-
-
Welcome to my blog about all things Northern Virginia! Visit often to get my take on Northern Virginia real estate, information on buying and selling homes, local and national housing statistics, and life in Northern Virginia.I hope you enjoy the adventure as much as I do!
Contact me at:
703.624.7848
MargieKMacDonald@gmail.com
Healthcare Bill Does NOT Include a Real Estate Transfer Tax
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 (NAR) to publish a flyer and FAQ to dispel the myth and set the record straight, but it seems the emails are back.
Please click on the links above for detailed information, but here is a portion of what NAR shares in the FAQ:
Q-1: Who will be subject Read more [...] Weekend Happenings June 24-June 26
Take advantage of the rain-free weekend!
Friday
Reggae Night--7:30pm, free with tickets, Carter Barron Amphitheatre: A local favorite, The Washington Post Going Out Guide Weekend Concert Series Reggae Night featuring Archives (f. Lenny Kurlou), Passion Reggae Band and Carl Malcolm & Positive Vibrations Band.
Flags Till Morning (DC Caribbean Carnival)--10pm-4am, The Hampton Conference Center: Live performances kicking the DC Caribbean Carnival off featuring Makamillion, Leonce, Yankey Boy, Read more [...] What Is Today’s Home Buyer Looking For?
The more a seller knows about their potential buyer, the more thy can leverage that knowledge to maximize their sales price. Today's home buyer falls into 3 age groups: Baby Boomers (45+ years old), Gen-Xers (35-44 years old), and Gen-Yers (17-34 years old), and 3 categories: first-time buyers, repeat buyers, and investors. Read more [...] Northern Virginia Housing Statistics, May 2011
May, in Northern Virginia, has typically been one of the most active months of the year for home sales. That is not true this year. Despite the best home affordability index in decades and historically low interest rates, buyers are just not buying. Read more [...]
Posted in Real Estate Statistics, Uncategorized
Tagged housing statistics, Northern VA, northern virginia
2 Comments
Your Home Can Help Fund Retirement
Americans are looking for ways to fund their retirement years. Have you considered refinancing to a 15 year fixed rate? Yes, it will increase your monthly payment, but you will pay the loan off in less time and save $10,000's in interest. Once your mortgage is paid off, you will be living rent free which is the equivalent of increasing your monthly income by your mortgage amount. Read more [...]
Posted in Homeowners
Tagged housing, Northern VA, northern virginia, refinancing, retirement
Leave a comment
Glory Days in Centreville
Whether you come for the great food, the great service, or the great venue to watch your favorite team, you won't be disappointed with a stop in to local Centreville favorite, Glory Days. Read more [...]
Make Way for Goslings
In Centreville, Virginia, an area where drivers are often in a hurry, this family of geese accomplished more than many stop signs do! Read more [...]
Posted in Life in Northern Virginia
Tagged Centreville Virginia, Northern VA, northern virginia
Leave a comment
Weekend Happenings May 20-May 22
Friday
Story/Stereo at The Writer's Corner in Bethesda, MD--Friday, May 20, 8:00pm. A night of words and music. Words curated by the Writer's Center. Music curated by Chad Clark (Beauty Pill) & Matthew Byars (The Caribbean). On the Red Line at 4508 Walsh Street.
The Front Row--Friday, May 20, 7:30pm and Saturday, May 21, 10:00am - 2:00pm, Bethesda Row. Don’t miss our signature runway event Friday, featuring a special appearance by Kelly Cutrone, fashion PR maverick, star of TV’s Kell Read more [...] 7 ways to survive the housing market
The housing market downturn has lasted longer and gone deeper than any other downturn in the history of this country--certainly longer and deeper than anyone predicted. Here are 7 ways to survive the housing market whether you have to sell your home or not including information on the effect a short sale or foreclosure will have on your credit and/or ability to buy a home again. Read more [...]
Posted in Buying a Home, Selling a Home
Tagged buying a home after foreclosure, buying a home after short sale, credit after foreclosure, credit after short sale, northern va housing, northern va real estate, northern virginia housing, northern virginia real estate, surviving the housing market, surviving the real estate market
1 Comment
Northern Virginia Housing Statistics, April 2011
April saw an increase in Active Listings and Homes Sold from the previous month.
Last fall's moratorium on the foreclosure process at most of the large lenders and servicers created a decline in inventory. Those moratoriums have started to be lifted, and April's Active Listings number reflect this.
March and April are usually the two months out of the year with higher numbers of homes sold. While sales have ticked up, they have not ticked up as much as we would see in a normal housing market.
Home Read more [...] Weekend Happenings May 13-May 15
Weekend events in DC Metro area for May 13, May 14, May 15 include After Hours at the Kreeger Museum, Rosslyn Outdoor Film Festival, Fairfax Station Railroad Museum Tour, National Harbor Wine & Food Festival, The Taste of Wheaton, Yoga on the National Mall, and Mount Vernon Wine Festival and Sunset Tour. Read more [...]
Posted in Weekend Happenings
Tagged After Hours at the Kreeger Museum, Fairfax Station Railroad Museum Tour, Mount Vernon Wine Festival and Sunset Tour, National Harbor Wine & Food Festival, Northern VA, northern virginia, Rosslyn Outdoor Film Festival, The Taste of Wheaton, weekend, weekend happenings, what to do on the weekend, Yoga on the National Mall
Leave a comment
Price, Price, Price Is the New Location, Location, Location
Sellers want to get the highest price they can for their house and often make the mistake of overpricing their house in an effort to do this. In today's market, the very best way to maximize the selling price of your home is to price it correctly from the very beginning. Read more [...] 
