Northern Virginia Homes For Sale: How To Buy
By robertearl | August 28, 2008
The credit market may be hurting, but you can still purchase the Northern Virginia luxury home of your dreams. Even with the recent weakening of the housing markets, Northern Virginia homes for sale are continuously being sold at reasonable prices in several different counties.
While searching for an ideal Northern Virginia homes for sale you should look something which is just above your price range. Quoting a reasonable price which is slightly lower than what you had budgeted for the home will benefit you as well as the seller. There is nothing wrong in making an offer which you believe as fair. Later in you may find that your instincts were correct after all.
Typically the seller will appreciate the fast offer you made and chances are, the offer will be accepted at the suggested price. This strategy will benefit you because you will be able to stay with in your budget, and get a better house with more features then you had expected to get. As long as you have a clear picture of the things you want in your head, searching for Northern Virginia homes for sale is very simple.
Northern Virginia real estate agents can help you find Northern Virginia homes for sale including Northern Virginia luxury homes, and assist you in the buying process. A loan agent can guide you through the process of getting a loan to pay for your house. Once you are pre-approved for a loan, the fun begins. It is then time to find your dream home in beautiful Northern virginia!
A great place to go is Virginia. When you enter the welcoming state, it feels like home. There are beautiful mountain overlooks and quaint Southern cities. Virginia is becoming a wonderful place to buy property. With today’s always undulating real estate market, buyers have the advantage. This is the prefect time to buy the house of your dreams at an affordable price.
The value of the Northern Virginia houses might by following at the moment, but it will eventually rise again. Would you not like to put money into an amazing house that is guaranteed to make you money down the road? There are several ways to determine how much your house is worth, one of them being a online search for housing prices in your area. Through this, you will know the exact amount to offer for the home in which you are interested in.
Robert Earl - Founder of The Earl of Real Estate Team is a Real Estate Entrepreneur serving the Northern Virginia Real Estate Market. The Earl of Real Estate Team specializes in Vienna VA Real Estate, Condos, Townhomes & Homes for Sale
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Northern Virginia Homes For Sale - Best Homes In The US
By robertearl | August 21, 2008
Northern Virginia real estate listings are great listings for people to find homes for sale that will meet their qualifications. One of the great things about northern Virginia homes is that you can buy a great home in a great location. Towns such as Reston, VA have some of the best homes for sale in the country.
Virginia is a great state and has many things to do. The northern area of the state of Virginia is a great part of the state. It is very close to other bordering states and can offer many things to do around the area. The north eastern part of the United States of America is a great area of the United States of America.
The winters in the area are great times for people that love the northern climate. Part of the northern climate that everyone loves is the cold and the snow. The two go hand in hand. But with snow comes down hill skiing, cross country skiing, snow shoeing, and even sledding.
If the kids you know love to sled and the adults love to ski, both will find something that they enjoy in Northern Virginia. With both sledding and skiing, Northern Virginia is a great vacation spot for both the young and the young-at-heart. The area is all the more heart-warming because both generations can have fun together in the snow outside and enjoy a cup of hot cocoa inside afterwards.
Another thing that people love to do in Virginia is visit historical sites. The fact that this state was one of the original 13 colonies means that there is a wealth of historical facts and sites to take in. People that love history will love a trip to Virginia for vacation or even just to visit.
Also there is a great camping community in the state of Virginia. This means that people are always welcomed by other people that are camping or using their recreational vehicles throughout the state of Virginia. In some places camping is frowned upon, but not in the lovely state of Virginia. There are many campgrounds and camping sites that are available throughout the state of Virginia.
Northern Virgina real estate listings facilitate people to find homes for sale as per their specification. Northern Virginia homes for sale offers great homes in ideal locations. Reston VA real estate has some of the country’s best homes. The northern part of the state of Virginia borders the states of West Virginia and Maryland. The winter in northern Virginia is chill and has snow. This brings winter activities such as cross country/downhill skiing, snowshoe hiking/sledding/snowboarding which you can enjoy. Children love sledding whereas adults enjoy skiing. Virginia is has a number of historical sites to visit and good for historical buffs. Camping sites are another attraction.
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Northern Virginia Real Estate: Selling Your Home
By robertearl | July 14, 2008
If you’re planning to sell your home in the Arlington, VA real estate market or the Springfield, VA real estate market, you need to get advice from a Northern Virginia real estate pro. In these regions of Virginia the real estate market has been experiencing a lot of fluctuation. You’ll soon realize that it’s imperative to seek professional advice before you can arrive at a good asking price for your property.
A great real estate agent will be aware of what houses in the Northern Virginia real estate market, are selling, as well as all factors that could possibly push or negatively effect a sale. Anything that would create noise, traffic, congestion could effect or help a sale. Economic situations have had a huge impact in the past in Northern VA, your agent can help you understand these economic issues and how to best price your home.
You will be able to tell if you have priced your home too high. One way to tell is that you will not be able to sell your house very quickly. If this happens, you need to get together with your real estate agent to decide if you need to lower your price. Your agent can give you good advice because they are also getting input from other agents that have viewed your house.
The most important factor for any person selling their property is obviously the price. Every person wants to receive the highest price possible. But inflating the price too high can push away buyers that could well be interested in one’s property. Real estate agents will show you homes very similar to yours and the included price - this is a good estimate or a nice place to start. Your strategy depends on if you are in a buyer or a sellers market and the resulting issues in the market.
Other elements need to be recognized other than the value you place on your own home. For example, repairs, cosmetic fixes will give your home appeal to the buyer and also improve it’s value. Remember: A prospective buyer is easy to come across but keeping the buyer interested involves a lot more work. Even when you finally find someone who wants to purchase your home, it can still be a long way to when the final deal is closed.
