Van Metre Honored for Philanthropic Work by NAHB!

Quiet Leaders

Virginia’s Van Metre Homes has been a reliable behind-the-scenes corporate steward for nearly six decades.
This spring, groundbreaking is scheduled for the 48,000-square-foot, 21-bed Adler Center for Caring in Loudoun County, Va. The Center—an inpatient hospice care facility associated with Capital Caring—will sit on four acres donated by Van Metre Homes within its Stone Ridge community. Each June since 2007, Beau Van Metre, the company’s chairman, and his wife Dee have hosted the Van Metre Polo Cup, which has raised nearly all of the $15 million needed to complete the Adler Center, slated to open in 2013.

The Polo Cup perpetuates the legacy of Al Van Metre, Beau’s father and the builder’s founder, who until his death in March 2008 had been a longtime supporter of Capital Caring, a hospice dedicated to palliative care and counseling for advanced illnesses.

A world-renowned sailor and yachtsman, Al Van Metre and some friends in the 1970s came up with the idea of a charity race on behalf of Capital Caring (then called Capital Hospice). That regatta, known as the Hospice Cup and held on the Chesapeake Bay in Annapolis, Md., celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. During that timespan, it has raised more than $9 million to help fund patient programs, education, and research. “The Van Metre family and the company have been absolutely pivotal to Capital Caring over the past several decades,” says Dr. Cameron Muir, the hospice’s executive vice president of quality and access.

The Adler Center might still be in limbo were it not for the builder’s land donation, “which was the tipping point,” says Muir. Al Van Metre was his patient, and Muir notes that the family’s and builder’s longstanding involvement with the hospice “isn’t just a business transaction; it’s a heartfelt commitment.”

Since 1982, the Van Metres and their company also have been faithful contributors to Children’s National Medical Center. In 1991, Richard Rabil, the builder’s president and CEO, who is a runner, helped launch the Van Metre Five-Mile Race on behalf of the Medical Center. (Rabil’s son was born with heart disease and has been treated there several times.) To date that annual race has raised more than $1.7 million, which enabled the construction and operation of the Van Metre Cardiovascular Operating Room, a state-of-the-art surgery suite that opened in 2010.

Between 70 and 80 company employees volunteer each year to help manage the race, and Beau Van Metre last year hosted a party on his 110-foot yacht in Palm Beach, Fla., that raised $2 million for the Medical Center, an event he plans to repeat in late February.

Rabil says the families and the company focus their philanthropic activities on those areas where “we can really make a difference.” That is certainly true of the 37 acres that Van Metre and Rabil recently donated to George Mason University for its new Loudoun County, Va., campus. “That moved the campus from wish list to reality,” says Rabil. Marc Broderick, the university’s vice president of development and alumni, couldn’t agree more. “I’m glad [Van Metre Homes] is being honored because they are terrific people.”

Read the article in Builder Magazine.

Library Update!

Here is a release from FROGS. How exciting!


Just one year from now we'll be hanging out at the Gum Spring Library - checking out materials, meeting neighbors, attending programs - we can't wait, and we know you can't either!

When Will We Open?

We are on schedule to open in December 2012. The date of the Grand Opening has not been set, but one thing is for sure: it will be a BIG celebration!

This month the Board of Supervisors will be asked to approve the contract for Brechbill & Helman to complete the interior build out of the library. (It has already met approval from the Finance Committee, and we expect this final signature to be a formality.)

Because of the latest demographic reports for Dulles, the entire first floor will be dedicated to our children's collection! The Teen Area and Adult collection will be on the 2nd floor.

Reasons to Buy Now!

A great article was just published in the RealtyTimes by Carla Hill. She discusses five reasons you should consider buying now.
1. Equity: buying while the market is down means you can build equity as the market returns.
2. Relationships: this is perhaps the most important. Renters move in and out. People who own in a community, build relationships and lives together.
3. Predictability: fixed mortgage rates are at an all time low. You'll be able to count on what your payment will be and manage your finances better.
4. Ownership: no relying on anyone else. You own your domain.
5. Great Deals: there is no questioning that you can get the best deal on a new home today than at any time in the recent past.

