If you're relocating to Northern Virginia, the process may be a bit confusing. Because portions of the region lie within spitting distance of the nation's capital, and others are close to Maryland, sometimes it's rather challenging to determine where the boundaries lie. But that's the beauty of living here. With easy access to the United States' best cultural playground, Northern Virginia is offers residents the best of both worlds: a breather from the faster pace of nearby Washington, D.C., and more options for housing -- single-family homes, high-rise condominiums, the brick row houses of historic Alexandria. The newly redesigned Web site of the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors attempts to cater not only to Realtors, but to the needs of relocators to all sectors of Northern Virginia. It's an ambitious venture, but the site succeeds.

The site enables users to "Find a Realtor" using a variety of search criteria, according to whether they have an individual Realtor, office, or city in mind. Or they may choose an option which lists all local Realtor members with e-mail addresses. The "Find a Home" link breaks Northern Virginia into eight sectors, most comprising multiple counties, and then asks users to narrow their searches using specific criteria -- particular neighborhoods, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, desired price ranges, handicap features, even such items as "city lights view," "near bus line," "cul-de-sac," or "river view." A test search produced a list of homes, sorted according to percentage of relevancy to the user's desired criteria, with color photos; Realtor information, including e-mail addresses and links to the Realtors' Web sites; and most impressive, an extensive list of home amenities -- including room dimensions, lot sizes, local school districts, and appliances. A following list names the criteria that match the user's preferences.

Although they're on the increase these days, real estate Web sites that capture the flavor of the regions in which they're based are rare. The Northern Virginia Association of Realtors includes a "Sold on Northern Virginia" link that gives visitors a thorough introduction to local color -- transportation, economy, education, lifestyles (including cultural and recreational attractions), handy demographics, and most important, the region's history.

For Realtors, home sellers, and home buyers, a news link -- including weekly updated NVAR news and information -- covers such topics as real estate trends, legal affairs, finance, homeowner tips (including an eye-opening article about home sitters and the cost of coverage on vacant properties), and technology. Particularly noteworthy is that the news you'll find here is timely. (How often have you come across a Web site boasting just the right headline, only to discover that the article is old and its data is outdated and useless?) Users may also search the site's archives from the last two years.

A government affairs link provides government and legislative "news you can use," which includes "Government Watch" articles from Update magazine; as well as a directory of local, state, and federal elected officials, including their e-mail addresses, Web site links, street addresses, and phone numbers.

Real estate professionals will find an education link with a comprehensive listing of real estate courses, tuition costs, dates, and times. And a "Realtor Store" enables professionals to go shopping online for a myriad of different products -- maps, relocation information, marketing tools, software, Realtor accessories, audiotapes and videotapes, contracts and forms, rider signs, settlement gifts, and books. Another feature, an agent roster, allows agents to update personal information -- comments about themselves, e-mail addresses, URLs -- for networking and marketing purposes.

Finally, a "favorite links link" is a hodge-podge most likely of members' picks: Washington Post Online; the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University; Real Estate Software, Hardware, Training, and Consulting; the U.S. Census Bureau; Homeowners' Tips; several real estate offices and individual Realtor links; Northern Virginia Real Estate Statistics; and the National Association of Realtors. You'll find a few odd selections, too -- for example, a Costa Rica real estate site.

Whether you're seeking information about Northern Virginia -- or Costa Rica -- you'll find it here. And you'll find more in near future: NVAR currently is constructing on its site a series of real estate services links to appraisers, home inspectors, lenders, sign companies, and title and escrow companies.

Published: March 13, 1998

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