Fairfax County VA Home Search Website Blog

Going it alone and listing your home as for sale by owner can be exciting at first, but there is a turning point where the prospect of losing money makes it necessary to bring in help. There are several reasons to change your plan and list your home with a Fairfax County Virginia real estate agent in order to facilitate a sale.

Speed

If your property has been languishing on the market for more than three months, it is no longer fresh. People will avoid it simply because it hasn’t sold. A knowledgeable and experienced Fairfax County Virginia real estate agent can give your home wider exposure and get traffic moving through it again.

Knowledge

Fresh eyes on a project are helpful in any business endeavor. You can be too close to your home. You love it and see it in a positive light that can often overlook minor items that will kill a sale. Your Fairfax County Virginia real estate agent can help you see the problems you didn’t even know existed.

National Exposure

As a FSBO (for sale by owner) seller, you are not able to list your home on the official MLS (multiple listing service). That exposure alone can get much faster responses and sales. Additionally, a professional Fairfax County Virginia real estate agent markets your home on multiple websites which gives your home a virtual Open House 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

An Earthly Advantage

Many FSBOs price their homes way over market for two reasons.  First, they love their home and see certain aspects of their home as more valuable than they really are.  Second, they don’t have extensive knowledge of the real estate market nor do they have the ability to do current home price comparisons. You ‘might’ know what your neighbor’s house sold for 10 years ago, but do you know what it is worth now?  And even more important, do you know exactly how comparable your house is to that one? Your Fairfax County Virginia real estate agent does.

Are you ready to list you home for sale?  If you would like more information on how a professional real estate agent can help you sell your home, please give me a call at 703-909-3939 or email me at Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com today.

Steve Hawkins
Long and Foster REALTORS®
Springfield, Virginia
www.HomeSearchWebsite.com
Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com
703-909-3939

Do you own one of the homes or condos in Arlington VA?  Don’t despair if you are short on cash. With a little imagination your home can still be beautiful. Sometimes a little elbow grease is a decent replacement for extravagant money, and other times you can get great deals by shopping around for items that are costly.

Indoors

Simple things can mean a lot. You can change the entire look and feel of a room by just changing the window treatments. New drapes or blinds add warmth and appeal and instantly give your home or condo a fresh new look.

If that’s not enough, a fresh coat of paint transforms any room. Paint is one of the least expensive home decorating tools, and you can save even more money by doing it yourself instead of hiring a painter. It doesn’t require a lot of skill and is hard to do wrong. 

Not sure what paint colors to select?  Try shopping for new throw pillows and pictures that have the colors you would like to use in the room.  When you’re ready to go shopping for paint, take the pillow with you and coordinate the paint colors to contrast or match.  It works every time!  You’ll not only have a beautiful new room, the pillows will spruce up any tired looking furniture.

The bathroom is the second most commonly remodeled room in the house (after the kitchen), but it can cost a lot of money to replace cabinets, fixtures, or tile. Simple things can help give your bathroom a face-lift: add candles for a lovely glow and inviting fragrance. Get new towels to hang and repaint walls. Re-grout any tiled areas for a fresh new feel.

Outdoors

Coming home from a long day of work to a worn-out looking home can be a downer. Add some hanging baskets of flowers or vines by the door and trim your path with a flower bed or decorative stone. Apply a little labor and repaint the trim on windows and doors to give your home a quick lift.

It doesn’t take a lot of money to make homes and condos in Arlington VA a haven. If you would like more tips on sprucing up your home on a budget, subscribe to my blog.  Free tips like this one will be emailed to you about twice a week.

Thinking about buying or selling Arlington VA real estate?  I can help!  Give me a call at 703-909-3939 or email me at Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com.

Steve Hawkins
Long and Foster REALTORS®
Springfield, Virginia
www.HomeSearchWebsite.com
Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com
703-909-3939

All the talk is about how the President’s stimulus plan helps out new and first time home buyers. The good news is that it also helps homeowners.  You can get stimulus plan benefits from your existing Fairfax County Virginia real estate too.  Add a little green living to your environment and you’ll be pocketing some change at the end of the year from your income tax return.

Under the stimulus plan, both eco friendly new home purchases and eco friendly improvements on existing homes are tax deductible. Now’s the time to make your home more energy efficient and get a break at the end of the year for your efforts.

Going green saves money, makes your living environment healthier, and improves the world we live in. To reap the benefits from the stimulus plan, you can make major home improvements such as adding solar power or moderate priced home improvements such as adding low flow water fixtures.

You need to make your home improvements soon to get the stimulus plan benefit.  The plan only allows for the tax benefits through the year 2010.  Why wait?  Use this as motivation to get your projects started (and completed) now.

Here are a few additional eco friendly home improvements to consider for your Fairfax County Virginia real estate:

1. Re-cover your roof: The color of your roof can make a big difference in how well your attic retains or refracts heat and cold.
2. Install an energy efficient Energy Star furnace: Make sure it has a high SEER rating (seasonal energy efficient ratio).

With a little work and a reasonable investment, your Fairfax County Virginia real estate will not only pay you back in dividends for years to come, it could get you a great tax break.

