There are an abundance of beautiful, well-maintained Alexandria VA homes for sale right now. But there are very few buyers looking at them because it’s cold and dreary. They’d rather wait until spring. That means great prices for you right now!

Here are a few tips to help you catch a winter bargain:

• Ask to see summer photos: Want to know what the yard is like in the summer? Look at photos from last summer.
• Try light therapy: This makes everything look better. It’ll boost your mood and help you make a rational (not emotional) decision on which home is right for you.
• Use your imagination: If there’s something you don’t like about the house, imagine what it will look and feel like in warmer weather. The natural light will be brighter, the air will be fresher and the grass will be greener.
• Offer less: If the homeowners want to get the home sold this winter, they’re going to be more open to considering your offer, even if it’s several thousand dollars less than the asking price. If they’re unwilling to go as low as you’d like on the price, ask for other concessions. You might get the seller to pay for part of your closing costs, buy a home warranty plan or to leave the pool table that fits so perfectly in the family room.

If you’re willing to brave the cold and ignore the winter blues, you could save a bundle when buying one of the Alexandria VA homes for sale. Give me a call today at 703-909-3939 or email me at Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com and tell me what you want in a home. I’ll put together a list of great buys for you.

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

This economy has made it challenging to get acceptable offers from prospective buyers. While this is extremely discouraging, the lack of offers might mean it’s time to bite the bullet and lower the price on your Alexandria VA home for sale. Then you might be able to sell quickly and start a new lease on life.

Below are reasons you should lower your price now to sell fast and start anew:

• It costs time and money to keep a house on the market. Maintaining a house and waiting for the right offer is a full-time job. There is constant cleaning, upkeep and improvements that can cost you time and money — which you could be investing into your new house.
• Your home may be overpriced. If you aren’t receiving any offers, have your real estate agent pull information on comparable properties in your neighborhood that have recently sold. This will give you get a better idea of where you should be priced.
• Your real estate agent recommends it. He or she knows your market and can tell if your property has been for sale longer than expected. If a property sits on the market too long, potential buyers might suspect that something is wrong. If your house has more days on market than your agent expected it to have, then it’s probably time to reduce the price.

Consider dropping your price so you can accomplish your New Year’s resolution early in 2012. Reducing your price might also draw attention to your property, increase activity and bring more people through the doors.

If your Alexandria VA home for sale isn’t currently listed with an agent, and you’re ready to get it sold, please call me at 703-909-3939 or email me at Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com. I’ll implement my proven marketing plan to get your home sold as quickly as possible.

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

If you’ve made the decision to downsize to a smaller Alexandria VA home, here are five tips to help you make the transition:

1. Start early: Downsizing to a smaller home is much less stressful if you have plenty of time to sort through your belongings to figure out what you’re getting rid of and what you’re keeping. Plan to do this at least a month before you put your home up for sale. (Bonus benefit: it makes your house look less cluttered and more desirable to buyers.)
2. Evaluate your needs: Take an honest look at your lifestyle and what you truly enjoy. Are you really going to learn to play that piano? If you haven’t used it or thought about it in over a year, the answer is probably no. Advertise it in your local newspaper and sell it! For anything you’re having a hard time letting go of, put it in storage for six months. If you don’t think about it during that time, give it away or sell it.
3. Measure the rooms in your new Alexandria VA home: Measure the rooms in your new home as well as the furniture you want to take with you. Then, create a floor plan of your new home including the location of doors and windows and where you can place each piece of furniture. You know what to do with any furniture that doesn’t fit.
4. Assess the storage in your new home: While you’re getting room measurements, make sure to evaluate the storage situation in your new home. Will you have fewer kitchen cabinets? How many closets will you have? To make up for lost space, search for hidden storage options and consider investing in inexpensive storage systems.
5. Relax and enjoy: You no longer have to worry about the financial burden or time-draining tasks of maintaining a big home.

