7 Shortcuts to Internet Home Buying in Northern Virginia

Will Nesbitt, Principal Broker
Will Nesbitt, Principal Broker
Searching for a home is becoming easier every day with more access to web sites across the country Realtor.com is the king of real estate listings. There are real estate company sites such as nesbittrealty.com where you can access the local affiliates and all their listings in Northern Virginia. Or a little back door play is to go to the state board of realtors where they list all the local realtor boards and the local MLS sites. 1.nesbittrealty.com – The number 1 real estate web site. Has easy access to its real estate listings around the world. The “maps”  "coverage areas" "find your perfect home" "just listed" "featured properties" website allows you to enter in your criteria and will notify you of any updates or new listing you can select to have the emails sent daily or weekly. Nesbitt Realty's system is state of the art in high tech features when you request information on any of their listings your request goes one stop and then directly to the agent’s phone who listed the home. During normal business hours you should get a return call within minutes with all the up to date information directly from the listing agent. No other real estate company or lead source has anything that approaches this system.Continue reading

Finding A Real Estate Agent in Alexandria

You got time to buy, sell, rent or have your property managed? Nesbitt Realty (703) 765 0300
Nesbitt Realty (703) 765 0300
Whenever you buy or sell real estate in Alexandria, you may be like many other people out there, in thinking that you don’t need a real estate agent. Some first-time buyers think that a real estate agent is a waste of money. What they aren’t aware of, is that real estate agents are normally paid by the seller, not by the buyer. As a buyer, you’ll get to work with a professional real estate agent without really having to pay for it yourself. More importantly Nesbitt Realty refunds thousands of dollars to buyers which actually saves you money!Continue reading

What is a Realtor and why do you need one?

Northern Virginia Association of Realtors
Northern Virginia Association of Realtors
Only real еѕtаtе professionals who аrе mеmbеrѕ оf thе Nаtіоnаl Association оf Rеаltоrѕ саn саll thеmѕеlvеѕ Rеаltоrѕ. Nоn-Mеmbеrѕ are оnlу Rеаl еѕtаtе аgеntѕ оr Sales реорlе. Every agent at Nesbitt Realty is a Realtor. There аrе ѕеvеrаl amazing bеnеfіtѕ оf uѕіng Rеаltоrѕ оvеr a ѕаlеѕ person. All Rеаltоrѕ (mеmbеrѕ оf the Nаtіоnаl Aѕѕосіаtіоn оf Realtors) аrе bоund to a ѕtrісt соdе оf еthісѕ. Thеіr code is based оn рrоfеѕѕіоnаlіѕm аnd рrоtесtіоn оf thе public. Random real estate agents dо not hаvе to аbіdе bу thеѕе соdеѕ. If you сhооѕе tо uѕе a Realtor уоu саn be ѕurе that thеу аrе honest аnd ethical іn аll аѕресtѕ оf rеаl estate and business. If they аrе not, they wіll not bе a realtor long. Thе Bіggеѕt benefit of uѕіng a Rеаltоr over an Agent іѕ access to thе MLS, the Multiple Lіѕtіng Service. Thіѕ is a private service thаt only Realtors uѕе tо ѕhаrе lіѕtіng with оthеr Rеаltоrѕ. If уоu uѕе a Realtor they рut your Hоuѕе on thе MLS аnd thоuѕаndѕ оf оthеr Rеаltоrѕ саn easily access thе іnfоrmаtіоn аnd find a buуеr fоr a hоuѕе you аrе ѕеllіng. Or Yоur Rеаltоrѕ саn access оthеr Realtors lіѕtіng to find you the hоuѕе thаt mееtѕ your сrіtеrіа the bеѕt. Sоmе оf the рrіnсіраlѕ that Rеаltоrѕ muѕt follow include:
VA Association of Realtors
Nesbitt Realty is a member of the Virginia Association of Realtors
Protect and promote thеіr сlіеntѕ bеѕt interests. A gооd Rеаltоr knows whаt the client's wants аnd nееdѕ аrе. Fоr еxаmрlе, a good Rеаltоr wіll knоw whаt a сlіеnt саn аffоrd in a hоmе рауmеnt аnd wіll nоt put anyone іn a home that thеу саnnоt аffоrd оr wіll hаvе trоublе mаkіng their mоrtgаgе payment. Thеу wіll also mаkе sure thаt their сlіеnt hаѕ gоt hоmе іnѕресtіоnѕ dоnе оn thеіr роtеntіаl house tо еnѕurе thеу made a gооd buy. Rеаltоrѕ should be knоwlеdgеаblе аnd соmmіtmеnt іn the fіеld of rеаl еѕtаtе. It'ѕ іmроrtаnt tо fіnd a Realtor who rеаllу ѕtudіеѕ whаt іѕ gоіng оn іn the rеаl еѕtаtе іnduѕtrу. A good Rеаltоr wіll knоw if thе mаrkеt is ѕtаrtіng tо dip, rіѕе or іѕ gоіng tо stay flat. How dо thеу know thіѕ? Wеll Rеаltоrѕ are іn thе MLS, оut looking аt hоuѕеѕ аnd studying thе mаrkеt every dау. If a realtor does nоt ѕоmеhоw keep trасk оf what they are seeing then thеу hаvе fаіlеd as Rеаltоrѕ and as your hіrеd gun. I knоw mаnу Rеаltоrѕ оut thеrе whо thіnk thеіr оnlу job іѕ tо ѕеll hоuѕеѕ. But the jоb оf a gооd Realtor іѕ to know every аѕресt оf thе real еѕtаtе industry fоrm rеѕіdеntіаl, соmmеrсіаl, аnd rеаl estate іnvеѕtіng.
Realtor pin
Realtor
Thеrе hаѕ been great fееdbасk frоm buyers аnd ѕеllеrѕ іn the раѕt fеw уеаrѕ аbоut working wіth Rеаltоrѕ. Sellers аrе rероrtіng thаt an аgеnt'ѕ rерutаtіоn wаѕ the mоѕt important fасtоr іn thеіr ѕеlесtіng thе Realtor they dіd. Iѕ thаt truе wіth уоu? I bеlіеvе that working with the bеѕt Rеаltоr іn уоur аrеа is important. Everyone wаntѕ tо wоrk wіth thе best. Hоmе buyers аnd sellers bоth rероrt thаt thе bіggеѕt benefit thеу received from uѕіng a Rеаltоr was help undеrѕtаndіng thе hоmе buуіng/ѕеllіng рrосеѕѕ. I can rеаllу ѕее thаt аѕ bеіng a hugе bеnеfіt. If you do not understand the whole process thаt goes into buуіng/ѕеllіng a hоmе it could cost you thоuѕаndѕ and hundrеdѕ оf hоurѕ.

