May 20, 2012

South Riding VA Homeowners – Prepare Exterior of Home for Sale

South Riding VA Homeowners – Prepare Exterior of Home for Sale

Prepare your home for sale wash exteriorAs an South Riding VA homeowner if you are planning to sell a home in South Riding VA in the near future – successful home sales start with preparation. For that reason as a South Riding listing agent I created a series of articles for South Riding VA home sellers selling a home on how to prepare their home for sale.  This article deals with the homes exterior and appearance.  The exterior of a home is a smart place to begin preparing for a home sale.  That’s because a home’s exterior id the first thing a prospective buyer will see as they come to the property.  It is also referred to as “Curb appeal!”  Experience shows us that if a home has no curb appeal, a home buyer will not enter the home.  I will cost you… the home owner in price.   So roof, gutters, landscaping, paint, lawn, clean windows, trim paint all matter to prospective purchasers.  A home must positively appeal and welcome the home buyer.  For more information about selling a home in South Riding VA, Loudoun County or Chantilly VA, please feel free to contact us.  We can assist you in selling your home in South Riding VA.

Prepare a Home’s Exterior Before You List Your Home in South Riding

  • Keep lawn trimmed and groomed. Bag clippings!
  • Reseed or re-sod lawn as needed.
  • Paint trim and pressure wash siding if needed. Try cleaning first.
  • Pressure wash walkways.
  • Re-coat and reseal driveway.
  • Clean gutters, paint if needed.
  • Replace and repair any rotten trim wood, and paint.
  • Cut trees away, and prune if too close to home.
  • Add color to landscaping where needed – plant some flowers.

South Riding Subdivision Chantilly VA 20152 YouTube Video Tour

South Riding Subdivision Chantilly VA 20152 YouTube Video Tour

View YouTube Subdivision Video Tour of South Riding VA.  View community photos, homes, activates events, shopping, golf course pictures, pool pictures, concerts, and more events in South Riding subdivision in Chantilly VA.  This South Riding video was created by driving through the South Riding Community and also.  These are a mixture of South Riding photos  taken throughout the year inside the South Riding subdivision.  For more information about buying a home in South Riding subdivision in Chantilly VA, please do not hesitate to contact us.  I can assist you as your Chantilly VA or South Riding VA listing agent or buyers agents.

South Riding Video Tour

Selling a Home in South Riding is A Process!

Selling a Home in South Riding is A Process!

Six Steps to sell a home in South RidingSelling a home in South Riding is a process, and it’s not just about the commission you pay the listing.  It is about getting the best results – and Getting Your Home SOLD!  For a South Riding home owner and seller it is about getting the best possible price, and selling the home in the shortest amount of time.  The seller needs to understand that there is more to selling a home than just placing a sign in the ground on the front lawn and their home is going to be placed in the MLS listings.  It is really about correctly marketing your home in South Riding to the largest possible pool of buyers, market knowledge, and the ability to a good negotiator!  The sad thing is that most agents only sell 1 home a year if they are lucky – so how can they help you?

There are 6 Basic Steps in Selling a Home. 

  1. Analysis of Your Needs and home is where it all begins.  Why are you selling, and what is your home really worth in the condition it is in given your immediate current local real estate market – estimate a realistic sales price and a marketing price for your home or real estate property.
  1. Marketing Plan – Create a strategic marketing plan that is specific to your home or property.  Determine how the home will be best marketed.  Also determine what updates are needed to sell the home.  This includes upgrades, maintenance, paint, curb appeal, landscaping, home staging, and cleaning or installing carpeting or flooring as needed.
  1. Preparation – Carry out the marketing plan by getting the work done before listing your home or real estate for sale.
  1. Marketing and Implementation – Place home on market priced as suggested, and implement all marketing as scheduled.  Fine tune plan as needed to adjust for changes in the market condition.
  1. Negotiations – when you get a prospective buyer it is important to have the ability to get them interested in moving forward with the purchasing the home, and then making sure they stay interested.  It helps at this point to have a lot of experience otherwise you will lose several offers and end up selling home for much less.
  1. Closing the Deal – Closing a home is the final part of a deal where everything should come together as planed, however in this market you need the experience to keep things on track.  Appraisals and last minute glitches must be dealt with – this is not a time to play chicken and bluffing others when you do not know what you are doing.

In other words selling a home involves working with someone that is very experienced in real estate and have a time proven track record of selling their listing properties. For more information about selling a home, please feel free to contact us!  It will be our pleasure to assist you selling your home or real estate.

