Over the years, we have worked with Brian on multiple home mortgages. His expertise saved us a lot…read moreof money and helped us get the loans we needed to eventually buy our dream home. He went way beyond our expectations for service and helpfulness throughout the process. He continues to provide excellent counsel as we have investigated refinancing our mortgage and buying a second home. As others have also said, I cannot recommend him highly enough.

Brian was fantastic to work with throughout the mortgage process. He was responsive, knowledgeable,…read moreand took the time to explain every step clearly, which made a stressful process feel much more manageable. He shopped options, answered questions quickly, and was always transparent about rates, fees, and what to expect. What stood out most was how professional and steady he was from start to finish. I never felt pressured, and I always felt like he had my best interests in mind. If you're looking for a mortgage broker who is sharp, trustworthy, and easy to work with, I would absolutely recommend Brian.

Andy made the lending process smooth and stress-free. He was able to close my loan very quickly and…read moreeven had the flexibility to close sooner if needed. Throughout the process he was knowledgeable, proactive in keeping in touch, and always clear in his communication. His pricing was transparent and fair from the start, with no surprises at closing. I would absolutely recommend Andy to anyone looking for a dependable and trustworthy lender.

Colonial stated a Home Equity Line of Credit would come through in four weeks. THREE MONTHS LATER,…read moreand after REPEATEDLY having to beg for updates and getting NOTHING in response, I still got nothing. Not a peep out of Colonial. Do NOT waste your time with Colonial Mortgage.

When I called Potomac Trust cold for information on a refi, I didn't get a machine saying "punch 2…read moreif you want to talk to a broker, 3 if I'm wasting your time and 4 if you like impersonal recordings like this one that make you feel like a number." I got the owner himself, after just two rings, a guy, with more than 20 years experience, a human being. Heath Bourne listened to what I was looking for in a refi and within an hour sent me an email with three written estimates from different lenders, each with an interest rate significantly lower than what I'm paying now! I am a person who asks a lot of questions. This can test the patience of and even annoy some people (yes, I'm talking to you, mechanics and doctors!!). I was going to say my wife, but thought otherwise on social media. Anyway, I get it. Time is money. Tough customers take time. But Heath answered all of my questions with professional courtesy and patience through multiple phone calls, emails and requests for revised estimates that would drive most brokers nuts. No wonder my online research revealed Potomac Trust Mortgage has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (https://www.bbb.org/us/va/alexandria/profile/mortgage-broker/potomac-trust-mortgage-llc-0241-142453140). This may sound a little corny, but the "trust" in Potomac Trust Mortgage was more than just a name more. It was the way they did business with me. You can trust them.

As first time home buyers, we were quite overwhelmed with the entire process, from start to finish…read more Our first task - post finding a realtor - was getting pre-approved. We met with Heath at PTM at the suggestion of our realtor. He was incredibly nice, incredibly helpful, and willing to answer any questions we had. We peppered him with questions via email before he had any idea whether we'd use them or not, and he answered every one of them thoroughly and promptly. When we had an offer accepted, one condition was that we close in three weeks. Within 24 hours of the offer being accepted, they had a lender for us, initial mortgage estimate documents, and a list of everything they needed. Heather walked us through everything, and was so responsive and prompt. We literally went from accepted offer to mortgage signed in about a week! (It also helps if you make sure you have all your documents ready to go from your end, and they will give you a list of what you need). Everything we did with PTM was electronic, so we weren't worried about running to the office to sign anything. They were accessible via email and phone, and even when we had what was probably a stupid question, they were happy to answer it. From the start, based on our research, we wanted to work with a broker rather than a bank directly, and if you are wanting to do the same, Potomac Trust Mortgage has got to be your go-to!

Anita is very unprofessional. It was like pulling teeth to get her to show up to the title company…read morefor my closing date. She also made me feel rushed when scheduling showings, ultimately to be late for her own scheduled times.

We used Houwzer because our neighbor across sold with Houwzer and I can say it was a great decision…read moregoing with them. The marketing and open house was advertised with many signs that dwarfed the other RE competitors. We had an offer a little over a week of going live and sold at our expected price. Our agent, Jeannie, was very attentive at our needs, and responded to every unexpected requests from all parties. Houwzer's selling point is its flat rate for the Seller side. Initially I was skeptical about getting enough buyer exposure, but they pay the Buyer's agent their normal commission, but the Seller side is just a flat rate. Additionally the listing is in the MLS so it would be the same as if going to any dedicated RE service company. There are other discount brokers out there at even lower commissions, but you need to do your due diligence as some of them do not list in the MLS, only list at their websites, and the buyer agent commission is reduced so there would not be incentive to bring you qualified buyers. I debated on this, and Houwzer was the clear choice, unless you are willing to risk putting your house on the market for months and months before it's sold.

