The Commonwealth of Virginia. Home of eight presidents as well as number of other significant historical figures and their well preserved homes. Birthplace of America. And a General Assembly that is the oldest legislature in the western hemisphere. From the mountains to the Chesapeake Bay to the Atlantic Ocean, Virginia has something for everyone and it's a great destination if you want to do something a little special for Veterans Day. Of course, in northern Virginia, we have the Veterans Day National Ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, where, beginning at 11 am, a wreath is placed at the Tomb of the Unknowns, following by a ceremony in the Memorial Amphitheater.   A trip to Virginia would not be complete without a visit to Colonial Williamsburg. And in Williamsburg, they honor ou... 11/06/2012

 Print Article RISMEDIA, April 23, 2010—Buyers responding to the home buyer tax credit and favorable affordability conditions boosted existing-home sales in March 2010, marking the beginning of an expected spring surge, according to the National Association of Realtors. Existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, rose 6.8% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.35 million units in March from 5.01 million in February, and are 16.1% above the 4.61 million-unit level in March 2009. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said it is encouraging to see a broad home sales recovery in nearly every part of the country, with two important underlying trends. “Sales have been above year-ago leve... 04/23/2010

Almost everyone dreams of a new home at one time or another. Some people make a regular habit of touring model homes in new home communities. Builders always have a very helpful sales staff. They prefer it if you don't bring your agent. Why is that? Did you know that when you purchase a new home, the builder generally doesn't use the regional sales contract forms real estate agents use?  They don't tell you that if you don't have an agent, you don't have anyone representing YOU. You see, the builder is representing himself. He or she has had their attorneys draw up their contracts that are favoring the builder and their interests. You are an UNREPRESENTED buyer.A lot of times, buyers think they will get a reduced new home price if they don't have their buyers agent with them. Not so. Ge... 03/20/2007

I have been in the real estate industry in some way or another my entire adult life. I have weathered many ups and downs. In fact, my career started during the time Jimmy Carter was President. We had run-away interest rate of 18% or more. It made our heads spin! Rates would go up a full percentage point within 24 hours and the buyers you had qualified to purchase couldn't buy a house.No matter what the market is...up, down, slow, crazy..the very coolest thing about it is helping people achieve their dream of home ownership. Even now, I still get a thrill sitting at a settlement table watching my first time buyers purchase their first home. It is always a very exciting time! I've been around so long that some of my buyers are the children of my earliest clients.I enjoy negotiating a cont... 03/20/2007

The word agency is heard all through-out a real estate transaction. Who is representing whom is key. Is your agent truly representing you? Are they representing the seller? What happens if you purchase a house through the listing agent? Who are THEY representing? Can they REALLY represent both the seller and the buyer?In Virginia you have listing agents who have agency with their sellers. You have buyers agents who have agency with their buyers. You have listing agents who can write a contract for sale on their listing and still represent the seller and have NO buyer agency. And you can have listing agents who write a sales contract on their listing who perform dual agency-they represent BOTH the buyer and the seller.There is also designated agency in Virginia. A buyers agent can write ... 03/20/2007