Buy Alexandria Real Estate: What's Hot & What's Not for Real Estate this Summer

Add affordable housing in good condition.  I think we are going see a trend of smaller, more managable homes.  The pendullum is swinging back toward conservatism when it comes to housing.

Good lists.  I still don't get the staging thing.  The last time I held an open house a stager came buy to tell us that they could help us sell the house with staging.  My partner was writing a contract in the library as they spoke. 

Many of the things that are hot in your market are down here in Georgia also.  Funny how the shifts occur and I'm glad I don't get paid to discover the next trend.

Brian - Nicely done on your lists here.  On a somewhat related note, I must admit that it has been crazy-hard to get mortgages for several of my clients this year.  Sometimes I miss the days of the 5-year interest-only ARM.  This was a terrific idea for a post.

KRISTAL:  Yes, that's a good point.  We have some city-subsidized housing built recently just down the street from us and it's very well-maintained.  Smaller or "normal" sized homes are coming back rather than the mega-mansions.

LENN:  Thanks!  While I believe staging can possibly help with a home showing well, I don't think it is the be-all and end-all or magic bullet that some in the staging community make it out to be.

MICHELLE:  Thanks for comment.  I think many of these things would apply to many markets around the country.

JASON: Thanks!  The mortgage landscape has certainly changed significantly.

I'm just giggling that short sales made both lists :)  Nicely done, Brian.

LISA:  I'm glad that someone noticed that.  Obviously intentional...  Thanks Lisa.

Brian,

Nicely put together post!!! Thanks,   Fran

great list brian...so very true!

Brian- I agree, great list although open houses are still hot in my market but with gas prices ticking up who knows for how long.

Brian- That last comment is mine. Dont know what happened to my name but....

Brian~ Great list.  It is interesting to see how much has changed and will continue to change with the real estate market. 

Clever list, what a difference a year makes...

Brian,
Most of these apply to our market too.  Those who adapt, survive while those who live in the past will not.

Were active rain bloggers on the list?

Brian, in the District, I think the older, established condos and conversions are doing a lot better than the new construction.  A lot of the newer buildings here, like many in Norhtern Virginia, were hastily constructed and are encountering problems.  It'll be interesting to see how it turns out in a few years time.

Good list. And if the list is redone in 6 months it likely will change again somewhat. We have to keep moving and changing with the market.

Quite Clever post, Brian.  Pretty accurate as well.  My have times (okay in just a few years) changed!  I too believe that smaller homes will indeed come back as energy prices continue to go up, and counties continue to increase taxes to pay for schools and infrastructure.

flipping in this market is a bit more difficult but buying and holding could turn a nice gain in the near future.

Nice! That was informative and a bit funny. I enjoyed it thorgouhly

Maybe instead of short sales making the list on both sides, "Short Sales" should have been on one side and "Potential Short Sales" should be on the other. 

Brian, In our area bidding wars on short sales and REOs are HOT.

What a different list than it would have been just a few short years ago. 

Excellent post, Brian... right on the money as well.

Which list do bell bottoms fall on? Good list!

"temperatures" in different parts of the country certainly vary...and what we all need to remember and to tell folks we know is that real estate is local...and by neighborhood, what the media says, what is true on one coast or the other is probably not true in the midwest...Great post...

Brian - The hot or not is a cool idea for a post... I love it! Certainly a great way to feature past articles :)

Brian!  Very clever post! The hot topics change but everyone likes to talk about real estate.

Brian, I love this ! Did you get the idea from Cosmo ? Wish I had thought of it.

Brian, nice post.  Changing this list to show consumers what's hot and what's not would probably make a nice advertisement.

good post..enjpyed your list,,,how about adding under hot..full loan approval and not hot..preapproval

I like it!  Thanks for a great post about how times have changed over the last few years!

Brian,  Great list you put together and very accurate! Amazing how the market has changed, isn't it? Happy to see you made this a public post. Very good list indeed!  Now, get back to work on your challenge for this week! lol

Brian,

     Great list, it was good to see similar things going on in other areas. 

Brian, why is short sales on the Hot and Not list?

I'm glad you listed staging as hot right now. Speaking as a stager myself, I have seen the results of stsged homes selling faster and for more money than non staged homes. A home owner who spends $500 on a staging can recoup their money by 343%.

Staging, I believe is and will be the way to sell houses. Todays families want move in ready homes. A staged home is move in ready. WE stagers  have the ability to look at the home with a buyer's eye and see what needs to be done and how to arrange the furniture. Some real estate agents don't know how ro rearrange furniture that makes the room stand out and make it look airy, and cozy.

Vacant homes have a hard time selling because they lack warmth and coziness that occupied homes have. People come to look at a home to see if their things will fit. It 's hard to imagine putting your things in a home that someone else occupies with clutter all around. Clutter makes it hard to see how much space there really is.

Real estate agents don't have the time or knowledge to stage homes, but we stagers do. We know how to package a home so that it outshines the competition.

Brian, I had no idea you were this active on AR.  Quite a following you have....

Great post by the way.  Now that AR is emailing me a daily digest of articles I'm checking things out again.

j

I just love that homes are becoming more affordable for my buyers now! Customers who could only afford townhomes and condos in their price range are now renting them out and calling me to purchase the single family homes they could not afford then.

