Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Without a doubt, buying or selling a home creates stress.  Just the move alone is enough to stop many people from taking the plunge and changing their home address.  But sometimes you just have to make the move. (Many times you want to, and then it can be a lot more fun, though still stressful.)
Here [...]

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And now a refreshing change from data …

Despite the recent focus in this blog on numbers, I’m actually a pretty visual person.  I like to look at things, and remember them better if I see them – which I why I preview a lot of homes because nothing is quite the same as seeing them in person.
I especially appreciate symmetry and color [...]

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Thank goodness I’m not a reporter

because I’m sure I’ve already been out-scooped with the news about the extension of the home buyers tax credit.
The Homebuyer Tax Credit has not only been extended, but it has also been expanded to include current homeowners.
The following are features of the new bill:

Deadline for current credit is November 30, 2009.
Deadline for new and improved [...]

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Formatting Issues Explained

Ok, ok, I admit it, I’ve been messing around with the formatting of this blog.  Thanks for hanging in there with me.  I do like change, but this format adjustment was driven by my desire to integrate my blog and website into a more cohesive unit.
But (as you may noticed) many of the new formats [...]

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Calling all data geeks

Honestly, most people should take Zillow estimates with a grain of salt – they can often be inaccurate and incomplete, and really don’t reflect what’s happening at a very local level.  BUT, sometimes Zillow has some interesting data. This chart (via link) from Zillow, for instance, is actually pretty good at providing home [...]

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Good News for Home Buyers in the DC area

More financial mortgage news…  For the last few years, jumbo loans (loan amounts above $729,750) have carried extremely high interest rates, in the 8-9% range.  With such a large mortgage amount, and a significantly higher interest rate for jumbo loans as compared to conforming lans, it has been very difficult for many home buyers to obtain a jumbo [...]

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Mortgage Loan Limit: trick or treat?

Legislation has made it through both the House and the Senate to that will maintain the existing loan limits for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) through Dec. 31, 2010. An extension of the current loan limits (which had been due to expire Dec. 31, 2009) was included in the continuing [...]

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Cast Your Vote for Your Favorite Arlington County Businesses!

One of the best things about living in Arlington County, Virginia — besides being so close to the Nation’s Capitol — is that there is so much to do and it’s all so convenient to get to.  Last year, the county initiated the People’s Choice ABBIES to encourage people to nominate and then vote for [...]

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Open House Tomorrow, Rain or Shine, 1-4 pm. Hope to see you!

Really nice condo for sale at The Westlee, a terrific building in North Arlington.  The Westlee was built in 2006, and this is the only unit currently for sale in the building — two others recently went under contract.  Take a look at these beautiful photos and you can see why The Westlee is a [...]

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Cash really is king

Say goodbye mortgage, hello cash.  More and more of my clients are paying for their home purchase with cash.  Yes, you read correctly.  Cash, and this being the DC metropolitan area, plenty of it.  So the next time you find yourself in a bidding war, please be forewarned that one of your competitors may be [...]

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