According to the National Association of Realtors:
A real estate agent is a REALTOR® when he or she is a member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, The Voice
for Real Estate® -- the world's largest professional association.
The term REALTOR® is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of
the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.
Founded in 1908, NAR has grown from its original nucleus of 120 to today's 720,000 members. NAR is composed of residential
and commercial REALTORS®, who are brokers, salespeople, property managers, appraisers, counselors and others engaged in all aspects of the real estate industry. Members belong to one or more of some 1,700 local associations/boards and 54 state and
territory associations of REALTORS®. They can join one of our many institutes, societies and councils. Additionally, NAR offers members the opportunity to be active in our appraisal and international real estate specialty sections.
REALTORS® are pledged to a strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. Working for America's property owners, the National Association provides a facility for professional development, research and exchange of information among its members and to the public and government for the purpose of preserving the free enterprise system and the right to own real property.
Our agents are abides by this Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. We strive to give our clients value by staying current and knowledgeable about the sales and purchase process. We also constantly increase and improve our knowledge of Northern Virginia's communities, amenities and condominiums.
For more information or to set up an appointment call Julie at (703)765-0300.
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…
Alexandria Appliance question: A resident of Beauregard Station called to ask me about what happens with the appliances that are not removable; that is, they are part of the plumbing, ventilation, or structure of the home transfer with the sale of your condo. This would include central air, water heaters, dishwashers, and similar appliances. Appliances that are removable, however, such as refrigerators, window A/C units, microwaves, etc, belong to the seller, unless stipulated otherwise in your purchase agreement.
For more information or to set up an appointment call Stuart at (703)765-0300.
A real estate agent is a professional licensed to buy, sell and manage real estate for a fee on the behalf of others. Not all real estate agents are REALTORS. A broker is a real estate agent who has reached a higher educational standard and who accepts certain additional responsibilities commensurate with this level of licensing. The term "Realtor" is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of Realtors.
A real estate agent or broker who joins the National Association of Realtors is a Realtor. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) claims to be world's largest professional association. The single biggest distinction between a real estate agent and a Realtor is that all Realtors agree to abide by a strict Code of Ethics. From their voluntary adherence to a Code of Ethics to their incomparable knowledge of real estate processes, Realtors are the experts of residential and commercial property transactions.
A broker has a higher experience level and higher educational requirement than an agent, but both are Realtors.
Founded in 1908, National Association of Realtors has grown from its original nucleus of 120 members to more than 1 million today. National Association of Realtors is composed of Realtors who are involved in residential and commercial real estate as brokers, salespeople, property managers, appraisers, counselors, and others who are engaged in all aspects of the real estate industry.
Realtors belong to one or more of 1,700 local associations/boards and 54 state and territory associations of Realtors and can join one of our many institutes, societies, and councils. Brokers and agents of Condo Alexandria are members of the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors. Additionally, National Association of Realtors offers members the opportunity to be active in our appraisal and international real estate specialty sections. Realtors are pledged to a strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.
Working for America's property owners, the National Association of Realtors provides a facility for professional development, research, and exchange of information among its members. Condo Alexandria agents and brokers take advantage of educational opportunities with the National Association of Realtors and the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors to continue expanding our knowledge of all aspects of real estate related expertise.
For more information or to set up an appointment call Stuart at (703)765-0300.
If you are considering renting an apartment from a landlord or condominium owner or if you are thinking about leasing your property for rent, it is important that you know both the law and the legal instruments that govern landlord tenant relationships in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Leases:
First, consider the lease. A lease is the contract that governs a landlord-tenant relationship. In contrast, covenants within a lease are generally independent of the lease itself, where if one party breaches a covenant, the other party may still recover dam¬ages but cannot terminate the landlord-tenant relationship in its entirety. Although not covered herein, the doctrines of actual and constructive eviction and the implied warranty of habitability are exceptions to this general rule. In addition, many states including Virginia have created a statutory exception to this general rule which does allow, however, a landlord to terminate a lease for any nonpayment of rent. Below is a brief discussion of a tenant's duty regarding the doctrine of waste and other considerations including ordinary wear and tear as they may or may not be contemplated in any given leasehold agreement.
Tenant's Duty to Repair and the Doctrine of Waste:
A tenant has a duty not to damage (or commit waste on) a leased premises. There are three rules governing waste in a leasehold context, all of which a Landlord may recover for from the tenant in the form of damages should the tenant breach.
1) Voluntary (affirmative) waste results when the tenant intentionally or negligently damages the premises or exploits minerals on the property.
