Braemar Property Values:  November-December 2016 (Arista Series)The new year is here and while we are less than two weeks into it, I am here to tell you that the buyers are out and house hunting.  The spring real estate market is happening early this year.  Don't let the snow we saw on the ground fool you.  Of course, this edition of the Braemar Property Value Report is focusing on what happened in the last two months of 2016.  Let's get to it and see what happened with Arista Series home values.  Arista Series homes are the large, single family homes built by Brookfield Homes.  The floor plans are:  Allister, Buckingham and Canterbury.  Unfortunately there was only one sale of an Arista Series home in the last two months of 2016.  Its sales price was $510,000.  It had been listed for $... 01/11/2017

"Why do you need to check the insulation?  It's a new house."  So asked the builder's supervisor.The answer is simple - because a home inspector observes and reports a variety of things during a home inspection, whether the house is new or old.  And insulation is a HUGE part of that inspection.So what was promised?Virginia requires an insulation certificate for new construction.It is to be provided by the insulation company verifying what they have done.It lists the kind, weight (red arrow), and depth of the insulation.The formula stated on this cert would obtain an R-44, shown in the red circle.The stated depth, 16.5", and the stated weight, .65 pounds per square foot, would produce an insulation R-value of 2.7 per inch of insulation.If you multiply that you get an R-value of 41, so I ... 01/11/2017

Braemar Reflection Quarterly: October-December 2016It has been a few days since I posted a Braemar property value report, but I promise I haven't forgotten about you.  My real estate journeys over the last few days have taken me to mountain top homes with severe slopes, covered in snow.  Makes you appreciate life here in Braemar.  Paved roads with traffic lights, stop signs and enough width to have two cars pass each other.  This Braemar property report is the Braemar Reflection Quarterly.  For those who may not be familiar with this style of home, Reflections Series homes are located off of Tarvie Circle and are the semi-detached single family homes, attached at the garage only.  There were two floor plans offered by Brookfield Homes:  Annan and Bromley.  There was only one Reflection ... 01/09/2017

Electrical wires must be protected.During a pre-drywall phase, which needs to be checked during inspections, there are many things that need protection - electrical wires, plumbing supply and drain tubes, gas lines, and such.Looking on the left, this wall framed around to enclose a steel beam column in the basement.  Notice how the electrical wire is run through the middle, not the edge, of the studs.  But the wire was left on one side of the column.The simple fix is to nail a protective metal plate over the wire to insure that no future nail accidentally punctures it and cause a short.There were many protective plates elsewhere in the house, but not here.  And it is a simple fix.My recommendation:  pre-drywall inspections are the only time to see things like this.  There are hundreds o... 01/09/2017

Braemar Piggyback & Patio Quarterly:  October-December 2016 We have officially hit bitter cold winter temperatures.  I was out showing property this afternoon in Marshall, VA and I think I went numb.  When I say I was showing property, I mean land with no heated structure.  At this moment, I am quite content to be sitting in front of my computer, typing another Braemar Piggyback & Patio Quarterly.  or those who aren't familiar with these types of home styles, Braemar Piggyback Townhouses are attached side-to-side and back-to-back.  While they do not offer back yards, they offer large bedrooms and a two car garage.  Braemar Patio Homes are also known as quads.  Each is attached at the side, back and corner to another Patio Home.  They have two levels, also offering large bedrooms and a m... 01/06/2017

When a Showing Takes Longer Than Was Scheduled With The SellerAs I was standing over my cooktop, preparing a homemade cup of cocoa, my phone rang.  With snow approaching the Bristow area, I thought perhaps it would be my mother asking if I was in for the night.  Even though I'm a grown, middle aged woman, my mother still worries.  And maybe she should.  After all, I had just returned from picking up my car from the dealership where it had been repaired from the damages suffered when I lost control around a turn, driving on ice.  Wasn't my Mom.  It was a client.Immediately, I could sense irritation.  The seller wanted guidance on what to do.  They had a showing scheduled from 6:30pm-7pm.  When returning home with his spouse and dogs, he saw a truck still in his driveway.  His inclination... 01/05/2017

