Linda's Blog

Weichert Ashburn and Reston Interfaith Relief Coat Drive

2008-02-19T13:30:31Z

Weichert, Realtors® of Ashburn, Virginia will be partnering with Reston Interfaith Relief to collect winter coats for needy children and adults in the community.

When: Thursday, March 13th, 6:00pm to 9:00pm

Where: Community Room at the Hunter Mill District Supervisor’s Office North County Government Center 12000 Bowman Towne Drive, Reston

We will be collecting new and “gently used” (in good condition and cleaned) winter coats, hats, gloves and scarves.

Children and Adult sizes (XL and XXL greatly appreciated)

All donations are tax deductable

If you live in the Reston area and have a coat(s) you would like to donate but are unable to drop them off on that date, please contact me directly so that we can arrange to get it picked up prior to the event. Call me at (571) 233-7369.

The 4 C's of Home Buying and Selling

2008-02-18T18:13:23Z

The old adage in Real Estate used to be “location, location, location.” Like everything else, things change. Generally speaking, it’s currently a buyer’s market. OK, so you’re thinking, “well, duh.” Just keep in mind, this too shall pass. What happens once we dig our way out from the “foreclosure crisis”? Why are we having an immigration policy debate? What effect will that economic stimulus package have? What if we have a new political party in power? How many new jobs are moving into Loudoun County this year? Hummmm. People still need a place to live. Is our population shrinking? The reality is, at some point the housing market will turn around. We’re already seeing a wave of first-time homebuyers scooping up the lower-end market (particularly $300K and below). There is movement happening all over the place but it’s a very different market than the one we had a couple of years ago. When you have lots of inventory, people have the luxury of being “picky.”

While location is still important, other factors have become equally important. Today, real estate is scrutinized more like diamonds—taking into account the overall attributes of the property.

Cost—As with diamonds, the price is determined by the other 3 “C’s”. Buyers generally have a budget they need to work within and as interest rates climb, their budget shrinks. Proper pricing is still critical in this market. If you aren’t priced “right” you’ll get passed over. Regardless of what you think, the first month on the market is highly critical. “Testing the market” with a higher price often puts you at a disadvantage from the beginning. I’ve actually seen cases where sellers got less than they could have if they priced it properly from the beginning because then they were constantly chasing down the market as everything dropped.

Community—OK, this is location - still an important feature but no longer the primary factor. Since you can’t physically move your home, you can do virtually nothing to change it. But, you can change other things.

Characteristics—Given the market of your specific home, what features will a typical buyer expect to see in your home. Your real estate agent can preview other homes that are for sale in your community and tell you what upgrades and extras your neighbors have. One thing to keep in mind is that in this market, your home needs some sort of “WOW” factor to set it apart from the competition. Clean it up and fix it up—good places to start. Staging, neutralizing paint colors, removing wall paper, replacing old carpeting, installing wood flooring, installing Corian or stone countertops, updating bathrooms among other things, are all things you may be forced to consider given your home and its competing market. If you don’t have the features buyers are looking for, you’ll need to adjust your price.

Condition—Does your home appear to be well maintained and updated, or does it look older and dated? Move-in ready is important to many buyers because the average length of time a person lives in a home is 5 years. The last thing most buyers want to do is buy a home and then spend the next 5 years updating it. Kitchens and baths are the most expensive rooms in the home that generally require periodic updating. For example, hot items today include granite countertops, hardwood floors and newer, energy efficient appliances. This part of preparing a home for sale can often be the most costly and time consuming particularly if you’ve lived in the home for a long time and have done few updates or improvements.

In a nutshell, it sometimes takes money to make money. If you choose to skip this phase and your home isn’t “up to snuff,” expect it to take longer to sell and unfortunately, at a lower price than your competition.

Like diamonds, few homes are flawless and everyone has an opinion. The goal is to make your home as “shiny” as possible so it catches the eye of as many buyers as possible.

Megan's Law - How Important is it to You as a Buyer?

