Timing Homebuying Decision Relocation Commuters Retirees Telecommuters Job Transfers Sluggers Stafford Orange Fredericksburg VA

How do you (I) time my/our home buying decision to take the best advantage of the real estate market? The answer depends upon many factors. If you are relocating to Stafford, Prince William, Fairfax, Orange, Falls Church, Alexandria, Arlington, Fredericksburg, Stafford, Quantico, Virginia, from another county you might be waiting on a job offer, for the school year/semester to end, to receive an admissions decision from the college or university of your choice, to get an answer on an internship, for a large work project to be completed, for your company to sign off on your job transfer to another locale, and/or for a family member to medically stabilize so he/she can be moved to your area.

When you are relocating and have lived in your home for thirty years and your house is paid off, then you have a lot of flexibility. Plus you might have the ability to choose a less expensive area to live and/or to downsize your home square footage if you have retired to keep your fixed income and total yearly housing budget costs down. There are factors such as how close/far do you wish to live near key friends and family members. Sometimes your decision involves moving a family member to live in your home and you need an in-law/relative suite sometimes with a small kitchen, bedroom and bathroom possibly on the main floor of your home you’re considering buying or with elevator access if living in a condo, high rise or town home. Also, will this additional household member need transportation to/from social activities such as a small bus/van, a local city/county bus, taxi, or do they need transportation with wheelchair access, lift or a ramp since he/she walks with a cane or a walker. Is adult daycare available in the community you’re considering moving to or another option for field trips, classes, and friendship at a local community center or even at one in a neighboring city/county that might have better choices for your loved one.

If you are working at a fixed location and telecommuting is only available once a week, then your moving decisions will be dictated by how many minutes/hours you are committed to driving daily to reach your workplace. Many people decide I won’t live beyond this street intersection on this road because it takes me this many minutes to reach here in rush hour traffic including commutes by train, metro, walking, and driving to/from a slug/carpooling lot.

Are you making your decisions with a roommate(s) or life partner? Are you married? If yes, does your spouse also work outside the home or does he/she stay home with kids and work in a career from home? Also, are kids/relatives kids such as cousins, nieces, and nephews involved in your life either on a monthly, weekly or daily basis? Is there a child custody arrangement that requires you to live within a certain number of miles of your ex-spouse? All of these factors need to be considered carefully before making any home buying decisions.

All rights reserved 2009 and copyrighted by Sherrie Hartzell, licensed Virginia real estate salesperson at Keller Williams Preferred Stafford, VA. Text/Call 540-903-0212.

Behind on US Mortgage Payment

If paying your mortgage has become difficult due to a job loss, a cut in your paycheck/salary, or you have become sick and you’re wondering what to do, find a licensed Realtor in your state who has training in short sales and discuss your options as soon as possible.

Bad things happen and challenges occur in life. It’s okay to be stressed out, frustrated, angry, sad, upset, and wondering how your household will pay the bills next month. The most positive thing your household can do is take action. Not taking any action, avoiding phone calls and not reading your mail will only make more time pass by and will worsen your financial challenges. Time is vitally important. There are various laws from one state to the next. Figure out what the mortgage time lines are in your state where you own property by talking with a licensed Realtor.

While I’m a Virginia realtor, I cannot provide financial or legal advice, so consult a CPA and or attorney for more detailed financial and or legal advice. All Rights Reserved 2009 by Sherrie Hartzell and copyrighted by Sherrie Hartzell, licensed Virginia salesperson with Keller Williams Preferred-Stafford, Virginia.

Landlord Versus Homeowner

Do you own a home you are considering selling because you miss being able to call the landlord to fix the electrical and plumbing issues everytime? Think twice before selling your home and moving into a rental. When you pay rent to a landlord, you are also paying part of their taxes, insurance, and maintenance expenses that have already been figured into your rent. There are rent vs. buy calculators online, so research this avenue before deciding to sell your home. You might be suprised at how little of a difference there actually is between your rent and your mortgage when you figure in appreciation of real estate over a very long period of time (15 plus years without taking out a home equity line of credit and/or without taking out a second mortgage) plus any tax advantages that might be available to you as a homeowner. So call your professional CPA or tax attorney today before making this decision on your own and take into account all of the variables that might affect your finances both now and in the long term.

Written, copyrighted and all rights reserved 2007 by Sherrie Hartzell, licensed real estate salesperson in Virginia with Keller Williams Preferred Realty-Stafford, VA.

Under Inspection

Do you believe a home inspection is important for you, as a home buyer? I hope so. I am not a certified home inspector but there are many people who are, so check out their qualifications and training before hiring a home inspector professional to inspect a home you want to buy for living in or as an investment property.