It's sort of like the perfect storm of home buying. Take advantage of it!
To read Carla Hill's story, click here:
http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20111102_great.htm

HGTV Furniture Sale

We wanted to let you know that we will be selling the furniture from the HGTV Decorated Showhouses on the 19th. We will also have miscellaneous other furniture (odds and ends) from other models that we will also auction off. Please invite all of your friends and family! This is open to the Public!!

Click this link to view the flyer in HTML which has links to photos of the HGTV furniture and directions to Hamilton Grove Townhomes:
http://www.vanmetresalesplus.com/eflyers/auction_11711.htm

The auction will be in the actual showhouses in Stone Ridge on Fluvial Drive off of Destiny Drive and Moreland Mine Terrace in Stone Ridge Towns.

The View From the Roof

Van Metre is preparing to move their corporate headquarters to the new Stone Ridge Professional Center. The Library will occupy the first two floors, and Van Metre will take the 4th floor for offices and their new Design Center. The move is planned for late November. It's going to be tough to concentrate on work though. The view overlooking Stone Ridge and the mountains is spectacular.

Welcome to Stone Ridge Van Metre employees! You'll love it here.

Elaine Wins Rookie of the Year!

Congratulations to Van Metre's Elaine Dai who won the Sales Rookie of the Year last night at the Washington Sales and Marketing Council Gala. Elaine is selling the new Mercer Park Flats and Towns...and doing a fabulous job. Go visit her sales center and see why she was voted number 1!

Stone Ridge Does Green Screen Photos!

On Saturday, Oct. 22nd, hundreds of residents and Stone Ridge "wanna be" residents came out to take Family and Pet Photos. It was a beautiful day, and true to any Stone Ridge event, everyone came out to play. There was the Boulder Dash to entertain the kids, custom street signs, leather bracelets, and military dogtags to make. Brats, dogs, and pretzels fed the crowd. Pics will be photoshopped onto one of 5 backgrounds people picked and will be available for download on stoneridgeva.com.

Van Metre is now selling their Classic and Estate Single Family Homes. If you haven't seen them, stop by the sales office.

Celebrating Green Living!

The month of April at Stone Ridge is all about the "Green". Green is the color of happiness and Van Metre can save you thousands on select homes through April 30th. Their homes have the added benefit of lower utility bills with Energy Star appliances and features. To find out more visit VanMetreHomesGreen.com.

You're Invited to the Grand Opening Party!

Join your friends and neighbors as Van Metre Grand Opens their new Hamilton Grove Towns from the $300's and the Mercer Park Metropolitan Flats and Towns from the $200's.

*Tuesday, Dec. 14th from 6pm to 7:30pm
*Stone Ridge Clubhouse
*Wine, Cheese, Door Prizes
*Bring anyone you'd like to have as your neighbor

RSVP to Bonita Hartbarger at bhartbarger@VanMetreHomes.com

Hope to see you there!

Ho Ho Ho!

The holidays are everywhere you look at Stone Ridge. Twinkling white lights line the entrance. The Village Center has the yuletide spirit, and the stores and Restaurants are all offering special holiday deals. The Clubhouse is festooned with wreaths and garland. Van Metre opened up sales for the holidays in the Clubhouse. Stop by for a cup of hot chocolate in the cyber cafe. Santa will be on the Arcola Fire Truck tomorrow morning taking a tour of Stone Ridge. And on Dec. 19th Santa is visiting Mug n' Muffin, Glory Days Grill, and Dulles Urgent Care at the Village Center. Bring him your special wishes. Ho Ho Ho!

New Homes Debut Dec. 1st!

The long awaited Hamilton Grove Towns and the Mercer Park Metropolitan Flats and Towns are now available to purchase. These new designs are chic, smart, and located in the best selling community in Loudoun! To see these designs, visit the Stone Ridge Clubhouse as you enter the community. Your hardest decision will be which one to choose! Prices in the $200 and $300s.

5th Annual 5K Race for Education!