Having a detail-oriented real estate agent is crucial to making your transaction a successful one. Your agent should take care of all the final details after the home inspection. It falls onto the buyer, however, to obtain financing, and the appraiser they use has to agree to the sales price.
If you are getting ready to sell your current home in the Arlington VA real estate market or the Springfield VA real estate market. Your real estate agent will also be getting feedback from other agents who have shown your home. It is important to get sound advice from real estate professional who is familiar with your Northern Virginia real estate market. The most important aspect involved in selling real estate is being able to set a reasonable asking price based on the price of like homes in the area. Your real estate agent will be able to guide you by giving you selling prices for comparable homes.
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Northern Virginia House For Sale Closes Quickly
By robertearl | July 7, 2008
Do you have a Northern Virginia house for sale that hasn’t been gaining much attention? It is no use putting your Northern Virginia house for sale if you don’t have a clear picture of what you want to sell it for or how long you are willing to wait for the sale to close. Obviously, the sooner the house sells, the better.
Your house will most likely sell in about 77 days, because of all the new guaranteed sale programs out for use. Therefore, there is no removing of houses from the market, and also no waiting. Now you can list you house knowing thats it will probably sell to a qualified buyer in a little over two months or less.
Virginia is a beautiful state with so much to offer. This is why Northern Virginia house values continue to rise. When putting up your Northern Virginia house for sale, you may want to consider searching other similar homes for sale to get an idea of the price range under which your house falls. Also, check online to find what your house is worth as of the day you list it.
This will help you decide what people are willing to pay for a home such as yours, which will in turn help you achieve your goal of selling your Northern Virginia house in 77 days or less. Being with knowledge of Northern Virginia real estate listings and houses for sale will assist you in making your dreams into reality.
As is true anywhere else, impressive marketing will help you sell your home in Northern Virginia. You need to emphasize positive aspects of your home that will stand out to potential buyers, such as recent remodeling, new appliances, fresh paint, or new flooring.
Small changes like a new appliance can make your house more appealing to buyers. These small changes can make an incredible difference in how your house looks to potential buyers. Another option to sell your house quickly is a program that helps you get your houses closed within 77 days. Small changes and expertise can help you sell your house fast.
Robert Earl - Founder of The Earl of Real Estate Team is a Real Estate Entrepreneur serving the Northern Virginia Real Estate Market. Robert Earl’s Site showcases Sterling Condos for Sale - Sterling Condo Communities
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Northern Virginia Homes For Sale: Listen To Real Estate Agents Advice
By robertearl | June 23, 2008
This is an exciting time for all those who are in the market for a new home. Don’t let the excitement overwhelm your good sense, though, as it is still important to do your homework before making any decisions. As an aid to you we have conducted a poll among several hundred real estate from Northern Virginia to help you determine a proper course of action before buying a house.
In a recent study on Northern Virginia homes for sale it was learned that prospective homebuyers who hired an independent inspector were 80% more likely to be happy with their home after 6 months. A prospective buyer should never trust an inspector hired by the sellers. It’s also not wise to just randomly choose an inspector from the yellow pages. Our Arlington VA real estate agents suggest you get a reference for an inspector from someone you trust or a real estate agent.
Another important practice is to do your own walkthrough. If you see anything you don’t like, no matter how minor, bring it up with your real estate agent. The points you bring up by doing a walkthrough can be valuable negotiation tools. One real estate agent we interviewed suggested that when a detailed walkthrough is performed on Northern Virginia homes for sale, new owners are much more likely to get a great deal on their home!
Northern Virginia real estate agents also noted that there are several parts of a home that can lead to huge repair bills if they are not in top condition. Among these parts are roofs, hardwood floors, carpets, water heaters, air conditioners, and pools. Make sure that all of these are inspected carefully before you commit to your purchase, or you will face many thousands of dollars in repairs.
Deciding between a Northern Virginia new home for sale and one that is pre-owned involves more than just initial price differences. Your real estate agent will likely explain to you that an older home may be more expensive to maintain over its useful lifetime, from 10% to 40% more costly for upkeep. In some real estate markets, you may find that the older home is considerably cheaper to purchase, and considering price difference and interest charges, this may offset the cost of maintaining an older home.
Whatever the reason for purchasing a home or upgrading, listening to real estate agents advice will make your purchase and research a lot easier and save your time, frustrations and money. The market for Northern Virginia homes for sale is a tough market at the moment but you can make the most with your money with our advice.
When shopping for Northern Virginia homes for sale, follow these tips from Arlington VA real estate agents. First, get an independent inspection of prospective homes. Hire an inspector from recommendations of friends or agents. Second, do a walkthrough and mention anything you don’t like to your real estate agent, who can use your comments as leverage in price negotiations. Know the cost of any repairs or improvements you’d like to make in potential homes. Remember that purchasing Northern Virginia new homes for sale will cost more up front but will save you long-term repair and maintenance costs. Keeping these tips in mind will make the most of your buying power.
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Northern Virginia Real Estate Is What People Want
By robertearl | June 16, 2008
Have you been trying to sell land in the Northern Virginia area without any real success? There is little reason to put a property in Northern Virginia on the market without definite ideas concerning desired price or deadline for completion of the sale. Remember that your desire is to see the home move as quickly as possible.
Making use of guaranteed sale programs will help to sell your house quickly! You won’t have to reduce your price, take your house off the market, and shortens the wait time from listing to closing! Your Alexandria VA real estate and Chantilly VA real estate can be listed with the full confidence that it will sell quickly to a buyer who is not only qualified, but will appreciate your house as well !