If you need more ideas for how to make your home energy efficient and get tax credits, call me now at 703-909-3939 or email me at Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com.

Steve Hawkins
Long and Foster REALTORS®
Springfield, Virginia
www.HomeSearchWebsite.com
Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com
703-909-3939

Do you own one of the homes or condos in Arlington VA?  Are you considering putting it up for sale but think it needs a little sprucing up first?  Here are a few tips on the smartest home improvements you can make to help sell your real estate in Arlington VA for more money.

• Kitchen remodeling stands at the top of any list of most attractive projects for re-sale value. Crisp clean new cabinets, fresh tile and countertops all make for buyer approval and is money well spent.
• Bathroom remodeling is a good bet but not nearly as good as adding additional bathrooms, unless your home already has a lot of them.
• Adding central heat and air to replace floorboard or radiator heat is a huge selling point for any one of the condos in Arlington VA. 
• Installing a deck or patio. This one hovers close to the middle of the do/don’t numbers but it is still a nice investment that can make your home or condo feel more comfortable and give it more ’space.’

An item less likely to be worth the money is:

• Converting your basement into a finished living space. Many buyers like a finished basement, but it’s the main living space that counts most to them.  Your money would be better spent above ground.

It is important to fix up your real estate in Arlington VA to get it ready for buyers.   But with money tighter than we’ve seen it in a long time, you need to focus on those improvements that will give you a good return on your money.

If you’d like more tips on what works and what doesn’t when fixing up homes and condos in Arlington VA for sale, I can help! As one of the best Arlington VA real estate agents, I’ll help you prepare your home to get top dollar and the most net to you.  Call me today at 703-909-3939 or email me at Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com now.  I look forward to talking with you.

Steve Hawkins
Long and Foster REALTORS®
Springfield, Virginia
www.HomeSearchWebsite.com
Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com
703-909-3939

You’ve decided to take the plunge and buy a home for your family.  With the banking industry in the shape it is, unless you have stellar credit, you’ll need a down payment than ever before.  So, how do you get the down payment to buy one of the Alexandria VA homes for sale that you’ve always dreamed of?

Tax Refund

It’s that time of year and maybe you’ve got a large income tax refund coming soon.  If so, set it aside to help pay your down payment on Alexandria VA real estate. 

Get Scrounging

Scour your attic, basement and storage units. Look in every nook and cranny to find items that are in decent shape, but no longer used, and have a garage sale.  Sure it’s usually pennies on the dollar of what your stuff is worth.  But if you’re not using it, someone else can, and you get the cash in hand. If you find items that are more valuable, sell them on eBay.  Every little bit helps.

Rich Relatives?

Hey, if you have’em use’em.  This is no time to feel shy about asking for a gift.  Purchasing one of the Alexandria VA homes for sale is a wise investment.  Many relatives who might otherwise be unwilling to give cash for frivolous items are happy to help loved ones buy a home.

Sell Something Big

Having precious jewelry or antiques is a great asset.  Consider selling items you’ve been holding onto as investments, in order to get the home of your dreams.

There are many ways to come up with the down payment and financing you need to buy Alexandria VA homes for sale.  I can help!  Email me now at Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com or give me a call at 703-909-3939 today.

Steve Hawkins
Long and Foster REALTORS®
Springfield, Virginia
www.HomeSearchWebsite.com
Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com
703-909-3939

With the current economy, it may seem like a better idea to rent one of the condos in Arlington VA instead of buying one. Let’s explore some of reasons why it’s still better to buy rather than rent.

Throwing Money Away

When you rent that’s basically what you’re doing. You give your money away in exchange for a ‘perishable’ item—one month of living space. Once that month is over, the money is gone and you didn’t get anything of long term value in return.

When you buy one of the condos in Arlington VA you still spend money for a month of living space, but in addition, you’re building long term equity. It may take longer and property may not increase in value as quickly as it did in the past, at least for now, but the money you spend becomes a back end asset instead of just disappearing.

Tax Breaks

When you buy a home, you can deduct the interest and property taxes that you pay every year on your income taxes. That can be a sizeable amount of money.  If you buy your first home in 2009, you get an even bigger tax break of $8,000 as a result of President Obama’s stimulus plan.  

Saving Money

Yes, you actually end up saving money in the long run if you buy a home rather than rent. According to The New York Times, over a 16-year period you can save as much as $5,000.00 by owning your own home.  And, that number doesn’t include the $8,000 tax credit first-time home buyers get when they purchase a principle residence in 2009.

The bottom line is that the housing market troubles have nothing to do with the ‘evils’ of homeownership. They have to do with bad lending practices, and people wanting more than they can afford.

Are you thinking about purchasing one of the homes or condos in Arlington VA?  Choose wisely, only buy what you can afford to pay for each month, and pay attention to the loan you are being offered. If you need any advice on the best types of loans or condos available, I’d like to help. Call me today at 703-909-3939 or email me at Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com.

