JD & Lynda Donahue's (jddonahue) Blog

The good news is that these steps are easy.  The other news is that we are going to post only 2 a day since you need to let this sink in.Step #1 Get a local broker.  Figures from the NAR show that 85% of all buyers rely on real estate brokers when buying a home while 80% rely on the Internet.  Wh...

With oil at $100 a barrel, everyone's freaking  out.  Let's get real.  First, this is not an all-time high...it's still lower than the inflation-adjusted high of nearly $103 per barrel back in 1980.  Next, please observe that price hikes in crude on the commodities market are not necessarily refl...

Okay, we know it is only January but we are tired of the cold weather already.  Although it is 60 degrees here in Richmond VA, Some color would be nice.  We get e mails from time to time from Coldwell Banker Island Affiliates.  The photos are awesome and can take you away for a few minutes.  Go t...

We work with several real estate investors.  We either find buildable lots for them to speculate or find run down homes in need of a face-lift.  In the past two years it has been easy to buy, spend a few months updating the homes and selling at a reasonable profit.  But by the middle of 2007 that...

  We recieved this in an email from a friend today, I'm not sure how old the story is but it sure made me think.Toronto's Smallest House is Up for Sale!Photos by Alexandra Samur, courtesy of TorontoistThis house, located near the intersection of Dufferin Street and Rogers Road is believed to be T...

Let's say that you have an adjustable rate mortgage and let's say that your mortgage is about to increase.  What can you do?  Well, you may have heard of the interest reset relief program that started January 1, 2008.  You must be current on your mortgage and have less than 3% equity in your home...

Doesn't it seem like everyone is updating their kitchen?  They are either sick and tired of the old one or want a new look in order to bring a better price when selling their home.  So where do you start?  Obviously flooring is very important. If you currently have wood floors, are they smooth an...

Here is something interesting about Richmond Va compared to the rest of the country.  According to the Home Building Association of Richmond, mortgage rates are at historical lows with new and existing home inventory high.  As a result of price appreciation experienced through the first half of 2...

Now you are asking yourself "what does feng shui have to do with real estate"?  The principles of feng shui (pronounced fung shway) include placing strategic representations of five natural elements around your room-earth, water, fire, metal and wood.  Whether you think this will bring harmony to...

Well we have returned from snowy CT and are ready to get back in our business routine.  We have been working on our business plan and have consulted several resources to determine where to spend our marketing money and what we might expect from the economy.  There were several interesting predict...