Category: Condo Alexandria / Will Nesbitt Realty LLC
Located in New Alexandria, the firm is experienced in buying, renting and managing a wide range of Northern Virginia real estate, especially condominium communities.
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Many people picture a high-rise building filled with apartments when they think of a condominium. But, not all condos are high-rises. In fact, not all condos are buildings, much less hi-rises! For example, a bare land condo is a condominium in which the owner owns land only.
Even horses are getting into the act! Some stables have gone condo. In a stable condo, the owner purchases a single stall for his horse in a stable, but shares the stable and grounds with other horses and owners. At a marina, it is possible to condo a single slip from a dock. In both cases, the owners pay a fee to the association for maintenance, but in both cases, the owner is solely responsible for his interest in the condo.
A more common type of condominium is the garden-style condo. Garden-style condos are one to five floors of condominiums and usually don't have an elevator. From the exterior, townhouse condos look exactly like regular condominiums.
It is even possible to have a single family residence titled as a condo. This can happen in a vacation community where the association maintains the exterior and grounds of the house, while the owners have possession of the interior of the house.
This article was reprinted by permission from CondoBenefits.com. If you are a condo expert or if you would like a link from CondoBenefits.com just drop me a line. I'm building a directory of condo experts from around the country at that site and would love your input!
Nesbitt Realty rebates a portion of our commission to buyers at Midtown Alexandria Sta. Ask us how you can save thousands on your purchase.
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About half of our revenue, and 80% of our interaction with the public is a result of our property management business. Most of the time, most of the people and most of the leases unfold without a hitch. But the reason that people pay property managers is because sometimes there is a problem. Where there are problems there are sometimes disputes.
Usually disputes occur because one side or the other doesn't understand the lease or the Virginia Residential Landlord Tenant Act (VRLTA). Some people don't honor their obligations. For example, a dispute can occur because when a tenant leaves a mess after moving out. Some tenants damage their rental. One landlord wanted us to withhold more money than the landlord was owed. That landlord was angry left us a bad review after we refused to give them the tenant's money.
We don't like turmoil, or disputes or problems. The truth is we love returning deposit money to tenants. We hate charging late fees. We wish we could accept every applicant on every property. But if it was that easy, no one would ever pay a property manager. We are paid because we manage problems, risks, turmoils and disputes.
When there is a dispute, we have to use our experience and knowledge of the lease and Virginia Landlord Tenant Act to resolve the dispute. We don't benefit from resolving disputes, and we try to avoid disputes. But when we have to resolve a dispute someone almost always walks away unhappy.
Unhappy people who are wrong can't seek redress in the court (because they are wrong). Unhappy people who are wrong can't appeal the decision (because they are wrong). But what they can do when they are wrong is post an anonymous disparaging review on Yelp . . . and in our experience they always do.
On the other hand, when a lease ends and a tenant pays his rent on time, gets his deposit returned in full, that tenant almost never takes a moment to leave a positive review.
Most of the bad reviews we've ever gotten were because one-party was angry with us about how a dispute was resolved.
We reject applications.
It's not uncommon for Nesbitt Realty to receive multiple applications for a rental property. No matter how many applications we receive the landlord can only choose one applicant. The applicants that don't get selected sometimes get angry. They think that we somehow benefit from just picking one tenant.
Sometimes they get angry because they want their (non-refundable) fee for the background check returned to them. They don't understand that we don't profit from doing background checks.
Some applicants don't understand that we do a verification of rental history. (That means we check with previous landlords.) If the previous landlord can't (or won't) respond in a timely fashion, then we cannot finish the background check in a timely fashion.
The truth is that we would love to rent to everyone, but that's not how things work in the real world. Some applications, even some good applications, get rejected. A few of our bad reviews were by folks whose applications were rejected.
When we reject an application or choose a better applicant, we get a bad review on Yelp.
The numbers work against us.
