How's the real estate market doing this Spring?

There is plenty of activity in sales of real estate for Northern Virginia.  Regular sales, combined with short sales and bank owned properties continue to be posted across the board.

This coming weekend is "National Open House Extravaganza" weekend.  So if you're in the market to buy a home then most likely most properties will be held open.  If you see something you really like and want a more private showing call me today and I will arrange one!

There were approximately 22 properties in 22181 and 15 properties in 22181 that went under contract between April 11 and April 25th (today).

 The spring market has been very active since January and part of the reason is the wonderfully mild weather.  Another reason is "pent up demand".  Many buyers have been sitting on the fence for a long time and now they are ready to buy.  Pricing is reasonable and the interest rates are ideal.

If you'd like to make the most of your real estate experience call me today.  I will treat your transaction as if it were my own!


                                                         Best regards,


                                                          Carla Brooks
                                                          703-577-4960
                                                      brkslong@aol.com


ps photos are a courtesy of http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

Is is time for Spring Cleaning? (the dos and don'ts)

Its about that time of year for all of us to re vamp our closets with lighter clothing choices and to pack away all the winter gear (gloves, hats, wool scarves etc).  Its also a time when the warmer weather inspires many of us to "lighten" the load of "stuff" we choose to keep in our homes.

De-cluttering (as it is called) takes time and energy.  It also takes a plan to get it done successfully and efficiently.  I know I've had days that lead me to ask myself,  "Where do I possibly begin?".  Every room it seems needs to be gone over with a fine toothed comb.

Well, the best way to approach the situation is to tackle each room separately.  Set aside a block of time (at least 2-3 hours) to go through a room and decide what to keep, what to donate, and what to throw away.   The items to be removed should be taken away that day and the room put back together.  That way there is a sense of accomplishment before proceeding to the next room.

 If you decide to reorganize the books or games on a new shelf or magazines in new containers etc. then make that a project for another day.  Its probably not the best idea to buy a bunch of organizational containers ahead of time.  Wait until you know what is staying and what is being disposed of.

Of course, each space will not be "totally done" since each space will require regular maintenance.  We continually need to organize and spruce up spaces as they are used on a daily basis.  Our needs change over time and our equipment will change as well.  So allow time in your weekly schedule for maintenance and attention to detail to keep your newly organized and decluttered spaces in tip top shape.

While you're at it don't forget to have fun.  Revamp a room with a favorite color or furniture item that makes you happy and comfortable in your surroundings.  After all, its your home and your life and your mood.....  Some ones elses color and furniture choices are not necessarily going to make you happy.  Maria Killam in Vancouver (Canada) is the owner of the wildly successful blog,  Color me Happy.  Yellow is her color of choice and she believes that each personal space should reflect the owners choices. 

And, remember, if your home is kept in a reasonably decluttered and attractive state, there will be less stress when it comes time to entertain or move!

Have a great day and call me today if you're planning on buying or selling real estate.  I am here for you and will treat your transaction as if it were my own. 

                                                               Best

                                                              Carla
                                                         703-577-4960
                                                     brkslong@aol.com

The Most Important Reasons to buy a home

It seems each spring a smattering of articles on Renting vs Owning appear in various magazine articles, blogs, and Web based news articles.

Last year in April, I published a blog post on this very topic.  Please reference the blog list by year and month if you are interested in reading this particular post.

As those of you who read this blog regularly know, I am a great fan of KCM 's blog.  (Keeping Matters Current).  Their latest article focuses on the statistics and the most important reasons to own a home.  Piggy-backing off of the recent article published by Fannie Mae on attitudes toward homeownership:  Here's the link:

http://www.fanniemae.com/portal/research-and-analysis/housing-quarterly.html?

In spite of all the housing issues the country has experienced in recent years, its comporting to know that the general public still believes in owning their own home!

If you are interested in buying or selling a home, call me today.  I will treat your transaction as if it were my own.

                                                             Carla
                                                          703-577-4960
                                                          brkslong@aol.com

New listings are aplenty!

Happy Spring to all--Here are the new listings as follows:

22181--single family homes for sale

9808 Oleander Avenue $575,000
2737 Sutton Road $1,050,000
10504 William Terry Drive $1,199,500
2602 Oakledge Court $685,000
2730 Oak Valley Drive $599,000
10701 Meadowood Drive $875,000
2451 Flint Hill Road $559,000

8 single family homes went under contract the last week in March through April 4th.

