For the past decade, my wife and I have had a tradition of watching "The Patriot" on July 4th.  I never get tired of watching the portrayal of sacrifice and courage that won this country its freedom.  The movie is placed in the southern colonies.  Growing up, I didn't learn much about the war beyond Virginia.  I'm not sure I ever heard about the war in the southern colonies.  The movie challenged me to do a little research to fill in the empty spaces in my knowledge of US history.                  The more I learn, the more I appreciate this great country.  I hope you take a little time over this holiday weekend to say thank you to someone serving in the armed forces and to offer a prayer of thanks for the freedom we all enjoy.  Happy July 4th.  Let Freedom Ring! 07/04/2011

When I came to the office this morning I had an "ah ha" moment.  The back seat of my car tells a lot about me.  I bet yours does too.  Now, before you scramble to driveway to see what evidence you left behind, let me assure you it is probably not a bad thing. I opened the back door of my car this morning and there sat my life.  Here's how it broke down. Two lock-boxes and a sign rider.  I'm a Realtor.  These are the tools of my trade.  And then I thought, why aren't those items on a listing somewhere?  I need to get on that. Brief case and notebook computer. This bag crosses all the lines of my life. Realtor/contractor/dad/husband/son/indian chief.  Well, maybe not indian chief.  It's my lifeline to the world, family and business associates.  It facilitates my virtual-mobile office, and... 07/03/2011

In the most recent CNN Money report on "The 10 Best States For Starting A Business," the great state of Virginia came in at number 9.  I'm tempted to jump and down and shout woooohooooooo!.  CNBC listed Virginia at #1 in their "America's Top States For Business In 2011."  In that study, Virginia was listed as #2 in business friendliness meaning it's a great environment for business in relation to regulation and litigation.  Virginia ranked #10 in access to capital, # 8 in its economy and #6 in education.  Five of ten rankings were at 10 or below.  Virginia is a great place to raise a family and do business.   A few weeks ago, Inman News reported that Winchester, VA is one of the "10 Best Markets for Real Estate Investors." In less than two weeks, the economic community has broadcast to ... 07/01/2011

A number of years ago I was teaching a marriage enrichment weekend.  During a break in one of the sessions an older woman came up to me and said the secret to her successful marriage started on day one.   She told her husband she had ten things she would never get mad at him over.  She never told him what they were, but whenever he did something that made her mad she always said, "You should be glad that's one of the ten."  They've had a long happy marriage.  She may have been pulling my leg with her story, but I thought it was a great idea.   What about in business?  What if you had 10 things that you decided you wouldn't get mad over?  What would they be?  Let me get you started.   1. I won't get mad when another agent is sharp with me.   Why?  Well, let's face it.  Some people are li... 06/30/2011

You've got to love Robert DeNiro in Taxi Driver.  If you haven't seen it you might want to check it out.  It's an old (really old) movie about a cabby who becomes a vigilante.  In that movie, DeNiro utters that now famous line, "Are you talking to me?"  "ARE YOU TALKING TO ME???"  He stands in front of a mirror practicing that line over and over. It's all about communication.  DeNiro wanted to communicate his question and his attitude in that scene.  And, we do that all the time.  You probably don't practice as much as DeNiro did, but you run things through your mental mirror to see what it looks like in real life.  Communication is important in business.  Actually, it's critical that we not only understand what is being said, but it's important to know who is being spoken to in communi... 06/30/2011

I am so glad my sons were older when the "here's your trophy for showing up" phase of childhood sports began.  I grew up at time when the team who won the game received the trophy, and the kids who didn't left the field mad, dejected and determined to get that blasted trophy next season.  Losing can be great motivator.  It can create a determination within you that will drive you to work harder, practice more often and prepare more wisely.   Please, no offense to all the parents who raised their children during this new phase of things, but the truth is that kids build self-esteem when they accomplish things and succeed at tasks.  They don't build self-esteem because you got them out of bed, and you made sure their uniform was neatly pressed and you drove them to the ball diamond.  My p... 06/27/2011

We've all had that client who truly believes he can defy the market and list his home for 20-40% over a solid CMA value.  I get one (or more) every year who thinks there is something so extraordinary about his home that savvy buyers will simply ignore the obvious and pay too much. When negotiating with that client you've got to be honest and tell him that "his baby is ugly." Be easy.  I know, it's painful to hear, but it's true.  Then, while he is gasping for air you can give him a list of things that may not make up that 20-40% difference in CMA values, such as: The love that went into the wall coverings. The plants his aunt Sally planted out front before she passed. The living room where the firstborn learned to walk. All of the time he spent mowing, manicuring and improving the yard.... 06/26/2011

