Buy Alexandria Real Estate

Houses Gettin' Sold Rap Video

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 04:32:25 -0700

Inventory of homes for sale is extremely tight in Northern Virginia - at last look there's just over 1 month supply of homes on the market. Same goes for DC. In fact, right now, much of the country is having a similar phenomenon in the local real estate markets.

Why?

I explain in the rap video below "Houses Gettin' Sold!"

This is the world premiere of the new hit rap video.

I didn't know I was a rapper and you probably didn't either, at least until I made this video.

ENJOY!

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If you plan to purchase or sell a home in the Northern Virginia or D.C. area,
you can visit my main Northern Virginia & D.C. real estate website at www.VirginiaRealEstateNews.net.

START YOUR NORTHERN VIRGINIA HOME SEARCH TODAY!

What Happens if an Appraisal Comes in Low in Northern Virginia or D.C.

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:04:19 -0700

The real estate market has definitely been heating up in Northern Virginia and D.C. recently. Open houses are swarming with potential buyers, homes are selling quickly. At almost every home I showed to buyers this past weekend, there were other agents and their clients walking through the home as well.

When the market heats up, one issue that really comes into play is the effect of appraisals on sales. When purchasing a home using mortgage finance, the mortgage lender requires an appraisal and will only lend based on the appraised value of the home. If the home appraises at or above the agreed-upon sales price, there's no problem whatsoever. However, what happens when the appraisal comes back below the sales price?

I recently created this short informative video below to explain the options in this situation.

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If you plan to purchase or sell a home in the Northern Virginia or D.C. area,
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START YOUR NORTHERN VIRGINIA HOME SEARCH TODAY!

4801 Peacock Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22304: Single Family Home for Sale

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:15:16 -0800

Welcome to 4801 Peacock Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22304

Solid Brick Single Family Home in Convenient Location

Professionally presented by Brian Block, RE/MAX Allegiance

Competitively priced at just $539,000!

Welcome to 4801 Peacock Avenue in Alexandria, Virginia!

Located in the beautiful Belle Wood neighborhood, this 4 bedroom, 2 bath home offers a solid brick exterior with a screened-in porch and backs to majestic tress for the utmost privacy. A fenced-in .28 acre lot, spacious room sizes, and updated kitchen and baths are just some of the features that make this home so special.

A split-level foyer ushers you up the stairs and into a large living room where natural sunlight from 2 windows highlights the warm hardwood floors and neutral color palette. The dining area provides plenty of space for both formal and casual dining and offers access to the fabulous screened-in proch with a beamed cathedral ceiling and panoramic views of the backyard. The updated kitchen is a chef's delight and boasts Corian countertops, stainless steel appliances, recessed lighting, and room for a bistro table.

Hardwood floors continue down the hall and into the master bedroom with generous closet space and extensive bulit-in shelving and cabinetry. Another bedroom and an updated hall bath complete the upper level. Downstairs, the family room with a cozy raised hearth brick fireplace and bulit-ins is the perfect place to relax and unwind. Two additional bright and cheerful bedrooms share another updated full bath; while a large laundry/workroom provides loads of storage space.

Commuters will love how close the home is to I-395, I-95, Route 236, and the easy commute to DC and the Pentagon, while everyone will enjoy the diverse shopping, dining, and entertainment options only a few miles away in Old Town Alexandria or Del Ray. It's the perfect home in a spectacular location!

Welcome home to 4801 Peacock Avenue, Alexandria, Virginia!

View more photos of 4801 Peacock Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22304

Contact me today at 703-626-0715 for more information or a private showing.

Thank you for reading my blog post. If you like what you’ve read, then please:

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If you plan to purchase or sell a home in the Northern Virginia or D.C. area,
you can visit my main Northern Virginia & D.C. real estate website at www.VirginiaRealEstateNews.net.

START YOUR NORTHERN VIRGINIA HOME SEARCH TODAY!

165 Cameron Station Boulevard: Townhouse for Sale in Alexandria, VA

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 10:13:26 -0800

Welcome to 165 Cameron Station Boulevard, Alexandria, VA 22304

Spacious, Sun-Filled, Unique Townhome in Cameron Station

Professionally presented by Brian Block, RE/MAX Allegiance

Competitively priced at just $649,000!