Half of Nesbitt Realty's revenue comes from sales and half of our money comes from property management/rentals. Although we work with buyers, sellers, renters and landlords, the overwhelming majority of our interactions with the public are with renters. Renters are least likely to "understand the rules of the road" and most likely to want to use Yelp to vent when they don't get their way.
When we sell someone's home, the sellers are happy and we are finished. When we help someone buy a home, they are happy and we are finished. But a rental is an on-going problem to manage. At the very least, we interact with every single landlord and tenant 12 times per year to collect and disburse rent. In addition we have to manage inspections, maintenance, repairs and rental marketing.
As mentioned above, landlords and tenants have conflicts about repairs, maintenance, property condition, access (for showing the property). Nesbitt Realty has ten times as many tenants as buyers and we have five times as many landlords as seller.
We interact with hundreds and hundreds of renters every single month. Few renters post a review that says, "I paid my rent on time and got my deposit back." But almost every renter that thinks he or she was wronged will post a Yelp review.
Yelp is a bully.
Why do renters post on Yelp? Because Yelp provides the perfect forum to anonymously defame a business.
Yelp is free and it protects the identity of the person that is complaining.
Furthermore, Yelp doesn't verify that Yelper actually did any business with the target of the complaint. In other words (and it has happened), someone can submit a rental application through another brokerage to a property we manage and then after the application has been rejected, they can post several disparaging or defamatory reviews from several anonymous accounts.
Yelp is a billion dollar bully.
"Anti-Yelp sentiment is rampant on the Internet and social media. Sites like YelpFiction.com, Yelp-Sucks.com and YelpLawsuit.com offer Yelp critics both legal advice and a place to vent their frustrations. The “Tell Your Story” page on Yelp-Sucks.com features hundreds of comments from entrepreneurs who say Yelp has negatively affected their businesses. On Facebook, pages like Yelp Extortion and others feature similar stories. Last year, a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the FTC revealed nearly 700 complaints against Yelp over the last four years, with some business owners comparing the website to the Mafia." writes Christopher Zara of the International Business Times.
Many small-business owners complain that Yelp is an extortion or protection-racket. There is even a Facebook page dedicated to Yelp Extortion. If you're interested, do your own research but I can tell you what happened to our business.
Yelp sold Nesbitt Realty an advertising package that cost us around $1000 per month and locked us in for a year. That was a lot of money for our little business, but Yelp promised to bring us lots of business, so we took a chance. The results were much less than expected and financially didn't make any sense for us. We couldn't cancel so we paid out the entire year of advertising and did not renew our advertising.
Then when we stopped paying, Yelp removed all of our good reviews from it's calculation. Yelp hid those reviews as "not recommended". I altered our profile to point out some of the problems described above and Yelp reverted our profile against our wishes.
At that point, I removed all links to Yelp from our site. Although the crappy reviews from disgruntled and/or unreasonable people stacked up, we didn't respond on Yelp. We just ignored them.
Now, we've decided to just take it head-on. If you want to use Yelp as your sole source for reviews, I doubt you'll like us. But if you are so inclined you might want to compare our Yelp reviews to numerous other sites including Zillow, Thumbtack, Trulia, Angie's List, Merchant Circle, Google and more.
Yes, we have a few bad reviews on all of those platforms, but by-and-large we have outstanding reviews from most people most of the time. Are we perfect? No. We are human. But when we make a mistake, we apologize and pay for and clean up our messes. That's the best we can do.
On the other, hand we don't back down to Internet bullies or unreasonable people who attempt to take advantage of our our clients or our duty to the public. Here's what some people are saying about Yelp.
Many small businesses like ours have considered suing Yelp, but Yelp has a legal team paid for by a billion-dollar company. Every penny we spend on this and every second we spend worrying about it is one less second that we have to spend on our business taking care care of customers.
We can burn up a lot of money and time fighting the world, or we can just keep doing good work and let it sort itself out on its own.
