As home prices continue to rise throughout most of the nation, sooner or later people begin to wonder whether we’ve crossed the threshold dividing undervalued from overvalued. Pundit shorthand for “overvalued” has gradually become almost synonymous with the far more fear-inducing term, “Bubble.” As with the chewing gum and soap-blowing varieties, the term can’t help but conjure up visions of the associated “Pop!”

Just worrying that we are in a home pricing bubble can cause sleepless nights and worse — financial paralysis. As home prices in Port Potomac, Woodbridge VA  move higher, it’s natural to wonder if they are truly justified by economic fundamentals. While no one wants to be on the other side of wrong, no one wants to miss great deals on Port…

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You are buying a second home: this will be more than a sizeable investment — by any measure, it’s a considerable personal achievement as well.

That second home may be a family retreat, a vacation property you will be renting out (at least part time); or a pure income-producing rental. When a realistic appraisal says that you won’t be able to devote much time and attention to your new holding, the way to fill that gap is to locate an experienced Westridge, Woodbridge property manager.

As you will learn, it’s a specialized field. According to the latest studies, the median income for property managers nationwide tops $80,000 per year — a pretty trustworthy real world indicator that what they do has substantial value. If your second home is going to do…

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               You are doing some serious house-hunting.

               You’ve been Googling ‘newest Montclair, Dumfries listings’, but when you click on the most popular sites, somehow the ‘newest Montclair, Dumfries listings’ are the same ones you’ve seen before. Worse, some of them turn out to have been sold! Or the price was wrong! Or the agent isn’t even the agent anymore!

               What is going on? Doesn’t Google (or Bing, or Yahoo!) promise to show you sites with the newest listings in Montclair, Dumfries? How can the most popular sites (at the top of their results page: Zillow, Realty.com, Trulia) be showing ‘newest listings’ that were sold last month? Or contact numbers that take you to an answering machine that never calls back?

…

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After weeks of dealing with inspections, appraisals, repairs, and the sheaf of paperwork created by your mortgage company, The Final Walk-Through should come as a welcome relief to those buying a home in Westridge, Woodbridge this summer. Despite its ominous name, that final walk-through is anything but — it provides the last layer of protection for the new homebuyers

Typically occurring in the final 24 hours before the scheduled close of escrow, this is no mere formality. It’s your ultimate opportunity to inspect the home and ensure that it is in the same condition as when you agreed to purchase it. It is also your chance to make sure that the seller has completed any agreed-upon repairs and to see that the home is being turned over in “broom clean”…

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Getting a mortgage in Port Potomac, Woodbridge these days can be more involved than in years past, not least because their historically low rates make them so desirable. That loan can make or break a fantastic deal — the kind of deal you don’t want to lose when you come across it! Central to the process of getting a mortgage is your mortgage broker…but how do you know when you’ve found a great one?

These are some of the qualities I believe most often point to the answer:  

  • Truly outstanding mortgage brokers get tons of referrals from previous clients and their real estate agents…while other less well-appreciated or experienced brokers must constantly solicit new business. BUT (a very important ‘but’) that is not to say that a mortgage broker who…

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Independence Day is one of the important days in the history of any country. 4th Of July is therefore an important day for the residents of the United States as the country became free and declared its independence on this special day. This independence was first enjoyed in the year 1776 and could be possible only by the efforts made by the leaders and the great personalities. Their efforts as well as sacrifices finally broke the chains to become a free nation. 
"On this special day, lets take a step back and cherish our lives and the country we live in while appreciating the sacrifices people made to give us independence today. Happy Independence Day from The Team USA"
If you are looking to buy a home for sale in Woodbridge, do contact the top local…

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  Last week, Port Potomac, Woodbridge home sellers saw more than the usual number of reasons to look forward to this summer's Port Potomac, Woodbridge home sales selling season. It looked like the opposite of the lengthy real estate “Perfect Storm” that caused freefall across the national landscape.

             Signs pointed to the possibility that we may be headed into the opposite market conditions. Webster’s Dictionary says the opposite of ‘storm’ is ‘calm’ – but I don’t think you would call Port Potomac, Woodbridge’s home sales outlook a “Perfect Calm.”  Far from it! 

             Some of the signs:

-                      Falling Inventory. Per the NAR’s Existing Home Sales Report, there’s a nation-wide shortage of total inventory. By the…

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For homeowners preparing a Montclair, Dumfries house for sale, it’s often the single most difficult decision: what about the kitchen? When the kitchen is undeniably past its prime, it can be a true dilemma. We all know that kitchens can sell a home, but when the budget for a full-blown remodels doesn’t make financial sense, what are the alternatives?

Enter remodeling’s more practical first cousin: refacing. Faster, cheaper — and sometimes every bit as effective — kitchen refacing is a widely overlooked solution to a dated or otherwise less-than-desirable kitchen. It may not be the whole answer: sometimes appliance replacement needs to be seriously considered; sometimes a flooring problem can’t be ignored. It’s likely that hardware will need to be…

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Suppose you are driving past one of those ‘For Sale by Owner’ yard signs…and the house looks good!

             Do you screech to a halt, jump out and rush up to the front door to – quick! – sign a deal? More likely, you jot down the phone number (hopefully one is visible, though with For Sale By Owner signs, it’s not always the case) so you can call up your agent to get the details.

Veteran buyers considering a Westridge, Woodbridge For Sale by Owner (FSBO) property know why it’s highly beneficial to use their agent from the start.  Even if you have found the home yourself, you should want that first call to go to an agent.

Here’s why:

  • Agents offer advanced relationships that stand to improve your bottom line. For example, timing often can…

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Some Montclair, Dumfries luxury homes are so distinctive that they stubbornly resist fitting into any simple category. Whether due to unusual architecture or unique geographical features, such properties remain in a class of their own.

But for most other homeowners preparing to sell their luxury homes in Montclair, Dumfries  this spring, some baseline features are close to must-haves. According to Morgan Brennan of Forbes.com, “It is almost a given,” that listed multimillion dollar properties will claim certain features. 

Top-of-class luxury homes almost always include a pool. In fact, many traditional homes now offer this feature as well (sometimes labeled a “luxury” addition). That being the case, the pools that appear in luxury home listings…

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