South Riding Homes for Sale Listings

South Riding Homes for Sale Listings

Homes for sale in South RidingSouth Riding Homes for Sale Lisitngs – Searching for great homes and places to live in northern VA that are reasonably priced?  You should be looking at some of the listings of homes for sale in the South Riding subdivision.  In my own opinion, you cannot find a better place to live in northern VA.  First of all you get a lot of home for the money, and South Riding subdivision as a planned urban subdivision and development has everything to offer today’s home buyers looking for a great home in a great community.  Another item I love is the location!  South Riding is just 23 miles west of Washington DC in Loudoun County VA which is known for the quality of life it offers and great Loudoun County schools

The South Riding subdivision offers new homes for sale, resale homes, townhomes, townhouses, single family detached homes, and some condos.  South Riding is an active homeowners association community that has great amenities – swim, tennis, golf, walk paths, nature trails,  and community with police, fire, elementary, middle and high schools, shopping, restaurants, a Home Depot, and all located within the community!  This is  not to mention community groups for jogging, bicycling, triathlons, and all sorts of events and concerts!  So what are you waiting for?  Start looking at homes for sale in South Riding now! If you are interested in buying or selling a home in South Riding, contact us!  We can assist you with all your real estate needs either as listing agents or as your South Riding buyers agents.  We want to be your South Riding real estate agents.

South Riding Homes for Sale Listings


South Riding Subdivision Amberlea Townhomes for Sale

South Riding Subdivision Amberlea Townhomes for Sale

Amberlea townhomes for sale in South RidingLooking for affordable townhomes for sale in Northern VA without being too far out?  You should consider looking at townhomes for sale at the Amberlea  in South Riding. These town homes are priced very affordably and yet they are only 24 miles west of DC.  South Riding is an incredible planned swim, tennis and golf community and the Amberlea is a enclave within the South Riding subdivision. The South Riding community is located just 2 miles  into Loudoun County – off route 50 just over the Fairfax / Loudoun County line. In the Amberlea you can find 3-level garage townhomes, and town homes for sale in close in Loudoun County. If you are in buying or selling a luxury new townhomes or resale townhouses in the Amberlea at South Riding, please contact us! It will be our pleasure to assist you as your Loudoun VA Realtors, buyers agents or listing agents!  Call now you’ll be glad you did!

South Riding – Amberlea Townhomes for Sale


South Riding VA Free CMA for Home Sellers Selling Homes

South Riding VA Free CMA for Home Sellers Selling Homes

South Riding Free CMA - home values for home sellersAre you a South Riding VA homeowner thinking of selling a home or real estate property in South Riding VA?  We can help by offering you a free CMA before you list your home! It is a free real estate service we offer to homeowners that are considering listing a home in South Riding with us.  What is a CMA or Comparative Market Analysis CMA? A Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) is an estimated sale and listing price for a property given current market conditions. A CMA report encompasses comparison of real estate sales of similar properties that have sold in your neighborhood with in the last 3 – to – 6 months, and include only homes sold similar to your home, and real estate comparable properties will be from your immediate neighborhood or vicinity. The CMA is prepared by us as your South Riding VA listing agents and it usually comes in report form.  It will usually include photos, pictures and other relevant incidentals of comparable properties. It is not an appraisal, which is a professional estimate of your homes value by an individual that is licensed by the state. There is no fee associated for preparing a CMA. We offer it Free!

FREE CMA - South Riding Homeowners Selling A Home!

Pricing a Home to Sell – Choosing the Right Listing Price

Pricing a Home to Sell – Choosing the Right Listing Price

South Riding Listing PricesAre you selling or planning to sell a home in South Riding in the near future? If so, I created this home sellers post to shed some light on the realities for choosing the correct listing price when selling a home. When selling a home in South Riding there are several components to choosing the right listing price for your home and each are critical in choosing the correct listing price when selling a home or real estate. Home prices cannot just be pulled out of the air. Before a lender lends money on a home to a buyer they want to make sure the money they are lending is a sound investment. They will not lend on a home that they deem is overvalued. You cannot price a home based upon what you paid for the home, what you put into the home in upgrades, what homes sold for 2 years ago, how much you need to cover the commissions and moving, or how much you need to buy your next home. It is not done that way! So with that said, consider asking yourself the following questions.

1. Motivation or need to sell – Why are you selling? Did you get a job transfer, is there a personal illness, divorcing, were you downsized, do you have a balloon payment coming due on your mortgage, are you moving up or scaling down. In other words how serious a seller are you? Everyone has their needs; you have to address them objectively in a realistic manner. Separate your emotions from reality.

2. Comparables – What are similar homes selling for in the same proximity to your own property? How does your home and its current condition compare to them in – location, maintenance, and upgrades.

3. Can the condition of your home or property be updated with home improvements, or upgraded to firm up the price of your home?

4. What are the current real estate trends, neighborhood home values and statistics for your home in its current location? How many recent sales, what were the average sales prices as compared to the original list prices, how many days on the market, and how many homes were sold this year as opposed to previous years. Trends are very important to choosing a list price correctly.