I love technology, but I have to admit I like sleep, food, quiet, puppies, molasses cookies and a whole of other things.  So, technology is one of those necessary items in my life that makes life better, I think.  I know molasses cookies make life better.   I have a very dear friend who always sends me an invite every time a new device or platform is launched.  She always wants me to join her in the service.  I'm beginning to think it's like two kids that want to jump in lake but one needs a friend to join in to inspire a little more courage.  My former broker tried for years to get me to buy a PDA.  I finally did, and then smart-phones made the scene.  Then I bought a smart-phone and smarter phones and tablets showed up.  For months now I've needed to upgrade my current phone.  But, I'... 06/26/2011

If you read the financial papers, websites and blogs each week you may be tempted to grab a prosac and curl up in a fetal position.  Some of the headlines this week read: Fed Chairman Points to Distress as Holding Housing Sector Back  Industry's Past Due Mortgages = 6,350,000 Forecast: Real estate recovery won't arrive till 2013 or beyond Real estate sales stumble again in May The truth is, this is probably the most exciting real estate market in the past three decades.  During the mid-2000s many average Americans were priced out of the housing market.  Home prices shot up so fast that many home buyers scrambled to grab a piece of the American dream that soon turned into Nightmare on Elm St, Main St, First St, etc. Now, a lot of disenfranchised buyers are ready to buy and the conditions... 06/24/2011

"Resistance is your friend."  My 5:30 am indoor cycling class always grimaces when I say that.  I usually follow that with, "We don't add tension in my class.  We add resistance.  Tension makes you tired.  Resistance makes you strong!"  If you're building muscle you want to add resistance.  It will increase your muscle density.  It helps you do physical things with less effort, and it has other benefits.  It helps you burn more calories to sustain the muscle mass, it helps you sleep better, it reduces your blood pressure and chance of a heart attack and diabetes and it will help you look and feel better.  Resistance is your friend. But, what about in life?  Don't most of us try to avoid resistance?  Don't we like everything smooth and easy.  Sure we do.  Days when everything goes just r... 06/23/2011

I wrote my first short story in the fifth grade.  I'm amazed at how much attention it brought me.  Actually, it was a little freaky for a fifth grader, but it was the beginning of my writing career.  If you could call it that.  I did three more major works that year.  Major works to a fifth grader are 2-3 pages of text.  Challenging! In the late 80s I had a national magazine publisher ask if I would co-author a book with the magazine, and I did.  My local paper starting publishing my articles.  A few others took on some of my work, and in the mid-90s one of my college professors assigned a chapter of the University's self-produced textbook on Biblical Geography to me as my class assignment.   It was not only educational and enlightening for me, but it also got me out of all of the other... 06/21/2011

I know my community is awesome, and it is a great place to live and raise a family, but now I have another reason to crow.  I recently posted "10 Reasons to Move to Winchester, VA", but now there are 11.  In their recent article "10 Best Markets for Real Estate Investors," Inman News named Winchester, VA as one of the 10.  Actually, southern communities were 7 out of ten.  Another set of stand outs were Hagerstown, MD and Martinsburg, WV.  Both towns are within a hour from Winchester.  I see a pattern forming! If you're thinking about moving to a quieter neighborhood we might have just the place for you.  Winchester, VA is a great place to live, work, grow a family and enjoy the quiet of a small town that has all the amenities of a large city without the traffic.  06/20/2011

Alright, stop calling yourself a Realtor.  You're much more than that now days.  If you've been in the business more than a month you already learned that you will wear many hats.  You may not have learned all of your other duties in your salesperson class, but they are many.  If you are a Realtor, you are a problem solver.  People come to you because they have a need, and they want you to solve it for them.  They need to sell.  They need to buy.  They need to move.  They need to do something, and you are the expert who is going to make that happen.  This is my favorite role.  You're a problem solver! If you're a Realtor, you're a tour guide.  It doesn't pay well, but if you find the right property, bingo!  You found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  Who knows more about the a... 06/18/2011

