Real estate blog entries tagged with home buying by Amanda S. Davidson, Alexandria Virginia Homes For Sale (Amanda Davidson Real Estate Group Brokered By Real)

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home buying: How To Pick A Neighborhood You’ll Love When Buying A Home - 02/26/19 07:47 AM

How To Pick A Neighborhood You’ll Love When Buying A Home
Real estate and details go hand in hand and when you’re buying a home there are a lot of details to consider. When you purchase a home you’re making a commitment to more than just the home itself. You’re also committing to the neighborhood it’s located in.

In most cases you’re going to be living there for at least a few years and on average homeowners stay in their homes 7 years. There are certain things you should consider before you purchase a home and the neighborhood it’s located in is one … (51 comments)

home buying: Homes for Sale Under 300k in Kingstowne VA - 02/17/19 11:04 PM

If you're thinking of buying a home for sale under 300k in Kingstowne VA you won't find a lot of listings to choose from but, there are condos that are priced in this range. The current average sale price in Kingstowne is $439,213 and is derived from sales of condos, townhomes, and single family homes.
Why live in Kingstowne VA?

Kingstowne VA is a large planned community in Fairfax County, second to Reston. Located on the western side of Alexandria and a suburb of Washington, D.C., this community is one of the best places to live in Virginia.

Kingstowne is widely recognized as a … (12 comments)

home buying: Mortgage Pre-Approval vs. Mortgage Pre-Qualification | There’s A Difference - 02/07/19 12:22 PM

Mortgage Pre-Approval vs. Mortgage Pre-Qualification | There’s A Difference
I was recently having a conversation with a first time home buyer and the question came up of whether there’s a difference between a pre-approval and a pre-qualification. The simple answer is yes there’s a big difference. Read this article to find out what the difference is and why it matters when you’re buying or selling a home.

What Is A Mortgage Pre-Approval?
For starters a mortgage pre-approval is not a guarantee you will get the loan but, it’s the closest you can get to that guarantee. There are still conditions such as locating a … (49 comments)

home buying: Final Walk Through – What Is It and Why Is It Important - 01/10/19 07:47 AM

Final Walk Through – What Is It and Why Is It Important
There can frequently be confusion of what a final walk through is and why it’s important. A final walk through can also be referred to as a pre-closing inspection. The final walk through is not a home inspection. In most cases the buyer will have a home inspection contingency that’s already been fulfilled as part of the contract. The final walk through shouldn’t be an appointment that takes a few hours like a home inspection but, it’s also not something that just takes a few minutes.

What Is A Walk Through?
A … (55 comments)

home buying: Sold in Ashburn Farm – Ashburn Virginia 20147 - 01/04/19 01:47 PM

Sold in Ashburn Farm – Ashburn Virginia 20147
My buyers were relocating from out of state and a referral from a past client. I am so grateful I was able to have the opportunity to find their forever home. The Roy’s were prepared from day one and truly such a pleasure to work with. Now it’s time for them to start planting roots in Ashburn. Thank you Bob and Jen for trusting me to help you find your new home!

A big thank you to Lisa Zuraw with Re/Max Select Properties, a true professional and someone I hope to have the chance to … (14 comments)

home buying: 5 Must Do’s After Buying A Home - 12/28/18 03:00 PM

5 Must Do’s After Buying A Home
After going through all of the steps it takes to buy a home it’s finally ALL yours! You are a happy new homeowner. You can paint the walls and customize it as much as you like but, before you dive into setting up your nest be sure to take care of these things first. The reason behind them are obvious!

Change The Locks – unless you purchased a new construction home you have no idea how many keys are floating around. Maybe the seller forgot they’d given a key to someone years ago or maybe someone … (28 comments)

home buying: Buying A Home In Kingstowne | What You Need To Know About Financing - 08/16/18 02:20 PM

Buying A Home In Kingstowne | What You Need To Know About Financing
Buying a home, whether it’s your first or your fifth comes with a lot of “I didn’t know that.” Real estate is constantly changing and there are always going to be questions from choosing the right home to determining what loan is best for you. Lending is a big part of real estate and it’s also always changing. Below is what you’ll need to know about mortgages and how they relate to buying a home in Kingstowne.

What’s The First Step To Buying A Home In Kingstowne?
Kingstowne, like many other … (18 comments)

home buying: How To Handle A Low Appraisal - 07/22/18 11:26 AM

How To Handle A Low Appraisal
Low appraisals are a common occurrence in a seller’s market but, they’re a possibility in any market conditions. It can be heartbreaking for sellers and buyers when an appraisal comes in low but, it’s important for all parties to remain calm. It’s not a death sentence to the entire deal but, it will take some compromise and working together to get it resolved.

What are the options when a low appraisal comes in?
Lowering the price - when an appraisal comes in low the seller can opt to lower the sale price to the appraised value. The seller … (68 comments)

home buying: Buying A Home vs. Renting A Home - 06/08/18 02:17 PM

Buying A Home vs. Renting A Home
In the spirit of June being National Homeownership Month I thought I’d revisit the topic of buying a home vs. renting. Long before I became a real estate agent I was a big believer in buying a home or multiple homes. My belief has only strengthened as the years have gone by. Many still consider it to be the American Dream to own a home and it’s truly not as hard as one might think. Gone are the days of needing 20% down in order to get a mortgage. Home prices are rising, so are interest … (25 comments)

home buying: Sold and Closed in Warrenton – 156 Sterling Ct Warrenton, Virginia 20186 - 02/28/18 09:37 AM

Sold and Closed in Warrenton – 156 Sterling Ct Warrenton, Virginia 20186
156 Sterling Ct Warrenton, Virginia
It’s no secret there’s nothing more I love about being in real estate than working with past clients who have become friends. This is the 5th transaction I’ve had the honor of working with these clients and now friends on and I am so happy for them. This is such a special home and I know they are going to love it for years to come. A big thank you to the listing agent, Bob Smolinski with Re/Max for being so professional. I couldn’t have asked … (12 comments)

home buying: When An Internet Lead Becomes So Much More - 02/24/18 01:23 PM

When An Internet Lead Becomes So Much More
What started out as a website lead became so much more. The Dove family was looking to move from their condo into a bigger home. When we met for the first time conversation flowed naturally and it was apparent house hunting with them was going to be a fun journey. After touring homes they decided on a townhouse in a great neighborhood. They had a newborn and were looking forward to having outdoor space to spend time with him in.