For more information about selling a home or real estate in South Riding or northern VA, please feel free to contact us.  It will our pleasure to assist you as your South Riding VA listing agents, and South Riding VA Realtors®.

New Homes for Sale in South Riding – New Homes Construction

South Riding New Homes for Sale

New Homes for Sale in South Riding – New Homes Construction. Search the listings of new homes for sale in South Riding subdivision in Chantilly VA for new homes, ready now – quick close!  View photos of homes for sale, townhomes and condos.  Some homes are ready now for quick occupancy, and as your new homes buyers agents we will negotiate the best possible deal and buyer incentives at no cost to you!*  Call now for your new home buyers conference!  It will be our pleasure to assist you as your South Riding new homes buyers agents!

South Riding New Homes for Sale in South Riding

Why Use an South Riding VA Home Buyers Agent?

Why Use an South Riding VA Home Buyers Agent? 

Accredited Buyers Representative – ABR. Are  REALTORS Experienced in Buyer Representation 

Fredericksburg VA Buyers Agent ABRBuying a home in South Riding VA is no small matter. Besides being the largest financial transaction you may ever undertake, it’s probably also the most complex. That is why I am a Realtor and an Accredited Buyer’s Representative or ABR – so I can better serve the needs of my clients.  There are many good reasons to work with a qualified South Riding Virginia real estate professional especially a trained professional who has earned the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR) designation, representing best-in-class buyer services. Whether you are buying a new home, or resale – we can assist you in the entire home buying process - from buyer agency, pre-approval, the mortgage loan process, writing a contract, negotiation strategies, submitting your offer, home inspections, and successfully closing the deal!   

When you look for an ABR before you look for a home, you’ll be served, not sold. Your interests become their interests. And you’ll be working with someone who has gone the extra mile by completing specialized training in delivering the best in buyer-representation services. Plus, a REALTOR® who has an ABR Designation also has an established track record, with proven experience in representing the concerns of home buyers. 

The ABR Designation is awarded through the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council, or REBAC, which was founded in 1988 to promote superior buyer-representation skills and services. REBAC is an affiliate of the National Association of REALTORS (NAR).  

What Is REBAC? 

REBAC focuses on buyer representation. While it is now a broadly-accepted, mainstream business model in real estate circles, it’s sometimes easy to forget that it wasn’t always so, and how quickly the shift occurred. Within the National Association of REALTORS (NAR), buyer representation officially took hold in November 1996, when NAR acquired the then-independent Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC), giving full support to a trend that had been gaining momentum throughout the 1980s. 

Now, ten years later, REBAC has enjoyed exponential growth and is the largest of NAR’s Institutes, Societies, and Councils. Numbering more than 40,000, active REBAC members span the globe, with nearly three quarters holding their Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR) or Accredited Buyer’s Representative Manager (ABRMSM) designations.

South Riding VA Listing Agents Sell South Riding Homes

South Riding VA Listing Agents

South Riding VA Listing AgentsSelling a home in the South Riding VA area?  Selling a home is never an easy task, but now more than ever you need a real estate listing agent that is an expert to guide you through the maze of issues that we deal with all the time in our ever changing real estate market.  You are going to need a very experienced South Riding VA Listing Agent with the sales acumen and negotiation skills that will get your home sold.   The listing agent in real estate is the agent in a real estate transaction that represents the South Riding homeowner.  The listing agents is chosen by the homeowner to represent their sellers interests when they sell their home.  These are the home seller’s agents and responsible for marketing, presenting offers, and they advise the seller from the time the home is listed to the time it closes.  The listing agent is licensed by the state, and works with the South Riding home seller as their agent under the listing contract  or agreement that they’ve sign with the home seller.

There are many factors that we have to consider when selling a home in South Riding VA, but picking a price out of the air is not a solution, but rather a recipe for disaster.  More deals are dying right at or before the closing these days because the property did not appraise.  If the home does not appraise, the buyer cannot get the loan to buy your home – its that simple.  When a home does not appraise, that means the bank is not finding the value on the money that they are supposed to lend the buyer in good faith. When a home does not appraise it’s a serious issue.  If the buyer were to default on the loan down the road, the bank would be stuck with the deficiency.  The bank or lender will be upside down on their own loan.  That’s not good business.

There are many factors when selling a home in South Riding that have to be taken into consideration before the house is listed for sale.  The appearance of the home, pricing, the location of the home, the age of the property, upgrades, improvements, neighborhoods and schools all have a bearing on what your home in South Riding VA is worth!  You’ll need a great South Riding VA Listing Agent to Assist you sorting it all out, and then they will suggest a listing price based upon your homes criteria to best match what other buyers and their buyers agents are seeing.  As your South Riding VA listing agent can assist you in your pricing your home, negotiating your needs, give you tips on staging and your homes appearance, and offer you a time proven market strategy to sell your home.

South Riding VA home sellers – call now for a no obligation listing presentation.

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