It was another interesting weekend showing houses in Northern Virginia. I’ll refrain from trying to figure out what the agent was thinking with a description that said “move-in ready” yet when we walked in the door the home reeked of cat pee. It almost knocked us over and the feces on the floor were a…

With over 320,000 active duty military stationed in Virginia and another 800,000 plus retirees scattered throughout the Commonwealth it makes good sense for our Governor and Representatives to enact legislation to support military families. During the recent legislative session Governor McDonnell signed into law 25 bills aimed at making life for military and veterans in…

Everyone looking to sell a home in Northern Virginia wants to end up with the best net at the end of the sale as possible.  Who wouldn’t? I’d like to start with dispelling one of the myths of Northern Virginia real estate.  There is NO such thing as a “discount” real estate broker.  There it’s…

You know what I’m talking about right?  You saw the Open House sign and wandered in.  We chatted for a few minutes and then you set off to tour the the house.  Though I wasn’t right on your tail I was watching you. First you opened up the kitchen cabinets.  Okay that makes sense as…

This week while searching through the MLS for listings for one of my Northern Virginia homebuyer’s I was once again struck by what you find in MLS listings. I’m not talking about great prices on homes throughout the region but about how agents are marketing their client’s properties. Let’s start with directions in the MLS….

I’ve written 2 other recent posts about renting in Northern Virginia and now a third party has validated what I’ve been hinting at. MSNBC has posted a list of the top 10 cities around the country where rents are going up. Though the Northern Virginia and Washington DC area aren’t on the top of the…

Last week in “Renting When You Come to Fort Belvoir” I mentioned the possibility of sticker shock for anyone relocating to the Northern Virginia area and considering a rental. With the popularity of rentals that are convenient to Fort Belvoir, NGA and with easy access to commuting to DC a nice home goes quickly. If…

I know it’s frustrating. It probably seems like I’m just being difficult. But trust me when I represent a seller (or a buyer) I have an obligation to follow the Realtor® Code of Ethics. Some people are familiar with typical questions a Realtor® can’t answer including is this home in a good school district or…

Relocation is always stressful. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve made a move the minute you get the word to pack your bags you need to learn the “language” of a new area. In Northern Virginia part of that new language is deciphering the difference between our cities and our counties. Northern Virginia has…

No, this isn’t a personal question about your belly button. Buyers moving to Northern Virginia often see the phrase “inside” or “outside” the beltway in MLS descriptions and wonder where are these locations on the map. For those who have lived in the Northern Virginia most of our lives we have watched “outside” the beltway…