Here's a construction & permitting tip if you're planning on tearing down a home and building a new one in its place: In many jurisdictions, if you keep one wall, the project is considered a "renovation" instead of an entirely new construction, and therefore falls under different permitting guide
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12/05/2007
This is a common question from buyers, and we wish we had a simple "yes" or "no", but we don't and neither does anyone else, because the credit bureaus don't reveal the exact methods they use to determine credit scores. We do, however, have answer that is almost as good as a confirmed "yes" or "n
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12/05/2007
The primary Falls Church city zip code is 22046, with a few properties in 22042 and 22043. 22040 is used for post office boxes. Some other tips–most residential addresses are three digits; addresses indicated on Route 7, Leesburg Pike, Arlington Boulevard, Route 50, Lee Highway or Route 29 are li
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10/18/2007
We sometimes get questions about doing radon tests. Like any kind of contingency, it’s possible to have a radon contingency in the contract. Few home buyers do this, although in the 1980’s, Radon was a hot topic and frequently tested for. The type of structure can have an effect on the amount of
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10/18/2007
A buyer asks: My first question is once we find something we like how long does it take to receive word back on a home. Me and Carmen discussed prices and we really need to stay below that 417k mark. Again we appreciate all you are doing for us and we don’t mean to be difficult buyers.Oh. and we
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10/18/2007
One battle we’re always fighting as buyer’s agents is the perception that we don’t add all that much value to the transaction. I understand where the stigma comes from - some Realtors only sell homes as a hobby, and aren’t really all that up to speed on the latest trends & issues, and therefore h
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10/18/2007
This is an important FAQ! Most first-time home buyers don’t understand how powerful the tax deductions can be from owning vs. renting. We’ll try to clarify that here. The very first thing you should do is read this article that explains the differences between buying & renting. Now that you have
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10/18/2007
The answer is YES! For example, here’s an email exchange between us and a listing agent asking for feedback on a property she was listing. But she only put ONE picture up! It only costs $12 to put 20 photos up, and photos sell houses. Why would she only put ONE photo up on her listing? It’s unbel
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10/18/2007
We have many, many clients who are thoroughly confused by all the different loan options out there. This FAQ is our attempt to help you figure out what’s important to you. Once you figure that out, picking the right loan will be easy. The first question you should ask yourself is this: “What is m
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10/18/2007
The short answer: Chances are that your loan will be sold after you close, meaning that the lender you used will probably sell the loan in a “bundle” with other loans to institutional investors. This will not affect you at all - your payment and all the terms stay the same. The long (in-depth) an
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10/18/2007