Have you ever shopped for clothing at Syms?

Besides brand names at great prices, Syms advertises that

An Educated Consumer is Our Best Customer ®

The same thing holds true for my business -- professional real estate sales.  My goal is to ensure that my current and future clients have the most detailed and comprehensive information available to help them make the important decisions necessary in buying or selling a home in Northern Virginia. 

As a professional REALTOR®, I spend a good deal of time keeping up to date on the latest news, statistics, market reports, and events that effect the local real estate market.  I read it so you don't have to spend the time.  After all, you've got better things to do, like concentrate on earning your living so you can afford to live in the increasingly pricey metro-D.C. area.

Besides reading the major newspapers, The Washington Post and Washington Times, I scour through real estate and mortgage industry publications, subscribe to Google alerts about relevant real estate topics, read hundreds of blog posts weekly related to both local and national real estate trends, review market statistics for local neighborhoods, and preview local homes both on my own and with clients.  Additionally, I regularly attend real estate industry conferences on the local, regional and national levels to keep current on all of the latest news that directly affects my clients and business.

One of my most crucial roles as a professional REALTOR® is to distill this knowledge and provide it to my clients so that they can make educated and informed decisions when it comes to buying or selling a home.  By writing my own Northern Virginia real estate blog, I'm able to communicate valuable information to current and future clients. 

Every once in a while, I come across a report or an article that deserves to be read in full by anyone thinking about participating in the real estate market.  Recently, Metropolitan Regional Information Systems (MRIS) which runs the Washington D.C. area Multiple Listing Service, issued a report in conjunction with Delta Associates, that warrants such a look.  The report is entitled Trends in Housing at Year End 2007.  

Click here to download the complete year-end report. 

Or call me or send me an e-mail requesting it and I'll be happy to e-mail you the full report. 

The report covers the following topics:

• an overview of the Washington D.C. metropolitan economy with an outlook towards the future
• report on home sales for 2007
• report on condo sales for 2007
• impact of foreclosures in the D.C. metro area
• potential impact of the Pentagon's Base Realignment and Closure plan (BRAC)
• an overview of the commercial real estate market

Some of the interesting key points made in the report:

• Washington D.C. metro area is the 4th largest job base in the country
• Northern Virginia accounts for 54% of payroll jobs in the area, followed by D.C. with 25% and suburban Maryland with 21%
• 95% of jobs in the D.C. area are in the services sector
• D.C. region has only 3.0% unemployment
• The Northern Virginia and D.C. real estate markets are largely insulated from the national housing slowdown
• Foreclosure rates vary widely by jurisdiction -- quite low in D.C., Arlington, Alexandria; much higher in Loudoun and Prince William Counties
• Affordable housing is still a big issue
• BRAC will have a significant impact on the region, especially in southern Fairfax County because of approximately 19,000 jobs moving to Fort Belvoir in the next 3 years

If you have any interest in real estate in Northern Virginia or D.C., and/or you plan on purchasing a home or selling a home within the next few months or year, I highly suggest you read this report closely and educate yourself on the real estate market.

I want my clients to be educated. 

Just like Syms, An Educated Client is My Best Client.