The state of Virginia offers much to the potential buyer. Location is a big factor in the continual rising rates for Northern Virginia homes. Look at similar home up for sale near your location to get an idea of what the housing market is for homes like yours. Doing a search on the Internet will also be helpful in determining the trends in the market.
From such information, it is possible to learn the amount individuals are considering paying for comparable property. This data will then allow you to price your Northern Virginia property so it will move rapidly and without stress. Understanding the factors of property pricing can aid you in fulfilling your desire.
The key to selling your house is good marketing. Your Northern Virginia real estate listings will get the notice you want if you draw the buyer’s attention to the uniquely positive attributes of the home you have listed. These items would include remodeling or construction recently completed, added appliances and updated paint and floors.
As a buyer, the newer and more pristine a house appears, the more desirable that house becomes. Even small changes can make a big difference. A new refrigerator or stove can turn a bland kitchen into an updated masterpiece! If you want your house to sell quickly, try a program that assists sellers in getting their houses closed within a certain amount of time. It will put you on the fast track to success!
If you have Alexandria VA real estate or Chantilly VA real estate your are trying to sell, there are steps than can help. Use online resources to determine the correct market value, consider using a guaranteed sales program, and enhancing your marketing. Northern Virginia Real Estate has a great, beautiful location and property values are increasing. You can maximize your sale price by installing new appliances, making all essential repairs, and painting walls and restoring floors. Be certain that your listings and advertising mentions the repairs and new additions and remodeling to make the property more appealing to the buyer.
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Northern Virginia Condos: Are They For You?
By robertearl | June 9, 2008
If you’re in the market for a house or condominium, now is an excellent time to buy. Houses and condos are incredibly affordable, due to burgeoning supply and little competition from other buyers. If your dream is to own a home of your own, the current housing market makes it easy to find.
Condominiums are the fastest-growing part of the Northern Virginia real estate market. A condo is a managed home, and is usually one of a complex of similar units. Condos vary in size and in appearance; some are large, free-standing units that resemble traditional houses, while others are adjoining units with one or two bedrooms each.
Condominiums attract people who are normally homeowners for many reasons. Price is one big factor, since condominiums are almost always cheaper than equivalent houses. Especially in Northern Virginia, where the real estate market is quite pricey, condominiums are a great alternative for anyone looking for a quality, affordable home.
Condominium complexes attract many purchasers with the many amenities that they make available, such as hot tubs, pools, gardens, landscaped grounds, and walking trails. Another attractive aspect of condos is that buyers don’t have to pay for or arrange repairs of the grounds, fences, exteriors, or other features. The condo’s management company takes care of all of these arrangements, within limits that vary from one complex to another.
Purchasers may find Northern Virginia condos appealing, as many are pitched towards particular demographics. For example, some are designed for families, some are aimed at first time homeowners, and some are made specifically for senior citizens. These sort of homes offer immediate social connections. A condo designed for families with young children provides easy and built-in opportunities for play dates, and will also offer targeted amenities such as playgrounds.
If you want to buy a condo in Northern Virginia, examine the Northern Virginia real estate listings that you can find in newspapers, bulletins, and magazines. There are several websites dedicated to new home buyers looking for real estate in McLean, VA. Condos are a sizable and growing part of the real estate industry, so there are now many websites, businesses, and real estate agents that specialize in helping you find the condo you are looking for.
McLean VA real estate is hot right now. Northern Virginia Condos are in high supply right now, but the demand just hasn’t caught up with it yet. Northern Virginia real estate listings show the prices are low, low, low, and there many condos and houses available. If you’re considering home ownership, now is the time. Start homes, empty nester dwellings, and even families with younger children can revel in the opportunities that await those who are interested in homes in this area in the Washington DC metropolitan area, which is just a stone’s throw away.
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Northern Virginia House For Sale - Does The Escape From The Hustle Of The City Fit You?
By robertearl | June 2, 2008
Virginia is a not often thought of place which offers the pleasant suburban look with a hint of country charm, and is a good place to purchase property. The lovely scenery would bring a smile to any nature-lover’s face. The incredible beauty of the Virginia scenery would lead those appreciative of nature to look more closely at the housing listings in northern Virginia.
Living in northern virginia offers you the chance of living in the lap of nature with scenic landscapes to admire wherever you go. You can even enjoy the beauty of serene landscapes from the convenience of your living room once you have started living there. For that to happen you need to choose a northern virginia house for sale from the many options available.
Now that you’ve decided you’re ready to move to the picturesque countryside of northern Virginia, it will be easy to find a northern Virginia property that meets your needs. Whether you decide to pursue your dream online or through a northern Virginia realtor, there will be no need to worry and search frantically. It will happen!
Some would prefer to contact a northern virginia real estate agent who would show them around and tell them the details of certain properties. Such an agent can also help bargain on the buyer’s behalf with the owner of the property. The agent may also assist you in getting home loans and the legal documentation concerning the purchase.
Another lot of people choose to do an online review of different properties available for purchase on real estate specific websites. After making up their mind on a list of possible properties, say a northern Virginia house for sale, they personally fix an appointment with its present owner to finalize the deal.
Other people prefer to advertise their desire to buy property in newspapers, and this is still a very effective method. No strategy is likely to be successful if you are not comfortable with it, so take your time and select a strategy that you believe will work. The cost of preparing such a strategy is very small, compared with the benefits of living in just the right house in northern Virginia.
