buying homes leesburg va: 10 Things a New Agent Should Focus on When Getting Started in Business
- 08/18/13 04:18 AM
A newly licensed agent called me the other day asking me what he should focus on getting started, and where he could find training on contracts. Actually, this is the 3rd start for this agent in real estate. He tried 5+ years ago with Weichert and L&F, but didn't stay very long, and I don't think he ever had any listings, just showed some buyers around. Anyway, things have changed since then. This time he did search around comparing companies, and decided to go with KW. He used office location as a criteria because he planned on being active in a … (56 comments)
buying homes leesburg va: Leesburg VA - 17 Parks Offer a Huge Variety of Recreational Activities
- 07/24/13 03:06 AM
Whether you're interested swimming, tennis, bird watching, history, dining, photography, civil war, bicycling, antiquing, arts and crafts, etc, Leesburg VA offers a huge variety of activities for both tourists and residents. Even former Redskin Chris Cooley has a pottery shop in downtown Leesburg not far from the courthouse. Just North of Leesburg on route 15 you'll find Whites Ferry where you can cross the Potomac to Montgomery county MD. The following links are just a handful of several that can provide a tour of the Leesburg VA lifestyles. Just outside of town there are still several large farms, some of which … (2 comments)
buying homes leesburg va: Market Leader and AR to Trulia? Not a Done Deal
- 05/08/13 09:31 PM
RISmedia is reporting a lawsuit could be in the works, and this deal has some contingencies that need to be met. Personally, I don't see the benefit of Marekt Leader being aquired by Trulia. I rarely use Trulia or Market Leader products and services. I constantly get sales pitches in my email from both of them. Maybe I'm missing something? I'd bet by the end of this year some new companies similar to Trulia and Zillow will pop up, and several thousand agents will join those claiming they are the new best thing. I've lost track of the # of companies … (0 comments)
buying homes leesburg va: I'm Showing Houses During Hurricane Sandy! A Sign of a Serious Buyer!
- 10/29/12 02:17 AM
Well, I've shown houses in rain, snow, and storms before, but this is the first time I'll be showing property in the middle of a hurricane! Luckily, it's only one showing, and it's less than 30 minutes from my house. I've worked with these buyers before, and have been working with them again recently. I know when they find something that they like, they'll buy it! They might want to make a low offer on some of the properties we've seen, but they are realistic. They analyze and analyze, but once they make a decision, they move forward.
The weekly Freddie Mac 30 year mortgage rate survey reported that the average rate went up to 3.41% from 3.37%. Economic reports on housing were positive this week as was the gross domestic product numbers. Mortgage rates can move with the stock market, if stocks are higher, mortgage rates are higher and vice versa. A year ago the average 30 year fixed rate was 4.10%. Mortgage interest rates remain at very attractive levels for home purchases and refinances. The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that mortgage application volume … (0 comments)
buying homes leesburg va: Home Buyers & Sellers: Improper Stone Installation Can Destroy A Home
- 10/28/12 02:16 AM
This is a scenario I have run across several times during the 30+ years I laid brick, block, and all types of stone. I turned down many jobs ( mostly cultured stone jobs like you see if these pics), because either the homeowner or builder wanted to skimp, save money, and wanted me to lay the stone wrong. Sorry, I already knew what would happen when you don't properly lay the stone, and more importantly, what will happen when you don't properly prepare the surface behind the stone. Anyone reading this blog will have clear evidence that you need to have … (4 comments)
buying homes leesburg va: Is Your House Rotting and Deteriorating Right Under Your Nose?
- 10/12/12 11:56 PM
We've been working on getting a house ready to put on the market for rent in downtown Leesburg VA. The house is about 15 years old, and maintenance was little if any during those 15 years because owners were elderly. Items we've been working on include : cleaning, painting, fixing loose stones on steps, trimming trees, cleaning gutters, decluttering, yard sales, auctioned owners belongings after family removed items they wanted to keep, replacing washing machine hoses and on/off valves, washing windows and blinds, changing toilet seals, etc, etc. My last project was cleaning the blinds and windows inside and out. That … (3 comments)
buying homes leesburg va: Remember The VA Earthquake? Inspect Chimneys and Smoke Alarms Now
- 10/01/12 08:26 AM
Remember the earthquake that originated in Mineral VA, and did major damage in VA, MD, DC, etc? If you haven't used your heating systems and chimneys since the earthquake, ( fireplaces, wood stoves, metal and masonry chimneys, etc you need to have all of those inspected now before using them. Many masonry chimneys cracked and shifted, and could let smoke and carbon monoxide leak into your house. Even metal flu pipes could have vibrated loose. Look where your firebrick meet your profile inside of your house. Do you see a crack in the mortar joint? If so, that could … (13 comments)
buying homes leesburg va: A Pregnant Girl Showed up at Our Door Today Looking For a Home
- 09/26/12 09:14 AM
Well, I couldn't let her stay inside with us. Our cat Mosby was looking at her funny, and our dog Cosmo is getting too old, and he didn't like it when Mosby moved in. A pregnant girl moving in was out of the question. Well, a nearby gazebo with a Crape Mrtle growing beside it looked like the next best place. It's not that cold out yet, and she would a variety of places to choose from to set up home and get ready for the big event! I wish it was this easy to find a home for people!
