Fairfax County VA Home Search Website Blog

Buying a home or condo in Arlington VA is one of the few occasions in which some form of negotiation is the rule rather than the exception.  Just because it is the norm, however, does not mean that most people are good at it. 

Here are a few tips to help you negotiate the best deal when buying your next home:

1. Know your bottom line.  Determine your bottom line and stick to it.  This sometimes means you have to be willing to walk away from a deal.   It also means being realistic about what you’re asking from the seller.  Many sellers are faced with the fact that their home or condo may not be worth what they paid for it.  This puts limits on the concessions a seller can offer.

2. Stay flexible.  For example, what if the home or condo in Arlington VA you’d like to buy needs a new heating system.  The seller is unwilling to replace the unit but is willing to put $3,000 toward your closing costs.  The $3,000 you’re saving in closing costs will cover the cost of a new heating system.  If all you focus on is the seller replacing the heating system, you miss the chance to achieve your overall goal, which is purchasing a home without paying for a new heating system.

3. Find out how long the property has been for sale.  If the property is newly listed, the seller is less likely to lower the price significantly or offer other concessions.  However, if the home or condo in Arlington VA has been for sale for 12 months or longer, the homeowner is more motivated to sell, and you’re more likely to get a great deal.

4. Work with a pro.  No one is better at knowing what sellers want and how to negotiate great real estate deals than professional real estate agents.  Unless you are an experienced, savvy negotiator, leave it to the pros. 

Thinking of buying a home or condo in Arlington VA?  I would be pleased to represent you in your next real estate purchase.  You can reach me by phone at 703-909-3939 or send me an email Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com.

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

Today’s turbulent real estate market means the days of selling condos in Arlington VA without any planning or preparation are a distant memory for most people. Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket, because there is tons of competition and buyers are not hunting condos in Arlington VA in a hurry like they once were. To sell your condo quickly, staging and well-thought-out marketing plans are now necessities — not luxuries.

Do you know how to best present your property? What are the most effective ways to get buyers in the door? Using the tips and techniques below, you can begin to emerge from your rabbit hole and quickly move on to your next home with as much money in your pocket as possible.

Selling techniques for condos in Arlington VA:

• Price it Right – No amount of marketing or staging will help if your property is overpriced. For most people, it’s hard to look at their home or condo objectively.  Compare it to other properties for sale in your neighborhood, and take into account square footage, upgrades, location, and amenities, as well as, current market trends.
• Develop a Marketing Plan – You have to decide the best and most cost-effective way to get potential buyers in your home. Rarely is a newspaper ad or an Internet posting enough. Today’s competitive real estate environment requires more aggressive techniques which includes everything from social media marketing to prompt follow-up chats with potentially interested buyers.
• Stage your Condo – You want your condo to appear its best every time a potential buyer comes to see it. If buyers see dirt and stains, they might begin to wonder about how diligently the rest of the property has been maintained. De-clutter and depersonalize. Turn on all your lights and open all the blinds to make your condo appear as light and open as possible. For open houses, take the extra time to add fresh flowers, build a fire in the fireplace and have something baking in the oven.

Do you need egg-stra help preparing your home or condo in Arlington VA for sale? 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

If you’re searching for a new home, don’t get fooled into purchasing a home or condo in Arlington VA you can’t actually afford. Many new homeowners find themselves in a pickle when they fall in love with a property that has high monthly mortgage payments. Being house poor could lead to a confining quality of life, increased stress and possibly foreclosure.

Before buying one of the homes or condos in Arlington VA, do your research to determine all the actual costs involved with purchasing and owning a home.  Without the proper tools and budget, you could be biting off more than you can chew.

Here are four tips to help you get a manageable mortgage:

1. Save up – If you’ve saved and can provide a large down payment, you’ll be able take out a smaller loan, which will result in lower monthly payments.
2. Check on interest rates – Talk with several lenders to compare interest rates. Also, improve your credit score before purchasing property because your credit score partially determines your loan’s interest rate.
3. Decide on the length of the loan – The length of your loan impacts your monthly payments. The shorter the time, the larger your payments will be. Use a mortgage calculator to find out what your monthly payments will be if you go with a 30-year loan versus a 15-year loan.
4. Don’t forget the last-minute costs – Put some extra money aside for any additional expenses that come up during the actual purchase, such as closing costs, taxes and homeowner’s insurance.