The new townhomes (for sale) on the market in 22181 are as follows:

9844 Sweet Mint Drive $349,900
9608 Scotch Haven Drive $487,000
9540 Daniel Lewis Lane $581,564
3080 Sugar Lane $325,000
9642 Sutton Green Court $499,900

2 townhomes went under contract the last week in March through April 4th

The new listings for single family homes for sale in 22182 are as follows:

9608 Pembroke Place $939,500
10498 Dunn Meadow Road $1,175,000
8203 Labbe Lane $719,000
9371 Robnel Place $715,000
9501 Clarks Crossing Road $750,000
9606 Podium Drive $924,977
1901 Whipping Post Way $724,900
1701 Asoleado Lane $694,700
1316 Colvin Forest Drive $875,000
1831 Grampoin Place $634,900
9467 Coral Crest Lane $1,319,000
9602 Atwood Road $1,700,000
1816 Prelude Drive $669,000
10316 Forest Maple Road $1,525,000

One townhome in 22182 is new to the market:

8004 Merry Oaks Court $604,999

18 single family homes and 3 town homes went under contract in 22182 through April 4th

If you're in the market to buy or sell a home call me today.  I will treat your transaction as if it were my own.


                                                              

                                                                     Carla
                                                                 703-577-4960


                                                                 brkslong@aol.com

This is a great time for buyers and sellers to get off the fence and make the move they have been dreaming about.

For one thing, interest rates are at an historical low point.  Pricing is still below the peak of the housing boom (2005-2007), yet pricing will probably not reach that level for years to come.  Northern Virginia continues to attract national and international firms to the area.  The % of people moving into Northern Virginia versus moving out is a positive one.  This demand for housing in Northern Virginia has made the real estate market one of the most stable markets in the country today.


The KCM blog recently provided some excellent graphs and a pie chart depicting the characteristics of the First time Home Buyer:

54% are married couples
12 % are unmarried couples
12% single males
21% single females
1% Other

The highest %  of buyers are in the Under $50,000 income range and the just under $100,000 income range.  This makes sense since many couple purchase when they get married and the single purchasers are roughly making half of what their married counterparts are earning per anum.

The link to this post is here:

http://www.kcmblog.com/2012/03/23/first-time-buyers/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+KeepingCurrentMatters+%28The+KCM+Blog%29

How can these statistics help you as a seller?

Remember, if you are selling a home that will most likely be purchased by a first home buyers then it might make sense to tailor your staging items to the 25-34 age group since they are the ones that will most likely purchase your home.  Likewise, if your home is most likely in the price range to appeal to a move up buyer that should give you an idea of what staging items will most likely appeal to that particular group of buyers.

I can assist you with staging suggestions, color choices and so forth.  Call me today for expert real estate advice.  I will treat your transaction as if it were my own!

                                                            Carla
                                                                           703-577-4960
                                                   brkslong@aol.com


PS the picture above is from the My Bookhouse series by Olive Beaupre' Miller.

What new on the market for Sale?

Detached homes: 22181

9856 Hidden Estates  $799,000
9622 Verdict Drive $610,000
2310 Tanglevale Drive $759,000
9814 Brightlea Drive $499,000




Townhomes : 22181

8288 Roesh Way $565,000



Detached homes: 22182

1628 Crowell Road $985,500
1348 Hunter Mill Road $899,900
10305 Browns Mill Road $1,800,000
1431 Rosewood Hill Drive $799,900
1723 Abbey Oak Drive $899,900
1810 Batten Hollow Road $795,000
1822 Creek Crossing Road $735,000
10303 Hunt Country Lane $765,000
8204 Westwood Mews Court $949,900
1351 Verrier Court $2,500,000



Townhomes: 22182

8005 Gina Place $575,000

If you'd like to see postings of new listings in other areas please let me know what areas interest you.  I will gladly post in the zip codes requested.

Call me today if you're interested in buying or selling in Northern Virginia.  I continue to reinforce my knowlege of the local market and am here to assist you.  Remember, I will treat your transaction as if it were my own!

                                                           Carla
                                                                             703-577-4960
                                                        brkslong@aol.com

Foreclosures by State

Its good to know that the number of foreclosures in Virginia are under the national average.  In fact, Virginia has one of the lowest national averages.  Yeah!! We are so lucky, truly.  I realize this does not help those that are underwater.  Thats a whole different issue.  Yet, think of it this way.   The shadow inventory is part of the reason prices are being kept as low as they are today.  Once the shadow inventory is eliminated, this clears the way for price increases!

The states that are above the national average in foreclosures are as follows: 

Nevada, South Carolina, Florida, Hawaii, Maine, New York, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Connecticut, and New Jersey.

The KCM blog has a nice map showing the country and the rate in each state.  For more information please visit their site:http://www.kcmblog.com/2012/02/24/foreclosures-in-process-by-state/

If you'd like to make the most of your real estate experience call me today.  I am here for you and will treat your transaction as if it were my own!

                                                                 Carla
                                                                                   703-577-4960
                                                           Brkslong@aol.com