How Can You Put an Accurate Value on Your Fairfax Home?

There are many great Fairfax area homes for sale! Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at 703-798-9882 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions

Today I'd like to talk about Zillow. It's a great resource to find homes, but not a good resource to use if you're trying to price your home to sell. I recently saw an interview where the CEO of Zillow was speaking, and even he said that Zillow's Zestimate can be off by as much as 8%. In some instances, that number can be off by as much as 25%!

For a home that is worth $200,000, a difference of 8% is a difference of $16,000! That is a significant amount of money. This is why you must take these Zestimates with a grain of salt. Zillow is not a pricing tool, it is an aggregate of homes that are around the neighborhood that have recently sold.

While it's helpful to have that information at your fingertips, it's better to speak with a real estate agent in order to get an accurate value for your home. We can place a very accurate and attractive sale price on your home if you allow us to come out and look at your property. 

We would love to help you sell for top dollar by placing an accurate value on your Fairfax home. Please don't hesitate to contact us!

Conditions for investing in real estate have never been better

 There are many great Fairfax area homes for sale! Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at 703-798-9882 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions

If you are looking to build your long-term financial portfolio and grow your wealth, purchasing real estate is one of the best investments you can make.  The questions is: What constitutes a good investment property? For one, you need to know what is appealing to potential renters. Things such as location, great commuter options - such as bus stops, the VRE, etc. - and it's proximity to good schools and shopping areas. If you make the right moves and buy a desirable rental property, you will make money in the long haul.

Now is an ideal time to make this investment because interest rates are still spectacularly low. But as the economy improves, interest rates will gradually rise - which will have a negative impact on your purchasing power. If you invest now, you can take advantage of low rates, in addition to the appreciation in home value that accompanies a stabilizing market.

If these fantastic conditions have piqued your interest, give me a call or shoot me an email. I would be happy to discuss in further detail the ideal investment property, or answer any general questions you may have about Northern Virginia real estate.

Don't Get Caught Up with Cosmetics When Buying a New Home

 There are many great Fairfax area homes for sale! Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at 703-798-9882 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions

What to Look For in a Home as a Buyer
With summer approaching, I wanted to help all of my buyers in Fairfax with their home searches. In this short video, I will be discussing what is important to look for. Keep in mind that there is no such thing as a perfect home. Unless you're building a custom home on a new lot, there will be some compromises that you have to make.

Having said that, you should have an idea of some things that you will not be willing to compromise on when it comes to your new home. Cosmetic issues like the color of the paint or the carpeting can be changed after the fact, so don't sweat these things so much.

What you really need to worry about are the things that you cannot change. Some examples would be the floor plan or the location of the home. Instead of focusing on whether or not there is granite in the kitchen, you should be considering the structures that surround the home because these things cannot be changed.

This is just something to keep in mind as you walk from home to home. Of course, you may have to compromise here and there because no house is perfect, but make sure you stick tight to the things that are really important to have in your home.

We always tell our clients to focus on the bones of the house and not to get distracted with the siding. You can always put some extra TLC into the home after you buy.

As always, if you have any questions about this topic or about real estate in Fairfax, please do not hesitate to contact us by phone or email. We look forward to hearing from you!

Time is of the Essence If You Plan on Buying in Fairfax

 There are many great Fairfax area homes for sale! Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at 703-798-9882 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Tips for Buyers in 2014

Today I'm just going to share a few tips for all of my prospective buyers this year. The market is going to be competitive this year in Fairfax, and you need to know some ways that you can stand out from the crowd.

1. Get Pre-Approved: This should always be your first step when you're buying a home. It will make you look like a serious buyer in the eyes of a seller and it will increase the likelihood that your offer is met with positive feedback. 
• With low inventory and high demand from buyers in Fairfax, you will need to act quickly. If you're pre-approved to buy a home it will increase your chances of getting the home that you want. Before you buy a home, you have to prove that you have the financial wherewithal to do it.
2. Let Your Realtor Know What You Want: This makes it much easier for us to find you a suitable home. Determine a price point, a number of bedrooms or bathrooms, or even a particular neighborhood that you find suitable. Research school districts and the amenities of different neighborhoods. Finding out what you actually want takes a lot of guesswork out of the process for us, and it allows us to find a more perfect fit for you.
• We can also insert search criteria into the MLS, so that when a property comes onto the listing with features that match your interests, you will be notified by email as soon as it hits the market. 

The bottom line here is that you need to know what you want, and be prepared to act when you find a property that is suited towards your needs. Just let us know what you want and we can map out a strategy to get you the home that you need. 

Give me a call and I would be happy to answer any questions you might have about Fairfax real estate. You can call me at (703) 798-9882 or email me at betsy@steppingstonegroup.com