Thinking of Renovating? - 04/26/11 07:31 AM
The typical floor plan in homes has been changing over the last several years.  I have fewer buyers who want your standard living room and dining room; instead they want an open kitchen to a family room.  More and more entertaining happens between these two rooms, so it only makes sense to have your floor plan reflect your life-style.  Builders and developers had caught on and many new homes reflect the change in style, in addition many people are renovating existing homes to also show the change in floor plans.  Realty Times recently published an article about kitchen and bathrooms which … (1 comments)

The Views at Clarendon - 04/24/11 09:43 AM
The Views at Clarendon is going full speed ahead, workers were out working even on a Saturday to get this project completed.  The Views at Clarendon has met with lawsuits and other attempts to not allow the project to move forward, but a judge ruling in December 2010, put an end to the stalling of the project and since the new year has started the project has been moving forward.  The Views at Clarendon is planned to offer 70 affordable housing units, 46 market rate apartments ranging from studios to 3BR units, while offering 120 underground parking spots while being in … (0 comments)

Earth Day, Ways You Can Help - 04/22/11 08:16 AM
 
This being Earth Day, here are some helpful hints on how to save energy, recycle and help the plant while saving yourself some money.  These are all things to think about and when it is time to buy or renovate to help you save money in the long-run and help the planet at the same time.
From Econmall are 20 things one can do to conserve energy:
        Home appliances
-Turn your refrigerator down. Refrigerators account for about 20% of Household electricity use.      Use a thermometer to set your refrigerator temperature as close to 37 degrees and your freezer … (4 comments)

Home Inspections - 04/22/11 07:04 AM
Home inspections are part of the home sales process and I highly recommend them to all my buyers, even on new construction.  Home inspections are a time when a buyer can learn about the inter-workings of their new home as well as if the home has any issues that the seller should repair or give the buyer credit to have repaired as part of the transaction.  Even if you are buying a “new” home that was recently built, the builder could have taken a short-cut or missed something, thus getting a home inspection is always a good idea to get it … (2 comments)

Why Hire an Agent? - 04/19/11 07:43 AM
 
As the spring market arrives, which is typically the busiest real estate market of the year, more and more active listings arrive each day.  It is still a wonder to me, why a seller thinks they can sell their home without an agent, are they really going to be saving that much money and get that much more out of it? Their home will seller faster and typically at a higher value if they use an agent to list their property.
What is even more amazing to me is still the lack of buyers knowledge that they should get their … (0 comments)

Is It Just About Price? - 04/17/11 09:27 AM
As we are in the spring market, there are more homes coming onto the market for sale.  As a seller, you need to make sure your home is in the best shape possible and priced correctly to be sold in the least amount of time.  Your home should show well, make sure it is decluttered, de-personalized and that rooms show-off their size.  Price is just as important as how well a home shows.  Please talk to your listing agent about pricing your home correctly so it does not sit on the market or that you have to make several price drops … (2 comments)

How-To Clean Your Wooden Deck - 04/17/11 09:03 AM
As the temperatures continue to warm-up outside we want to get out and enjoy the nice weather on our decks.  It is coming up on the season when you have people over for backyard barbeques and an evening of outdoor enjoyment in your back yard and having a clean deck is important to help pull this off successfully.  If you deck needs some cleaning, the Washington Post recently published an article on how to clean it.
Our wooden deck is located under a large tree and the wood has become almost black. We are thinking of using a bleach on it, … (2 comments)

Arlington March Housing Report - 04/14/11 07:12 AM
 
NVAR has published the March 2011 Housing Report for Arlington.   The condo market inventory has decreased from this time last year.   So far in 2011 the numbers of condos that have been listed, sold, pending or active are all down from their March 2011 numbers.  The good news is that the average sales price has gone up from about $373,000 to about $421,000. The largest segment of the market is condo priced under $500,000.
The single family home report for Arlington has the total inventory for homes decreasing each month in 2011 except March, but the March 2011 numbers for … (0 comments)

4 US Cities to Consider Buying in Now - 04/14/11 07:03 AM
CNN Money recently published this article about four US Cities where it might be a good time to look to buy since there are some discounts according to CNN Money. 4 Cities With Steep Housing Discounts Buyers can find plenty of deals in housing across the country. CNNMoney.com recently offered a list of a few cities that have had the steepest price drops over the past six months. Here are four cities that are offering some of the biggest discounts on housing. 1. Atlanta Rising foreclosures have hit the Atlanta housing market hard: Foreclosure filings in 2010 rose 22 percent after … (1 comments)

Washington DC Marching Housing Report - 04/13/11 07:45 AM
GCAAR has published the March 2011 Housing Report for Washington DC.   The condo and coop market inventory have increased each month of 2011 with currently around 1,150 properties on the market.   So far year-to-date the total number of contracts on condos and coops is down almost 16% from 2011 but each month has been increase in the number of contracts, however the total number of settlements year-to-date is up about 7%.  The average sales price for a condo/coop in DC is about $406,000.  The largest section of the market is condo/coops priced under $500,000.
The single family home report for DC … (1 comments)

Start Saving Now - 04/13/11 07:27 AM
If you are thinking about buying a home in the future, please be aware that changes will be coming to the mortgage industry.  Yes, reform is needed, we need to shift the backing of mortgage loans away from the government and back onto the secondary market.   It will be interesting to see what actually passes, but it is better to prepare now in case these measure laid out below do move forward.  As a potential buyer, seller or someone looking to refinance in the coming years, Realty Times has laid out some good steps to take to make sure you are … (1 comments)

