Infographic: Loudoun County Real Estate Update

An Infographic about the 2016 Real Estate Market 

Our infographic shows how the Residential Real Estate market stayed strong through the end of 2016. And that carried over into the new year! Despite interest rates rising slightly during the 1st Quarter of 2017, the market stayed steady. Buyers competed against a low inventory of homes on the market through our unseasonably mild winter. As Spring arrived in full force more homes are being listed For Sale.

real estate jsrealty4u market update infographic

As you can see, 6,275 homes were sold in Loudoun County during 2016, which was up 5% over 2015. Single Family homes sold for an average of $609,994. Townhomes sold for an average of $408,173. Again, these were an increase over the previous year. And we expect this upward trend to continue as the market stays strong and steady.

As of April 25th of this year, there were 1,241 homes for sale in Loudoun County. Interest Rates are at the lowest they’ve been all year which makes now a great time to buy and sell Real Estate! Are you interested in getting pre-qualified for a home loan or refinancing a current loan? Contact our trusted friend and Lender, Keith Harris at Intercoastal Mortgage by clicking here or call (703) 259-0788.

The JS Realty Team @ Samson Properties is excited to offer sellers a $7,500* Rebate! Contact our Expert Agents today to learn how we can save you REAL CASH.

*Rebate based on $500,000 sale at 6% commission.

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

Not So Secret Agents

We Are the Expert Agents You Are Looking For!

The JS Realty Team is committed to being leaders in our industry to ensure all of our real estate clients have a positive experience. We are dedicated to building lifelong relationships, and to helping clients fulfill their dreams through ethical, honest and fair real estate solutions. If you want experience and integrity in your real estate partner, we are the experts you’re looking for.

Using all the resources at their disposal, we set out to accomplish our most recent mission of finding a family a new home in Brambleton. Here’s how the mission went:

Download a FREE Ultimate Guide to: Living in Brambleton by using the code Secret Agent.

If you have a home buying or selling mission for our Team, call the Secret Agent Hotlines!
Agent Sarah Taylor: 703-475-1003
Agent Scott Koval: 703-625-6654

Preparing Your Home For Sale

Our Top 4 Helpful Tips on Preparing Your Home For Sale

If you are thinking about selling your home in the near future (or if it’s just been listed) here are the JS Realty Team’s 4 Tips on Preparing Your Home For Sale! By implementing these 4 helpful suggestions, you can maximize top dollar from the Buyers out there! Because let’s face it, the better the house looks and “feels”, the sooner you will attract a Buyer who wants to make your home their own. The key words here is that they want to make it their own. So… where do you start?

#1 – DEPERSONALIZE YOUR HOME

preparing staging before afterWhat does it mean to “depersonalize” your home? It means making it look as neutral and clutter free as humanly possible. Start by removing any and all personal photography. We know you & your family look great and that picture above the mantel is AMAZING, but a potential Buyer does not really care how cute your kids are, and in fact, it may be a distraction. So go ahead and pack up ALL of your personal pictures. If you have a wall of family photos, that needs to come down too. Consider replacing the images with a large, neutral art piece. Another quicker, easier option is just patching the nail holes and repainting the wall.

Personal effects… if you have a large collection of something (say frogs, for instance) pick your favorite frog item to leave out and then – pack the rest. Trust us, the Buyers won’t be interested in them. And don’t forget to remove graduation or other certificates, awards, and trophies. Having those items displayed is not a bad thing, it’s just not the best way to quickly attract a great Buyer and optimize your potential for top dollar. This is why we ask you to remove these personal items when you’re preparing your home for sale.

#2 – HAVE A PAINTING PARTY

jsrealty4u preparing staging home for saleNow that you have depersonalized the home, look around at the paint.  One of our favorite ways to make a home feel like home, is to add some color to the walls! However, preparing your home for sale is the time to turn your home into a “blank canvas”. Take a quick peek at our previous blog about painting the home, it offers tips on where to start and what colors are best to use. Neutralizing your homes color is the next step in creating an experience for the Buyer. While they are viewing your home, we want them to imagine their couch, their rug, and their paintings in your home. The easiest way to start this experience for them is by depersonalizing the home and creating a neutral color scheme.

