Short-term home ownership doesn't always work well
In days gone by (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005) you could buy a home in Harrisonburg or Rockingham County and sell it two years later for a tidy profit. Home values were…
The Glen at Cross Keys - Introducing "Paired Homes"
As we pulled up in front of the home pictured above earlier this week, my dad asked "that's a single family home?" -- as it turns out, he was surprised at how large the…
The Importance of Knowing Thy Area of Expertise
My main area of real estate expertise is in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. I spend a lot of time assisting buyers and sellers in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County…
Determining an offering price in today's market
In making an offer to purchase a home, there are many small and large decisions to make (closing date, home inspection, closing cost credit, etc) --- but the decision…
Why are fewer homes selling in Harrisonburg?
As referenced in yesterday's "My hope for the 2009 local housing market" post, the quantity of home sales has fallen 44% over the past 4 years (between 2005 and 2008). At…
The Great Dis-connect: Days on Market
In 2006, 1438 residential properties sold in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, with an average of 138 "days on market". In 2007, it was 1248 properties with an average…
Rent vs Own in Harrisonburg
A common question I am asked is how costs compare in buying versus renting a "starter townhouse" in Harrisonburg. This changes over time, but here's how the costs compare…
How to "Build Green" - lots to learn!
I recently attended an EarthCraft certification course to learn about the EarthCraft program --- a green building certification program that has been endorsed by our…
Looking even closer at home values over time
The Daily News Record ran an interesting article yesterday which reinforces what I have been stating in my monthly home sales reports for quite some time now --- sales…
Understanding long term home sales trends
Below is one of the graphs I generate each month in my monthly market report. This graph shows an overall trend for residential sales in Harrisonburg and Rockingham…
Home value trends in Harrisonburg, Rockingham County
Question everything! Below is an excerpt from an e-mail that I received from one of my clients about a month ago. She asks a fantastic question, and one that I believe is…
Buying and selling in this real estate market
As featured in the December Shenandoah Valley Business Journal... Absent hard data on the local real estate market, we could make erroneous assumptions by listening to…