2008-02-18T16:53:48Z

I’ve had a couple of interesting experiences with buyers concerning Megan’s Law. First of all, I think this whole issue gets glossed over too frequently. This topic is buried in paragraph 11 of the Virginia Exclusive Right to Represent Buyer Agreement. I don’t have any children so personally, I don’t often think much about Megan’s Law. However, as an agent I still believe we need to point out to buyers that it is their responsibility to satisfy their concerns with respect to registered sex offenders.

Here’s one of my stories: One day, on a marathon outing to see about 15 homes with a couple, we decided to take a break and have lunch. During the conversation I realized that the wife, a first-time homebuyer, was under the impression that I was an authority on the town and schools we were looking in. As I explained the Fair Housing Laws and why I couldn’t comment we ventured onto a topic that raised the hairs on the back of my neck. One of the reasons this couple was moving to a more rural area was to provide a more wholesome environment for their teenage children. One issue with rural areas is that kids often have to walk farther to and from school buses. Although I had touched on the issue of Megan’s Law when they signed the contract it became clear they hadn’t really thought about the possible ramifications.

We started talking about Megan’s Law again and the wife suddenly got concerned. I resent her the web site for the state’s registered sex offenders and pointers to school sites for her to check out. What occurred was amazing to me and very empowering for my buyers. Not only did the couple change their search criteria, they went and visited the schools their children would be going to and met with HOA representative in prospective communities. In fact, the home they originally wanted to put an offer on was dropped completely because there were 3 registered offenders on that street alone.

Now, I personally think that some offenders do rehabilitate and shouldn’t be persecuted if they have done their time. But, the consumer ultimately needs to determine what is most important to them. Buyers really need to list some of their key hot buttons and concerns and speak with their agent about them. Obviously, we’re often bound by Fair Housing Laws or the Realtor Code of Ethics when it comes to giving advice or specific information about some topics, but we can point buyers in the right direction. Ultimately, your real estate agent should be the source of the source – not the source. VIRGINIA IS A BUYER BEWARE STATE so buyers need to do their homework. In this case, my buyers were very happy with their purchase and felt they made the best decision for their family.

The Virginia State web site for registered sex offenders is: www.vsp.state.va.us

Home Buyer Seminar - 2 Chances to Attend

2008-02-13T22:08:02Z

Are you a first-time homebuyer thinking of jumping into the market? Has it been awhile since you've bought or sold a home? Well, then this FREE seminar is for you.

Free Homebuyer Seminar

NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY. GET THE INSIDE STORY.

Topics include:

What’s happening with Real Estate in your community

Available financing options

How Weichert simplifies the home buying process

SEATING IS LIMITED - CALL TODAY TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT!

Where: Weichert, Realtors – Ashburn Office

When: Thursday, March 6, 2008 – 7:00pm to 8:00pm OR Saturday, May 3, 2008 – 11:00am to 12:00pm

Contact: Linda Bailey, (571) 233-7369

Directions: From Reston, Route 7 West, take Claiborne Parkway South. Pass under Dulles Greenway (Route 267). Turn left onto Broadlands Boulevard. Turn left into shopping center on left (Safeway). Our office is located around the corner from Star Bucks. From Leesburg, Route 7 East, take Clairborne Parkway South. See above.

If you have any family or friends that may want to attend, please feel free to pass this along – we would be honored to have them attend!

We are vitally concerned with your privacy on the internet. To opt-out of further email correspondence from me, please respond to this email with “unsubscribe“ in the subject line.

Visit www.weichertgold.com for a complete list of homeowner services.

