We see from a Census Bureau report that seasonally-adjusted, single-family Housing Starts were up in March by  8 percent over February's 2-year low. But don't take this data too literally, because there is a statistical problem in the data's margin or error. As noted in the footnotes, there's no "statistical evidence to conclude that the actual change [in Housing Starts] is different from zero." It is possible that housing starts went down or up, given this margin of error. What may be more noteworthy is Building Permits data. As compared to February, permits were up by 6%.  Permits can be a good forward indicator of housing. After permits are issued, 86 percent of them will typically start construction within 60 days.  The implication is that  new home sales and housing stock should ... 04/20/2011

If you are considering buying another property in or out of the Northern Virginia area, you should be aware of the 1031 Exchange process. It enables the selling of one property and the buying of another with very significant tax advantages if you quality and meet the required legal criteria. If you are a Chantilly or Northern Virginia area investor, or simply a home owner who wants to know about options, you should know about 1031.  In partnership with one of our Real Estate in Chantilly blog writers, real estate attorney John Pitrelli, we have produced an informative video introduction to the 1031 option.   Take time to watch this introduction.  You should at least know that this is an option, and many people have used it to their advantage. Check it out at our Video Center where you m... 04/19/2011

Although it may not "feel" like it, foreclosures are happening at a much slower pace now compared to last year. At least that is what a recent report suggests. RealtyTrac reports that the number of national foreclosure filings dropped 35 percent in March 2011 vs. March 2010. "Foreclosure filing" includes: a default notice, a scheduled auction, or a bank repossessions. Another interesting fact is that foreclosures filings were down last month in all but 8 States. As we have seen previously, foreclosures are still clustered in geographical areas.  Over half of bank repos are focused on a small number of States. For example, during March, just 6 states encompassed 51% of the total activity. California : 15% of all repossessions Florida : 9% of all repossessions Arizona : 7% of all reposses... 04/18/2011

This is a series on how customer experience relates to repeat and referral business, that we are running on our other blog which is focused more on small business generally.  But we thought the series might also be of interest to Active Rain readers. If you want to grow your repeat and referral business by improving customer experience, where do you begin? Start with your primary systems and processes, and don't start by tweaking the experience. Jumping into the finer points of customer experience before doing due diligence on systems and processes is like polishing the car before you made sure the engine was running well. Great customer experiences begin with a solid set of systems and processes that deliver your primary product and/or service with excellence. So, before you get deeply... 04/17/2011

This is a series on how customer experience relates to repeat and referral business, that we are running on our other blog which is focused more on small business generally.  But we thought the series might also be of interest to Active Rain readers.  Not every real estate or mortgage professional has a team, but the points below regarding teams can still apply to others you work with to serve clients.  We hope you find the series helpful. If you are a small business owner, know that you don't need to be a corporate giant to design and deliver exceptional customer experiences that will generate repeat and referral business. But you do need to be serious about your job as the primary "Educator-in-chief" in creating a customer-centric business. Many a small business is letting customer ex... 04/16/2011

This is a series on how customer experience relates to repeat and referral business, that we are running on our other blog which is focused more on small business generally.  But we thought the series might also be of interest to Active Rain readers.  We hope you find it helpful. As small business owners, at least for most of us, the quality of our customers' experience is critical to the success of our business. Even though most small business owners have a deep appreciation for their customers, many don't know a great deal about the field of customer experience. Not surprising given that the discipline is still being defined and evolving as we speak.  In addition, small business owners already have a thousand things to think about, including just keeping the established processes up a... 04/16/2011

Spring has arrived in Chantilly and Centreville!  With the warmer weather around the corner homeowners will be eagerly heading outdoors to enjoy the beautiful surroundings our area has to offer.  And some will be getting their home ready to put on the market.  But before you do so here are a few resources that can make your process all the more efficient and thorough. This helpful checklist from MarthaStewart.com makes sure no job gets left behind. From the smallest of chores to the biggest of projects, many common tasks are covered, including: Vacuuming and shampooing rugs Waxing wooden furniture and non-wood floors Dusting books and shelves Resealing grout lines in kitchens and bathrooms Clean and/or launder window treatments Then, you'll want to remember to flip your mattresses, chan... 04/12/2011

