We Didn't Give Up on the Deal. First of all, I wish I was a good enough writer to express the intricacies and nuances of what just happened.  I'm not. 'We' means myself and the two listing agents on the other side.  AND, the buyer and sellers.  Here's what happened.  We easily agreed on a contract that was happy to everyone.  Appraisal came in $25,000 LOW!  Every single one of us, including the loan officer, could not believe it.  Fought the appraisal and lost. Both sides of the deal are somewhat cash-strapped.   In the end, after many civil back-and-forths, we arrived at a solution last night!! Settlement was SUPPOSED to be TODAY.  However, that is irrelevant, that will happen ASAP. The important part is that EVERYONE INVOLVED was determined to find a civil solution to the challenge.  ... 04/01/2011

The face of Clarendon has greatly changed over the past five plus years into a popular destination for many today, be it to go shopping, go out for lunch or dinner, or out for the night.  This growth is in part due to the good planning by Arlington Co, to try to encourage development along the metro lines.  As the area has grown new condos have been built such as 1021, The Phoenix, and Station Square as well as more apartments complexes such as Market Commons, Lyon Park, Zozo Flats and the newest one being built as I write this Garfield Park. Several new restaurants and bars have opened in the last year.  The some of the newest additions to the area are Lyon Hall, Northside Social,  Mad Rose Tavern, Pete’s New Haven Pizza, Circa, and Buropa.  Soon to be opening is a Burger Joint, new pi... 03/31/2011

I'm sure you all have heard the news that real estate prices have dropped again. According to Case-Schiller real estate prices have dropped in all areas except.......yes, you guessed it, the DC area. Today, someone asked me to look into foreclosures in Arlington for them. There are 10 active for sale foreclosure properties in all of Arlington. 10...that's it folks. If you're looking for foreclosures, don't look here. However.....we headed on down to Alexandria, the Kingstowne area where there are some nice foreclosure properties to be had. We saw several possibilities. More on that later.   03/30/2011

The speed at which homes sell is certainly an indication of which way the real estate market is moving.  A well priced home in good condition and in a good location will almost always sell quickly.  No doubt you've heard the stories of homes selling (maybe even in your neighborhood) as soon as the real estate "For Sale" sign goes in the ground.  Price your home too high and it will linger on the market and you'll be chasing the market down as you continually reduce your price. By all indications, the days of quick sales are coming back... at least in Arlington, VA. Check out this chart below which shows the Days on Market for homes sold in Arlington over the last 6 months.  The chart is organized by price range with each color representing a different price range according to the legend... 03/30/2011

What If I Hadn't Planted Those Trees in 2009? Have you ever stood there and thought "If I had started that project when I thought about it, it would be finished by now".  "Oh well, I'll start tomorrow." In August 2009, an event happened in my life that boosted me into learning how to build a website.  I had been dead-sure that I wasn't capable.  Then I decided to heck with it I'm going to learn how to do it.  Two years later I'm now TEACHING others how. One year later, I decided the same thing about blogging.  My big fear was that I wouldn't know what to talk about.  Then, I realized that ideas literally surround us and I was off and running.  Maybe I'm not a great blogger but I write from the heart.  And, I'm good enough to have received almost $1,000,000 in referrals on AR!  So, where... 03/30/2011

Willpower.  Who Needs It? I DO!  Today.   Today is one of those days where I have to constantly reach out and drag my drifting thoughts back in. Today is one of those days where I want to get up and wander around, ACTING like I'm busy. Today is one of those days I'm not going to want to answer the phone; return emails. Today is one of those days I do not want to BLOG.  (<: Today is one of those days that I just want to go home and crawl into my warm bed and shut out the world. So what is a self-employed person going to do?  He's going to grit-down and, at the end of the day look back and say "Good Job Randy"---and mean it! 03/30/2011

Blogging Works, But It Isn't a Quick Fix! I admit it, I was late to the blogging/tweeting/facebooking/YouTube games/AR.  The typical reason---" don't know what to blog about?"  Then, I discovered that topics are all around me.  Just open a book and there will be a word or phrase that will inspire you. Last August, I said....."Here Goes!".  More important, I took lessons learned in the past and went at with the idea that any business results would take at least a year. One day this February, on the same day, I received two requests on AR from other realtors.  One realtor had already made another choice.  The other?  The realtor's client and I were finally able to talk and it went well.  It looks like I will be selling some real estate for him in a couple of months here in Arlington, VA. ... 03/29/2011