Northern Virginia combines the convenience of the suburbs and the charm of the country. When you choose to buy a Northern Virginia house for sale, you will be the proud owner of a beautiful view. Once you’ve decided to buy a house in the area, you need to call a Northern Virginia real estate agent. The real estate agent can help you look around the properties you are interested in and complete the legal paperwork required to make the purchase official. You can look on websites and newspapers for people looking to sell Falls Church VA real estate, along with property elsewhere in Northern Virginia.
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The Real Estate Team Approach, following the model of leading service industries.
By robertearl | May 26, 2008
Lets face it, Some people prefer to make sure that one person is responsible for & doing everything involved with a particular service. They don’t want to have to track down multiple people & get multiple answers to what is going on.
If this describes you then you probably will not need to read along any further. This write-up is provided to show the benefits of working with a real estate team as opposed to using the services of a single agent.
Also, if this is the case, then you probably don’t appreciate the services that are provided by your local grocery store or restaurants or gas station for that matter.
These industries have found over the years that a team approach ultimately provides a great level of customer service to the customer.
While it may have been slow to initially take this team approach, the real estate industry is catching on.
With real estate companies looking to better serve the marketplace, some individual agents have taken it upon themselves to create real estate teams to benefit home buyers and sellers.
How? The Team Leader, usually an experienced Real Estate Agent has taken the time to examine the entire real estate transaction process & identify the key steps & the standards of service that need to be provided for optimum customer satisfaction.
Team members usually are specialist in the areas of Marketing, Transaction Coordination & Feedback follow-up. These administrative based task allow the agent to have more time devoted towards customer service and finding buyers for listings and houses for buyers.
Team members are empowered to proactively coordinated & communicate with the lender, settlement company & other Agents to avoid potential problems that may arise during the closing process.
Team members are trained to implement checks & balances and are trained to coordinate reviews and hand offs, all while the Lead Agent is available to Manage, Oversee & Clarify.
When assembled, a well running, trained, Real Estate Team is Truly a Time & Money saving benefit to those looking to buy a home in Northern Virginia or sell a home in Northern Virginia as opposed to working with an individual agent.
Robert Earl - Founder of The Earl of Real Estate Team is a Real Estate Entrepreneur serving the Northern Virginia Real Estate Market. Robert Earl’s Site highlights Leesburg Condos for Sale - Leesburg Condo Communities
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Strategies for selling your home in a Buyers Market
By robertearl | May 19, 2008
So an opportunity has arisen that you must act upon sooner, rather than later. And even though you know that it is a Buyers’ Market, you have to sell you home and you have to sell it fast. Waiting is not an option for you. No matter what the market conditions are, you need to sell your house.
The first one to sell, WINS in a Buyers’ Market. In order to understand the logic, you have to look at the entire transaction as if you were the home buyer and not the home owner. Looking at it like a buyer, If you knew that your area was in a Buyer Market, and you knew that the last property sold for $450,000 & that prices had been declining recently. would you as the buyer, offer more or less than $450,000 for the next home that came on the market? The answer is usually less. So you see, if you were the first one to sell you would win. If you were the one at $450,000 you make more than the next one & so on & so on.
Calculate your holding cost: Most sellers look at the one shear number of how much less they are going to list for as compared to the home that sold 2 years ago or the last property that sold prior to your listing without taking into account something called the waiting cost. Holding cost normally includes the Principal, Interest, Taxes & Insurance that would be outlayed plus any HOA or Condo dues. In addition, add on the amount that property values have been declining and multiple this by the period of time that it has been taking homes to sell. Then ask yourself is it better to hold or wait or is it better to take the “hit” up front, rather than prolonging the issue.
Position yourself to ride the 1st & biggest wave: In a Buyers Market, there is no room for the old mindset or Sellers Market mindset of Pricing it high with room to negotiate or room to come down in the future. With a limited amount of buyers and a greater amount of inventory, the time to price the property correctly is right up front. The greatest number of prospective buyers will be coming through your property in the 1st 30 days and most of these will categorize your property as overpriced & move on to another property if it is not correct when they first see it. It is very important that you determine your Northern Virginia Condo & House Values correctly. Worst, they will categorize you as the owners that are not serious to sell.
The Silver Lining to selling a condo in Northern Virginia during in a Buyers Market is when you are trading up. Sure, you are not getting as much as you wanted on your existing property, but you will be paying the same percentage less in a trade up situation. And the same % of a larger number means you are saving more money than you “lost” on your current property.
Remember, In a Buyers Market, marked by declining prices, each month you wait to sell results in less money you will get at closing.
Robert Earl - Founder of The Earl of Real Estate Team is a Real Estate Entrepreneur serving the Northern Virginia Real Estate Market. The Earl of Real Estate Team loves working with Arlington VA Real Estate, Condos, Townhomes & Homes for Sale
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3 key level to monitor as a Real Estate Investor.
By robertearl | May 12, 2008
Establish the Investments Level of Liquidity - liquidity is the ability to quickly convert an investment into cash, without losing any of the principal that you’ve invested. For example, a savings account is highly liquid. By contrast, one of the least liquid investments is real estate because of the unpredictability of the market value at the time you are ready to sell. The greatest real estate fortunes have been lost by those who overextended themselves and didn’t have enough liquidity to weather the ups and downs in the real estate market.
Research the Level of Marketability the Real Estate Investment will have - marketability is the ability to convert an investment into cash quickly, at any price. For example, stocks can be sold anytime on an organized stock exchange at the prevailing market value. However, the price at which the stock is sold can produce a loss for the investor who is selling the stock. With real estate, not only will you need to deal with market conditions, there will be real costs to consider whenever you sell a property such as marketing fees, brokerage fees and taxes. Those looking to invest in Northern Virginia Condos for Sale should try to invest with a business plan and avoid the marketability risks associated with real estate speculation.