If you are a Northern Virginia home buyer or seller, and would like to know how to select a real estate agent that will be the right choice for you, take the time to carefully watch this video. We wanted to give you objective criteria on how to make a really smart choice of real estate agent. It is a major decision, and not everyone already has an agent they know, trust, and respect. So if you want to reap the benefits of making a good choice, engage in a little "due diligence" and find out what you should avoid and what you should seek out. I can tell you unequivocally based on over 23 years of working experience, that there are huge differences in the quality of agents.  What you do not know can definitely hurt you when it comes to real estate. Watch this video from start to finish. W... 04/10/2011

Our community profile for this week is London Towne West in the area of Centreville, Virginia. London Towne in the Centreville VA area is a development of town homes very close to Country Club Manor near Route 29 and Stone Road, and well situated in relation to Centreville and Chantilly employment destinations. Here are CURRENT LISTINGS in London Towne West. PLEASE NOTE:  You can also use our PROPERTY SEARCH tool to get regular updates on current and new properties for sale. If you have an interest in FORECLOSURES, SHORT SALES, and BANK OWNED properties, we invite you to contact us and we will give you information on whatever is available. You can find some exceptional values, and then again you can also find yourself in a situation you had not bargained for.  We will help you with good... 04/10/2011

With the weather starting to change, Chantilly and Northern Virginia area home owners who are into grilling may be getting ready to jump into the season. Whether you barbecue for friends or family once annually, or through all 4 Fairfax seasons, it's important to keep a clean gas grill. A well-maintained grill will help your food taste its best -- no matter what you're cooking up. Cleaning a gas grill is simple and should be performed at least once every 12 months for light use, and once every 6 months for heavy use. You'll need the following tools: A drop cloth Aluminum foil A regular scrub brush plus a wire brush An active garden hose Dish detergent A soft sponge A bucket Rubber gloves With these tools in-hand, follow these basic steps. First, disconnect the propane tank and move the ... 04/08/2011

Just a reminder for qualified military or federal employees who are eligible.  We are down to 3 weeks from Saturday as the deadline for taking advantage of the federal home buyer tax credit. It allows you to claim up to $8,000 in federal income tax credits. We described some of the key details in a previous post, but here is a reminder that time is running out. Eligible persons include members and spouses of the uniformed services, members and spouses of the Foreign Service, and don't forget intelligence community employees who served at least 90 days of qualified, extended duty service outside of the United States between January 1, 2009 and April 30, 2010, and their spouses. As an eligible person, you must be under contract for a new home on or before April 30, 2011, with the home's c... 04/08/2011

South Riding Homes for Sale Update This is an update of single family homes for sale in South Riding subdivision in Chantilly VA showing the homes for sale in South Riding that are Active listings, and various stages of contracts and those that are under contract and going to closing. [Home] [Loudoun Homes for Sale ]  [Contact Us] [Free CMA] As of today April 7, 2011 in our MLS there are 37 Active listed single family fee simple detached homes for sale in South Riding*.  The high price is $775,000 and the low price is $309,900.  South Riding is a Toll Brothers  new homes planned golf, swim tennis community that is located in Chantilly VA 20152.  Schools, shopping, dining, and police and fire are contained inside the community. 37 South Riding Homes for Sale Active MLS Listing ( High Pri... 04/07/2011

Many Chantilly and Centreville home owners are no strangers to long commutes. If you have a possible move to Northern Virginia, you may find this data from the American Community Survey (ACS) of interest.  It is based on data from 3 million households, and includes average commute times along with lots of data "for every community in the nation". You will find information that includes: Median Household Income, Inflation-Adjusted To 2009 Dollars (Chart) Median Housing Value Of Owner-Occupied Housing Units (Chart) Percent Of Households That Are Married, With Children Under 18 (Chart) The survey data also gives you average commute time by county. (Also see chart at top.) This information is potentially useful to Chantilly and Northern Virginia area home buyers and sellers, or those reloca... 04/06/2011

