Category: Real Estate

If уоu'rе lооkіng fоr a great buуеr'ѕ аgеnt in {Location_Name}, be рrераrеd to do a lоt оf іntеrvіеwіng. Unless уоu'rе luсkу еnоugh tо have met ѕоmеоnе wіth whоm уоu 'сlісk' right оff the bаt, finding a gооd fit fоr уоur hоmе ѕеаrсh іѕ gоіng to tаkе ѕоmе dеlіbеrаtе evaluation. Yоu саn fіnd buyer's аgеntѕ еvеrуwhеrе - in the рhоnе book, online, аt ореn hоuѕеѕ, at home shows and ѕоmеtіmеѕ іn hobbies that уоu share. Finding a buуеr'ѕ agent іѕ еаѕу. Fіndіng аn аwеѕоmе buуеr'ѕ аgеnt can take ѕоmе tіmе and еffоrt. Buying a home in {Location_Name} may wеll bе thе most еxреnѕіvе рurсhаѕе уоu make іn your lіfе. You nееd tо be соmfоrtаblе wіth thе agent уоu сhооѕе. Thіѕ requires a fасе-tо-fасе interview. You аrе interviewing thе аgеnt, but a gооd аgеnt іѕ also interviewing уоu. You need tо соmе tо a mutuаl dесіѕіоn tо work tоgеthеr. It is nоt іmроѕѕіblе that an аgеnt wіll rеfеr уоu to ѕоmеоnе thеу feel hаѕ mоrе еxреrtіѕе than thеу dо, or that уоu dесіdе thаt you аrе nоt comfortable wіth the аgеnt'ѕ аttіtudе. You want tо know what еxреrіеnсе thе аgеnt has in thе lосаl market. Hоw mаnу years have thеу been іn thе business? Hоw many ѕuссеѕѕful purchases have they assisted with in thе раѕt уеаr? Hоw аbоut hоmеѕ thеу'vе ѕоld? Whеrе іn уоur соmmunіtу do thеу ѕресіаlіzе? Anоthеr іѕѕuе іѕ соmmunісаtіоn. A gооd аgеnt wіll bе сlеаr аbоut hоw аnd whеn thеу will contact уоu. You want to knоw hоw the аgеnt рrеfеrѕ tо соmmunісаtе and whеn thеу will gеt bасk tо уоu wіth аnѕwеrѕ tо уоur ԛuеѕtіоnѕ. You ѕhоuld also іnԛuіrе when thе bеѕt tіmе tо соntасt thе agent іѕ; many аgеntѕ hаvе 'wоrkіng hоurѕ' when thеу аrе аvаіlаblе fоr a рhоnе call. Learn more about buying through Nesbitt Realty

• Homes for sale in Northern VA -- This our fastest and most comprehensive house hunting tool

Real Estate Photography Tips For Sellers in {Location_Name}

Exterior of House

• Move cars away from front and / or rear of house and close garage doors.
• Move trash cans and recycling bins inside or away from house.
• Remove newspapers from driveway and sweep leaves.
• Open deck furniture umbrellas, remove grill covers and put any deck cushions on furniture.
• Hide toys and sporting equipment in garage or storage containers.

Interior of House

• Turn on all interior lights and open all blinds. Make sure any burned out light bulbs have been replaced.
• Clean vertical surfaces that reflect light such as mirrors, refrigerators, windows, television screens, etc.
• Hide all pet beds, toys, bowls, etc. in a closet or storage container.
• Remove items other than non-religious framed art or decor hanging from walls.
• Keep in mind that items being moved from room to room will show in photos of other rooms, so please hide items in closets and / or storage areas that will not be photographed

Kitchen

• Clear off countertops
• Remove hanging dish towels and small area rugs.
• Hide garbage can along with pet food bowls, mats and other items.

Bedroom

• Make beds and be sure the mattress or any objects under the bed are not showing
• Hide all personal items such as books, phones, remotes, etc. (Tip: You can hide them under the pillows!)
• We suggest that personalized decor be removed from children's rooms so their names and pictures don't show in the photos which will go on the internet.

Foyer

• Make it look as large as p0ssible by removing shoes, coats, throw rugs, etc.

  

Dining Areas

• If dining area is small, remove extra leaves from tables to make the room look larger.
• Show off the woodwork on the table by removing protector, tablecloths or placemats.
• Remove extra dining chairs from the room so it doesn't look overcrowded and smaller than it really is.

