Falls Church Dirt
It’s a HOME INSP-ECTION, not PERF-ECTION, for crying out loud…
August 12th, 2009 Categories: Alexandria Dirt, Arlington Dirt, Falls Church Dirt, First Time Buyers Club, Home Buying, Home Selling, McLean Dirt, Real Estate 101, Reston Dirt
Let me apologize ahead of time for what’s about to come spilling out of my 
brain and onto this page – it’s a rant – it doesn’t happen very often, as I’ve used my blog mainly for the purposes of educating my readers on the real estate market climate, procedures, the process, etc… but today’s topic is a rant – no disguising it! (Perhaps by the time I get to the end something good will come of it!)
So when a you (assuming you’re a buyer) are out looking at homes, the purpose is to find a home in which you’d like to live – correct? Not a home you’d live in ONLY IF IT WERE PERFECT, right? But a home you can see yourself settling into over the coming months and years – building a life, perhaps getting married, perhaps having children, perhaps having parties, perhaps downsizing; maybe it’s your first home and it’s exciting to have a place to call your very own – you can paint the walls Burgundy and the ceiling gold if you want (Hail to the Redskins!). But it’s a place you can envision calling home – including all of the trips to Home Depot or Lowes or your local hardware store that accompany home ownership.
Hopefully if you see a home you like, you will spend some time in it prior to writing an offer – looking around, looking at the kitchen (appliances, cabinets, etc…) looking at the windows, the utilities, bathrooms, exterior, etc… Sometimes you walk into a house and get a gut feel that it’s really not in good condition and it makes you wonder what’s lurking beneath the surface – and sometimes you walk into a home and feel (I said FEEL – nothing scientific about it) that it’s “move-in ready.” So what if the windows are old – you can see that; and the dishwasher is older and might have to be replaced; you might see some dings on the walls or a scratch on the floor. BUT YOU CAN SEE IT…
Then comes your home inspection – the purpose of a home inspection is to uncover property condition issues that you can’t see and to determine if there are any major deficiencies – so is it a big surprise that if you see old windows that the home inspector will too? Sure – is it appropriate to ask for a credit to fix or replace those old windows? NO – hopefully you wrote the contract knowing that you’d have to replace the windows!!!!! Now, if the inspector uncovers a leak or some wiring issues; an appliance that doesn’t work properly, a cracked foundation, etc… these are issues that need to be dealt with. Now I’m not saying you should unconditionally accept whatever flaws are uncovered in your soon-to-be new-to-you home but there are aspects of home maintenance that are just to be expected.
I received a home inspection report today on a listing of mine where the buyer has basically asked for everything but the kitchen sink (oh wait, the kitchen sink is included too). Perhaps the buyer feels this puts them in the best negotiating position – to ask for everything and then accept whatever the seller is willing to do? Or perhaps they are looking for a perfect (80 year old) home. (NO SUCH THING) Or maybe someone told them to be tough – who knows – all it did was irritate my seller. So what now? Where is the balance between having some things repaired and seeking perfection? Honestly buyers, it leaves a seller feeling that they will never be able to make you happy in this process. So…
The lessons in my opinion to be learned here are:
1) when you buy a house, you are assuming a responsibility to maintain it. No house is ever perfect – even a brand new house. Some things are frankly a matter of personal preference (do you want a door stop or not – yes, a door stop was one of the items on the report I received today)
2) as a buyer, when you receive an inspection report littered with little items, focus on the larger items. Focus on the things you were unaware of or if left un-tended to could pose a longer term problem.
3) is the item you’re asking for an “upgrade” or a repair? Let’s be clear, at least in Virginia, many items simply need be in normal working order – not upgraded or improved (hmmm, does labeling your electrical box impede the normal working order of the breakers? didn’t think so…)
4) consider asking for a credit. This way you can fix things the way YOU want them fixed – to your standards and on YOUR schedule. If you can agree on a number, often this can be the best route to make everyone happy.
Just remember, it’s an inspection of something imperfect. If you treat it as such and have realistic expectations, then it can be a smooth and perfectly reasonable part of the transaction…
Rant over – thanks for listening!
Happy Tuesday
Jennifer
Serving all of your real estate needs in Arlington, McLean and the entire Northern Virginia Region!
Contact me today for a free home valuation or buyer counseling session! And remember, there’s no time like the present!
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The Rental Market, Craigslist and REALTORS…
July 30th, 2009 Categories: Arlington Dirt, Falls Church Dirt, McLean Dirt, Real Estate 101, Reston Dirt
For my regular readers, you might be aware (if you stop to think about it) that I have never written a piece on rentals. I do focus more on home sales than I do rentals. But this year I’ve had the opportunity to represent several nice families looking to rent out their homes and it’s caused me to think about the different variables.
