What Buyers and Sellers in Northern Virginia need to know.
You are thinking about Buying or Selling real estate in the near future.
You probably have your favorite APP to keep up with local trends and look at homes on the market all the time. You have seen hundreds if not thousands of homes. When it comes time to buy or sell statistics say on line buyers reach out to an agent when they are ready. Typically they will do business with the first one who returns their call. The question I want you to ask yourself is this..
What do I need from a Realtor?
Most on line shoppers have a pretty clear idea of what they are looking for after all you have every home on the market in your hand on your phone!
Caution should be used when picking the agent to help you make one of the biggest purchases of your life. Would it surprise you to know that Zillow , Trulia, Realtor.com are paid advertising sites and they sell your information off to the top paying agents! Then many of those agents are MEGA agents who then pass the lead down to their team member who may or may not have the knowledge and expertise you need. You see you are a lead, a number who may or may not do business with that agent. I have nothing against large teams in fact their are some darn good ones out there. But how do you the buyer or seller know who you are getting when you receive a call from an inquiry?
Ask yourself what are your specific needs?
I am not talking about a property here , I am talking about what it is you are looking for and does that agent responding have the expertise you need?
Are you a homeowner who has a property to sell?
You need a Top Listing Agent in your specific area who understands your community and all it has to offer. Think about it if I am an agent who specializes in condos will I know anything about your 10 acre farm in Nokesville, Virginia? Or maybe you inherited your mothers home in Mount Vernon area of Alexandria wouldn't you want an agent who knows if the home is located on one of the original George Washington Farm parcels? Or that the community where she lives was built with redwood framing which you cannot even get anymore! Local knowledge matters in real estate.
Are you a Buyer looking for your first home?
You need a first time buyer specialist who can guide your options. What options you may be thinking? Well how about the real cost of a condo vs buying a fee simple town home. or What is the real difference in cost of buying a lower priced older town home vs a new one, or maybe you have a specific area in mind and may not be able to get everything you want for your budget. Does that agent know the market enough to show you what five miles difference will offer you? How will it change your payment, your commute, your life style? Do they know all the programs available to make your dream a reality?
Maybe you are a move up buyer looking for help with both selling and buying.
This is not a real estate 101 transaction. This takes coordination and nerves of steel to get this to be seamless. You want experience on your side. Maybe you say homes sell quick it should be no big deal. Not so fast anything can and will happen in real estate you need an experienced agent working on your behalf. Experience costs you no more and yet could save you thousands especially when a speed bump or what seems to be a road block in the transaction comes up. Experiences agents get you to closing and gets you to the next home. Ask them how many move up buyers have they worked this year? Are they a listing and buyer agent or do they have a team? The answers matter and at least give you an idea of how of what to expect during the buying and selling process.
Have you been dreaming of a new home? 
Buying a new home can be exciting and fun until it is not anymore and them the questions and fear come in. It costs you nothing to have an agent represent you. Make sure your agent is a new home specialist so they know what questions to ask, and what to look out for. Make them work for you! When you build a home it is a four to six month process of stress and emotions, selections, appointments and many people cannot take off time from work to oversee the build. Remember you Don't know what you don't know! A new home buyer agent has represented hundreds of buyers and knows how to coach you through the process. Ask the agent how many new homes have you sold ? Some agents treat a new home sale as get the buyer to contract and I am done. Not true a new home buyer agent will be there every step of the way. They will understand how to read blue prints. ask the builders representive on what is standard and optional, help you to understand what options will be preferred should you need to sell down the road. They will know the trends in the market place and will have a good handle on your future competition and help you to make decisions not only for your comfort and lifestyle now but for potential resale which is important.
NOTE : Most important if you visit a new home community do not sign in and register or you will give up your right to represent for 90 days to 180 days depending on the builder!
Maybe you are looking for a rental home.
Did you know not all agents work rentals? Look for the agent who knows the price point and area you are looking to rent in. Also know that not all listings go on the MLS especially when rental supply is low like it is now. Rentals go at a premium so know what is a good deal and what is not. Ask the agent how many rental clients did you help this year?
Are you a Veteran who wants to maximize your VA Loan benefit in Northern Virginia?
