This 4 bedroom, two car colonial wasn't your typical short sale in Herndon, Virginia... it was much better! Lots of space, finished lower level, big bedroom sizes. But it took a lot of work, time, patience, and a couple off-hand prayers. Took about 2 months (fast) but almost 30 days without any response to the offer! Bought in 2009. My Continue Reading
A short-sale success story… another home sold
I managed to get another home sold as a short-sale last week for a buyer client. This one was in Herndon and is a pretty big house, but it was grueling for my clients as information came super-slow from the other side. Honestly, the whole set up stinks because everyone (buyer, seller, agents, inspectors, and even the attorney's) are working at the Continue Reading
Digital signatures = Better Service for my clients
The age of the digital signature has arrived… for my real estate clients. My motivation to add this technology came when a client faxed back a counter-offer to my office in June and it was unreadable. People just aren’t faxing as much, and when they find a fax machine it is probably more than five years old, and as you know, real estate Continue Reading
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
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
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
Figuring out the Vienna Home Market… May 2009
With all you read about the housing market, buying a Vienna home in 22182 appears to be a better bet right now. But if you are a seller with a home priced over $800,000 then you will be sobered. I just looked over resale data from MRIS of the Vienna zip codes ( 22180-22182) for the month of May, and the biggest gains seem to be in the 22182 zip Continue Reading
Using your tax credit to help with closing costs?
Rising from the ashes is a revised guideline from HUD stating that home buyers using FHA loans are allowed to tap into the $8,000 first-time home buyer credit to pay closing costs at the time they settle on their home. They still need to have the 3.5% down payment. HUD sent out a memo in early May announcing this program as many of you readers Continue Reading
