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Step By Step Guide To Buying Your First Home In Arlington

So, you're thinking about buying your first home in Arlington. Awesome!! Buying a home in Arlington is a big deal both literally and figuratively. It requires a serious amount of money and time. The journey can be exhausting and frustrating. But, don't worry here is a step by step process that can help you get the keys to your new home in Arlington.
Waverly HIlls real esate agents
Waverly Hills is near Glebewood and Charrydale in Arlington VA
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What are the steps of buying a home?

It's a waste of time and energy to look at homes that are outside of the budget, so prequalification is the first step for any home buyer. If you choose to work with Nesbitt Realty here are many of the steps that we'll be taking on the road to home ownership.
Julie Nesbitt
Julie Nesbitt is an Accredited Buyer's Agent and Top Producing agent.  Put her experience to work for you.
  1. Tour properties --- We'll take a top level tour of some of the properties that are in your budget. This gives the client something concrete and real to think about so that you can decide whether this home ownership thing is for you or not. It also gives us a chance to see which properties most interest you so that we can rely upon our experience to identify communities and properties you may have overlooked.
  2. Revisiting --- We'll revisit those communities that hold the greatest interest and look at everything available in those communities.
    • A few more choices --- If none of these really feel right, we'll find a few more to consider and continue with the search.
  3. Make an offer --- When we've found the property that stirs the soul, fits the budget and feels right, your agent will prepare an offer. At that time we'll collect earnest money.
    • The earnest money is evidence that the seller is serious about the purchase and is held in escrow until the sale is completed. We'll submit a preapproval letter, a copy of the earnest money deposit and the signed offer for the seller to consider.
  4. Negotiations --- Sometimes there is a difference between the asking price and the selling price. The selling price is determined by negotiation. We'll pass drafts of the contract back and forth until the buyer and seller have agreed on all terms.
  5. Loan processing --- Your loan officer will then collect additional documentation from the you and from your agent. This documentation will serve the purpose of proving the representations made in the loan application process. The buyer will produce pay stubs, bank statements etc. The loan office and agent will also order an appraisal as required by all lenders.
  6. Settlement --- Settlement is the word used to describe the actual transfer of ownership. We'll settle on the property in a timely fashion on an agreed upon date. Settlement will occur at a title company's office and a settlement agent will ensure that funds are present as is marketable title.
  7. Ownership --- Here's where the fun begins ... as does the responsibility of home ownership.

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What styles of homes do buyers prefer in {Location_Name}?