Saturday, October 16, 2010
Join us for the Stone Ridge 5th Annual 5k Race for Education! Since 2006, we have had over 4,000 runners help raise over $60,000 for the Dulles South schools! This flat, beautiful course is located in the Van Metre Stone Ridge community. Race time is 9:00 am with the Fun Run set for 8:30 am! Prizes and awards to follow race! This race is a Chrono Track D-tag timed race!! Show your school spirit and join us for the run or volunteer.
Register at stoneridgeva.com

Van Metre Companies Fund State-of-the-art Operating Room

Children's National Medical Center today honored the Van Metre Companies for their donation of $1.2 million to fund a state-of-the-art cardiovascular surgery operating room. The Van Metre Companies, a privately held residential and commercial property development company based in Washington, D.C., have supported the cardiac surgery program at Children's National over the past 25 years, giving more than $1.7 million during that time.

Click here for the full story.

How Do You Communicate?

Do you read the Etched in Stone? Or check Facebook and Twitter? It's a rapidly changing world and we're trying to figure out what you prefer...print or digital. With everyone carrying their smartphones, the new Stone Ridge Mobile App may be the perfect answer. We are in final programming, so watch for our announcement to get your free download!

Van Metre Releases 3 New Bedfords!

Van Metre Homes at Stone Ridge just released 3 new Bedfords for sale for a May Delivery!!
Priced to move at $269,990-- and tax credit eligible!! DONT MISS OUT!If you haven't seen this model, you must treat yourself.

Beauty that Benefits Others

This Sunday, March 28th, Luna Spa will host a Day of Beauty and all the proceeds will go for relief in Haiti and Chile. This is the perfect excuse to get that mani or pedi for Spring, and help others in the process! Luna is located in the Stone Ridge Village Center right at the entrance of Stone Ridge. Call today for your appointment!

The New StoneSpring Medical Center

HCA held an open session to present their plans for the new hospital center at Stone Ridge. They plan for a 164-bed facility with 337,000 square feet of space, plus medical office building(s). This is projected for December 2015. It will be located on a 50-acre campus directly across Rt. 50 from Stone Ridge, which is now called Glascock Field.

This will bring in approximately $3 million in new local tax revenues, and 500 healthcare-related jobs.

Stone Ridge will keep you informed as plans move along. This is very exciting for Stone Ridge and the entire area.

Welcome HCA!

Last Minute Opportunity

In a rare bit of luck, there is one last chance to purchase one of the coveted Savannah Collection single family homes. One just came back on the market. Lot 26-53 is a Hickory model. It's located at 24974 Mineral Springs Circle.

For only $432,132 look what you get:
4 BR's, 2 1/2 baths, a full, unfinished basement with a walk-up and roughed-in bath, a full front porch and stone water table (imagine sipping a cool drink in the evening), beautiful mocha hardwood floors throughout the main level, a gas fireplace in the family room (imagine sipping a hot cocoa in the snow), granite kitchen counters, a master bedroom with a sitting room and sleeping porch (perfect to escape, read a book, and sip some wine), and most of all...it's the LAST one!

Snowy Days

Regardless of how you feel about the snow, Stone Ridge looks gorgeous. Kids are sledding everywhere, parents are taking walks, and the dogs are having a blast. The nice thing about living here, is you can walk to the store for supplies, or a restaurant to escape the house for a while. When Van Metre was planning Stone Ridge, they wanted to design a community that had it all...amenities, schools, parks, shopping & dining, and offices. When you look outside today, you can see it all came together exactly like their vision. No wonder it's an award-winning community. There are no better new homes in Loudoun County! Enjoy the next storm!

Feels Like Home

The weather is bitter and ugly, but I found myself feeling warm and relaxed earlier today. I just found out Mug n' Muffin at the Stone Ridge Village Center has wi-fi, so I took my laptop up there, ordered a mocha latte (lots of whipped cream!), and a blueberry muffin. What a great environment. I saw a number of neighbors from Stone Ridge stopping in for the same thing. It was friendly, buzzing with conversation, and the owner, Doug Smith, was welcoming to everyone. If you've never done this, give it a try. If you are looking for new homes in Loudoun County, make this part of your house hunting process. You'll find out what a great new home community Stone Ridge is!

Now, I might have to go for that chocolate chip cookie...