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I have conversations every day that remind me to go back to basics when you’re talking about real estate transactions. With that in mind, I’d like to go over the basics of a mortgage and how much you actually need to buy a house in the DC area. Now, I am NOT a loan officer, [...]
Archive for the ‘First-Time Buyers’ Category
The Home Buying Process from the Realtor Perspective
December 9th, 2011 
Laura I have been in hundreds of homes in just the past few months, all over Northern VA and DC. I know the general layout of the house before I even go into it, just by seeing the outside. I usually know if my clients are going to hate it before we even step foot into [...]
Is There More Value In A Newer Home or Older One?
October 13th, 2011 Laura Many people ask about buying new construction versus an older home, and which one is a better value. This is a multi-faceted question since there are so many things to consider. In general around the Arlington area, you’re going to pay more for a new property than you will for an older home. The average [...]
Who Attends A Home Inspection?
October 11th, 2011 Laura Once you have a ratified (binding) contract, you’ll schedule a home inspection to occur within a specified number of days. Many people ask who can or how many people attend an inspection, so let me clear up this issue: Anyone you want.* *Within reason Normally, the people in attendance for an inspection include: 1) The [...]
Posted in Arlington, First-Time Buyers 
Tags: arlington real estate, buyer, home inspection 
No Comments »What’s The Difference Between A Home Warranty and Homeowners Insurance?
October 4th, 2011 Laura When you buy a home, inevitably something will break or need repairs, even if you do a home inspection. So when you’re getting ready to go to settlement, you’ll be faced with a few questions: do you want a home warranty and how much coverage should I get under my homeowners insurance policy? Do I [...]
Buy Your Home for 50% Off If You’re A Teacher, Firefighter/EMS, or Law Enforcement Officer – HUD’s Good Neighbor Next Door Program
August 31st, 2011 Laura Did you know that HUD has a Good Neighbor Next Door Program that allows certain people to buy HUD homes for 50% off? There are some hoops and some requirements, properties are hard to find, but if you can find one, this program is a great opportunity! Who Qualifies: Teachers Law Enforcement Officers Firefighters/Emergency Medical [...]
We Hate Everything We See: How Do We Find The Perfect House?
August 19th, 2011 Laura Not to be debbie downer, but the perfect house doesn’t exist (or it’s $500k over your budget). There’s ALWAYS something you want to change, whether it’s a big thing or a small annoyance. For me…the refrigerator opens into the wall and every time I open the fridge I bang it into the wall. For others, [...]
What Is A Seller Required to Repair on a Home Inspection?
July 6th, 2011 Laura When a buyer does a home inspection, the findings can be grouped into two categories: 1) Required Repairs and 2) Requested Repairs. When determining whether an item falls under one category or the other, use this a guideline: Required Repairs must be in accordance with Paragraph 7 of the VA Regional Sales Contract, which reads: [...]
The Importance Of Understanding Homeowners Insurance
June 8th, 2011 Laura So I’ll be honest – I’m usually of the “do as I say, not as I do” mentality, however, yesterday I took my own advice. My husband and I are in the midst of combining our insurance policies after our wedding, and I realized I’ve never really had all of my policies explained to me [...]
Posted in Arlington, First-Time Buyers Tags: buyers, homeowners, homeowners insurance, sellers No Comments »The Killer Commute And Housing
February 24th, 2011 Laura Residents of the DC area know traffic is horrible, but now we can prove it. In 2009 and 2010, DC ranked top in longest commute according to the Urban Mobility Report. So you may ask, “how does this affect housing?” Well, the farther away from the hub (in this case downtown DC), the more house [...]
