New Homes in Loudoun County, Virginia, Buyer REBATE

LOUDOUN COUNTY VA IN AUTUMN - FALL COLORS and "TAKING THE CHILL OFF"

Signs of Autumn are everywhere in Loudoun County.  I'm in Western Loudoun County and hardly a day goes by that I don't drive somewhere.  

A must about every other day is a trip to the Post Office to collect mail which, hopefully includes lovely referral checks from the fabulous network of agents and brokers to whom I refer home buyers.   Next , of course, would be a stop at the bank to deposit those lovely referral checks. 

Where ever I go these days the countryside is spectacular and, although it's a warning that Winter is coming, our Winters are not really that bad with an average daytime high temperature of about 42 Degrees.  The Autumn colors have been beautiful this year, probably due to the ample rainfall. 

Fall colors in Lovettsville end of October& Lovettsville home built in 1765 is beautiful with the fall colors.

Fall chores for this week include cutting back the Ornamental Grasses and shrubs in my yard.  Hopefully, I'll be able to get through next year without investing in more of these lovelies.  However, one cannot deny the beauty of blossoming Rhododendron, Azaleas, some recently planted Crepe Myrtle and the many wonderful Tulips and Daffodils.  We have all of the trimming schedules for Saturday a.m. after which I'll take the plunge and cut off and drain the outside faucets.  For some reason, that always seems so final.  Winter is, indeed, coming and things must be done. 

FALL BRING CHILLY MORNINGS.  Sometimes it's nice to "just take the chill off" with a nice fire.

The bright spot in the Family Room is always a warming fire in the fireplace.  Just "take the chill off".

October also brings Halloween and it's always fun to see the imagine used to decorate homes. 

Note the "headstones" in this yard and the cobwebs on the shrubs.  This home is always fun to watch at holiday times, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Halloween.

For real estate help in Loudoun County Virginia, contact Lenn.  We are Loudoun County residents and can help you find the very best home for your money.  Want to take a tour of homes?  Just call Lenn at, 800-711-7988.

Want to see what's for sale in Loudoun County today, go to: 

Loudoun County Homes for Sale.  We can help.

HILLSBORO, VIRGINIA REAL ESTATE. . . . .HOMES WITH ACREAGE . . . . 

A TOWN WITH HISTORY and a fabulous FARMERS MARKET.

Western Loudoun County real estate offers so much to folks looking for a rural area in which to live, highly ranked public schools, a beautiful countryside and an easy commute to Dulles, MARC Train, The Dulles Greenway and a variety of shopping alternatives.  The photos below are from yesterday in the early afternoon taken along the roads between Hillsboro, a small "hamlet" in Purcellville. 

Home built in the 1800s in Hillsboro.              Typical of homes built in the 21st Century in Hillsboro.

IT'S ALWAYS LUNCH TIME IN HILLSBORO.  I cannot pass the Farmers Market in Hillsboro at the intersection of Charles Town Pike and Hillsboro Road without picking up lunch.  This Farmers Market always has delicious breads, fruits and vegetables and pantry goodies like pumpkin butter, jams, preserves, etc.

FRESH BAKED GOODS

Delicious Whole Grain Breads.  Whole Wheat and Rye were available yesterday. 

Huge cookies, pumpkin cake, Granola that is without doubt the very best I have ever tasted. 

Much of the prepared foods that they offer have a base of seasonal fruits and veggies. 

Pumpkin is the flavor today with pumpkin bread, pumpkin butter that is the most delicious topping for toast or crackers I can remember. 

If you like apple butter, you'll LOVE pumpkin butter. 

WINTER VEGETABLES

Squashes of every color and flavor.  These delicious morsels carry us through the winter with staples of winter squashes.

Butternuts, Acorns, Spagetti, and others that I can't name but I know them all to be delicious, easy to cook baked or microwaved. 

With only 65 calories for a cup of squash, you can enjoy as much as you like. 

MORE VEGETABLES

Tomatoes both ripe and green.  Peppers of many types, hot and sweet. 

Sweet potatoes, white potatoes.

Greens of several flavors, chard, kale and collards.

Calories??  Don't even worry.  When we're talking vegetables, we're talking eating enough to fill you up without filling you out.