Is Winchester, VA a Good Place for a Real Estate Investment? You betcha! Inman News recently published it's Top 10 Best Markets for Real Estate Investors and our very own Winchester, VA makes the list coming in at number 2! In making this analysis, Inman took into consideration markets with: high affordability, low and dropping prices, a larger share of foreclosure sales, high population growth, an improving unemployment rate that is close or better than the national average, high projected return on investment (ROI) over the next ten years, and a low total cost of ownership-to-rent ratio. Winchester, a little hidden gem close to Loudoun County, boasts a median sales price of $161,000 and an unemployment rate of 6.9% which is compared the the national unemployment rate of 9.1%! Although... 06/10/2011

Loudoun to Winchester VA – Short Sales can be tough. Many buyers don't understand the process and think that since it is a buyer's market, then they set the rules. That's not the case. You, the seller set the rules. After all, you still own the property. But, more importantly, you must set the rules for offers. If you don't then you dramatically reduce your odds of successfully short selling your property. Discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale to avoid foreclosure by clicking here. Here is what you should think about before you take your home off of the market. 1. You should only accept and work with one offer at a time. If you accept more than one offer at a time, then buyers get mad. The primary offer might get angry because you accepted a backup offer. In addition... 02/17/2011

Loudoun to Winchester VA – Some buyers think that since it is a buyer's market, then they can make any crazy demand of a seller. And they can't understand when the seller isn't excited by their lowball offer. Here is an example of a recent story where this happened. A buyer makes an offer on a short sale. Discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale to avoid foreclosure by clicking here. 1. The buyer puts no money in deposit for the home. In other words, they have about zero risk. (Meanwhile, the seller is still risking foreclosure.) 2. They are putting $150,000 down on the property, but won't bother putting any more than $1,000 in escrow and only after the short sale is approved. 3. They are only allowing 30 days for short sale approval. (News flash: Most short sales take ... 02/17/2011

Tax Consequences for a Short Sale Vs. Foreclosure I have listed many, many short sales and one questions that comes up at almost every listing appointment is, "What are my tax consequences?". I must say that I got very excited whenever I saw a great, easy to ready article explaining information that I can't give advice about. Take a couple of minutes and read the article listed below. It's extremely important that as a responsible seller, you understand your consequences before you enlist the services of a Real Estate Agent. Tax Consequences of a "Short Sale" of Real Estate vs. Foreclosure by Michael Gray, CPA As a licensed Realtor, I'm in no place to give any advice regarding any tax related issues and I will disclaim that you should contact your CPA if you have any further questions. ... 02/09/2011

    In October, there was 6.6 months of supply available in Frederick County, compared to 6.6 in October 2009. This month there were 134 homes newly listed for sale in Frederick County compared to 133 in October 2009, an increase of 1%. There were 88 current contracts pending sale this October compared to 89 a year ago. The number of current contracts is 22% lower than last month.   October, the average sale price in Frederick County was 97.0% percent of the average list price, which is 0.03% higher than at this time last year. This month, the average number of days on market was 50, lower than the average last year, which was 81, a decrease of 38%.   11/16/2010

    Beth Paisley, Realtor - Homes For Sale In Winchester VA - Winchester Homes and Real Estate Homes For Sale In Winchester VA Direct (540) 450-3208bpaisley@mris.com www.bethpaisleyrealtor.com      I hope you will find the following snapshot of local Real Estate inventory interesting. The table represents aggregated values based on MLS data for the specified date.    Housing Inventory Snapshot October 29, 2010   Average List Price Median List Price Average Days On Market Winchester City, VA Single Family under $250K $157,260 $155,000 102 Single Family over $250K $415,880 $370,000 117 Condo/Townhome under $300K $166,291 $135,000 78 Condo/Townhome over $300K N/A** N/A** N/A** Frederick County, VA Single Family under $500K $285,741 $279,919 154 Single Family over $500K $782,535 $649,900 1... 11/05/2010

Diron Corrigan Studios Located in Old Town Winchester VA                                               Once a month my friends and I get together and try to experience a new restaurant we have never been to before.  This particular Sunday we arrived at the chosen restaurant and they were only serving breakfast (it was noon when we arrived.)  So, we decided instead to take a walk in Old Town Winchester, VA.   On the way down the walking mall we passed by a brand new business - Diron Corrigan Studios - my friends said they knew a Diron Corrigan - how many could there possibly be in Winchester?  (Just one.)  After we found a wonderful restaurant - Thai Winchester - and enjoyed lunch on the mall.  On our walk back, Diron was working in the front window of his studio, so we had to pop in to ... 10/24/2010