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northern virginia real estate: Win Tonight's Mega Millions: What $363 Million Will Buy You in Northern Virginia Real Estate! - 03/27/12 02:11 PM
If you've been watching television, reading the news, looking at the internet, going to a gas station, convenience store, or just about anywhere in the last few days, you know that tonight's Mega Millions lottery drawing jackpot is a staggering $363 Million. Yes, the cash option comes in at "just" $259 million. And then there's taxes. If you choose to get the yearly installments, you'll be pulling in a cool $13,975,500 a year for the next 26 years. No matter how you slice and dice it, let's face it -- it's a boatload of money. You could even jump into … (1 comments)
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northern virginia real estate: Your Best Bet with Brian Block: Read all about it in REALTOR Magazine - 01/29/12 01:29 PM
REALTOR Magazine gets mailed out to over 1 million subscribers. That's a fairly strong subscription base making it the publication for our industry. Published by the National Association of REALTORS, the magazine calls itself "The Business tool for Real Estate Professionals"
So, when you're extensively quoted in a publication of this magnitude, it's a pretty big deal, particularly when the writers have over 1 million REALTORS who they could come to as sources for their articles. It's an even bigger deal when the article is a featured article mentioned on the cover.
Warning: Shameless horn-tooting here!
One of the cover … (4 comments)
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northern virginia real estate: Burning Down the House - 10/31/11 02:26 PM
This past weekend (while at a Halloween Party) I learned something new about real estate -- something that you probably didn't know either. So, thought I'd share.
This guy at the party told me that he recently knocked down his house to make room for the bigger and better house that he now has built on his property. This in itself wasn't news -- teardowns and rebuilds are pretty common in Northern Virginia and throughout other parts of the country. I marketed and sold a teardown the other year: Mr. or Mrs. Buyer: Tear Down This House!
What was fascinating … (99 comments)
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northern virginia real estate: 6 Ways to Make Sure Your Home Never Sells - 10/26/11 10:25 AM
Selling a home is easy, right? Just slap up a "For Sale" sign in your front yard, put an ad in the paper, pick a price and the buyers will come running. Forget hiring a real estate agent and save that commission. You love your home and so will everyone else.
Maybe you don't really want to move and want to keep your home forever. If that's the case, here's six steps to make sure that your home never sells and you can live there until the day you die.
1. Overprice Your HomeIgnore the market and statistics about home … (5 comments)
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northern virginia real estate: The Story Continues to be the Lack of Housing Inventory in Northern Virginia: The Time to Sell is Now! - 10/18/11 05:29 PM
Forget what you hear or you've been told about the real estate market. The facts in Northern Virginia are this:
1. Homes are selling
2. There's not that many homes available for sale
3. Buyers want to live in Northern Virginia
Combine these 3 factors and you'll see that the time is ripe to sell your Northern Virginia home.
I reported on the low inventory of homes in Northern Virginia back in March of this year: LOW INVENTORY ALERT: It's Time to Sell Your Home in Northern Virginia!
The numbers in terms of the low supply of homes available for sale … (1 comments)
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northern virginia real estate: An Industry Leader: Brian Block Elected to the NVAR Board of Directors - 10/17/11 01:56 PM
I have some very exciting news to report. I've been elected to a two-year term on the Board of Directors for the Northern Virginia Association of REALTORS (NVAR)! The results of the election were announced last Tuesday at the NVAR Convention.
Here's the official announcement: 2012 Board Election Results
Last Tuesday morning as I was about to head off to the NVAR Convention, I was surprised by a very touching gesture from my wife. On the dashboard of my car, she'd secretly placed a chocolate truffle (YUM!) and a "Good Luck" card where she wrote "Good Luck in the NVAR Election. … (7 comments)
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northern virginia real estate: A Sign of the Times - 08/29/11 06:53 PM
You've seen them. I've seen them. We've all seen them. Those silly, some would say cheesy, signs that hang below the main For Sale sign on a post in front of a home. In the industry, they're called riders. You know what I'm talking about... signs that declare:
"I'm Gorgeous Inside!"
or these two below:
Tell the truth: when's the last time you actually screamed out (note the exclamation mark), "Honey... Stop the Car!"? Maybe to avoid hitting a deer, but certainly not to go see a home for sale in Northern Virginia or anywhere else for that matter.
