We all know that the housing market has changed? Right… So, why are we seeing some homes go under contract in what seems like minutes while others languish for months on end. Here are just a few tips to help you when listing your home for sale.
Pricing Strategy: You wouldn’t dream of starting a big project without a well-defined game plan right? Think about a high, medium and low pricing strategy in advance of listing your home. Have well defined triggers that will cause a pricing change. The biggest mistake in real estate is not being overpriced, its accepting less then what your house is worth!
Marketing, marketing and more marketing: If your agent even mentions print advertisement RUN! There is a reason why newspapers are going broke! Buyer’s (and readers) habits have completely changed over the last 10 years. This means that if you are selling your home you better have an agent who knows where those buyers are searching for homes! Here’s a hint; they are not wasting there precious time looking at the back newspapers or magazines. Here is a quick Google search of one of my more recent listings. If your agent can’t get you this level of syndication then you are losing out on the buyer’s of 21st century.
Looks are everything: The old saying about the importance of first impressions is amazingly true in today’s tough real estate market. Part of a good marketing plan should include a staging consulting, digital pics, and even a 360 virtual tour.
Got to have the chops: Lastly, your Realtor must have the chops to carry the most difficult of deals. Real estate is a contact sport that requires not just book knowledge but a deep understanding of the your clients goals. This takes years of experience and dozens of transactions to pull this off. Your Realtors ability to handle themselves through challenging situations is just critical to a successful outcome.
Ready to sell? Call or email me and let me help you put together a custom marketing plan that gets you the most out of your home!
Chuck
Serving all of your Ashburn, Leesburg, Mclean and Loudoun County area Real Estate needs!
Okay, by now you have heard it time and time again. BUY NOW DON’T WAIT! But why should you buy your first home now? Why is it different this time around? And how can you be sure we are at the bottom of the housing market?
Reason number 1:$8,000 First Time Buyer Tax Credit. This is a great program to help offset the expense of that first year of home ownership. Think about it, not also will you get $8,000 for buying your first home but you will also get a great new tax deduction for paying interest on your home mortgage. That can add up to lots of new flooring, windows, and paint!
Reason number 2: Interest rates. There is no debate that interest rates are STILL at all time lows. Almost 15 years ago when my wife and I brought our first home WE were ecstatic when our loan officer offered us a 6.33% 30 year fixed rate. Rates are now currently hovering in the low 5% range for a 30 year fixed rate.
Reason number 3: Amazingly Low Housing Prices. The Loudoun County and Fairfax County home prices are at multiple year lows. Some areas such as Ashburn and Brambleton haven’t seen housing prices this low since early 2000.
Reason number 4: Housing Inventory. Although housing inventory stock is at 5-year lows in most regions there are still great deals to be had. I have found great deals on single family and townhouses in Ashburn, Brambleton, Herndon, Reston, Sterling and Chantilly. I’ve even seen great values in high end areas like Mclean and Great Falls! In most cases these deals are in overlooked established neighborhoods.
So, what are you waiting for? The water is great jump in!
Need more information on neighborhoods, pricing or housing inventory? Call or email me now!
Chuck
Serving all of your Ashburn, Leesburg, Mclean and Loudoun County area Real Estate needs!
What happens when one the World’s best-known customer focused company’s is found out to be.. well, not really as customer focused, as we once believed? How’s about finding out that the same company is so overconfident and arrogant about its product that they allowed a flaw to possibly injury or kill their customers?
So what can other customer service( i.e. Real Estate Professionals) providers learn from Toyota’s massive FAIL!
Customer Service orientated businesses (which is just about everyone) are not too BIG TO FAIL. Unless of course you are a big bank in which case the Federal government will gladly bail you out.
Arrogance and overconfidence are the Achilles heals of great businesses and leaders. How many times have we heard this story, great company blows off upstart only to find out that the upstart was a diamond! Does anyone remember IBM blowing off Microsoft or how’s about the can’t miss deal of AOL and Time Warner. The bottom-line; learn how to check your ego early and often.
Reputation is everything! When I was a much younger man and waited on tables I was told by a very savvy restaurant manager that customers vote with their feet. This means that you are not always going to get that complaint from your customer. Actually, what I have discovered in all my many years in the customer service field is that most customers will simply not use your business if they get bad service rather then complain. I try to think of it this way, for every one person that complains there are 10 that just walk away. I make it a priority to resolve every issue with a win-win solution in mind.
Who has not heard of the old saying “ The Customer is Always Right!”? How different could the Toyota Total Fail have been if their customer service agent thought, “maybe just maybe the customer could be right”. Think of this next time you know your right!
Always be nice!!!! The most damning part of Toyotas total fail episode was when a customer testified in congress about Toyota’s customer service response to her car accelerating out of control. A pleasant middle-aged woman who was right out of central casting for “sweet woman” testified about her horrifying experience. When she asked for a written response from Toyota about her car accelerating out of control she was given a letter that stated (in short) that her car works fine when used correctly. Wow, now that’s a smack down if I ever heard one.