If you need help selling your current home or finding a smaller Alexandria VA home to buy, give me a call 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

1. 67 percent favor a quality neighborhood
2. 49 percent of buyers said they want convenience to jobs
3. 45 percent look at the overall affordability of Alexandria VA homes for sale in the neighborhood
4. 39 percent prefer to live close to family and friends
5. 28 percent of buyers are interested in having shopping close by
6. 27 percent want a quality school district
7. 22 percent ask for a neighborhood that is convenient to schools
8. 21 percent like to live close to entertainment or leisure activities

Assess your neighborhood. Which of the attributes most desired by buyers does your neighborhood have? Showcase those features in the marketing materials for your home:

• Mention the schools, shopping, entertainment and leisure activities that are close to your home.
• Give statistics on the quality of your school district.
• Take photos of your neighborhood that flaunt its quality.

Need help marketing your home? I specialize in selling Alexandria VA homes for sale in your neighborhood. If you’re ready to sell your home, let me market your neighborhood and home to get it sold now. Please give me a call today at 703-909-3939 or email me at Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com for more information.

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

While dealing in ready money definitely gives real estate investors an advantage, don’t get discouraged. There are a few guidelines financed buyers can follow to give them a better hand when it comes to beating out competitors that throw down the cash card.

• Get pre-approved. Talk with a reputable bank and get a pre-approved home loan for a certain amount before you start shopping for Alexandria VA homes for sale. This will give you an idea of the maximum you can spend and ensure you have the funds to back up your bid.
• Save for a large down payment. The more money you can put down up front, the more likely it is that you will sway the seller to accept your bid. This is especially true if the seller is a bank, because it wants to erase bad debt quickly.
• Build a relationship. Cash investors usually have a good rapport with listing agents, and so should you. Figure out who the seller’s agent is and introduce yourself, or have your real estate agent send greetings on your behalf. You should also be sure you’ve hired an agent who knows how to build beneficial relationships with buyers, sellers, other agents, and everyone involved in the home selling process. The more the seller’s agent gets to know and trust you and your agent, the better chance you will have.
• Seek out the seller’s needs. Ask your real estate agent to try and find out if the seller has any special requirements, such as needing a shorter or longer closing period. If you offer to be thoughtful and flexible, you have more of a chance of beating out the cash buyer.

Don’t let cash investors deter you from getting good deals on Alexandria VA homes for sale. Prepare, save, build a relationship and be flexible, and you might have a new house before you know it.

Want to work with an agent who knows how to build beneficial relationships?  Give me a call 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

You may have thought you’d never experience a real estate bidding war again.  When you employ these tactics, you might just start a bidding war for your Alexandria VA home:

• Compare your house to others in the neighborhood. Research other Alexandria VA homes for sale in your area, and arm yourself with information for making an objective decision — such as proximity to schools, number of foreclosures, and how many are represented by real estate agents versus those for sale by owner.
• Highlight your property’s unique features. With hundreds of houses on the market, you need to find something that differentiates your property from others. You’re striving to make buyers think that your house is special, so take a lot of pictures of your property’s distinctive features.
• Price appropriately. The goal is to create a bidding war and hope that the competing buyers push the price above what the property was listed. You need to list your house at an attractive price point in order to draw as many buyers in as possible.
• Have buyers meet each other. Host a widely-advertised open house, so that potential buyers run into each other. This shows purchasers that there is definite interest, which equals competition and that they should bid quickly. If the open house is sparse, tip the scale and call a couple of friends over to do a little acting.
• Manage your war. If you get interest from multiple parties, set a date for preliminary bids. If you receive more than two, set the highest bid as your new minimum and start over. Continue this until you stop receiving bids and go with the highest offer. If you only receive two initial bids, then ask the lower party if they’d like to resubmit another.

Do the smart thing this fall and set your house apart from the others by creating a bidding war. The more offers you have, the higher the bids are likely to go for your Alexandria VA home. Call me at 703-909-3939 or email me at Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com for more marketing strategies.

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

When you understand the typical meaning of these code words, you’ll be better able to determine which Alexandria VA homes for sale are worth looking at in person.

