Virginia Real Estate Blog

Just in case you were ever confused.

WE ARE NOT LENDERS!!!

Yes, I know this may come as a shock to some of you. We are Real Estate Agents. You are required to get a loan (in most cases) to work with us when buying a home or condo and that is why we refer you to one of our lending partners.

So that we are perfectly clear, we are providing the following disclaimer as required by the FTC.

“The information and communications provided to you on our websites, our emails & newsletters are for informational purposes only and should not be the only source that you rely upon. The Earl of Real Estate Team – Keller Williams is not a mortgage lender and so you should contact your loan officer or our lending partner Joe Lucas at McLean Mortgage directly to learn more about their mortgage products and your eligibility for such products.”

As you have seen if you follow my blog, I am a fan of list. 

One that I found to be particlurly clever was the Money Magazine list of the “Best place for the rich and single”  and the number 2 entry on the list was Tysons Corner Virginia. 

Now, not being single, I have no idea how they came up with this list, but I am sure that a 32.1% single population has alot to do with it.

Here is the write up from the magazine – “Catching a young, bright thing in this vast dating pool all comes down to timing. Most of Tysons Corner’s white-collar employees drive in for work and don’t stay, so mining for prospects is a 9-to-5 affair. Strike up conversations with potential suitors while in line for coffee or lunch. Break the ice by talking about the notorious gridlock. One thing’s for sure, you won’t lack for choice: some 110,000 employees work in this jobs juggernaut that is home to companies such as Booz Allen Hamilton and Capital One.”

Other areas on the list include Beverly Hills, CA, Hermosa Beach, CA, & Madison, NJ.
Continue reading Rich & Single? Tysons Corner may be your place

Money Magazine included Oakton Virginia on it 2011 list of “Best Places to Live”.

Per the magazine – “Hundreds of tall oak trees–from which the town got its name–dot the rolling countryside here. But scenic vistas are hardly the only reason to live in Oakton. This affluent unincorporated area is a logical choice for commuters to D.C. and to area jobs hub Tysons Corner: it’s located along both U.S. 66 and Route 123. And the schools here are very good. The tradeoff: Homes here don’t come cheap. Most hover around $600,000.”

Many of the initial comments left on the site have taken issue with the review regarding being a choice for commuters and we say, like any area in Northern Virginia, that you should pay attention to the potential commute that you will be facing and take this into consideration when selecting a home or condo. 

Continue reading Oakton Virginia on the Best Place to Live List for 2011

The 2011 list of the Best Places to Live released by Money Magazine includes Herndon Virginia at spot number 34.

Per Money Magazine – “This diverse little town was named for Commander William Lewis Herndon, an American naval explorer, in 1858. Today it provides a great base to explore the many jobs in the area. Herndon sits right near the so-called Dulles Technology Corridor, where companies such as AOL, Microsoft, and Verizon are big employers. Alternatively, residents can make the commute to Washington D.C., 22 miles away. The public schools here are a big draw for many: Newsweek consistently ranks Herndon High in the top 5% of the country.”

The location near Dulles Airport and being on the line for the future Silver Line metro stops in Herndon Virginia will even add to the allure of the area. 

One of our favorite activities in Herndon is Friday Night Live.

Continue reading Herndon Virginia ranked on Best Places to Live list for 2011

MLS stands for multiple listing service and is the source for a list of all home for sale that are listed with a real estate agent. The online site only allows access to real estate agents and professional associates, however a home buyer can get the same information, just not directly like the agents and associates are able to. Buyers are able to use this website to obtain some basic information on homes for sale. They can get the specifics of the home, such as age of the home, square footage, bedrooms, baths, and school districts.
Continue reading How to Search for Homes in Northern Virginia

Congratulations to Great Falls Virginia for being recognized by Money Magazine!!

With a median family income of $367,660 and a median home price of $1,090,000, Great Falls Virginia ranks as the Top-Earning Town on Money Magazines 2011 list beating out other areas that include Hillsborough, CA, Scarsdale, NY & Weston, MA.

Per Money Magazine – “A small suburb with major appeal, Great Falls tops this year’s list of affluent towns. Residents there enjoy wide-open spaces indoors and out. $1 million-plus homes set on two- to five-acre lots ensure plenty of privacy, but if that’s not enough room, locals can spread out at Great Falls National Park where the Potomac River rushes through 800 acres of stunning wilds.

There are no condos, apartments or townhomes in this D.C. suburb, but the distance between neighbors is less vast than you might think. An active newcomers group welcomes recent arrivals, and good old-fashioned socials in the Village Centre bring everyone together for holidays and summer concerts.”

The Earl of Real Estate Team has been proud to sell Great Falls Virginia Real Estate for the past 10 years and we look forward to doing so for years to come. Continue reading Great Falls Virginia Named Top Earning Town by Money Magazine

One of the nice parts about living in the Northern Virginia area is the close proximity to some of the award winning wineries and vineyards that surround us.

