UPDATE: I have upgraded again to 25mps in 2011! In the late 1990’s, I was seeing many new homes being built with Cat5 cable and a network hub from Bell Atlantic (soon to be Verizon) so that buyers could have the best available communications network. The box was branded with the Bell Atlantic logo but it was up to the new owner to either pick Continue Reading
Local Stories
The following is an archive of my articles about builders, strategies, home inspections, financing, painting, staging, tips, and skills. Start reading and you can search the archive anytime.
My pre-season playbook for the fall real estate market
I met with some folks the other evening to discuss buying their first home, and here are some thoughts that rang through my head as we reviewed numbers, the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit, and the current real estate market in Northern Virginia. Yes, pre-season camp is starting for the Redskins and, like coach Jim Zorn, I am reviewing the Continue Reading
Relocations and the restaurants dilemma
A quarter of my clients relocate from another part of the world, and they are typically eager to get out of the McLean Hilton to explore their new life in the D.C. suburbs. And a key part of that search for meaning is finding a new favorite restaurant. Not necessarily a place like Cheers, but I imagine restaurants with local personality, charm, a Continue Reading
Yes, more new mortgage application rules… July 30th!
There are some new guidelines that are being implemented by the Federal Reserve starting July 30th, 2009 as reported in The Washington Post over the weekend. Any agent who sells homes (listing agents, pay attention) better get familiar with them or your deals may get delayed at a moments notice, or learn the hard way that buyers believe they can Continue Reading
Doug’s RE BarCamp prep-class for newbies – 2009
Oh, to go to RE BarCamp…in Virginia Beach. So I woke up extra early and made the three hour drive to Virginia Beach yesterday. Luckily the State Troopers had already pulled over speeders (everyone was going 70+) and the Interstates were wide-open... so it was an easy trip listening to my XM stations. In classic RE BarCamp style, it took place Continue Reading
The 3 basic factors in buying a home
I have found that buying a home is a simple process of elimination. Having observed this process a few hundred times with buyer clients, I have unscientifically concluded that there are three basic factors at work. Location Price Style Location is the classic “buzz word” that people throw out when they are talking about real Continue Reading
New bike trail to the W&OD Trail in Northeast Vienna
If you like to bike and use the W&OD trail or if you walk or jog, then you may want to know about this connector trail in Northeast Vienna, just inside the Town of Vienna, VA line. And if you don't know, the W&OD Trail goes for 45+ miles from Arlington, Falls Church, Vienna, Reston, Herndon, Ashburn and all the way to Leesburg. About 3/4 Continue Reading
Off to RE BarCamp in Virginia Beach
So I made it into the RE BarCamp in Virginia Beach next week to learn a little more about the exciting world of blogging, social media, and technology. It was pretty easy since I just had to register and suddenly was on the "Who's Coming" list. What I find interesting is that the organizers seem to emphasize that it is an informal, “ad hoc” meeting Continue Reading
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