining space – ideal for entertaining and allowing friends and family to gather and spend time together. In our kitchens, you’ll find granite counters and 42” designer cabinets, which allows our tenants to spend time in this space with style.

·  On-site washer and dryer. The last thing that apartment tenants want to deal with is the inconvenience of dragging their laundry to an off-site laundromat. Even if there is a central laundry location on the site of an apartment complex, tenants who don’t live on the first floor are still inconvenienced. That’s why Arcadia Run offers full-size washers and dryers in all of our units – so that all of our residents can experience the convenience of doing their laundry in the privacy of their own units.

· Outdoor space. For those who aren’t interested in landscaping or lawn maintenance but still want to have some sort of outdoor space, an apartment with a balcony can be a perfect fit. Balconies allow tenants to enjoy nice weather and have an additional space for entertaining, but don’t require the upkeep that lawns do. At Arcadia Run, our units include balconies or patios so that our residents can enjoy the beautiful Manassas area within the convenience of their own units.

· Modern feel. When future tenants are searching for the perfect apartment, the overall look and feel of the unit and building is important. A modern feel to an apartment is understandably important for many tenants – who wants to live in a unit that feels old and outdated? All of the previously mentioned high-quality features of our Arcadia Run apartments give an overall impression of modernity and high style, a great feature to our beautiful units.

Arcadia Run apartments truly offer everything that apartment hunters in the Washington, D.C. metro area could hope to have in their new living arrangements – just ask our tenants! Everything we’ve done in our Arcadia Run apartments has been designed to maximize convenience with beautiful design, and we’re proud to offer brand new apartments that go above and beyond in satisfying our residents.

SOURCE: apartmenttherapy.com

Renting May Boost Employment

In our current economy, every small step taken to support and strengthen recovery efforts is valuable.  Along with the housing market, the apartment industry has had, and continues to have, a huge influence on local and national economies. This industry adds countless jobs and can bring in incredible revenue for the local areas where an apartment community is placed.

And, as we mentioned in our last blog post, by renting, young professionals can maintain their mobility.  In the long run, this can help more renters find employment and to easily grow within their career.  As you may have guessed, higher employment is always good news for the economy!

In fact, even CNN Money has something to say about it; “encouraging young people to buy a home may be storing up trouble for the future in the shape of higher unemployment.”   The possible weakening in employment would be the result of lower levels of mobility, greater commuting times, and fewer new businesses – obstacles that can be avoided when more people choose to rent.

It’s clear that renting has many more advantages and perks when compared to other living options!  Aside from living active lifestyles without the stresses of home maintenance, renters might have better job prospects too. In Arcadia Run, residents have access to some of the best and most extensive amenities in Manassas.  Our apartments are brand new and are available in a variety of floor plans with plenty of styles to choose from.  Residents can join a great community that offers so much, all while enjoying this charming and historic town!

Source: CNN Money

As Home Prices Rise, Renters Benefit

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The S&P/Case-Shiller national home index rose 12.2% in May compared to a year ago. This is the biggest annual increase in prices that we’ve seen since March 2006, right before the peak of the housing bubble. While this might be good news for current homeowners, it doesn’t help those who are looking for a new home. When national home prices and mortgage rates rise, it pushes home affordability beyond the reach of many.

Prices have been steadily increasing every month since June 2012, and with plenty of room for growth, they’re expected to keep rising. Some economists believe that this is the sign of a strengthening economy. Others think that this might actually pose a threat to the housing market. They fear that rising prices might lead us to another housing bubble, ending all of our progress.

Either way, renters will be able to benefit from an improving economy without feeling the sting of rising prices and rates. And, if there is another housing bubble in our outlook, renters will be saved from the woes of owning a home. This alone is a great reason why it makes sense to rent instead of buy in today’s market. Renters can pay their monthly rent at a predictable rate, and continue to save money for their future.

Those who choose to rent are also spared from the awful realities of foreclosures and high taxes on homeowners. With the market making changes everyday, it pays to have the added security by renting.

One factor that is contributing to the rise in home prices is the limited inventory of homes on the market. This drives prices up and makes finding a new home very competitive. Limited inventory is not a problem for renters right now. There is such a huge supply of apartments and rental properties that tenants have the luxury of choosing the perfect place. This also lets renters lease in an area where owning a home might be impractical, like a city.

Arcadia Run is the best choice for renters near the Washington D.C. area. Located in the beautifully historic town of Manassas, our apartments are all completely new with nine-foot ceilings, granite countertops, and balconies – and reasonably priced too. Find your next apartment in Arcadia Run!

Source:

http://money.cnn.com/2013/07/30/news/economy/home-prices/index.html?iid=H_E_News

The Benefits of Renting

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Whether to rent or buy a home has been a highly debated topic in 2013. While many economists are claiming that this is the perfect time to buy a house, this might not be the smartest option for some. Aside from being considerably cheaper than buying, here are a few advantages to renting your apartment, and why Arcadia Run could be perfect for you:
Nicer Features

Arcadia Run apartment homes are some of the nicest in the area. Each apartment features a spacious finished kitchen with granite countertops and brand new cabinets, extended windows, and incredible nine-foot ceilings. Select apartments even have walk-in closets.

Better Amenities

Having access to nice amenities is a wonderful perk to living in an apartment community. Arcadia Run will soon have a fitness center, a playground, ball courts, a jogging trail, and a resort-style swimming pool – all for the convenience of their residents.

Ideal Location

The Washington Metro area is one of the best places to live. You get all of the great aspects D.C. has to offer, without actually living in D.C. In Manassas, not only is there easy access to the Capital, but there are also plenty of things to do in town. Arcadia Run residents have multiple dining, recreation, shopping, and entertainment options right in their own back yard.

No Repair Bills/Maintenance Costs

Maintaining an entire house can be costly. Homes are only getting bigger and repairs can be a huge unexpected expense. When renting, all repair bills and maintenance costs are the responsibility of the landlord, allowing you to spend your extra money elsewhere.

Lower Utility Costs

Arcadia Run apartments are roomy and spacious, but they’ll still have considerably lower utility costs compared to a two-story house. This is another excessive expense that residents can avoid by renting.

Flexibility

Renting an apartment gives you flexibility that you won’t find when buying a house. Whether you decide to expand your family or are looking to downsize, renting allows you to change your living accommodations accordingly. Arcadia Run offers many different style apartments, certain to have something that’s perfect for everyone.

Renting a luxury Arcadia Run apartment is the absolute best option for renters in the D.C. Metro area. With an array of different floor plans, everyone is bound to find something that fits. You won’t find these convenient and modern apartment homes matched by anyone else. For more information on the Arcadia Run apartment homes, visit www.arcadiarun.com.