Hello!

4 Apple Blossom Ct Stafford Va 22554

Rent: $2000 month -- Deposit: $2000

5 bedroom, 3.5 bath with washroom, eat-in-kitchen, formal dining room, study, fully finished basement configured as a Mother-in-law suite with separate entrance

Scroll down to the bottom of this page to view more pics!!!

Pets ok!

Contact us at grunds@grunds.net with any questions

Amenities and nice things:

1. Appx 4000' sq feet

2. Two car garage with automatic openers

3. Ceiling fans in every bedroom and in family room

4. Master bath has a whirlpool tub.

5. Fenced in backyard.

6. We include a home warranty which covers all of your appliances (washer, dryer, and fridge). Something goes wrong, it is covered!

7. Great neighborhood. Very quiet.

8. Close to movies, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, restaurants, I-95, US-1, VRE, Bus and slug lots.

9. Extremely nice fireplace.  Doubles as a heater...really makes a difference in the winter

10. Reliable, fast cable modem access available in this area...I routinely get 6 Meg download speeds.

The specifics:

1. Pets are definitely ok...we charge a $75 non-refundable deposit per pet (sorry, but even the best trained pet has accidents..I have several pets myself and know of where I speak!)

2. We buy the home warranty so that if something goes wrong with the A/C, heater, stove, etc., you simply call the 1-800 number and they dispatch a technician.  There is a $55 co-pay which renters in the past have simply taken off the monthly rent.  We're real flexible on that.  Great thing is the home warranty covers your appliances as well!

3. If you want to put up wallpaper, paint a room, etc., we're flexible on that as well.  We only ask that it be a neutral color (we can discuss...some folks have thought dark purple a neutral color!) and/or returned to white.  We want you to enjoy your time in the house.

The commute:

If this is your first trip to this area, you quickly learn that commuting is a topic everyone is familiar with...makes it easy to start a conversation with a total stranger...you will all have commute stories.

First, everyone around here, regardless of where you live, has a commute.  Unless you live right outside the Pentagon, you pretty much have at least a 20 min commute.  However, shorter distance from the Pentagon does not equate into a shorter commute.  If you have a lot of side roads or a really congested main road to fight through just to get to your bus, metro, or slug lot (or just to get to the interstate), you can live 20 miles closer and, believe it or not, have a longer commute than I do from Stafford.  The commute to the Pentagon, from here, is a straight highway shot.  And, if you take advantage of the HOV lanes, it can be a quicker commute than folks that live in Manassas or even Prince William County.  I've confirmed this with several of my friends that live closer but have longer commutes due to all of the above.

In my three years of commuting, I firmly believe, all bias aside, that Stafford is one of the best areas to commute to/from the Pentagon.  Everyone has their own opinion, and I give you some reasons below.  Overall, I find the commute to be not that bad.  I use the time (under an hour, one-way) to listen to my iPod, read, or just sleep.  There are a lot of ways for you to commute and not have to drive...

• Slugging.  Stafford has 2 slug lots to choose from and they are across the street from each other.  If you aren't familiar with slugging, I suggest you check out the website http://www.slug-lines.com.  It gives you all the info you need and I'm more than happy to answer any other questions you may have.  I started slugging my first day at the Pentagon and used it as my primary method of commuting since 2005.   To answer the obvious questions about slugging:

   

  • In the mornings, it takes my about 35-40 mins to get to the Pentagon once I get picked up at the lot.  From my house, it takes me roughly 7-9 mins to get to the slug lot.  Basically, I find that I can leave my house a little after 6am and get to the Pentagon right around 7 to 7:15am.  

  • In the afternoons, it does take about 15 mins longer.  That's due to the "merge"...where the HOV lanes end and merge back into I-95 about 10 miles North of the Stafford exits.  On a good day, I can get into the slug line between 4:30 and 5 and be home before 6pm.

  • No, I've never been left without a ride.  And, yes, it has always seemed safe to me and I've never had a 'bad' slugging incident (i.e., bad driver, rude driver, broken down car, unsafe condition).

  • On the days when I have to work later, odd hours due to exercises, etc., I take advantage of the bus service...more on that below.

  • I'm a big fan of slugging and find it a really great way to commute, costs me nothing in gas, and I can read, sleep, etc., while someone else gets me to/from my duty station.  Plus, they drop you off and pick you up right outside the Pentagon...shortest walk there is.

• Buses.  Stafford has two bus lines that service the area:  Martz and Quicks.  Martz is the one I've ridden and it is a good, solid alternative to slugging.  They have early morning (5am) buses and also late ones (past 7pm) that take you to both slug lots.  Cost is $10 one way and you can use Metrochecks for that.

• VRE.  I've ridden the VRE several times but short of driving myself, find it to be the most inconvenient way to commute.  You can catch it at either the Brooke or Quantico stations...Quantico is farther away.  From the Brooke station it takes over an hour just to get to the Crystal City stop where you then have to walk through the mall to get to the metro and then catch that two stops up to the Pentagon.  However, it is an alternative for late mornings/early afternoons.

• Drive.  On those days you have to, or if its your preference, you can easily pick up slugs and drive in.  Gas prices being what they are, I wouldn't really recommend that unless you have to.

Between slugging, buses, VRE/Metro, getting to/from Stafford is really not a problem.  You can also take the Omnilink bus which will drop you at the Route 234 lot which is just North of Quantico and have your significant other pick you up.  I've done that a couple of times as well.

My point is if you are looking to get a larger home, in a well-established neighborhood outside of the hustle and bustle of DC, the commute will not be the problem you are thinking it to be.  Contact me at grunds@grunds.net if you have any questions.

Pictures

Most of these pics were taken shortly after we purchased the house in Jul 2005...so, things such as the paint, carpet, flooring and grass may not be the same.  We've replaced the carpet and flooring and repainted the entire house in the summer of 2008.  Click on the pics to get a larger picture.

Formal living room looking onto the formal dining room	Looking in from the front door.	Looking right from the front door...into the office.  Notice the built-in bookshelves.
My favorite room...my office.	Kitchen...floor replaced in Spring of 2008.	Living room off the kitchen.
Back deck looking to the left.	Looking back into the kitchen from the living room.	Master bedroom...forgive the mess...we're still moving in!
1st bedroom	2nd bedroom	3rd bedroom
2 car garage with door openers.	Formal dining room...notice the bay window.	Downstairs kitchenette
Greatroom downstairs...notice separate entrance.	Sports room or whatever else you want it to be...looking from the greatroom.	Another pic of the living room on the main floor.
And another view looking back into the kitchen.	Finally, looking at the house from the street.  Notice separate pad to park your toys.