Establish the Investments Impact of Leverage - Leverage is when a purchaser borrows funds to finance a portion of the purchase price of an investment. The ratio of borrowed funds to the total purchase price is known as the loan-to-value (or LTV) ratio. A low loan-to-value would result in low leverage, while a high loan-to-value would result in high leverage. Real estate investments can be more leveraged than most other types of investments. Sometimes, mortgage debt results in ‘negative leverage’. In this case, you should avoid mortgage debt or sell the investment. Other times, mortgage debt results in ‘positive leverage’ and can enhance your rate of return on investment. When buying a home in Northern Virginia, you should avoid the trap of negative leverage while maximizing the benefits positive leverage.
Robert Earl - Founder of The Earl of Real Estate Team is a Real Estate Entrepreneur serving the Northern Virginia Real Estate Market. The Earl of Real Estate Team loves working with Burke VA Real Estate, Condos, Townhomes & Homes for Sale
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Divorce Strategies related to Real Estate Holdings
By robertearl | May 5, 2008
Although it is a topic that most people don’t want to consider, divorce has a tremendous impact on real estate and financial holdings. Real Estate may represent the largest asset that is being considered within the divorce proceeding, therefore it is something that should be considered when a separation or divorce are on the horizon. Consider that there are over 1.4 million divorces in the US ever year . Here are some points, strategies and tips on how to maintain your lifestyle after a divorce and how to evaluate various financial settlement options prior to a separation & divorce:
You should consider and evaluate the options related to disbursement of your real estate properties, including homes, condos, vacation properties, investment properties, timeshares, etc. prior to the divorce settlement. This could include an evaluation of whether you should:
o Put your home up for sale or refinance your your primary house or other real estate assets in order to cash out an ex-wife or ex-husband
o Accept or pay spousal support, child support or a higher cash flow payment versus a lump sum distribution involving any real estate assets. You should evaluate the cash flow and real estate equity protection implications of various financial decisions before, during and after a divorce. This enables you to:
o Maintain your lifestyle
o Keep your little ones in the same school system as a single parent
o Still live in a home that does not break your budget
o Stay on track to achieve financial freedom and become debt-free
You should look to correct your real estate liquidity and provide protection for your any real estate assets from legal obligations or liabilities prior to going through a separation & divorce by working together with your CPA, Financial Planner, attorney. Real Estate Team and other advisors.
Don’t settle for an financial short-term fix or strategy if you failed to plan properly during a divorce situation. You can recover by implementing a structured plan for how to re-establish your monetary footing after going through a financial rough spot. This may involve:
o A staged approach to financing - a refinancing or debt restructuring plan that takes place over time
o Sale/Leaseback or Rent-to-Own strategy - a way to keep or buy a home for sale or when you can’t qualify for traditional financing options.
o Seek out Affordable Single Family Homes for Sale
You worked hard to develop the assets and real estate holdings involved. You should consider all of your options to create an environment that works to protect those assets.
Robert Earl - The Earl of Real Estate is a Real Estate Entrepreneur based in the Northern Virginia Real Estate Market.
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Jose Conseco Strikes Out - loses home to foreclosure
By robertearl | May 1, 2008
Former U.S. baseball star Jose Canseco said on Thursday he had lost his California mansion to foreclosure — one of the first celebrities to publicly admit being a statistic in the U.S. housing crisis.
Canseco, 43, one of the most flamboyant U.S. baseball players until his retirement from the major leagues in 2001, told the celebrity TV show “Inside Edition” that it did not make financial sense to keep his 7,300 square-foot (678.2 sq-metre) home in the Los Angeles suburb of Encino.
“Inside Edition” said it had foreclosure documents showing Canseco owed a bank more than $2.5 million on the house.
“I’ve been out of the game for about eight or nine years and obviously this issue with the foreclosure on my home,” he told “Inside Edition”.
“I do have a judgment on my home and it to me is very strange because it didn’t make financial sense for me to keep paying a mortgage on a home that was basically owned by someone else,” he said.
Canseco said the foreclosure was not a difficult issue emotionally. But he sympathized with the millions of other Americans who have already lost, or face losing their homes, because of soaring interest rates on sub-prime loans.
“I decided to just let it go, but in most cases and most families, they have nowhere else to go,” he said. (reuters.com)
Canseco was one of the first Major League Baseball players to admit using steroids.
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Honey, do you know where I put that $6 Trillion I had? It was here just a bit ago
By robertearl | May 1, 2008
Disappearing Now: $6 Trillion in Housing Wealth. “Center for Economic and Policy Research report, based on Case/Shiller Home Price Index: The annual rate of price decline over the last quarter was 24.9% in the 20-city index and 25.8% in the 10-city index. At this rate… the excesses of the housing bubble will have largely disappeared by the end of the year… The price decline implies an incredibly rapid loss of wealth. In real terms, the rate of price decline in the 20-city index would imply a loss of almost $6 trillion in real housing wealth over the course of the year, an average of $85,000 per homeowner.” (latimes.com)
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Believe it when you see it - Dulles Rail Set to Get Federal Approval
By robertearl | April 30, 2008
Federal transportation officials are planning to approve the proposed 23-mile extension of Metrorail in Northern Virginia to Dulles International Airport in a letter to Congress today, the officials told local and state authorities yesterday.