Sweet and several types of apples.  Pumpkins, Mums and other wonderful things that grow in Loudoun County, Virginia.

This is a full time Farmers Market located right on the corner of their organic farm where they grow bounties of vegetables.  You can see the farm in operation throughout the year.  It's fantastic. 

This is the existing Farmers Market.                   They're building a new facility for next year. 

                  EASY TO FIND AND OPEN ALL DAY FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE,

Courtesy, Lenn Harley, Broker, Homefinders.com, 800-711-7988, E-mail.

"NEVER A FEE TO BUYERS"   Ask about the Homefinders.com New Home REBATE!

• Loudoun County Virginia - Search Homes for Sale. 
• Contact us to tour homes in Leesburg and Ashburn VA. 800-711-7988.

For your copy of the Homefinders.com home buyers relocation package, just give me a call.   Whether you're moving to Loudoun County from out of the area or just across county, we can help.

WARNING!               WARNING!                WARNING!                 WARNING!                 WARNING!

ActiveRain members are posting articles claiming that the "FIRST TIME HOME BUYER CREDIT HAS BEEN EXTENDED".  

IS THIS FACT? 

OR IS THIS IRRESPONSIBLE RUMOR?????

     SHOW ME THE LEGISLATION!

     SHOW ME THE LAW!

     SHOW ME THE RECONCILIATION!

     SHOW ME THE FACTS!

Show me more than rumor.  As I understand it, the extension has been proposed and passed by the Senate.  THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT LAW. 

There are two branches of Congress.  One branch can pass and then it goes to the other branch.  These are co-equal branches of Congress. 

Any extension would, I would think, then have to be signed by the President of the United States. 

"Senators agreed to extend the existing tax credit for first-time homebuyers while offering a reduced credit of up to $6,500 to repeat buyers who have owned their current homes for at least five years, said Regan Lachapelle, a spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev."

"Senators agreed"   "Senators agreed"    "Senators agreed"  

Doesn't make it law.

Be careful out there folks.  Your posts are going on Google and, if you are wrong. . . . . .  ?

NORTHERN VIRGINIA MARKET REPORT FOR HOMES SOLD IN SEPTEMBER 2009.

List Prices for Single Family Homes SOLD in Northern Virginia during September 2009.

Alexandria Old Town                                                                                                   Manor Homes in Alexandria

20 Single Family Homes sold in Alexandria in September 2009.              

The highest list price was $1,200,000.
The lowest list price was $298,000.
The average list price sold was $713,772.

Arlington County (City)

78 Single Family Homes sold in Arlington County in September 2009.

The highest list price was $2,295,000.
The lowest list price was $275,000.
The average list price sold was $716,490.

Clarke County

11 Single Family Homes sold in Clarke County in September 2009.
The highest list price was $4,900,000.
The lowest list price was $133,900.
The average list price sold was $650,000.                                            

Culpeper County

58 Single Family Homes sold in Culpeper County in September 2009.

The highest list price was $625,000.
The lowest list price was $55,000.
The average list price sold was $211,891.

Fairfax County

639 Single Family Homes sold in Fairfax County in September 2009.
The highest list price was $3,499,999.
The lowest list price was $125,000.
The average list price sold was $566,250.

Fauquier County                                                                                                          Homes in Fairfax County VA

59 Single Family Homes sold in Fauquier County in September 2009.
The highest list price was $549,000.
The lowest list price was $61,014.
The average list price sold was $281,793.

King George County

22 Single Family Homes sold in King George County in September 2009.
The highest list price was $799,500.
The lowest list price was $106,700.
The average list price sold was $264,160.

Loudoun County

225 Single Family Homes sold in Loudoun County in September 2009.
The highest list price was $5,650,000.                                                  House in Loudoun County VA
The lowest list price was $130,000.
The average list price sold was $515,447.

Prince William County

363 Single Family Homes sold in Prince William County in September 2009.

The highest list price was $1,150,000.
The lowest list price was $66,500.
The average list price sold was $307,755.

Spotsylvania County

131 Single Family Homes sold in Spotsylvania County in September 2009.
The highest list price was $885,000.
The lowest list price was $79,000.
The average list price sold was $227,462.

