Category Archives: The State of Real Estate

Will New Loan Limits Cause Home Values to Drop?

Posted on October 19, 2011 by Margie

Read why the new $625,500 loan limit should not have an adverse affect on home values in our area in the long run. Continue reading →

Posted in Buying a Home, Real Estate Statistics, The State of Real Estate | Tagged buying a home, buying a house, housing statistics, lower loan limits, new loan limits, Northern VA, northern virginia | 1 Comment

New Appraisal Guidelines for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Posted on August 21, 2011 by Margie

Beginning on September 1, 2011, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are requiring appraisers to include a “Quality Rating Code” on all appraisal reports. Here are the codes and there definitions. Continue reading →

Posted in The State of Real Estate | Tagged fannie mae appraisal guidelines, freddie mac appraisal guidelines, northern va real estate, northern virginia real estate, quality rating codes, Uniform Appraisal Dataset | 5 Comments

Real Estate Is Local, not National, and Our Market is Hot!

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Margie

While many of the nation’s largest cities continue to see huge declines in value, the DC Metro area actually saw a 4% annual improvement in the latest Case-Shiller Housing Index. Continue reading →

Posted in The State of Real Estate | Tagged buying a home, buying a house, housing statistics, housing values increase, Northern VA, northern virginia | Leave a comment

When will the housing market recover?

Posted on July 3, 2011 by Margie

No one can predict the future of the housing market, but here are the factors that influence it and the direction these factors are going. Continue reading →

Posted in The State of Real Estate | Tagged buying a home, buying a house, future of housing, housing market, housing market recovery, Northern VA, northern virginia, selling a home, selling a house | 9 Comments

2 Upcoming Decisions That Might Affect Housing

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Margie

The upcoming decision on the QRM requirement for a 20% down payment and the expiration of higher government backed loan limits will likely impact housing. Continue reading →

Posted in Buying a Home, Selling a Home, The State of Real Estate | Tagged buying a home, buying a house, loan limits, QRM, risk-retention proposal, selling a home, selling a house | Leave a comment

Healthcare Bill Does NOT Include a Real Estate Transfer Tax

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Margie

I just received a forwarded email that claims the new Healthcare Bill includes a 3.8% tax on real estate transfers. This is NOT true. These emails were making the rounds several months ago causing the National Association of Realtors … Continue reading →

Posted in The State of Real Estate | Tagged 3.8% tax, healthcare bill, tax on real estate transfers, tax when you sell your home | Leave a comment

Mortgage Interest Deduction–Is It Necessary?

Posted on November 16, 2010 by Margie

I have not been a fan of government intervention in the housing market (see my past blogs) yet I find myself defending this deduction. Continue reading →

Posted in The State of Real Estate | Tagged MID, mortgage interest deduction | Leave a comment

Sellers May Benefit from a Potential Price Increase

Posted on October 14, 2010 by Margie

Robo-signing has caused a moratorium on foreclosures causing a potential 30% decrease in inventory. Good news for sellers. Continue reading →

Posted in The State of Real Estate | 1 Comment

Why are buyers not buying?

Posted on September 7, 2010 by Margie

July’s home sales took sharp plunge. The figures were exactly what I was expecting. It is clear that buyers are not buying, but why? Continue reading →

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Is HAMP Setting Homeowners Up to Fail?

Posted on December 8, 2009 by Margie

Even with loan modifications, many can not or will not pay mortgage because of other debt, loss of job or income, or they are too far underwater. Does HAMP help or hurt? Continue reading →

Posted in The State of Real Estate | Tagged HAMP, loan modification, Northern VA, northern virginia | Leave a comment

Why It’s a Great Time to Buy

Posted on December 4, 2009 by Margie

If you are planning on purchasing a house and holding on to it for the long-term, now is a great time to buy! Continue reading →

Posted in The State of Real Estate | Tagged buying a home, Northern VA, northern virginia | Leave a comment

Potential Positive Changes to Current Factors

Posted on November 23, 2009 by Margie

I am reading “green shoots” in housing but sometimes these are like the green shoots of crocus–emerge during momentary thaws in winter Continue reading →

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The Future of the Real Estate Market and Why

Posted on November 18, 2009 by Margie

There has been a surge in buying activity & a decrease in inventory, but this doesn’t mean the real estate market is stabilizing…yet. Continue reading →

Posted in The State of Real Estate | Tagged buying a home, housing statistics, Northern VA, northern virginia, selling a home | Leave a comment

What do housing statistics tell us about the future of real estate?

Posted on November 3, 2009 by Margie

We can use real estate market statistics to understand when the day-to-day waves are going to be interrupted by something bigger. Continue reading →

Posted in The State of Real Estate | Tagged housing future, housing statistics, Northern VA, northern virginia, real estate future, real estate statistics | Leave a comment