Welcome to 165 Cameron Station Boulevard in Alexandria, Virginia!

Perfectly located in the exciting Cameron Station neighborhood, and just minutes from I-95, I-395, and other major commuter routes, this gorgeous 3 bedroom, 3 1/2 bath end unit townhome is within walking distance to the Cameron Station community center and pool, dining, and 59 acre Ben Brenman Park. A stately front brick facade, a back-loading 2 car garage, open floor plan, beautiful hardwood floors, and a neutral color palette throughout are just some of the features that make this home so unforgettable.

Ceramic tile flooring ushers you into the home's foyer where you'll find a family room/den to the right with extensive built-in cabinetry and a cozy fireplace. Up the stairs, warm hardwood floors introduce the elegant living room accented by crisp crown molding and French doors leading to a charming sun deck. The adjacent dining area offers plenty of space for formal occasions and also boasts chair railing. The open kitchen is a chef's delight featuring gleaming granite countertops, a tasteful balance of stainless steel and black appliances, and gas cooking. A ceramic tile backsplash and recessed lighting add an extra degree of beauty and style, while a center island provides an additional working surface and extra seating. The sun-drenched breakfast area is perfect for daily dining or could be used as a sitting area.

A winding staircase leads upstairs where hardwood floors continue into the gracious master bedroom with a sweeping vaulted ceiling and walk-in closet with custom organizers. The luxurious master bath has a spa-like atmosphere highlighted by earth-toned ceramic tile, a sumptuous garden tub, dual sink vanity, and glass-enclosed shower. Down the hall you'll find another bright and cheerful bedroom with a private bath and generous closet space, while the uppermost level of the home encompasses a spacious bedroom suite with a vaulted ceiling and dormer windows.

Spectacularly located so close to Washington DC, Old Town Alexandria, and Metro, this home is a commuters dream. Bright, beautiful, and in pristine condition, this is what you've been waiting for!

Welcome home to 165 Cameron Station Boulevard, Alexandria, Virginia!

View more photos of 165 Cameron Station Boulevard, Alexandria, VA 22304

Contact me today at 703-626-0715 for more information or a private showing.

Thank you for reading my blog post. If you like what you’ve read, then please:

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If you plan to purchase or sell a home in the Northern Virginia or D.C. area,
you can visit my main Northern Virginia & D.C. real estate website at www.VirginiaRealEstateNews.net.

START YOUR NORTHERN VIRGINIA HOME SEARCH TODAY!

4014 Lake Glen Rd, Fairfax, VA: Townhouse in Fair Lakes for Sale

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 14:39:31 -0700

Welcome to 4014 Lake Glen Road, Fairfax, VA 22033

Distinctive Townhome in Fair Lakes

Professionally presented by Brian Block, RE/MAX Allegiance

Competitively priced at just $429,000!

Welcome to 4014 Lake Glen Road in Fairfax, Virginia!

Surround yourself in classic elegance in this distinctive townhome with 1-car detached garage in the Fair Lakes community. Nestled in a relatively small enclave of townhouses, this beautiful home has plenty of room for living with 3 bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths on 3 finished levels. A charming exterior with impeccable landscaping, 2 decks and an upper level balcony, open floor plan, warm hardwood floors, and meticulous updates throughout are just some of the features that make this home so desirable.

Upon entering, you are greeted by a magnificent 2-story foyer accented by warm hardwood floors, neutral paint, and a dramatic winding staircase. Further on is a sun-drenched sunken living room with transom windows. A cozy fireplace serves as the focal point of the room, and French doors open up to a fabulous sun deck where you can barbecue and unwind during the warmer months and enjoy views of the tree-lined backyard. The huge eat-in kitchen is a chef's delight featuring loads of cabinet and countertop space, recessed lighting, a ceramic tile backsplash, and a breakfast area. A pass-through to the dining room makes entertaining a breeze where you'll find an elegant chandelier, chair railing, and a big picture window.

