EPISODE 10 - REAL ESTATE IN CHANTILLY   If you are a home buyer in Chantilly or one of the other communities in Northern Virginia, you will want to hear this brief but informative discussion of what you need to know about the mortgage loan process in the current market. In this first installment of the series, we discuss the fundamental concepts of getting your mortgage loan. Where do you start? What can you expect? What are the charges you will incur? How much money will you need for down payment? What about credit scores? In this four-part series on Getting a Mortgage Loan we discuss the fundamental information you will want to know before jumping into the home buying process. The Kathy O'Neal Team at REMAX Premier wants Chantilly, Centreville, and Northern Virginia area home buyers t... 07/13/2009

SUMMARY  The current inventory level for Stone Ridge increased by 2 at 13 active listings this is a 20% increase. With 1 new listing to the market and NO HOMES receiving contracts this past week, it was a slower week in Stone Ridge. The 3 homes sold did so on average in 50 days and netted and average of 101.4% to the list price. I have completed my 2nd Quarter Summary for Stone Ridge a review of sales in the past Quarter.   CLICK HERE for entire post 07/12/2009

Summary In general there are less homes selling in less time, on average by 5 days, comparing the Second Quarter of 2009 to the same time period in 2008. There have been 15 less homes sold in the same period. While the average asking price has decreased by $44,305 and average net sales price has decreased by $37,324, the percent to Asking Price has slightly increased by .4 basis points to 98.1%. Distressed sales have increased in Q2 2009 compared to Q2 2008. It appears sellers are pricing their homes to attract buyers quickly and for close to asking price.   CLICK HERE for entire post 07/08/2009

SUMMARY The current inventory level for Stone Ridge increased by 1 home to 11 active listings, this is a 10 % increase. With 1 new listing to the market and 2 homes receiving contracts 2 homes must have returned to the market. The 2 homes which received a contract did so in an average of ONLY 2 days this is lower than the current absorption rate. I will be working on my 2nd Quarter Summary for Stone Ridge, be sure to keep any eye out for it.   CLICK HERE for intire post 07/05/2009

As I work with buyers and sellers in Chantilly and Northern Virginia, I like to keep a watchful eye out for how our area is similar or different than what I am seeing in the national trends.  I don't have a definitive answer, and never will because the market is dynamic, and oh so local.  I see variations down to the neighborhood level, as supply and demand exerts its influence from community to community. As the present moment, in my travels, I see a lack of listings of non-distressed properties.  But these things are fluid. Looking at the national level for a moment, I note that the monthly Case-Shiller Index was a bit different most recently, with 19 of the 20 measured markets indicating a slowing of home price declines for April. Here are some of the headlines covering the latest r... 07/01/2009

 SUMMARY The current inventory level for Stone Ridge decreased by 3 at 10 active listings this is a 22% decrease. With 1 new listing to the market and 3 homes receiving contracts this past week, it was another fairly active week in Stone Ridge. The 3 homes receiving contract did so in an average of 10 days this is very low. The 3 homes sold did so in 40 days. With the sales and homes receiving contracts last week the already low inventory has been drive even lower in Stone Ridge.   CLICK HERE for entire post   06/28/2009

EPISODE 7 - REAL ESTATE IN CHANTILLY RADIO Powered by Podbean.com If you are buying or selling a home in the near future, you will most likely be dealing with a home inspection as part of the process. It can go very well...or be a nightmare that blows up the deal. What should the informed real estate consumer know in advance to help prevent common issues, and avoid big problems? In this three part series, we interview veteran Home Inspector Reggie Marston.  You may know of Reggie from his appearances on HGTV's "The House Detectives." In this Chantilly Radio series, he covers the fundamentals, and then goes on to discuss the special concerns from the different perspectives of both buyers and sellers.  Check out these episodes before you buy or sell, so that you can avoid major stress and... 06/22/2009

SUMMARY The current inventory level for Stone Ridge decreased by 2 homes to 13 active listings, this is a 15 % decrease. With 1 new listing to the market and 3 homes receiving contracts creating a busier than average week in Stone Ridge. The 3 homes which received a contract did so in an average of only 8 days this is lower than the current absorption rate.   CLICK HERE for entire post 06/21/2009

TO VIEW "FOR SALE" PROPERTIES IN PLEASANT VALLEY :  CLICK HERE PLEASANT VALLEY IN CHANTILLY VA MORE INFORMATION ON:  PLEASANT VALLEY MORE INFORMATION ON:  CHANTILLY-FAIRFAX COUNTY, CHANTILLY-LOUDOUN COUNTY, CENTREVILLE AREA, and  NEARBY COMMUNITIES. Moving to the Northern Virginia area?  Here is USEFUL INFO about the area. PROPERTY SEARCH:  Search for properties in Northern Virginia. PROPERTY UPDATE:  Get current updates of "For Sale" properties via email. Please let us know if we can be of any help with other questions you may have about Pleasant Valley.  I have lived in this community for over 20 years and have become a "Pleasant Valley Specialist."   We have helped many, many individuals and families buy, sell, and relocate to and from this area, and we are here for you as well!  [Th... 06/20/2009

It may be quite some time before the market for green products gets into full swing, but there is a lot that is starting to happen.  Take lawn products for example. Chantilly home owners who use a lawn service won't see many, if any, electric tools in use.  Most lawn service companies use gas powered tools.  They perform far better, but their environmental impact is another story. A California Air Resources Board study offered that a 5-horsepower, gasoline-powered lawnmower produces more pollution in 1 hour of use than driving a Prius for 800 miles. Yep...those lawn tools can put out more than noise pollution.  As a counter-point, the the Eco Trimmer by Lehr is an interesting alternative.  It's a propane lawn trimmer tool that puts out the power of its gas powered counterpart. It is sup... 06/18/2009