When … (8 comments)
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northern virginia real estate: The Longer You Sit, The More it Hurts! - 08/24/11 03:54 PM
When's the last time you sat in an uncomfortable chair? Remember that feeling? The soreness in your rear end, your back and your shoulders... Ouch! The longer you sit, the more it hurts. Often, casual dining establishments purposely have relatively uncomfortable seating arrangements so they can move more patrons in an out netting the restaurant more money in the same amount of time. On the other hand, chic lounges have plush furniture like couches and overstuffed chairs to encourage customers to linger and order more drinks.
If you are like most people trying to sell their home in Northern Virginia, you … (2 comments)
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northern virginia real estate: Northern Virginia's Most Expensive Home Sales for July 2011 - 08/02/11 03:30 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 July 2011. All information was obtained through MRIS.
Overall, there were 91 Northern Virginia home sales topping $1 million during July 2011. This is a significant decrease from the 128 sold in June but still more than sold in May or April of this year.
Currently, there are 784 homes on the market in Northern Virginia with list prices topping $1 million - … (3 comments)
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northern virginia real estate: Pick a Decade: Search for Northern Virginia and D.C. Real Estate by Age of Home - 08/01/11 12:46 PM
If you are searching for real estate in Northern Virginia or Washington D.C. and want to do it by the age of the home, have we got a treat for you. We've created a bunch of different sites which will display all the homes for sale that were built in a particular decade. So, whether you prefer a home from The Sixties, or a condo from The Disco Area, a modern Colonial, or a truly historic brick townhouse, these links below will show you all the homes for sale that were built in that particular time period.
Take a look … (2 comments)
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northern virginia real estate: Celebrating Homeownership in Northern Virginia! - 07/11/11 02:38 PM
Buying a home is more than a transaction. It's much more than a deal. In fact, it's a very big deal! For most people, buying a home, whether it's their first, second, or fourteenth, is usually one of the largest purchases they ever make, and there's a lot more emotion involved than when they buy a computer, a car, or the latest technology stock.
After all, have you ever been invited to somebody's car-warming? Do you know anyone who's thrown a party and called their 20 closest friends to come see the most recent app they purchased for their smartphone?
Don't … (3 comments)
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northern virginia real estate: Highest and Best is Alive and Well (at least around D.C.) - 06/29/11 07:01 PM
"Highest and Best"
Highest and Best Offer. The phrase brings back nightmares of 2004 and 2005 when every potential homebuyer had to write 5 or 6 offers, waive inspections, appraisals, bring extra cash, and write mushy notes to the seller about why they loved their spectacular home (even if that home was an 1,150 sq. ft. hovel of you-know-what). Back then, no sooner was the sign in the ground and the lockbox on the door then multiple offers started showing up on the fax machines or e-mail accounts. Those were the days of putting homes on the market on Thursday with … (5 comments)
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northern virginia real estate: The Quoteworthy Real Estate Broker - 06/25/11 10:18 PM
Not once, but twice in this past week, the media came my way asking for information about the real estate market. Not to toot my own horn (okay, I am tooting my own horn, but sometimes it is warranted), but this has become a regular occurrence over the last several years. Take a look at my Press Page to view all the articles in local and national media outlets as well as watch clips of my television appearances.
