Fairfax County VA Home Search Website Blog

To successfully market your Alexandria VA home for sale, you have to get buyers to want them. So, what do they want? Based on the data just in from the 2011 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, here are what buyers want in a neighborhood in order of importance:

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

In this economy, cash buyers have the advantage and are swooping in on great housing deals to beat out buyers obtaining loans through banks. Sellers are jumping on these offers because the cash is already secured, they don’t have to worry about finances falling through at the last minute, and it can guarantee quick closing dates on their Alexandria VA homes for sale.

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

If you’re looking to sell your Alexandria VA home this autumn, then don’t fall in the same rut as everyone else on the market. Leave them behind by sparking interest and creating a war for your property — a bidding war that is!

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

Real estate has a language of its own, and I don’t just mean phrases like closing costs, short sales and foreclosures.  What I’m talking about are buzz words used to advertise Alexandria VA homes for sale.

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

If you’re looking to purchase a new home, then you have a list of priorities. When looking at Alexandria VA homes for sale, families with young children consider proximity to schools and quality of school districts as two of the top concerns on their home buying checklist.

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 today’s environment, do you think buying one of the Alexandria VA homes for sale has become less popular than renting?  Then, you’ll probably be surprised to learn that 81% of American adults still think that buying a home is the best investment a person can make.

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

Selling your Alexandria VA home for sale by owner takes a lot of time and preparation.  In order to get the most buyers through your front door, you’ll need to do more than just stick a sign in the front yard. An aggressive and thoughtful marketing campaign can make the difference between a quick sale and your house continuing to sit on the market with little activity.

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

Now is the time to make your dream of owning a second home come true.  Whether you want to buy one of the Alexandria VA homes for sale for income property or as a vacation home, you may never encounter a more perfect time to get a great deal on your dream home.

Here are five reasons why now is the time to buy a second home in Alexandria Virginia:

1. The housing market is stabilizing.  Home prices are stabilizing and are not predicted to drop much past their present point.  This means homes will once again gain equity making them a good long term investment.
2. Inventory is high.  There are Alexandria VA homes for sale available in all price ranges and neighborhoods so finding that perfect second home is well within reach.
3. You get more for your money.  With all the homes currently on the market, many sellers are adding upgrades to help their homes to stand out from the competition.  Additionally, home prices are at their lowest point since the Great Depression.  This adds up to you getting much more for your money.
4. Interest rates are at an all-time low.  Experts predict interest rates to increase in the very near future adding thousands of dollars to the cost of purchasing one of the Alexandria VA homes for sale.  This can make buying a second home more difficult or even impossible.   Although no one can predict exactly when this might happen, one thing is certain:  interest rates are not going to drop any lower.
5. Lending requirements are getting stricter.  The lending requirements are changing and mortgages are becoming much harder to qualify for.  The days of zero down payments are a thing of the past and the amount of down payment required is expected to increase, along with interest rates.  Right now, you can still find home loans that allow a 3% down payment, but they are becoming harder to find and harder to qualify for.  In addition, in order to qualify for a loan, credit scores must be higher than just a year ago.

If you’re ready to buy a second home in Alexandria VA or Fairfax County, I can help.  Call me today at 703-909-3939 or send me an email at Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com.

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

You know my recommendation is that everyone should have a professional property inspection before they close on a house. Wouldn’t it also be a good idea to discover problems with a piece of property before you ever make an offer? With some attention to detail, you can find out a lot about the condition of Alexandria VA homes for sale.

Here’s a pre-offer, do-it-yourself property inspection checklist to get you started:

• Basement – A basement can give you information about the structure of a house, especially if the basement is unfinished. You’ll want to make sure there are no cracks, the electrical wiring is organized, and there is no evidence of water damage. If there isn’t a basement, examine the exposed foundation on the exterior of the house.

• Electrical panel – Upon examination, it should look orderly and neat. If it is, that doesn’t mean you’re in the clear, but a disorganized panel can often be a sign of shoddy electrical work throughout the house.

• Faucets and fixtures – Is there hot water? Does the shower drip? Does the oven work? Does the toilet run? Not every problem is a major issue, but it’ll give you a good idea of how much care went into the property’s construction and maintenance.

• Attic – Not only should you be looking at available storage space, you’ll want to see how well the insulation was fitted. That can make a huge difference in your monthly electric and gas bills.

• Roof – Missing shingles or interior water damage in Alexandria VA homes for sale are bad signs.

• Windows – Make sure they all open and close properly and that you can’t find any drafts, gaps or condensation.

• Interior and exterior finishings – Check out the baseboards and siding to see what kind of shape they’re in. If the builders didn’t pay much attention to what you CAN see, imagine what the internal structure might look like.

Want to work with a professional real estate agent who can help you weed out badly-built or poorly-maintained Alexandria VA homes for sale before you make an offer? 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

The real estate market is flooded with homes for sale.   Interest rates are at an all time low on fixed rate mortgages.  And, terms for acquiring a home loan are still fairly open.  This is expected to change and possibly soon, which means now is prime time to buy Alexandria VA homes for sale.

To help you with this process, here are answers to four of the most popular questions I’ve recently received from home buyers:

Q:  Where can I find the best deal on Alexandria VA homes for sale?
A: The answer is almost anywhere.  Because homes are sitting on the market for a long time, most homeowners are more willing than ever to negotiate.

Q:  What about buying new construction?
A: The option for new construction is open to more people than ever before.  Builders are offering extended home warranties and many upgrades to help move their inventory.  Some builders now offer financial assistance to reach an even larger number of buyers.

Here’s the number one tip to get the best deal in new construction:  Before starting your search for new construction, hire a real estate agent.  Your real estate agent can negotiate the best deal for you, even in new construction.   Be sure to visit new construction with your agent so the builder knows you’re represented.  This representation costs you nothing and can save you a lot of money.

Q:  Should I look at short sales and foreclosures for my best deal?
A: Not really.  Although there are good deals to be found, the time and effort involved in purchasing short sales and foreclosures can be a huge negative.  Negotiating with a homeowner can be much easier than trying to negotiate with a lender for the short sale or foreclosure.

Q:  Should I wait for home prices to go even lower?
A: Definitely not.  Prices of Alexandria VA homes for sale have come down from a few years ago and are much more stable and accurate.  The days of inflated home prices are long gone.  This does not mean that homes will not increase in value.  It only means that they will do so at a rate that should prevent the upside-down mortgages that some people are facing today.

This is a prime time to purchase a home.  With the large number of homes on the market, you are certain to find one to call home.  Let me help you in your search.  Call me today at 703-909-3939 or email me today at Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com.

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