Archive for April, 2008
I Think I’m Ready to Buy - What Now?
April 30th, 2008 Categories: Alexandria Dirt, Arlington Dirt, Falls Church Dirt, First Time Buyers Club, McLean Dirt, Northern Virginia Home Buying, Northern Virginia Real Estate Dirt, Real Estate 101, Reston Dirt
Oh boy, I hear this all the time - and it’s music to my ears. It means 
another new face will soon be added to the list of happy, satisfied customers of mine! But I guess I’m getting a little ahead of myself.
It can certainly appear to be a complicated process and one that doesn’t present itself as straight forward as it actually is. I got an email the other day from a reader indicating that he’s ready to start the process and looking for direction on where to start - so here are a few easy steps to begin with.
Lender
This is the first and MOST important place to start – interview a few good, solid local lenders – individuals that will stand beside you during this process - answer questions, walk you through specific scenarios where rates and/or points are adjusted with various what-if situations. These people will not let you down - their reputation hangs on how well they perform each and every time. Also, you must know that no loan is too big or too small. Many lenders offer unique programs or are well versed with a particular type or style of loan (maybe VA or VHDA or FHA or jumbo) – so that’s why I recommend talking with a few.
Property Characteristics — Location, Amenities, Size, etc…
OK, now that you know what you can afford, the next thing to do is to prioritize what it is you’re looking for. Sometimes this is easy because perhaps your budget already lines up with expectations. Other times, sacrifices must be made. Through a simple process, we can easily work together to narrow down some good possibilities for you. I can also make suggestions on neighborhoods that I might be aware of that might be a good compromise and/or buildings that might offer you some built in amenities to save costs elsewhere (gym memberships, parking at work if you’re on metro, etc…).
Hit The Road
Then it’s time to hit the road – by this time we’ve gone back and forth with
priorities, budgets, etc… and it’s time to actually go and see some of the front runners. Often times, once we’re out together, certain priorities will shift – perhaps a commute that was once thought do-able becomes suddenly unbearable – but that’s ok, this is the discovery phase! Perhaps you fall in love with a place that wasn’t want you had in mind at all to begin with!
Eventually we come across a place that makes your heart skip a beat and it’s the one that you find yourself imagining making coffee in, or decorating with your “colors” or walking down the street to one of your favorite haunts! Then we know we’re on to something.
Finding a great place to live can be a fun and rewarding process. I always say if you surround yourself with good people you will position yourself for outstanding results! It’s true – if you’re thinking about beginning the process, give me a jingle. I can point you in the direction of some excellent local resources and we can get started today! No time like the present!
Happy Tuesday
Jennifer
Serving all of your real estate needs in Arlington, McLean and the entire Northern Virginia Region!
Contact me today for a free home valuation or buyer counseling session! Spring is HERE!
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Confessions of a Busy Real Estate Agent
April 28th, 2008 Categories: Alexandria Dirt, Arlington Dirt, Falls Church Dirt, McLean Dirt, Reston Dirt
Lately, every night when I put my head on my pillow I think of all of the things I didn’t do that day.
Blogs not written
Emails not sent (not many, but a few)
Calls not made
Homes not previewed
Photos not taken
Blogs not written
You get the drift. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy being busy, but my goodness, it does catch up with me every now and then. So I’ve decided to re-prioritize what’s going on.
I intend to attack May with great gusto! I am interviewing assistants - sometimes I just have to admit that I can’t do it all! Sad but true. I’m looking forward to hiring someone that will allow me to provide the highest degree of service to my client base while also prospecting for new ones to join the ranks of happy past clients.
So stay tuned, loyal readers, for great content coming your way. The market is busy – buyers are buying, listings are selling. If you’re thinking of getting in the market, no time like the present. Let’s chat!
Have a good, sloppy, wet, soggy Monday!
Jennifer
Serving all of your real estate needs in Arlington, McLean and the entire Northern Virginia Region!
Contact me today for a free home valuation or buyer counseling session! Spring is right around the corner!
| Discussion: 1 Comment »
March Sales Figures for Arlington Virginia
April 15th, 2008 Categories: Arlington Dirt, Market Stats
In like a lion, out like a lamb? I am thinking not so much! I’m thinking in like a lion, out like a monsoon!!! The market is definitely picking up! I’ve been so busy this is the first real chance I’ve had to sit down and work with last month’s sales figures. Here’s how it stacked up in Arlington:
We are up across the board from last month – we have more units under contract, more sold, and higher average selling prices as well! Great news for sellers — all you buyers out there… don’t be nervous – values aren’t plummeting and now is a great time to get started.