Stafford County

119 Single Family Homes sold in Stafford County in September 2009.

The highest list price was $579,000                                                   
The lowest list price was $64,900.
The average list price sold was $274,571.

                       Map of Homefinders.com Northern Virginia Market Area.                                             

Courtesy, Lenn Harely, Broker, Homefinders.com.  800-711-7988.  Serving home buyers in Maryland and Northern Virginia from home search to settlement.  Contact us for a home buying adventure.  Friendly and experienced Buyer's Agents who know the area are ready to help you. 

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To Search Listings of Homes for Sale in Maryland and Virginia   

Maryland and Virginia is "FLEA FRIENDLY".  I don't want buyers to move in a home with a growing family of feas.  Make sure that ALL of the former residents are gone and the home is truly VACANT.

GOOD ADVICE!  GOOD ADVICE!  GOOD ADVICE!

Good post.  This is something I haven't tought about for some time since I am usually selling new homes. 

However, I learned years ago that, when a seller has a cat(s) or dog(s), include a condition that they have the house fumigated for fleas prior to closing the sale. 

If they refuse, I have it done myself.  Too often when the moves out, a few fleas will remain and they do, as you say multiply quickly. 

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ABOUT LEAD BASED PAINT.
What home buyers need to know. 

Lead based paint matters are important to home buyers considering buying a home constructed in 1978 or earlier.  GET THE LEAD BASED PAINT DISCLOSURE

THE KEY WORD THERE IS DISCLOSURE.  The law requires that any owner attempting to sell a home constructed in 1978 or before disclose their knowledge of the existence of lead based paint existing in the property.  That means that the seller should provide the disclosure when prospective buyers are considering buying the house.  Too often the buyer doesn't receive the lead based paint disclosure until they get the Contract of Sale package of documents and addenda.  Buyers should receive the SELLER LEAD BASED PAINT DISCLOSURE AND EPA PAMPHLET when evaluating the merits of a house.  
   
HOME BUYERS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THE RISKS OF LEAD PAINT INGESTION TO YOUNG CHILDREN.  Because of the extreme risk to young children from lead exposure and ingestion from picking up chips of paint or inhaling aerosol from paint scrapings in doorways or window frames, we need to be very, very careful to not gloss over this important disclosure.  ASK YOUR AGENT FOR THE EPA LEAD BASED PAINT BOOKLET. 
     
1.  Make sure your agent provides you with the lead based paint disclosure BEFORE you made a decision about buying a property. 

2.  Buyers must assume, in the absence of testing, that any home build 1978 or earlier could have lead based paint.  Buyers must be prepared to maintain the painted surfaces and keep chipping and peeling paint encapsulated with fresh paint.  Make sure windows and doorways are well maintained and are not scraping painted surfaces causing dust with lead based paint into the atmosphere in the house or on the surfaces where children could get it in their mouths and ingest the dust. 

There are hundreds of thousands of homes in this area, Maryland and Northern Virginia that were constructed prior to 1979.  In lower price ranges, it should be expected to see homes with lead based paint.  The important matter for buyers and their agents to understand is that the disclosure isn't going to change whether or not the house contains lead based paint.  It is a requirement of the law that disclosure be made and the buyers understand what they are buying. 

http://www.epa.gov/lead/index.html

Courtesy, Lenn Harely, Broker, Homefinders.com.  800-711-7988.  Serving home buyers in Maryland and Northern Virginia from home search to settlement.  Contact us for a home buying adventure.  Friendly and experienced Buyer's Agents who know the area are ready to help you. 

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To Search Listings of Homes for Sale in Maryland and Virginia    

MARYLAND AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE INFORMATION FOR HOME BUYERS.

Buying real estate in Maryland and Northern Virginia and getting a mortgage loan is complicated.  The Contract of Sale is about 10-15 pages on Northern Virginia and in Maryland may be up to 30+ pages with the Contract and necessary locality, inspection, loan addenda.  Your Buyer's Agent will review the Contract of Sale and all addenda when you prepare your offer to the seller. 
 
