Is The Perfect The Enemy Of The Good In House Hunting?
You may have heard of the expression - "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good" - and here are a few other similar phrases from philosophers over the ages…
Buyers Of Expensive Homes Are Often Less Willing To Negotiate On Other Home Criteria
Sometimes, if you can't find data to analyze to demonstrate a market dynamic, you should just make up the data or chart. Right? ;-) Well, not necessarily, but maybe just…
Typical Obstacles Between Contract and Closing
While every home sale is different -- with unique contingencies based on the needs and situations of the buyer and seller -- there are three main hurdles that most buyers…
Should Buyers In A Low Inventory Market Consider the Purchase of Foreclosures?
With some regularity, I am asked by potential purchasers how they would go about buying a foreclosure. First, here is a list of upcoming foreclosure sales, but more…
Home Sales Soar To Surprising New Heights in January 2020
Time seems to be passing quickly these days, perhaps because my two kids are growing up faster than I can believe - age 15 (also known as "almost driving") and 11 (but 12…
The Role of a Realtor in Representing A Home Buyer
Home buyers would be well served to have a Realtor represent them in their home purchase. So, before you call the listing agent to see a home listed for sale, you should…
Home Sales Rise In County, Fall In City
Home sales rose 8% in Rockingham County last year -- from 847 sales in 2018 up to 917 sales in 2019. This is the highest number of home sales we have seen in Rockingham…
More Homes Sold... More Quickly... at Higher Prices in 2019!
Happy New Year and New Decade! And what a decade it was for the Harrisonburg and Rockingham residential real estate market! Read on to learn more about the new highs (and…
When Will Home Buying Activity Ramp Up in 2020?
It should be no surprise that buying activity (contracts being signed) slows down over the Winter. As shown above -- an average of 79 buyers sign contracts in January…
When Buying A Home, Keep In Mind That School Districts Can Change
In the news lately... Harrisonburg is building a second high school. South River Elementary School students might move from the Spotswood High School district to the East…
Home Sales Solid, Contracts Strong, in November 2019
Happy December, friends! The end of the year is approaching, so let's take one last partial-year look at our local housing market before we have a full twelve months of…
How Much Are You Willing To Compromise To Live In The Neighborhood Of Your Dreams?
I think it is reasonable to be willing to compromise on some aspects of your dream home in order to live in your dream neighborhood. For example... Paying a bit higher…