Hardwoods continue up the staircase and throughout the upper level hallway and transition to pristine neutral carpeting as you enter the master bedroom suite boasting a big walk-in closet with built-in organizers. A luxurious jetted tub, invisible-glass shower, and double sink vanity with granite grace the master bath which is accented by spa-toned ceramic tile. Two additional bright and cheerful bedrooms--including one with French doors to a private balcony--share the hall bath. The finished walkout lower level offers an expansive rec room with recessed lighting and plenty of space for media, games, and relaxation. A den on this level can be used to suit the needs of your lifestyle and another updated full bath adds convenience.

And all of this is conveniently located right off Route 50 and just minutes from the Fairfax County Parkway and I-66. Take advantage of shopping, dining, recreation, and entertainment experiences in nearby Fairfax Corner, Fair Lakes Shopping Center, and Fair Oaks Mall.

Welcome home to 4014 Lake Glen Road, Fairfax, Virginia!

View more photos of 4014 Lake Glen Road, Fairfax, VA 22033

Contact me today at 703-626-0715 for more information or a private showing.

Thank you for reading my blog post. If you like what you’ve read, then please:

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If you plan to purchase or sell a home in the Northern Virginia or D.C. area,
you can visit my main Northern Virginia & D.C. real estate website at www.VirginiaRealEstateNews.net.

START YOUR NORTHERN VIRGINIA HOME SEARCH TODAY!

Seller's Settlement Costs in Virginia

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:15:40 -0700

What are the closing costs paid by the seller?

An Explanation for Northern Virginia sellers

Usually when one discusses closing costs in connection with the purchase and sale of a home they are referring to the costs incurred by a purchaser. These costs include items such as lender's fees, money to establish escrow accounts for taxes and insurance, title charges, title insurance, and government recording fees. Settlement costs can also include a survey of the property, pest inspection, appraisal, and other fees.

For a detailed explanation of the settlement costs incurred by purchasers in Virginia, please read my post:

Purchaser's Closing Costs in Virginia.

Sellers of a home also incur some settlement costs, most prominently the fee paid to the real estate broker for selling the home. In today's current Northern Virginia buyer's market, it is often typical for many purchasers to ask the seller of a home to pay a portion or all of their closing costs. Of course, this request leads to negotiation.

Here's a breakdown of seller's settlement closing costs in Virginia:

Total Sales/Broker's Commission

The first category of closing costs comprises the broker's fees for marketing and selling the home. There is no standard or set fee for selling a home. Do not let any REALTOR tell you differently.

Commission: This fee will be determined when you first hire a listing agent to sell your home and sign a listing agreement with the brokerage. The commission is normally represented as a percentage of the sales price, but it could be a flat fee. Your listing agent, by placing your home on the Multiple Listing Service, then enters into a contract with all buyer's agents who show your home, agreeing to split his or her commission with the cooperating agent. At settlement you will see these fees delineated at the top of page 2 of the important HUD-1 Settlement Statement.

Transaction Fee: Some agents and brokerages will charge you a transaction fee, or administrative fee, above and beyond the commission. I DO NOT. PERIOD.

Title & Recording Charges

Virginia home sellers have several fees that they will be charged by the settlement company or closing attorney as well as a Grantor's Tax.

Settlement Fee: This fee can vary with different settlement companies but is typically between $250 and $350. This is the fee paid to the settlement company for their services in performing the closing on the property.

Document Preparation: This covers the service of preparing the deed to transfer the property from the seller to the purchaser. This can cost between about $150-$350.

Release Process/Delivery Fee: This fee is paid to the settlement company to allow the liens on your property (usually just your mortgage) to be released. The fee is typically between $150-$200.

Grantor's Tax: This fee is paid by all sellers in Virginia when they transfer a home. The fee is equivalent to 0.1% of the sales price.

Additional Settlement Charges

Pest Inspection: Usually costs $30-$60. Often the purchaser will pay for this, but sometimes it is left up to the seller.

Archiving/Scanning: Some settlement companies will archive and/or scan all the closing documents to keep on file for future reference and charge a nominal fee for this service.