Save up a down payment for your home or condo in Arlington VA, get pre-approved for a loan, know your limit for monthly mortgage payments and don’t get fooled by the real estate market. Doing the research before you start looking for a house will reduce your stress and help to ensure you have manageable mortgage payments.

If you need help calculating what your maximum mortgage payments should be or have any questions about purchasing a home, 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

As an owner of one of the homes or condos in Arlington VA, one of the biggest traps you can fall into is over improving your home. 

Turn on any home improvement channel, and they will show you all the latest and greatest in must haves for your home or condo in Arlington VA.  What they don’t tell you is that even the best upgrades won’t guarantee an increase in your resale value.  In fact, most remodel jobs only recoup 60% to 70% of their costs.

Here are some tips to help you avoid over improving your home: 

Assess the value of homes and condos in your neighborhood. 

Unless you plan on staying in your home forever, do some research on the home values in your neighborhood before you begin any home renovations. Ideally, you want to add improvements that increase the resale value of your home while staying within the average market price of homes in your neighborhood. 

For example, if the homes or condos in Arlington VA sell for an average of $250,000, with the highest priced home in the area going for $350,000, make home renovations that increase the value of your property to the average home price of $250,000 or less.  You do not want to be the highest priced home in your neighborhood.  And, the last thing you want to do is to put more money into your home than you can get back. 

Pick the projects you want to tackle. 

Start with home maintenance and repair projects like fixing the foundation, roofing, painting, carpeting and upgrading windows.  If your home isn’t well cared for, it will show and potential buyers will move on to the next home for sale.

“Kitchens and bathrooms sell homes.”  Sound familiar?  Excluding location and price, this is a true statement.  Updating your kitchen and baths are excellent projects to tackle to increase the value of your home.

Refinish or replace rather than completely renovate. 

You don’t have to do a complete kitchen or bath renovation.  Minor improvements such as refinishing cabinets, replacing old hardware and adding new fixtures make a big difference in the appearance of baths and kitchens.  And, you’ll conserve your financial outlay.

If you’re planning to renovate your home or condo before putting it on the market, I can help you identify the projects that will increase your resale value or get your home sold faster.  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

Good news for the housing industry!  Nationwide new home starts increased 14.6% in January, reaching its highest rate in four months and increasing more than analysts expected.

During the International Builders’ Show in Orlando, David Crowe, chief economist of the National Association of Home Builders, projected single-family housing starts to rise 21% in 2011.

To what can we attribute these actual and projected increases?  The four key elements driving new construction in 2011 are:

• Sustained job growth.   Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the National Association of REALTORS®, projects about 2 million jobs to be added in 2011.  Unemployment is expected to drop to 9.2 percent.
• Increasing U.S. population.  Over the past 10 years, the U.S. population has increased by 27 million. Continued population growth will also stimulate construction and sales of homes and condos in Arlington VA. “All the indicator trends are pointing to a gradual housing recovery,” Yun says.
• Low interest rates.  The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage for homes or condos in Arlington VA is forecast to rise gradually to 5.3 percent around the end of 2011.
• An increase in the multi-family category.  The majority of the new construction projects were for apartment buildings and other multi-family units.  The rate of starts for single-family homes was the lowest in almost two years.  Independent economist Joel Naroff  said, “What is nice to see is that developers seem to be picking up the slack by putting up rental and condo units instead, a trend that is likely to continue.”

Another boost to the housing market will come as lending opens up with safe underwriting standards for creditworthy buyers.

If you have any questions about buying or selling homes or condos in Arlington VA, or about our local real estate market, please 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

It’s the time of year we all dread… time for your 2010 tax filings.  While I am not a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or even a plain old accountant, I do want to share with you some basic tax tips all owners of homes and condos in Arlington VA should consider before filing their taxes.