Absorption rates are looking better as well. Remember, this is a snapshot indicator of how long it would take to sell through our current inventories:
These numbers are ALL lower than last month! And frankly speaking, this is what I would expect heading into springtime!
There’s only so many times I can repeat myself month after month. Our real estate market here in Arlington – FOR THE MOST PART - is fairly stable and generally a great time to be on either side of the table.
For more information, feel free to give me a jingle.
Happy Tuesday!
Jennifer Klaussen
Serving all of your real estate needs in Arlington, McLean and the entire Northern Virginia Region!
Contact me today for a free home valuation or buyer counseling session! Spring is right around the corner!
| Discussion: No Comments »
ABCs of Recycling in Arlington County
April 5th, 2008 Categories: Arlington Dirt, Local News
Have you ever been confused about what you CAN and CANNOT recycle here in Arlington County? My husband has been asking me to write about 
this for months so HE can learn what he can and cannot recycle. I keep telling him that the County has an awesome website with some wonderful information on it - they even have a special section devoted to Environmental Services called Trash & Recycling! So, this post is dedicated to him!… read on…
I’m mainly focusing on plastics for the purpose of this article, because I think most people (including my husband) find plastics the MOST confusing part of recycling. You know those numbers on the bottoms of containers? Well, we have been lead to believe that those numbers are what dictate whether or not that item can be recycled – we’ve been duped! Turns out those numbers have to do with the melting point of that particular plastic and other materials that might be included in that blended plastic. So - here’s the rule - if it’s a clear OR colored bottle and has a neck smaller than the base - it’s probably recyclable. Simple as that – so if you’ve been putting yogurt containers, the plastic clamshells that berries come in or other such seemingly recyclable plastic into your recycling, SHAME ON YOU! But seriously, as they say in Arlington, “no neck - no recycle”
Hope this helps – now my husband doesn’t have to research this himself and all of my readers get to benefit from my work!
Happy Saturday (almost Sunday now!)
Jennifer
PS I hope you’re out there looking at homes - there are a lot of great places to choose from and I’d be delighted to show you around!
“Jennifer Klaussen - your real estate specialist for Arlington, McLean and the entire Northern Virginia region!”
| Discussion: 1 Comment »
Let’s Talk Dirty…
April 1st, 2008 Categories: Alexandria Dirt, Falls Church Dirt, McLean Dirt, Northern Virginia Home Selling, Northern Virginia Real Estate Dirt, Reston Dirt
Dirty carpets, that is! (GOTCHA)
Last week as I was getting a listing prepared for marketing, I was thinking about how much can be done to really make a new listing sparkle – one of the MOST important things you can do is carpet cleaning.
Most people never consider having their carpets cleaned until it’s time to sell their home unless they have some sort of problem – e.g., leak in the basement, major spill, etc… But I would like to suggest that you become a lot better acquainted with your carpet cleaner.
I happen to use a local carpet cleaner by the name of Ayoub Carpet Service – ACS for short. They can handle many issues aside from the obvious (carpet cleaning) but in my opinion, carpet cleaning is something homeowners should do every few years whether you *think* your carpet needs it or not. You’d be amazed how much dirt comes through your vents, your clothing, your feet, your kids, your pets, your cooking, etc… It can also extend the life of your carpet.
They bring a lot of stuff with them - here’s a nice view of all the different potions and solutions they bring. I wish I’d had one of those bottles last week when my son exploded a roller ball pen on the white carpet of his closet! UGH In any event – you should have seen the magic inside one or more of these little bottles!
At the end, the place looks FABULOUS!! I highly encourage you to look at your carpets objectively and then give ACS a call – they’re great to work with – very professional, reasonable rates, accommodating, etc.. Can’t say enough great things about them.
When you begin thinking about putting your home on the market, give me a call – I can go over all of the things we can do to make it sparkle! I can even manage the process for you – part of the great service I offer my sellers.
Happy Tuesday!
Jennifer Klaussen
Serving all of your real estate needs in Arlington, McLean and the entire Northern Virginia Region!
Contact me today for a free home valuation or buyer counseling session! Spring is right around the corner!
| Discussion: 3 Comments »
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