2) Permissive waste occurs when the tenant fails to take reasonable steps to protect the premises from damage from the elements. The tenant is liable for all ordinary repairs, excluding ordinary wear and tear. If the duty is shifted to the landlord (by lease or statute), the tenant has a duty to report deficiencies promptly, and the tenant can assume liability for such deficiencies if not reported in a timely manner pursuant to the lease agreement.
3) Ameliorative waste occurs when the tenant alters the leased property, thereby increasing its value. Generally, the tenant is liable for the cost of restoration. There is a modern exception to this rule, however, which permits a tenant to make this type of change if he is a long-term tenant and the change reflects changes in the neighborhood.
Finally, remember that in the absence of a specific reference to ordinary wear and tear, most repair covenants frequently exclude ordinary wear and tear whereby a Landlord usually remains obligated for certain structural and casualty destruction repairs except for damages caused by the tenant.
Are you leaving the area, but not quite ready to part with your Clarendon townhome? Are you active duty military, with upcoming orders for assignment in Germany? Regardless of your circumstances, property management is a great way of safely and effectively renting out your property. You could use your rental property income to put towards the mortgage, if you haven’t paid it off yet.
Realtor Stuart Nesbitt chats with a handyman
Separation between Clients
Tenants and landlords each have their own wishes that they each want met (e.g. timely rent payments, proper repairs / maintenance, thorough unit inspections, etc.) Having a property manager can make this process a walk in the park, especially for the landlord. Without a property management service, there is the potential to have quarrels over issues, which can lead to undesirable leeway being extended (i.e. late payment). For example, what if your tenant would like to paint the walls? Will you let them smooth talk you and guilt trip you into having it their way? Nesbitt Realty can enforce your rules and keep a diplomatic barrier between both parties.
Legality
Nesbitt Realty can file all of the legal paperwork (e.g. lease, pets addendum, lead based paint disclosure, etc.) involved with renting out your property. This documentation can provide a great preventative safety measure for the landlord, in case of a breach of terms. Nesbitt Realty has several NVAR licensed Realtors who can put your property into the MLS (multiple listing service) and thus reach a much larger audience, than say, using craigslist.
Reliability and Accountability
Whether we like it or not, sometimes homes need maintenance and sometimes they need maintenance at the worst of tim
es (e.g. the dead of winter, early Sunday morning, in the hot and humid summer, etc.) Nesbitt Realty has top notch accountability with handling maintenance issues – from sinks needing snaking, to hardwood floors needing updating, to lost keys needing replacing. If you need to get a hold of the Nesbit Realty, you can call and either a.) Get a hold of someone or b.) Get a call back from someone in a very timely manner. Not everyone has this level of reliability and accountability.
Market Knowledge
Outside political and economic forces can seriously affect the market conditions in the area. CMA’s (competitive market analysis) can help estimate what you can charge for you rental. On the other hand, Zillow estimates, can be very distorted and misleading. Additionally, Nesbitt Realty’s Principal Broker, Will Nesbitt, keeps a very up to date informed eye on the trends affecting the area. This can help to create an appropriate price to get your place rented quickly, preceding a harsh rental market.
Investment Properties
Readying for Spring
Some smart people are aware of the fact that you can use your money to make more money. One way to do this is to buy choice properties, when the conditions are right. Will Nesbitt regularly surveys listings all throughout the Northern Virginia area, to find these assets for clients. Also, the combination of his experience with the vast array of properties, combined with his moral ethical outlook for your best interest, leads to a good partnership for everyone involved.
The Virgina Real Estate Board was established in 1924 to regulate businesses and individuals representing others in real property transactions, including condominiums, cooperatives, and time-shares. An adjunct responsibility allows the Board to investigate housing discrimination under the aegis of the Federal Fair Housing Act. The Board currently licenses approximately 55,000 individuals and businesses.
Nesbitt Realty is licensed in Virginia.Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
9960 Maryland Drive
Suite 400
Richmond, Virginia 23233-1463
For further information, contact:
Phone: (804) 367-8526
Email: Board for Real Estate
Westover in Arlington
Many houses and apartments built before 1978 have paint that contains lead (called lead-based paint). Lead-based paint is perfectly safe when treated properly, but lead from paint, chips, and dust can pose serious health hazards if not taken care of properly. Lead is especially dangerous when ingested. Lead poses a greater risk to small children who might ingest paint chips.
Recognizing that families have a right to know about lead-based paint and potential lead hazards in their homes, Congress directed EPA and HUD to work together to develop disclosure requirements for sales and leases of older housing. These requirements became effective in 1996.
Federal law requires that individuals receive certain information before renting or buying a pre-1978 housing:
LANDLORDS have to disclose known information on lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards before leases take effect. Leases must include a disclosure form about lead-based paint.
