It's Been a Great Year Thanks to All of You!

There are many great Loudoun County area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market.

The end of the year is upon us, and we’ve loved being able to catch up with you this year through this video blog. We wanted to just take a moment and send a heartfelt “Thank You!” to all of you that have supported us throughout the year.

We hope you have a wonderful end to 2015, as well as a great start to 2016! You’ve been there for us this year, and we wanted to make sure you knew that we are here for you as well.

Whether you have questions about buying or selling, or if you’re just looking for an honest answer about any other real estate topic, we’ve got the answer. We look forward to hearing from you in 2016, may it be your best year yet!

It’s a Perfect Time for Buyers

There are many great Loudoun County area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market.

Today, Loudoun County is in a buyer’s market. It’s a terrific time to purchase a home! Here's why:


1. We're experiencing historically low interest rates. Recently, one of our clients received 3.5% on a fixed rate 30-year loan. It doesn't get any better than that. Rates can't get any lower!

2. The Fed announced that interest rates will remain steady throughout the rest of the year. The Fed didn't mention next year, so now is the time to jump on a great opportunity. Every slight increase of interest rates directly affects you as a buyer. 

3. The current inventory is amazing! There are so many choices out there. 

With historically low interest rates and a diverse inventory, now is an excellent opportunity to buy. Give me a shout with any real estate questions! I'm always here to help.

Don't Miss the Holiday Home Selling Season

There are many great Loudoun County area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market.

A lot of people think that the real estate market freezes over in the winter, especially during the holidays. However, this is not true, and the winter can actually be a great time to sell for some people.

Here are three reasons why this is true:

1. Buyers are very serious in the winter.
They often have to buy because of a job transfer or for tax purposes. When buyers are more motivated, you can expect a quicker sale and probably a better price for your home if they have to buy quickly.

2. Homes tend to look their best during the holidays.
Our homes are usually decorated well during the holidays because we're having friends and family over, and this will entice buyers. What's better than having a buyer walk into a warm home with a fire lit and cookies baking in the oven? They'll feel right at home!

3. There isn't as much competition during the holidays.
A lot of sellers think that it's a bad time to sell a home, so they take it off the market. This means that your home has a better chance to stand out and sell quickly!

The holidays really are a great time to sell a home. It's a little bit tougher to move, but you can capitalize on a market that not many people know about.

If you're thinking of selling in Loudoun County, please contact me soon. Now is the time to set up a free consultation and get your home ready to sell!

How Can You Find The Best Agents In The Country?

There are many great Loudoun County area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market.

Are you planning on moving outside the Loudoun County area? If you are and want to get connected with an agent you can trust in another area, we are here to help.

We belong to two of the most successful referral organizations on the planet. One of them is our real estate coaching organization and the other, of course, is RE/MAX International. We want to make sure you are aware of the fact that we have great resources to connect not only you, but your friends and families, to the best Realtors across the United States and overseas.

Even if you know someone from out of state who is making their move elsewhere, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We have had a lot of success connecting great agents with clients. Two times this year, I've had clients who were contemplating a move to Nashville, Tennessee. I found a terrific agent for them and each of them went to Nashville on separate visits, had a terrific time with the agent; they both made a point to come back and thank me for connecting them with a great agent. They explained that they had a new-found confidence even though they were moving a significant distance!

If you have questions about how we can help you, a family member, or a friend find an agent outside of Loudoun County, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to make the moving process as smooth and stress-free as possible!

What Extras Do We Offer Our Clients?

There are many great Loudoun County area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market.

Today we are going to be talking about making sure you stay connected to us throughout the year via email. We plan on giving away some really cool things this year and planning some great events for all of our clients, so we don’t want you to miss out on the opportunity!

Our email addresses are TadWicker@WickerHomes.com and DebbieWicker@WickerHomes.com. Make sure you have them in your address book, and make sure your email settings are set up to receive emails from the Wicker Homes Group, so you don’t miss out on the many fun things we have planned.

We have already sent some great opportunities out to our clients this year via email. This year, we had wonderful club level seats to all the Nationals games. Over the last few seasons, we’ve been offering those tickets for anyone who has the opportunity to use them, first come, first serve. In addition to those Nationals tickets, you’ll be the first to know about the events we host throughout the year, like our client appreciation party and many more events that we don’t want you to miss out on.

If you have any questions for us, or any real estate needs whatsoever, we would be glad to help out. Just give us a call or send us an email today!

Debbie’s List, the Best of Our Service Providers

There are many great Loudoun County area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market

Today we want to let you know about a cool gift we have for all of you. It’s a little business directory we have compiled, and we think you are really going to like it. 