Let's take a look at an example of two different sales and what the seller's costs would be:

Arlington Condo

McLean Townhouse

Sales Price $450,000 $850,000 Total Commission $27,000 $51,000 Transaction Fee N/A N/A Settlement Fee $255 $255 Document Preparation $150 $150 R-5 Form Processing Fee $10 $10 Release Process/Delivery Fee $175 $175 Grantor's Tax $450 $850 Pest Inspection $50 $50 Archiving/Scanning $20 $20 TOTAL CLOSING COSTS $28,110 $52,510 CLOSING COSTS % of SALES PRICE 6.25% 6.18%

Ready to sell your home?

Contact Brian Block, REALTOR/Attorney: Licensed in Virginia & WashingtonD.C. (703) 626-0715 (703) 626-0715 . If you are interested in selling a property in Northern Virginia including Arlington County, Alexandria City, Annandale, Burke, D.C., Fairfax County, Falls Church City, Lorton, Springfield, Washington D.C., contact Brian today.

Thank you for reading my blog post. If you like what you’ve read, then please:

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If you plan to purchase or sell a home in the Northern Virginia or D.C. area,
you can visit my main Northern Virginia & D.C. real estate website at www.VirginiaRealEstateNews.net.

START YOUR NORTHERN VIRGINIA HOME SEARCH TODAY!

How Many Homes Do You Have to See?

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 21:26:01 -0700

How many homes do you have to see? How many homes do you want to see?

When it comes to the home buying process, going out and looking at homes is probably the most fun and exciting part for most homebuyers. You get to explore the neighborhoods, check out the amenities, compare kitchens, bathrooms, and closet sizes. If you have children, they get to run around the main level and tell you which bedroom they want. You'll enjoy visually placing your furniture and your 52" television.

All of that is a lot more fun than going over the fine details and language in the sales contract. Certainly more enjoyable than the home inspection or appraisal. And a heck of a lot more fun than filling out your mortgage application and getting your W-2s and paystubs to your lender!

An agent in my office recently told me that she has shown "200 to 300 homes" to some buyers. I stared at her in disbelief thinking that I misheard her. She repeated "I've been working with them for 2 years and have shown them 200-300 homes!" Well, I guess when you've seen that many homes, it can be easy to lose track of a hundred...

So, how many homes do you have to see in your Northern Virginia home search?

While 200 to 300 is an extreme case, what's an appropriate amount of homes? Is 5 or 6 homes enough? Is 100 too many? What about 50 or 60? Or somewhere in between?

My clients often ask me how many homes they'll have to see. That reminds me of something my high school freshman English teacher told us. Students would ask how long an essay would need to be and Mr. Lynch would reply, "When Abraham Lincoln was asked how long a man's legs should be, he replied 'long enough to reach the ground!" Twenty three years later, I'm not sure I know exactly what that means, but I think I've got an idea...

Here's my experience with helping clients find homes in Northern Virginia over the last decade:

One time -- just one time -- I had a client look at just one house, fall in love with it, and buy it. That was pretty cool.

A second time, I had clients look at 2 houses. They liked them both, made an offer on one and bought it. That worked out pretty well too.

I've had clients look at 30 to 40 homes. I've had clients look at 5-10 homes, and just about everywhere in between. I'd say on average my Northern Virginia homebuying clients look at between 10-15 houses in their home search. People who know exactly which neighborhood they desire sometimes look at less, while people relocating to the D.C. area and not familiar with the market often look at more (since they don't know the difference between Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, and McLean). However, I've never had anyone look at 200 to 300!

These days with searching for homes on the internet, viewing photos and virtual tours, you can rule out many homes and neighborhoods without physically going there, thus narrowing down the search.

Remember that while visiting homes may be the most fun part of the process, you don't want to do it forever.

The ultimate goal is to find the home that's right for you -- not to see every home that's on the market!

Thank you for reading my blog post. If you like what you’ve read, then please:

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If you plan to purchase or sell a home in the Northern Virginia or D.C. area,
you can visit my main Northern Virginia & D.C. real estate website at www.VirginiaRealEstateNews.net.

START YOUR NORTHERN VIRGINIA HOME SEARCH TODAY!

Arlington Virginia Real Estate Market Snapshot April 2012

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:07:53 -0700

What's Happening today in the Arlington, Virginia Real Estate Market?

The chart below details all of the closed home sales activity in Arlington, Virginia for March 2012:

Sales volume for March 2012 is exactly the same in terms of the number of sales and up slightly on total dollar volume from March 2011. Days on market is down 5% from last March and median sales prices are up almost 9% in Arlington.

