I am a native of Northern Virginia, and a current resident of Loudoun County; as well as a real estate consultant.
Whether you currently live in Loudoun (affectionately referred to in my family as LoCo), or if you're considering moving to the area, I hope you'll enjoy the information you get here! For information on our local real estate market go to http://therealestatewhisperer.blogspot.com/
If you're a disabled vet in Loudoun County, you've been waiting for this. The forms are available and you can now apply for the exemption for your real estate taxes.
Real estate taxes in Loudoun are pretty high, mostly related to growth in recent decades.... somebody's got to pay for those schools, roads and the other infrastructure here. I do enjoy the benefits of living and Loudoun, and honestly, don't really mind paying for them.
That's probably what our Vets here thought, too... until they became disabled. With less income, it becomes much more of a burden to pay for all of that infrastructure. And now they can get a pass!
I would just like to take this opportunity, from the bottom of my heart, to thank ALL our Vets for their many sacrifices... sacrifices I am not brave enough to make personally. What would I do without you? You are all HEROS to me.
Here's the email from Loudoun with details:
Loudoun County Commissioner of the Revenue, Robert S. Wertz, Jr. reports that his office has forms available for veterans to claim the new real estate tax exemption authorized by Virginia voters last November. This legislation provides for an exemption from Loudoun County real estate taxes on the principal dwelling and up to three acres for veterans with a 100 percent service-connected, total and permanent disability. Persons desiring the exemption are required to file the necessary form and provide qualifying documentation. This exemption is also extended to the veteran’s surviving spouse, so long as the death of the veteran occurred on or after January 1, 2011, the real property is maintained as the survivor’s principal residence, and he or she does not remarry.
The new form may be obtained online at www.loudoun.gov/taxrelief-forms, by calling the Commissioner’s Office at 703-737-8557, or in the Commissioner’s offices in the County Government Center in Leesburg or the Loudoun Tech Center in Sterling.
Here in Loudoun we are big animal lovers. In fact, on the Leesburg, Va fan page, we are often posting about lost or found dogs and cats, and one of my greatest joys in administering that page is the number of times we're involved in reuniting lost pets with their scared and lonely owners. So I wanted to do a post on what to do when your pet is lost. Check it out:
Look for your pet. Cats that are normally indoor cats don't go to far and are usually hiding close by. Animals can also be injured, and may not be able to come to you.
Call the local Animal Shelter and register your lost pet.
Setting traps for cats is encouraged - they hide well and will not come to you if they are scared.
Find that great picture of your pet (maybe a couple) and post them on your facebook page, community pages (like the Leesburg page) and any fan pages of local animal companies or organizations (like rescue organizations, the local shelter, vets, and groomers). Ask that they all "share" the announcement.
Hand out your flyers to neighbors and visit the local pet stores, vets, groomers and shelter. If the pet was lost in unfamiliar territory (while on vacation, after a recent move, etc). Be sure to do this kind of outreach in areas where your pet may go, as well as where they were lost. **
Contact local papers - often they will put free ads for you to announce your lost pet.
* I really stress visiting the local animal shelters personally. I lost a dog many years ago and was told repeatedly that there was no dog matching my dog's description there. When we visited in person guess what we found? Our dog. He'd been there 2 weeks.
* I also stress visiting more than one animal shelter. My sister was renting a home in Berkley County WV, and her children let her 3 dogs out. One came home by himself. My sister tried to do all the "right things" including contacting local shelters about her missing dogs. Six months later, she was at a picnic in Steven City, VA when someone showed up at the picnic, apologizing for being late, they had adopted a dog in Leesburg, VA... guess whose dog it was! What are the chances? Somehow the dog ended up in the Loudoun County dog shelter, and after several weeks was given to a rescue organization who held frequent adoption events in Leesburg. The chances of this happening are so astronomical I can't even fathom how it came together. Sadly, the third dog was never returned. The lesson here are that dogs can travel far and live on their own for a very long time - check with shelters even beyond the county where the dog is lost, and also with the rescue organizations (frequently).
** When I was young, I had a dog that was "in love" with a neighbors dog when we lived in Oakton. We moved to the Aldie area and my dog went back to his "girlfriend's" house many times - every time he could break away. It's a long journey, the first time it took him 2 weeks, but after awhile he got the route down pat and he could make it there in a couple days.
** When I was a teen, my dog got loose in Fauquier County (near Warrenton). He returned to our home in Aldie on his own within 2 weeks.
** About 8 years ago, my cat (who we were trying to "make" an indoor cat and who was destined to be an indoor/outdoor cat) ran out our door and my husband chased him trying to get him back. The cat was scared and ran and ran. Eventually he wanted to come home, but had gotten lost running away. He was found (thanks to our posters in the neighborhood) by a neighbor 2 streets over at a house that looked a lot like ours and which was also at the end of a culdesac.
Pets are our best friends. Here in Loudoun we love our pets. If you have a lost pet, please always post it on our facebook page - with nearly 4K residents online there, we can help you get the word out quickly to a wide audience. www.Facebook.com/LeesburgVa We've been instrumental in reuniting several owners and their pets, and anytime there is a need, we want to be part of the solution.
This list of helpful hints and resources is brought to you by
Keller Williams Realty supports "RUN ME HOME", an event to benefit children in Loudoun County by raising awareness and funding for Loudoun County Foster Care and Adoption.
When: Saturday, April 30, 2011, 7:30am
Distance: 5K, 10K, and Kids Fun Run
Course: The race features a fast and scenic course in Historic Leesburg, VA running along the W&OD trail.
Yes, ladies (and guys), Cinderella will be back in Leesburg at the National Conference Center in Leesburg in November, and she wants you to come to her tea party! Tickets are now on sale, and at the moment are still at last year's price, so hurry because a price increase is expected.
We're also looking for sponsors and volunteers. If you've been before I know you'll understand there is a full six months worth of activities that take place before we can pull off such an event. If you're interested, please contact Ann Kerr at 540.338.9040 or Andrcominv@aol.com.
To learn more about last year's event, visit http://www.cinderellatea.com/ ~ you can not purchase tickets this year from that site yet. It has not been updated for the 2011 event.
Central Loudoun Little League held opening day ceremonies, despite the threat of rain, this morning at Good Times Park in NE Leesburg.
There are 976 kids registered in CLLL this year, which includes 22 coach pitch teams.
Little League is open for kids aged 4 to 12. Last year, Little League adopted a rule allowing children as young as four years old to join. Loudoun just adopted the rule this year.
FETCH, the Loudoun Hounds mascot, came out to help inspire and motivate during the Opening Day Ceremonies. The kids loved meeting him personally.
