Northern Virginia Real Estate Update: 2007

Monday, December 10, 2007

Monday, October 22, 2007

Buyers - Get a Home Inspection! (Please!)

I am still amazed when I hear from a seller that they purchased their home without a home inspection. Or when a buyer suggests that the home looks great and they don't have the cash for a home inspection so they don't want to have one.

Sometimes I'll even hear a buyer tell me that their Realtor told them not to do a home inspection. Even in a strong seller market, not doing a home inspection is a huge mistake. Even a new home built just for you can have serious issues. We recommend to all of our buyers, even our new home buyers, that they have an independent home inspection of the property. And if you ever hear a real estate agent suggest you bypass the home inspection or any other inspection you may want then fire them on the spot. Just my humble opinion but not inspecting such a huge purchase is idiotic and irresponsible.

Here is another point for buyers to understand. No matter how closely you look at a home it will never be as clear as it is the day you move in. Remove all of the previous owners things and walk in with time to just really poke around and you are bound to find plenty of issues, no matter how minor. The concern are all of those minor to major items that are beyond being picked up with the naked eye or just the untrained eye. Even having a home inspection won't guaranty a problem free home but you will be ahead of the game and much more prepared for your new home.

So would you rather spend $400-1500 on a thorough home inspection or thousands of dollars to do renovations and corrections that you did not know anything about before they became problems for you after you moved in?

Be smart, inspect the home BEFORE you move in.

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Monday, October 15, 2007

What is IDX and Why is it Important to Selling Your Luxury Home?!

Today's post covers a very little know subject of IDX agreements, Real Estate Brokers and how this affects your ability to sell your home in today's Internet driven market!

There is a super secret statement made by every broker to the MLS in our area. It's called the IDX agreement. Every broker makes a statement the the MLS about whether it is okay to share their listings with other web sites, such as Realtor.com or competitor web sites like a Keller Williams Realty Listing showing up on a Re/Max web site. Most broker say 'yes', please share our listings with all available web sites. Why? Because they know that our area is driven by the Internet and exposure is king, no matter what web site their listing appears on. That same agreement requires those competing web sites to state somewhere in the posting which real estate brokerage is providing the listing. If the real estate broker truly wants to help the listing sell then sharing is king and absolutely paramount to success in Northern Virginia.

But some real estate brokers actually say 'no', do not provide our listings to anyone at all. Why? Well here are my thoughts. They are often old-school in my personal opinion. By this I mean that they are trying to keep all calls and all leads related to their listings tightly held in their grasp. The problem for sellers is that if the Broker's web site is not generating the highest web site traffic then this is a bad thing. And it's hard to compete with Realtor.com that generates about 5.7 million unique visitors per month! There is no local web site that can compete with that. I believe it is a huge disservice to a seller not to publish their listing to every web site that will accept it. Buyers come from all across the country not just locally. Someone in California may not think to try and search a local real estate broker's web site, especially if they do not even know it exists in the first place.

As for buyers trying to find that special home, they may just end up buying their 3rd best dream home because they never knew that just down the street their true dream home sitting in the middle of fox hunt country was for sale and at a price they would have been more then willing to pay.

If you are signing with a real estate broker ask them to tell you if their broker publishes their listing to all available web sites. Then ask them to show you a copy of a company Full Listing. The MRIS system we use in Northern Virginia shows on page 3 of a full listing printout what the advertising choice for that real estate broker is. For example a broker that does not want their listings shared with other sites will show [ Advertising: IDX-DNP ] at the bottom of page 3.

In closing make certain to do your home work and hopefully the post today will share information that most owners may not understand about the complexities of real estate listings in our MLS.

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ManassasCondo.com launched by Bradley Group International

If you are looking for information on condominiums in Manassas Virginia make certain to check out ManassasCondo.com. Bradley Group International has just launched ManassasCondo.com as the leading resource for information, photos and condominums for sale in the area.

When interviewed, Steve Bradley the team leader for Bradley Group International stated that the team is very excited with the new addition. "The site was launched last week and already the visitors to the site and requests for information on available listings has started to roll in. We are still adding features and mapping to enhance the site so visit often."

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Monday, October 1, 2007

No Photos & No Room Sizes, Are You Kidding Me?!