Living Areas

• Keep the floors as clear as possible to emphasize the beauty of any wood floors
• Make sure all televisions and computer monitors are turned off, and if portable hide from view
• Clear surfaces such as end tables and coffee tables of items that are not decorative, and hide all magazines, books, remotes,  tissue boxes, etc.

Bathrooms / Powder Rooms

• Wash all mirrors. Even the smallest splatter mark is magnified in photos.
• Hide the trash can, toilet brush, bathmats and plunger.
• Remove family bath and hand towels. (Tip: Don't forget to remove the robe hanging on the back of the door.) You can keep a clean decorative / nice towels hung neatly.
• Remove All toiletries from the counter and the shower/tub area, such as shampoo bottles, razors, toothbrushes, etc.
• Make sure the toilet paper roll isn't empty or hanging down off the roll.

 

Buying your own home is on most people's bucket list but there are time when renting might be the better choice.

Try before you buy

Not sure if a neighborhood in {Location_Name} is really right for you or perhaps you need time to assess an area before making a long term commitment. If that's the case, then renting could be a good option for you. Renting gives you the opportunity to see if  a neighborhood lives up to your expectations and  suits your needs before you buy. For example, you can sign a one year lease for a two bedroom condo in Shirlington, with the option to extend the lease if you like the neighborhood.  If you don’t like it and say for example, a 4 bedroom, 2 story home in Lorton is more your style, then you can always relocate.

Pay as You Go

Many Americans live from pay check to pay check and renting a property can help you draw up a realistic budget and live within your means. Before you sign a lease you know what your rent will be and you can work this amount into your monthly budget. When you do your calculations remember that you will need to pay a security deposit upfront and the rate depends on your credit score. If you have a good credit score your property manager might only charge one months’ rent. On the other hand if you have a poor credit score your security deposit could be two months rent. But keep in mind that the security deposit can be refunded if you meet the requirements of the move out inspection. Because rent is a fixed monthly cost, you will know exactly what portion of your income to allocate to rent and what portion remains for bills and other necessities. If you are realistic about the property you can afford to rent then you will have money left over every month for fun expenditures, nightlife and personal hobbies.

Short Term Commitment

Not sure if, as a Washington DC commuting, GS-5, you want to live in {Location_Name}? Do you dream of relocating to California and exploring Napa Valley, Los Angeles and San Francisco? Are you an active duty member of the military with no idea of where your next assignment might take you? There are many reasons why people don't want to make a long term property commitment and renting means that you won't be tied down and makes it easier to move at a moments notice. Or perhaps  you just have no interest in the responsibility of becoming a homeowner? Then renting, as opposed to buying, could be the right choice for you. As a renter you won’t have to worry about footing the bill to repair a leaky roof, paying monthly condo fees, or paying for garden services to pick up the leaves from your Mount Vernon home. Renting a property can enable you to live the lifestyle you want without the responsibility and financial commitment of owning your own home.

Build Your Credit and Save for a Down Payment

Buying a house is a huge financial commitment. It is usually the biggest single purchase most people make in their lives. Renting a property and being a responsible tenant can help you achieve your ultimate goal of owning your own home. Paying your rent on time is an excellent way to build your credit score and  show lenders that you can manage your money. If you are realistic about the rent you can afford, and you are frugal with your money, you can build up your savings for buying a home in the future. Renting will also make you aware of the true costs of owning a property and prepare you for the financial commitment and accountability of home ownership.

Roommates

Not everyone wants to live alone and sharing a house with friends can be fun and lead to priceless memories, but it also has the added advantage of being cheaper than going solo. However, it is worth remembering that choosing good roommates can be challenging. Just because you are good friends doesn't mean that you will be good roommates. Nobody is perfect, and some of your friends might have annoying habits that you just won't be able to live with, so think  carefully before asking someone to move in with you. There are many different neighborhoods in Northern Virginia that will meet your specific requirements for a neighborhood, such as easy access to the metro, a main street vibe or proximity to good school, and your needs in a property, like a certain architectural style, luxury features and affordability.  With so many options to choose from it is worth asking an experienced Nesbitt Realty Realtor, like Stuart Nesbitt, to help you find the perfect rental property.

Nesbitt Realty is a family-owned family-operated business serving Northern Virginia. As such, we compete against some of the biggest names in our industry. Even in this highly competitive market, we manage to succeed and have won numerous awards for client-satisfaction.  We provide a turn-key solution that allows our landlords to enjoy a stress-free passive income with no work required. Our team is experienced, professional, and dedicated to managing every detail from leasing to maintenance to financial transactions. Learn more about us now! Why not work with a local, small-business that cares about your needs?