Archive for February, 2010
Is Woodbridge Inventory Low or Are We Imagining It?
February 26th, 2010 Categories: Focus on Prince William, Local Market Updates
There is constant chatter among agents and buyers that the inventory for detached homes in Prince William County is at an “all time low.”
Though Woodbridge inventory for detached homes and townhouse is down from the 2008 and 2009 it isn’t at an “all time low” for this decade.
What makes the lower inventory harder for Prince William County buyers to take is that of the 218 detached home listing posted in the MRIS in January only 128 of those listings are for “regular” sales (not a short sale or foreclosure.) Townhouses are hit even harder with only 50 of the January listings carrying the regular sale tag.
For buyers who are hoping to get a home under contract by the April 30th deadline for the extended tax credit and settled by the June 30th the low inventory means moving quickly when new listings come on the market. But remember don’t make a hasty decision that you may later regret. Make sure you are writing your best offer and including the right contingencies designed to protect you.
| Discussion: No Comments »
Kings Park Beauty-Think Spring
February 25th, 2010 Categories: Buyers Corner, Featured Listings, Focus on Fairfax County
If Spring 2010 is the time for you to buy a new home then check out this new listing at 8945 Victoria Rd in Kings Park (Springfield VA).
List Price $430,000
Sold under the guidelines of the Department of Defense Homeowners Assistance Program.
| Discussion: No Comments »
Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP) is Working for Military Families
February 22nd, 2010 Categories: Military Relocation
In January five of my military client’s closed on the sale of their homes using the Department of Defense (D0D)-Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP). Yes if it is a military related program it is going to be full of acronyms.
For many military families in the Northern Virginia area there is no doubt that the stress of a PCS move alone is high. Add the possibility of facing a short sale and the stress can go off the scale. Fortunately as part of the Economic Stimulus Relief Act military families who were under contract to purchase a home prior to July 1, 2006, have PCS orders prior to September 1, 2010 and have lost at least 10% of the market value of their home can apply for HAP benefits.
| Discussion: 4 Comments »
Welcome to Port Potomac in Woodbridge VA
February 21st, 2010 Categories: Buyers Corner, Focus on Prince William
Port Potomac is one of the popular new Prince William County Communities designed and developed in the last few years in Prince William County. Multiple builders including Ryan Homes, Drees Homes, NVR and Kettler Brothers have helped shape Port Potomac.
Port Potomac features easy access to the Rippon Landing VRE, I-95 and PRTC commuter lots. The neighborhood is also popular with military families stationed at Quantico, Fort Belvoir and the Pentagon. Nearby shopping includes the Potomac Mills Mall and the new Stonebridge Shopping Center with Wegmans grocery store and the new Zoes Kitchen
If the Port Potomac neighborhood sounds like a good fit for you give Cindy Jones a call at 703-346-2213. Let me give you a tour of available homes for sale. No hassle, no pressure just straight talk as whether now is the right time for you to buy a new home in Port Potomac.
Port Potomac Homes for Sale
| Discussion: No Comments »
If you live in the Woodbridge VA area head to the Stonebridge Shopping Center and get ready for a fresh food treat at Zoes Kitchen.
Despite the worst winter in Northern Virginia history I headed out to Zoes Kitchen on opening day to get a taste of their take on Mediterranean food and was not disappointed. First off the staff was ready to answer any question I had about the menu and when I asked about their hummus they quickly gave me a sample to try. Just the right amount of Tahini and served with warm pita bread. Don’t miss it!
After studying the menu, which includes sandwiches, soups, salads and hot entrees, I settled on the chicken rollups with two sides. It was delivered to my table and I was not disappointed. The no-mayo potato salad reminded me of my mom’s and is a nice change from the usual overly moist potato salad you usually get as a side at other restaurants.
Recently I have been on the run quite a bit around dinner time preparing new listings in the Woodbridge area, so this weekend I made another quick stop and ordered the Chicken Kabobs with rice pilaf and Greek Salad to go. Again not a disappointment and the take out containers were recyclable. YEA!
Besides serving food in the restaurant Zoes Kitchen also caters. The catering sales rep, Brittany Marthaller is a delight to talk with. If you are tired of the same old sandwich trays from the big box store then you need to give her a call a 703-580-4408.
Within walking distance of the Potomac Club neighborhood, only a few blocks from INOVA Potomac Hospital and with easy access off of Neabsco Mills Rd I’m going to bet that Zoes Kitchen will keep their brightly colored tables full.