If you've had a positive experience with us, we'd very much appreciate you letting others know.
comfortable shopping with the United States armed forces? got what you are looking for? Nesbitt Realty buying, selling, renting, and property management in Northern VA (703) 765 0300
There are several key steps that your Virginia Licensed Real Estate Agent will help you through. Knowing what these are in advance can help you not be surprised later on:
Nesbitt Realty never makes any money from your loan. This frees us to make the most objective recommendation possible.
Know your budget, consult with a financial institution about what you can be pre-approved for.
Know your needs, including:
Number of bedrooms
Location
Walking distance to a bus stop
Walking distance to a metro stop
Price
Property condition
Age of the property
Garage Parking
Schools
Amenities (for condos)
Indoor/Outdoor pool
Putting Greens
Tennis courts
In unit washer/dryer
Utilities included in condo fees
Basketball courts
Bowling
Concierge service
Controlled access
Realize that something will have to give to get what you want, prioritize your needs so that you can get the most important features.
Budget time and money:
Finding any home is easy. Finding the right home requires time invested in looking at properties.
Money for down-payments and closing costs can vary from a couple percentage points to a cash purchase where you provide the entire amount up front.
What are buyers seeking in {Location_Name}?
A new Realtor.com® survey of more than 1,000 home shoppers revealed that privacy is no longer at the top of everyone's list. More than 20 percent of home shoppers aged 55 and older cite having their own space as the driving factor of purchasing a home, followed by physical comfort and the stability of owning a home. Conversely, only 12 percent of buyers under the age of 55 cited privacy as their chief priority. 17 percent of millennial buyers placed family needs as their top priority when looking for a home, followed by stability (14 percent) and personal expression (13 percent).
Home owners who can’t or don’t want to sell their homes in today’s market but must move should consider renting out the property.
https://youtu.be/TBKZ0Cmun8A
For purchasing, selling, renting, and property management, consider Nesbitt Realty.
Obtaining a professional property manager is a good first step. Professional property managers charge 7 percent to 10 percent of the monthly rent in many areas. Nesbitt Realty is often cheaper than our competitors.
Current rents may not be high enough to cover carrying charges, including mortgage, taxes, and insurance. Nevertheless, renting out the property may still make sense if property values rise in the next few years.
Offering a 12-month lease that converts to month-to-month is a good idea, if the owners are considering selling eventually. Include language in the lease that allows a real estate professional to show the home to potential buyers with 24 hours’ notice to tenants.
For more information or to set up an appointment call Julie at (703)765-0300.
Nothern Virginia Condo Experts
If you're thinking of buying a newly-built condo or new house, you probably already know that every new development will have its own sales staff. These people are often friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable about the new development. However, these folks work to sell this property only, because the sale staff works for the builder. The on-site staff of a new condominium knows the property as-well-as or better than anyone around and they are there to assist you but they work for the builder. The staff at a new home development probably knows the property very well, but they will tell you want the builder wants you to know.
When in the market for a new construction, it's a good idea to work with a Realtor who is there to protect your interests. A Nesbitt Realty agent knows the entire area, not just one development. If you have your own Realtor you can trust that you'll understand the pitfalls and benefits of buying new. Best of all it doesn't cost you one dime more than if you use the onsite staff. You have a right to representation: exercise that right today!
Establishing your budget before beginning the home search in {Location_Name} is an important consideration. Some experts suggest that you can expect to pay 25% of your salary towards your mortgage. Fortunately for people living in Northern Virginia, many job centers offering high paying salaries are available. These places include the Mark Center, Inova Hospitals, USPTO, NOVA Community College, Fort Belvoir and Reston Town Center.
Size
When considering buying a home in {Location_Name}, you must answer several important questions, such as whether or not you would like roommates, or whether or not you are married or plan to start a family. The answers to these questions will help you determine whether you might prefer a 2 bedroom condo in Courthouse or a 1,000,000 home in Mount Vernon.