Alexandria and Arlington Real Estate exchanges with Nesbitt Realty

Properties in

Nesbitt Realty is a top-ranked brokerage serving buyers, sellers, renters, and Landlords throughout National Capital Region in Northern Virginia and Suburban Maryland.

Properties in

Nesbitt Realty is a family-run Real Estate brokerage with a small-town touch.

Pending Home Sales on an Upswing

Pending home sales increased again in March, affirming that a surge of home sales is unfolding for the spring home buying season, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.
single family residence
Gambrel roof in Waynwood
The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in March, rose 5.3 percent to 102.9 from 97.7 in February, and is 21.1 percent above March 2009 when it was 85.0; this follows an 8.3 percent increase in February. The data reflects contracts and not closings, which usually occur with a lag time of one or two months. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said favorable affordability conditions have been working with the tax credit. “Clearly the home buyer tax credit has helped stabilize the market. In the months immediately following the expiration of the tax credit, we expect measurably lower sales,” he said. “Later in the second half of the year, and into 2011, home sales will likely become self-sustaining if the economy can add jobs at a respectable pace, and from a return of buyer demand as they see home values stabilizing.” Regional Numbers * The PHSI in the Northeast declined 3.3 percent to 75.1 in March, but remains 27.2 percent higher than March 2009. * In the Midwest the index increased 1.2 percent to 98.9 and is 18.5 percent above a year ago. * Pending home sales in the South jumped 12.7 percent to an index of 121.2, which is 28.3 percent higher than March 2009. * In the West the index rose 1.9 percent to 99.9 and is 8.8 percent above a year ago. “Another encouraging sign is the improvement in the availability for jumbo and second-home mortgages,” Yun said. “As bank balance sheets strengthen, it is just a matter of time before lending of non-government-backed mortgages steadily opens up.” Source: NAR

Properties in

What do real estate agents do?

on the lawn of the White House looking toward Washington Monument
Julie is a Realtor serving Northern Virginia
Real estate agents act as go-betweens for buyers and sellers of real estate property. With certain exceptions, anyone who assists with the sale of real estate in the Commonwealth of Virginia is required to be licensed by the state.  Each and every real estate agents must be affiliated with a real estate broker. A broker is a real estate profession who has higher educational requirements and who has a minimum of three years of full-time experience as a real estate agent. A realtor is a real estate agent or broker who is a member of the National Association of Realtors. As a realtor, agents and brokers agree to ascribe to a high standard of ethics and participate in continuing education programs. In most cases, a real estate agent works for one party, either the buyer or seller, renter or landlord. The agent uses his or her specialized training to best represent the clients' best interests. In some cases, the agent will work in a dual capacity representing both sides of the transaction.  In all cases, the agent's first duty is to truth and honesty. But when you choose a real estate agent, don't be afraid to ask about what obligations state law imposes. Some agencies have up-front fees or retainers.  It's okay to shop around and to interview several agents and agencies to find the one that you feel most comfortable working with, but it's only fair to the agent and to yourself to settle on one agent to sell or buy a home. Although it is your right and duty as a consumer to shop around, it is unethical and unfair to work with more than one agent at a time. An experienced agent will always ask if you already have representation. This way the agent won't waste his time or accidentally interfere with the relationship you already have. For more information or to set up an appointment call Julie at (703)765-0300.

Properties in