So, let’s review! Customers are your lifeblood. If you let your ego, arrogance, or overconfidence get in the way of providing world class customer service your chances of succeeding are exactly ZERO!
Take care,
Chuck Rifae
Serving all of your Ashburn, Leesburg, Mclean and Loudoun County area Real Estate needs!
As the housing market begins to show signs of life demand for great condos in the Arlington and Alexandria area and especially those buildings near the DC metro have started to become harder to come by. So, it wasn’t too much of a surprise when my clients started asking more about Co-ops. For the right person a Co-op is a diamond in the rough. Especially for those on a budget!
What are Coops: A housing cooperative is a legal entity—usually a corporation—that owns real estate, consisting of one or more residential buildings. Each shareholder in the legal entity is granted the right to occupy one housing unit, sometimes subject to an occupancy agreement, which is similar to a lease. The occupancy agreement specifies the co-op’s rules. Cooperative is also used to describe a non-share capital co-op model in which fee-paying members obtain the right to occupy a bedroom and share the communal resources of a house that is owned by a cooperative organization. Such is the case with student cooperatives in some college neighborhoods in the United States.
So, what does this mean in English? For the most part instead of owning a unit like a condo or townhouse or even a single family house for that matter you own a share in the entire building or buildings and you have rights to your unit.
Why should I consider a Coop? Co-ops are (for the most part) non-profits that are managed by the shareholders (this would be the folks that are living in the building). This usually means lower condo fees and better services since the building is owned and managed by the tenants. I have personally found Co-op fees to be about 30% less on average then traditional condos. Shareholders also have much more say in how the building is managed as well as building rules and amenities.
So, why isn’t everyone living in a Co-op? Well, there are a few drawbacks just like everything else in life.
Co-op fees can change depending on the needs of the building (condos fees can also change by the way).
Co-op boards have a say as to who can buy into the Co-op (i.e. no investors or no pets etc…). Some Co-ops require that buyer’s interview with board members before they approve the sale.
Not all lenders will do a Co-op loan. For the most part Co-op loans are not sold by banks to other banks. This means that the lender has to hold the loan (God forbid!). I have also found that lenders like to charge a little more interest and require bigger down payments.
Some Co-ops are on “ground leases”. This means that the Co-op does not own the land the buildings are on. Most of these leases are long term lease (I’ve seen them as long as 50 years). As crazy as this might sound, these types of co-ops are some of the best deals EVER! I have found these units to be 20%- 40% lower in price then traditional condos! If you can stomach the fact that in 20,30, or even 50 years (or longer) the building will have to negotiate a new lease with the land owner this is the way to go!
Want to know more about Condos in the Alexandria or Arlington area? Interested in finding a Co-op? Drop me an email and let’s talk!
Chuck
Serving all of your Ashburn, Leesburg, Mclean and Loudoun County area Real Estate needs!
As we struggle to dig ourselves out of the great blizzard of 2010( I think we actually set a record in the Ashburn- Leesburg area )I thought I would take a break from Real Estate and share some entertaining moments from this years storm!
The ultimate bunny suit( note; no back door..deal breaker for me;0)!
And the Grammy for the most Extreme weatherman goes too…
Getting ready for the Winter Olympics!
After 11 days of no school Mitchel begins to think he can fly?
Do you have some great pics of the Great Blizzard of 2010 or as I like to call it #snOMG? Email or post a link here!
M/I plans on only building 38 units in this particular project. M/I will feature it’s Callaway III floor plan which can be customized with bumpout and upgrades. Here are a few highlights:
24’ Townhomes
All Brick fronts
3 bedroom /2.5 bath/ 3 level standard
Callaway III floor plan
Starting price is $361,990-$387,840
Delivery dates June/July
Community amenities include a pool, trails, tennis courts, and basketball courts. Kincaid Forest is also just a few short steps away from the W&OD trail and small but well built community park. This should be the last open plot in the Kincaid Forest development. I’ll be interested to see what the finished project will look like. Check back here in a couple of months when I revisit Kincaid Forest.
Take care,
Chuck
Serving all of your Ashburn, Leesburg, Mclean and Loudoun County area Real Estate needs!
If you have ever driven past Ashburn Farms heading towards Belmont Ridge Rd you have then certainly seen( and have been caught in) all the construction in that area. The project you are seeing (or stuck in) is called Goose Creek Village. Named of course for the majestic Goose Creek that broader the development. The project was first planned and started by Centex homes which later sold out to Pulte. Here are a few highlights you should know about the project if you are considering moving into the neighborhood:
What are the negatives about The Goose Creek project?
Its location is a double edged sword. Yes, it is right on the Greenway which is convenient however; it is right on the Greenway which can be loud! Also, most commuters really hate paying the $4 one way tolls. If you skip the toll road you will fight traffic through some of the most congested roads in that part of Ashburn.