A search on VirginiaWine.org shows a total of 191 wineries across the state, with 65 being in the “Northern Virginia” region.

A few months ago, I had the opportunity and pleasure to visit one on these local wineries on a warm late July day.

The particular Vineyard was the Veramar Vineyard located just west of Leesburg and Loudoun County in Berryville, VA.  

Veramar is situated on a private 100-acre estate in the heart of the Shenandoah River Valley. 

Continue reading Living in Northern Virginia – Wineries and Vineyards all around

A recent article on ABCNEWS.com sought out an answer to this same question.   What sells a house these days? Well, some unusual anecdotal evidence suggests just may be a good Internet listing.

Why?  Web listings are crucial because 85 percent of buyers now say they start their searches online.

That is right – 85% (and some reports that I have seen recently put this number closer to 90-95%)

This quote by the CEO of Zillow.com is very telling.   “Sellers used to have to worry about curb appeal: How does the grass look, etc.,” said Spencer Rascoff, CEO of Zillow.com. “Now a seller needs to worry about Web appeal: When a buyer is browsing on the Web, what is their first impression.”  (Although the actual property has to look good when the buyers actually get there.)

We have been telling our clients (and anyone else that will listen) that a good online presence for your listing is key.   We believe in this and make sure that we apply it to our listings.  Here is an example on one of our recent listings located at 2409 Phillips Drive in Alexandria VA.  At the time of this posting, we had positioned this property into 5 of the first page listings on Google and we had 20+ photos for the property.

Doesn’t it make sense to you as a Reston Virginia Home Seller to take full advantage of the Internet?  And this does not just mean a posting of generic information on Realtor.com (all MLS Listings end up here eventually), but all of the available platforms and as many blogs as possible.  (Note to Sellers – the Average agent has no idea what I mean by this.  They put the property in the multiple listing system and allow the generic system to distrbute the listing.  We take the time at The Earl of Real Estate Team to ensure that your listing get syndicated and shared with a number of other locations and our own web of sites. Plural – Sites.  All of this creates more exposure for your home or condo in Reston Virginia.

You see, alot of these generic sites direct the buyers inquiry to an agent that is not as active (that is why they have the time to sit around and wait for the phone to ring) and does not know anything about the home that is listed.

By covering so many areas and platforms on the web, we make sure that your listing is not only marketed, but we make sure that we get as many of the inquiries about the property to come back to us.

So, is there a Secret?  Possibly!  It is called playing the percentages and showing up where the majority of buyers are at.  The average listing just doesn’t do this.  It needs to be promoted and positioned on the search engines and then include complete information along with photos and blog postings and other social media presentations.

The 2011 list of the Best Places to Live is out from Money Magazine and Number 4 on the list is Leesburg Virginia!!!

Money Magazine states that “These terrific small towns stand out in the qualities American families care about most – great job opportunities, top-notch schools, safe streets, economic strength, nice weather, plenty to do, and more.”

We have been selling homes and condos in Leesburg for years and we couldn’t agree more.
Continue reading Leesburg Virginia – Best Place to Live – 2011 Money Magazine

One of the questions that we get asked by home owner’s is: Is a Short Sale right for me?

There are some basic points that we try to get them to understand.

Mortgage lenders are increasingly willing to work with owners and borrowers that are truly faced with a financial hardship. They are willing to accept a discounted payoff on the mortgage.

You see, if you are faced with a hardship that makes it likely you will be unable to meet your future obligation on your mortgage, your lender would prefer to settle the matter with you as opposed to taking the property through the expensive process of foreclosure.

As you consider the option of seeking a Short Sale approval, remember your lender is looking to limit any potential loss on your loan.

By completing a Short Sale, your lender will arrive at a solution that is, for them, much better than a foreclosure.

Bottom line, your lender wants to work with you.

To get started on a Short Sale just give us a call or you can apply for a Short Sale pre-qualification online today:

Special thank to our Loan officer partner Brian Beveridge at Bank of America for presenting Debra Jones to give us an update and overview of how to assist our customers in the real estate market today.

Despite all of the reports from the Main Stream Media, Bank of America is trying to do alot to help out homeowners in this market. They are also doing alot to help agents understand the market and how to assist those looking to buy in the near future. Great rates are driving the market, but there are still alot of mistakes that can be made. Understanding and learning from the mistakes of others is a key to making good decisions. This also applies to the agents that assist you.

On this note….of ALL of agents in Northern Virginia, when I attend these events for training and education, I see the same handful of agents. (Be careful when you select an agent, there are alot of part time agents.).

If you have any questions about the real estate market and how it applies to your situation, let us know.