Braemar Condo Quarterly: October-December 2016Happy New Year!  As we begin 2017, naturally this Braemar Real Estate Agent is taking the time to look back at the end of 2016 and see how Braemar property values fared.  Right now, I will take you through the fourth quarter sales of Braemar condos.  Unlike the third quarter of 2016, which saw only one Braemar condo sell, the fourth quarter had five sales!  That's pretty incredible.  Even the fourth quarter of 2015 only had two sales.   The low sales price of $237,500 was lower than we saw a year ago, but the high sales price was higher than what we saw last year.  When it comes to the averages, the average sales price for the fourth quarter of 2016 was down a little over $4,000 since last year.  All in all, Braemar condo sales prices have r... 01/05/2017

Why gas fireplaces can get so cold!I get this call every winter, many times.  "The area around my gas fireplace is really cold!  What can we do?"  That is a good question!  What can be done now?This is a thermal image of a recent new construction inspection.It was not cold outdoors, in the 40sF.  But look how cold is radiating out from the fireplace!  Thermal imaging is the only way to demonstrate what is going on here.So, why is that cold radiating?Always, ALWAYS,  the answer is insulation.And the improper positioning or the lack thereof.Imagine how cold this area will feel in the dead of winter when it is really cold outside!The time to find this, and diagnose the cause, is during a pre-drywall inspection, which was not done on that house.Consider this case in point.From a recent pre-... 01/05/2017

Finding Your Dream Home Too EarlyThere are countless cautionary tales in the world of home buying and selling that a professional real estate agent could share with their clients.  Today's tale is specific to home buyers and is a lesson in "putting the cart before the horse."The idea of house hunting is so much more fun than getting your own home ready for sale.  It is no wonder that buyers, who are also sellers, put house hunting first.   These clients will often say things like, "We need to make sure we find a place we like before we put our home on the market."   Big mistake.A few years ago I met a couple who thought the same thing, though there were other limitations that only time and cash would help, that hindered their ability to sell.  Their needs were very specific.  While accr... 01/04/2017

Keeping the AC compressor clean.This is a very important point.  AC compressors can get very dirty depending on what surrounds the unit.This unit is surrounded by dirt.It is also very close to the ground.The AC compressor should be at least 3" above the soil level to allow for drainage.Typically the compressor is sitting on a little pad, either plastic or concrete, which can sink into the soil over time.But it is also wise to surround the unit with gravel or grass or concrete so that rain or water dripping from a deck above will not splatter mud onto the protective cover.The unit pictured here is covered with mud!  It is an older unit which was sitting on its original pad.  That pad was at ground level at the time of this inspection.  And it was caked with mud.That restricts air flow th... 01/03/2017

Why You Should Use a Real Estate Photographer for your Listings  A picture says a thousand words, right? According to Realtor.org, 92% of homebuyers use the internet for their new home search. They browse listings when and where it's convenient for them, using laptops, tablets, and phones. This means you need to capture their interest immediately because they will not linger on a photo longer than 20 seconds before they move on to the next listing. If the image that you're presenting as the main image of your property is not professional, appealing, and intriguing, they will move on.Your listing photographs create the first impression that a potential home buyer is likely to form of a property for sale. We know that most home buyers start their searches online before ever going to look ... 12/30/2016

Things That Can Happen During a Scheduled Home TourRepresenting both buyers and sellers in my job as a Bristow, VA Real Estate Agent, I have many experiences on both sides of transactions.  Let me clarify, that doesn't mean I have, or will ever, represent both sides in one single transaction.  Not going to happen.  Dual Agency is what that is called and the only person that wins is the agent.  The agent gets paid twice and the clients get less advocacy.  That's a separate discussion, and one I always have with my buyers and sellers as we begin our working relationship.  The point of this post is to share things I have encountered with buyers, while showing property, to sellers.  Every time I have a listing, sellers will undoubtedly get annoyed when buyers and their agents are late, earl... 12/30/2016

Don't pressure wash siding!Just don't.There are many reasons, which range from the professionalism of the people doing the pressure washing to the damage pressure washing does to siding, paint and trim work.Case in point - I saw a house in my neighborhood being pressure washed.The temperatures outdoors weren't exactly suited to such activity, but this house, on the market, must have had someone think this would help sell the house.Here the pressure washers are trying to remove a stain under a gutter at the upper edge of the brick. After they were done the stain was not removed.But even still, when finished there were problems everywhere.Having a quick look around here is what I came up with.  It's not good, and easily understood.Unbelievably they decided to spray the paint on the founda... 12/30/2016

