The great mystery of showings - when and why do they happen?
Especially in our current market, it is very challenging to predict the "popularity" of a house -- in other words, how many prospective buyers will come to view the…
New loan guidelines - the underwriter must approve inspection results!?
Here is some interesting news that Jon Ischinger (Wells Fargo, Harrisonburg) shared with me last week... If a sales contract is contingent upon a well inspection, septic…
JMU Football Playoff Schedule 2008
After missing the 7pm announcement of the JMU Football Playoff Schedule, I was delighted to have such a fast response when asking about the results on Facebook. The good…
Books-A-Million moving to the Valley Mall!?
From the building permit data in today's Daily News Record... Simon Property Group, interior renovations to existing space to create retail space for Books-A-Million…
Do you want to know what I really think?
When asked for my professional real estate opinion, I used to ask "Do you want to know what I really think?" Or I would find myself prefacing some of my comments with…
Another sign of strength in Virginia's economy
The Virginia Resources Authority sold an unprecedented $215 million in infrastructure revenue bonds to raise funds for projects around Virginia. This was, in fact, the…
Affordable Housing with a LOW interest rate!
The current VHDA interest rate is already low, at 5.875%. But for first time buyers looking for affordable housing, it can be tough to finance a purchase even at that low…
Exciting web site changes are in the works!
I'm getting my hands dirty --- working on some exciting additions to the property search section of my web site --- to let you learn even more about each property for…
How close are buyers coming to the asking price?
One issue that often seems to be on a buyer's mind these days is the question of how much they should be able to negotiate off of an asking price for a house. Let's take…
Have Questions? Get Answers!
Buying or selling real estate can be a complicated process at times, and questions often abound. If you have questions about the process, or about the market, or about…
Prasert, Taste of Thai, and a new downtown restaurant
Have you eaten at Taste of Thai? The owners will soon be opening a new restaurant downtown. Learn more about Taste of Thai, Prasert, and more at "the state" a local blog…
The One Million Twenty Fifth customer. So close!
As mentioned last week, Dave's Downtown Taverna was coming up on a huge milestone --- having served 1,000,000 customers! I had lunch at Dave's this past Friday, and…