Arlington Condos in Ballston

I’ve been working on setting up my zip-code specific blogs, and finally have completed at least one good entry.  Here’s a good place to start your search for Ballston condos and townhomes, if that’s what you’re looking for.

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First Time Home Buyers FAQ#4

Q: How the heck do I get the money for a downpayment?
A: There are a few ways:

Save up
Tap your 401k (but be sure to pay yourself back!)
Take the $7,500 tax credit for qualified first-time homebuyers that is now likely to be authorized by The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. The tax credit [...]

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Surf’s Up!

Surf the Web

photo courtesy of G1J
 
 
 
CNN/Money Magazine’s Best Real Estate Web Sites

www.mortgagecalc.com
www.doityourself.com
www.moving.move.com/move/tools/movingcalc.asp
www.zillow.com (best estimate of house value)
www.hpci.coldwellbanker.com (best site for seeing how far your equity will go)
www.homeplans.com (ready made building plans)
www.letsrenovate.com
www.houseblogs.net
www.homepages.com (best birds-eye view of a neighborhood)
www.iii.org/individuals/homeei (home insurance)
www.bankrate.com (best first step for mortgage shopping)
www.schoolmatters.com
www.cyberrentals.com

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An Occasional Book Review

Easy to read “must-read”

Most Important Fact
Published in 2008.
Well Said!
As Gerri Willis summarizes:
While most books focus simply on buying and selling, Home Rich takes readers through the whole life cycle of homeownership. After all, even if you buy a terrific house, you’ll have to maintain it well over your years of ownership or risk losing [...]

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Home Buyer Quiz Time!

Don’t Panic

photo courtesy of Mig_R

No algebra required
Just a few simple questions to help you determine whether or not a move might be the right thing for you:

Are all of your closets seriously jammed to the point of being unable to open?
Is your home “finished” and it’s time for the next project?
Have you been renting for [...]

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Some August Fun

Lucky August Residents

Click on the photo for more info about Water Mine Park in Fairfax
 
 
For those of you still here

August in the DC area is notorious for being vacant. People are gone, East Coast beaches are full, weather is hot, nobody wants to work.  I used to love staying here in August, loafing about [...]

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Looking for a safe haven

Home buyers are always looking for information about the neighborhood they might be buying into. There are a number of great resources out there to help them get familiar with the neighborhood.  Your agent should be one of them, but of course there are other places to get the scoop.
The county is a great [...]

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Looking for a condo in Arlington or nearby? Read this.

Three Common Mistakes

photo courtesy of artzy.viva

Learn from others
I work with many first time buyers who look at condos, and I see the same mistakes over and over. Here are three:

Not using an agent for new construction (or registering without an agent and then being denied the chance for representation later.) No question, builders use [...]

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Because it’s August in Arlington

Here’s a little good cheer for you, I recently spotted this duplex on a walk through Rosslyn —

I like how the tree separates the two halfs of this Duplex.
From another angle you can get a better sense of the colors:

They say that paint can really have an impact. They ain’t kidding!

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Support Your Local Arlington Businesses

Sweet Perfection

Treat Yourself
As you’re exploring Open Houses today, you might consider stopping by a local institution: Pastries by Randolph. Delicious AND beautiful treats. This review says it better than I could!
Check it out
Pastries by Randolph
4500 Lee Highway
Arlington, Virginia
(703) 243-0070

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