Without the federal money, state and local officials have said, the project would die, ending the possibility of a long-sought rail connection between the nation’s capital and its major international airport. Supporters say the line would ease congestion through Northern Virginia’s biggest jobs corridor and keep the economy humming with the transformation of suburban Tysons Corner into a thriving downtown.
The rail line would go from Falls Church to the airport and into Loudoun County. The first phase, for which Virginia is seeking the federal money, would have four stations at Tysons Corner and end at Wiehle Avenue in Reston. (washingtonpost.com)
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Washington DC in line with Averages reported on S&P / Case-Shiller Home Prices Report
By robertearl | April 30, 2008
The February S&P/Case-Shiller Median Home Price data was released Tuesday, and as shown in the table at right, the Composite 10-City and Composite 20-City year-over-year declines were once again extremely negative.
Las Vegas, Miami and Phoenix all registered 20% year-over-year declines, while Los Angeles, San Diego, Tampa and San Francisco weren’t far behind. While Miami has fallen 22% from its highs, it still has the highest median home price at $218,740. Chicago was down 8.5% from 2/07 to 2/08, while New York was down 6.5%. Charlotte was the only city that maintained year-over-year gains at 1.48%.(seekingalpha.com)
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Baron Earl comments on an actual photo found in the MLS System
By admin | April 29, 2008
Take a look at this photo that I found in a listing for a house.
A few days ago, my Daddy, The Earl made a posting about the number of photos that a property has and how it sells. Why is my house not selling? - Maybe because no one is seeing it?
Now, most of the time, more photos are great. And then there are exceptions.
These little guys look like they are cute, but they all have a “we must protect this house” look on their faces.
Imagine what it is like if you are a buyer of a home trying to look at this particular house. The buyer might, at best, be sniffed to death, or even worse.
Sad as it is to admit, some people are not dog people. Not every one that I approach wants to pet me. Some even start sneezing and getting funny looks on their faces.
So, I think dogs are great (what else would you expect me to say) JUST NOT IN MARKETING PHOTOS TRYING TO SELL A HOME.
Heres to Happy Buyers.
Baron Earl
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Virtual Roundtable on the State of the Real Estate Market
By robertearl | April 29, 2008
USA TODAY QUESTION TO THE VIRTUAL REAL ESTATE ROUNDTABLE: If you could use just one or two words to describe the housing situation right now, what would you say?
Brandt: Working itself out.
Youngblood: Correction.
Naroff: Sales are stabilizing, prices still falling.
Murphy: Work in progress.
Yun: 2008 is a year of clean-up. Afterwards, better conditions.
Murphy: Better days ahead.
Zandi: Not over yet.
Bruno: Unstable.
These responses came from an article in USA Today.
The spring home-buying season is kicking off in the midst of the most painful real estate recession in decades, with prices tumbling and many Americans losing their homes to foreclosure because they can’t pay their mortgages. As buyers and sellers begin what’s typically an energetic time for real estate activity, USA TODAY convened a virtual roundtable of housing experts and everyday Americans for an online conversation.
Check out the article and if you have any questions you can always Ask The Earl.
Some of the selected questions and answers:
Q: Recently, the National Association of Realtors reported the first signs that sales might, at last, be perking up in some areas. Yet, home prices are still falling, and federal officials are taking steps to try to ease the crisis. What should buyers and sellers expect as the spring selling season gets underway?
A: Consumers need to find out what is going on at the local level and not necessarily take national headline numbers as a point of reference. Sellers tend to be more stubborn in facing the reality of the market, so people who really need to sell need to come down on prices, given the high inventory and seller competition.
Q: What needs to happen to stimulate the housing market?
A: Consumers need to have the confidence that their local market is not going to continue to fall — and the credit markets must become more fluid. We see many buyers who are ready to buy and should qualify but can’t get a loan. A government bailout of housing is not the answer.
Q: Consumers need to have the confidence that their local market is not going to continue to fall — and the credit markets must become more fluid. We see many buyers who are ready to buy and should qualify but can’t get a loan. A government bailout of housing is not the answer.
A: Home prices had just tracked inflation from 1895 to 1995. They outpaced inflation by more than 70% since 1995. That is my basis for saying that we need price reductions of 30% to 40% from 2006 levels.
Q: Assuming they do proper research, should people — especially first-time buyers seeking an affordable home — consider buying a property in foreclosure?
A: In some areas, most of the properties for sale will be foreclosures. I absolutely think people should consider this, after doing careful homework. Buying a home in foreclosure is no easy task for the novice, and they should not attempt it without professional help — an investor, agent, etc., who can guide them. It’s difficult, especially at public auction, which is the most risky stage to purchase.
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Happy Earth Day +7, Beltway Project will Bulldoze Hundreds of Trees
By robertearl | April 29, 2008
Hundreds of trees along the Capital Beltway will be cut down in preparation for construction of four more toll lanes, officials said yesterday.
The Virginia Department of Transportation said crews have begun clearing brush and trees to make room for construction trailers along the Northern Virginia Beltway at Georgetown Pike, Chain Bridge Road, Interstate 66 and Braddock Road. The staging areas will be used until the project is completed.
Hundreds of trees along the 14-mile project will be cut down, officials said — probably the first impact commuters will see from the project. (washingtonpost.com)
Two public hearings on the project are scheduled for next month. The first will be from 5 to 9 p.m. May 20 at Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale; the second, from 5 to 9 p.m. May 21 at Marshall High School in Falls Church.
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Northern Virginia Real Estate Offers Fair Pricing For Wonderful Homes
By robertearl | April 28, 2008
If you are looking for your dream retirement home, then look no further than northern Virginia. In northern Virginia, you will find many home builders, designers, real estate agents and brokers, all of whom are ready to help you build the retirement home that you have always wanted. You will also find experienced and established builders displaying their newly built homes and condominiums. Come to northern Virginia to see how you can retire in peace, comfort and happiness.
