northern virginia real estate: Prince William County New Construction-Don't Go It Alone
- 07/01/09 11:44 AM
On a regular basis I tour new developments in Prince William or Fairfax County. I also check in on developments that have been under construction for a while to see what has been done and how pricing has changed. Today was a follow up day with a new development project in Prince William County. It was apparent that the neighborhood has come a long way since I took my first look two years ago. The club house and amenities are in, the grounds are fantastic and the streets are all paved.
One of the things I've learned with new construction projects … (0 comments)
|
northern virginia real estate: Northern Virginia Relocation-Life Along Shirley Highway
- 06/24/09 11:42 PM
It is obvious when you look at the large overhead signs, I-95 is the interstate running outside the beltway and I-395 runs inside the beltway to DC. However if someone asks you how to get to DC and you say take Shirley Highway then you know you are a "native" of Northern Virginia. Officially Shirley Highway runs from the Pentagon to just north of Route 1 in Woodbridge. The start of the construction of the highway started in 1941 and lasted until 1952 when the four lane road was completed. Originally known as the Fort Belvoir bypass the road was renamed … (6 comments)
|
northern virginia real estate: A Cool Tool- Housing and Transportation Calculator
- 06/24/09 02:16 AM
Thinking of buying a home in the Northern Virginia area? Wonder what the cost of owning that home and commuting in the area might cost you per year? Transportation and housing affordability are a big part of the buying process. The Urban Land Institute has developed a calculator to help show how these costs vary among different locations.
One of the first decisions that Northern Virginia buyers look at is whether they should buy a home "inside or outside" the beltway. Commuting is a big part of that decision. The calculator gives you a chance to play with the numbers and … (14 comments)
|
northern virginia real estate: Northern Virginia Buyers Are Turning to FHA & VA Loans in Droves
- 06/22/09 01:46 PM
We see dozens of marketing reports posted every day about total sales and sales prices in Northern Virginia. We know sales prices are down. Recently we have been able to report that the total number of sales have increased from 2008-2009, brought on by lower prices and lower interest rates. One set of numbers that you don't see reported often is how are the home purchases being financed?Let's just say simply, FHA and VA rule!
A quick glance at a comparison between May 2008 and May 2009 shows just how significant the increase is.
There have been a … (2 comments)
|
northern virginia real estate: Donald Trump Isn’t the Only One Saying “You're Fired!”
- 06/21/09 04:31 AM
A question that we hear more often these days is how long can a brokerage afford to carry agents who aren't producing? Any one who is sitting at a company that charges desk fees can readily answer the question for themselves. If there isn't any money coming in, then the money going out hurts and they will pack their bags on their own.
However there are plenty of agents sitting at desks or in workrooms where the brokerage doesn't charge a fee but takes a percentage of the commission. Is there a point in time where carrying a non-producing agent on … (82 comments)
|
northern virginia real estate: What Happens When the Tables Are Turned?
- 06/11/09 11:23 AM
This week an offer came in on one of my listings. The prospective buyer has been hanging around awhile so we figured it was only a matter of time before an offer would arrive. When they presented the offer it was for almost $100,000 less than the asking price. Now I've learned not to be very surprised by anything that rolls off the fax machine anymore, so despite shaking my head I thought lets see how we work with this.Serious conversations ensued where the buyer defended the offer and explained their rationale. That is terrific but the logic wasn't 100% on target. … (21 comments)
|
northern virginia real estate: Military Relocation-Should You Buy a Home on Your Next Tour?
- 06/10/09 01:57 PM
Over the last few years many military families making the move to Fort Belvoir, the Pentagon or any of the installations within the Military District of Washington made the decision to purchase a home when their orders arrived. With quick appreciation and fast sales it made the choice easy. Now with prices lower and the market slow trying to make the choice between buying and renting is harder.For many using their VA home loan benefits in this market makes sense. As the only 100% loan program available for military families they can ease the costs associated with buying a new home. … (6 comments)
|
northern virginia real estate: Buying Your First Home? Don’t Forget the Home Inspection
- 06/09/09 11:30 PM
In Virginia there is a Lemon Law on the books to protect consumers who purchase a car which is later found to have serious defects. However, there is no such law when it comes to protecting buyers when they are purchasing a home. When the market was hot in Northern Virginia many buyers had to pass up the opportunity to have a thorough home inspection in order to "win" their first choice home.
