"So, we decided to buy a new house this year... " sound familiar? People don't know that they just opened a gusher of tips from everyone in their circle who has ever bought a house. Everyone has an opinion on where to live, what type of home to buy, and a horror story or two. Right? And then while surfing the Internet they will come across Continue Reading
A Tip on CFPB’s Tips for Homebuyers
By the time most of my Northern Virginia real estate clients reach me, I know that they have been doing plenty of research on the web. Most sites are designed to cover general topics and do a good job, but a real powerhouse site has hit the Internet and it is going to get every home buyer's attention. That hot site is ConsumerFinance.gov , set Continue Reading
The Online Search for Real Estate
As you sit on the couch watching Modern Family with your iPad in your lap, you Google "McLean Va Homes for Sale" so you can see what $1,000,000 will buy these days. The results show both paid and organic results and you will click on one. Whichever... they all sort of show the same homes. That's right, they do show all of the same homes for Continue Reading
Are Buyers Getting Too Picky?
Trying to understand what home buyers will accept can be a challenge. Basically, if the market is a super-hot seller's market then home buyers may accept a "negative" that would be a deal breaker in a buyer's market. And local MRIS stats show that market types can change from zip code to zip code. Real estate markets can change rapidly and if Continue Reading
Answers | Online Real Estate Jargon
Like most real estate "shoppers" across the country, my clients here in Northern Virginia use smartphone apps from Zillow, Redfin and Trulia to keep tabs on the market. It all comes down to which one works best, but often they have a two or three real estate apps so they don't miss anything. The most common questions I get are to help explain a Continue Reading
Radon Concerns after Earthquakes
Two years ago I was sitting in my office when the whole building began to shake. The ceiling panels were moving. The noise was getting louder. Unsure, I stood in the doorway and then decided to get the heck outside! That was August 23, 2011 around 1:45 in the afternoon, and the Washington D.C. region experienced a very strong 5.8 magnitude Continue Reading
Waiting to Buy a House
Wait? Wait for what? Until their children are old enough to leave them?" This quote comes at a crucial moment from George Bailey in Frank Capra's 1946 film, It's a Wonderful Life. In essence, George's family managed the Building and Loan in a small town in New York during the Great Depression. They worked like many of today's mortgage Continue Reading
How Home Inspection Negotiations Create Friction
As my client signed the closing documents, he innocently asked the settlement attorney about problems she sees at closing. "These days, probably home inspection items not getting done right," she said. If you plan to buy a home, you will likely include a Home Inspection Contingency in your offer. Home Inspection Contingency periods typically Continue Reading
Step One for Real Estate Buyers
This "Step One" concept actually came to me after trying to buy a mini-van at a car dealership. With good intentions, my wife and I brought our toddler into a Ford dealership to buy a (dreaded) mini-van for our growing family. But after 2 1/2 hours of car dealership bull sh t crap, we walked out the door with a crying child (hunger pains) and no Continue Reading
Deadlines and Counter Offers
Having a home seller miss the deadline to respond to your offer is extremely frustrating. In fact, most real estate agents discourage their buyer clients for putting in a deadline for a simple reason. But you want to know, "why didn't the seller respond to my offer?" It is best to start from the beginning because negotiation techniques Continue Reading
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