To fulfill any of your real estate needs and wants and to fulfill your dream to have the best home, northern virginia real estate is a place which is also full of brokers who can help providing the choice of right home for you. A place which is so peaceful and clam, which has no problem of child education, which has plenty of places to enjoy too is none but northern virginia.
In addition, Northern Virginia real estate information is easily obtainable to aide both buyers and sellers obtain the best possible price in this market. Northern Virginia is also home to a number of spots that are not only appealing to the traveler seeking the perfect vacation, but also for those looking for the ideal spot to settle down permanently as well. Investing in properties such as these will almost guarantee a future return on the investment.
Alexandria which is a small historic community located across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. With an outstanding schooling system and plentiful job opportunities in the area, a lot of people want to be a part of this suburb. A lot of people choose to buy alexandria va real estate property because of high property return and also because it is very close to Washington D.C.
Another place close to northern virginia is Ashburn which is located around 30 miles west of the capital. You would find local communities featuring various amenities like swimming pools, walking trails, soccer fields, tennis courts, clubs and much more. Also this place is home to many technology firms, horse farms and luxury hotels.
Ashburn, Virginia has many amenities providing a superior quality of life for its residents. Ashburn is the home of several colleges and universities offering a variety of undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Ashburn is also a shirt drive from Loudoun County in the heart of Virginia’s wine country with several wineries open to the public.
No body would like to miss a chance to buy a place in the northern virginia and the place which would come handy for them is northern virginia real estate for the beauty and the peace that one would get there. This appears to be a very intelligent choice for home. So get ready to get delighted in the place to live and spend some beautiful part of your life.
If you are looking to build or buy your dream home, look no further than northern Virginia. You can find experienced and established builders, designers, real estate agents and brokers just waiting to help you retire in comfort and happiness. Whatever the type of home you desire, Northern Virginia Real Estate has something for you. Alexandria is a small historic community with a superb school system employment outlook. This is a happy, family-friendly place and a great investment. Ashburn is home of recognized undergraduate and graduate universities and fine wineries. Alexandria VA real estate and Ashburn VA real estate present you with amazing living options.
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How these 5 steps can help you get the house you have always wanted
By robertearl | April 28, 2008
…and how The Earl of Real Estate Team can assist you in following these steps to get the home of your dreams in Northern Virginia.
The video above is an extract from Donny Deustch’s show titled “Million Secrets”.
It shows Dr Joe Vitale from the movie The Secret explaining the process of attracting wealth. We are going to show you how these same principles can be used to attract the home of your dreams.
In this video it is easy to see how perhaps Dr. Joe Vitale got his nickname “Mr Fire” for he is certainly fired up about this topic. For more information on this topic: (skylinecoachingblog.com)
So that you can really digest his message here is a summary of Dr Joe Vitale’s five-step process for attracting wealth the home of your dreams.
1. Know What You Don’t Want
This is perhaps the easiest step of all them all. Just ask anyone what they want and they’ll usually start telling you what they don’t want. People are very good at complaining about what they don’t want but the problem with this is that you are putting energy into what you don’t want and so you keep getting more of the same.
“If you don’t like something change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain.”
Maya Angelou
It’s like having a restaurant that you visit on a regular basis. You hate certain dishes and you repeatedly bitch about those particular dishes yet when it’s time to order you go right ahead and order those dishes because you haven’t taken the time to figure out what you do like on the menu.
So identify what you don’t want so that you can be clear on what you do want and focus your attention on these things.
The Earl Says:
I have seen this so many times when it comes to home buyers. I sit down to consult with them, trying to find out what they want in their new home and all that they can bring up and focus on is what they don’t want. I ussually takes a couple rounds of questions and some patience to allow the buyers to finish the don’t want list so that we can get them focused on the DO WANT LIST.
2. Check Your Intentions
When you state your intentions you re-align your body and your mind to go in the direction of a new target.
Think of a radio. Turn it own and start turning the frequency dial. As you do this you will hear static, you may sometimes hear overlapping stations, and you will also hear voices and or music as clear as a bell.
This happens when we tune into the right frequency. The same thing happens with your thoughts. You can direct your thoughts so that they tune into the thoughts and ideas that will move you forwards in the direction of your goal.
With a radio, if I told you the frequency you could find a particular station then it would be a relatively easy thing for you to find that particular station by aligning the dial on your radio with that particular frequency.
Goal achievement operates in a similar manner. State your intentions but ensure that you are in complete harmony with your intentions or else you will not succeed.
“You cannot change anything in your life with intention alone, which can become a watered-down, occasional hope that you’ll get to tomorrow. Intention without action is useless.”
Caroline Myss, Author of “Entering The Castle”
The Earl Says:
We try to do this in every house that we show. We remind the client what they listed on their DO WANT list so that they are tuned into the right frequency. Emotions take over. People forget what they want and end up going back to the list of don’t wants. As a consultant, we attempt to re-calibrate the home buying process at every property so that the we understand the buyers true intentions, every step of the way.
3. Get Clear
Janet Attwood, author of “The Passion Test - The Effortless Path to Discovering Your Destiny” said that,
“When you are clear, what you want will show up in your life, and only to the extent you are clear.”
The problem is as Dr Joe Vitale points out is that many people have counter beliefs and, to compound matters further, they don’t even know that have them.
The result is that, until the “get clear” they will continue to unwittingly sabotage their efforts.