In our current market where foreclosures seem to dominate the landscape another group of buyers is being asked to skip the home inspection process. Don't do it. Even … (16 comments)
|
northern virginia real estate: New Appraisal Process-Not to Worry Your Home is on a Toxic Waste Dump
- 06/09/09 06:45 AM
Yep that was on the appraisers report. An entire neighborhood in Woodbridge is built on a toxic waste dump. What does the lender do with this little piece of news? It is just one of the new twists that we are seeing when appraisers who may be unfamiliar with a neighborhood head out to provide the lender with a value on a home. Now anyone who is familiar with the neighborhood in question knows that there isn't now or has there ever been toxic waste associated with the site.After weeks of back and forth, a significantly delayed settlement and a frantic … (12 comments)
|
northern virginia real estate: Forget the Highest Priced Sales in Northern Virginia-What about the Lowest?
- 06/04/09 08:33 AM
We all want to know how the rich guys are doing but most of us aren't in their category. So when the multi-million dollar homes change hands we can ohhhh and ahhhh but we know we probably won't be buying one soon.
However there is the other end of the market. The lower end, no I mean the lowest end of the market where homes seem to be flying off the market. So how low can you go and pick up a home in the Northern Virginia area? Low varies from county to county in our area. In Arlington the lowest … (2 comments)
|
northern virginia real estate: Two New Listings-Military Families on the Move
- 06/03/09 09:47 AM
This weekend I will be introducing two new listings in Prince William County. Both are like new one car garage townhouses. One is located in the Riverside Station neighborhood in Woodbridge and the other in the Carterwood neighborhood in Gainesville.Both homes are owned by military families with PCS orders to leave the area this summer. Military families face a number of challenges when the orders arrive and having lived through those moves myself I understand the difficulties that the transition can cause.
For me supporting military families in our area isn't just about buying and selling real estate. It … (2 comments)
|
northern virginia real estate: Bloggers-Keeping the Art of Story Telling Alive
- 05/27/09 01:57 AM
Growing up we were fortunate to have grandparents who enjoyed telling stories about their lives. We learned about the Native Americans who used to camp at my grandparents farm in the Kickapoo Valley in Wisconsin and about losing your business during the depression in a small town in northeast Arkansas. Some of the stories we heard were second and third generation stories about relatives we would never have the chance to meet and of course there were the stories about our parents antics that they wish had been kept buried in the family vaults. But the great part was that not only … (74 comments)
|
northern virginia real estate: Military Relocation-Northern Virginia Prices Known to Cause Sticker Shock
- 05/22/09 11:15 PM
Most people hear the term "sticker shock" and they think of cars. For military families relocating to Northern Virginia from other bases around the country the term can also explain their first reaction to housing prices in our area. Today's market has helped lessen that shock but it is still something to consider as you decide whether you should buy a home in the area.One of the many benefits that the military offers is the VA loan which has made a comeback for buyers in Northern Virginia over the last year. The first thing I recommend to anyone with PCS orders is … (9 comments)
|
northern virginia real estate: Is the Market About to Be Flooded with Foreclosures….Again?
- 04/17/09 11:26 PM
Most of the larger banks put a moratorium on foreclosures last fall and the impact could be seen throughout Northern Virginia. Inventory decreased, bidding wars started and houses flew off the market. Now the floodgates of foreclosures appear to be ready to open again. And this time some analysts are suggesting up to 700,000 homes could be in this next round of foreclosures.