#3 – USE SOME ELBOW GREASE

jsrealty4u preparing staging home for saleThe single most important thing you can do is CLEAN! Then clean, clean, and clean again. Give your house a FULL cleaning – meaning top to bottom. Pay special attention to bathrooms, the kitchen and appliances, the pantry and the refrigerator – inside, underneath, and behind! Cleaning the windows of your home makes a remarkable difference, as well. And if you have screens on the windows, consider removing them and placing them in a safe spot. You would be surprised how bright your home looks with clean windows and no screens.

Don’t forget the floors! A good carpet cleaning goes a long way, too. If you have hardwood floors, consider waxing them. Once you have cleaned, it will be most important to do your best to keep it that way, since Buyers love a clean house. A dirty home is a distraction and immediately has the Buyer devaluing your home. Make sure it smells good, but try not use too many scents or candles. First impressions make a lasting impression! Don’t forget to tidy up the yard and feel free to give it a pop of color with a few seasonal flowers.

#4 – PATCH IT UP

jsrealty4u preparing staging home for saleWalk around the house and repair any of those little nagging items that have been bugging you – a loose toilet seat, the stopper in the bathroom that doesn’t shut, etc. And remember to check and make sure that every single light bulb in the house is working – even the one in the oven!

We have additional tips on staging and packing that we are happy to share with you the further along in the selling process we get. The bottom line here is, set a schedule and plan ahead because preparing your home for sale can take time. We want you to have The Ultimate Selling Experience, and following these helpful suggestions goes along way towards ensuring you get top dollar for your home!

If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home, contact us today. We’d love to sit down and talk to you about all of the possibilities the current market has to offer!

 

HOME JUST LISTED IN ARLINGTON

JUST LISTED! This charming 3 level, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom town home conveniently located on South Stafford Street in Arlington, Virginia was just listed for sale!

JS Realty Exterior - Fairlington 3244 S Stafford StThis gorgeous town home located in the highly sought after Farlington Community offers so many amenities to its residents, including: meeting room, amphitheater, basketball court, grill area, fitness center, gazebo, rose garden, paved trail, walking/jogging path, picnic area, tot lots, farmers market on Sundays & so much more!

JS Realty 3244 S Stafford St Kitchen Living Room2This area is a commuters dream; walk out your door to a Metro bus stop or use one of the several Metro bus stops throughout the community. This home is less than 5 miles from the Pentagon Metro Station & King Street Metro Station, and just a short drive to Reagan National Airport & Washington DC Walk to the Dash for a direct ride to the Pentagon.

Enjoy shopping, dining & entertainment at The Village at Shirlington, located less than a mile away!

JS Realty 3244 S Stafford St KitchenWindows galore fill this freshly painted home with tons of natural light. Find crown molding, chair rail, ceiling fans, and other updates to this beautifully maintained brick home that backs to a common area.

The adorable back yard is just off the kitchen and has both a stone & brick patio, which is perfect for entertaining!

Call us today at 703-475-1003 or 703-625-3446 to schedule a private showing of this charming home!

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The JS Realty Team – not only serving Brambleton, serving all of Northern Virginia.

DO I SELL OR RENT MY HOUSE?

A few weeks back we gave you some info on how to decide whether it made more sense for you to Rent or Buy a home. Today we’re going to discuss renting out your home versus selling it. There are many factors to consider before making that decision. Here are just some of the questions you must answer to make an informed decision:

JS Realty Rent Question

Monetarily, how would renting affect your bottom line?
How does the rental market compare to the sale market in your neighborhood?
How emotionally attached to your home are you?
How permanent is your reason for moving – are you moving out of the area for good or do you want a new/different home?
What condition is your home in, has it been updated?