THE RENTAL MARKET
I believe the rental market can be broken down into different segments: the condo rental market and the single family home rental market. Now I also believe that within these divisions, the rental market behaves differently at different price points – for condos, call it the “luxury” condo market or high end, vs. the “regular” 1 and 2 bedroom apartment style rentals. For single family homes, the division seems to come around the $3000/month mark. These are generalities, and certainly can’t apply across the board, but I think it’s an interesting way to think about the market.
Also, just as a side note, it’s virtually impossible to get a good handle on the rental market as a whole – size of it, statistics, etc… mainly because there are so many sources and ways to go about renting out one’s home (word of mouth, bulletin board at work, a “for rent” sign stuck in the ground out front, and finally, Craigslist or even a REALTOR.)
CRAIGSLIST
Craigslist first began in San Francisco as a tool to email local events to a list of friends in 1995. Wow – you’ve come a long way baby! Now, it’s THE place to go if you’re looking for a place to live. Whether you’re looking for a rental or even a condo to buy. Many unrepresented sellers (a.k.a. – FSBO) list their properties there and even REALTORs have embraced Craigslist as a viable (and free, and we LOVE free) advertising tools. But as for rentals, many landlords post their properties for rent and many many future tenants scan Craigslist daily for updates to their home searches.
However, is there a point where Craigslist just doesn’t cut it? Do the owners of a multi-million dollar home feel comfortable finding prospective occupants of their home online? Does an owner have the time, energy and resources to properly screen applicants? What about the lease itself…
REALTORS
That’s where we come in… I believe that there are sectors of the ![Rlogo[1]](http://thearlingtondirt.com/files/2009/07/rlogo1-small.jpg)
marketplace that a property owner can be perfectly adept at renting out their own property. Everyone is capable of pulling their own credit these days; tenants can also provide reputable referrals, past landlords as well as employment verification. For the savvy owner, this is not a difficult task. I have a client who has had NO trouble renting out any of his own properties within days of his first attempts often at OVER listing price. He uses Craigslist and additionally he is willing to have un-related occupants in his home, knowing he’ll end up spending some money on spruce-ups between tenants – but hey – he’s saving money doing this himself.
However, when it comes to the upper brackets, this is where I think REALTORS can really make a difference getting a home rented quickly to quality applicants. I had an experience this summer where a family was referred to me by some past clients. They own a 6 bedroom home in a nice part of town with good schools that was renting for $4,750; she had been trying to rent their home out since March and they were using primarily Craigslist, word of mouth, had a sign out front, had posted it in local business, embassies, everything. I took the listing in June and placed it in MLS and within days had multiple viable options for tenants that were brought by REALTORS. It definitely made me stop and think.
I believe there is a point at which using a good REALTOR to list your home for rent or to help you find a rental, makes a lot of sense. If you are in the market looking for a home to rent, or if you’re considering renting out your home and want to explore options, please feel free to give us a call. I’d be happy to put my expertise to work for you.
Meanwhile, don’t melt out there today – it’s going to be a hot one!
Happy Thursday
Jennifer
Serving all of your real estate needs in Arlington, McLean and the entire Northern Virginia Region!
Contact me today for a free home valuation or buyer counseling session! And remember, there’s no time like the present!
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When is “so-so” good enough? Or even Perfect?
July 9th, 2009 Categories: Alexandria Dirt, Arlington Dirt, Falls Church Dirt, First Time Buyers Club, Home Buying, McLean Dirt, Reston Dirt
When I begin working with a buyer we usually, sooner or later, end up with a wish list of sorts. Of course everyone would like to be able to buy their dream home, but I’ve seen it at almost every price range, that most buyers feel if they could just stretch EVER SO SLIGHTLY more they could get exactly what they want! It’s whether I’m showing $200,000 condos or 
$1.8M homes – there’s just that one little stretch that could get X. Whatever it is – it’s sort of interesting.
So where do you draw the line? What do you look past? And what would you see that should cause you to keep on looking?
The easiest (and sometimes hardest) thing to look past is DIRT – yes I said DIRT. Sometimes a house just needs to be cleaned – REALLY cleaned – windows, carpets, baseboards, exterior trim, etc… it may be gross, but really try to imagine it sparkling.
Next – PAINT – Paint is probably the least expensive way to make a big change – can’t stand those pea green walls? What about mocha? or cranberry? EASY – so imagine it in the color scheme you like. Then head out to the paint store to explore the options!
