505 E Braddock Rd Condo For Sale in Alexandria

An incredible 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom condo nestled in the heart of Alexandria has just been listed for sale at 505 E Braddock Rd. The Colecroft Station community offers a fitness room, a meeting and party room, and walking trails. The neighborhood is dog friendly and boasts a nearby dog park. An underground garage make parking a breeze and Ronald Reagan National airport is only minutes away! The community has earned a high walking score of 83 and a biking score of 90.

HOME FEATURES

The kitchen is complete with newer stainless steel appliances.

The bright dining room and family room area is a great spot for hosting and a glass door leads to the balcony.

The master bedroom features two large windows overlooking the city, gorgeous hardwood floors, and 3 spacious closets. The second sunlit bedroom also offers hardwood floors.

The full bathroom offers a large ceramic vanity, shower/tub combo, and a convenient, stackable washer and dryer.

The balcony offers a stunning view! You will overlook the city, trees, a view of the Washington Monument and Capitol, and breathtaking sunsets! A great spot to view fireworks on the 4th of July.

MORE COMMUNITY FEATURES

The Colecroft area borders on Old Town and Del Ray—close to tons of restaurants, shops, and entertainment!

A commuter’s dream—Metro station is right across the street, with rail, Metro Bus, and Dash Bus options.

Ready to see this great home in person? Contact Realtor Sarah Taylor at 703.475.1003 to set up a tour.

43494 Greenwich Square For Sale in Ashburn

Listed For Sale in the Ashbriar Community of Ashburn, this 3 bedroom home is located at 43494 Greenwich Square. This exceptionally clean and well maintained townhome is close to 3 centers that offer shopping, dining and entertainment. The home is also convenient to Routes 28, 50 and 7, and the Dulles Greenway. Community amenities include multiple tot lots, a multi-purpose sports court, several gazebos, and a walking trail. The townhome features a spacious 1 car garage, plenty of parking space in the driveway and guest parking.

Main Level Features

Tons of windows flood this home with natural light. Beautiful laminate hardwood floors on main level. The open, spacious Living Room has a custom built in shelf and recessed lighting.

The gorgeous updated kitchen includes stainless steel appliances and granite counters.

A large and bright breakfast room has ceramic tile floors and three windows.

A separate Dining area features chair rail and a stylish and modern chandelier.

Off the Living Room is a well maintained and spacious deck that backs to a serene common area.

Upper Level Features

The bright Master Bedroom features a walk in closet and is the ideal relaxing space.

The attached Master Bathroom boasts a double vanity and a shower/tub combination.

2 additional comfortable bedrooms each feature large closets. There is a full bathroom in the hallway. The Laundry Room is also conveniently located on this level.

Lower Level & Backyard Features

The finished, sunlit walk-out basement features recessed lighting. There is a sliding glass door out to the brick patio and a half bathroom.

Ready to see this beautiful townhome in person? Contact Expert Realtor Sarah Taylor at 703.475.1003 to request a tour or email her at Sarah@JSRealty4U.com.

2017 Market Review: Brambleton Real Estate

A Review of the 2017 Real Estate Market and a look at what 2018 has in store.

Check out our infographic below on how the Real Estate Market fared in Brambleton during 2017.

Looking Back at 2017

Overall, the Brambleton Real Estate market fared well, with 356 homes sold in the community. This is up 13% over the previous year! Homes also spent a lot less time on the market. Brambleton also saw in increase in sales prices for Single Family homes. Townhomes and Condo prices dipped just slightly, down 1.9% and .30% respectively.

Brambleton in 2018

The Brambleton Library is coming along nicely! It’s scheduled to open mid-2018. To follow the progress of the construction or to volunteer for a great cause visit the Friends of the Brambleton Library Facebook page.

Are you old enough for Birchwood? Birchwood is Brambleton’s 55+ Community located off of Loudoun County Parkway, between Shreveport Drive and Creighton Road. Construction continues on this amazing “town within a town” – with gardens, a lake, a clubhouse, and more! Low maintenance homes, condos, and villas will be For Sale beginning in January and February of 2018.

In the Fall of 2017 the JS Realty Team hosted a “Sip & See” tour of 13 of the New Model Homes that opened. It was an exciting weekend touring these beautiful models by Van Metre, Miller & Smith, Knutson, & Winchester Homes. Many of these homes are now available for quick delivery!

If you’re thinking about buying one of the beautiful New Construction homes in Brambleton or Birchwood, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d love to help you navigate the process of buying New! Don’t forget to ask about our $3,000 New Construction Rebate offer!

Contemplating Selling your home? We offer a 4.5% Cutting Edge, Full Service, Enhanced Listing Fee. Call us today!