ALL ABOUT THE MONEY
If you need the proceeds from the sale of your home to purchase another home then obviously renting is definitely not an option. If you can cover the costs of owning your home by the rental income your home will bring, then you might be a candidate for renting your home. Remember: your costs not only include your mortgage and any HOA/Condo fees, but the upkeep and maintenance. If you can make a positive cash flow plus receive the tax benefits, then renting might be an option.JS Realty Refinance Monney Calculator Bills

Another financial part of the equation is how your homes market will look 5-10 years from now. Although no one has a crystal ball to know exactly how the Real Estate market is going to react, determining what the market is likely to do will help in your decision. If your homes market is on the rise, then you could possibly benefit from having tenants that pay for the cost of keeping the home, and you’ll also be making money on the equity that’s being built!JS Realty Graph Real Estate

WHY ARE YOU MOVING?
The reason for your move also needs to be examined. If you are leaving the area and do not plan on returning, then renting and managing your rental home becomes JS Realty Prop Management Rentmore difficult. If this is the case, but you definitely want to rent, you should consider using the experience of the Property Management Team at the JS Realty Team. Our Property Management Team will make the managing of your home as stress-free as possible. And if you do plan on returning to the area after a couple of years away, then you need to determine if you are going to want to move back into the same home, or find a new one.

ARE YOU ATTACHED TO YOUR HOME?
JS Realty Rent Sell Landscape Home
This is another major factor to consider. How tolerant will you be of strangers living in your home? For example, if having your prized landscaping not kept up to your standards would make you upset, you may want to reconsider if renting is right for you. No matter how well you screen your potential tenants, there is still the potential that they will not treat your home like you do. The JS Realty Team performs our due diligence when screening potential tenants and we have had tenants that have left our clients homes in better condition than when they first moved in. On the flip side, we’ve also had tenants that did not fare as well as we would like. You are always taking a chance when you let strangers live in your home.

IS YOUR HOME UPDATED?
JS Realty Rent Sell Renovate Update
Tenants tend to be less fixated on items such as fixtures, appliances, and such because they are renting and only going to be there on a short term basis. Buyers are going to be more selective when choosing a home, and may rule out one that has not been updated. If you need to invest time and money to update your home for the sale market, this also needs to be entered into your decision making process.

There are many factors that go into deciding whether to rent out or sell your home. Trust the experience our JS Realty Team members have to go over your personal situation and discover what the best options are for you. Contact us today to get started!

JS Realty Free Analysis Contact UsThe JS Realty Team – not only serving Brambleton, serving all of Northern Virginia.

MARKET UPDATE – LOUDOUN COUNTY

JS Realty Flag LoCoEarlier this month the JS Realty Team at Samson Properties provided a market analysis of Brambleton in Ashburn, Virginia. Today we are going to expand the market update to include all of Loudoun County, and compare the trends of the whole county to what we saw in the Brambleton subdivision.

Q1 2015 Loudoun County Market Update – Full Report

The Loudoun County housing market has also had a strong first quarter. The sold dollar volume is up + 19.56% from JS Realty Where Market Going Newspaperthe previous year and units sold are also up +16.88%. The percentages are obviously not as large when compared to Brambleton, but keep in mind we are looking at Loudoun County as a whole, not just one of its most popular subdivisions. When you compare average days on the market in Loudoun County to the previous year you will see a modest increase from 58 in 2014 to 81 in 2015. This can be mostly attributed to the increase in inventory from the year before – classic “supply and demand”. Overall, similar to Brambleton, the whole county is experiencing a market that is on the move in a positive way.

The JS Realty Team also mentioned previously that the “buzz” in the lending world was that interest rates were going to rise slightly over the summer. We have seen that come to fruition over the last couple weeks. They have crept up a little, but are still close to historical lows.