COMING SOON: Beautiful 5 Bedroom Detached Home in Lovely Arlington Neighborhood - Aurora Highlands Home - Arlington Ridge VA Houses Coming soon to the beautiful Aurora Highlands neighborhood in Arlington VA, is this lovely 5 bedroom detached home. Located a stone's throw from Arlington Ridge Road, I-395, Washington DC, and Crystal City, this 5 bedroom Aurora Highlands home boasts a handful of wonderful amenities with proximity to all Northern Virginia has to offer. If you would like more information on this soon-to-be listed 5 bedroom Arlington Ridge home, contact Aaron Seekford today. 03/29/2011

  As the spring real estate market approaches and buyers start to plan out where they would like to purchase a new home, sellers look to agents to help them get their homes ready for sale.  The search for a new home is one of the most exciting and stressful times for many Americans, as for many it is the largest investment they will make.  It is also helping to fulfill part of their dreams as becoming a home owner.  With becoming a home owner there are many benefits, such as having a place to call your own, there are monetary benefits such as tax breaks and non-monetary benefits such as the memories you will and can create in your new home.   As interest rates are staying near record lows, for now, why not talk to a real estate agent about helping you find a home?  Realty Times recently... 03/29/2011

Networking..Not My Cup of Tea...BUT I'm a pleasant guy.  Treat people well and friendly toward them.   In fact, I like people (most of them anyway (<:      And networking is about meeting people; being pleasant and friendly to them; and treating them well afterward, right? Right.  Then why do I feel like I'm being sentenced to the gas chamber to do it?  Because it is chit-chat.  I'm not a 'chit-chatter'.  In fact, to make it worse I have panic attacks (Social Anxiety).  The medicine holds them down, but doesn't eliminate them.  I often wonder if I would be this way without the panic attacks until I look way back into my past and see that I was always the 'quiet one'.  With two exceptions:  If I'm in charge of the group; and if I'm speaking to groups. No, I network because I'm an indepen... 03/28/2011

So, you are looking to buy, renovate or build this year or in the near future, some things to consider when you go to re-sell your home down the line: floor plan, do you have the traditional living room and kitchen?  These two rooms are going by the wayside, to larger open floor plans that integrate the kitchen into the open space, since let’s face it, where do we spend the most time? The kitchen and family rooms traditionally, so merging the two into a larger open area is in.  Green building and construction is on the rise, the cost is often more up-front, but in the long-term have you saved money and helped the planet? Also, think about the aging baby boomer generation, a single-level floor plan is optional with everything needed right there, no stairs involved. Realty Times recently ... 03/28/2011

Randy vs the Appraisal.                               Fighting a Home Appraisal.       Randy vs Appraisal    After nine years I'm finally having an appraisal dispute.  $25,000 worth of dispute.  I'm the selling agent. The selling agent! you ask?  I should be happy about this, right?  No.  Not this time.  My client does not have the cash.  The sellers do not have the cash, nor the ability to accept the lower price (note:  I trust the realtor because I have known her since her first day in real estate). Here is the rub--the sellers agree the appraisal is too low; their realtor agrees; MY BUYER agrees; his mortgage officer agrees; and I definitely agree.  Arlington VA just should not ever receive a low        appraisal--UNLESS..........insert(I will not bash appraisers). I've sent in our r... 03/27/2011

In an effort to fix-up ones home before the spring market, if you are considering selling, doing touch-ups is important to help your home show its best, thus helping get top dollar for it.  The Washington Post recently included an article about How to paint your cabinets. Our kitchen cabinets are stained and finished with polyurethane. Can we paint them without sanding? Will a stain-killer primer over the polyurethane suffice? — R. Valerio By Gene Austin, Thursday, March 17, 10:25 AM Polyurethane generally has a glossy finish, and paint won’t stick to glossy surfaces unless given special treatment. There are several ways to do it, but one of the simplest is to use a glossy-surface primer. You can buy good glossy-surface primers at almost any paint store under various brand names. One po... 03/27/2011

Tax Day. No, it's not April 15th but it's the day I promised my tax filer (the wife!) that I would finish preparing everything.  It's beautiful outside; supposed to snow tomorrow (in Arlington Virginia!!); and I have spring fever! So, I'm trying to excercise some of this self-control I supposedly think I have an get it done. I don't mind paying taxes----it's proof that I actually produced revenue.  It's the preparation I hate.  But then, that's the way it is with most things, isn't it? 03/26/2011