Not much of a mix of residential units. Have you ever pulled into a neighborhood to visit a friend and wondered how the heck anyone can tell the difference between the homes? Well, this is looking to be like one of those neighborhoods. Centex and Pulte are only offering two different floor plans so for the most part all the units will look alike on the outside and feel the same on the inside.
Although I have not seen the master parking plan I suspect that parking is going to be a bear with 700 townhomes so close together. If you are lucky (and Pulte is smart) they will give everyone 2 dedicated parking spots. This means however, that your guests are S.O.L when they come to visit you.
Where would I go if I was in the market for a townhome in the $329,000 range in the Ashburn, Brambleton and Leesburg area? We’ll, I’m glad you asked( its what I do for living you know!)I like Belmont Greene and Belmont County Club which are both less the 5 miles from Goose Creek. Both neighborhoods are fully built so you will not have to guess what the builder will or won’t put next to you. For the most part both have mixed use elements to them and are easily walkable. One of my personal favorite neighborhoods in terms of similar developments is Brambleton. Lots of stores, lots of floor plans, different building models and builders.
I give Goose Creek Village 2 out 5 stars
Want to find Ashburn Real Estate or Loudoun County Real Estate for FREE? Checkout my free (no registration required) MLS search. Ready to list your home? Checkout my blog on Lockboxes and “What to Look for When Hiring A Super Realtor”.
Take care,
Chuck
Serving all of your Ashburn, Leesburg, Mclean and Loudoun County area Real Estate needs!
We all know a Realtor, right? It’s sometimes a family member, a friend at work, the guy stocking shelves at Wal-Mart…well maybe not the last one? But you want a SUPER REALTOR! How do you pick a Great Realtor to sell your largest investment or help you chose your next home? During my many years as a Realtor I have had many mixed experiences working with Realtors? Rather then calling out other Realtors (low hanging fruit, and very tacky), I thought I would rather tell you what I would look for if I were looking to sell or buy my next house.
Commitment: Is the Realtor ready to make the time necessary to meet your needs. This isn’t always about being full time or part time it’s sometimes more about flexibility and organizational skills. I have met plenty of full times Realtors who never return phone calls, can’t figure out addendum’s, have sloppy contracts, or my biggest pet peeve of all, don’t update there listings.
Monetary investment: Can your agent invest in the marketing of your home. My average investment in marketing a house usually runs several thousand dollars. This includes everything from hanging the sign, professional stager, virtual photographer, and color brochures to subscriptions to websites and technology investments (360 tours, auto feedback, lock boxes {checkout my blog on lock boxes} online real estate docs etc. All of these investments are made without receiving the first CENT. Now image listing 6 to 10 houses at a time?
Education: As I think most of us know by now the bar to become a Realtor is low. There are required classes one must take and a state test that you have to pass but for the most part its fairly easy. I would ask any Realtor that wanted to work for me what type of continuing education the agent has taken since becoming a Realtor. I personally carry the Broker designation (must be a full time Realtor for at least 3 years, take 180 hours of class room course work and pass a national and state administered test), ABR, Accredited Buyer representative (advanced buyer techniques) and CDPE, Certified Distressed Property Expert (training with distressed property such as short sales and foreclosures). Other designations that I like (and have not gotten around to taking) are E-Pro (advanced web technology training), Green and GRI. I would also ask if your Realtor has attended any Realtor conferences? Realtor conferences are extremely important because of the timely topics that are often discussed such as new trends and changes to Real Estate laws and policies. By asking this question you will also know just how connected your Realtor is with the rest of the Realtor community. Engaged Realtors are successful Realtors.
People Skills: It almost goes without saying that one must have good people skills to be in sales. Think about it, if your agent lacks people skills how will he or she work with a fellow Realtor. Do you really want someone to negotiate on your behalf that has no people skills.
Location, Location, Location: Hiring a local Realtor is critical!! A local Realtor will know things about a neighborhood, local builders, proposed county projects and schools that no web search site will ever know. I would flat out ask during the interview where was the last house they “SOLD either as a listings agent or buyers agent”.
Embrace Technology: Does your Realtor embrace all the new technology being used to find and sell real estate in today’s market? Does he or she have a Blog, Twitter account, Facebook profile or You Tube account? What about auto reply feedback, daily market availability emailed directly to you? When you google your agents name how many hits do you get? If you google a recent listing how many hits come up? Ask him or her to define Social Media. Btw, if he or she tells you that they market in the local paper, RUN!!!
What qualities in a Realtor do you think I’ve missed? Let me know?
Take Care,
Chuck Rifae
Serving all of your Ashburn, Leesburg, Mclean and Loudoun County area Real Estate needs!
So, it’s all most time to go back to work right? Well, before we can really hit the road and go back to our workaholic ways let’s take a quick look at 2009 shall we……
We all know that the housing market has changed? Right… So, why are we seeing some homes go under contract in what seems like minutes while others languish for months on end. Here are just a few tips to help you when listing your home for sale.
Chuck Rifae
Associate Broker
Premier Realty Group
703-885-1582
Entrepreneur, Real Estate Broker, Avid runner, and soccer dad!
Recent Comments