I have been a local Realtor in the area for 28 years, and in those years I’ve come across some really terrific contractors. All of the people featured in this directory are tried and true professionals. They are people that we trust to get the job done for us, so of course we trust them to get the job done for you as well. This is better than Angie’s list, it’s Debbie’s List.

We wanted to share this directory with all of you this month so you have access to some of these great contractors. If you don’t find yours in your inbox this month, please reach out to us. We would be happy to make sure we have the right address for you and that you get this helpful link. 

If you have any questions for us, don’t hesitate to reach out. We look forward to speaking with you soon!

How Can a Reverse Mortgage Be Beneficial to You?

There are many great Loudoun County area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market

A recent client of ours needed a reverse mortgage, which caused us to learn a lot of things about them we didn’t know before. We want to share some of what we learned today, and talk about how reverse mortgages can be beneficial in a transaction. 

A reverse mortgage is actually an FHA loan, complete with stock gaps and limits on the loan balance based on the appraisal, so it’s pretty hard to spend too much money on a reverse mortgage so that there is no equity left in the house at the time when the mortgage is ready to be paid off. 

It’s a regular mortgage in the sense that the homeowner actually owns the property and the bank doesn’t. It allows the homeowner the freedom to not make mortgage payments for any amount of time while they have the reverse mortgage in place.

This can be a good tool for some of our seniors, to allow them to stay in their house longer. If the owner of the mortgage passes before the mortgage is paid off, the heirs to that property actually have a full year after the homeowner’s passing to prepare it for the market or keep it in the family through a refinance.

If a reverse mortgage might be a help for you or somebody you know, give us a call or send us an email. We would love to get you in touch with our lender who has been helping us out recently with these reverse mortgages. We look forward to hearing from you!

What Easy Improvements Add Value to Your Home?

 

There are many great Loudoun County area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market

Today, I want to encourage you to make certain easy improvements in your home if you are financially able to. Updating your paint and carpeting, removing wallpaper, changing light fixtures, and putting in a deck or patio are all examples of things that will add value to your home.

You would be surprised by the number of homeowners that I meet on a routine basis who have let these things go for years. They don't realize that they need to make certain upgrades in order to get their home sold for top dollar. Years ago, I had a client who said they were so bummed that they had to spend a bunch of money right before moving rather than getting their home fixed up over the years in order to enjoy those improvements!

 
So, if you can afford to make upgrades and improvements today, do it! That way, when it comes time to sell the property, you won't have to spend a ton of time and money getting it ready. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to give me a call or shoot me an email. I would love to hear from you!

What Program Could Help the Senior in Your Life Keep Their Home?

There are many great Loudoun County area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market

It's not very often that, after 28 years as a local real estate professional, I come across cool new concepts that will be very helpful for our clients. However, in the past few weeks I have come across a few very helpful tools to have the burden of property tax removed.

One of our clients has a father who has some needs in the world of modifying his existing mortgage. I put him in touch with a local senior loan mortgage expert, and he proved to be incredibly helpful. Not only did this expert have great ideas about how to help this older man, he also shared that every county has a program for seniors dealing with property taxes.

In the example above, the client fit beautifully into the generous parameters of a great program. To qualify, you have to be 65 years or older, produce evidence of a certain income threshold, and have less than a certain threshold as far as assets are concerned. The great unfortunate nature of many senior's situations is they often don't have robust bank accounts when they reach those later years.

It's a pretty simple process to apply to see if your loved one can apply to have the property tax burden removed! This could help many seniors hold onto their homes much longer. If you have questions about the process, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, give me a call or shoot me an email. I'm always ready and willing to help!

Why Is It so Important to Speak to a Lender Before Buying?

There are many great Loudoun County area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market

We're continually getting great questions from our friends and clients, and we love to answer them. Today, the question is, "Why should I talk to a lender before buying a house?"

First, you need to talk to a lender so you know your buying ability. The last thing you want to do is waste a bunch of time looking for homes in the wrong price range.

Secondly, you want to be sure that you're able to place an offer on the home you find. Don't wait until you're ready to buy to get pre-approved. Have your finances in order, and be ready to submit a letter of pre-approval when making an offer so the seller knows you're serious.

Lastly, see a lender to make sure you are a strong buyer in a multiple offer situation. If you don't want to miss out on the home of your dreams, you need to work with a lender to ensure that doesn't happen!

If you have any questions about real estate in our area, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to hear from you!

Is the Northern Virginia Market Performing Well?

There are many great Loudoun County area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market

Hey there, thanks for joining us today. I thought now would be a great time to send you another market update for Northern Virginia. 

We are finding a really interesting trend start to take hold here in Northern Virginia. Homes that are properly priced, prepared for the camera and marketed properly are selling rather quickly, within 2 weeks in most cases. 