Missing hurricane straps.Hurricane straps?  What is a hurricane strap?Hurricane straps are a half-twist metal plate with holes which allow a roof rafter to be nailed to the framing below.Years ago I wrote a blog post regarding hurricane straps and their use published at ActiveRain, which you can read here.Inspecting a home recently, pre-drywall, I noticed that the hurricane straps were missing completely.Even though I was not sure the county had seen and/or approved the framing in this house it was my job to instruct my clients about what hurricane straps are, and why they should be present in that house.Newer codes require that every roof rafter should be secured to the framing with a hurricane strap.This better secures the roof structure to the house structure.  Before such straps toe... 12/29/2016

Are Bristow, VA Home Prices Back to Pre-Crash Levels?Near the end of November 2016, Case Schiller reported that national home prices had surpassed their pre-crash levels.  You can read the interpretation of that data by clicking this link.  Unfortunately, that is a national look at real estate prices.  If you want to know what's happening with home values, ask a local real estate agent.  Since I can only speak about the market in which I work, I'm going to tell you about that state of Bristow, VA home values. What we discuss will hold true for Gainesville and Haymarket as well.  These are the areas I know like the back of my hand, though I strongly suspect the western suburbs of Washington, DC are all in a similar boat.  Home values in Bristow, VA have recovered a lot of lost ground sin... 12/28/2016

What's the difference between a sump pump and an ejector pump?A sump pump is placed in basement floors, below ground level, and in a small pit of 20 or 30 gallons size.Around the house, under the house, and perhaps a stairwell, tubes will be placed to direct water from those places into the sump pump pit.  As the water level increases the pump is turned on by a float device, and the water is ejected away from the house.  It is important that the sump pump collects and ejects that water away from the house.  Houses don't make very effective boats.I wrote a blog earlier this year on how to choose a sump pump.  You can read it here.An ejector pump is very similar, but has a different role.  The pump is intended to eject water from a basement bathroom that is below the graded drain level up... 12/28/2016

The Mind of a Real Estate AgentAs I sat at my desk unwinding from a long day out on the road, I was perusing Facebook.  It only took five minutes for a news story about suspected terrorists arrested in Northern Virginia to show up in my feed.  The photo accompanying the story showed police taking evidence from a townhouse.  Where does the mind of a real estate agent go?  They assess the style of the townhouse, whether or not it has a garage and where it may be located.  Before I read the story I had two or three communities in my local market in mind based solely on the photo of the townhouse.  Mind you, my local market is about three towns in one county vs. the three counties and multiple municipalities that make up "Northern Virginia."  The article was of no use.  It tells me nothing ... 12/27/2016

Should you cut HVAC air filters to fit the space?The answer - NO!The purpose of the HVAC air filter is to keep the system clean. Yes, the TV commercials say that if you use this or that filter the air in the house will be cleaner and your children will be healthier.While it is true that while the air filtered by the high-efficiency filters is cleaned of harmful particulates in the air, the HVAC system does not handle enough volume of air per hour to actually keep the air in the house clean.I had a post on this years ago.  You can read it by clicking here.But cutting any filter that was not sized properly to begin with is never an appropriate thing to do. FILTERS SHOULD BE PROPERLY SIZED TO FIT THE AREA THAT THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO FILTER AIR.As stated above, keeping the system clean i... 12/26/2016

Can an all brick house leak through the walls?The answer, in short, is YES!Water has to be controlled.  Around the roof, and house, water can be effectively controlled by gutters and downspouts.  If they are not situated properly, or if roof water is not drained properly from the roof to the gutters, back ups and overflows will occur.A case in point.  Just pulling up to this house I predicted the disaster that was to follow.For quite some time the gutter from the upper roof had been inundating and overflowing the gutter below because the downspout was missing an elbow and there had never been a kick-out flashing installed.You can see various forms of staining on the brick near, beside and under the gutter.That staining proceeds all the way to the ground.The hardwood flooring in the corn... 12/23/2016

Caulking is the cheapest form of energy savings, and very efficient.Caulking is not permanent.  Examining the caulking around your house should be something you do at least annually, if not semi annually.Look at two photos from a bay window on the front of a house. Gaps existed all around the window where it attached to the house, and all around the framing underneath.These gaps allow air to move freely. Even if the insulation inside the cavity under the window is well done, that air will influence the house.So, is the air moving around inside the box and influencing the house?Mighty Mo is definitive in his answer.  And the answer is YES.The temperature outdoors was about 40F at the time of this image.The floor looks very cold in this image and felt cold to the touch.That, and the lousy... 12/22/2016