This new post is to share my irritation as a potential buyer. I'm a Realtor but the market is down so it is a great time to look for great investment properties. What I am so frustrated about are all of these homes in the MLS with NO, or only ONE photo and no room sizes in the listings. Even worse is a listing written up to say 'This is the jewel of the neighborhood, a must see, incredible upgrades throughout the home, check out this amazing kitchen.' Then you open it up to find there is only one picture . . . . ARGHHHHH!!!!!! How about a picture of that amazing kitchen or some of those upgrades?
The current numbers state that over 80% of ALL potential buyers start their search online and I am no different. Do you understand what a significant number 80% is?! So why on this wonderful earth are agents not including more photos and details in their listings is beyond me. The cost to a Realtor in our MLS to add up to the maximum of 20 pictures is the cost of a McDonald's lunch for two. The cost to include room sizes is . . . well, there is no cost. So I ask again why in this day and age of the Internet are there not more photos and details?

I can understand that some sellers actually request no or limited photos when the home is in terrible shape and in need of a lot of work. Even then there can be other photos in many instances to help a potential buyer.

Please, if you are a seller and you are interviewing Realtors tell them, demand in fact that they include the maximum 20 photos or as many as they can. The cost to the Realtor is insignificant and the impact on the attention your home will get will grow. According to information shared with me by my Realtor.com representative listing with multiple photos are viewed 40% more then those with no photo. Again a very significant number that cannot and should not be ignored.

So stay involved in your home sale and make certain to check on your home when it is online. Make sure that if you were a buyer that it would catch your eye. Best of luck out there.

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Absolutely Not! The Best Realtors Say No Thank You!

A professional in any industry needs to be honest not only to their clients but to themselves and their ability to help their clients. Too often real estate consultants are so hungry to get their next check that they start to lose sight of the real goal of providing a winning solution to their clients.

In real estate when working with sellers it is important that your Realtor be honest with you from the moment you meet. The best agents are willing and more then ready to say 'No, I can't help you based on your goals'. For example, when a real estate agent takes on a new client knowing full well that the clients preferred listing price is completely out of line with the market and recent sales, that is a bad thing. It is bad for the seller and just as bad for 'potential' sellers in the area.

We all understand that the most recent closed sales are the best indicator for the market value. But even knowing that sellers and even some Realtors are still setting their numbers based on other homes active* in the market. That is a huge mistake. After interviewing with potential clients we have often told them we were very happy for the opportunity to meet with them but that based on their goals, in this case their wanting to list much higher then the market will support, that we would have to say no.

[* A side note, in this slow market we have now I prefer to reference 'Active' homes in the maket as Failed Listings. These are all homes that have not sold for a reason. The next question is why. Most often we see it is pricing too high for the market as it stands today. ]

A very popular saying among Realtors to use is the 'I'd rather be your second Realtor and help you sell your home'. Basically this eludes to the fact that many times it takes a seller a few months on the market with another Realtor to realize that they are in fact not going to sell at their initial price.

So if you are interviewing Realtors to help with your home sale don't just ask how many homes are they selling now but how many clients have they said no to. In my opinion this is a great indicator of a Realtor's true ethics in supporting their client's selling goals.

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Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Manassas Virginia Homes For Sale - Quick Links (www.myManassas.com)

Bradley Group International acquires myManassas.com domain name. Our aggressive online marketing and lead generation has taken us to the next logical step. We are actively searching out and acquiring Internet domain names that add value to our business model. Currently in this Internet savvy world more then 80% of the buyers are using the Internet as their primary search and research tool for finding their next home. The importance of a quality domain name that supports a specific location is key to generating traffic and leads for our sellers and our buyers.

Currently we are directing the myManassas.com domain name to our Manassas page on our main web site. In the coming months we will be activating a supporting site that will focus specifically on home sales (Active and Sold) in Manassas Virginia. When the new web site is live we will then re-direct the myManassas.com domain name to the new site for home sellers and potential buyers to gather live information on homes in the area.

If you are a home owner in Manassas and would like a FREE Home Evaluation on your home in Manassas Virginia please fill out the request form here and we will return your evaluation to you via email in 12 to 24 hours.

