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Buyer Tips

Seller Tips

Living Here

A Collection of Buyer Tips

Take a few minutes and scroll through this collection of tips for home buyers. Just so you know, I like to write about experiences that clients have because you may be dealing with a similar issue and it might shed a little helpful insight.

Debt to Income Ratio | Planning Ahead

By Doug Francis

house in Vienna Virginia

One of the first tips I give people when they tell me they plan to buy a house next year is to focus on their Debt-to-Income ratio. Most clients who buy homes get a mortgage, and find out quickly that their finances are about to get scrutinized. Even though ads for rocket-easy mortgages make it appear simple, they will still want you to provide Continue Reading

Filed Under: Blog, Home Buyer Tips Tagged With: Home Buyer Tips, real estate, Vienna Virginia

First Steps In the Process | Home Buyers

By Doug Francis

Vienna real estate agent home

When we have our first meeting and discuss plans with any new real estate client, I like to review a basic home buying costs worksheet. Knowing the numbers is empowering because it allows clients to see the costs of buying a home and determine a future household budget. I use estimates based on typical costs that I see in Vienna real estate Continue Reading

Filed Under: Blog, Home Buyer Tips Tagged With: Home Buyer Tips, real estate, Vienna Virginia

Looking back at 2016 and ahead to 2017

By Doug Francis

personal thank you note to Doug Francis

Three clients had babies... two girls and one boy. People don't often think about the life events Realtors are a part of every year. We step into roles where lives are in the process of changing. Living is more than lifestyle Here are a few notables from 2016... 2016 kicked off helping sisters and a brother sell their childhood home 30 Continue Reading

Filed Under: Blog, Home Buyer Tips, Home Seller Tips, Living Here Tagged With: Home Buyer Tips, Home Seller Tips, Vienna Virginia

How to Inspect a Flipped House

By Doug Francis

Flipped House Home Inspection Vienna VA

If you are considering buying a flipped house... make sure that you have a home inspection contingency included in your offer. Unfortunately, here in the always-active Vienna real estate market, a flipped house is often the only affordable option in the average price ranges. If you aren't familiar with the term, a flipped house is property Continue Reading

Filed Under: Blog, Home Buyer Tips Tagged With: Home Buyer Tips, Vienna Virginia

How to be ahead of Termites | The WDI Report

By Doug Francis

wdi report termites

Far, far from the set of A Bug's Life... Hey, this is Virginia and we have termites. Millions of tunneling termites in the soil headed toward your house. A few times every year, I get emails from people asking questions about termites, termite inspections, termite damage, WDI report, and termite related issues that have complicated their Continue Reading

Filed Under: Blog, Home Buyer Tips Tagged With: Home Buyer Tips, real estate, Vienna Virginia

Considering buying an expanded Vienna rambler?

By Doug Francis

Pop top rambler vienna va

I have looked at a few expanded "pop-top" ramblers in Vienna recently with clients and each had a few quirky issues that you might want to consider too. Just to set the stage, a typical Vienna rambler was built in the late 1950s or early 1960s and has two levels: a basement, and main living floor. Plumbing Structural I-beam Heating Continue Reading

Filed Under: Blog, Home Buyer Tips Tagged With: Home Buyer Tips, Vienna Virginia

The Value of a Back-Up Offer

By Doug Francis

smart gourmet kitchen design vienna virginia

Deciding to be a back-up offer isn't a buyer's ideal situation, but in a competitive, fast-paced real estate market when offers are reviewed on Tuesday evening, then being #2 really isn't such a bad thing. And sellers, you should feel lucky to have a back-up... just in case. Back-up offers provide home buyers and home sellers unique Continue Reading

Filed Under: Blog, Home Buyer Tips, Home Seller Tips Tagged With: Home Buyer Tips, negotiating, real estate, Vienna Virginia

How HGTV has helped real estate

By Doug Francis

Living Room

There isn't a buyer client I meet who hasn't watched HGTV. And, that's a good thing! Last week while waiting for my daughter's dental appointment to finish, I got sucked into watching an exciting HGTV show called Flip or Flop. Okay, maybe exciting is a little much for a TV show, but, as a real estate agent, I often see the potential when Continue Reading

Filed Under: Blog, Home Buyer Tips, Home Seller Tips Tagged With: Home Buyer Tips, Home Seller Tips, real estate

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A little background story…

Doug Francis

Considering selling your home?

https://youtu.be/0ZSodCtsfkY

Just Sold!

Plum Street home with swimming pool

Looking for a house with a pool in Vienna, VA?

Sold!

https://vimeo.com/1003798838?loop=0

Planning to sell your home?

Real examples of before and after real estate work by Doug Francis

Case Studies

My step-by-step guidance | before and after pics Continue Reading

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Looking for testimonials?

Read through a collection of client comments originally posted on Zillow, Google and Trulia. See what my clients say...

Looking for a Custom Home?

Insights into New Homes in Vienna VA
Termite in 2x4

A required termite inspection in your sales contract?

Updated for 2025 Yes, a termite inspection clause is part of the standard Northern Virginia real estate sales contract. You need to keep in mind, this inspection needs to be done within 90 days prior to Settlement. Last week, I received a question via email from an upset seller who had just been told that […]

“Doug nailed it! Within days, we had three offers, one of which not only met, but far exceeded all of our goals.”
– R. Pollard

“He truly was a partner integrating us unto the community and made it easy for us to take advantage of all Vienna has to offer.”
– A. D’Eredita

“We are so thankful we found Doug to guide us through the complex home selling and buying processes!”
– Scott and Jennie

About Doug Francis

I am a Realtor with TTR Sotheby's International Realty® just outside Washington D.C. in Northern Virginia. I'm licensed in Virginia with a focus on Vienna, VA real estate since 1991.

That deep knowledge is valuable, especially in today's fast-paced market where advice is critical. Although many of my clients are personally referred, I am available to help you too and am accepting new clients right now.

Feel free to contact me at 703-304-6827 or email me at doug@dougfrancis.com anytime!

Thank you for electing me to the Vienna Town Council!

Doug Francis was elected to the Vienna Town Council

Doug Francis is a Vienna Town Councilmember

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Contact

Doug: (703) 304-6827

TTR Sotheby's International Realty
6723 Whittier Avenue McLean, VA 22101

Office: 703-319-3344

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Vienna Real Estate Guide

Note from Legal…

My clients deserve my undivided loyalty and priority scheduling. Therefore, I exclusively serve buyers and sellers with whom I have signed representation agreements.

Click to check out my past sales!

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