I pretty much agree with everything on the list with the exception of staging. That's only because I haven't had any experience with them.

I think you missed one thing off the hot list, ‘Green / Environmentally Friendly Housing'. It seems everything is going green nowadays and real estate is no exception.

Nicely put and I totally agree..But I would say that I agree with Trela... Green Building is now hot and so is economic "fixtures" and "features"

FRAN:  Thanks Fran, my man.

JEREMY:  I appreciate it.

MARTHA:  Open houses are still busy here in Virginia too, but I'm not sure how much buyers really enjoy driving to them all the time.  Especially when there are easier ways to find a home -- sitting right at home and viewing virtual tours.

VICKIE:  Certainly.  Real estate is an ever-changing field.  In so many ways.  Many things always stay the same, but there are also constant changes and shifts.

MINDY & JAY:  Thanks for your comment and compliment.

CYNTHIA:  I imagine that many if not most of these things apply in markets around the country.

MICHAEL:  No, not on the list.  This is a list for the real estate consumer, not for the industry.  AR bloggers would be on that list, however.

PAT:  Thanks for that information about D.C. condos.  I personally favor older construction over the sometimes flimsy and unproven new construction condos.  I had clients just purchase a home in Old Town built in 1800.  One of the things the inspector said was "It's still standing!  It's stood the tests of time."

BOB & CAROLIN:  I couldn't agree more.  Thanks for your comment.

STEPHEN:  Thanks for your comment.  Time have changed and they will continue to change.  We've got to go with the flow and anticipate some of the changes and alter our business and marketing plans accordingly.

TERRY:  I certainly agree with your comment.

JAMES:  Thanks for your comment and compliment on the post.

LANE:  Good suggestion.  Obviously you know what I mean.

MANA:  Same here.

CHRISTINE:  That's certainly true.  It will be a very different list in another few years or months!

Short sales on both lists - we all get it!  They're hot when they work, and not when the buyer finds something else and walks.

One thing about fix & flips.  I'm seeing some successful ones here in Denver's north metro area. A person would still have to get a very good deal up front and buy in the right neighborhood, as always. 

sweet. short. simple.  thanks for the perspective

Great list.  I agree especially with the idea that open houses are just not working, at least in my area.  Most buyers seem to be looking on line and deciding which houses to visit, saving time and gas.   As far as staging is concerned, I agree totally with Sheila.  Staging does make a difference.

Great List.  Open houses not so hot in Morristown NJ, especially since we are not permitted to put signs out.  Getting the buyers pre-approved and signing buyers agent agreements with a retainer is "Hot"....we want serious buyers and commitment.  Buyers are starting to realize that there is real value in retaining an experienced REALTOR for their services and knowledge to work for them in finding that right house.

Brian, great article!!! I loved it.

Green building would be a great one to put on the HOT list!

Here's something a little of out the real estate realm.

HOT - no speed limit in Montana

NOT - receiving speeding tickets in the mail in California ;)

JESSE:  Thanks.  I'm happy that everyone likes the lists.

DENNIS:  Bellbottoms?  Depends on the year, I guess.

SALLY & DAVID:  You are right.  Things vary from state to state and region to region.  Sometimes even within the same general vicinity.  Real estate is hyper-local.

BILL:  Thanks for your comment.  I figured that you see this type of stuff all the time in magazines, so why not give it a twirl.

JUDY:  Yes, everybody always likes to talk about real estate.  Real Estate Makes Good Party Talk

MISSY:  No, not Cosmo... not one of my subscriptions.  It's those beginning of the new year lists that you always see in the mags and the newspapers.

MIKE:  I actually made this list for consumers, not necessarily for the industry.

MICHAEL:  Good addition to the list.

HOPE:  Times have changed and they certainly will change again.

ELIZABETH:  Thanks for your comments.  Hard at work...

JOSHUA & KATHY:  Thanks for your comment.

JOE:  Thanks for your comment.  It's Brian, though.

ANN:  There is a reason.  See if you can guess.

SHEILA:  Yes, staging can have an impact.  I took the ASP course for REALTORS back in the Fall, though I can't say I've actually used staging much in my business, but it's nice to know about it and understand the concept and the profession a little more and to be able to explain it to clients.

JAY:  I guess saying that I'm active on Active Rain is a bit of an understatement.  By the way, I owe you a phone call...

KIM:  Yes, it's nice to see some people who were previously priced out of the market hopping back in.

TRELA:  You are right -- Green Housing is definitely a Hot Topic.

GINGER:  Thanks for your comment.  Agreed.

JOETTA:  Thanks for your comments and for reading.

GREG:  You are welcome.

MARY:  While most people still need to physically go visit a home at some point before making a decision, a lot of the legwork can be completed online before ever getting in the car.

SUSAN (MORRIS COUNTY NEW JERSEY):  Thanks for your comment.  You may or may not wish to change your profile name so that people know who you are.

ERIKA:  Thanks for your comment and the laugh about the speeding tickets.

I think sky high prices were never in ;) And thanks for plugging home staging! It does work!

Cheers,

Cindy

CINDY:  Thanks for your comment.  Nobody enjoyed sky high prices, but they most certainly were here for a while.

Very clever list and true to our today's market.

RITU:  Thanks for your comment.