Unemployement Loan Program - 04/12/11 07:46 AM
 
The US housing market is still in a bit of a mess and will be for some time to come, however the government is now offering assistance to unemployed homeowners to help them avoid foreclosure by adding more strain to the already strained housing market.  The latest Case-Shiller showed that every major metro area was at the breakeven point or below, except Washington DC, thus help and change is needed for the real estate market.  The Dodd-Frank bill might actually go into effect and help homeowners, but let’s hope this bill has more success than previous ones.  The housing industry … (0 comments)

Changes Are Coming, Buyers and Sellers be Aware - 04/10/11 09:09 AM
Buyers and sellers, please be aware changes are coming to the lending industry that would make it very difficult for many first-time home buyers and others to get approved for a mortgage, muchless have the 20% down needed to purchase that home of their dreams.  Sellers, yes this affects you too, the pool of qualified buyers will shrink greatly and what about the home you are planning to move to? Yes, there are changes needed to the mortgage industry as it is now, but these proposed changes are going a little extreme.  The industry is having a tough time of it … (5 comments)

Ashton Heights - 04/09/11 04:55 PM
Ashton Heights is one of Arlington’s oldest neighborhoods, lying geographically in the “heart of Arlington.” It is bounded by Wilson Blvd, 10th St N, Irving St N, Arlington Bld (Route 50), and Glebe Rd.  The neighborhood originated in the late 1910’s as a train suburb around the new Clarendon electric trolley station. It continued to thrive as a bedroom community after automobiles replaced the trains in the 1930’s and on through the 1950’s.
In 1919, realtor Ashton C. Jones purchased 61 acres of land bounded by present-day 5th St N, Nelson St, the Columbia Gardens Cemetery, 2nd St N, and Irving … (0 comments)

Virginia Square - 04/09/11 08:30 AM
Virginia Square is an urban village that, upon first glance, might not be as easily recognizable as some of the other neighborhoods in Arlington. It is not dominated by towering office buildings or crawling with big-time nightlife destinations that can be found in Clarendon and Ballston, but Virginia Square still has plenty to offer. Like many of the other urban villages in Arlington, Virginia Square can be defined as a residential community, a 9-to-5 working center, an educational and cultural hub, and a neighborhood with some history, all at the same time. It does in fact have a little bit of … (0 comments)

Lyon Village - 04/07/11 03:39 PM
Lyon Village is an historic neighborhood in Arlington that is known for its tree-lined streets, older homes (many were built in the 1920s and 1930s) that contain a mixture of eclectic architecture.
The neighborhood sits between Lee Highway (North), Wilson Boulevard (South), Veitch Street (East) and Kirkwood Road (West) and is considered an “urban village,” next to or part of the Clarendon neighborhood, one of Arlington 's fastest-growing restaurant and retail areas.  To the north there is a shopping complex along Lee Hwy that houses the Italian Store, a bike store, Giant Grocery Store and a CVS among other store in the … (1 comments)

Buyers, Don't Miss Out - 04/06/11 07:49 AM
 
As the spring market swings into full gear, new listings in popular locations will not stay on the market long, so that is why you have an agent there to help you with the process.  As a buyer, you should have already talked to a lender and gotten a pre-approval letter or be able to get one quickly, so you don’t miss out on your dream house. 
I had the experience recently where two homes that needed a little work, but in great locations came on the market and they were under contract two days later.  My buyer was … (4 comments)

Washington DC Metro to Bring in Retail Sales - 04/05/11 07:51 AM
 
The Metro system is a vital part of the Washington DC Area transportation system and many do not want to see price hikes like we have had in previous years, but the system is in a budget shortfall.  Retail sales seem to make sense to help with the budget shortfall as compared to cutting services, including the late night weekend service, one has a captive audience and many countries around the world have retail with their metro and rail services so rather than raising the prices on the riders, it is good that metro is looking for alternative ways to … (0 comments)

Peeling Exterior Paint - 04/05/11 07:31 AM
 
As you are trying to get your home ready for the spring market or doing some spring cleaning, having your home look its best is important. As the Washington Post recently answered a question on how to best deal with peeling steel siding, these and other exterior touch-ups are as important as improvements to your interior.
My house has steel siding, some of which is peeling badly. Can I repaint it and if so, how? —Joe
By Gene Austin
Your first step should be to remove all the peeling paint. The best way to do this is to use a … (1 comments)

State and Local Taxes - 04/03/11 09:59 AM
As the spring market starts to rev-up, you as a buyer need to consider where am I looking to buy? This is important, as the average American stays in the place they live five years.  The Washington Examiner recently published an article about the difference jurisdictional (DC, VA and MD) state and local taxes between the different jurisdictions.  This is important to consider when you are looking at your budget and deciding how much you can afford to buy.
Maryland residents pay higher state, local taxes than Va., D.C. By: Leah Fabel With federal tax day approaching, Washington area families are … (1 comments)

Cleaning Out Your Drain - 04/03/11 09:56 AM
As we have all had problems with our drains at one time in point or another, the Washington Post recently included this Q&A on Do-it-Yourself about how to unclog that drain that seems to be giving you quite a few problems. Do-it-yourself: The tool to try when plumber’s snake won’t unclog drain By Gene Austin Our bathroom sink clogs up every few months, and I have a hard time getting it to drain again. I have tried a plumber’s snake, but the pipe runs into the wall and makes a very sharp turn, and the snake hangs up in the turn. … (3 comments)

New Condos for Sale in Adams Morgan - 04/01/11 08:49 AM
There is an increase of new condo developments being built and for sale in the Washington DC metro area, be it new developments or renovations of buildings.  Many projects had been put on hold due to the economy, but it seems we are starting to turn-around, as developers are starting to plan and build on those sites that got put on hold not too long ago.  Below is information about one new condo for sale now in the Adams Morgan area of Washington DC.
The Warrington and the Wilmington are two of a kind in a one-of-a-kind setting. Welcome to … (0 comments)