Less than Five! - 05/28/10 02:18 PM
Many years ago, there was a movie called "Less than Zero."  It starred Andrew McCarthy and Robert Downey, Jr.  To be honest, I bring this up for no other reason except to put the title of this blog post in context.  I'm not even sure that I saw this 1987 movie and if I did, it obviously did not make that much of an impression.
More importantly, and to the point:
Mortgage interest rates on 30 year loans
are
Less than Five!

In a rate sheet sent to me today by one of my favorite Bank of America loan … (2 comments)

I Want You & Me to be on T.V. - HGTV Casting in the D.C. Area - 05/25/10 08:03 PM
Do you want to be a T.V. star?  Are you an HGTV junkie devotee?
Here's your chance:
HGTV is casting in the D.C. and Northern Virginia area for their show "My First Sale" and they contacted me to help spread the word.

HGTV's camera crew will be in D.C. and/or Northern Virginia to capture all the trials and tribulations, stress and success of prepping for sale, pricing, negotiating, and ultimately selling a home for the first time.
QUALIFICATIONS: 
You must be FUN. You must have high energy. This must be your first time selling a home. You must be motivated to sell. … (11 comments)

Katie buys a Condo in Arlington Virginia - 05/25/10 07:19 PM
She couldn't be happier!  Look at that smile! 
Katie who just recently purchased a condo in Arlington Virginia worked with me to buy a condo and we did it in time to take advantage of the Federal Homebuyer Tax Credit.
 

While the deadline for the tax credit may be over, interest rates are at historic lows making the current real estate market a great opportunity. Wouldn't you like to star in my next video?


… (3 comments)

Metro D.C. Area is Fittest Area in U.S.! Join a Gym - 05/24/10 05:47 PM
It must be all those people running along the National Mall, bicycling on the numerous bike paths around the region, rowing along the Potomac River and crowding the many gyms.
For the third year in a row, the Metropolitan DC area received the #1 ranking for the fittest city in the nation in the American College of Sports Medicine's (ACSM) American Fitness Index.
Ranking the 50 largest metropolitan areas, the poll is based on a variety of factors including community health policies, preventive health behaviors, federal reports, instances of exercise, health insurance coverage, and accessibility to public lands/parks.
So according to this report, the … (0 comments)

What to Expect When You're Expecting... a Real Estate Settlement! - 05/21/10 04:01 PM
So, you've gone through the steps and the process is moving along.
BUYERS:  You've searched around town.  You've found the house you want to purchase.  You've applied for your mortgage.  You've submitted an offer and it's been accepted by the seller.  Congratulations you have a ratified contract!
SELLERS:  You've had the sign up in your yard.  You've kept your home clean for all the showings by real estate agents and their clients.  You've been waiting anxiously.  You've countered the buyer's offer and now you've come to an agreement.  Congratulations you have a ratified contract!
 
In either scenario, you're now on … (1 comments)

Tysons Corner Condos: Live Near Your Job & Future Metro Stations - 05/21/10 10:19 AM
Drive around Tysons Corner and you'll notice a few things:
1.  There's a lot of construction -- Metro is finally coming -- it's a reality.  Click here to read a recent update about the Dulles Corridor Metro Extension.

2.  There's a lot of shopping -- With Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria, there's more retail in this dense area of Northern Virginia than almost anywhere else in the country.

3.  There's a lot of offices -- Close proximity to D.C. and favorable economic conditions and incentives from Fairfax County have created a major employment center with company headquarters, law … (4 comments)

Interactive Median Home Sales Map for Washington D.C. - 05/19/10 08:35 AM
Median home sales numbers usually provide a better gauge of home prices than does average sale price.  That's because median home sales price represents that half the homes in an area are selling above that price and half below, whereas average home prices can easily be skewed by a few very high, off the scale prices, or a few extremely low foreclosure sales.
To get an accurate picture of the median home sale prices and the real estate market in the Washington D.C. area and around the country, The National Association of REALTORS® has developed an interactive map that allows visitors … (3 comments)

Why Do You Want to Move? - 05/17/10 03:36 PM
Why do you want to move?  Why does anyone want to move? 
Whatever the reason, it's a good thing that people move -- it keeps me in business!
Arun Barman, Research Economist at the National Association of REALTORS examined U.S. Census data and drew the following conclusions:
5.8 percent of those over the age of 16 moved, because they wanted to own a home rather than rent 13.5 percent of people moved for some "other family reason" 10.8 percent of people moved to establish their own household About a fifth of people moved for a job related reason
Copyright … (7 comments)

McLean Virginia Real Estate Market Snapshot: May 2010 - 05/17/10 02:42 PM

What's Happening today in the McLean, Virginia Real Estate Market?
Here's a snapshot of McLean Virginia home sales in the last 30 days from mid April through now:
MCLEAN VIRGINIA HOME SALES:
•·     Active homes for sale:  192 -- 44 of those have just come on the market within the last 30 days! 
•·     McLean Homes sold in the last 30 days:  34
•·     Average Sales Price:   $973,009
•·     Median Sales Price:     $785,000
•·     Average Days on Market:   72 -- Due to the higher price range than most Northern Virginia markets, McLean homes are taking a little longer to sell than other areas.
•·     Average … (1 comments)

Do You Love DC? I Love DC. We Love DC! - 05/10/10 08:10 AM
Whether you're a native, a long-time resident, a tourist, or planning to move here, there's a lot to love about the Washington, D.C. area.  Besides selling homes, one of the jobs of a real estate professional (at least in my opinion) is to be an ambassador for the city or region, especially to people who are transferring in from other parts of the country.  Being an ambassador for D.C. and Northern Virginia comes very naturally for me because there's so much to love here.
This week thousands of REALTORS from around the country are visiting Washington D.C. for the National Association of REALTORS … (8 comments)

Stressed? Move to Arlington, VA - 05/04/10 02:27 PM
There are many reasons to move to Arlington, Virginia.  I detailed many of them almost 3 years ago in a fictional letter that I wrote to Paris Hilton encouraging her to move across the country.
Now, there's another reason: STRESS!
 
The Associated Press just released a report detailing the 20 most stressed and 20 least stressed counties in the United States with populations of over 25,000 people.  By stressed, their talking about economically stressed.
 
If you are currently living in California or Nevada, it's likely that your county is stressed.  Counties from these two states comprise 15 of the 20 … (4 comments)

April 2010's Most Expensive Home Sales in Northern Virginia - 05/04/10 01:50 PM
Are you wondering about Northern Virginia real estate and pondering what has sold recently?
Here's some information about the most expensive home sales in Northern Virginia (Arlington County, Alexandria City, Fairfax City, Fairfax County, and Falls Church City) for April 2010.  All information was obtained through MRIS.
Overall, there were 63 Northern Virginia home sales topping $1 million during April 2010, 11 more than  sold in March 2010.  It seems that the luxury market is picking up speed.
Currently, there are 787 homes on the market in Northern Virginia with list prices topping $1 million which is up significantly from the 721 that … (2 comments)

 
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Brian Block -- Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate

McLean, VA

More about me…

RE/MAX Allegiance, Managing Broker/Branch Vice President

Address: 6226 Old Dominion Drive, McLean, VA, 22101

Office Phone: (703) 626-0715

Cell Phone: (703) 626-0715

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