Here's a snapshot of the current market for Arlington Virginia home sales at the end of April 2012:

Active homes for sale: 565 -- 239 homes, or over 42% of these Arlington homes have come on the market within the last 30 days!
700 homes have sold in Arlington since the beginning of 2012, or an average of 175/month. At this rate, there's currently 3.22 months of inventory on the market in Arlington. Very good news if you're planning to sell your Arlington home!
Average listing price in Arlington, VA: $723,351
Price range: The least expensive listing price in Arlington is $69,900. The most expensive home is listed for $6,000,000.
Average days on market: 71 days.
There's an additional 516 homes in Arlington that are currently under contract pending sale. 318 of those contracts were ratified within the last 30 days.

As you can see from the stats above, Arlington remains a very active market.

** Find a Home in Arlington**

Thank you for reading my blog post. If you like what you’ve read, then please:

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If you plan to purchase or sell a home in the Northern Virginia or D.C. area,
you can visit my main Northern Virginia & D.C. real estate website at www.VirginiaRealEstateNews.net.

START YOUR NORTHERN VIRGINIA HOME SEARCH TODAY!

Win Tonight's Mega Millions: What $363 Million Will Buy You in Northern Virginia Real Estate!

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:11:52 -0700

If you've been watching television, reading the news, looking at the internet, going to a gas station, convenience store, or just about anywhere in the last few days, you know that tonight's Mega Millions lottery drawing jackpot is a staggering $363 Million. Yes, the cash option comes in at "just" $259 million. And then there's taxes. If you choose to get the yearly installments, you'll be pulling in a cool $13,975,500 a year for the next 26 years. No matter how you slice and dice it, let's face it -- it's a boatload of money. You could even jump into the Presidential race at this late stage and still be able to fund a strong campaign! It's okay to daydream...

Let's take a fun look at what $363 Million can buy you in Northern Virginia real estate. In addition to a good tax advisor and financial planner, you'll no doubt need a great Northern Virginia REALTOR after you win this bundle of cash.

How many average Northern Virginia homes could you buy?

In February 2012, the average home sales price in Northern Virginia was $396,107. With $363,000,000, you could buy 916 homes. That's almost exactly half of the total number of homes sold in the area during the month of February (there were 1,834 total home sales).

Maybe you're particularly interested in Alexandria, Virginia. If so, you're in luck. There are 391 homes on the market in Alexandria at an average price of $635,627. You could buy all of them for just over $248 million. Taking the cash option on the lottery winnings, you'd still have $11 million left for furnishings, or $28,000 per house. If you bought all these Alexandria homes, you'd be the proud owner of 1,173 bedrooms, 1,173 full bathrooms, and 391 half bathrooms. You could sleep in a different bedroom every night for the next 3 years!

While you couldn't quite afford to purchase all of the 514 available homes in Arlington whose price averages $750,151, you could pick up over 480 of them.

McLean, Virginia boasts an average current listing price of over $2.2 million. While this number is skewed by some very high-end homes, 148 out of the 199 available homes on the market in McLean are priced at over $1 million. Therefore, even tonight's Mega Millions winner can't afford to buy them all. However, after taxes paid on your winnings you could still scoop up 80 ultra luxurious homes in McLean!

Falls Church is the smallest city in the country and there's only 30 homes currently on the market there. You could buy them all at full asking price for $21,103,590 since the average listing price is $703,453. This would hardly make a dent in your winnings!

Maybe you're only interested the best in luxury. After all, you're now a multi-millionaire. After the fanfare dies down from the big win, you want to buy some REAL real estate. Million dollar homes are almost common-place now. Let's go for the $4 million+ price tag. Right now there's 40 of these available in Northern Virginia -- the average price is $6,631,242. You could afford to buy 39 of these with your winnings, though with a great Northern Virginia REALTOR negotiating for you, you should be able to get them all and still have some money left over. If you bought all these estates, you'd be the proud owner of 117 acres of prime land in Northern Virginia along with 234 bedrooms and 312 bathrooms.

Okay... stop dreaming. You didn't win...