And YES you check in on FourSquare but I plan on being the Mayor!
Zoes Kitchen
14901 Potomac Town Place
Woodbridge, VA 22191
11am-9pm Sunday – Thursday
11am-9:30pm Friday & Saturday
| Discussion: No Comments »
Dear Mr Lender-I would have shown your listing Today
February 19th, 2010 Categories: NOVA Foreclosures, Selling Thoughts
However when my buyers and I arrived we couldn’t get to the front door.
I know it we have had an unusual amount of snow this year in Northern Virginia but buyers are still out looking for homes. In fact they are out in droves trying to find homes to put under contract before the current tax credits expire at the end of April.
You have a listing agent who you have put in charge of taking care of your listings for you. As you can see by the lack of footprints in the snow that not only are the sidewalks and driveway still covered in snow, no one has gone to check on the interior of the property.
We have had a lot of problems with leaks due to clogged gutters and if the house is winterized chances are it is freezing cold inside. Cold and wet are not a good combination as I’m sure you know. When a buyer can finally make it to the front door they may be in for an unpleasant surprise or two.
There is no doubt that you want your property to sell for top dollar and time is wasting. Would you please contact the listing agent, ask them to check on the home and hire a crew to shovel a usable path to the front door and check the interior?
My buyers are qualified and ready to go. Sorry we had to pass your home by.
| Discussion: No Comments »
In case you missed this performance by Trace Adkins and the West Point Glee Club you should take a moment to listen.
Learn More About the Wounded Warrior Project
| Discussion: No Comments »
Fortunately the home was vacant. The “buyers” wandering around the property were poking in every corner. When I asked where their agent was, hoping they were just somewhere else in the house, I learned they weren’t on site. They had given the “buyers” the combo code and told them to go check it out for themselves.
The property was NOT a foreclosure so there is an owner who is still responsible for the home. Sure it might be a short sale but that does not mean that the standard rules of real estate practice do not apply.
Article 3-9 of the Code of Ethics states:
“REALTORS® shall not provide access to listed property on terms other than those established by the owner or the listing broker.”
I am fairly certain that there aren’t many sellers who state in their listing agreement anyone can enter their house without a licensed agent with them. Combo codes are not entered into public remarks for anyone to see. So if a “buyer” is wandering around a property unaccompanied they didn’t get there without an agent violating the Code of Ethics.
There is a lot of talk these days about professionalism in real estate. If you hired an agent to represent your interests and they can’t track who is accessing your home, you may want to ask them about how they are protecting your property and who is liable for the anything that turns up missing? Ask homeowners who have discovered kitchens gone, copper plumbing removed and graffiti sprayed on the walls how they feel about just anyone being able to enter their homes and see what they say.
Combo lockboxes are cheap but the insurance claim you might need to file to put your home back in the condition it was in when you left might not be. Ask the agent you are hiring to list your house their plan for tracking visitors not only for feedback but for security too.
| Discussion: 2 Comments »
If you haven’t seen this video about the IndyMac Bailout by the FDIC in June 2008 then take a look. As an agent who works with short sales (representing both buyers & sellers) I understand the frustration that comes with the lack of responsiveness to offers and the often ridiculous counter-offers that arrive from the negotiators.
If this math is accurate it shows how broken the system really is.
Thanks to the team at Think Big Work Small for putting this together.
| Discussion: No Comments »
Looking for Foreclosures in NOVA?
February 11th, 2010 Categories: Buyers Corner, FAQ's, NOVA Foreclosures
At least three or four times a week I get a question about a “foreclosure” listing a buyer saw on RealtyTrak. They see an incredible price…that translates as LOW…and want to see the house right away.
Unfortunately the answer is chances are what you are seeing is not a listing at all but a notice of foreclosure scraped from one of the local papers. Foreclosure aggregators are trying to lure you in to buying a subscription to get to “real” foreclosure information.
You can check the local NOVA and DC papers such as the Washington Post, DC Examiner and Washington Times and see the same notices with the full information about the property. In Northern Virginia you will see the heading “Notice of Trustee Sale” which includes the property address, the legal description of the property and the amount owed on the loan. You will also see the date, time and location of the Trustee Sale.
Most of the time the price you see in listed in the Trustee Sale is far above what the current market value of the home might be. Occasionally you will see a home listed at below market value and those are the ones where purchasing at the courthouse steps might be an option.
Read the rest of this entry »
| Discussion: No Comments »