Real estate in Maryland and Virginia is expensive compared with many other areas in the United States. Buying a home and getting a mortgage loan, in Maryland or Virginia is even more complicated when home buyers don't understand the home loan process. We'll try to make is as easy as possible. However, borrowing $$Thousands or Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars is not a minor matter.  Borrowing money is a very serious matter and we treat it as such.  With some education and guidance from an experienced real estate agent, mortgages can be made easy to understand.  We can help. We sell many homes every year and we help our real estate buyers with the mortgage process from pre-qualification through settlement.

We will describe the mortgage process further down this page, but first, you should understand what a mortgage is and how it works.  The procedure will vary little from lender to lender, but since the procedure is basically simple, you just need to understand that:

• Lenders lend large amount of money.
• Lenders want to lend to folks who will repay the loan.
• Lenders secure their loan to you with a lien against your property.
• If you pay your monthly mortgage payment, every thing is fine.
• If you default, the lender may foreclose the property.

Sounds simple and it can be simple with an agent who will explain the loan process to you step by step. Unless you've obtained a mortgage loan in the past, most buyers do not understand why lenders need particular information.

The first thing a loan officer will do is review your credit report.  This is important because it will determine your qualifying ratio and the loan officer will discuss they different types of loans available to you.  Your Homefinders.com agent will also discuss types of loans with you since it may help determine the price range and type of home listings where you can get the type of home you desire. 

WHAT KIND OF DOCUMENTATION WILL I NEED FOR MORTGAGE APPLICATION?
Generally, the documents needed will verify your income and debt. The list below is the minimum for VA, FHA and conventional loans.

• Past two years W-2 Forms
• Current address
• Employment addresses
• Recent bank statements
• Name and address of current creditors
• Social Security number(s)
• Certificate of Eligibility for VA buyers
• For self employed, 2 years tax returns

Your lender will have a copy of the Contract of Sale for the home you are purchasing. Your lender will process the loan and have the mortgage approved prior to the date of settlement date in the Contract. The lender will send the proceeds of your home loan to the settlement company along with instructions to the title company about what charges are and the title company will conduct the settlement meeting. You sign the documents accepting the loan, the sellers signs the deed over to you, you get the keys to your newly purchased home. Now, wasn't that easy??

Courtesy, Lenn Harely, Broker, Homefinders.com.  800-711-7988.  Serving home buyers in Maryland and Northern Virginia from home search to settlement.  Contact us for a home buying adventure.  Friendly and experienced Buyer's Agents who know the area are ready to help you.

* * CLICK HERE * *
To Search Listings of Homes for Sale in Maryland and Virginia    

MULTIPLE OFFERS - WHY WE MAKE THEM - WHEN WE MAKE THEM. 

An interesting post by Ann Allen about making multiple offers inspired this article which is based on my experience.  I've made multiple offers for home buyers for many years.  However, they are not made without complete research and only for properties that the home buyers are satisfied that they will buy and complete the contract to settlement. 

MULTIPLE OFFERS MAY HELP SERIOUS HOME BUYERS.  When I help buyers make multiple offers they are not making comical low-ball offers.  I don't spend my time working with those buyers.  Buyers I represent are serious, well qualified and ready.  They are either relocating and have a short time in the area to preview, select a few homes and we make multiple offers to narrow the choices. 

I don't represent "bottom fishing" buyers.  I represent serious residential buyers looking for a home.  The reason to make multiple offers is to give these buyers an opportunity to buy "now" what they are seeing "now".  Without multiple offers, we'd be limited to considering one property at a time and that's not what we need when we have just previewed, researched and considered 2-3-6 properties in a small amount of time.

FROM 6 OFFERS TO 4 OFFERS TO . . . . .  When we make the offers, all at the same time, we can quickly eliminate the sellers whose agents do not respond timely.  Relocating home buyers can be disappointed by listing agents who ignore phone/fax/e-mail messages.  When time is of the essence for relocating or local buyers with a need to move quickly (tax credit???), waiting for listing agent responses is a luxury we don't have. 

SELECTING A HOME TO BUY IS A TIME CONSUMING PROCESS.   I spend a lot of time researching properties for home buyers.  The purchasers are very cooperative, responsive and serious.  They want and usually need to buy NOW.  The home buying process from preview, research, comparitive analysis, second or third preview for valuation/condition, loan pre-approval, preparation of contract and numerous addenda, presentment, and then wait for acceptance/counter is going to take time.  Relocating home buyers don't always have the luxury of time. 

