"Doug, these trees are wonderful!" exclaimed a client last fall as we drove along Miller Heights Road in Oakton, VA looking for a home to buy. For those of you from San Diego or Colorado, we have very large Oaks (hence "Oakton"), Maples, Sycamores, and Sweetgums that can give the impression we have forests amongst our manicured suburban Continue Reading
Town of Vienna VA Vehicle Tax?
Image by Haole Punk via Flickr UPDATED for 2012 If you live in the Town of Vienna, VA or anywhere in Fairfax County, then you will be paying a $33 per vehicle license tax in 2010. Motorcycles will be $18. Residents should be getting these bills sometime during November, 2011. Don't miss the payment deadline, there is a $25 penalty fee! Continue Reading
Perspective Impacts Local Real Estate
I went out of town over July 4th to enjoy the beach in Lewes, Delaware with the family, and accidentally observed the local real estate market and the way agents work there. Having been an agent in Northern Virginia for 19 years and seen behind the advertising/image personas (the curtain) of many real estate agents, I thought about how easily home Continue Reading
Home Seller just isn’t negotiating!
One of the hardest parts of buying a home is making an offer. Really, it isn't easy to come up with the right offer, and I always tell my Northern Virginia real estate clients that their initial offer should be their "ideal scenario" from the start. Offer price, determined after looking at recent sales and condition of the home Closing or Continue Reading
Oil Tank Concerns | Vienna Home Buyers
Some homes in Vienna VA were built with underground oil tanks to store heating oil, but have been converted over to natural gas heating systems. In cases like this, home buyers need to know if the old oil tank was removed from the property or just abandon in place. An abandon tank will have some documentation as required by the Virginia Department Continue Reading
Real Estate Contracts Require a Termite Inspection?
Image by Editor B via Flickr Editors's Note 9/2014: This post has been edited from the original article to reflect current lender requirements. The Northern Virginia real estate contract can require that a termite or "wood destroying insect" inspection be conducted. This election is made by the Purchaser in their offer. And, if Continue Reading
“Almost” Home Buyers – Restrain Yourself!
"This isn’t the right time to buy his and her BMW’s." My Northern Virginia real estate clients have heard me deliver that line for almost two decades when we discuss putting together an offer to buy a home. It's meant to be funny, but also a very serious warning. Real estate sales contracts will outline the type of mortgage financing that the Continue Reading
Vienna, VA Home Sales Stats | Hyper Local April 2010
April will be a month that most agents will want to revisit for a long time as buyers picked up the pace to buy before the April 30th tax credit deadline and home sellers rushed their homes to market to capture that demand (read: premium).These "under contract" homes will close in May and June so those numbers should be higher If you bought, Continue Reading