Obtaining the services of a real estate agent is much more than "finding someone to sell your…read morehome". This is especially true if you are selling an inherited property as I was earlier this year. A good real estate agent will know the area, know the laws and rules and will help assess your home and get it listed and sold for a "good price". A great real estate agent is a counselor, a partner in your effort, someone who "has your back" throughout the process in addition to doing all of the real estate work. Philippa Main is an *outstanding* real estate agent and an even better person. My father passed away leaving a home in Woodbridge, Virginia - the home in which I grew up and which contained almost 50 years of possessions. I contacted Philippa in March of 2026 to discuss its potential sale even as the house was in significant disarray while I engaged in the slow process of cleaning it out and sorting through the many things my parents had accumulated over the years. When she visited the home, I looked around and threw up my hands. Philippa looked around and said, "we can make this happen." I sought her out specifically because she mentioned having expertise in sales of homes that are inherited - a particular niche that involves a delicate dance of handling family dynamics, wills, probate laws and determining what, if any, money should be put into renovations or improvements that will get a reasonable return on the investment. From our first conversation over the phone - which she took time to do in the middle of a busy weekend - Philippa was incredibly personable, easy to talk to and anticipated many of my questions and many of my concerns as we talked. By the end of our conversation, I felt like I was chatting with a friend who had expertise I needed. Over the following three months, she was a (rapidly-responded-to) text or phone call away as I navigated getting the house ready for sale. She helped outline a schedule and a plan to list the home. She connected me with a large network of trusted service providers from junk removers to contractors to painters to flooring experts from whom I obtained estimates and some of whom I contracted to help clear out the house and prepare it for sale. While she always reiterated that she would back any decision I made regarding the house, I always sought her counsel when making major decisions such as whether or not to spend money on renovations and, if so, which ones were most important. Of course, there were obstacles - some amusing, some less-so - but Philippa helped me handle each one with a confidence borne of having "seen it before". That is an incredibly valuable thing when dealing with a stressful situation. In the end, the home was listed in June and had nearly seventy showings in three days. The house sold for well over its asking price and after all of it I know some things: The home could have been sold by another agent. But few, if any, others could have been a partner in the process the way Philippa was for me. She was a trusted resource, a confidant, a person who knew when to inject humor into a situation and when helping me vent was what was needed - she understands people and the process of selling an inherited home in addition to being a brilliant real estate agent who knows the area and who knows how to get the job done. I couldn't recommend her more for ANY real estate work but, especially, if you face the task of preparing and selling an inherited property.

Philippa is a phenomenal realtor. She is very knowledgeable about the Arlington market and is…read moreespecially skilled around selling inherited homes. Her warmth comes though on every interaction. If you are selling a home in northern VA or selling an inherited home in this area, I highly recommend reaching out to Philippa. She is very generous with her time and skilled at what she does. You won't be disappointed!

I can always count on Dave. Outstanding work and fair prices. Great communication. Been using him…read morefor various things for years.

Do not make the same mistake I did. Dynamic offered a full job quote and then did not perform the…read morework in a remotely acceptable manner. They then tried to switch to an hourly rate and offer expensive off-the-wall solutions to finish the initial job that they botched (same as other reviewer). I've used contractors before and this is by far my worst experience. Strike 1 - the agreed upon job was to mount and level all of the cabinets for granite. They left stating a portion of the cabinetry was a quarter inch lower and the granite guys would fix it. Dynamic didn't finish the work and kept stating they stayed more hours than they should've so they left. When the granite installers couldn't finish their job because of the uneven and unfinished cabinetry work-- Dynamic stated we needed to a $900 solution for the work they initially agreed upon (this included metal jacks in the basement for our main level kitchen floors, what?!). Needless to say, we got real professionals in here to simply increase the base height of the cabinets a quarter inch using 2x4s and the granite installed wonderfully. There were no "floor stabilization issues" as Dynamic continually said there would be. Strike 2 - the other part of the job was to add an outlet above the stove for our range hood. Dynamic used an existing outlet, reran those wires to the new outlet. Then they closed the old outlet up with drywall in front of it! We got an electrician in here to fix that, because adding a new outlet doesn't mean you get to close another one up with drywall. Goodness. Strike 3 - they quoted a second part of the job (before we realized the poor quality of the initial work and lackluster response thereafter). Dynamic quoted 2.5x price and double the days to finish as several other contractors. Not efficient or cost effective.

Cannot recommend this business enough. The communication effort, hard-working, and suggestions as…read morewe went to make the project better was all super appreciated. We have hired them again to fix our front steps and pavers going up to the house. The owner is very honest.

I highly recommend Masonry Solutions. They came out, met me at the site and suggested an affordable…read moresolution and I couldn't be happier with the results. In addition to fabulous brick work, they also do power washing. No need to call another provider for that.

First and foremost we want to thank Kashif for all his dedication to helping us sell our house…read more I first brought this house with Kashif as my agent, and he was phenomenal going above and beyond to help me land this house. Several years later, as I have decided to move states, when it came time to sell my house, it was a no-brainer to have Kashif represent us. And again, he never failed to disappoint. He set a game plan, with clear timelines, guidance, and addressed all our concerns/questionsPLUS more to help us sell our house. He was always patient, kind, knowledgeable, professional throughout the whole process. It was bittersweet as I didn't even have to drive back to my old state to deal with any of it. Kashif handled all of it, PLUS MORE. Unfortunate didn't even get to see Kashif in person! Having worked with Kashif before, his standard of business and professionalism in this business is unmatched. We have worked with many other agents, and Kashif's expertise is unmatched. I often wished we had more people like Kashif in other practices as well.... His PLUS MORE level of dedication is truly appreciated and will give you many comfortable nights of sleep and leave you smiling at the end of whole process. Thank you Kashif as always, and I truly hope we cross paths again :)

We were introduced to Kashif via RedFin, when hoping to tour a house for sale in Alexandria. That…read morerandom match was incredibly serendipitous as Kashif immediately stood out as a knowledgeable, hard working, and savvy realtor. While that initial home did not work out, with Kashif's guidance, we were successfully able to land a more beautiful home, in a fantastic neighborhood, in an incredibly competitive marketplace. He spent hours answering our questions and providing market analyses. He then expertly navigated negotiations and ensured that we were able to close quickly and successfully. He is even writing a book on best practices for realtors and home buyers! I will recommend Kashif to anyone looking for a realtor, as you will be hard-pressed to find a better one.