Are Realtors Too Optimistic?
I have been cautiously optimistic about the real estate market improving for almost four years now. Each year, instead of improving, the market declined. So -- would you…
How Do Virginians Heat Their Homes?
Have you ever wondered how Virginians heat their homes? The Market Leaders Over Time: Coal......Oil......Electric And for the graphically inclined.... Source: U.S. Census
There Are Buyers Waiting In The Wings
I recently listed a home in Barrington that, in the first month, had multiple showings and two offers. One of the offers was accepted, and the property will be under…
FHA Adjustable Rate Mortgages For Only 3.625%
As of today, you can obtain an amazing 3.625% interest rate on a 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage through FHA. Until recently, I had thought that 30 year fixed rate mortgages…
Fortune Magazine: It Is Time To Buy Real Estate Again
Fortune Magazine makes some bold predictions after LOTS of detailed analysis.... Click on the image above (or here) for a PDF of the entire article, which deserves a…
March 2011 Home Sales Set New Record
Bill Meadows, a new resident of Dayton, Virginia, holds a distinct honor -- he was the only person to buy a home anywhere in Harrisonburg or Rockingham County during…
Did Your Property Lose Value? Buy Another!
In a recent real estate conversation, I was presented with what seemed at first to be a very bold real estate investment strategy. If you bought high, and now the value…
This Home Is Priced To Sell...
I often chuckle when I see "Priced To Sell" in the description of a property in the MLS. This is funny to me because in theory you should be able to adjust the price…
Harrisonburg and Rockingham County Have Low Foreclosure Rates
Over at Patchwork Nation, you can create maps to show all sorts of data, including these below that examine foreclosure rates as of January 2011.... The states that…
Is It Easy To Get A Mortgage?
Three times in the past three weeks I have been in real estate related meetings when someone asked “So, how much do you have to put down on a mortgage these days, twenty…
Will all of the land for housing developments be taken over by farming??
Not too many years ago concerns were frequently raised about all of the farmland that was being used up for housing developments. In fact, back in 2008 I wrote an article…
If (When) You Can't Find A Perfect Home
Even when there are plenty of homes for sale, some (or many?) buyers won't be able to find "the perfect house" -- even after looking at a lot of houses. What is a buyer…