If you are a home buyer in Northern Virginia, we want to invite you to invest a little time to watch our free home buyers video. If  you have not gone through the process of buying a home before, or if it has been a while, a little education will go a long way toward helping you avoid serious mistakes. And there are mistakes you can easily make.  But many are preventable. We took the Home Buyers Workshop that we have delivered live many times, and put the key points in this video presentation.  We take you through the major phases of your home buying journey and help you to understand what you need to do, and not do, at each critical juncture. The video is educational and will give you a lot more confidence so that you can go through the home buying process as an informed consumer. We i... 03/31/2011

What was the housing market like for Northern Virginia in February 2011? Visit the Market Watch Video section of my website for a short video and interactive graphs. http://www.dmsamson.com/market-watch-video.asp  See the charts below for an February 2010/2011 comparision.... If you are interested in looking for or selling your home, please contact me.   Donny and Meredith Samson Samson PropertiesAssociate BrokerNVAR Top ProducerDirect 703-864-48944 1/2% Full Service Listingshttp://www.dmsamson.com/    03/22/2011

Just in case you were not aware, for certain members of the military, and for certain federal employees, there's just about 6 weeks left to take advantage of the buyer tax credit.  (A little less time than the graphic indicates). Eligible persons include members of the uniformed services, members of the Foreign Service, and intelligence community employees who served at least 90 days of qualified, extended duty service outside of the United States between January 1, 2009 and April 30, 2010. Also, the spouses of anyone fitting the above categories are eligible. The tax credit ranges up to $8,000 for first-time home buyers, and up to $6,500 for existing homeowners. Existing homeowners must have lived in their "main home" through 5 of the last 8 years to be eligible. There is a two stage p... 03/16/2011

  Ted: I may want to sell my house in the Brookfield neighborhood of Chantilly VA 20151 in the months ahead. It's an awesome community, but it looks like I will be relocating to Huntsville AL.  I was wondering if you could post a monthly report that will show homes that have sold here the last 3 months? I want to see what is happening with the sales trend in the neighborhood. Also, before you do that could you post a link to show me what homes are currently for sale in Brookfield as well as those that are under contract?     Ted: Click the links below to get the reports. Once inside, click the MLS # to Expand the listing and get all the info. Clicking on the camera or movie reel icons will show whatever pictures have been provided.     Steve: This report shows the 8 homes for sale in B... 03/15/2011

Another Northern Virginia Short Sale--SOLD!  The story of this Wells Fargo double header Short Sale (it had two loans, both with Wells Fargo) began when the home hit the market on September 10th, 2010.  It listed for $975,000.  On a lot over four acres large, with six bedrooms, six and a half bathrooms and over 8600 finished square feet done in equisite detail for the most discerning buyer, this home had a contract on September 19th.  After waiting for two months for Short Sale Approval, the first Buyers got cold feet and bailed.  The home went back on the market, at the same price, on November 26th.  That was Black Friday.  The day after Thanksgiving.  Despite the slow time of year between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, this home had it's next contract on December 12th.   Short Sale ... 03/14/2011

      Welcome to the Pleasant Valley March 2011 home sales report. Stop in monthly to see what homes are available and follow the trend by checking out what has sold as well. If you have not seen this fine community, visit the photo tour in the post below. (There is another neighborhood named Pleasant Valley in Centreville VA just down the road a couple miles. This article concerns the neighborhood in Chantilly)       Pleasant Valley offers single family homes on large lots, a community pool and tennis. Coveniently located just off route 50 in Chantilly, it is close to Dulles Airport, Route 28 and the major employment centers of Herndon, Fairfax, Reston and all the Chantilly Business Parks.     This report shows the 2 homes for sale as of March 7, 2011 Homes For Sale in Pleasant Valley ... 03/07/2011

There is a lot of home remodeling going on in Northern Virginia and elsewhere. By some estimates there may be over $125 billion spent this quarter in home remod projects.  Yes, that is an incredible number. You want to be real careful if you are doing this to get your home ready to sell. Not all renovations are created equal.  Some may not be "worth it", according to Remodeling Magazine's 2011 Cost vs Value report. The real kicker is that some projects should never be started -- they may cause your home to be difficult or impossible to sell. One quick example is installing a new toilet that requires the discharge pipes to run along the living room ceiling.  Re-engineer that or forget it. An article on CNNMoney.com mentions several others projects you should never do: Don't add a 4th/5th... 03/01/2011