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Saturday, September 1, 2007

Money Merge Accounts - Pay Down Your Mortgage Faster

The housing market across the United States has been dismal to say the least. As consultants in a market like this it is important for us to investigate new ideas and do our homework on them as well. Recently in Northern Virginia the buzz has set the market on fire about Money Merge Accounts. The sales pitch as it were is "Pay Down Your Mortgage in 1/2 to 1/3 the time". At first my skin crawled a bit as anyone, when it sounds to good to be true I tend to have serious doubts. The work Scam kept flashing in my mind.

Most of us know about the Bi-Weekly plan where you pay 1/2 of your mortgage every 2 weeks. What this accomplishes in one year is 2 Extra Full payments to your mortgage and can effectively save you 5 to 7 years off of your 30 year mortgage. That also requires that you have the disposable income to make those additional payments. The reality is most Americans are tight on their disposable income so even plans like this are quickly abandoned by homeowners.

Well after some exhaustive home work by myself and my team we are in love with this product. What I like best is that it does not require the homeowner to change their currently level of living or expenses.

The Money Merge Account solution provided by UFirst Financial is a software product used to manage paying down your primary mortgage using a HELOC loan. UFirst has no involvement in your finances or access to any of your information. It's a bit complicated to explain in this post. So visit our new Money Merge Account Blog and check out the information we have posted. There's a great video from News 3 in Las Vegas that talks about the product. We loved it so much that all of our team members have been certified to talk to and provide this solution to our clients.

If you are interested in talking with us about the product we are Happy to give you more information or send you out a DVD or PowerPoint presentation to explain the benefits further.

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Sunday, August 26, 2007

Washington DC Metro Luxury Real Estate Web Site Launched

Luxury Home Sales in the Washington DC Metro area are still generating a significant amount of buyers out there searching for a great home at a great price. Bradley Group International, affiliated with Keller Williams Realty has announced the launch of their new Luxury Real Estate Web Site.

Luxury Home Buyers and Sellers alike have been searching for a local online medium that focuses specifically on their market and style of living. The new web site launched is called Select Luxury Estates and is located at http://www.selectluxuryestate.com/ (or by using http://www.selectlux.com/).

Visitors to this exclusive site are only able to search properties priced over $1 Million Dollars and the web site does not list or display properties under this benchmark pricing. When asked about the benchmark limit, team leader Steve Bradley stated, that as the market improves that limit will be moved to a $3 million or $5 million base limit.

The goal of this site and the services provided by this part of the team is to provide very exclusive services and web presence for our clients selling and for our buyers to visit regularly and save their favorites as they do their research.

For more information about Luxury Real Estate in the Washington DC Metro area, including Northern Virginia contact Steve Bradley directly by calling him at 571-261-4379 (cell-direct)

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Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Home for Sale - 9329 Sumner Lake Blvd., Manassas Virginia

This gorgeous model-like stunning single family home located in Sumner Lake subdivision, Manassas, VA. Located close to absolutely everything you can think of - Prince William Pkwy, I-66, Rte 28 & 29, minutes to shopping, dining and recreation.

This charming home has been meticulously and lovingly maintained and shows like a dream. No detail has been overlooked. From the moment you enter the foyer you are embraced by the warm and inviting atmosphere of this 4/5 bedroom, 3.5 full bath and 2 car garage home.

Subdivision: Sumner Lake

Address: 9339 Sumner LakeBlvd, Manassas, VA 20110

Private Showings Contact Jacqueline Marquez-Downie at 703-919-8976

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Wednesday, July 25, 2007

For Sale - Gorgeous Home in Vint Hill, Warrenton Virginia.

This gorgeous, model-like home is simply stunning! It is close to everything & minutes to VRE!

The Gourmet Kitchen is spectacular offering Granite Countertops, Recessed Lighting, Double-Oven, a Cooktop, upgraded Cherry Cabinets and wonderful Ceramic Tile flooring.

The 2-Story Family Room with it's gas fireplace and second level overlook are dramatic and sure to please.

[ Additional Features ]
-2 Foot Bumpout on all levels
- Ceiling Fans in all bedroo
- 9 foot ceiling height in basement
- Walk-up Access from basement
- 2 Car Garage w/Installed Cabinets

To top this all off the Master Bedroom Suite is amazing and is complimented with a Luxurious Master Bath. This home has so much to offer.

