What can you get for a Cool $500K in Northern Virginia?
April 12th, 2012 Categories: Alexandria Dirt, Arlington Dirt, Vienna Dirt
With interest rates at historic record lows, which we’re not likely to see again in our lifetime, I thought I’d show you a smattering of what a half million bucks will buy you around the Northern Virginia area – whether you’re interested in a condo in Arlington, a townhome in Vienna, perhaps a single family home… there’s something for everyone in this enticing price range!
First, let me say this – let’s look at some numbers – with a sales price of $500,000, 20% down makes the loan value $400,000. At a rate of 4%, the principal and interest (PI part of PITI) is a mere $1909! Can you say A-F-F-O-R-D-A-B-L-E???
You may choose a condo in Crystal City? There is currently a 4th floor unit in Crystal Gateway – 3 bedroom/2.5 bath with a remodeled kitchen: Price:
Or, perhaps you’d prefer a single family home – there’s a lovely split level home in the Alexandria neighborhood of Waynewood – 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath on a 1/4 acre lot – priced: $499,900
There’s a great Vienna townhome located at the Vienna metro – it’s a bank owned property/foreclosure – but with 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths right at the metro it’s a super deal at $499,900
Perhaps you’d like a little more land? There’s a great single family in Kings Park West – 4bedroom, 2 bathroom in the Robinson High School district – $499,900
Or, maybe it’s home size you’re going for – in Ashburn, your $500,000 will buy you a stunning 5 bedroom, 4 bath single family home in the Courts of Ashburn.
There’s something for everyone at this amazingly low price!! If you’re thinking of buying, it’s a terrific time! Please give our team a call and let us help you along the path to your next (or first) home purchase!
Happy Thursday!
Jen & Joan
To see all of these listings and more…
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Service MATTERS!
March 7th, 2012 Categories: Real Estate 101
What can WE do for YOU?
Today “service” is on my mind. What kind of service do you expect from your real estate professional? What kind of service are they committed to provide to you? It’s an important question, don’t you think? This is probably your single largest investment you’ll ever make, and whether you are buying or selling, it’s a BIG deal – even if you do it (which you probably will) more than once in your life, it’s a BIG deal EVERY time.
Sometimes we go to a restaurant and expect a level of service based on the prices – wouldn’t you say? Well I say phooey! You should expect impeccable service each and every time no matter what the price tag – I had the privilege of visiting a restaurant in Austin TX a few months ago who believes customer service is their #1 obligation (along with an excellent meal, mind you) and this restaurant is in a gas station – the most delicious BBQ, sweet tea, etc… mmmmmm….. they made sure we had a platinum level experience -
What does this mean for real estate? Whether you are purchasing an $80,000 condo or selling a $3,000,000 home our commitment is for the BEST customer service EVERY SINGLE TIME… EVERY TIME! You are placing your trust in us to guide you through a real estate transaction – you’re not simply picking up a pack of gum and a bottle of shampoo!
So give us the opportunity and we will show you our stuff! We bring our A game every time, with every client, every day! We hope to serve you (and your friends, families, colleagues, neighbors, coworkers, etc…) sometime soon. Give us a try… you won’t be disappointed!
Happy Wednesday!
Jen & Joan
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How to get your home sold QUICKLY in Northern Virginia
February 24th, 2012 Categories: Market Stats
yes, I said “How to get your home sold quickly in Northern Virginia!” All of a sudden I’ve been seeing more and more about inventory issues – and with interest rates at historically low levels and expected to hover down here for a little bit, it comes as no surprise that we are seeing an early surge in the market – it’s spring outside (I don’t get why it’s 70 degrees in February, but hey, I’m not complaining much) and the market is also behaving very spring-like. Here is some data on home contract activity for Fairfax County and for Arlington County as well. This is for properties that have gone under contract in the last 30 days and how long they were on the market:
Fairfax County
<5 days: 208 homes (16.9%)
6-14 days: 277 homes (22.5%)
15-30 days: 189 homes (15.3%)
31+ days: 557 homes (45.2%)
Arlington County
<5 days: 28 homes (14.9%)
6-14 days: 53 homes (28.2%)
15-30 days: 18 homes (9.6%)
31+ days: 89 homes (47.3%)
What does this tell you? Well it tells me that if you want to sell your home in Arlington or Fairfax (and likely the surrounding areas as well) then you need to be spot on with your price and presentation – you better look good and be priced well – If you can’t look good, you can be priced appropriately. In both counties around 40% of recent listings sold in the first 2 weeks! Then we see a drop off in weeks 3-4 on the market – why is that? Sellers haven’t yet come to terms with a price reduction and finally by the 4 week mark, likely have reduced the price and therefore have finally put themselves in the right position in the market.
This is not rocket science – we’ve been saying all along that price and condition MATTER!!! On a more serious note, we are in dire need of listings to sell. If you or someone you know has considered selling but wondering when the right time would be please get in touch with us. The time might very well be upon us – we can help you understand the market dynamics for your neighborhood, understand what it would take to sell and what the likely outcome would be.
As always, we appreciate the opportunity to earn your business!
Happy Friday
Jen & Joan
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Back to the Future – 2012 Real Estate Market in Northern Virginia
February 6th, 2012 Categories: Northern Virginia Basics
Oh My Gosh… Here we are again, only this time it’s 2012 and the real estate market in Northern Virginia is CRAZY! WE are having
competing offers, multiple contracts, highest and best… it’s just NUTS. If you are a buyer in this market perhaps you can relate. If you are trying to go it on your own, STOP, go pick up your phone right now and call us – YOU NEED QUALIFIED REPRESENTATION!! Ok, I’m kidding, but only partly – you can finish reading this, put your coffee down and then call us! haha – but really the good properties that are (are you ready?) PRICED CORRECTLY are selling – many of them with multiples which is so frustrating – believe me, we are as frustrated as you are! Because as I’ve written about before, multiple offers in this day and age (meaning post-mortgage industry meltdown – we’ll just call it PMIM) have such a different feel than those of days gone by (circa 2004, 2005)
There are a lot of people out there who have been considering selling and are waiting for the right time. I can tell you that now is as good a time as I’ve seen in the recent past to get your home listed. We are a good 60 days ahead of the spring market – opportunities are NOW! Inventory is tight! Sellers – there is no more important factor than price (oh, and accessibility – be sure your home can be shown please). So while this might seem like a desperate rant – really there are a few important messages:
Buyers: Get good representation and be prepared to put your best foot forward (we can help with both) 
Sellers: Get your home ready and on the market at MARKET VALUE and it will sell (hmmm, we can help with that, too)
The bottom line is if you live in Northern Virginia and are thinking of listing your home for sale, please call us to help and don’t wait, call NOW! If you are thinking of getting into the market and looking for a property to call “home” do your due diligence, be sure of what you want, get qualified representation and get in!
Happy Monday!
Jennifer & Joan
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