Seminar will be facilitated by Mortgage Access Corp. d/b/a Weichert Financial Services, Executive Offices, 225 Littleton Road, Morris Plains, NJ 07950. 1-800-829-CASH. Licensed by the NJ Dept of Banking and Insurance. Licensed Mortgage Banker with the State Dept of Banking in NY and CT. Licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Banking pursuant to the First Mortgage Bankers and Brokers Act and the Secondary Mortgage Loan Act License Nos. 11089.001 and 11090.001. Licensed Lender in AR, DE, MD, D.C., GA, ME, MI, WI, IA, IL, VT, OR, FL, WV, RI, KY, NC, ID, MS, NE, WY. Licensed by the Virginia State Corporation Commission, License #ML105. Licensed Mortgage Lender in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. License #ML1713, Certificate #43155. Certificate of Authority to transact business in AL, AK, CO, IN, SC, MO. Exempt Mortgage Lender in MN, OK. WA. Registered Mortgage Lender in TN, LA, TX. Registration with the Financial Institutions Division in New Mexico. Licensed by the Department of Corporations under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act. Licensed Mortgage Broker Ohio. Licensed Loan Broker Rhode Island. Kansas Licensed Mortgage Company, License #2001-4254. Licensed by the New Hampshire Banking Department. Weichert Financial Services arranges loans with third-party providers. Equal Housing Lender.

Selling Your Home When You Have Pets

2008-02-13T21:00:27Z

It’s a stressful enough situation for the humans involved with selling a home. Now imagine being the family dog or cat and seeing new faces invading your home. Additionally, not all potential home buyers are comfortable around certain animals or they may have severe allergies

To help reduce the stress on everyone involved, consider the following ideas:

Notify Visitors: If there are loose pets in the home, remember to put a prominent note on the door telling visitors. Especially if you do not want the pets to get out of the house.

Confine the pet(s): Depending upon the particular situation, this can be done by closing them into a specific room (again with a note on the door) or by temporarily putting them in a pet carrying crate. The crates are good if it’s a scheduled visit and the pet does not have to spend a long period of time in it. Just remember to leave them with any necessary food and water (and potty facilities if necessary).

Board the pet(s): Particularly for large dogs or dogs that are, or appear to be, overly aggressive. In those situations, “doggie day-care” may be the best solution although more expensive. Limiting showings of your home because your pets need to be restrained or removed from the property will decrease the number of potential buyers that see your home.

When getting your home ready to sell, you should strive to make your home less “pet centric.” Have the carpets cleaned, vacuum frequently to keep fur and dander levels low, clean litter boxes frequently and pick up your pet’s toys so they aren’t tripping hazards. With pets that spend a lot of time outside, have them frequently bathed so that they don’t track in odors. Lastly, frequently pick up pet waste in the yard as stepping into an unexpected “present” can quickly turn off any buyer.

Special note on exotic animals:

Be aware that some people have tremendous phobias about some animals such as snakes, spiders and lizards. Ensure that the cage or container that the pet is in is always secure so they can’t get out. Put a note on the door indicating the type of animal it is and that it is in a secure container. If possible, cover the container so that those that are real squeamish don’t have to actually see the animal.

A Few Tips on Selling Your Home This Winter

2008-02-13T19:57:58Z

Even in the winter, curb appeal is important. A pot of winter pansies by the front door can lend a cheery note. During the colder months much more attention needs to be paid to how inviting the interior entry of your home is.

Have sand or de-icing products on hand for your sidewalks and walkways. If you are vacating your home prior to it being sold, you may need to set up plowing and shoveling services so that your home is accessible should a snow storm come along. If you aren’t going to be home, put some de-icing product in a container near the door with the lock box. That way agents with visitors can ensure nobody slips and falls.

Put “thirsty” door mats both inside and outside the entrance with the lock box to trap any moisture/snow/sand/de-icing products that may get tracked in. Consider having your agent put up a sign requesting visitors to remove their shoes before proceeding past the entry.

On major show days, (broker opens or weekend open houses) when it’s cold outside, make your home “warm” and inviting inside. Turn on a fireplace, warm some cider or bake some cookies. Inviting, familiar scents can help make a house feel like a home. Although, don’t use overpowering scents or use one overpowering scent to cover another overpowering odor.

Also, make sure all your lights are working. Add lights in rooms that appear too dark or dreary. With the shorter days upon us, it’s important to let your home “shine” both inside and out.