A recent Realtor.com® survey of more than 1,000 home shoppers found that architectural preferences differ by generations. Older buyers prefer ranch-style homes while millennials prefer contemporary and colonial homes, with only six percent of millennials favoring ranch homes.  
Are you considering putting your house in {Location_Name} up for sale, but not sure where to start? Afraid it will take too long to sell, or that you won’t get the price you want? Here are 4 tips to get you started: 1. De-clutter. This is one of the most important things you can do. It might be easier to think of de-cluttering like this – you’re moving anyway, so why not start packing now? Pack up everything you don’t need and store the boxes out of sight in the garage (or consider temporarily renting a small storage locker). 2. Organize your closets - put similar colors together, pants together, skirts together, shirts together etc. Why? Because it will make the closets look bigger. (Really.) An organized closet appears bigger, and you want your closets to look as spacious as possible. 3. Make your home look like a model. You want to de-personalize as much as possible so potential buyers can imagine themselves and their own belongings occupying the space in your house. That means minimizing – putting away everything you don’t need or use. Clear off kitchen counters as much as possible – stash all those appliances you don’t use, and put miscellaneous small clutter in a few attractive baskets or boxes. 4. Call Nesbitt Realty at (703)765-0300.  We can give you objective tips on what you can do to move your property.  We even have options for professionally staging your home if you're interested. [learn more]
We are appreciative of the opportunity to serve your needs Nesbitt Realty recognizes the seriousness of property management. That is why our agents and full-time staff are in the property management business. We meet weekly to be abreast of significant changes in the industry, and we focus on best property management practices. Nesbitt Realty is a family business that constantly strives for excellence in the real estate sector. We work hard and smart in analyzing conceivable solutions to maximize our landlord's return on investment. We make every effort to meet the requirements of the Virginia Residential Landlord Tenant Act, the demands of the tenant, and the needs of the landlord. Call us now to learn more about what distinguishes us from other property managers. We presently serve Northern Virginia, and we currently have offices across the area. We manage single-family homes, townhouses and condominiums. It's a mom-and-pop real estate business, Nesbitt Realty.  
Finding the Perfect Rental Property in {Location_Name} Every person may be defined as an individual, and as such we all have different wants and needs. This applies to all aspects of our lives but may be particularly frustrating while searching for a home. In the rental market, it is clear that one size does not fit all and being able to find the perfect property poses a serious challenge. Adding to the challenge is the fact that occupancy rates and rents in desirable areas may be high, and it is often difficult to find a property that suits both your budget and your requirements. Even in areas where there are more available properties it might still be difficult to find something that ticks all the boxes. Here are a few tips to take some of the stress out of the search: Know Your Needs You, as a potential renter in {Location_Name}, should be well-aware of your needs.  Some people are simply looking for a place to eat, sleep and shower while others are looking for a lifestyle or a space that will accommodate various activities, such as working, entertaining and hobbies. Think about what the space needs to do for you and make a list of your specific requirements. For example, do you need built in kitchen appliances? Is a washer and dryer essential or is there a laundry nearby? Do you need easy access to the metro or do you need parking for a car? These are questions only you can answer. After you have answered these questions the best you can, you need to consider the all-important budget. What will your money get you and what are you prepared to sacrifice to stay within budget? Remember when you assess your requirements to differentiate between wants and needs because, unfortunately, you will most likely have to make a compromise somewhere. Your needs are the things you cannot survive without and your wants are those little extras that make your life more comfortable but are not essential. Take your list of requirements and mark your wants and needs in different colors and then rank them in order of importance. Remember your needs are always more important than your wants.

Use Our Tools

Once you know what you need and you have a good idea of the basic features you are looking for in {Location_Name}, it is then time to turn to our website. The website is designed to give you a good idea of the cost and type of properties available in Northern Virginia and help you identify potential rental properties.  This should hopefully take the frustration out of the search by enabling you to eliminate properties that do not meet your needs or budget.

Get Our Recommendations

Rental Agents cannot tell you what you need or which property to choose but they can give you invaluable advice. Once you have identified your requirements, contact our Rental Agents to help you find the right property. Clearly explain to the agent what you are searching for. Our agents know the area and the market; and if they know what you are looking for, they can probably take you directly to a property that ticks all the right boxes. [Read more about rental agents.]

703 765 0300

 

