Associate Broker, Long & Foster Real Estate
Many have opted to sit out the process of buying a home in 2023 and 2024 due to higher mortgage interest rates, the thought being that they will enter the market when rates come down. What those buyers are not considering is the other buyers that will also be entering the market when, and if, Read More ...
Selling a home can be a stressful process. How we live is not how we sell. Home owners usually know their properties need polishing, but may not know how much. From the moment I meet future sellers I help them evaluate the projects they should be taking on prior to listing, and just as importantly, Read More ...
Controlling the Date of Ratification It’s the attention to detail, knowledge of the contract and control of a situation that combine to make an ordinary real estate agent, GREAT. Case in point, the very important detail of when a contract is ratified. Once a contract is ratified, sellers are contractually obligated to sell with only Read More …
The Value of a Cash Offer in a Seller’s Market Market conditions seem to not register in the minds of cash buyers, or the agents that represent them. There is simply a declaration of a cash offer, remarks of what is “wrong” with the property (usually cosmetic) and the sock in the gut that comes Read More …
‘Tis the Season to Fall in Love The anticipation of the holidays have a reputation for even warming up the Scrooges among us. There is a want to fall in love this time of year. You need look no further than The Hallmark Movie Channel lineup. Holiday movie after holiday movie with stories of love, Read More …
Whenever I take a new listing, the preparation for pictures is critical. First of all, I believe in professional photography for my listings. I tried to keep up with the advancements in technology as long as I could, continuing to take my own listing photos up until 2017, but that is when I left it Read More …
What a Difference a Fake Bed Makes in a Vacant Bedroom The picture above is of a vacant bedroom. It’s got fresh carpet and paint and shows well. However, not having any furnishings it is going to be difficult for buyers to imagine what furniture will fit in there. Enter my light staging touches that Read More …
Light Staging in a Bathroom Makes a Difference Vacant homes in a seller’s market will sell, but they always get more attention and sell for more if you dress them up a bit. Above is a before picture of a bathroom in a townhouse listing. Put in some towels, decor and soap and voila! A Read More …
You Can’t Spell Homeowner Without the Word MEOW Everyone has something different that makes home feel like home. In our house, it is our furry family. Minx is pictured above, lounging in a late afternoon autumn sunbeam. The ottoman that her kitty bed is on was moved specifically under this window for her and our Read More …
Major No-No When Your House is On the Market Being a Virginia real estate agent, I am well aware that homes on the market are likely to have guns somewhere. I still remember the day that I was with a buyer on her final walk through. There was a portable safe on a shelf and Read More …
What Inventory Shortage? Twice in the last week I have had individuals, who are either not licensed real estate agents or not full-time professional real estate agents, want to educate me and other top real estate agents in the Northern Virginia market that the inventory shortage they hear us complaining about doesn’t exist. There is Read More …
If You Want to Sell, Make Showing Your Home Easy Representing both buyers and sellers from Centreville to Woodbridge, I can tell you that it is beyond frustrating when a seller lists, then makes showing their property difficult. Certainly, living in a home that is listed for sale in the market we are experiencing at Read More …