You can still start your search for Northern Virginia real estate here in any price range.

If by some chance in 175,000,000, I win the jackpot tonight, I'll be happy to refer you to another professional REALTOR who can help you...

GOOD LUCK!

Thank you for reading my blog post. If you like what you’ve read, then please:

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If you plan to purchase or sell a home in the Northern Virginia or D.C. area,
you can visit my main Northern Virginia & D.C. real estate website at www.VirginiaRealEstateNews.net.

START YOUR NORTHERN VIRGINIA HOME SEARCH TODAY!

Arlington Virginia Real Estate Market Snapshot for March 2012

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 09:37:05 -0700

What's Happening today in the Arlington, Virginia Real Estate Market?

The chart below details all of the closed home sales activity in Arlington, Virginia for February 2012:

And, here's a snapshot of Arlington Virginia home sales in the last 30 days from the middle of February 2012 through now:

ARLINGTON VIRGINIA HOME SALES:

Active homes for sale: 507-- 221 of those have come on the market within the last 30 days! More inventory is coming on the market in recent days as sellers are gearing up for the traditionally busy spring selling season in Northern Virginia.
Average listing price in Arlington: $746,851. Homes are available in Arlington from $69,900 to $6 million. Do you want to see available homes in Arlington by price range? Click on one or more of the following links (updated every day):

Under $200,000
$200K to $300K
$300K to $400K
$400K to $500K
$500K to $600K
$600K to $700K
$700K to $800K
$800K to $900K
$900K to $1M
$1M to $1.5M
$1.5M to $2M
$2M+

Arlington homes sold in the last 30 days: 182. At this rate, it would take just 2.79 months for the current Arlington inventory to sell. If you're considering selling your home in Arlington, the odds are certainly in your favor!
Average sales price: $527,996
Median sales price: $465,984
Average days on market: 54-- homes are selling on average quite quickly in just under 8 weeks
Average sales price/original listing price: 96.2% -- there's some negotiating room. However, with the inventory levels so low, sellers are getting closer to their asking price.

The highest priced Arlington home sold in the last 30 days was for $2,110,502.

Arlington Virginia Market Statistics Charts

Find a Home in Arlington

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If you plan to purchase or sell a home in the Northern Virginia or D.C. area,
you can visit my main Northern Virginia & D.C. real estate website at www.VirginiaRealEstateNews.net.

START YOUR NORTHERN VIRGINIA HOME SEARCH TODAY!

Arlington Virginia Condo Inventory & Sales Report (February 2012)

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:42:42 -0800

The Arlington condo market is really hot! Condos are selling throughout Arlington with multiple offers and the inventory is very low. Here's some stats about Arlington Virginia condominium sales and inventory for February 2012.

Currently there are 207 condos on the market for sale in Arlington. That may seem like a lot, but considering that 216 Arlington condos sold in the last 90 days, 207 is not that many... 54 sold in the last 30 days alone. Based on the 90 day numbers, there's only about a 2.875 month inventory of Arlington condos.

The condos for sale in Arlington range in price from $79,000 to $4.15 million with an average listing price of $512,397 (considerably higher than neighboring Alexandria). Here's the breakdown by size of the condo:

One Bedroom Arlington Condos

69 on the market

Price range from $79K to $855K

Average listing price $329,287

Two Bedroom Arlington Condos

107 on the market

Price range from $170K to $2.05 million

Average listing price $536,038

Three Bedroom Arlington Condos

21 on the market

Price range from $350K to $4.15 million

Average listing price $1,072,521

Over the last 30 days the average final sales price of Arlington condos that sold was $444,413. On average Arlington condo sellers are obtaining 95.03% of their original listing price -- showing that there's still quite a bit of room for negotiation.

Condos sold in an average of 53 days on the market. From surveys that have come back from sellers that have worked with my office, the average expectation for a sale is 60-90 days, so Arlington condos are selling fairly quickly which is pleasing to sellers!

The chart below shows the condominium complexes in Arlington with the highest number of units on the market. (Note: Jefferson Retirement is a 55+ retirement community in Ballston)

Interested in buying a condo in Arlington? Search for Arlington condos here.

