real estate: Interior or Exterior Motivations for Real Estate Moves - 06/26/19 09:38 AM
Interior or Exterior Motivations
 
It is helpful to understand the source of the motivation for Buyers and Sellers of real estate.   Essentially the urgency is from inside their personal life or situation or the drive to move has an external catalyst.  In order to best be able to help a client, it is important for a real estate agent to understand what is precipitating the move.
 
The majority of interior motivations have to do with life stage.  In the beginning of the life cycle, Renters and Buyers who move outside of the family home or educational environment are at the stage of … (0 comments)

real estate: DC's Cherry Blossom and Other Traits of World Class Cities - 03/29/17 10:50 AM
Cherry Blossoms and Features of World Class Cities 
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is in full swing in Washington, DC.  After fits and starts with the weather this year, the blossoms have arrived!  Tour buses clogging the roadways and people swarming the Tidal Basin to catch a glimpse of the world famous trees are indicators of spring in DC.Every year my husband and I make plans to take the iconic walk around the monuments of Jefferson, FDR and now Martin Luther King along with the crowds.  Sometimes we bring a picnic and bask in the beauty on one of the banks.  This … (0 comments)

real estate: Three Sweet Lessons Agents can Learn from the Girl Scouts - 03/01/17 11:12 AM
It’s Girl Scout cookie time! Have you bought or received your cookies?2017 represents the 100th year of the tradition as the first Girl Scout cookie sale was held in Oklahoma in 1917. Today over one million Girl Scouts sell cookies, and there are approximately two million real estate agents, of which 62% are women.All I ever needed to know about selling homes, I and many others learned from selling Girl Scout cookies.First, the Girl Scout and the agent pledge to get customers. One’s sphere of influence is often the best source of clientele. The scout and the agent alike drum up business from friends … (0 comments)

real estate: County Tax Assessments are in, is that Really What your Home is Worth? - 02/23/17 09:07 AM
Did you get your tax assessment in the mail?  In the first quarter of the year, most jurisdictions send out the statement for the upcoming year.  If you live in Fairfax County, information is available as well online at the government site:  http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dta/real-estate-assessments.htm
 
A question I often hear as a professional real estate agent:  Is the tax assessment fair market value?  Sellers logically want their property tax assessment to be low so that their taxes are low, so they almost always feel that their home is worth more than the tax assessment indicates.  Buyers typically don’t want to pay more than the … (0 comments)

real estate: You Have to Kiss a Lot of Frogs . . . Before You Find Your Handsome Prince - 02/16/17 12:53 PM
This is the popular moral of the fairy tale The Frog Prince by the Brothers Grimm. The
princess is encouraged to seek out true love, but in the process may have to endure some ugliness along the way. There can be a moral here for home Buyers and Sellers as well.
 
From the Buyer’s perspective it may take viewing quite a few homes before “true love” is
discovered. Each time a Buyer views in a house, inside their mind they are putting it
through a “kiss test”. Could they fall in love with this house, i.e. would it meet the needs
of their family in terms … (2 comments)

real estate: Pausing to Express Thanks! - 11/23/16 11:27 AM
Thanksgiving is a holiday special to America, although other countries too have adopted the concept of a day of gratitude. In a desire to live a more purposeful live, I am taking the time to pause and express thanks!
First, I thank all of the clients and customers over the year that we have been given the privilege and pleasure to work with. On an average annual basis it is usually around one hundred families and over the years has grown into the thousands. It is because of clients that we can proclaim the Keller Williams motto:  “A career worth having, a … (0 comments)

real estate: All in the Family - 11/02/16 05:19 AM
“All in the Family” is a sitcom circa 1970’s. As the purchase and sale of a home has such significant ramifications, I’ve found that in almost all cases there are peripheral people involved.  Usually it is family members but also there can be financial advisors, close friends, neighbors and business associates.  All seem to have an opinion on what the client should be doing.  And like the telephone game of old, that message can come through to the agent in a distorted fashion.  This being right before Thanksgiving, seems like an appropriate time to discuss how it affects the purchase and sale … (2 comments)