2017 2018 JS Realty Team jsrealty4u real estate — JS Realty Team Co-Founders Scott Koval & Sarah Taylor

Women Buying Homes: 3 Key Tips

3 Tips for Women during the Home Buying Process

*Updated January 2018

Looking back, I have had the pleasure of working with women throughout most of my professional life. In my first career as an Esthetician, I worked in a Day Spa, where day after day a vast majority of our clientele was women. That’s not to say I never saw men – some guys do love their facial treatments! Fast forward to the present and my Real Estate career. Over the past 13+ years in this industry, I’ve worked with both men and women, and I can honestly say there is a difference between the two. While both are treated equally at the table, they show up with a different view on the Real Estate transaction, and their approaches and needs can be very different as well.

True or False?

Single women make up 23% of first time home buyers.

According to the National Association of Realtors – it’s true! Most women would tell you that there is a huge sense of independence in owing their own home, and it often helps them feel they are in charge of their future and financial goals. Regardless of whether they are single or not, women have a tendency to want to settle in and put down roots. Buying a home can give them the opportunity to do just that, while gaining a great sense of community and belonging. Here are the top 3 things Women need to know when buying Real Estate.

Know Your Budget

First and foremost, what can you comfortably afford? This is key, as no one wants to be “house poor”. Getting in touch with the right professionals is going to be critical, so finding a great Realtor should be at the top of your to-do list. Realtors are a great resource when it comes to buying a home. Not only do they know home buying and selling inside and out, but a great agent is going to know all the key players needed during the transaction – including a great lender.

Once you have contacted your Realtor, request the names of several Lenders they recommend. Contact the Lenders to get pre-qualified for a loan. Fully understanding how much you can comfortably afford and still maintain the lifestyle you enjoy, is going to make or break your buying experience. For example, you may be able to afford $2,500.00 per month for your PITI payment (principal, interest, taxes, insurance), but do you really want to spend that much? If you spend that much can you reasonably maintain your lifestyle or are you going to have to cut back (less Starbucks, wardrobe adjustments, less travel, etc.)? If you are not willing to cut back then you have to know what comfortable means to you, and what that equates to in a purchase price. Women tend to look at Buying as an investment into their future, and will often proceed with caution. Take a hard look at the short term and the long term goals. You may even want to get in touch with a financial advisor to understand the big picture.

Know Your Home Style

Understanding what type of home you can afford, and what other expenses may be involved in owning this style of home is very important. If you can afford a single family home, you need to know ahead of time what the monthly, yearly, and even next 5 years will cost just for maintenance. And maintenance on a single family home may include simple things like the lawn and interior touch ups. It could also be potentially large expenses such as roof repairs or new windows.

If you have a clearer idea of what style home you want, whether it is a single family home where you can plant a garden, a townhome with a smaller backyard, or a condo where the gardens are maintained for you, this can be a real time saver. Consulting with your Realtor about this is extremely helpful. They will ask the right questions to help you understand more about what type of home is right for your lifestyle in the market you are located in.

Know Your Team

Last but not least, surround yourself with a great team – Realtor, Lender, financial advisor, home inspector, etc. Starting out with the right team can make all the difference in the home buying experience. Women often rely on and trust other professionals, so forming a team you can trust will provide a level of comfort along the way. Most likely you will only buy a few homes over the course of your lifetime. Take your time, do your research and make sure you feel comfortable with making the right decision. Buying a home is a wonderful experience, but it is not something to rush.

We love helping our clients find the right home! Whether this is your first home or your fourth, we are happy to help you through the home buying and selling experience. We believe in transparency and our experience and commitment to helping you find your dream home leads you to a wonderful real estate experience. Contact us today to find out more about the programs we offer – like cash back to our home buyers and our cutting edge, enhanced listing service.

With over $500 million dollars in closed real estate transactions you can be sure the JS Realty Team knows how to get deals done! Our clients are happy to refer us to their friends and family, and you can read some of our reviews here. We are the expert Real Estate Agents you’ve been looking for!

Why the Lowest Mortgage Rate Could Cost You Thousands

As a loan officer, many borrowers tell me they want the lowest possible interest rate. I listen carefully, and then I begin to ask questions. Experience has shown me that the lowest possible interest rate could actually end up costing borrowers thousands of dollars!

INTERNET RATES

Many borrowers will scour the internet for the lowest possible mortgage rates. Low rates will indeed pop up, but most often they won’t apply to most borrowers. The rates may assume a very high credit score, a large down payment, or even the cost of paying discount points to get the advertised rates. Many of the low rates that are advertised are also coming from mortgage brokers. Typically, mortgage brokers are third parties that have relationships with multiple investors. This means they can “shop around” for the lowest rates when it is time to lock in. Because the broker is a third party, they don’t control the processing and underwriting aspects of the loan. If something unusual is found during the loan process, many times the issue is not communicated immediately and causes loans to close late. Once a sale is postponed due to loan issues, the buyer can face the possibility of losing their earnest money deposit and can be sued for damages by the seller. This is why lower rates aren’t always the best way to go for a borrower.