Location and Atmosphere
{Location_Name}has neighborhoods to suit everyone's needs. Arlington is a bustling city with all of the big-city amenities, such as businesses and shopping, and is only a short distance from DC. If you would prefer a small-town atmosphere, Woodbridge can offer this at only a short commuter from the bigger cities. Alexandria, a nice middle ground between Arlington and Woodbridge, has plenty of nightlife, restaurants, and shopping in a variety of neighborhoods like Old Town, West End, and Fairfax County.
Type
Condo? Townhome? Single family home? Each has their own advantages and disadvantages. Condos can offer some amenities, like a pool, fitness center, or dry cleaner, all conveniently located in the condo community, but they come at the cost of condominium fees. Single-family homes do not have these extra costs, unless they are located within a neighborhood that has a home owner's association, but they also do not have the conveniences that a condo or townhome has to offer.
Commitment
Since a mortgage is such a long term commitment, factoring in job security when preparing to purchase a home in {Location_Name} is vital. For those who end up having to leave the area, whether it is temporary or permanent, hiring a property manager is an option so that you can rent out your home and collect rent on it while you’re gone.
Credit Score
The first step to buying a home in {Location_Name} is to get pre approved if you want to be considered a serious buyer. This can speed up the home buying process. Some ways to improve your credit score are to always pay your bills on time or, if you do not have credit, you can build your credit by opening a credit card, use it monthly, and pay the bill on time.
Real estate contracts sometimes come with contingencies. This is a part of the contract that states certain conditions or timelines are met or the seller or buyer can void the contract. The conditions or timelines can be any that both parties agree on and are put within the contract.
Contingencies usually last for a specified period. Once the contingency ends the contract could end or the contract is valid without the contingencies agreed upon.
Usually the buyer is more eager to have a contingency plan but in today's economy and market they are more widely accepted by both sellers and buyers. Nesbitt Realty can help you with your contingencies in your contract.
For more information or to set up an appointment call Julie at (703)765-0300.
I met with a first-time buyer over the weekend. She was prequalified by her lender. Prequalifying helped frame her choices. It's a waste of time and energy to look at homes that are outside of the budget, so prequalification is the first step for any home buyer. Here are the steps that we'll be taking on the road to home ownership.
Tour properties --- We took a top level tour of some of the properties that are in her
budget. This gives the client something concrete and real to think about so that she can decide whether this home ownership thing is for her or not. In addition to the units we saw, I can think of a number of places that would also fall within this client's budget and still offer a very reasonable commute to Ft. Belvoir. But I wanted to get her impressions of these places before going on a bit deeper.
Revisiting --- We'll revisit those communities that hold the greatest interest and look at everything available in those communities. (So far we just did a top level search.)
A few more choices --- If none of these really feel right, we'll find a few more to consider and continue with the search.
Make an offer --- When we've found the property that stirs the soul, fits the budget and feels right, I'll write up an offer. At that time I'll collect "earnest money".
The earnest money is evidence that the seller is serious about the purchase and is held in escrow until the sale is completed. We'll submit a preapproval letter, a copy of the earnest money deposit and the signed offer for the seller to consider.
Negotiations --- Sometimes there is a difference between the asking price and the selling price. The selling price is determined by negotiation. We'll pass drafts of the contract back and forth until the buyer and seller have agreed on all terms.
Loan processing --- Julie at Condominium Mortgage will then collect documentation from the client. This documentation will serve the purpose of proving the representations made in the loan application process. The buyer will produce pay stubs, bank statements etc. Julie will also order an appraisal as required by all lenders.
Settlement --- Settlement is the word used to describe the actual transfer of ownership. We'll settle on the property in a timely fashion on an agreed upon date. Settlement will occur at a title company's office and a settlement agent will ensure that funds are present as is marketable title.
Ownership --- Here's where the fun begins ... as does the responsibility of home ownership.
Establishing your budget before beginning the home search in {Location_Name} is an important consideration. Some experts suggest that you can expect to pay 25% of your salary towards your mortgage. Fortunately for people living in Northern Virginia, many job centers offering high paying salaries are available. These places include the Mark Center, Inova Hospitals, USPTO, NOVA Community College, Fort Belvoir and Reston Town Center.
