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…

How long has that Northern Virginia house really been on the market?  That is a question every buyer should be asking before they formulate an offer on a property.  In Minnesota one agent has gone on national TV to clearly state that he is manipulating the data in the local MLS to make a home…

In Virginia there is a Lemon Law on the books to protect consumers who purchase a car which is later found to have serious defects. However, there is no such law when it comes to protecting buyers when they are purchasing a home. When the market was hot in Northern Virginia many buyers had to…

While working with some first time home buyers this week they asked if a title insurance policy was different than the home owners insurance policy their loan officer had told them they would need to get before they went to closing. It was easy to understand their confusion as the terms do sound very familiar….

After writing Foreclosures are an Elusive Prey last month I had a call from a prospective investor who wanted to learn more about the foreclosure process. Each state has different rules for the process and in talking to three different lenders it was obvious that their processes for getting homes to the courthouse steps are…

I had a question recently from new buyers who were asking about the difference between two terms they had seen in the MLS which had them a bit puzzled and it seemed like a good time to post a short explanation for everyone. These terms are found in the MRIS for the DC metro region….

It never seems to fail. The end of the month is packed with closings. The loan officers are scrambling, the settlement companies are swamped and the Realtors® are shuffling contracts to make sure everything is done. But is closing at the end of the month all that important?The answer may depend more on your cash…

I work with a number of first time homebuyers who wonder whether they should pay for a professional home inspection. With the cost of real estate and the expenses involved in purchasing a home the question is a good one. In Virginia when a home is listed a seller has the option to either provide…