You worked hard and did your time to earn this benefit. So many Realtors do not understand financing and just refer you to a lender. Not all VA Lenders are the same I highly recommend a local lender where the property is located. In the case of a VA Loan it costs you nothing more to find a Realtor who is VA specialist as well as a local lender. Someone who understands how to make the loan work for you and your family. The agent you choose will be your advocate when it comes to educating listing agents who think VA loans cost the seller more and will reject your offer out of lack of knowledge. Don't let this happen to you! Ask the agent how often do you do VA Loans? Can I buy zero down and zero closing costs anything less than yes means .you have not found the right agent! Can I buy a home above the VA limit with my VA Loan? The answer is yes! Look for a local VA loan specialist. I am a USAA member myself and I will tell you they can do a great job but they can also cause stress and delays because they are not here and do not understand the local market! Let the REALTOR help you to find the best situation for you.
Are you Renting and thinking you never will be able to buy?
Are you a renter dreaming of buying and your savings pattern is telling you it will be years before your dream comes true? I have news for you, you are already paying a mortgage just not yours! Ask the Realtor what programs are there for first time buyers? If they say FHA only move on. If they say you will need 3.5% down you may want to move on. These answers are a good start but by no means cover all that is available. If they do not know about grant programs move on.
Picking an agent to work with is an important step and if you can be referred to one by someone you know that is awesome. But remember you are the consumer and it is in your best interest to interview the agent.
Think of it like this, your Aunt Mary tells you about Linda this great agent that helped her buy her new home in a 55+ community and she was awesome. Great! Thanks Aunt Mary I will give her a call. Referrals are a big part of real estate and can be awesome way to connect with the right agent. You are in charge of your experience and it may be entirely different than Aunt Mary's because you are looking for a condo in Arlington and Aunt Mary lives in Bristow, Virginia. When you call agent Linda ask her does she know and understand the market you are wanting to buy in? If the answer does not give you fuzzy warm feeling than just say you are doing your research and will get back to her.
We are Realtors we can take rejection it's ok it is not personal it is business!
Real Estate is a tough business and in this region to handle all the areas and be knowledgeable about all of is next to impossible. You will meet agents who say they cover Maryland, DC and Virginia. It is my opinion it is not in the best interest of my client for me to help them in an area I am unfamiliar with. After all how can you be knowledgeable about a community you only sell a house or two in?
You are looking for the agent to be your advocate and it is up to you the consumer to do your homework on the agent you choose to work with. Most agents understand their limitations and will say if they cannot do the job. Ask them if they can recommend someone who can. Try to read between the lines and be an educated consumer. Virginia is a buyer agency state and once you decide you are ready to look at homes you will need to sign a Buyer Agent agreement. Before it is to late make sure you vet the person who will help you with one of the largest purchases in your life. Make sure you know how to cancel the agreement should your experience not be what you were expecting.
Homework always pays off!
I would be honored to help you with your real estate needs. I have been in and around real estate for 30+ years and I have worked with several New Home builders on site over ten of those years. I utilize that experience for my clients benefit. Due to my new homes sales experience I work with many new hone buyers and have been trainned in financing and love working with numbers. This has by far been one of the best tools that sets me apart from most agents. I specialize in looking at your specific situation and helping you to formulate a plan of action based on needs, wants and your budget. Our location in Northern Virginia has us working with our military personal and government employees and transferee's on a daily basis which I love. I understand how to maximize your VA Loan and or relocation packages. And I cover from Mount Vernon in Alexandria to Fredericksburg or to as far west as Haymarket.
I have a partner my identical twin Peggy James and together we make one heck of a team for our clients. She loves listings and I love buyers and when we have clients who have a home to sell and are buying forward they get two for the price of one!
I am happy to share my limitations as well. I work with investors interested in model home lease backs since I understand them so well other than that I do not get involved in investment properties. I also am not a short sale or foreclosure agent I feel there are other agents much more proficient at them. I would be happy to refer you to them should you need help. When it comes to condos in closer in locations inside the beltway I would refer you to someone who is in the know. Condo buildings are not created equal and some only allow specific financing and also have special assessments, limitations on pets and parking etc. I will leave that to those who have educated themselves to be the condo queens and kings of real estate! I hope this blog post has helped you to slow down and reflect on who do I want to be my advocate? Who will do the best job for me and my needs?
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