Good ole Fritz
Owning a pet, which six out of 10 U.S. households do, can be a problem for both sellers and practitioners seeking buyers.
Sellers with pets should do their best to eradicate pet odor. "Odor is the biggest obstacle,” says Trudy Severa, an associate with Long and Foster's North Hills office in Reston, Va. "Anyone who is sensitive or with allergies is going to be put off."
Pet hair is another turnoff for fussy people or those with allergies. A professional cleaning as well as frequent vacuuming can help.
It is also a good idea to remove the evidence of pet residents, including getting rid of dog doors, linoleum in unlikely places, even pet crates.
During showings it is smart to relocate pets because some potential buyers may find them objectionable, no matter how cute they are or where they are contained.
Source: Washington Times, Lisa Rauschart (12/03/2010)
Lola, Urban and Will
One of the best things about being a real estate professional is that many of the folks we serve become friends. For a period of time when we managed Lola's condo in West End Alexandria. Eventually, she decided to move to Sweden with her husband Urban so she asked us to help her with the sale of her property. The overseas transaction was just one of the difficulties with this sale, but in the end it all turned out for the best.
Gifts from Sweden
Urban and Lola live in Stockholm Sweden now---Urban is Swedish afterall. But When Urban and Lola came to Northern Virginia for the holidays and to visit family they were kind enough to bring gifts. The little thank you's of life make a big difference.
Here are five steps to developing a great relationship with a remodeling contractor.
1. Let the contractor know if you are ready to remodel or just kicking the tires. Gary Palmer, a Charlotte, N.C.-based general contractor, says seeking multiple bids is fine, but don’t waste his or her time by letting the bidding process drag on for weeks.
2. Do your homework. Before seeking bids, develop two files. One should include information, including photos, of what you like. The other should include a list of what you don’t like.
3. Listen to the experts. A good contractor can tell you whether the project is feasible and what the pay off will be.
4. Communicate your budget. Let the contractor know up front how much money you intend to spend.
5. Be realistic and patient. Every remodeling project is messy and all of them are going to be frustrating somewhere along the way.
Source: Charlotte Observer, Barbara S. Russell (10/23/2010)
The best way to update a property is to paint it. It’s a job that many sellers can do themselves.
Here are six suggestions for making the work go quickly.
Montebello's Living Spaces
Move the furniture. Get as much furniture as possible out of the way, and then cover what’s left with plastic drop cloths held in place with masking tape.
Buy good paint. Top-quality latex interior paint will hide what’s underneath and make the job go faster.
Tape the edges. Taping the edges with painters tape will speed up the job and make the results more professional.
Work top down. Paint the ceiling first, then the walls, then the windows and trim and finally the baseboards. This will cut down on time spent repairing drips and splatter marks.
Cut in the corners. Applying a three-inch band of paint around the edges will allow you to fill in the middle with a paint roller.
Apply paint generously. Trying to stretch the paint won’t save sellers any money if they have to repaint.
Source: Paint Quality Institute (09/21/2010)
Julie Nesbitt
Julie Nesbitt knows the back trails and by-ways of Northern Virginia real estate.
Established in 1974 with a mission to reduce homelessness, increase community support and promote self sufficiency, the Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services is operated by a multi-denominational board of directors and staff managing over 70 housing units. Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services is located in the Mount Zephyr Business Center at 8305 Richmond…
HGTV’s real estate site Front Door says the weeks between now and the end-of-the year holidays are the best ones to find a bargain. Here are some of their tips for fall buyers and sellers:
Fall Sellers:
Replace faded summer plants with fall-blooming flowers and add autumn decorations to the home.
Expect low-ball offers and be prepared with higher counter offers.
Freshen up listing photos by shooting pictures that make it less obvious that the seasons have changed.
Price the home to sell. A price that is a little lower than the competition may be a winning move.
Be willing to show the property and hold open houses whenever potential buyers are ready.
Fall Buyers:
Look for motivated sellers who have a reason to move on by the end of the year.
Fall colors
Explore new constructions. Builders are often particularly interested in selling before the new tax year.
Beware of fall maintenance issues. Consider overflowing gutters and leaf-covered lawns warning signs.
Shape offers carefully. Even in this market it is possible to turn sellers off with a too-low bid.
Source: FrontDoor dot com (09/16/2010)photo credit: paul (dex)
Paying off an underwater mortgage and buying a better home could be the best tactic in this troubled market.
"If you are trading up, what better time than when interest rates are at record lows and the cost of the trade-up is much less than it used to be?" says Christopher J. Mayer, a Columbia Business School economist.
With 15-year fixed-rate mortgages at about 4.5 percent, it also makes sense to pay off the mortgage and keep the house. "At this point," says Jay Brinkmann, chief economist of the Mortgage Bankers Association in Washington, D.C., "if they don't have anything else that is bringing a tremendous return, then they are buying themselves an annuity by paying their house off sooner than they needed to."
Source: The Wall Street Journal, M.P. McQueen (07/24/2010)
More than 16 percent of home owners say their houses increased in value during the past year, the highest percentage in nearly two years, according to a Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan survey.
While 75 percent of home owners viewed current home-buying conditions as good, citing attractive prices and low mortgage rates, about 89 percent thought market conditions for selling a home were poor. While still an overwhelmingly negative number, it was still better than the results of the May 2009 survey when almost 100 percent of home owners panned the climate for sales.
Some 43 percent of home owners said their home decreased in value during the past year. Nevertheless, home owners believe their homes will ultimately rise in value, with the average annual anticipated gain over the next five years at 2.1 percent.
Source: Reuters News, Julie Haviv (05/21/2010)
Reviving A Stale Listing In 22314 In Alexandria In 22314
Do you have a abode similar to 124 Roberts Ln #201 in Alexandria that hasn't sold? Did you know that in Fort Ellsworth:
Reviving A Stale Listing In Alexandria, Virginia In Alexandria
Do you have a property similar to 301 N Beauregard St #114 in the City of Alexandria that isn't getting any action? Did you know that in The Fountains:
Fall Sellers:
More than 16 percent of home owners say their houses increased in value during the past year, the highest percentage in nearly two years, according to a Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan survey.
While 75 percent of home owners viewed current home-buying conditions as good, citing attractive prices and low mortgage rates, about 89 percent thought market conditions for selling a home were poor. While still an overwhelmingly negative number, it was still better than the results of the May 2009 survey when almost 100 percent of home owners panned the climate for sales.
Some 43 percent of home owners said their home decreased in value during the past year. Nevertheless, home owners believe their homes will ultimately rise in value, with the average annual anticipated gain over the next five years at 2.1 percent.
Source: Reuters News, Julie Haviv (05/21/2010)