MULTIPLE OFFERS MUST BE MADE RESPONSIBLY.   Serious buyers are ready to buy now.  Making one offer at a time, considering the time involved in getting the offer complete and going through the contact/negotiation process can often result in one or more homes for sale going under contract while we are negotiating on the buyer's first choice. 

SUPPOSE ONE PROPERTY STANDS OUT ABOVE THE OTHERS?  Go for it.  However, make sure that the offer is complete.  Leave no stone unturned to get the offer presented and if the listing agent or seller is not cooperative with timely communication, hope that the buyers will be ready to move on to another property. 

MULTIPLE OFFERS - WHY WE MAKE THEM.  We make them to give home buyers an opportunity to successfully complete a purchase and make good use of their home search time. 

MULTIPLE OFFERS - WHEN WE MAKE THEM.  We make them for serious home buyers who have a limited amount of time to reach a "ratified" status after considering several properties offered for sale.

Courtesy, Lenn Harley, Broker, Homefinders.com, 800-711-7988. 

"Honey, this is one of my favorites of all the homes we saw.  When do you think we'll hear?"

"No idea Dear, seems to me that 4 days is long enough.  Let's hope the other one doesn't sell before we hear about this one."

THE WORLD IS MY OYSTER, I MEAN SOI. 

A comment made by Jim Paulson to a post by Jennifer Allen about "client appreciation parties", and SOI was very interesting. 

Back in the olden days, I did, indeed, workan SOI.  The operative word is work.  It was the way I was taught.  Anyone remember Sweat Hogs???  Anyone remember 10 calls a day,. . . . ??  Anyone remember door hangers???

ALONG CAME THE INTERENT.  For me, it came in December 1994 when I had a pathetic black and white monitor with a computer slower than molasses, DOS. Yes, DOS.  Anyone remember DOS.  Yet, with that pathetic system, I was able to subscribe to an Internet connection through one of the few ISPs in 1994, Digex.  A sorely limited program by today's standards.  However, it gave me Veronica and Archie and BOOM!!!  I was searching the Internet.  I WAS HOOKED!

By April of 1995 I had researched "Internet schools" and enrolled in a class for "Internet for Beginners".  I learned little because they concentrated on e-mail and had MACs.  But, it was just more food for thought and one thing led to another and by May, I had plunked down $1,500 cash money for a local ISP, web design company to make a web page for me. 

RELOCATING HOME BUYERS ARE MY MARKET.  My goal from the beginning was to appeal on an international level to relocating home buyers.  That's is precisely what happened and hasn't changed to today.  Relocating across town or across the ocean, "We can help".  The domain name "homefinders.com" was obtained in May 1995 and never limited me to any area or type of service except that the content was always directed to home buyers. 

SUCCESS on the INTERNET.  My web site was wildly successful from the beginning.  More successful than I ever dreamed.   I left the broker I was with, opened my own brokerage and eventually hired a number of agents ALL TO SELL HOMES TO BUYERS THAT RESPONDED TO MY INTERNET ADVERTISING.  

ALONG CAME GOOGLE.  A GAME CHANGER!!   SEO became the name of the game.  I matured along with Google and learned every step of the way.  I still do.  I or my agents and network of referral agents and brokers have sold homes in MD and Northern Virginia from buyers relocating from Japan, Tiawan, China, Africa, England, Ireland, Germany, Norway, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, South America, Mexico, Canada, and more, and all across the USA.  The world is my market area.

So, when Jim Paulson says that I do in fact have a SIO, he may be right.  However, it isn't family and friends, neighbors, community, etc., it's those 45,000 daily viewers of Homefinders.com and other web sites that does the job.

MY SIO IS THE WORLD!

Courtesy, Lenn Harley, Broker, Homefinders.com.  800-711-7988,  Serving home buyers in MD & VA.

HOME INSPECTIONS PROTECT HOME BUYERS - THEY ALSO PROTECT SELLERS AND AGENTS!

