Purchasing a home is a process that cannot go smoothly unless you take it step by step. This is where having a real estate agent is important.
It is essential that you are prepared and already have a loan secured. Securing it early will assist you in making decisions with your home purchase.
With a secured loan, you can either broaden or lessen your prospective homes as you would need the price to be within your budget while your offer will be good one as you are ready to buy. Getting the finances in order will make the process quicker without hindrances.
Let a real estate agent assist you with your home purchase decisions.
Julie Nesbitt
Julie Nesbitt knows the back trails and by-ways of Northern Virginia real estate.
Established in 1974 with a mission to reduce homelessness, increase community support and promote self sufficiency, the Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services is operated by a multi-denominational board of directors and staff managing over 70 housing units. Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services is located in the Mount Zephyr Business Center at 8305 Richmond…
Finding a quality home to suit your taste will require a licensed real estate agent who offers expertise and connections if it is to purchase or rent a home. What would a realtor’s purpose be then?
Security. Even if you know what exactly what you are looking for in a home, you’ll need a realtor’s expertise to assure the quality of your potential home
Economy. You wouldn’t want to pay more for your new home and sell your old home for less than what it should be. A realtor has the access to the market information to make sure you get your right price.
Diversity. You may be able to view homes through public listings, but many of the best and perhaps your desired home will require you to have a realtor to view them.
Most of all, the whole process of hunting for your new home will be time consuming and challenging and that includes the right title transfer, financing and negotiating. If you want the peace of mind of finding your dream home, a realtor’s expertise serves its purpose.
Let our licensed real estate agent assist you, contact us at:
Established in 1974 with a mission to reduce homelessness, increase community support and promote self sufficiency, the Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services is operated by a multi-denominational board of directors and staff managing over 70 housing units. Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services is located in the Mount Zephyr Business Center at 8305 Richmond…
Homes in Belmont Bay
In a buyer’s market, sellers have little room for error when putting their home on the market or they risk having their property linger. Sellers should take caution to avoid the following common traps, according to a recent article at MSNBC.com.
Overpricing the home. Home values have dropped considerably since its peak in 2006, but sellers still are often tempted to list a home based on what they paid for it. Eventually they realize their error and have to reduce their price, sometimes several times. In the past month, 23 percent of homes listed for sale on Zillow have reduced their price.
Relying too much on just comps. Size up your competition currently on the market, not just the homes that have already sold. Evaluate homes with a listing price similar to yours to see how well yours stacks up against the competitions and how you can differentiate.
Failing to take into account the home’s web appeal. Photos are key when marketing a home online. Be sure to include lots of high-resolution photos of the interior, including of the areas in a home that buyers most care about, such as kitchen, living spaces, and bathrooms, experts say.
Hovering during showings. Sellers certainly shouldn’t be home for showings, but as a seller’s agent, either should you. Lurking sellers or seller agents may make buyers nervous. Other real estate agents often want privacy with their buyers so they can gather true feedback about the house.
Source: “Six Common Mistakes That Home Sellers Make,” MSNBC.com (April 11, 2011)
A sluggish real estate market hasn’t shaken the confidence of the public in how it views home ownership, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center. Eight in 10 adults (or 81 percent) say owning a home is the best long-term investment a person can make, according to the Pew study of about 2,000 adults conducted in March.
“Home owners are not blind to what has happened to home prices, nor are they expecting a speedy recovery,” according to the Pew study. In fact, of the home owners surveyed, about half said their home is worth less now than before the recession, while 31 percent said their home’s value has stayed the same.
Nevertheless, 82 percent of home owners who say their home is worth less now than before the recession either strongly or somewhat agree that home ownership is the best long-term investment a person can make, according to the survey.
The value of home ownership even continues to emerge on top when home owners were surveyed and asked to rate the importance of four long-term financial goals. Home ownership and "being able to live comfortably in retirement" rated the highest--viewed as either extremely or very important by 80 percent of respondents.
Yet, their optimism about home ownership doesn’t mean they're completely happy with their current home. Nearly a quarter of all home owners surveyed said that if they had it to do all over again, they would not buy their current home. Most of the “buyer’s remorse” complaints were about the home itself or its location. Only 31 percent of those surveyed cited financial factors, such as the home losing value or their own changing financial situation.
Source: “Home Sweet Home. Still.” Pew Research Center (April 12, 2011)
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is one of 388 school districts in the U.S. to be named an Advanced Placement (AP) Achievement District by the College Board. The list recognizes school districts that make AP courses available to a broader pool of students as well as maintain or increase the percentage of students who earn a score of 3 or higher on AP tests.
To be named an AP Achievement District, school districts must:
Increase participation in or access to AP courses by at least four percent (for large school systems).
Show a steady or increasing percentage of exams taken by minority students, including African American, Hispanic, and Native American students.
Maintain or improve performance levels when comparing the percentage of exams scoring a 3 or higher in 2010 to those in 2008, or if a school already has 70 percent of AP students scoring a 3 or higher.
From 2008 to 2010, FCPS increased the number of students participating in AP from 14,220 in 2008 to 15,270 in 2010 while improving the percentage of students earning AP exam scores of 3 or higher, the score typically needed to earn college credit, from 72 percent in 2008 to 74 percent in 2010.
Projected enrollment for Fairfax County Public Schools for the current school year is 175,296. It is the largest school district in the state and the 11th largest in the U.S.
The Washington, D.C. area has emerged from the recent recession with Northern Virginia leading the way, a George Mason University economist recently told local Realtors.
George Mason University economist Stephen Fuller said the economic recovery has been underway for about 17 months and is stronger than analysts expected.
He pointed to bright spots for the No. Virginia economy:
1) Employment: Fuller said the manufacturing segment has led the economy out of the downturn with increased hiring for 17 months in a row. Gross domestic product is higher now than when the recession started in November 2007.
2) Housing Shortage: He also predicted a future housing shortage for the region.
According to Fuller, the area likely will absorb about 700,000 more people in coming decades and needs to build about 35,000 housing units per year to keep up with demand.
While some apartment developers may err on the side of overbuilding, Fuller said more condominiums and smaller townhouses and single-family house are being built. The number of larger single-family developments is declining
But don’t uncork the champagne just yet. He also said consumer confidence remains low, despite the good economic news.
While the Tysons landscape is dotted with cranes and trusses for the first phase of the Metrorail to Dulles, it is a station stop in phase two that made headlines this week.
The board of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority voted 9-4 in favor of an underground station stop at Dulles International Airport, Chantilly, VA.
It will be closer than the above ground option. By about 600 feet. Supporters say underground will be more convenient, especially for travelers with lots of luggage.
And the price tag for going underground? $330 million more than an above ground station.
The airport stop is scheduled for the second phase of the Metrorail project. Phase two will run from Wiehle Avenue in Reston to Ashburn in eastern Loudoun. The project is expected to cost $3.5 billion, including the underground stop, and open in late 2016. However, the additional time needed to build an underground stop may push the opening to mid-2017.
Phase one, now under construction, will connect to the East Falls Church station and include four stations in Tysons Corner. It is scheduled to open in 2013.
Fairfax County officials have endorsed the less-expensive aboveground option.