A few years later they reached out to let me know they’d found a single … (19 comments)

home buying: How Much Should I Offer on a Home? - 02/15/18 05:50 AM

Beth Atalay, Broker and Owner of CAM Realty in Clermont, Florida gives excellent advice in her post. There are common myths about how much to offer on a home. Considering the current market conditions and the home itself are a must before deciding what to offer.
How Much Should I Offer on a Home?Buying a home is a major event in our lives and we want to make sure we’re doing everything right and not overpaying for our dream home. How do we know what that price is? It’s really not that complicated but time isn’t on your side as a buyer, … (11 comments)

home buying: Under Contract in Warrenton – 156 Sterling Ct Warrenton, Virginia - 02/07/18 02:10 PM

Under Contract in Warrenton – 156 Sterling Ct Warrenton, Virginia
156 Sterling Ct Warrenton, Virginia
There’s nothing more I love about being in real estate than working with past clients who have become friends. It's so special when that happens. When my clients contacted me to let me know they needed more space because they had their second child on the way I was thrilled. We met and went over what we needed to do to get their home on the market and a few days later set out to house hunt. We toured Sterling Ct on our first trip out and they … (19 comments)

home buying: How Many Homes Should You Tour Before Making An Offer? - 02/04/18 09:53 AM

How Many Homes Should You Tour Before Making An Offer?
This is a question I get asked a lot. It comes from first time home buyers the most but, there are many buyers out there who wonder just how many homes they should see. The answer … there is no magic number. Sorry to disappoint but, there really isn’t a one size fits all number.

A home buyer who is focused in on one specific neighborhood probably won’t see as many homes as one who is looking at multiple neighborhoods or even multiple cities. That just comes down to the number of … (21 comments)

home buying: Are Home Inspectors Ever Wrong? - 01/07/18 06:17 AM

Are Home Inspectors Ever Wrong?
Most of the time when we’re talking home inspectors it revolves around buyers hiring one to inspect the home they’re purchasing. That’s not always the case though. Homeowners and seller’s hire home inspectors too. Home inspectors can identify repairs that are needed or going to be needed in the future and that can avoid costly deferred maintenance for homeowners or give sellers a chance to correct a problem prior to going on the market.

I always like to compare a home inspection to going to the doctor to get a physical. It’s not a pass or fail activity. Home … (24 comments)

home buying: 4 Bedroom Homes For Sale in Alexandria - 01/05/18 11:18 AM

4 Bedroom Homes For Sale in Alexandria
Low inventory continues to be a trend in the Alexandria real estate market along with many other areas of the country. This is typically the time of year that we see inventory increase, days on the market inch up, and overall slower activity but, this year it a little different. There are still a lot of buyers looking for the perfect home and the market has been busy.

A four bedroom home is something many of our buyer clients seek out, particularly when they’re looking for a single family home. We often hear from them … (13 comments)

home buying: What Home Inspection Repair Requests Should A Buyer Avoid? - 09/01/17 07:29 AM

What Home Inspection Repair Requests Should A Buyer Avoid?
A common question we receive from buyers is whether or not they should ask for everything that’s listed in their home inspection report. The short answer is no but, what repairs should a buyer avoid asking for? It’s important for buyers purchasing a resale home to remember that the home inspection isn’t an opportunity to ask for upgrades or minor items. Home inspections are the buyer’s opportunity to find out if the home has major structural or mechanical defects and there are only so many repairs sellers are going to be willing … (26 comments)

home buying: Not All Agents Are Created Equal - 06/28/16 10:19 PM

Not All Agents Are Created Equal
When the time comes to select a real estate agent the choices are endless. You can find the contact information for an agent in less than 5 seconds if you Google real estate agent in X city or drive by 10 yard signs and have contact information for each agent in a matter of minutes. Neither technique would be one I’d recommend to select an agent but, all are possibilities.

As with any profession not all agents are created equal. Selecting an agent to work with whether you’re buying or selling a home is not a … (20 comments)

home buying: Nine Steps to Buying A House - 10/30/15 12:18 AM

Nine Steps to Buying A House

Step 1 and 2 – Decide If You’re Ready To Buy And Hire A Realtor®
Let me start by saying there are more (way more) than nine steps to buying a house but, the purpose of this post is to give home buyers a general overview of the process. There’s no blog post or infographic in the world that can replace the expertise of a local Realtor® and once you’re decided you’re ready to buy a house the very next step is to find an agent that is highly recommende, actively representing buyers, and someone who you … (43 comments)

home buying: Close On Your House – Change Your Locks - 09/01/14 10:15 PM

Close On Your House – Change Your Locks

After you close on your new home the first thing you should do is have the locks changed either by doing it yourself or hiring a locksmith. I always give my clients this advice and I think it’s followed maybe 50% of the time.
I had clients close on a house last week call me this weekend to tell me that they were at their house measuring for new furniture when they heard a key in the door and then watched it open. In walked a stranger who looked surprised to … (46 comments)

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