"J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., Wells Fargo & Co., Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac all say they have increased foreclosure activity in recent weeks. Those companies say they have lifted internal moratoriums which temporarily halted foreclosures." WSJ 4/15/09Driving … (17 comments)
|
northern virginia real estate: Classic Fairfax Station Neighborhoods Welcoming New Neighbors This Spring
- 04/03/09 10:42 PM
For buyers relocating to Fairfax County who are looking for classic homes on larger lots still within commuting distance to DC the Fairfax Station area may be what you are looking for. Located just minutes from the Fairfax County Parkway, 15 minutes from the Springfield Metro or Burke Centre VRE, the area boasts great community centers, county parks and historic sites for families to explore. Cachet Magazine has ranked Fairfax Station in the top ten for "Best Quality of Life" and it is easy to see why when you explore some of the neighborhoods.Three neighborhoods in Fairfax Station; Barrington, Crosspointe and … (2 comments)
|
northern virginia real estate: Short Sales-Welcome the New Straw Buyer
- 02/21/09 01:05 AM
Every jaw in the room dropped as the story unfolded. The story was about a local agent who created "straw buyers" for their short sales to help move the approval process along. Instead of waiting for a real offer to appear they would write up an offer and send it to the bank so that the BPO would be completed and the file processed to a negotiator. Once the file had approval the "buyer" would withdraw their offer and the agent could now advertise their listing as an approved short sale.
Thinking this must be just a crazy invention by one agent … (32 comments)
|
northern virginia real estate: Thinking of Buying a New Home in Springfield-Give me A Call
- 02/07/09 10:18 AM
If you are thinking about a new home in Fairfax County and Springfield is on your tour list then here are a few things for you to consider.If you are like most buyers you are starting your search for a new Springfield home on the internet. The internet can offer you a great place to start. However the internet also hides some critical information from you as well. This is where a buyer's agent, dedicated to protecting your interests comes in.A buyer's agent not only can find the hidden comments but they also can help you understand the critical differences between a … (0 comments)
|
northern virginia real estate: Reaching Across the Table-Listing Agents & Buyer’s Agents Working Together
- 02/07/09 01:58 AM
Is a new day dawning in real estate? I'm currently in various stages of four transactions and am finding a new level of professionalism that had slipped by the wayside a few years ago.Three of the properties are my listings and each of the buyer agents are on top of the documents and time schedules even when we have had a few technology issues no one is losing their cool. My listing in Westridge is under contract with another local Active Rain blogger Peggy James and it has been like old friends working together even though we still haven't meet face … (55 comments)
|
northern virginia real estate: Virginia Homeowners Alliance-A Free Tool for Homebuyers
- 01/27/09 04:15 AM
Are you a homebuyer looking for a variety of information about your local area? Then you might want to check out the Virginia Homeowners Alliance website. The site was built with the cooperation of the Virginia Association of Realtors® and the regional associations to provide the latest information.With the latest local news, links to county resources, mortgage calculators and school information the site is a nice one stop resource for any buyer looking to get basic information about their local area. Since it covers the entire Commonwealth of Virginia it has a broad range of information to appeal to a wide … (0 comments)
|
northern virginia real estate: Spending Your Morning at the Local News Station
- 01/22/09 08:23 AM
It has been a wild week in Washington DC. First there was the Oprah Show, then it was all of the excitement around the Inauguration and the week ended in the Fox 5 TV station for a taping. How much excitement can one simple girl from the suburbs take?
I'm waiting to see how the taping comes out. It has gone to editing and should be available next week. If it isn't to embarrassing I'll put a link to it on my blog. What I did learn is that the Fox 5 news set is smaller than it looks on TV … (25 comments)
|
On a regular basis I tour new developments in Prince William or Fairfax County. I also check in on developments that have been under construction for a while to see what has been done and how pricing has changed. Today was a follow up day with a new development project in Prince William County. It was apparent that the neighborhood has come a long way since I took my first look two years ago. The club house and amenities are in, the grounds are fantastic and the streets are all paved.
;)
;)
;)