If a home hasn't been prepared and priced properly, it sits on the market for a long time, sometimes for months. 

If you're thinking about buying a home, the interest rates are still very low. However, the Fed has promised that these rates won't last. Now is a great time to buy in Northern Virginia. 

If you have any questions for us, or are looking to buy or sell real estate in Northern Virginia, give us a quick call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

Can the 3 P's Make the Difference?

There are many great Loudoun County area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market

Hey everyone, thanks for visiting us today. Our clients have been asking us a lot of great questions lately, but one that keeps coming up is, "What are the essential elements to a smooth home sale?"

In my opinion, there are 3 elements involved in a great home sale:

1. Proper preparation
When selling your home, you want to make sure you get the advice of a great local stager on how to properly prepare your home. You want things like improvements, decluttering, and cleaning to be done ahead of putting your home on the market. You also want to have a good plan in place for getting the home ready for the camera and the buyers.

2. Proper pricing
Make sure you are pricing your home in accordance with the market. Get the advice of an agent on how to price competitively in your market. 

3. Proper promotion
You want to make sure you are taking advantage of social media, and the web in general, to spread the word about your home. Getting your professional photos out to as many eyes as possible is the first step. 

If you have any questions for us at all, don't hesitate to reach out. I would love to help pass along any information I can to help make your experience as smooth as possible. We look forward to hearing from you!

Why Do You Need a Realtor?

There are many great Loudoun County area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market 

Thanks for visiting us once again. Lately, a question we have been hearing quite frequently from our clients is, "If I already found the house I want, why do I even need a good real estate agent?"

That's a fair question. Although you may not think of them right away, there are 3 reasons that come to my mind right away as to why you want a good real estate agent when buying.

1. You need accurate data about recently sold properties in order to submit a good offer.

2. We are expert negotiators and have a lot of experience and success helping buyers negotiate great deals.

3. We have a team of trusted contractors on our side. We can take care of anything from plumbing to electrical work and more.

These are just a few of the reasons why it makes perfect sense to hire the best agent possible to help you buy a home. If you have any questions for us or are thinking about buying a home yourself, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to speaking to you soon!

When Should You Sell in Northern Virginia?

There are many great Loudoun County area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market 

Lately, a lot of clients have been asking us, "What is the best time of year to put my home on the market in Northern Virginia?" Today we are going to answer that question, by giving you an overview of a typical year in our real estate market. It has peaks and valleys like any other market, and when you understand that, you can have great success buying and selling. 

So, if I sit down at my desk on January 1, and try to predict the year in advance, here is what I would come up with. The lowest points of the year are generally the month of August and mid-December through mid-January. 

By mid-January, we tend to get the early spring market, where people are trying to list their homes to get ahead of the true spring market. This generally works, as homes on the market a little earlier tend to sell a little quicker due to more eyes on the property. 

By mid-March,  the normal market kicks in. This lasts all the way through Independence Day weekend, which signals the start of the summer slowdown. By August, the market is pretty dead. People are on vacation, kids are getting ready for school, and there's a lot less activity. 

After Labor Day, the market tends to pick up and, usually a week or so after that, we will have a pretty good fall market through Thanksgiving and into mid-December, when we hit our winter slowdown once again. 

Be sure to remember to give yourself plenty of time to get your home ready for sale. Preparation is essential for a smooth sale and getting top dollar for your home. 

Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog today. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to give me a call or send me a quick email. I look forward to speaking with you!

Tips for Selling Your Northern Virginia Home This Spring

          

There are many great Loudoun County area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market 

Today we are excited to talk about getting your home ready for the market if you are a seller. You'll want to do several things right out of the starting gate. 

Loudoun County, in Northern Virginia, is the fastest growing county in the nation. One of the first things a buyer in Loudoun County will do is visit the builders, who are the smartest sellers on the planet. They don't just build a beautiful home, but a home that has a decorator to design and furnish the home. That's the competition your are working against as a seller.

When you are preparing your home for sale, the main eye you have to please is the eye of the camera. Buyer activity has gone to the Internet, and people are looking at homes multiple times online before they ever decide to see it in person. 

To prepare your home for the camera, you've got to declutter it. Keep in mind you are selling your space, not your stuff, and you want a buyer coming through your home imagining their stuff in your space. 

Next, you'll want to talk to our professional stager. We have a company that can come in and give you a full staging report, letting you know what you need to do in each room to get your home ready for sale. 

Another thing you'll want to do is try and gather the important documents from when you purchased the house, including a copy of the plat survey that was done on your home, and a copy of your title insurance policy.

These are just a few of the tips we recommend you take advantage of when getting your home ready to sell. If you have any questions for us, feel free to give us a call or send us a quick email. We can't wait to hear from you!