Probably the single most important step a home buyer can take as a part of the home purchase process is the home inspection. No one can guarantee the condition of a resale home. Therefore, the home buyer should understand that

1. You, a home buyer, cannot rely on the seller for information about the condition of the home they are offering for sale.

2. Buyers can protect themselves with a home inspection.

3. Some states go farther than others in providing protections for home buyers with required seller Property Condition Disclosure, while other states follow the "caveat emptor" rule which requires that the "buyer beware".

PROTECT YOURSELF WITH A HOME INSPECTION

We, as your agent, will do our very best, based on our experience with hundreds of home sold, to make you aware of potential problems with appliances; heating/cooling, interiors, exteriors and things we can see. However, a trained home inspector will not only test the mechanicals and appliances in a house, they will also inspect the structure, materials and condition of the components of a property. Cosmetics are not a part of a home inspection. 

A good home inspector will examine the house from top to bottom. Most inspections in Maryland and Virginia will evaluate the physical condition: structure, construction, and mechanical systems. They will identify items that need to be repaired or replaced. They will also give you an estimate of useful life of the roof, appliances, mechanicals and any other equipment included with the home purchase.

You have negotiated all price, terms and conditions of the home purchase and now you want the home inspected. Good. Let's walk through a home inspection. At this point, a successful home inspection should be a contingency, meaning that, if the home inspection reveals serious defects, the home buyer can void the contract and be refunded their earnest money deposit. If the buyer decides to negotiate with the seller for repairs or compensation for defects, that stage requires that the buyer and seller negotiate repairs or agree to void the contract. So, the home inspection is a very important aspect of buying a home. A home warranty is not a substitute for a home inspection. Most home warranty policies do not protect for pre-existing conditions.

WALK THROUGH A TYPICAL HOME INSPECTION

STRUCTURE
The home inspector will look for structural integrity, They will evaluate the quality of construction and materials used.

EXTERIOR
A thorough inspection of the roof should reveal any past or present leaks. The exterior finishing will be inspected for cracked bricks, loose siding, improper grading and anything else suitable for your purchase.

INTERIOR
The interior will be observed for signs of movement. A good home inspector will look for signs of unusual cracking, separating, shifting in the house.

MECHANICALS
The heating and air conditioning will be tested, temperature permitting, and since this is an expensive appliance, the inspector may recommend servicing of the unit if it appears that the present owners have neglected this important duty.

APPLIANCES
All kitchen appliances will be run through their cycle to make sure that they function properly. The refrigerator will be tested for temperature and seals. The range, microwave, disposer will all be run to make sure they know what to do.

PLUMBING
All bathrooms, kitchen, laundry, exterior plumbing will be tested and inspected. This task has become very important since builders have been downgrading building materials for several years to compensate for escalating land costs.

ELECTRICAL
All visible wiring, panel boxes, fixtures, switches, outlets will be tested for operating condition and safety. Often we find home owner repairs will be the most hazardous. If the homeowner did not obtain a permit and have work inspected, it may be defective and dangerous. A good home inspector spends a lot of time looking at electrical components of a house.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE HOME INSPECTION??
If the home inspector finds serious problems such as structural defects, you will have to make a decision as to whether or not to go through with the purchase. If the home inspection shows defects that are repairable or replaceable, your agent will write an addendum requesting the repairs to be made by the seller prior to settlement. The seller may agree, refuse or negotiate a cash settlement to compensate you for the defects found.

You and your agent will decide on the best way to handle any defects found. The important thing is that you are an EMPOWERED HOME BUYER when you know the good AND the not so good about a home.

Your Buyer's Agent may recommend local home inspectors or you can find home inspectors trained and certified by the American Society of Home Inspectors, ASHI.com.

* * * * * * * * * *

Courtesy, Lenn Harley, Broker, Homefinders.com, 800-711-7988, E-mail.

"NEVER A FEE TO BUYERS"

Maryland and Northern Virginia Real Estate homes for sale HERE - Search Homes for Sale in Maryland and Northern Virginia.

• Contact us to tour homes,  800-711-7988.

For your copy of the Homefinders.com home buyers relocation package, just give me a call.   Whether you're moving to Maryland or Northern Virginia from out of the area or just across county.   We can help.