Last week, I was interviewed in person by Nicholas (Nick) Horrock at my office. He's now a reporter with the Connection Newspapers, a … (25 comments)
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northern virginia real estate: Thank Your Lucky Stars that You're in the Northern Virginia Real Estate Market! - 05/16/11 08:11 PM
Last week thousands of REALTORS from around the United States descended upon Washington to attend the National Association of REALTORS Midyear Legislative Meetings and Trade Expo ("Midyear"). While most stayed at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel or Omni Shoreham Hotel where the meetings were held, I crossed the Potomac River back and forth each day from Northern Virginia to attend sessions, explore the trade expo and most importantly talk to and learn from real estate professionals around the country.
I've been attending these conferences for several years now and always find it enlightening to discuss the current state of real estate … (1 comments)
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northern virginia real estate: Buy the Neighborhood First, Then Buy Your House - 05/16/11 04:02 PM
You can change your house, you can fix it up, you can remodel, you can put on an addition, you can landscape, yadda yadda yadda, but you can't (at least single-handedly) change your neighborhood. When it comes to real estate, you've likely heard the adage a million times "Location. Location. Location."
It's important to know your price range. You should think about the features you want in a home. Consider your preference for granite counters or silestone. Carefully ponder how many bedrooms and baths you need and whether you want a front-loading washing machine.
However, when searching for and purchasing a home … (3 comments)
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northern virginia real estate: Northern Virginia's Most Expensive Home Sales for April 2011 - 05/05/11 04:18 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 2011. All information was obtained through MRIS.
Overall, there were 61 Northern Virginia home sales topping $1 million during April 2011. This is on pace with the 60 sold in March and a sustained 33% increase from the 45 that sold in February. The spring market in luxury homes is definitely heating up!
Currently, there are 775 homes on the market in Northern Virginia … (1 comments)
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northern virginia real estate: Shut Your Mouth! 10 Things a Buyer Should Never Say to a Seller - 03/31/11 06:19 PM
You like the house. Scratch that. You absolutely love the house.
You've looked at all the homes in your price range. You started with an online home search. Many of the homes you wanted to see and that you were tracking online sold before you even got a chance to see them in person. You walked through the doors of this one and instantly you were in love. Yes, love at first sight does exist especially when it comes to homes.
Desperately you look around the house trying to find something wrong but you cannot. You even love the color they … (38 comments)
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northern virginia real estate: What's Hot & What's Not for Real Estate this Spring! - 03/16/11 03:46 PM
Unlike the fleeting celebrity of your favorite American Idol contestant, real estate is always a hot topic. Whether the market's going up, down or sideways, having a home and a place to rest your head at night will always rank up there on Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Talking about the latest trends in real estate is something that never gets old.
As Spring is right around the corner, here's a look at
What's Hot & What's Not for D.C. & Northern Virginia real estate this Spring 2011!
HOT! NOT!
Homes selling quickly Homes lingering on the market
Large downpayments No Money … (8 comments)
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northern virginia real estate: The Case of the Evaporating Homes! - 02/28/11 04:57 PM
"We've looked at everything in our price range!"
"I wish there were more homes available."
"Isn't there anything else on the market?"
Roam the offices of real estate agents in Northern Virginia today and they'll tell you, search all the homes on the MLS, or browse through your favorite neighborhoods and you'll have just one query:
"WHERE'S THE INVENTORY?"
As the warm weather approaches, and you begin to shed your turtlenecks and scarves, you'll see that there are buyers out there looking for homes. You may even fall into this category. There's just one problem: Namely, there's not enough homes … (6 comments)
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northern virginia real estate: Stop Right There! 12 Things You Should Quit Telling Potential Homebuyers - 02/27/11 03:19 PM
The door bell rings. You scurry about the house making sure everything is clean and in order and then you open the front door.
You're greeted by Rachel the REALTOR and her clients coming to see your home for their 2 p.m. appointment. The urge to engage them in conversation is great. You want to know about the buyers. You want to tell them how great your house really is. You want to be friendly, helpful, and informative. Instead of letting them explore, you want to show them around the house and point out your favorite upgraded features.
STOP RIGHT THERE!
… (28 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
Email Me
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