Welcome to: 851 GLEBE RD N #1310, ARLINGTON, VA 22203 Listed by Herboso & Associates . . Steps to Kettler Ice Arena, shopping, fine dining and Ballston METRO!!! ASSIGNED GARAGE PARKING,THEATER, FITNESS CENTER, NEXT DOOR TO WESTIN HOTEL Balcony perfect for watching the sunset Exercise Room. . Corner unit in luxury hi-rise in the heart of Ballston Luxury Studio. Maple cabinets, Granite, Black Appliances,end unit with BALCONY and a great view. Roof Top Pool, Party Room, gym, 24 hr. Concierge, Garage space in front included, walk to the metro, shopping and restaurants galore,with separate storage unit .. .too many amenities. . .luxury at its finest. 851 GLEBE RD N #1310, ARLINGTON, VA 22203 ML#:  AR7561057 LP:  $299,900 Status:  ACTIVE DOMM/DOMP:   0/0 Call Fernando Herboso 240-426-5754 for... 03/26/2011

Are You Hiring the Right Person for the Job? Are you familiar with the D.I.S.C. profile?  Assuming you are, I am a very high D.  Basically this means that I don't want to be bothered with details, just get to the point if you are talking to me. I would make an excellent accountant, don't you think?  (<: What often happens when we hire someone to be our assistant?  That's right, we hire someone who is like us because we 'bond' with them easily.  What should be the purpose of hiring someone?  To do those things we most hate to do!  And so you hire someone who hates to do the same thing you do!!! Take the DISC yourself.  Then, when you have narrowed down your choices, have them take the DISC.  If the two of you aren't exactly the opposite, you probably are not hiring the right person for t... 03/25/2011

You hear about it constantly on the news. Foreclosures. Short Sales. From the bombardment on the national news programs, the newspapers, and the internet, you'd think they are everywhere. You've heard stories about people scooping up great homes for pennies on the dollar. You want a piece of this action. A few cosmetic fixes and you've got instant equity... right? Think again, especially if you're looking to purchase a home in Arlington, Virginia. The chart below shows the last 6 months of sales in Arlington. The purple bars represent Foreclosure (or REO) sales. The red bars represent Short Sales. Finally, the much larger brown bars represent traditional resales where a buyer purchases the property from the seller and there is no bank mediation involved in the process. As you can see, f... 03/25/2011

Mortgage rates inched up to close the week, though rates are still at a historically low levels, which is a good thing for buyers as the spring real estate market approaches. Realty Times published the update about the mortgage rates for this week below. Freddie Mac today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS), which shows rates increasing from the previous week influenced by inflationary and ongoing geopolitical concerns. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage matches its February 3, 2011 level of 4.81 percent. 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.81 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending March 24, 2011, up from last week when it averaged 4.76 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.99 percent.     15-year FRM this week ave... 03/25/2011

A USDA Guaranteed Loan is Government insured 100% purchase loan. These Loans are only offered in rural areas and serviced by direct lenders that meet federal guidelines. Under the Guaranteed Loan program (Section 502), the Housing and Community Facilities Programs guarantees loans made by private sector lenders. The individual works with the private lender and makes his or her payments to that lender.  Section 502 loans are primarily used to help low-income individuals or households purchase homes in rural areas. Funds can be used to build, repair, renovate or relocate a home, or to purchase and prepare sites, including providing water and sewage facilities. Under the terms of the program, an individual or family may borrow up to 100% of the appraised value of the home, which eliminates... 03/23/2011

  Persistence is worth a Million Bucks. Early february, we made an opening offer on a $1M+ home, 93DOM, in N. Arlington VA.  The area I actually live in.  The client insisted on an opening offer that I assured him would not work. One of his arguments was that the home had been on the market for 90 days, no offers.  90 DAYS!  And, he had been watching the real estate market and knew that sellers were very anxious.  No, I said, N. Arlington has nothing to do with the national market, you are going to lose this house.  And, he had a sale-of-home contingency. Cut to the chase...we didn't get the home.  A month later he calls me, says the home is under contract, is it too late to make another offer?  I called, found out the offer had a sale of home contingency, and was told that a back-up of... 03/23/2011