• Cozy: Look at this home if you don’t mind a much smaller than average home.
• Rustic: If you want a home in the country (or one that looks like it should be in the country), take a look at this one.
• Move in Ready: Usually means it’s vacant.
• Starter: It’s smaller and less expensive than average homes in the area.  If you’re in the market for a starter home, this is the phrasing you want to look for.
• Needs TLC: It probably needs more than just a little work.  If you don’t mind that, check it out for yourself to see how much work it really needs.
• Handyman’s Special: Needs more work than TLC, which probably means you’ll need to hire professional contractors to get at least some of the work done.  If you like the home, have a home inspection to find all the problems and then negotiate for a good price.
• Investor Special: Best use of this property is to rent it out.
• Investment in Land: If there’s a house on the land, this means you’re probably wisest to tear down the home and rebuild.
• I’m Beautiful Inside: The interior is nice, but something about the exterior is unappealing.  It could be something easy to fix like old siding and cracked concrete or something impossible to remedy like being on a busy street.
• Honey, Stop the Car: This is a must-see home, if it fits your budget and needs.

If you’re looking at Alexandria VA homes for sale, let me help you crack the code.  I’ll help you find a home you’ll love and use my negotiation skills to get it at a great price.

To get started with your home search, give me a call today at 703-909-3939 or email me at Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com to schedule an appointment.

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

With “back to school” on the brain, your top priority when looking at Alexandria VA homes for sale might be how close a home is to schools. Before you purchase property near a school, take the following considerations into account.

• Top-notch education – If the local school is the best in the surrounding area, then your property value could increase. Houses in your neighborhood will be in high demand because families will want to ensure their children are included in that district.
• Around the block – Living near a school could be beneficial if you have younger children you can walk with. Additionally, your proximity will allow you to react quickly if school closes early or your child gets sick.
• Noise alert – With cars whizzing by and children walking past, you might have to deal with daily commotion and traffic. Depending on how close you live to the school, you could also be subject to noise from recess, after-school practice and Friday night football games.
• School view – Living directly across from a school could actually decrease the value of your home and increase the litter. A view of a high school isn’t as good as a view of a quaint, tree-lined street; and the constant foot and car traffic could mean more mess in your yard.
• Neighborhood watch – Do your research. Some neighborhoods surrounding schools may have better relationships with the school. If your neighborhood association meets monthly with a school, you’ll be able to voice any concerns you might have.

While there are many pros and cons to living near schools, you need to decide what is best for your family.

Whether you’re interested in Alexandria VA homes for sale near or far away from schools, I can help you find a home that fits your priorities.  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

In comparison, two decades ago, a CBS News/New York Times survey found that 84% of American adults thought buying a home was the best investment a person could make.  That’s only a 3% decline in 20 years.

The new information is based on two nationwide studies performed this year by the Pew Research Center and Trulia, a real estate website.  The Pew Research Center’s survey sample included 2,142 adults.  Fifty-seven percent of the people who answered the survey own a home, 30% rent and the remainder has other arrangements, such as living with family members.

Here are some other findings provided by the studies:

• Buying is more affordable than renting in 78% of America’s major cities.
• 81% of renters would prefer to own a home than continue to rent.
• 47% of homeowners say their home is worth less now than before the recession started.  31% say its value is the same.  17% say their home is worth more than before the recession.

The bottom-line?   In most areas of the country, even though home prices have declined in the past four or five years, homeownership is still preferred and is also a practical financial decision.

If you’re ready to buy an Alexandria VA home for sale, I can help you find one that you’ll love in a price range that fits your budget.  To find the perfect Alexandria VA home for sale, give me a call 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

Take the time to thoroughly market your Alexandria VA home for sale by owner (FSBO).

1. Take a lot of good photographs. You have to expect that buyers will look at your property online before they decide to take the time to visit it in person. Make sure you have a lot of photographs online and that they do your house justice. Take pictures from multiple angles in each room and choose the best ones. Also, if you have a great yard, make sure you show it off.
2. Make the most of your signage. Ensure your phone number is clearly visible. Also, check with your homeowners association and neighbors that live at busy intersections to find out if you can put a sign with an arrow pointing toward your house.
3. Put ads on every website you can. Most buyers start their search on the Internet, so make sure your Alexandria VA home for sale by owner has a strong online presence.
4. Don’t forget about print ads. Many buyers still look at newspaper Classifieds, so make sure your house appears there. You can often place large ads in smaller publications for relatively little money.
5. Host open houses. Not every location is especially suitable, but try it a couple of times and see how many people turn out.  If you’re getting good foot traffic, keep it up.

If you don’t have the time to devote to selling your home and need help marketing your Alexandria VA home for sale by owner, I can help!  Please call me at 703-909-3939 or email me at Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com for more information.

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