real estate: White Water Rafting Lessons - 10/21/16 03:19 AM
White water rafting on the Upper Gauley River in West Virginia is an extreme adventure challenge with intense nonstop action, ranked high in the world and tops in the United States. It is recommended for only serious whitewater enthusiasts as it requires precise maneuvering, skills and attention as you navigate challenging tight technical rapids. These include steep drops, narrow chutes, rock ledges and crashing white water. The fall is the ideal time to raft the Upper Gauley as the dam at Summersville Lake is opened after Labor Day, thus creating the most exhilarating rapids experience.
One of the professional rafting guides on the Gauley River is … (0 comments)

real estate: McLean and Great Falls Real Estate Enjoys Best Number of Sales in Decade - 10/05/16 02:52 AM
The McLean and Great Falls real estate market has experienced a robust number of sales in the 1st three quarters of 2016. The number of transactions is up 9% over 2015 same time frame. In addition, compared to the 2006 market, it is up almost 16%.  This is excellent news for the market area as we enter into fourth quarter and the national election cycle. It indicates an environment for the potential for price appreciation in some segments, provided demand remains strong relative to supply.
The segment that performed the best in these zip codes was the lower brackets, considered to be anything … (0 comments)

real estate: Oreo Cookie of Negotiations - 09/16/16 02:08 AM

 
The Oreo is the top-selling cookie in the 20th century and a classic sweet treat in American homes. As many students return to school in the fall, I think of all the cookies packed in lunch boxes. There too is a real estate message in this popular sandwich cookie. 
First, let’s recall the construction of an Oreo cookie. It is two, typically chocolate, circle shaped cookies with a cream filling “sandwiched” between these two cookie pieces. 
In negotiations, think of the seller as one of the cookies and the buyer as the other cookie.  What is sandwiched in between these two entities is the “sweet spot”.  No doubt, … (2 comments)

real estate: Maintain the Pace of Play - 08/25/16 02:29 AM
On the golf course recently it was apparent how important it is to maintain the pace of play. The principle is that every player is responsible to assure that they do not hold up the other players by their actions. This includes staying up with the group in front as well as not holding up the group behind. There are techniques that professionals use for staying on schedule, amateurs are well advised to heed. Failure to play the course in a timely fashion can result in a warning from the course Marshall, penalties, not being able to finish the round and … (0 comments)

real estate: Heavy Traffic = A Day at the Beach - 08/19/16 04:36 AM
One of the most valuable qualities of property is being located near views of water – be it river, lake, ocean. There are several reasons for this phenomenon. One is water occurs naturally in most environments and thus there is a limited supply of locations that are in close proximity. Another is that the sounds of water rushing, splashing, even crashing onto the shore can be calming to the senses. This state is desirable and thus can add value to the location.  
Early in my career as a real estate agent I had a client who wanted to purchase a home … (0 comments)

real estate: Who you Gonna Call? - 08/11/16 05:10 AM
“Who you gonna call?” is a line in the lyrics of the popular movie “Ghostbusters.” It has one of those crazy tunes that can get stuck in my head.  The application to real estate is by the creation of brand awareness when people have a real estate need or referral, who do they think of?  It should come as no surprise that people will think of the real estate agent that they know best. Or perhaps markets the most.  One of the key objectives to an agent’s success in the real estate industry is to not be a secret agent.
It often is … (0 comments)

real estate: Connectors of People and Houses - 07/28/16 05:07 AM
Like a lot of boys when our son was young he was passionate about any toy that connected things together.  One of his all-time favorites was the K’NEX Amazin’ 8 Coaster Building Set.  The instructions and photos provided a visual for one way to connect and build a roller coaster.  Drew was occupied for hours as he followed the instructions to put it together based on the information.  It didn’t take him long though to visualize creative “out of the box” ways that he could connect the pieces together.
Real estate agents are connectors of people and houses. One way of doing so … (0 comments)

