How Much Do Your Home Search Criteria Overlap?
If you have three non-negotiable home search criteria, it is important to reflect on (or at least be aware of) how much overlap exists between these criteria. Above are…
Harrisonburg Area Home Sales Over $500K Small But Strong Segment of Local Market
Only 3% of local home buyers spend $500K or more on their home purchase (per sales data over the past year) but this segment of the local housing market has been strong…
Fewer Than 1 In 4 Home Buyers Spend Over $300K in Harrisonburg, Rockingham County
Lots to observe / conclude here... Selling a home over $300K? Fewer than 1 in 4 buyers (22%, to be sure) buy homes over $300K in our local market. Narrowing it even…
How To Respond When A Buyer Reacts Irrationally To A Home Inspection
The purpose of a home inspection contingency is to allow a buyer to learn more about the property they have contracted to purchase -- and then to request repairs to the…
Maybe JMU Bought Those Houses To Straighten Out A Road?
(click the map for a larger file) I'm not sure if it was the plan all along, but it seems JMU's acquisition (over quite a few years) of homes in the Forest Hills area has…
How Many Bedrooms Does Your House REALLY Have?
You don't have to be a math major to count bedrooms, right? Well, technically, that's true -- but counting bedrooms for real estate purposes can become a bit nuanced…
Risk and Reward in Buying College Student Housing Rental Properties
If you are looking to purchase a rental property for your JMU student to live in while they are a student at JMU, there are two basic paths you could go down.... Option 1…
High Temps, But Low Mortgage Rates Throughout Summer 2019
Mortgage interest rates kept dropping lower - and lower - and lower all summer long! The current average rate for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage is only 3.55%, well below…
Fall Is Not The Worst Season For Selling Your Home
As is likely no surprise -- the busiest time for home sales (contracts) is SPRING -- by far! There is then a relatively large drop off from Spring to Summer. Somewhat…
How Big (in Square Feet) Is Your Home?
So -- are you trying to figure out the square footage of your home? Here are a few methods that are NOT necessarily going to give you the correct answer.... Check the tax…
Should You Rent or Buy With a 2, 3 or 5 Year Time Frame?
Should You Rent or Buy With a 2, 3 or 5 Year Time Frame? Looking at two different price points for townhouses ($175K, $225K) a quick analysis would indicate that... $175K…
How To Strengthen Your Low Offer Without Paying More
If you are making a low offer, you can increase the appeal of your offer by strengthening your other offering terms.... DEPOSITS Make the largest deposit you are…