What about an outdated kitchen? Well, first you need to really evaluate what’s outdated… is it everything from the aqua blue stove to the metal cabinets? Then you might be looking at a complete re-do – but have you ever strolled the aisles of Ikea? They have some really nice looking options, especially for small spaces, that are actually affordable. In order of expense (for most) are: Cabinets, Appliances, Countertops, Flooring, miscellaneous (hardware, light fixtures, faucet)… If you can live with the cabinets, perhaps consider buying a new appliance, new flooring and lighting – then see what’s left.
OK, So you understand where I’m headed with this – there are a lot of things you can do to change the home – even removing trees, old overgrown bushes, power washing a deck or even the house, etc… but what are some things that should cause you pause…
First let me say that there are very few problems that cannot be fixed – however it has to be decided how much you want to bite off. If there are issues with the structural integrity of the property – you must decide the severity and often it’s a matter of taking on the unknown – I’d consider passing.
Here’s a biggy – busy road – does it back or front somehow to a busy road? And how busy is it? Is it a cut through? Or a main thoroughfare? Or even a freeway? Do you enjoy having your windows open? Do you have small children or pets that you would worry about? The reality is that a busy road is generally not someone’s first choice for location – however, every house will sell, every house will have a buyer – just a matter of a price hit.
Then there’s the site – how is the property situated on the lot? There are some things you can do with retaining walls, decking, etc… but if you want a flat level lot and the home you love is on a steep incline? Can’t really be changed. Things to think about.
I think the bottom line is that you need to give a house a chance – homes aren’t perfect, but as a buyer, you need to evaluate the deficiencies and determine what can be done – then, if you are able to get comfortable with them – carry on!
Happy Thursday!
Jennifer
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Staging on Steroids…
June 10th, 2009 Categories: Alexandria Dirt, Arlington Dirt, Falls Church Dirt, Home Selling, McLean Dirt, Reston Dirt
Yesterday I decided to hit a few broker’s open houses. Tuesdays are big days in the Northern Virginia – Washington DC Area where real estate agents have opportunities to tour homes for a variety of reasons – some people go to preview potential homes for clients – it’s a time saving way to see a bunch of homes at once without making appointments. Others go to support their fellow agents – show their face, sometimes it’s to network, 
say hello to an old friend. Some go for the food – the food can range from simple deli sandwiches to ornate catered events. (My favorites are the ones with Mother’s Macaroons which is a fabulous Arlington Bakery and they make the most amazing finger desserts!!) Others go in hopes of winning prizes – yes, I said prizes! Anything from a cash pull (where everyone wins something) to a gift certificate to maybe even an iPod!
OK, but I digress – yesterday I went in the home of a listing agent who had many many letters after her name to represent all of the designations she’s earned. One happened to be the Accredited Staging Professional (OR ASP) designation. Now, I think staging a home is really important IF THE HOME CAN BENEFIT FROM IT.
Have you ever had a friend (or maybe your home is like this) that every time you walk into their home it looks perfect? Just the right accessory, just the right colors, just the right candle? Not too much? Not too little? But JUST RIGHT? That’s what staging is supposed to accomplish. A “put-together” just right look!
So, back to my story, yesterday I walked into this house and this particular staging professional went WAYYYYYY overboard. There were throw blankets EVERYWHERE – and I mean EVERYWHERE – sometimes 2 and 3 in the same room, artfully “tossed” over the arm of a chaise or a sofa… There were books and towels tied up with rafia and silk flowers arranged throughout the house as well – there was even a silk flower arrangement in the “his” side of the closet – and it wasn’t even attractive – c’mon! That’s not believable!!! The kicker was the cup of tea that sat on the end table by the chaise with the artfully thrown blanket with plenty of fringed pillows as well, I might add - the cup was full of that brown plastic stuff that looks like liquid, but it’s not – the wrapper from the tea bag was torn off and set aside and it was on top of a book… I had to feel the “water” in the teacup to see if it was real or not – UGH – I left there thinking “staging gone bad”
So, what’s my advice? Look around! Get the honest opinion of your agent and your friends – there are many levels to “staging” – sometimes stagers can come in and work with what you have – re-arrange a few things, pull out some great nuggets that you have tucked away and put away some things that might not be working to their full potential. Staging is great – when used for the right project in the right way. But when it’s not right on – it just looks silly – TRUST ME!
Feel free to call today to discuss listing your home and I’d be happy to tell you whether or not your home could benefit from staging.
Happy Wednesday
Jennifer
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