real estate: Roller Coaster of Markets - 07/21/16 02:00 AM

In the summer months many people enjoy visiting theme parks for recreation. Riding the roller coasters was one of our kids’ favorite amusement park activities. The highs and lows and twists and turns made for an adventurous ride. The real estate market too has highs and lows and twists and turns. No matter how long you have been riding it, there are some parts that you can anticipate and others that can take you by surprise.
When the market is in an upward trajectory, the climb is filled with great expectation. Sellers may be seeing price appreciations never experienced before. Many wonder … (0 comments)

real estate: Catch A Wave - 07/14/16 02:29 AM
Photo by Louise Palanker The Beach Boys classic summer song proclaims the words of every real estate agent’s dream come true: “Catch a wave and you’re sitting on top of the world.”  This phenomenon takes place most often in extreme market conditions. A client sells in a market of rapidly rising prices and strong demand.  The buyer enters the market when there is a lot of supply with many choices and not much demand. It is the professional real estate agent that recognizes how to manage the opportunity when these markets occur and advises clients accordingly.
The seller is “sitting on top … (1 comments)

real estate: McLean and Great Falls Real Estate Enjoys Strong 1st Half 2016 - 07/05/16 02:21 AM
              
The real estate market in the first half of 2016 was robust in McLean and Great Falls. The number of transactions is up 6% over 2015 same time frame. In addition, compared to the 2006 market ten years ago, it is up over 18%.  This is excellent news for the market area as we enter into the summer season. It indicates an environment for the potential for price appreciation, provided demand remains strong relative to supply.
As was the case for the first quarter 2016, the segment that performed the best in these zip codes was … (0 comments)

real estate: 4th of July in America: Freedom Isn’t Free; Either is Home Ownership - 06/30/16 01:51 AM
                                      
This next week as the United States celebrates the 4th of July I am reminded of a sign our son Drew had in his room growing up that stated boldly:  FREEDOM.  Drew bought the sign because he found it incredibly ironic that he could purchase something that says “FREEDOM” but that it wasn’t “free.” In order to acquire it, there was a cost expended.
As we celebrate the 4th, let us remember the benefits associated with living in a democracy. Those rights come with … (0 comments)

real estate: Honeymoon Period - 06/21/16 02:19 AM
                                 
As June is “wedding month”, it is also honeymoon season. The honeymoon period is most commonly known as that time after a couple has married where everyone is in love and happy to be together.  The broader definition according to the dictionary is:  “any new relationship characterized by an initial period of harmony and goodwill.” Professional real estate agents recognize that there often exists a honeymoon period during which it is important that the parties come to an agreement.  The phenomenon I have found is very much like a new romance.  Buyers have the most goodwill towards the home and … (0 comments)

real estate: A Contract on a Home is like Being Engaged to be Married: Buyer’s Remorse - 06/02/16 02:33 AM
 
June is traditionally known as “wedding month“. My husband and I will soon celebrate three decades of marriage. Still after all this time I vividly remember a conversation with one of his sisters shortly after we became engaged. She said to me: “Now that you are engaged to marry my brother, please stop looking at other guys.” It seemed an overly protective sentiment to me as he was about to turn 35. Over time though I have come to realize she just did not want to see her brother hurt.
This conversation comes to mind as the phenomenon in real … (0 comments)

 
Karen Briscoe, Your Agent For Life! (Huckaby Briscoe Conroy Group - Keller Williams)

Karen Briscoe

Your Agent For Life!

McLean, VA

More about me…

Huckaby Briscoe Conroy Group - Keller Williams

Address: 6820 Elm Street, McLean, VA, 22101

Office: (703) 734-0192

Mobile: (703) 582-6818



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