Tag Archives: Northern VA

Waiting for the bottom to buy a home may not be the best strategy

Posted on June 11, 2011 by Margie

When will we know we have hit the bottom of the housing market when prices are at their lowest? Probably not until we can look back and see this bottom. If you “wait for the bottom” to buy a home, the reality is that you will probably be purchasing once prices are already starting to inch up. This chart explains why waiting is probably not the best strategy. Continue reading →

Posted in Buying a Home | Tagged bottom of market, buying a home, buying a house, lowest housing prices, Northern VA, northern virginia | Leave a comment

Your Home Can Help Fund Retirement

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Margie

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. Continue reading →

Posted in Homeowners | Tagged housing, Northern VA, northern virginia, refinancing, retirement | Leave a comment

Buying a new home from a builder? Why you need a real estate agent.

Posted on May 27, 2011 by Margie

Clearly it makes sense for a buyer to be represented when they purchase a home, but does any savings a buyer might receive by not being represented outweigh the benefit of being represented? Removing the agent does not lower the price for the buyer; it raises the net price for the seller and leaves the buyer without an advocate. Continue reading →

Posted in Buying a Home | Tagged buying a home, buying a new home, buying from a builder, choosing a real estate agent, home buyer, Northern VA, northern virginia | Leave a comment

Make Way for Goslings

Posted on May 26, 2011 by Margie

In Centreville, Virginia, an area where drivers are often in a hurry, this family of geese accomplished more than many stop signs do! Continue reading →

Posted in Life in Northern Virginia | Tagged Centreville Virginia, Northern VA, northern virginia | Leave a comment

Weekend Happenings May 20-May 22

Posted on May 20, 2011 by Margie

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 … Continue reading →

Posted in Weekend Happenings | Tagged Northern VA, northern virginia, weekend, weekend happenings, what to do on the weekend | Leave a comment

Northern Virginia Housing Statistics, April 2011

Posted on May 17, 2011 by Margie

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 … Continue reading →

Posted in Real Estate Statistics | Tagged housing statistics, Northern VA, northern virginia, real estate statistics | Leave a comment

Weekend Happenings May 13-May 15

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Margie

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. Continue reading →

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

Posted on May 10, 2011 by Margie

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. Continue reading →

Posted in Selling a Home | Tagged lower list price, no buyer traffic, no buyers looking, Northern VA, northern virginia, over-priced home, over-priced house, selling a home, selling a house | Leave a comment

You can buy a home with a 3.5% downpayment

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Margie

One of the things that often surprises my buyers is that they only need a 3.5% downpayment. That’s right…you do not need to wait until you have saved a 20% downpayment. The idea of purchasing a home can be daunting … Continue reading →

Posted in Buying a Home | Tagged buying a home, buying a home in Haymarket, buying a house, buying a house in Haymarket, Haymarket VA, Haymarket Virginia, home buyer, home buyers, home search, homes in Haymarket, house buyer, houses in Haymarket, looking at houses, Northern VA, northern virginia | Leave a comment

Weekend Happenings April 29-May 1

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Margie

The warm weather brings a lot of outdoor activities this weekend. We have everything from Royal Wedding Watching, to Outdoor Film Festivals, to the Annual Top Dog Half Smoke Challenge. Enjoy! Continue reading →

Posted in Weekend Happenings | Tagged Extreme Animals, friday, Georgetown French Market, going out, Hirshhorn After Hours, Northern VA, northern virginia, O Street Mansion, Rosslyn Outdoor Film Festival, Royal Wedding, Sweetlife Festival, Taste of the 8th, Top Dog Half Smoke Challenge, weekend, weekend happenings, what to do on the weekend | Leave a comment

The steps to buying a home

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Margie

The steps to buying a home include: finding out how much you qualify for, working with an experienced Realtor, starting the home search, making an offer, ratifying a contract, final loan approval, removing contract contingencies, and going to settlement. Continue reading →

Posted in Buying a Home | Tagged buying a home, buying a house, choosing a real estate agent, choosing a realtor, home buyer, home buyers, home buying process, home search, house buyer, house buying process, how to buy a home, how to buy a house, looking at houses, Northern VA, northern virginia | 3 Comments

Northern Virginia Housing Statistics March, 2011

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Margie

They are in, and they are encouraging! The March 2011 housing statistics were just released. The number of homes sold each month finally started to trend up in March after a relatively steady decline since the summer. Inventory is also … Continue reading →

Posted in Real Estate Statistics | Tagged buying a home, buying a house, home buyer, home buyers, home search, house buyer, housing statistics, multiple contracts, Northern VA, northern virginia, real estate statistics, selling a home, selling a house | Leave a comment

Pink Pigs and Switchbacks

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Margie

One of the many things that I love about showing houses is the opportunity to see some pretty unusual stuff! On my last excursion with buyers, we were in an area which has a couple of neighborhoods carved into mountains. … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventures in Real Estate | Tagged home buyers, home search, looking at houses, Northern VA | 1 Comment

Biking in Northern Virginia

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Margie

I grew up in Alexandria, about a mile from Riverside Park on the Potomac River–just north of Mount Vernon on the GW Parkway. Before I could drive, the bike path along the Potomac River was my means of transportation into … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in Northern Virginia | Tagged bike path, biking, memorials, Northern VA, Potomac River, spring | 8 Comments

Northern Virginia Housing Statistics, September 2010

Posted on October 26, 2010 by Margie

September’s housing market statistics are out. The real story is in what the data might be pointing to. Continue reading →