Relocating here? Well, when I started Things You Should Know Before Moving to Northern Virginia (updated in 2019), I had to force myself to stop at fourteen "things". Over the years I have heard myself giving these tips over and over to clients who are relocating here, so, I thought that I should put down my observations for the world to Continue Reading
Home Buying Tips | Low Mortgage Rates
Image by DougFrancis via Flickr It seems like every week there is an announcement that home mortgage rates are at an "all-time low", but this weekly headline is starting to get a little stale for most home buyers who are locking-in the mortgages as late as possible before going to closing. The "rate float option" gives home buyers the option of Continue Reading
House Hunting Fiction?
I have joked for years with home buyer clients about watching too many episodes of HGTV's House Hunters, and that our home search isn't going to include a film crew (read an actual client comment). Most of them recall an episode or two, or how they seem to look at three homes and buy one of them paying market price. Well I almost fell over Continue Reading
Walking4Dads | 2010 National Memory Walk
AN UPDATE: Thank you for all of your support. The walk was fantastic and there were over 2,000 participants. Our little team, Walking4Dads, raised over $2,600 as of 10/8/2010. You can still donate until November 30th to help reach the Alzheimer's Association goal. They are now 50% there! Original post On Saturday October 2nd, 2010 at Continue Reading
A Quote in MSN Money
I was surprised the other day to get a Google Alert that there was a quote attributed to me on the MSN Money site in an article by Marilyn Lewis. Back in May, I wrote a post warning home buyers to refrain from adding new credit lines before they actually "closed" on their new home. Since mortgage lenders are now running a second credit report just Continue Reading
Your house has an ice dam?
One of the problems of having too much snow and below freezing temperatures for a week is the gutter ice dam. This happens when the gutter stops draining due to compacted snow or a block of ice. Then, the warm air escaping from your home generates just enough heat to melt the snow pack causing the gutter to fill with water. Hopefully it flows out, Continue Reading
A sick home seller strategy…
This is an angle that many real estate agents have yet to discuss with their seller clients because it may sound a little harsh. Some subjects like current market activity, reductions in asking or list price, keeping the house clean, proper staging, repainting, repairing, de-cluttering, re-carpeting, curb appeal, sanitizing, lighting, scenting, Continue Reading
A summer vacation… and blood donation!
The dog-days of summer have arrived and I am getting things packed up for a trip to Maine and Rhode Island. Yes, mini-van life has returned and I am going to resemble many 40-something Dad’s behind the wheel pretending we are still pretty cool (think Clark Griswold). Thank goodness the kids have outgrown The Wiggles! On a serious note, I stopped Continue Reading