JS Realty Buyer Seller Road SignWe expect this positive market to continue for the foreseeable future. The JS Realty Team has stayed busy helping our clients achieve their goals through the buying and selling of homes. It has been a great year so far and we look forward to helping even more of our clients in the remainder of 2015.

Have a great summer! Don’t hesitate to contact a JS Realty Team member with any questions or to get a FREE no obligation home/market analysis on your home.

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The JS Realty Team – not only serving Brambleton, serving all of Northern Virginia.

GETTING KEYS TO YOUR NEW HOME

You searched for the right home – and found it! You got the home under contract and worked through the entire Home Buying Process to bring you to the day you have been looking forward to: Settlement Day! You worked hard and you want the KEYS to what is yours. So when do you get the keys to your dream home?

JS Realty Calendar Red Moving DaySeems like this would be a pretty easy question to answer, but it really depends on the state that you are closing in, and how that state handles defining the term “settled”, or when escrow has occurred. Most often this has to do with the way the money is funded and disbursed, and how the Deed (the paper work that deems you are the owner of the property) is recorded and recognized in your state. Since we are located in Virginia, we can tell you exactly how it is dealt with here. Then you can prepare for the other BIG day – MOVING DAY.

Typically, keys are given after verification that the funds have been delivered to the title company and all of the required documents are signed by both Seller and Buyer. At that point, the Seller will pass over ownership of the property and provide the Buyer with the keys to the property. Hooray! The moment has arrived and you are now the lucky owner – and key holder – of your dream home!

JS Realty Champagne Glasses Celebration

There are occasions, however, when getting the keys and moving right in is not possible:

The Seller needs to stay in the home. Logistically, it can make sense for JS Realty rental agreementthe Seller to sell their home and then buy their next home. Physically, though, this can be a real challenge. Offering the Seller to stay a couple of extra days after settlement could be just what they need to make selling their home to you easier. In this case, you (the Buyer) will be offering a “rent back”. This is done through a signed agreement (a Post-Settlement Occupancy Agreement) that states they will stay in the home for a specified period of time, for a certain amount of money, and will be exiting the property on a specified date.

JS Realty Moving Boxes TapeSo does this mean you get keys or not? In most cases the Seller will agree to give you one set of keys with the understanding you will not need to access the property until the specified date that they will be exiting the property. Once they have exited the property you will be able to re-inspect the home and take possession based on the terms in which you both agreed to. This is pretty common and often occurs with little to no issues.

The home is vacant and you want to move in early. Is this even possible? JS Realty Kids Thumbs Up DownTechnically it is, however we often do not recommend it due to many various risk factors that could make this a bad idea for both the Buyer and the Seller. There is a possibility that something unforeseen happens and the deal does not go through at the last minute. Or worse, if something tragic happens to the home while the Buyer is occupying it and the Seller is still the owner. This would create a potential insurance nightmare. The reasons this could be a bad idea are numerous, however if you and the Seller are prepared to face these risk and are able to come to mutual agreeable terms, this is an option and does occur from time to time. It would be similar to the “rent back” method and it is called a Pre-Settlement Agreement.

“Key” things to remember for Settlement Day:

Utilities: Turn the utilities on in your name the day of settlement to prevent a them from possibly being shut off. Remember: utilities cannot be turned on over a weekend.

Deliveries: Do not schedule to have anything delivered or done to the home the JS Realty Watch Deadline Man Businessday of the settlement in the event something unforeseen causes a delay.

Be Prepared: From time to time, Settlement Day can run longer than expected. However if you plan for extra time in advance, it can make the day run a lot smoother and less stressful than if you are trying to get to an important work meeting directly after. We hope for the best, yet are prepared for the worst.

Accept the keys and take ownership of your dream home!

JS Realty Happy Couple New Home

The JS Realty Team get deals done and homes get purchased every day! If you’re ready to buy or sell a home, contact us today!

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The JS Realty Team – not only serving Brambleton, serving all of Northern Virginia.