• Contact a tax expert.  My motto is always, if in doubt, contact a tax expert.  There’s no way around it; taxes are complicated.  While some don’t want to spend their money on tax experts, I’ve found that they’ve saved me much more money than they’ve cost.  And, the peace of mind they provide is priceless.
• Claim your home or condo in Arlington VA tax deduction, if you’re an eligible homeowner.  In 2002, a study was conducted that showed that 61% of eligible home owners did not claim their home owner’s tax deductions on their income taxes.  That means that 61% of home owners who would have saved on their income taxes took the standard deduction and paid a higher tax bill that they needed to.  Don’t miss any more tax savings by automatically taking the standard deduction.  Consult a tax expert to find out how much you can save by taking advantage of your home owner’s tax breaks.
• Review your past returns.  If you think you might have overpaid your taxes in the past, have a tax expert review your past returns and help you file an amended return to reclaim your money.
• Start paying back your 2008 first-time home buyer tax break. If you claimed the very first version of the first-time home buyers tax break on your 2008 tax returns, you must now start paying it back.  The credit has to be repaid in 15 equal payments each tax-filing time, beginning with 2010 returns.  The 2008 tax break wasn’t a true credit.  Instead, it was an interest-free loan, and like all loans, it must be paid back.
• Claim subsequent home-buyer tax credits.  If you qualified for and used the 2009 (which was extended to June, 2010) first-time home-buyer tax credit or home-owner tax credit, you had the option to claim the credit on your 2009 or 2010 taxes.  If you waited to claim them, now’s the time to do so.

Even though the home-buyer tax credits are no longer available, this is an amazing time to buy one of the homes or condos in Arlington VA.   If you’d like to learn more about why now is a fabulous time to buy a home, or if you need help finding a home you love, I can help.  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

As a society, it seems like we’ve gotten away from appreciating our homes and condos in Arlington VA for their emotional and sentimental worth.  Instead, we focus solely on their monetary value. 

An appraiser can estimate the monetary value of your home or condo in Arlington VA, but to gain a true concept of your home’s worth, you must also take into consideration:

1. Pride of ownership.  You don’t buy a pair of Prada shoes because you’re going to be able to resell them and make a profit.  You buy them because they make you look good and feel good.

2. Security and stability.  Your home provides a roof over your head that’s in your control.  You can decorate it how you want.  You don’t have to worry about a landlord selling the property or asking you to move out.  In the “olden days” (or should I say “golden days”), we called our homes our castles because, as owners, we felt like the kings and queens of our homes and condos in Arlington VA.  You can still feel that way!  Claim your castle and crown yourself king or queen today.

3. A safe haven.  After a tough day at work or a day of disappointments, where’s the first place you think of going?  Home!  As Dorothy says, “There’s no place like home.”

4. A place to make memories.  Your son’s tree house and daughter’s playhouse.  The markings on the wall that tracked your children’s growth.  The porch swing where you start and end every anniversary celebration.    

5. A neighborhood full of friends.  In the event of an emergency, your neighbors are your first line of defense.  They’re also the simplest, best and least expensive form of security.  Additionally, they may have the exact tool you need for a project; the extra pair of hands you need to complete a project or children to become playmates with yours. Neighbors also give you that much needed in-person, up-close social network.

Even if your home’s economic value has dropped, you continue to benefit from its emotional values of community, stability, security and success.

Thinking of buying one of the homes or condos in Arlington VA?  I can help you evaluate the emotional and monetary worth of a home or condo and find one that fits your values and lifestyle.  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

Do you have a small room in your condo in Arlington VA that’d you’d like to make larger, but you don’t have the money in your budget to tear down a wall or add on to the room?  By using a bit of creativity, you can make that tiny room look larger without breaking the bank.

Here are 8 low-cost decorating tips to make any room in your condo in Arlington VA look bigger:

1. Leave open space.  Place taller pieces of furniture along a wall rather than out in the open space.  To prevent blocking the view into a room, use shorter pieces of furniture like an ottoman or a low table.   The more open space you can see, the larger the room will look.

