When asked by new arrivals here in Northern Virginia "What are your winters like?", up 'til now, my usual reply would be: "They're enjoyable", adding that I often wish for snow because "it doesn't happen that often, and when it does, it's quite lovely...."

And while this winter, so far, has been "quite lovely", the stretches of prolonged cold and nearly weekly snowfalls have been anything but "usual".

That said, we do live in a very scenic part of this great country, and I for one, can't think of a place I'd rather call home.

Now, let's take a look at the area real estate market....