How can I find a condo close to the Metro?

A client of ours wrote:

“Do you think I could get a condo on the orange line for under $300k? Areas: Roslyn, Courthouse, Clarendon, Va Sq, Ballston. Looking for a 1BR. Must be less than 10 or so years old. Mid or high rise. Decent community & amenities. Doesn’t need to be brand spanking new.”

We sent him a search (copy of the email below), but we’d also like to tell you how you can do this search yourself - it’s very easy using our tools. Here’s how:

Go to http://www.TheBestHomeSearchEver.com and put in your general search criteria - minimum number of bedrooms, max price, etc. You can also put in the city you’re searching. In this case, it was “Arlington, VA”.

Then, click on the “Metro” tab and checkmark the checkmark that says “Within 1 mile of a metro station” and also the one that says “Search for listings that have the word “metro” in the descriptions”. Here’s why: When an agent lists a property in the MLS, they’re supposed to check a box to indicate it’s close to the Metro. However, many listing agents don’t realize that checkbox exists, so they just write “Close to Metro!” in the listing notes. By chekcing both these options, you’ll catch listings that were listed both ways. Here’s a screenshot of what this tab looks like:

Now, you’ll get your results in a list, and you can browse through them. By the way, did you know that TheBestHomeSearchEver.com is the only search tool that lets you search the listing notes for keywords (like the word “Metro”?) Not even Realtors can do this using their super fancy MLS search tool!

Here is the email we sent our client:

Begin forwarded message:

From: “Daniel R. Odio - 202.250.3846″ <Team@DROdio.com>
Date: July 16, 2007 6:34:00 PM EDT
To: John Doe
Subject: Re: Condo on the Orange Line

John,

Sue is going to do a more in-depth search for you, but here’s something to get you started. BTW, I did a search up to $350k because prices are pretty negotiable these days (and we’re pretty good at negotiating them!)

Here are 5 properties that match, going back to 1995 build date: http://tbhse.com/?direct_search=524
Search criteria: Price: $350,000 or less in arlington, VA with 1+ BR AND 1+ BA. Property Type: Condo or Townhouse or Single Family .
Advanced Parameters: Built Between 1995 and 2007, Within 1 mile of a metro station, Has the word “metro” in description

If you’re willing to go back to 1980 build date, there are 15 additional properties, which are here: http://tbhse.com/?direct_search=525
Search criteria: Price: $350,000 or less in arlington, VA with 1+ BR AND 1+ BA. Property Type: Condo or Townhouse or Single Family .
Advanced Parameters: Built Between 1980 and 1995, Within 1 mile of a metro station, Has the word “metro” in description

Let me know if you’d like to see any of these units.

Regards,

DROdio
____________________________________________________

The DROdio Sales Team
Daniel R. Odio - 202.250.3846. Showing & negotiating transactions
Nick Bedi - 202.281.9990. Property searches & followup
Sue Ko - 703.554.4144. Contract paperwork specialist

Private Fax: 703.997.8872
Email: Team@DROdio.com
AIM: DROdio
Web: www.DROdio.com

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