Associate Broker, Long & Foster Real Estate
With mortgage interest rates increasing, I hear the whispers in the market from buyers who feel they have missed their opportunity to own a home. The truth is, as long as you can qualify for a mortgage and can find a suitable home to meet your needs, the time to buy should only be dictated Read More ...
Since before the pandemic of 2020, the Northern Virginia real estate market had been experiencing a seller’s market, where inventory did not meet buyer demand. During 2020 and 2021, the buyer demand reached an unprecedented peak. Sellers were enjoying multiple offers within days or even hours of putting their homes on the market. Buyers were Read More ...
Just Sold in Manassas: An As-Is Success Story Every once in a while listing agents encounter situations where the typical listing advice is not something that works for our seller-clients. Take for instance the story of a home I sold in Alexandria at the end of 2022. Walking inside, the home was in dire need Read More …
Last fall (2022) I was contacted by a real estate agent in Ohio that had family members looking to buy in Middletown, VA. The referral was made with me because I was familiar with Middletown after helping a seller list their home on Middle Road earlier that year. They were set to look at new Read More …
Is It Happening Again? As 2023 began, Northern Virginia real estate agents were wondering if the pause in the market that happened in the last third of 2022 was going to continue. Interest rates had more than doubled during 2022, but going into 2023, they had eased a bit. Were they back in the threes Read More …
Achieving a Super Model Kitchen Sink Having lived in our current home for over eighteen years, my husband and I have grown accustomed to the wear and tear brought on by two adults, working from home, and a furry family that has ranged from two to five indoor cats. The cats can be blamed for Read More …
Buying Your View and Privacy Log in to any neighborhood social media site or group and you are bound to hear often repeated themes. In high density neighborhoods in Bristow, Virginia, medium to large single family homes are squished into fifth to quarter acre lots. This is prevalent in Gainesville and Haymarket as well. Privacy Read More …
Do Sellers Always Take the Highest Offer? If a seller is reviewing multiple offers on a home, the first thing that becomes the focus is price. How much does each offer net them? Once that burning question is answered, other questions come up. In the case of the townhouse that I closed today in Bristow, Read More …
Hitting a Target in the Dark Listing a home for sale is no small task. Counseling sellers on prepartion projects, getting photos taken and creating a description of a home that draws in buyers is only a very skeletal part of the job. Understanding what your seller needs from the process is essential. Basic questions Read More …
“But the Listing Said…” Lately my buyers have found themselves frustrated and I am right there with them. Earlier this week a buyer found six homes online that appeared to meet their criteria. I looked through the listings and started removing some from our tour. Why? The listing agents were over-fluffing to the public and Read More …
Once a Seller is Under Contract to Sell… Ever wonder what would happen if you were under contract to sell your home, but you changed your mind and wanted to stay put? Unfortunately, it does occasionally happen that sellers will be under contract with a buyer and have a change of heart. Does a seller Read More …
Quick Sales are Possible in January Common knowledge seems to be that the best time to sell a home is spring. However, that philosophy would mean hitting the market when everyone else does. That increases competition. The one thing that the wild ride that started in 2020 taught us is that not having more buyers Read More …