How FHA is Helping Buyers Obtain Condo Financing

First-time buyers are hurting. It’s hard for them to save for a down payment, credit restrictions remain tight, and there are few affordable homes for them to choose from. What’s more, wage gains are modest, home prices keep going up, and now interest rates could be heading up, too. The Federal Reserve has sent signals that it could start raising short-term interest rates as early as this month and more rate hikes could happen throughout 2016. VRE 35And yet there’s some good news, too, because FHA has announced changes to its rules to make it easier for buyers to get federally insured financing for condominiums. This is important because condos have traditionally been one of the best ways for new home owners to get into home ownership. Under administrative changes FHA has announced, second homes are no longer considered “investment property” for purposes of determining the owner-occupancy ratio of a condominium project. Prior to the change, if someone who owns a unit in a condo project uses the unit as a second home, that unit doesn’t count as part of the project’s 50-percent owner-occupancy threshold, which FHA requires. Under that rule, if fewer than half the units are owner occupied, someone who wants to buy a unit in the project can’t get FHA-backed financing. That hurts if FHA is the only viable financing option. But the FHA change has wider implications than that because it sends a signal to conventional and other mortgage financing sources that it might be time for them to rethink their owner-occupancy ratios as well. FHA announced two other changes: a streamlined recertification process, and an expansion of the types of insurance condo owner associations can have for their project to be eligible for FHA financing. These three changes are key because they address one part of condo financing that has nothing to do with the creditworthiness of the borrower: they address the hoops the condo project has to go through before FHA will permit a borrower to apply for its mortgage insurance. It’ll be helpful to watch how things change in the months ahead to see if the eased requirements lead to more households obtaining FHA financing for condo purchases. But for now, REALTORS® can take satisfaction in knowing FHA responded to concerns NAR had been raising for the last three years. And more changes are in the works, according to the agency. Details are in the video above. The FHA announcement is one of the stories in The Voice for Real Estate for the week of November 23, 2015. Another segment looks at NAR’s new member benefit for keeping REALTORS® integral to real estate as transactions increasingly go digital. Under the benefit, REALTORS® get free access to two products from zipLogix®: its forms software program and its transaction management platform

5 Common First Time Home Buyer Mistakes

A Single family house at 5428 Grist Mill Woods Way Alexandria VA 22309
Grist Mill Woods is in Alexandria 22309
1. Decide what you can afford. Generally, you can afford a home equal in value to between two and three times your gross income. 2. Develop your home wish list. Then, prioritize the features on your list. 3. Select where you want to live. Compile a list of three or four neighborhoods you'd like to live in, taking into account items such as schools, recreational facilities, area expansion plans, and safety. 4. Start saving.Do you have enough money saved to qualify for a mortgage and cover your down payment? Ideally, you should have 20 percent of the purchase price saved as a down payment. Also, don't forget to factor in closing costs. Closing costs --- including taxes, attorney's fee, and transfer fees --- average between 2 and 7 percent of the home price. 5. Get your credit in order.Obtain a copy of your credit report to make sure it is accurate and to correct any errors immediately. A credit report provides a history of your credit, bad debts, and any late payments. 6. Determine your mortgage qualifications.How large of mortgage do you qualify for? Also, explore different loan options --- such as 30-year or 15-year fixed mortgages or ARMs --- and decide what's best for you.
Condos at 2001 15th St N #615 Arlington VA 22201
Odyssey is in Arlington 22201
7. Get preapproved. Organize all the documentation a lender will need to preapprove you for a loan. You might need W-2 forms, copies of at least one pay stub, account numbers, and copies of two to four months of bank or credit union statements. 8. Weigh other sources of help with a down payment. Do you qualify for any special mortgage or down payment assistance programs? Check with your state and local government on down payment assistance programs for first-time buyers. Or, if you have an IRA account, you can use the money you've saved to buy your fist home without paying a penalty for early withdrawal. 9. Calculate the costs of home ownership. This should include property taxes, insurance, maintenance and utilities, and association fees, if applicable. 10. Contact a REALTOR®. Find an experienced REALTOR® who can help guide you through the process. For more information or to set up an appointment call Julie at (703)765-0300.

Mistake 1: Disregarding what you can afford.

Budgeting isn’t easy, but the fact is, if home buyers don’t set a budget for what they can afford for a house, things can go terribly wrong. The recent subprime mortgage crisis is a perfect example. Banks may say home-buying hopefuls can afford an amount they actually cannot afford.  Budgeting is one way to ensure you don’t get trapped by knowing what you can and cannot afford to remain financially comfortable. Create a budget that includes your major expenses. Examples of major expenses could be student loan payments, transportation costs (gas, car payments, etc.), credit card bills, cable bills and telephone bills. Also be sure to include expenses that come only once a year, like holiday bills or taxes. Add all this together and subtract it from what your earnings — the result is what you can afford on a house.Home buyers who skip this step could end up either badly wanting something they can’t afford and/or putting themselves at risk financially. Mistake 2: Skipping Mortgage Qualifications.