Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Two New Year's Resolutions for Northern Virginia Homebuyers


Have you been planning to buy Northern Virginia real estate in 2014 or recently moved into new homes in Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church, Fairfax City, or McLean? If so, you will soon find that the coming year will be much different than in the past. You’ll have new responsibilities tied to your new home in the NoVA area and now is the time to mull over what you have to look forward to and plan for in 2014. The following are a few New Year’s resolutions for homeowners and those soon to become homeowners in the Northern Virginia areas of Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church, and surrounding communities.
Know Your Homeowners Insurance
A very important aspect of buying homes in Northern Virginia is your homeowners insurance— you'll want to become familiar with its in’s and out’s. Find out how extensive your coverage is and be sure it’s enough to repair or replace your NoVA home, if necessary. If you’ve made home improvements in the past year and added more space to your home, you’ll want to know how your insurance plays into those additions. “Many homeowners don’t realize they need extra insurance for a detached garage, a fence or a pool,” reported MSN Real Estate. They also recommend, if you have a basement, to acquire optional sewer and drain backup insurance.
You might also like to check up on your personal property and contents insurance as jewelry and expensive items may require special coverage.
Get a Jump on Repairs
Before the start of the new year tomorrow, do a check-up on your home to make sure make sure everything is in working order. Just as Northern Virginia homebuyers do with themselves at the beginning of every new year, your home also needs the annual examination to avoid any problems going forward. Start with the outside of your home, check the trees to see if they need to be trimmed or removed if they’re in bad shape, move on to the roof to check for signs of repair, and then the gutters. Next, move inside to test smoke alarms, sump pumps and alarm systems. If any of these are not working their best, it’s time to replace them or look into repairing. Start the new year off right and your home will function much better as time goes on.
Homebuyers in Northern Virginia are checking off their to-do lists as they prepare to buy a home in 2014 and the biggest and most important step you can take is finding a real estate agent to navigate you through the process. Ready to start your search for homes in Northern Virginia? 

I happily serve the areas of Alexandria, Annandale, Arlington, Burke, Centreville, Chantilly, Clifton, Fairfax City, Falls Church, Great Falls, Herndon, Lake Ridge, McLean, Mount Vernon, Reston, Rosslyn, Springfield, Tyson’s Corner and Vienna.

Earle Whitmore

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Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Northern Virginia Real Estate Tip: How to De-Pet Your Home

We all love our pets and chances are if you've been living in homes in Northern Virginia, your pets have left their mark on your property. Homebuyers looking for Northern Virginia real estate can often tell when a pet has lived in a home and that may (or may not) sway their opinion of purchasing. So, before you list your home for sale this year, think about these tips and how to de-pet your home. When the time comes to sell, you just may find a better turn-out than if you had not followed these.

 Take Them Outside
When your home is listed for sale and homebuyers will be touring the property, keep your pet outside. The National Association of Realtors suggests there is nothing more off-putting than a homebuyer who encounters an energetic pet when they open the door. And if you do keep your pet inside the home, be sure the real estate agent knows where it is. You may love your pet, but other homebuyers may not.

 Track Down the Hair
This is one of the biggest issues with having a pet and selling the home. The first thing you'll want to do is track down the hair, deep clean the carpets, floors and furniture to remove all signs of pet hair. You'll need a powerful vacuum to remove all hair, and while that helps, vacuuming alone will not cut it. Grab sticky sheets, like those from a lint roller, to get in the cracks of furniture.

 Tackle the Carpets
The carpets may show all signs of having a pet and buyers in Northern Virginia real estate will notice. Again, vacuuming alone will not cut it. You will want to deep clean your carpets to remove pet spots and odor. Invest in an enzyme digester that you may need to apply several times, suggests MSN Real Estate. Because, after all, "professional carpet cleaning [alone] won't do the trick. In fact, adding water can simply "reactivate" the smells."

 Clean Up the Wood
If you have hardwood in your homes in Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church, Fairfax City, or McLean, it's time to buff and polish those floors. Pets can leave scratches and spots and buyers will likely notice this as well. Polish the floors and use a citrus scent as many animals will avoid this smell and will keep your floors looking nice for open houses and showings.


Ready to begin the process of selling your homes in Northern Virginia? 

I happily serve the areas of Alexandria, Annandale, Arlington, Burke, Centreville, Chantilly, Clifton, Fairfax City, Falls Church, Great Falls, Herndon, Lake Ridge, McLean, Mount Vernon, Reston, Rosslyn, Springfield, Tyson’s Corner and Vienna.

Earle Whitmore
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Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Homebuyers Gaining Confidence in Northern Virginia Real Estate

Good news has come for  homebuyers in Northern Virginia! Especially those planning to purchase a home this coming year. Homebuyer confidence is rising, according to a recent Redfin survey, which means buyers are beginning to breathe a little easier when it comes to Northern Virginia real estate.

 The latest Redfin Real-Time Buyer Survey found that "homebuyer confidence picked up for the first time in 2013, a sentiment that almost certainly reflects softer competition and buyers' improved negotiating power during real estate's slow season," reported MSN Real Estate. Mortgage rates have also fallen which has eased concerns about home affordability in the  Northern Virginia real estate market.

