Are you looking for a home in a particular ZIP code?
Mr. Zip is still making his rounds
A ZIP Code is a category for grouping mailing addresses and thus ZIP codes are not exact geographic regions. That means that ZIP Codes are only loosely tied to cities. In some cases, ZIP Codes can overlap, be subsets of each other, or be artificial constructs with no geographic area. Sometimes the center of a ZIP Code may be in one County and the associated city/town in another. However, ZIP codes are sometimes useful for finding homes for sale in a particular area. For a list of ZIP codes check out
A survey by American Lives, a consumer research firm in California, conducted a study for the trade magazine Builder to answer that question. Here are their conclusions:
They are young. Most are under 45. Half said they had annual household incomes of $75,000 or less. Two-thirds are married.
They are frugal. They consistently told surveyors they were eager to live a simple lifestyle.
They are concerned about their financial future. About 70 percent said the economy is “not so good” with 27 percent saying it was getting worse and 27 percent saying it was getting better, and two-thirds saying it would get better in a year. Some 55 percent said they were concerned that they might lose their jobs.
They see themselves as energy efficient but not necessarily “green.” About 32 percent said they’d pay extra for energy-efficient features but only 16 percent said they’d pay extra for recycled or renewable construction materials.
Neighborhood is important. Ninety-five percent said they thought the community was as important as the home itself. Seventy-nine percent wanted the most square footage they could afford, but 69 percent said they’d consider a smaller home in the right neighborhood.
Grand Mart at Lincolnia in West End Alexandria
Grand Mart International Food is a supermarket chain primarily based in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, with locations in North Carolina and Georgia. It is owned by Annandale, Virginia-based Man Min Corporation, a family company. My wife shops there from time to time and she loves the wide selection of Korean and East Asian groceries and fresh produce.
The store in Lincolnia is somewhat international offering Asian, Latino, African and traditional North American groceries, but Grand Mart caters to Korean cooks and grocery preferences. Grand Mart supermarkets also offer in-store Korean bakeries and video rental shops which rent out DVDs of television shows from South Korea.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is an independent agency created by the Congress to maintain stability and public confidence in the nation's financial system by:
insuring deposits,
examining and supervising financial institutions for safety and soundness and consumer protection, and
managing receiverships.
The FDIC is located near Virginia Square Metro and is located at 3501 Fairfax Dr, Arlington VA.
Will Nesbitt -- principal broker of Condo Alexandria / Nesbitt Realty
I'm often asked for recommendations for financing. First-time home buyers often don't know where to begin, but even veteran purchasers like to know who I suggest. This is also important for relocation buyers. Condo Alexandria\ Nesbitt Realty never makes any money off of loans and our only goal is to see that your transaction happens smoothly and at the lowest cost. My recommendations are based on direct experience, so this list only includes folks I know personally.
One distinction for first-time buyers: a mortgage broker is a company that arranges for loans with lenders. Mortgage brokers don't technically make the loans, rather they get a cut from the bank for finding borrowers. Mortgage bankers actually loan the money. Mortgage bankers usually have good prices. Mortgage brokers with low overhead can sometimes beat the banker's price. On the other hand, mortgage brokers without a conscience can hammer the consumer. In other words, mortgage brokers often have more discretion on their price.
Condominium Mortgage
Condominium Mortgage is a mortgage broker in Alexandria VA. Although we used to send the bulk of our loans to Condominium Mortgage and American Affordable Mortgage, many of the lenders that provided loans to to these Condominium Mortgage have gone out of business. This company now focuses on buyers with top-flight credit and bankable incomes, providing discount loans for high-end buyers.
Alexandria Financial
Dillon Lee runs a nearly one man brokerage in Alexandria VA. Dillon has years of experience and can help all types of buyers. He specializes in keeping his overhead low to pass savings on to consumers. You won't always get Dillon the first ring, but once he answers he is a great loan officer. Call him at 703 360 8868.
Don Bucci
Don Bucci is a friend of mine dating back more than 25 years ago to my time in the Army. Don works for a mortgage banker with an office in Richmond VA where he resides. Don can sometimes beat Northern VA prices because of lower overhead working in Richmond. On the other hand, Don can't meet with you personally if you're buying a home in Northern VA. His number is 804 400 0864.
Kelly Garant
Kelly works for Wells Fargo. I think the "big boy" banks like Wells Fargo and Bank of America often have great prices, but it's tough to get an experienced and accountable loan officer for these big banks. (Tip: NEVER call the 800 number for a mortgage.) You can get Kelly at 703 442 5338. She works for the big bank but you'll get the service you expect from a small lender.
James Thompson
James is fairly new to my acquaintance but he's impressed me with his attention to detail, pricing and work ethic. James works for AmericaHomeKey, Inc. You can call him at 240 499 1140.
Gregory Williams --- Home Mortgage Consultant, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage 7620 Little River Turnpike, Suite 300, Annandale, VA 22003, (703) 333-5560
Kenneth A. Cyr, CMPS Mortgage Banker, Mortgage Planning Specialist, Asst. Manager Primary Residential Mortgage, Inc. 8001 Braddock Road, Suite 101, Springfield VA 22151. Call him at 703.426.6968
A few more tips ...
Credit Unions promise great rates but there is often a funding fee or other fee that basically makes the price the same as a mortgage broker or mortgage banker. The trouble is the service at credit unions is often poor.
Above all, we're I've seen the biggest problems is with out-of-the-area fly-by-night Internet lenders who hang customers out to dry after promising a great rate.
Recently, I've also seen a pattern of delayed closings with Bank of America. Bank of America has had an influx of business since the onset of the financial crisis and they don't appear equipped to handle the volume of loans they are trying to do.
Will Nesbitt is the principal broker of Condo Alexandria / Nesbitt Realty.
