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  • Joan Stansfield,
    Realtor ®, licensed in VA
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  • McLean VA 22101
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  • Jennifer Klaussen,
    Realtor ®, GRI, licensed in VA
  • Keller Williams Realty
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  • McLean VA 22101
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All opinions expressed on this blog are ours and ours alone.

Northern Virginia Market Statistics May 2012

Wow – as our temperatures are on the rise, our market seems to be following suit and heating up!  I’ve just been reviewing some statistics compiled by our Multiple List Service (MRIS) – take a look:

 

In Fairfax County the following numbers represent Year over Year comparison:

 

Closed Sales Volume is UP 17.34%
Closed Sales Units is UP 14.8%
Median Sales Price is UP 5.06%
Average Days on Market is DOWN 17.24%
Average List to Sale Ratio (price) is UP 1.4%

 

In Arlington County, the numbers look like this?

 

Closed Sales Volume is UP 38.47% (that’s HUGE)
Closed Sales Units is UP 17.22%
Median Sales Price is UP 27.7% (again, HUGE INCREASE)
Average Days on Market is DOWN 16.44%
Average List to Sale Ratio (price) is UP .22%

 

WOW – these numbers are HOT – and far more aggressive than I’d anticipated.

 

A look at Loudoun County shows the same trends, but on a much smaller scale – but still moving in the expected direction for the market:

 

Closed Sales Volume is UP 4.06%
Closed Sales Units is UP 5.2%
Median Sales Price is UP 1.08%
Average Days on Market is DOWN 23.29%  (this is a biggie!)
Average List to Sale Ratio (price) is UP .75%

 

What does this tell us?  The market is hot – volume, units and prices are up, time to sell is down – all great news for sellers!!  If you are in the market to buy, it’s not altogether impossible – in fact, this is still a great time for 2 reasons:  1) prices are still down from the high – so values are good and 2) with interest rates as low as they are, the overall affordability is still excellent.

 

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if we can be of any service to you, your friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, etc…  We stand ready to serve!
Joan & Jen

Posted by Jennifer Klaussen | Discussion: No Comments »

What can you get for a Cool $500K in Northern Virginia?

With interest rates at historic record lows, which we’re not likely to see again in our lifetime, I thought I’d show you a smattering of what a half million bucks will buy you around the Northern Virginia area – whether you’re interested in a condo in Arlington, a townhome in Vienna, perhaps a single family home…  there’s something for everyone in this enticing price range!

First, let me say this – let’s look at some numbers – with a sales price of $500,000, 20% down makes the loan value $400,000.  At a rate of 4%, the principal and interest (PI part of PITI) is a mere $1909!  Can you say A-F-F-O-R-D-A-B-L-E???

You  may choose a condo in Crystal City?  There is currently a 4th floor unit in Crystal Gateway – 3 bedroom/2.5 bath with a remodeled kitchen:  Price:

Or, perhaps you’d prefer a single family home – there’s a lovely split level home in the Alexandria neighborhood of Waynewood – 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath on a 1/4 acre lot – priced:  $499,900

There’s a great Vienna townhome located at the Vienna metro – it’s a bank owned property/foreclosure – but with 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths right at the metro it’s a super deal at $499,900

Perhaps you’d like a little more land?  There’s a great single family in Kings Park West – 4bedroom, 2 bathroom in the Robinson High School district – $499,900

Or, maybe it’s home size you’re going for – in Ashburn, your $500,000 will buy you a stunning 5 bedroom, 4 bath single family home in the Courts of Ashburn.

There’s something for everyone at this amazingly low price!!  If you’re thinking of buying, it’s a terrific time!  Please give our team a call and let us help you along the path to your next (or first) home purchase!

Happy Thursday!

Jen & Joan

To see all of these listings and more…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Jennifer Klaussen | Discussion: No Comments »

Service MATTERS!

What can WE do for YOU?

Today “service” is on my mind.  What kind of service do you expect from your real estate professional?  What kind of service are they committed to provide to you?  It’s an important question, don’t you think?  This is probably your single largest investment you’ll ever make, and whether you are buying or selling, it’s a BIG deal – even if you do it (which you probably will) more than once in your life, it’s a BIG deal EVERY time.

Sometimes we go to a restaurant and expect a level of service based on the prices – wouldn’t you say?  Well I say phooey!  You should expect impeccable service each and every time no matter what the price tag – I had the privilege of visiting a restaurant in Austin TX a few months ago who believes customer service is their #1 obligation (along with an excellent meal, mind you) and this restaurant is in a gas station – the most delicious BBQ, sweet tea, etc…  mmmmmm….. they made sure we had a platinum level experience -

What does this mean for real estate?  Whether you are purchasing an $80,000 condo or selling a $3,000,000 home our commitment is for the BEST customer service EVERY SINGLE TIME…  EVERY TIME!  You are placing your trust in us to guide you through a real estate transaction – you’re not simply picking up a pack of gum and a bottle of shampoo!

So give us the opportunity and we will show you our stuff!  We bring our A game every time, with every client, every day!  We hope to serve you (and your friends, families, colleagues, neighbors, coworkers, etc…)  sometime soon.  Give us a try… you won’t be disappointed!

Happy Wednesday!

Jen & Joan

 

 

 

Posted by Jennifer Klaussen | Discussion: No Comments »

How to get your home sold QUICKLY in Northern Virginia

yes, I said “How to get your home sold quickly in Northern Virginia!”  All of a sudden I’ve been seeing more and more about inventory issues – and with interest rates at historically low levels and expected to hover down here for a little bit, it comes as no surprise that we are seeing an early surge in the market – it’s spring outside (I don’t get why it’s 70 degrees in February, but hey, I’m not complaining much) and the market is also behaving very spring-like.  Here is some data on home contract activity for Fairfax County and for Arlington County as well.  This is for properties that have gone under contract in the last 30 days and how long they were on the market:

Fairfax County
<5 days:          208 homes (16.9%)
6-14 days:      277 homes (22.5%)
15-30 days:    189 homes (15.3%)
31+ days:       557 homes (45.2%)

Arlington County

<5 days:           28 homes (14.9%)
6-14 days:        53 homes (28.2%)
15-30 days:     18 homes (9.6%)
31+ days:         89 homes (47.3%)

What does this tell you?  Well it tells me that if you want to sell your home in Arlington or Fairfax (and likely the surrounding areas as well) then you need to be spot on with your price and presentation – you better look good and be priced well – If you can’t look good, you can be priced appropriately.  In both counties around 40% of recent listings sold in the first 2 weeks!  Then we see a drop off in weeks 3-4 on the market – why is that?  Sellers haven’t yet come to terms with a price reduction and finally by the 4 week mark, likely have reduced the price and therefore have finally put themselves in the right position in the market.

This is not rocket science – we’ve been saying all along that price and condition MATTER!!!  On a more serious note, we are in dire need of listings to sell.  If you or someone you know has considered selling but wondering when the right time would be please get in touch with us.  The time might very well be upon us – we can help you understand the market dynamics for your neighborhood, understand what it would take to sell and what the likely outcome would be.

As always, we appreciate the opportunity to earn your business!

Happy Friday

Jen & Joan

 

 

 

Posted by Jennifer Klaussen | Discussion: 1 Comment »

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