 What's different this time around? For homebuyers their confidence is boosted by a number of things, but here's what has changed for those looking to purchase homes in Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church, Fairfax City, or McLean this year.

 Homebuyers are Confident
According to MSN Real Estate, after three consecutive months of decline in confidence, "28 percent of survey respondents said now is a "good" time to buy a home, up from 24 percent in the third quarter." On the same note, almost 60 percent of those surveyed believe now is an "OK" time to purchase homes in Northern Virginia which may indeed have an affect on how many of those will be entering the market in early 2014.

 Inventory Problems
Homebuyers' confidence in the market has a lot to do with the number of homes for sale in Northern Virginia. Homebuyers are increasingly frustrated with the lack of inventory and cited that as their main concern with buying a home. In addition to rising home prices, homebuyers' confidence is set to boost again this year as inventory is expected to rise as more homeowners regain positive equity in their homes and consider selling.

 Here's an idea of how homebuyers feel in the market, as projected by Redfin:


Homebuyers are gaining momentum as they prepare to buy a home in 2014 and the biggest and most important step you can take is finding a real estate agent to navigate you through the process. Ready to start your search for homes in Northern Virginia? 

I happily serve the areas of Alexandria, Annandale, Arlington, Burke, Centreville, Chantilly, Clifton, Fairfax City, Falls Church, Great Falls, Herndon, Lake Ridge, McLean, Mount Vernon, Reston, Rosslyn, Springfield, Tyson’s Corner and Vienna.

Earle Whitmore
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Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Homebuying Myths in Northern Virginia, DC Real Estate

When it comes to house hunting, many homebuyers in Northern Virginia turn to family and friends for advice. However, today's local real estate market is far different than the market 10 or even 5 years ago. It's best to turn to the professionals when it comes to Northern Virginia real estate— they're the ones who can save you time and money when it comes to buying a home this year. The following homebuying myths are just a few that your agent can help you work through:

 You Need a Real Estate Agent
This is one of the most common homebuying myths in real estate. Many homebuyers think they can do it all on their own, sans agent. But the truth remains that you need someone on your side, who's done this before, who can navigate the in's and out's of real estate transactions, just for you. Your Northern Virginia real estate agent will guide you every step of the way— after all, this is the biggest purchase you will ever make.

 This Is the Only House for Me
When you find your "dream house," you often think you'll never find another that will match up to that property. However, there will always be another property. Just because you think you've found the one, it may come with a higher price tag and a host of problems to be fixed. Stay realistic and no house will ever be "too special" to pass up.

 You Have to Have 20 Percent Down
20 percent used to be the common downpayment when buying a home in Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church, Fairfax City, or McLean, but not today. If you have a stable income, a healthy credit score, but no desire to put up a large down payment, you may still be able to purchase a home. Your agent will be able to drive you through scenarios with mortgages requiring little or no money down.

 Don't let these common homebuying myths sway you from buying a home in 2014. The biggest and most important step you can take is finding a real estate agent to navigate you through the process. Ready to start your search for homes in Northern Virginia? 
I happily serve the areas of Alexandria, Annandale, Arlington, Burke, Centreville, Chantilly, Clifton, Fairfax City, Falls Church, Great Falls, Herndon, Lake Ridge, McLean, Mount Vernon, Reston, Rosslyn, Springfield, Tyson’s Corner and Vienna.

Earle Whitmore


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Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Mortgage Rates and NoVA, DC Real Estate

For homebuyers in Northern Virginia and DC, mortgage rates on the rise are a cause for concern. They have been consistently rising over the past months, along with home values, and in NoVA real estate a common question may be— "When will they hit five percent?"

 According to KCM, "the effect of a rise in mortgage rates could be a dramatic increase in the monthly mortgage payment when purchasing a home." For first-time homebuyers, that may mean you put a halt on your plans to buy a home this winter or for those looking to sell their home and move to a new home in Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church, Fairfax City, or McLean, it may mean you hold off until the busy spring and summer buying seasons due to the fear of rising mortgage payments.

 Mortgage rates seem to rule the roost when it comes to homes in NoVA and a rise can really stall home sales. 

 So what's the verdict? A recent article from HousingWire suggested, "most experts are projecting that rates will rise when the Fed decides to taper the purchase of bonds which has acted as a stimulus to the housing market by keeping long term mortgage rates at historic lows." The article also quoted the Chief Economist with Freddie Mac, who inferred:

 "By the end of 2014, rates will probably approach and perhaps touch 5%. A reason we see the uptick in rates is that I do think some point the Federal Reserve will start to taper and scale back its very active purchase on long-term Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities."

 NoVA homebuyers should take note that over the next year these rates will only continue to rise, inching toward five percent by the end of the year. Now is not only a great time to purchase Northern Virginia real estate due to the rising rates, but due to less competition and serious buyers in the market. 

 Contact me today to discuss buying a home this season! I happily serve the areas of Alexandria, Annandale, Arlington, Burke, Centreville, Chantilly, Clifton, Fairfax City, Falls Church, Great Falls, Herndon, Lake Ridge, McLean, Mount Vernon, Reston, Rosslyn, Springfield, Tyson’s Corner and Vienna.

Earle Whitmore
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