Real Nova Network by Chris Colgan - Chris Colgan Team

Is Virginia a Good Place to Own a Home? What the Data Says About Housing Costs

If you've been wondering whether Virginia is actually an affordable state to own a home — or whether your housing costs are eating too much of your paycheck — a new national study has some answers worth paying attention to.

According to WalletHub's recent analysis of housing costs across all 50 states, Virginia homeowners spend approximately 24.95% of their monthly household income on housing costs — placing the state at #19 nationally among the most expensive states for homeowners. That puts Virginia squarely in the middle of the pack: not as brutal as Hawaii (50%), California (43%), or Massachusetts (34%), but also not as affordable as Iowa, Kansas, or West Virginia.

For renters, Virginia actually looks considerably better. The state ranked #44…

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Northern Virginia Bar & Restaurant Update: New Openings, Closings, and What It Means for the Market

The Northern Virginia food and drink scene never stays still for long. This week we've got three new openings worth knowing about — and three closings that tell a story about what landlords are doing to hospitality businesses in high-demand corridors right now.

Here's the full rundown.

The Openings

Hawkley Brewing — Herndon

Hawkley Brewing is opening this Monday, March 24th, at 257 Sunset Park Drive in Herndon. They're moving into the space previously occupied by Juicy Brewing Co., and they're hitting the ground running: 10 beers on tap at grand opening, canned beer for to-go, merch, and giveaways. If you're spending any time in the Herndon/Reston corridor this weekend, it's worth a stop.

Ovoka Farm Winery — Paris, Virginia (Fauquier…

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Potomac Shores: Inside the Most Ambitious New Community on the Potomac River

Most people driving down Route 1 through Woodbridge have no idea what's sitting right off the highway. Nearly 2,000 acres. Two miles of Potomac River shoreline. A Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course. A VRE station under construction. And over 2,500 homes already sold.

Potomac Shores is not a concept. It's not a rendering on a sales office wall. It's a fully operational, phased master-planned community that's been building since 2014 — and it's at the point right now where the foundational infrastructure is done, the amenities are real, and the pieces that historically move property values are actively being built. I went out there recently with Stanley Martin Homes to walk through their two newest sections, and I want to give you the honest,…

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A Residential Neighborhood in the Heart of Ashburn's Data Center Alley Could Be Worth $576 Million — and It's Not Real Estate Agents Driving the Deal

According to Data Center Dynamics, a 130-acre community in Loudoun County is in discussions to sell to a hyperscale data center developer. Here's what that means for the Northern Virginia real estate market.

Why it matters: Data Center Alley in Ashburn, Virginia already processes an estimated 70% of the world's internet traffic. If this deal closes, it would represent one of the most significant residential-to-data-center land conversions in the region's history — and it's happening in a ZIP code where I regularly help buyers and sellers.

The big picture:

Data Center Dynamics reported on March 20, 2026 that the Regency neighborhood in Ashburn — a community of approximately 150 homes located off Waxpool Road and Ashburn Village Boulevard — is…

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The Northern Virginia Housing Market Just Split in Two: What Buyers and Sellers Must Know

If you are trying to navigate the Northern Virginia housing market right now, you might feel like you are getting mixed signals. Some people will tell you homes are flying off the market in days, while others complain that nothing is selling.

As a local expert—I'm Chris Colgan with eXp Realty, Powered by Place, and I’ve been selling homes here for over 20 years—I can tell you exactly why this is happening. The Northern Virginia real estate market has officially split in two.

Depending on the type of home you own or want to buy, and exactly where it is located, you are facing completely different realities. Here is the breakdown of what is actually happening on the ground and how to strategy your next move.

The Hot Side:…

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A Complete Guide to Northern Virginia (2026): Everything You Need to Know Before You Move

Most people who move to Northern Virginia pick the wrong neighborhood. Not because they didn't research — they did. They Zillow'd obsessively, read the school ratings, watched the YouTube tours. They still got it wrong, because nobody told them that Northern Virginia isn't one market. It's six counties, a dozen distinct real estate submarkets, and about fifteen different versions of what "a good commute" means depending on where you're working and what time you leave the house.

I've been fixing that mistake for 18 years. I'm Chris Colgan — Northern Virginia native, founder of Real Nova Network, and the agent behind 32 million YouTube views on a channel built entirely around helping people understand this region before they commit to it. I grew up in…

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How to Sell Your Home Fast in Northern Virginia: What Actually Works in 2026

I'm Chris Colgan — I've helped Northern Virginia families sell their homes for over 22 years and closed more than $1 billion in transactions across Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties. And I can tell you something that surprises almost every seller I sit down with: price alone does not determine how fast your home sells in 2026.

I've watched perfectly priced homes collect dust for three months while homes that looked overpriced on paper pulled multiple offers in a weekend. After thousands of listing appointments and deals closed across every submarket in this region, I know exactly what separates the listings that fly from the ones that flounder — and I'm going to lay it all out right here.

If you're thinking about selling your Northern…

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Northern Virginia News Roundup: Data Centers, New Attractions, and Big Development Updates

Northern Virginia doesn't do slow news weeks. Right now we've got a data center battle headed to the Virginia Supreme Court, a 70-year-old drive-in theater rising from the dead, and a stadium design that has the entire DMV talking. If you live here, own here, or are seriously considering a move to this area, these stories aren't just headlines — they directly affect your neighborhood, your commute, and your property value.

I'm Chris Colgan. I grew up in Lawnvale in western Prince William County, I live in Oak Valley off Catharpin Road today, and I've spent 18 years and over $1 billion in closed real estate transactions getting to know every corner of this region. Here's what you need to know right now.

The Digital Gateway Data Center Battle:…

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Northern Virginia Housing Market Report: February 2026

Most people assume the Northern Virginia real estate market goes quiet in February. The numbers from this month proved otherwise.

Pending contracts surged across nearly every county. Buyers in Prince William and Fairfax came off the sidelines hard. And out in Fauquier — a market most people aren't watching closely — the median sold price jumped 19% year-over-year in a single month. That's not noise. That's a signal.

I'm Chris Colgan, and I've been covering this region's real estate market from the inside for over 18 years — more than $1 billion in closed transactions, a team based out of Marshall, Virginia, and roots in western Prince William County that go back to when Catharpin Road was the edge of everything. Every month I pull the Bright MLS…

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Heritage at Marshall: The Best New Construction Deal in Northern Virginia

I don't say this lightly—after 18+ years and over a billion dollars in closed transactions across Northern Virginia, I’ve seen every major new construction community in the region come and go. But when I pulled into Heritage at Marshall in Fauquier County and saw a packed parking lot in the middle of a Tuesday, I knew I had to make a video immediately.

Finding single-family detached homes starting in the $600,000s with a two-car garage and community amenities—all just two minutes from I-66—is genuinely hard to find in today’s market. If you are looking for the absolute best new construction deal in Northern Virginia right now, this is it.

Why Heritage at Marshall Stopped Me in My Tracks

To understand why this community is so…

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