Most people don’t know they have counter beliefs within themselves.
“Because you counter the majority of your thoughts with opposing thoughts, you believe that you are not powerful.
When you no longer split your flow of energy with contradictory thoughts, you will know your power.”
Abraham-Hicks
The Earl Says:
By taking care of the financial aspects of the property before we ever start looking at homes or condos in Northern Virginia, we attempt to make the home selection as clear as possible. The financial aspects can bring up the most amount of contradictory thoughts. Thoughts like “I can’t afford this” or “how am I going to pay for this?” are eliminated becasue the buyer already knows exactly how much they can afford on a total basis and a mo9nthly basis. By making sure that we get our home buyers mortage pre-approved before we start actually looking at properties, we eliminate the clutter of the mind and energy surrounding the money aspects of the purchase and allow the home buyer to be crystal clear on the features and benefits that they are looking for in their new home.
4. “Nevelize” Your Goal
These steps are getting progressively more challenging but it so important to follow them through. Are you beginning to see how if just one of these steps was not properly completed that it is unlikely for you to achieve your goals.
So for step four you need to use your imagination and feel what it would be like to already have what you want.
Now, I said that this is challenging but it also pleasurable. Just think of what you want, what you really want and then imagine you have it.
For instance, when I think of my dream home I visualise myself walking through my home and I take in the sights of what would be before me as I moved through the house. I can see the trees overhanging the back garden as I look out the kitchen window. I can feel the water flowing over my hands as I prepare some vegetables for a meal.
As I open the door leading to the patio and front garden I can hear the pool making little gurgling sounds and I can see the reflection of the sunlight sparkling on the water. I can feel the warmth of the sun on my face as I turn my face skywards.
As I go back inside and up the stairs into my bedroom I notice how light and airy the room is. I open the door leading to the balcony and I can clearly hear the waves beating against the shore. As I walk out onto the balcony I can detect a slight tanginess in the air.
I could go and on but I’m sure you get the picture. You’ve got to get emotionally involved with what you desire. This will accelerate what you want towards you.
The Earl Says:
Exactly.
5. Let Go While Taking Inspired Action
Then, despite saying you’ve got to get emotionally involved with what you want, you’ve also got to let go of your attachment to the end result. If you are over-attached to the end result you are really expressing fear rather than your passion or desire for what you want.
Fear moves you away from your goals.
Fear can also paralyse you at a time when you critically need to take action to achieve your goals. Passion is like fuel so keep your passion alive. Feed your passion. It will keep you internally motivated or inspired to move in the direction of your goal.
When you erase fear a sense of calm takes over you and in that calmness you will receive directions telling you how to proceed step-by-step. Sometimes those steps may seem counterintuitive but it is your very voice of intuition that is reaching out to you and guiding you.
The thing is you have to learn how to trust that voice of intuition.
There is another reason why we need to have a certain detachment regarding the outcome of what we are striving towards. As Sandra Ann Taylor, author of “Quantum Success” explains:
“Sometimes the Universe doesn’t give us exactly what we want when we want it, because there’s actually something better down the road.”
The Earl Says:
This is so true. So many home buyers during the boom settled for what they didn’t exactly want, or fell into a feeling of fear that what they were looking for would be so hard to find so they overbid for the house they did not actually want. This is where a professional that is assisting you can be so valuable. We want you to get exactly what you want, in the timeframe that you want it and will work with a sense of purpose, action and calmness to help you move in the direction of your goal.
For more information on this topic: (skylinecoachingblog.com)
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Is your Realtor still using a Typewriter???
By robertearl | April 28, 2008
We belong the the National Association of Realtors (NAR). We uphold and follow the code of ethics that the Realtor Association provides. We can honestly tell when we are working with a real estate agent that is not a member of NAR for a variety of reasons. That being said, there are some parts of the NAR organization that we just don’t get.
From time to time, NAR attempts to help its members by providing us with information and statistics regarding the real estate marketplace. One recent video was just so funny and sad that I feel that I had to share it and make comment on it.
This video, features the 2007 NAR President Pat V. Combs. It follows her as she and her staff “implement new technologies”.
During the video, Combs mentions that it is the typewriter that no real estate agent can do without because you simply can not fill out forms in any other manner.
The Typewriter?????
This is embarrasing!
Let me reassure you that The Earl of Real Estate Team has multiple ways in which we can fill out paper forms. We use Online Forms and PDF formats along with email and e-faxes.
In my 7+ years in real estate, I have never had to use a typewriter to fill out a form.
PS.. No typewriters were harmed in the making of this blog post. They were not even used.
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Welcome Our New Grandson - Cameron Michael Simmons
By debraearl | April 27, 2008
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The Youngest Victims of Foreclosure, keep them in your Prayers
By robertearl | April 25, 2008
When preparing a house for re-sale following a foreclosure, the most troubling times come when we see evidence that there were kids living in the property. The following brings light to this situation…(pardon the ad, but the story is worth it.)
Florida: “In Manatee county, 400 kids are homeless due to the foreclosure crisis. And the numbers are rising in other housing hot-zones across the country. Cleveland public schools have nearly 1,700 homeless students, 500 more than a year ago. Minneapolis schools have 5,600, up more than 1,000 more homeless kids than last year. Deb Bailey runs Project Heart, a group helping homeless families on Florida’s west coast. Her group is financed in part by the Manatee School District to help kids better deal with the effects of foreclosure.”
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A taxing issue - even if you don’t plan on selling - you are being effected by the Foreclosure Market
By robertearl | April 25, 2008
Faced with revenue shortfalls, local governments across the U.S. are raising p