Thinking about selling your Arlington condo or just want to know the value? Confidential and free market analysis of your condo's market value.

Thank you for reading my blog post. If you like what you’ve read, then please:

Follow, Connect, Watch, Subscribe

If you plan to purchase or sell a home in the Northern Virginia or D.C. area,
you can visit my main Northern Virginia & D.C. real estate website at www.VirginiaRealEstateNews.net.

START YOUR NORTHERN VIRGINIA HOME SEARCH TODAY!

Alexandria Virginia Condo Inventory & Sales Report for February 2012

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:25:59 -0800

The Alexandria condo market is hot! Condos are selling throughout the city and the inventory is quite low. Here's some stats about Alexandria Virginia condominium sales and inventory for February 2012.

Currently there are 176 condos on the market for sale in Alexandria. Considering that 185 Alexandria condos sold in the last 90 days, 176 is not that many... 46 sold in the last 30 days. Based on the 90 day numbes, there's only about a 2.85 month inventory of Alexandria condos.

The condos for sale in Alexandria range in price from $100,000 to $2.1 million with an average listing price of $363,058. Here's the breakdown by size of the condo:

One Bedroom Alexandria Condos

62 on the market

Price range from $100K to $450K

Average listing price $255,627

Two Bedroom Alexandria Condos

93 on the market

Price range from $135K to $1.45 million

Average listing price $375,819

Three Bedroom Alexandria Condos

19 on the market

Price range from $179.9K to $1.55 million

Average listing price $561,955

Over the last 30 days the average final sales price of Alexandria condos that sold was $269,469. From this you can see that the lower end of the market is selling more readily and briskly than the higher end of the condo market in Alexandria. On average Alexandria condo sellers are obtaining 93.49% of their original listing price -- showing that there's still quite a bit of room for negotiation. However, some of that number for January is likely skewed from price reductions that occurred towards the end of 2011 or the beginning of the new year.

Condos sold in an average of 70 days on the market.

The chart below shows the condominium complexes in Alexandria with the highest number of units on the market.

Interested in buying a condo in Alexandria? Search for Alexandria condos here.

Thinking about selling your Alexandria condo or just want to know the value? Confidential and free market analysis of your condo's market value.

Thank you for reading my blog post. If you like what you’ve read, then please:

Follow, Connect, Watch, Subscribe

If you plan to purchase or sell a home in the Northern Virginia or D.C. area,
you can visit my main Northern Virginia & D.C. real estate website at www.VirginiaRealEstateNews.net.

START YOUR NORTHERN VIRGINIA HOME SEARCH TODAY!

Your Best Bet with Brian Block: Read all about it in REALTOR Magazine

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:29:28 -0800

REALTOR Magazine gets mailed out to over 1 million subscribers. That's a fairly strong subscription base making it the publication for our industry. Published by the National Association of REALTORS, the magazine calls itself "The Business tool for Real Estate Professionals"

So, when you're extensively quoted in a publication of this magnitude, it's a pretty big deal, particularly when the writers have over 1 million REALTORS who they could come to as sources for their articles. It's an even bigger deal when the article is a featured article mentioned on the cover.

Warning: Shameless horn-tooting here!

One of the cover articles in the January/February 2012 issue of REALTOR Magazine (currently in the mailboxes of REALTORS around the country and online) is "Real Estate's Strongest Sectors for 2012" -- take a look at page 24 if you have the magazine. Inside the magazine, the article is actually entitled "The Year Ahead: Real Estate's Best Bets in 2012."

Here's a link to the online version of the article so you can read it in full: REALTOR Magazine article "The Year Ahead: Real Estate's Best Bets in 2012"

I'm excited to be quoted throughout the section on residential real estate trends for 2012. It's always an honor to be relied upon by the media as a trusted source of real estate information.

Here's just one sample quote from the article:

"Affordable housing in inner-ring suburbs or center city areas may be real estate's sweet spot in 2012, Block says, because buyers today aren't looking just for bargains, they're looking for convenience and lifestyle amenities."

Check out my other recent press coverage at my online newsroom.

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If you plan to purchase or sell a home in the Northern Virginia or D.C. area,
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Home = Happiness!