SELLERS have to disclose known information on lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards before selling a house. Sales contracts must include a disclosure form about lead-based paint. Buyers have up to ten days to check for lead hazards.
Renovating, repairing or painting a home, child care facility or school containing lead-based paint
River Towers in Alexandria
Beginning in April 2010, federal law will require that contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified and follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.
Until that time, EPA recommends that anyone performing renovation, repair, and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in pre-1978 homes, child care facilities and schools follow lead-safe work practices. The contractor should follow these three simple procedures:
Contain the work area
Minimize dust
Clean up throughly
To learn more check out the following EPA pamphlets on renovation, repair and painting:
Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers and Schools (PDF) (20 pp, 3.7MB)
Arlington Heights in Arlington
Contractors: Lead Safety During Renovation (PDF) (2 pp, 1.5MB) HTML version
Question
I'm renting a condo in Alexandria, but I don't like the color. Am I allowed to repaint it?
Answer
The best answer to this is to discuss it with your property manager or landlord. In most cases, a property manager will allow you to paint your condo whatever colors you would like. If your landlord agrees to the new color that may be the end of the discussion. In a worst case scenario you will be expected to return it to the color it was originally.
If your property was built before 1978, there is a risk of lead based paint. To learn more about how to protect yourself from this invisible danger read the EPA pamphlet on lead based paint.
For more information or to set up an appointment call Stuart at (703)765-0300.
Moving to a condo has different risks from moving into a single family home. Movers working in common areas need liability and workman's compensation insurance. Often, casual labor type movers do not have insurance--exposing the association to nearly unlimited risk from personal injury claims either from owners, tenants or the movers!
The only way to protect the condo association is to make sure each and every mover provides a Certificate of Insurance. Licensed legitimate moving companies provide these document frequently--they are provided by their insurance carrier free of charge. Associations, LLC's, Corporations and REIT's can be named as additional insured on the Certificate. It should take no more than a few hours for a professional moving company to provide this document.
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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…
Real estate contracts often have contingencies. A contingency is a clause in a contract that gives either the buyer or seller a way to get out of the contract if certain conditions or timelines aren't met. A contract could be contingent on anything a buyer and seller agree to, but there are a few very common contingencies. Typical contingencies are:
financing
sale of home
home inspection
appraisal
Generally, a contingency only last for a period of time and the contingency expires. After a contingency expires, either the contract expires or the contingency expires depending upon the terms of the sales agreement.
For example, Mary needs to needs to sell her present home before being able to get financing on a new condo she wants to buy. So Mary makes her offer contingent upon the sale of her existing home. If Mary is able to sell her home sold within that time period specified by the contingency, she can go forward with her purchase of the new condo. But if she fails to sell within the specified time period, the condo seller has the option of getting out of the deal.
Whenever possible, seller's prefer offers that don't have contingencies. This is because sellers usually believe that they can find another buyer capable making a purchase without contingencies. However, in today's market, sellers are more willing to accept contingencies than they have been in years. So contingencies, like appraisal and home inspection, are quite common and meet with little resistance from sellers.
The exact terms of a contingency, like everything else in a real estate contract, are negotiable. As your agent I can help guide you to make sure your contract has the right contingencies.
For more information or to set up an appointment call Nesbitt Realty at (703)765-0300.
A real estate agent is a professional licensed to buy, sell and manage real estate for a fee on the behalf of others. Not all real estate agents are REALTORS. A broker is a real estate agent who has reached a higher educational standard and who accepts certain additional responsibilities commensurate with this level of licensing. The term "Realtor" is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of Realtors.
A real estate agent or broker who joins the National Association of Realtors is a Realtor. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) claims to be world's largest professional association. The single biggest distinction between a real estate agent and a Realtor is that all Realtors agree to abide by a strict 
Question
I'm renting a 
For example, Mary needs to needs to sell her present home before being able to get financing on a new condo she wants to buy. So Mary makes her offer contingent upon the sale of her existing home. If Mary is able to sell her home sold within that time period specified by the contingency, she can go forward with her purchase of the new condo. But if she fails to sell within the specified time period, the condo seller has the option of getting out of the deal.
Whenever possible, seller's prefer offers that don't have contingencies. This is because sellers usually believe that they can find another buyer capable making a purchase without contingencies. However, in today's market, sellers are more willing to accept contingencies than they have been in years. So contingencies, like appraisal and home inspection, are quite common and meet with little resistance from sellers.
The exact terms of a contingency, like everything else in a real estate contract, are negotiable. As your agent I can help guide you to make sure your contract has the right contingencies.
For more information or to set up an appointment call Nesbitt Realty at (703)765-0300.