Steve Hawkins
Long and Foster REALTORS®
Springfield, Virginia
www.HomeSearchWebsite.com
Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com
703-909-3939

Is this a good time for first time homebuyers to consider purchasing one of the Alexandria VA homes for sale? It’s a familiar question with the economy in the state it is in. Here are a few reasons why a home is still a great investment for first time homebuyers. 

Pride of Ownership

This will never go away no matter what the economy is like. Owning your own home is the American dream for a reason.  It just feels good to take care of a home that’s yours and yours alone.

Tax Incentives

Owning your own home is one of the best tax deductions. The new stimulus plan makes that tax incentive better than ever before. Not only can you deduct your interest payments on your tax forms this year and for every year during the life of your mortgage, the stimulus plan allows a huge homebuyer tax credit of $8,000 for homes purchased in 2009 by first time homebuyers.

Your property taxes are deductible too. Many first time homebuyers understand that they can deduct the mortgage payment interest but don’t realize they can declare their property tax as well for an even bigger yearly deduction.

Equity

Yes, even now, you will begin to build equity with each year you’re in your new home. Equity improves your credit worthiness and gives you options for loans in the future if you need them.

Take the first step toward buying one of the Alexandria VA homes for sale and contact me.  I’ll help you find the perfect place for you and your family. And, I’ll help you get it at a great price.  To get started, call me now at 703-909-3939 or email me at Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com.

Steve Hawkins
Long and Foster REALTORS®
Springfield, Virginia
www.HomeSearchWebsite.com
Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com
703-909-3939

Have you been keeping an eye on mortgage interest rates?  You’re probably wondering if now is the right time to refinance your Fairfax County Virginia real estate.  With money worries on the rise the first place many turn to is the monthly budget. It seems to be unyielding and rigid. What else can you cut when you’ve eliminated everything you don’t absolutely need?

One of the best places to cut expenses can be your mortgage. Now with the new stimulus plan in effect it’s even more possible to refinance your Fairfax County Virginia real estate to get the most savings possible. Here are a few things to look for to decide if refinancing is right for you:

Are you interested? The interest rates have dropped due to incentives by President Obama. If the current interest rate is lower than your existing rate, you might be able to save hundreds of dollars each month when you refinance.  Check with your mortgage provider to determine if you can save money by refinancing.

• Give yourself credit. You’re entitled to a free credit report each year from all three major credit reporting companies: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Use it to find out what your credit score is.  If your score is above 650 on all three, you have a good chance of taking advantage of the new interest rates.
• Location, location, location.  Fairfax County homeowners with a high mortgage over $417,000 could benefit a great deal from refinancing immediately. However, the declining Fairfax County Virginia real estate market may require you to have a much higher equity and a better credit score than 650 to successfully refinance your existing loan.
• What’s your line? If you have at least 10% equity in your home, you are in good shape to refinance.

Knowing where you stand is the first step in deciding if refinancing is right for your Fairfax County Virginia real estate. Do you have questions or are you considering selling your property?  As an experienced Fairfax County Virginia real estate agent, I can answer any questions you might have.  Give me a call today at 703-909-3939 or email Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com. I look forward to talking with you.

Steve Hawkins
Long and Foster REALTORS®
Springfield, Virginia
www.HomeSearchWebsite.com
Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com
703-909-3939

Spring is the time of year when most people clean their entire home from top to bottom. Before you put your home on the market, you should do your own spring cleaning. Not only will this help you weed out items you don’t want to move with you, it will make your home look better to potential buyers. Below is your guide to spring cleaning kitchens in Alexandria VA homes for sale.

1. You should always start cleaning rooms from the top to the bottom. That way dust and dirt will fall toward the floor, which is the last place you will clean.
2. Dust and clean artwork. Take down each piece of artwork and wipe it with a cloth.
3. Clean the ceiling fan. You many not even realize what is resting on your ceiling fan, especially if you use it often. Be careful as you wipe the blades so you don’t spread the dust all over the kitchen.
4. Wipe the walls. You never know when your mixer has sprayed cake batter on your walls or how much bacon grease is clinging to your backsplash. Scrub them with a de-greaser.
5. Wash curtains and blinds. Take down the curtains and blinds before you clean them. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
6. Clean your appliances. Use an all-purpose cleaner to wipe down each appliance. Clean your oven  using the automatic cleaner. Check small appliances as you clean them to make sure they are still working properly.
7. Clean out the refrigerator and freezer. Take everything out of the refrigerator and freezer, and wipe down each shelf and the sides. Throw out anything that has expired or that is freezer-burned beyond recognition. Change the baking soda.
8. Clean out the cabinets. Go through your pantry and throw away any out of date items. Get rid of plastic containers without lids. You won’t want to take this with you when you move anyway.
9. Wash the floors and baseboards. Your floors are the last section of the kitchen to clean. If you can, get on your hands and knees to wash the floor and baseboards.

I can help you sell your home for top dollar. Request my FREE book or CD for sellers that will help you learn the selling process from beginning to a successful end. 

Call me today at 703-909-3939 or email Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com for more tips on how to prepare Alexandria VA homes for sale.

Steve Hawkins
Long and Foster REALTORS®
Springfield, Virginia
www.HomeSearchWebsite.com
Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com
703-909-3939