Subdivision: Vint Hill
Address: 4021 Wilkes Court, Warrenton, VA 20187
Call Today for Your Own Private Showing.703.330.7683

Read More and View the home located at 4021 Wilkes Court, Warrenton, VA 20187

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Saturday, June 23, 2007

10+ Acres Home at 5401 Lightning Dr, Haymarket Virginia

Thunder Oak, Equestrian Property, 10.5 Acres. With 4 Bedrooms and 3.5 baths this fully finished single family home is a dream come true. Just try to find a similar home on the market with 10+ acres!

From building to maintaining - no detail has been overlooked. While building Sellers placed the house so that the front entrance greets the sunrise and the back enjoys the sunset. They also recently finished the basement and the Bonus Room connecting to the Master Bedroom, as well as built a brand new custom wood deck and enhanced the entrance appeal.

This gorgeous custom built home is surrounded by beautiful views all around. The home sits to the far side of the 10.5 acres allowing the rest of the property to be expanded allowing for a run-in shed and barn - everything a horse lover/owner would need.

Subdivision: Thunder Oak
Address: 5401 Lightning Drive, Haymarket, VA 20169
Private Showings Contact Steve Bradley 703-330-7683

Read More and View the home located at 5401 Lightning Drive, Haymarket, VA 20169

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Friday, June 22, 2007

2.6 Acres Estate Fors Sale at 9800 Montyville Dr. Manassas, VA

2.6+ Acres, 6500+ sq ft, 2 Master Suites! This truly unique property is located on possibly the most perfect corner lot in the area. The custom design and exquisite detail of this home makes this large home a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Situated on over 2.6 acres and set far back from the road the stately brick entrance welcomes you to the possibilities of this wonderful home. Here you will find the ideal combination of space, community and convenience.

This perfect estate has a Grand Two-Story Foyer with a display niche and designer ceramic tile flooring and crown molding.

As you take in the entry to this spectacular home you will find immediately to your left the Formal Dining Room and to the right your Private Library. Both rooms are very generous in size and offer the Golden-Oak hardwood flooring found in the great room along with detailed crown molding. A wonderful feature in your library is you own private fireplace with Dakota Mahogany granite hearth.

This estate offers two gourmet kitchens. the first is located on the main level and has imported Mexican quarry tile countertops, quality Whirlpool appliances and a large center island with a gas cook top. The second kitchen is a Summer Kitchen located in the fully finished lower level and comes appointed with designer ceramic tiling, granite countertops, cathedral-paneled cherry cabinetry and a full compliment of stainless steel appliances.

Read More and View the home located at 9800 Montyville Drive, Manassas, VA 20111

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Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Welcome to the Bradley Group International's Northern Virginia Real Estate Update

Watch this space for the new real estate information blog for Bristow, Manassas, Gainesville, Haymarket, Warrenton, Catlett, Catharpin, The Plains, Marshall, Broad Run and Prince William County Virginia from Bradley Group International. Look to us for timely news, market updates, hot new listings and more!

Read more!

Monday, December 10, 2007

Prince William Real Estate Web Site Traffic

Monday, October 22, 2007

Buyers - Get a Home Inspection! (Please!)

Monday, October 15, 2007

What is IDX and Why is it Important to Selling Your Luxury Home?!

ManassasCondo.com launched by Bradley Group International

Monday, October 1, 2007

No Photos & No Room Sizes, Are You Kidding Me?!

Absolutely Not! The Best Realtors Say No Thank You!

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Manassas Virginia Homes For Sale - Quick Links (www.myManassas.com)

Saturday, September 1, 2007

Money Merge Accounts - Pay Down Your Mortgage Faster

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Washington DC Metro Luxury Real Estate Web Site Launched

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Home for Sale - 9329 Sumner Lake Blvd., Manassas Virginia

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

For Sale - Gorgeous Home in Vint Hill, Warrenton Virginia.

Saturday, June 23, 2007

10+ Acres Home at 5401 Lightning Dr, Haymarket Virginia

Friday, June 22, 2007

2.6 Acres Estate Fors Sale at 9800 Montyville Dr. Manassas, VA

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Welcome to the Bradley Group International's Northern Virginia Real Estate Update

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