2. Brighten the room.  A well-lit room looks larger, whether it’s brightened with natural or artificial light.  Remove heavy, dark draperies to let the natural light into the room.  Install track lighting or recessed spot lighting, which is perfect for a small space.

3. Lighten up the floor and ceiling.  Open up the room by using a white or very light color on the ceiling.  Use light-colored flooring such as light oak or a light-colored carpet to make the room appear bigger.

4. Reduce the amount of furniture.   This goes back to leaving open space.  Keep only those pieces of furniture that you really love or really need in the room.  Get rid of everything else.

5. Switch to glass.  Using a glass-topped dining table, end table or coffee table gives the appearance of an open space, even though there isn’t.

6. De-clutter.  Too much stuff makes even a large room seem small.  Organize anything you must keep.

7. Choose light colors.  Light, cool colors like pale blue and light green can make the smallest space feel open and airy.

8. Use a monochromatic scheme. Take those light colors one step further by using colors all in the same family. When you look around a room that has the same color scheme for the furniture, flooring and walls, you believe there’s more space than there really is.  Contrasting colors break up a space. Furniture is less interrupting and blends with the space if its color matches the wall.

Want a condo in Arlington VA with large rooms?  I can help.  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

A home doesn’t have to be a house. It can also be a condominium. Condos can be townhouses, apartments, or even separate structures as long as you only own the space between the walls. For some people, single family homes may be too large or cost too much money. They can still enjoy the benefits of home ownership through a condo. How do you know if one of the condos in Arlington VA is right for you?

Pros of Owning a Condo in Arlington VA
• Maintenance. With a condominium, you are only responsible for the interior of your unit. You don’t have to mow the yard or paint the exterior. If you have a busy lifestyle or don’t have the ability or desire to maintain the outside of your property, a condo may be a good choice for you.

• Location. Many condos are built in popular areas surrounded by shopping, restaurants, and entertainment. Homes in these areas may be out of your price range, but you can still live there in a condo and have the same neighborhood amenities.

Cons of Owning a Condo in Arlington VA
• Condo Fees. Most condominiums have monthly fees that go toward the maintenance of the property. These fees are in addition to your mortgage payment and can raise your monthly payment considerably.

• Condo Associations. Condominium owners serve on boards that decide how condo fees are spent. They may even decide to use fees for something you will never use.

Need more help deciding if a condo is right for you?  Call me today at 703-909-3939 or email me at Steve@HomeSearchWebsite.com. I’m happy to help!

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

Selling your condo in Arlington VA is a stressful experience for most people. It’s certainly not easier during the holidays, but selling your condo (or home) during the holidays doesn’t have to be the end of the world.

Here are 6 tips to help you sell your home in Arlington VA during the holidays:

1. Decorate. Holiday decorations are beautiful and make your condo look inviting, especially traditional decorations displayed tastefully throughout your condo. Just keep the decorations simple and uncluttered.

2. Bake. Go ahead and bake your own pies this year. You’ll have your pies ready and fill your home with the welcoming scents of spices to entice buyers.

3. Create warmth. Keep the thermostat set at a comfortable heating level. Buyers won’t stay in a house if it’s cold.

4. Brighten it up. Winter days are often dark and gray. Bring in all available natural light by keeping curtains open during daytime showings. Turn on lamps and other lighting in your condo or use automatic timers.

5. Share some holiday spirit. Buyers may want to see your condo at inconvenient times, but keep in mind that everyone is busy at this time of year. Buying a condo in Arlington VA during the holidays is no easier than selling a condo during the holidays, so be gracious.

6. Continue your usual life. Don’t neglect your family or obligations during this time. This will only add to your stress.  Just keep the holidays as stress free as possible this year, so you don’t add to your overall stress level.

Selling your condo (or home) during the holidays can be done. Follow these tips to use the holidays to your advantage.

Ready to sell your property?  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