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buying homes leesburg va: Trulia Photo and Marketing Tips Hard to Believe
- 09/11/12 09:44 PM
Sometimes I have to wonder if these surveys really took place, and if they did, where did they take place. The reality with buyers I've worked, and am currently working with don't match Trulia's survey results of homebuyers. If you're read the current Trulia Newsletter article about " The 4 Biggest Photo Listing Mistakes", I think you'll be surprised at their survey results. They claim the following items make a home most attractive to buyers: 70% said bathrooms, 63% said closets, and 56% said gourmet kitchen. I can't think of a single buyer that I've worked with that ever said a … (38 comments)
buying homes leesburg va: Are You Still Doing Basics Selling Homes? How it was Done in 1909
- 08/01/12 11:32 AM
Sometimes I think technology has become overused, and some people's basic converation skills are being used less and less in real life. It's just a matter of time before two people are standing face to face having a conversation by way of text messaging. Some agents seem to still be looking for that magical combination of words to insert into the Remarks box to catch buyers attention. Many agents let their photos and videos do most of the talking these days, but there is still that desire to create a visual image in the readers mind using just words. Has it … (4 comments)
buying homes leesburg va: Why are so Many Loan Officers Leaving Bank of America Lately?
- 07/28/12 10:35 AM
I've been hearing stories for that last few months of how banks are trying to recruit loan officers and entire teams away from BOA? Supposedly, BOA loan officers have had their hands tied with misc restrictions and have not been able to keep customers in their pipeline. Just in the last week I've received emails from two former BOA loans officers from Vienna and Reston VA areas. Both of these have decided to move to George Mason mortgage. They claim they can offer much better service and have many more loan programs that they can offer from George Mason mortgage. I … (11 comments)
buying homes leesburg va: Estate / Garage / Yard Sale Leesburg VA July 28th 7am - Noon
- 07/27/12 08:09 PM
If you happen to be in the Leesburg VA area Saturday July 28th, we're in the process of decluttering my MIL's house at 10 Memorial Dr. She's 92 and in Sunrise Assisted Living in Leesburg, and we need to find a new home for many of her antiques, furniture, and belongings that she accumulated over the years. Items for sale are misc antiques, furniture, lamps, glassware, trunks, old Navy steamer trunk, clothes, some tools, old antique pottty, jugs, crocks, pottery, fireplace tools, etc. Everything is priced fairly to sell, and just like real estate, you can always make an offer if … (0 comments)
buying homes leesburg va: Three Most Common Code of Ethics Violations / Fines Increasing
- 07/22/12 11:56 AM
Reportedly, 80% of violations are for (1) Article 1 " Failure to disclose dual representation and obtain written informed consent from both parties" $500.00 fine under NVAR's citation system. (2) Article 3 " Failure to disclose existence of a dual or variable rate commission. $400.00 fine under NVAR's citation system (3) Policy 3 Violation " Use of a lockbox to gain unauthorized access to a property" $500.00 fine under NVAR's citation system. In addition, fines have doubled to $1000.00 for letting someone borrow your Sentri-lock card to gain access to a property. Also, the fine for writing on or attaching your … (7 comments)
buying homes leesburg va: Another Agent Has Life Altered and Career Ended by The 14/40 Rule
- 07/22/12 09:00 AM
I just completed another 16 hours of CE this past Saturday at NVAR in Fairfax VA. Actually, I had already renewed my license, but had already paid for these courses, so went ahead and took them. I always learn more in live classes than I do taking classes by mail from places like Mosely Flint. But back to what has become known as the 14/40 rule because several agents have received the identical sentence for doing this according to the instructor. 14/40 is 14 months in jail and $40,000.00 fine. What are these agents doing? Allowing / or participating with buyers … (2 comments)
buying homes leesburg va: 1rst Time Buyer or Not- Financing in Federal Targeted Areas in Virginia
- 06/17/12 07:32 AM
When you're a first time buyer , you will have to decide whether to contact an agent or lender first. In Virginia, I suggest that you interview and choose an agent first. You might have to interview a few agents before finding one with experience working with first time buyers, and one you feel that you will work well with together. Some agents are more familiar than others with lenders that offer the best loan programs to first time buyers. Some agents are more familiar with required home buyer education courses that buyers must complete to qualify for financing. Some are … (5 comments)
buying homes leesburg va: Memorial Day Message From The Adjutant General Virginia Army NG
- 05/25/12 08:56 AM
http://vaguard.dodlive.mil/2012/05/25/1239/ Message from: DANIEL E. LONG, JR. Major General, VaARNG The Adjutant General Just copy/paste link to read message. Thank you to all the people and soldiers who serve and have served, and made sacrifices at home and around the world.
Jeff Pearl / REALTOR RE/MAX Distinctive Lic in VA MD DC 703-727-4876 www.jeffpearlhomes.com jeffpearlhomes@gmail.com Equal Housing Opportunity Provider … (0 comments)
buying homes leesburg va: More Pics in MLS is Better is Just a Myth - Tests Show Less is Best
- 05/19/12 10:48 PM
Does the amount of photos you upload into your MLS to sell listings really make that much difference? No, but of course that could vary with location and price range. For this blog, tests showed that less is better! Having 1-15 photos was actually better than having 16-30 photos. History shows that plenty of homes sold with only 1 photo. With advances in computer and digital technology, MLS's began increasing the amout of photos. Some still only allow 9 photos, yet those homes still sell. Some allow 16 photos, some 30. The amount of photos doesn't always make a difference. With … (66 comments)
According to Freddie Mac weekly rate survey, 30 year mortgage rates hit another record low of 3.79% from last week’s 3.83%. Concerns over Greece and Spain combined with low inflation indicators and flat unemployment benefits numbers were the story. The average is moving in a very narrow range and Fridays trading was slightly worse for mortgage bonds. Home affordability levels have never been better and this is showing up in a strong spring housing market that is starting to favor sellers. Remember, mortgage rates … (0 comments)
A newly licensed agent called me the other day asking me what he should focus on getting started, and where he could find training on contracts. Actually, this is the 3rd start for this agent in real estate. He tried 5+ years ago with Weichert and L&F, but didn't stay very long, and I don't think he ever had any listings, just showed some buyers around. Anyway, things have changed since then.
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