Relocate America publishes their Top 100 Places in the US to live, and this year Oklahoma is OK.  The study places high priority on solid local economic conditions as well as stable housing prices. This year Tulsa, Oklahoma, comes out smelling like a rose, with an unemployment rate that is 3 percent below the national average along with affordable housing. These same conditions were the general pattern among the Top 10, which are: Tulsa, Oklahoma Dallas/Ft Worth, Texas Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina Huntsville, Alabama Houston, Texas Albuquerque, New Mexico Lexington, Kentucky Little Rock, Arkansas Oklahoma City, Oklahoma The study suggests that its 2009 winners will be in a better position to bounce back from the recession. Check out the Top 100 Places To Live ... 06/17/2009

SUMMARY The current inventory level for Stone Ridge was unchanged and remained at 15 active listings. With 5 new listings to the market and 3 homes receiving contracts creating a busier than average week in Stone Ridge. The 3 homes which received a contract did so in an average of only 9 days this is lower than the current absorption rate.   CLICK HERE for entire post 06/14/2009

Some people love what they do.  Heather Taylor and the team of instructors at South Riding Dance Academy are a case in point. Nine years ago Heather brought her life-long dream into reality when she started South Riding Dance Academy.  She was bitten by the dance bug as a kid, and has never really recovered.  Dancing her way through high school and college, including a tour as a Redskin Cheerleader Ambassador, not to mention her time on Broadway, Heather was most definitely "born to dance."The Academy offers dance lessons for kids of all ages, as well as special programs for adults.  The students can choose to dance competitively - the Academy is very active in the competitive dance world - or they can dance for purely recreational purposes.  It is entirely up to the parents and their k... 06/13/2009

SUMMARY The current inventory level for Stone Ridge increased by 1 at 15 active listings this is a 6.5% increase. With 2 new listings to the market and 1 home receiving contracts this past week accounting for the increase in inventory. The 1 home which received a contract did so in 55 days this is lower than the current absorption rate.   CLICK HERE for entire post 06/07/2009

SUMMARY The current inventory level for Stone Ridge decreased by 2 at 14 active listings this is a 13% decrease. With NO NEW LISTINGS to the market and 3 homes receiving contracts this past week, the home which came off active status 2 weeks ago week did come back on this last week. The 3 homes receiving contract did so in an average of 26 days this is very low. The 1 home sold did so in 86 days. With the sales and homes receiving contracts last week the already low inventory has been drive even lower in Stone Ridge.   CLICK HERE for entire post 05/31/2009

If you are a home buyer or seller in the Northern Virginia area, or relocating to the area, and....you are doing research to find a real estate agent that will be a really good choice, may I invite you to give our TESTIMONIAL VIDEO a quick view. It is a candid explanation - mostly from people we have worked with - about our approach to serving buyers and sellers. Real estate consumers have lots of choices when it comes to working with an agent, but I find that many consumers do not know just how important a careful choice will be to both the experience they have, as well as the end result. If you watch this video you will get an accurate picture of how we work with people. Whatever you do, if you are getting ready to buy or sell, please do exercise "due diligence" in your selection proc... 05/24/2009

SUMMARY The current inventory level for Stone Ridge remained the same at 16 active listings. With 3 new listings to the market and 2 homes receiving contracts this past week, there was a home which came off active status, it will most likely be back later this week. Overall there was a little more activity in Stone Ridge, and the inventory level remains low. CLICK HERE for entire post 05/24/2009

If you are a home buyer in the Chantilly and surrounding area, you don't often..maybe I should say ever...encounter Craftsman style new homes being built. But Brookfield Homes is breaking the mold with their new collection of homes in a gated community they are calling "Saranac." I toured the community and walked through the "Colden" model.  It is impressive, all the more so because it is so different than what we typically see.  I personally would not call this an extreme interpretation of Craftsman style, but the look and feel is definitely there. The style evokes a "feeling" and of course it is subjective and varies.  Words like strength, dignity, timeless good looks, hominess...all of these come to my mind.  You will have to tour Saranac to discover your own reactions, but I found t... 05/18/2009

SUMMARY The current inventory level for Stone Ridge increased by 1 units to 16 active listings this is a 7% increase. With NO NEW LISTINGS to the market and NO HOMES receiving contracts this past week, the increase in inventory is most likely because of a home which was under contract now back on the market. The 1 home which sold did so in less than a week and netted 100% of the asking price. Overall it was an other slow in Stone Ridge, with still a low inventory level for Stone Ridge.   CLICK HERE to see entire post 05/18/2009

We mentioned a few weeks back that the national foreclosure stats were disproportionately represented by just a few states. That has been continued for a second month. RealtyTrac.com numbers show that a little over half of US foreclosures during April came from just three states:  California, Florida, and Nevada. The population represented by those states is about 19%.  That will give you a sense of how uneven the problem is in terms of geography. Of course, you can be living anywhere in the US and the problem is still having an impact, in one way or another. For example, Fannie and Freddie don't just back loans made in certain states.  They are in all 50.  So the pinch is felt by these quasi-government organizations even though the losses are concentrated. (Maybe "quasi-government" is ... 05/15/2009