By Brad Carroll on September 29th, 2007
I’ve been working with buyers who have been trying to decide whether to make a “home sale contingency” offer on a property in Woodbridge VA or wait until they have a contract on their current house. This isn’t the first time I have had buyers who needed to make this decision.
It is a tough call [...]
By Brad Carroll on September 27th, 2007
This great line from the movie Moonstruck is my response to those in real estate who are worried about how the disintermediation of information is going to change our jobs. Snap out of It!
My response is based on having gone through this experience in another industry. For 10+ years before becoming a Realtor® [...]
By Brad Carroll on September 26th, 2007
In the market we currently have in the Northern Virginia it is likely you will have buyers that fall in love with a home that is listed as a “short sale.” In most cases there won’t be any problems with getting the property to the closing table. However the value of the [...]
By Brad Carroll on September 24th, 2007
In Northern Virginia we have agents who specialize in REO properties. In some cases when I’ve called them to ask about a property I learn it is their only business. They have dozens of properties and in one case there is an agent with over 80 current active listings. Other agents have [...]
By Brad Carroll on September 19th, 2007
My immediate reaction to the announcement of the ½ point cut in the Federal is SO WHAT?
I think it is unreasonable to expect to see a major rush of buyers applying for new loans due to this cut. The people who will benefit immediately may be those who have adjustable rate mortgages [...]
By Brad Carroll on September 18th, 2007
The lastest edition of Carnival of Real Estate has been posted on Ekday and my article titled Sticking My Hand in a Hornets Nest was selected as a Top 5 Real Estate blog post for the week. I’m sure Lauren will benefit from all of the knowledge she found in this weeks Top 5.
By Brad Carroll on September 15th, 2007
If you want to get a group of Realtors® buzzing like a nest of angry hornets just say the word “discount” and see what happens. For the most part real estate agents are self employed business owners, even if they are associated with a large national brokerage they have the flexibility to determine what [...]
By Brad Carroll on September 14th, 2007
Morning coffee -quick tidbits for you to think about as you start your day
Most people think Old Town Alexandria is Virginia’s oldest charted town but they would be wrong. As you drive down Route 1 between Woodbridge and Quantico you pass through an area known as Dumfries. For many local folks it is [...]
By Brad Carroll on September 13th, 2007
The Virginia Association of Realtors has it right. They have hired a new Director of Communications & New Media, Ben Martin and his hiring is a hopeful sign of the VAR embracing the brave new world of Web 2.0. Ben is reaching out to Realtor® Bloggers across the state to join together at the upcoming VAR [...]
By Brad Carroll on September 12th, 2007
Are you a homeowner facing foreclosure? If so you need to watch out for companies that are calling and writing you claiming that they can help you beat foreclosure. Unfortunately most of them are scams and they are looking for ways to try and make you part with what may be left of [...]