A home inspection is usually (check with your particular state’s regulations) only valid for the date and time of the actual home inspection. In other words, if something happens after your home inspection, this will have to be negotiated between the home seller and the home buyer prior to the real estate closing date on this particular home. Whatever is written in the real estate contract in your jurisdiction matters and will be followed. This is why it is extremely vital to hire a professional real estate agent to handle your real estate transaction, negotiate on your behalf, and put out fires when necessary during the complicated real estate processes.

Sherrie Hartzell is licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia with Keller Williams Preferred Realty and Sherrie would be happy to assist you with your real estate needs. Sherrie can be reached at: sherriebh@yahoo.com to schedule an appointment. Written, copyrighted and all rights reserved 2007 by Sherrie Hartzell, licensed real estate salesperson in Virginia with Keller Williams Preferred Realty-Stafford, VA.

Darkness Deters

home buyers from even being interested in your home. When you have darkening window treatments that do not let lots of outside light into your home, you lose. Why? Home buyers want to be able to see what they are considering buying very clearly. If they find your home to be dark and uninviting, buyers will go to the next home and not even consider writing an offer to purchase your home. Your home will be on the reject list. You, as the home seller, along with your real estate professional do not even have the chance to make a counter offer or to accept the contract as they have offered it, because your home was not well lit and looked uninviting to potential home buyers. Probably the only exception would be with investors who want a bargain when buying a home for investment purposes and they will offer a correspondingly very low price for your home.

To avoid only receiving offers from investors, the seller must make sure the inside of their home has excellent lighting in every room and especiallly in the entryway, kitchen, bathrooms, living room, family room, hallways, and dining room. If you own blinds, roman shades, curtains, or any other window treatments, take them down right away (preferably within a day of listing your home for sale) along with their hardware and fill in the holes where the nails were and paint over them if that room has been painted then clean them and pack them away by hanging them in a closet. Light rooms sell and dark rooms do not sell, so get busy and take down those window treatments today.

Written, copyrighted and all rights reserved 2007 by Sherrie Hartzell, licensed real estate salesperson in Virginia with Keller Williams Preferred Realty-Stafford, VA.

Replace

switch covers for light switches and outlets that are rusted or cracked by purchasing new, neutral colors at your local home store. Why bother? A buyer might translate a lack of minor repairs into a question as to whether the seller has done any needed major repairs on your home. This lack of attention can be enough to send buyers out your door to other homes in your neighborhood listed for sale. At this other home, the sellers paid less than $100 to replace worn out light switch and outlet covers, so buyers would realize their attention to detail as homeowners. Buyers have numerous choices in the real estate marketplace, so do some simple things to increase the likelihood that buyers will want to buy your home instead of a competitor’s home.
Written, copyrighted and all rights reserved 2007 by Sherrie Hartzell, licensed real estate salesperson in Virginia with Keller Williams Preferred Realty-Stafford, VA.

Tidy up

The moment I walk up and into a home, I can tell you how well-maintained the home is by looking at the carpeting, front and backside of the entryway door, and stairs (inside and outside).  These areas all leave signs of whether they are clean and in good working order just by their lack of dust, dirt, fingerprints, and smell.  Sellers need to watch these areas for signs of uncleanliness and keep a cleaning company or two on speed-dial during the home is for sale process.  Your home needs to be ready to show to buyers with maybe as little as 10 minutes notice, so keeping your home on a regular cleaning regimen (such as weekly or bi-weekly) with a professional cleaning company is a must if you want your home to get noticed by buyers.  Competition is fierce for educated home buyers and lack of cleanliness will send these buyers to other homes that look tidier than your home. Written, copyrighted and all rights reserved 2007 by Sherrie Hartzell, licensed real estate salesperson in Virginia with Keller Williams Preferred Realty-Stafford, VA.

Leave electricity on when you move out and your house is for sale

Imagine how a buyer would feel walking into your vacant home if there was not any electricity.  In the wintertime, this means your home is icy cold in many states and possibly borders on freezing cold temperatures.  Now consider that in addition to not having any heat, there are not any lights on either.  As a result, a buyer can hardly see the inside of your home that you, as seller, want to sell.  Do you think this is going to leave a favorable impression of your home with potential buyers?  No, of course not.
Now think about if this buyer happens to have a child or another relative with them.  Do you think they will be happy to be in a very cold and dark home?  No.  Consider this carefully and be willing to pay the money required to keep your house looking in buyer-ready condition.  Pay the money to keep your electricity, gas, and water all functioning properly. Written, copyrighted and all rights reserved 2007 by Sherrie Hartzell, licensed real estate salesperson in Virginia with Keller Williams Preferred Realty-Stafford, VA.