Since Washington, DC and the surrounding areas have such a large and diverse population, there is something for everyone. Of course, most people will want something that is comfortable to them and their lifestyle. Here are a few of the hottest markets in the real estate arena: Anacostia Waterfront – This is the fastest growing [...]
We have all gotten a raw deal in one way or another when it comes to where we live. It used to be that you couldn’t find much information on a neighborhood other than the school or Chamber of Commerce. And, their opinions may be a lot different than yours. A new way of looking [...]
So you think you’re ready to jump into home ownership. That’s good. I’ll always encourage people to take a look in that direction. But before you do, ask yourself these 16 questions. Is my income steady? You’ll need at least a year of proof of income, but I recommend that you have had the same [...]
Have you ever wondered how other people find their dream home? It takes time but it also takes searching for the specific needs that you want in your dream home. Everyone wants something different, such as a large kitchen, a pool, more than one bathroom or wheelchair access. It just takes searching for the criteria [...]
House flipping has long been a way to break into the real estate investment business not only for those who buy a sell numerous properties but for individuals as well. House flipping means buying a home that is usually a fixer-upper, making needed repairs, giving it a facelift and then reselling it for a profit. [...]
You will hear many people say you don’t have to worry about a home inspection when buying a home. They are wrong. You do have to worry. A home inspection should be one of the top priorities on your agenda when purchasing a home. It’s also important to not let a home inspection expire. There [...]
Investors tend to be a little crazy when it comes to pure logic. Real estate is one particular area that seems to suffer more from reverse logic than any other investment area. What do I mean by reverse logic? Consider the current scenario – home prices are low, rental demand is high, and interest rates [...]
I know they are tough words, yet they are words that are often repeated in the legal world. They say if you represent yourself in court, you have a fool for a client, and that could also be true when it comes to real estate. Attorney’s and real estate agents are often called in to clean [...]
While now is a questionable time to be selling and buying a new home, it is a good time to be putting your spare cash into real estate, particularly homes that are suitable for the rental market. There are even small groups, either family members or close friends, who are pooling their spare cash to [...]
When it comes to real estate, there is a whole new language that is often used. One term that is frequently used is that of a ‘short sale’. When considering a short sale, your real estate agent may refer to a BPO. This refers to a valuation of a home, not by an appraiser, but [...]
If you are about to the enter the market as a home seller, your first steps should be to find a good real estate agent to handle the marketing and sale of your home. There are a lot of real estate agents in the marketplace now so it can be difficult to know who will [...]
Statistics can often be misleading and a quick look at the latest data published on Zillow wouldn’t offer much in the way of hope for home buyers. However, a closer look reveals that lower priced homes are weathering the financial storm reasonably well. It makes sense to an extent. Low priced homes don’t have a [...]
There are myths and legends that surround almost every instance of our lives and home buying in particular is full of these myths. What’s important is sifting the myths from the truths and only concentrating on the truths. Listening and following myths can actually harm your home buying efforts, including costing you extra – and [...]
The second biggest group of home buyers (behind investors) in the market today are, believe it or not, single females. They make up 20% of all sales at present. Single males make up 12%. Both still way behind investors at 32%. Other groups include couples with no children, families, and retirees. For home sellers, there [...]
When it comes to real estate, and it doesn’t matter if you’re buying, selling, or leasing, you just can’t beat the knowledge and experience that comes with a local expert. In real estate, the local expert is going to be a local real estate agent. Real estate agents make their living by helping people buy, [...]
It had to come at some stage – a real estate agent taking advantage of the group buying power that Groupon and others provide. A report in Inman News highlights a Chicago real estate broker that has used Groupon to offer $1000 cash to sellers and buyers at settlement. Of course, you have to have bought [...]
We are reaching an interesting point in the Virginia real estate market with little pockets appearing of what is known as a sellers market. These pockets are slowly growing, too slowly for some people, but growth is growth. What is interesting is that many of these pockets are very niche oriented. For example, in one [...]
If you have been trying to obtain approval for a home loan, one of the stopping points may have been your down payment. At present, lenders are looking for borrowers to start off their mortgage by having at least a ten percent down payment. That’s not all bad news – it also means you start [...]
Buying a resale home as against buying a new home is a popular option for many. One reason often voiced is that a resale home has been ‘broken-in’ by previous owners – if there are structural problems, they have already been found. Buying a resale home in Virginia is no different really to buying in [...]
Is cost per square foot the best way to price commercial real estate? There are many that swear by this method, however, when doing a price comparison, cost per square foot doesn’t really cut it. It’s okay to do a generalization – for example, if you were looking at commercial real estate in Maryland, you [...]
So you are considering buying a home, are you? What are you going to base your decision on – the cold hard facts or will it be the home you fell in love with? It’s not a question that most home buyers ever get to consider. A good buyer’s real estate agent may ask you [...]
There is a growing trend for home sellers to bypass real estate agents and listing their home for sale themselves. There is also a growing trend for buyers to look at do-it-yourself listing sites first when researching available properties. If you are looking to sell your home, which approach is the most effective? Real estate [...]
If you are selling your home, then I am sure you have done the rounds looking for a real estate agent who can sell your home. Here’s an important tip – listen to that agent once you engage them. Home sellers often place their home in the hands of an agent and then leave everything [...]
They used to say that real estate investments were as safe as houses. The last four years have shown that this is no longer true. Although today’s prices are low, and prices seem to be on the rise, investing in real estate is still a high risk investment. While interest rates are relatively low, you [...]
In the United States, there are more than 2 million people with real estate licenses. However, real estate is a tough business with a steep dropout rate, and the result is that only a small percentage of those with licenses actually become paid real estate agents. The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) includes 1 million [...]
In addition to considering the best time of the month to close on a house, it’s a good idea to consider the time of year. Around holiday time, people’s minds are family, time off, gifts, and baking. But, are their minds on buying and selling real estate ? And, should you keep your house on the market, or [...]
America’s economic rebound depends on a real estate recovery, but many people are asking, “what’s it going to take to get it all going?” Housing always leads the economy in recoveries, and this one will be no different. In fact, already there are signs that housing is perking up. The most important factor driving home [...]
Here’s a tip for closing on real estate: Never close on a Friday or the end of the month, particularly in the afternoon or in the summertime. Why? Because that’s when title agents and closing attorneys are at their busiest. Everyone wants to close at the end of the month or on a Friday because [...]
Due to the economic downturn, many business owners believe this is an ideal time to purchase commercial real estate in Baltimore and elsewhere and are seeking the best values and best terms. But, before jumping into this endeavor, keep the following in mind: Ask for recommendations from other business owners who have bought property. Commercial [...]
When buying real estate in Washington DC, our nation’s Capital, you will not find properties similar to that of other cities. In 1910, Congress passed a height-restriction act to prevent federal monuments from being overshadowed by commercial construction. But, despite this fact, Washington DC is plagued by the same economic woes as any other area. [...]