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:19:53 -0800

NEWSFLASH: Buying a Home May Be One of the Best Ways to Achieve Happiness!

The pursuit of happiness... It's what we all seek isn't it? After all this ideal finds prominence in the founding document of our country thanks to Thomas Jefferson who borrowed from John Locke and changed property to "pursuit of happiness."

People try many things to try to find happiness. And there are many paths to achieving happiness. You may find it at church, at synagogue, on the sports field, or the dance floor. Some find it through charitable endeavours and others pathways include Zen meditation. Helping others, finding new and exciting challenges, life-long learning... any of these things can lead to a happy life.

It's been said that "Money Can't Buy Happiness!"

Well, last week I read an article called "8 Ways that Money Can Buy Happiness" and I concluded that buying a home for the reasons I'll cite below may just be a great way to help achieve happiness!

Why Buying a Home Can Make You Happy:

"Buy more experiences and fewer material goods." -- the article states that:

Asked which of the two purchases made them happier, fully 57% of respondents reported that they had derived greater happiness from their experiential purchase, while only 34% reported greater happiness from their material purchase.

What? You might say that a home is a material good! Whatch'a talking about Brian? And yes, technically a home is a material good -- it's made up of bricks and siding, a roof, plumbing, electrical systems, appliances, etc. However a home is much more than that. Homes are much more than the sum of their material parts. You make memories in your homes. You raise your families in your homes. You have good times (and bad) in your homes. You entertain, you wine, you dine.

Before you buy it, it's a house -- you have an inspection, you make sure everything's working, you negotiate a price. Once you've been living there, it becomes a home -- or the sum of all the experiences you have there. No wonder selling it can be such an emotional experience.

Ready for some happiness?

Search for Homes in Northern Virginia

Thank you for reading my blog post. If you like what you’ve read, then please:

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If you plan to purchase or sell a home in the Northern Virginia or D.C. area,
you can visit my main Northern Virginia & D.C. real estate website at www.VirginiaRealEstateNews.net.

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Where'd That Home Go? In Northern Virginia, it's Under Contract or Sold!

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:51:48 -0800

It was just here. Now it's gone.

Ooohhh. Here's another one. Looks promising. Gone too!

Okay... Don't blink. Don't turn the other way for even half a second.

Gonna find that home.

Wait, could've sworn this one was still available. After all, it was on Zillow, Trulia, and REALTOR.com. But, yet... it's gone.

What's happening?

Where'd that home go? That was our dream house! Will we ever find one?

...

If you're like many home buyers today, you've had a fairly similar internal dialogue while searching the dearth of homes on the market in Northern Virginia.

A quick look at inventory numbers tells the story.

Taking the current inventory of homes on the market in each jurisdiction and dividing by the average amount of monthly sales during the last 12 months, here's the state of Northern Virginia housing inventory expressed in number of month's worth of inventory:

Alexandria City:       2.11 months
Arlington County:           2.32 months
Fairfax County:               2.05 months
Falls Church City:            1.37 months
Loudoun County:             3.02 months
Prince William County: 2.28 months

Wow! Considering that a balanced market is defined by 5-6 months' worth of housing inventory, there's almost nothing available. If no other homes were to go on the market for sale in Falls Church for example, houses would completely sell out there by mid-February 2012! It's no wonder that homes are nowhere to be found.

As a Northern Virginia homebuyer, you've got to be prepared to jump when the right available home comes along.

Take a look at the chart below which compares the average days on the market recently with the same statistic 4 years ago (blue line represents recent time period). Boy, has the market changed! Houses in Northern Virginia are selling on average a full 30 days or more faster than they did back then.

Advice for Buyers: Search for Northern Virginia homes today! Contact me to see them as soon as you see something you like so that you don't miss out.

Advice for Sellers: If you are serious about selling your Northern Virginia home, let's price it right, put it on the market and watch the buyers swarm!

Thank you for reading my blog post. If you like what you’ve read, then please:

Follow, Connect, Watch, Subscribe

If you plan to purchase or sell a home in the Northern Virginia or D.C. area,
you can visit my main Northern Virginia & D.C. real estate website at www.VirginiaRealEstateNews.net.

START YOUR NORTHERN VIRGINIA HOME SEARCH TODAY!