The 7 Truths You May Not Know About Buying a Short Sale Property

In the last week I’ve spent a lot of time helping unravel the myths about dealing with short sales, foreclosures and bank owned properties – as a result, here are the top 7 reasons why, as a buyer, you may want to steer clear:
1.  Competitive Pricing…  In this soft market, short sales are not always [...]

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Mortgage Update – HOW DID WE GET HERE???

Good morning, readers!  Today, I’m pleased to present you with an article written by an exceptional local lender with JP Morgan Chase Home Finance, Doug Enger, Area Manager.  I’ve worked closely with Doug over the years, and recently our conversations have been a lot about “how did we get here?”  So I asked Doug if he [...]

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How much is too much?

Pricing….
Not a scarier word has ever been spoken.  In this market, whether you’re a seller or a buyer, pricing is the key.  Is this house/condo overpriced?  Is it priced right?  Or better yet, is it “priced to sell?”  Are comps valuable?  Do statistics tell us anything? 
There are so many items of intangible value — [...]

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Arlington Housing Market Stats – May, 2007

Believe it or not, as I have said in recent posts – the market is still a good solid market in Arlington.  Here is a look at some recent statistics. 
First here is a chart showing the May numbers as they compare with last year.  We’ve sold more condos and more single family homes than during [...]

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Some Interesting Market Statistics

Hello there — Yes, I’ve been MIA for a few days…  it’s called buried in work and taking care of clients first.  That’s a good thing, right?
Yesterday I received an email from MRIS (Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc — our MLS company) indicating the availability of some new reports – I found two of them [...]

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Insurance – Are you covered?

One of the necessary things to plan for when making a real estate purchase is insurance.  But what do you need?  Well, I’m not an insurance agent (read: insurance expert), but I can tell you from a property ownership perspective the minimums that you should have… read on.
When purchasing a condominium, the association carries a [...]

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Having Trouble Selling your Home, read on…

Hello cyber friends.  Today, a sticky topic.  (and although we’re only going to address the Northern Virginia housing market here, I’m sure some of these concepts apply on a national level) You’ve had your house on the market for “enough” time and it’s not selling – no nibbles, no interest, no offers and you’re discouraged.  [...]

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The Sky is Falling, The Sky is Falling

Where’s Chicken Little?  Obviously out someplace interpreting the recent NAR report.  On the surface it sounds really depressing – “the worst drop in 19 years” — that’s a powerful statement.  There were several factors that have influenced this whole roller coaster of a first quarter… warmer January, frigid February, snowy March.  It wreaks havoc with [...]

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Mortgages 101 – for beginners…

Mortgages 101

One question I get asked a lot is “what are rates these days.”  And the answer is, drumroll please….. “well, that depends!”  You know, back in the old days, real estate finance was fairly simple.  You had to save up a nice down payment of 20% and there was 1 program (an 80% first [...]

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Internet Lenders

Internet Lenders – thoughts…
You’re searching the internet high and low for houses, looking at all of the great pictures, virtual tours, etc… Hasn’t technology come a long way? You’ve heard you need to apply for loan approval before starting your search in earnest and you’ve seen those commercials on TV with all of the lenders [...]

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