ADJUSTABLE RATE MORTGAGE

Generally, an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) will offer lower rates than a 30 year fixed rate mortgage with the shortest term on the ARM offering the lowest rate. For example, a 5/1 ARM may have a rate of 3.375% while a 30 year fixed loan may be at 3.75%. The monthly payment for the ARM will be less than the 30 year fixed rate for the first 5 years. After five years, the rate will adjust based on the then current market. Since rates today are close to the lowest ever, it is likely that in five years the interest rate will soar – causing the monthly payment to skyrocket!

FHA LOANS

FHA loans also offer lower rates than a conventional loan. Currently, a conforming FHA loan may offer a rate of 3.375% with the corresponding conventional loan offering the same 3.75% as in the previous example. The difference is the FHA loan adds an additional 1.75% to the loan amount in what is referred to as an “Upfront Mortgage Insurance” premium. The FHA loan also has a monthly mortgage insurance premium that remains on the loan for as long as you own it. The rate for this monthly mortgage insurance payment is most often much higher than a corresponding monthly mortgage payment on a conventional loan. The result: a higher monthly payment on a loan with a lower interest rate.

MORTGAGE INSURANCE

Another thing to factor in is Mortgage insurance. Mortgage insurance comes into play when a purchaser is putting less than 20% down on their desired home. There are a couple of ways in which the mortgage insurance can be paid. One way is to make monthly mortgage insurance payments. If making the minimum payment required each month by the lender, these mortgage insurance payments continue until the loan-to-value reaches 78%. In the case of a beginning loan-to-value of 95%, these payments may take as much as 9 years before reaching the 78% threshold where the payments stop. The second method of dealing with mortgage insurance is to have the lender pay for the mortgage insurance premium. This results in a higher interest rate – but no mortgage insurance payment. The overall monthly payment will be lower on this option even though the rate may be up to .5% higher. Paying even $25 more each month for 9 years will cost the borrower $2,700!

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

It is always important to let a lender help you determine the best possible loan solution. Some of the most important factors for the loan officer to know are:

Monthly Income
Monthly debt
Credit score
Credit history
Cash available for down payments and closing costs
Length of time you expect to own the loan

With this information, your loan officer should be able to provide multiple loan options. In addition, they should provide explanations as to why one would be preferred over another. And more often than not the loan with the higher interest rate becomes the best long term solution!

Thinking about buying or refinancing a home? Make sure you speak to a lender first! You can reach Keith Harris, Senior Loan Officer at Intercoastal Mortgage Company online or by calling 703.259.0788.

Keith Harris at Intercoastal Mortgage Company
NMLS ID # 838973
Company NMLS ID # 56323
(www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org)
Intercoastal Mortgage Company is an Equal Housing Lender.

Belle View Community Condo in Alexandria For Sale

This charming 2 bedroom condo is located at 6515 Potomac Ave in the Belle View Community of Alexandria. Windows in every room fill this home with tons of natural light. Enjoy views of the beautifully landscaped courtyard. There is plenty of permit parking available in the private lot with additional parking on the street.

Community Features

The Belle View Community features tot lots, tennis courts, mixed use courts, common areas, courtyards and bike trails. It is also convenient to I-495, I-95, Belle Haven Park and the Waterfront. Activities include Spring and Fall yard sales, The Annual Tree Lighting Celebration, Family Pool Parties, and Holiday Events.

Condo Features

Brand new carpet and fresh paint throughout entire unit. Spacious and open living room.

The separate dining area features a ceiling fan and windows that overlook the beautifully landscaped courtyard.

The Kitchen has window, a large pantry cabinet and ceramic tile.

Spacious Master Bedroom features ceiling fan, 2 windows and a large closet with built-in shelving.

Bedroom #2 features double windows, a closet and designer light fixture.

The shared full bathroom features ceramic tile, shelving and window.

Request a private tour of this charming Belle View Condo by calling Expert Realtor Sarah Taylor at 703.475.1003 or visit JSRealty4U.com.

Beautiful Ashburn Farm Home Listed For Sale

This beautiful home in the Ashburn Farm Community is conveniently located at 43257 Preston Court.There are 3 levels with 4 bedrooms, 4 full bathrooms and 1 half bathroom. There is also a spacious, 2 car garage. The home has new floors, a new roof and siding. In addition, the HVAC and hot water heater are new as well. Ashburn Farm features tons of community amenities, including: tot lots, tennis courts, pools, baseball fields, walking trails, and more! The home is convenient to the Dulles Greenway, Routes 7 & 28, and just moments to the Shoppes at Ryan Park.