Lake Ridge VA Real Estate News: Peggy James- "Your Neighborhood Realtor" Serving Lake Ridge VA and Woodbridge VA (Exit 1st Choice Realty)

 Just Listed by Erick and Company of Exit 1st Choice Realty- Custom Built Home On 5 Acres

This stunning custom home boasts a brick front, side load garage, three finished levels, a screened gazebo,deck across the rear of the home as well as hard scape walkways and a Koi pond. The home may have a Manassas address however it is located between Manassas and Woodbridge just off the Prince William Parkway. Not quite as far as Liberia Avenue. So this home is a good fit for anyone who travels to  the Dulles Cooridor or the into Washington DC for work dailiy.

Children go to: Osbourne Park High School, Parkside Middle School and Signal Hill Elementary School

"This is the home and lot you have been waiting for.If you take a drive to this home, you will fall in love!"

Here is a quick glimpse of what you can expect to find inside...

From the moment you walk up to the front door you'll feel as if you have found a true treasure. And you have! Very few people get to own a Mike Garcia custom built home, however this is your chance. Mike Garcia has won many awards for his outstanding quality and workmanship. His designs have won seven Finest For Family Living Awards.

Wait until step into the massive foyer! This is a true center hall colonial with a dining room on one side of foyer and living room on the other. Look up and you will see a bridge that floats between foyer and family room on the rear of the home. The stone fireplace will draw you inside. There is a main level den on your left, half bath and to the right is the expansive breakfast room and kitchen. Head out to the deck or to the laundry room and garage area. The floor-plan is wonderful. Upstairs you will find four large bedrooms and the master will not disappoint you in the least. Head down to the basement and you will find a rec room, den, full bath and french doors that lead out to the rear yard. Stroll out to the Koi pond or relax in the screened gazebo or head on up to the shed to grab your gardening tools. This home is in immaculate condition.

For more information about this home click here or to make an appointment to see this home

call me 703-851-3085 or contact me by email 

Contact Peggy James or Erick Blackwelder  of Erick and Company - Exit 1st Choice Realty,14029 Crossing Place,  Woodbridge VA. 22192. Realtors®, call 703-851-3085 (Peggy) or 703-590-2252 (Office) to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Lake Ridge, Westridge, Old Bridge Estates, River Falls, Middle County, Manassas, Montclair, Dumfries, Occoquan, Dale City, Gainesville area's

Yesterday, someone asked me a question and I thought maybe I would help explain this to you as well.

My response:Yes for the most part, that is true, at least here  in the Prince William County Virginia area.

Caller:"Well how the heck do we sell our home? We can't move the kids, the dog, and everything we own into storage! How do other people do it? We want to take advantage of the low interest rates and  it has become very clear that we can get an awesome home. But I don't know how people do it. Can you help us?."

My response: It would be my pleasure!

For you who don't know what a contingent contract is.

Contingent Contract: this is where you purchase a home contingent upon the sale of your home. Once your home settles you then can settle on the next home.

Currently here in Prince William County Virginia,Builders and Local Homeowners are not interested in taking Contingent Contracts.

Why?

Several Reasons:

1. New Home Builders will not begin constructionuntil your home is Under Contract. However it takes 120 days or longer to build your new home depending on the lots available. So that could mean a temporary move. Coordination is key.
2. If you fall in love with a Short Sale home,homeowners typically will not entertain a contingent contract even though it could take 3 to 8 months for the third party ( the bank to approve the sellers short sale).The reason is you the buyers must be prepared to close when the approval is granted otherwise the seller could go straight to foreclosure. Most sellers in a short sale situation typically will not take that risk.
3. Bank Owned Homes/Foreclosure Homes: Banks are not in the business of owning real estate. Time is money to them. Banks prefer to close within 30-45 days. Competition is still brisk since Foreclosure/Bank Owned homes sell for up to ten percent less than Fair Market Value.

The homeowners I spoke with yesterday felt as if their hands were tied. However with some good coaching and explaining all their options we can help them design a plan to help them attain their goals. No matter whether you are downsizing, relocating or just moving to a larger more functional home Erick and Company can help you.

How?

Step 1.  We suggest you talk with a loan officer to learn what your buying power is.

Step 2.  Make sure you ask if you can qualify for both the new home payment until your home sells.

Step 3. If you cannot rent or qualify for holding your home or renting it. Then it is time to list your home for sale. Don't panic...we have ways to help you attain your goals.

a.) We can can add a clause that home sale is contingent upon sellers Finding Home of Choice. This will give you typically 7-10 days to find a house after all parties hammer out the terms of the offer.

b.) We can add a clause into the MLS System that states seller will need a a Post Occupancy Agreementfor up to 60 days. This clause allows you the seller to remain in your home as a tenant for up to 30/60 days depending on what you need to settle on your new residence.

All of this may feel overwhelming to you.I know. However an experienced Realtor such as myself have assisted many homeowners with the coordination a selling and buying. It is what we do. We help, we coach, we solve your real estate challenges. We have tools, knowledge, skill and the ability to make your dreams a reality. All you have to do is pick up the phone and start asking questions and all of at Erick and Company will help you every step of the way.

If you need help just call me or contact me by email 

When relocating to the Northern Virginia area, many people say they want to be close to DC.  That can be for commuting reasons and/or for social reasons. However it doesn't take long to figure out if you are looking for a home with a little land your going to have to head South or West of the beltway around Washington DC to get it.

Over the years we have always made a practice to sit down with relocating buyers and show them the big map on the wall in our office to help them get a feel for where they are, and where thier $ will buy them the most house. It has always been critical before you start looking at homes to get pre-apprpoved by a loan office or bank representative to find out what your buying power is. After that you would typically meet with myself of Erick Blackwelder my partner and team leader.This appointment is called the initial interview.

"Initial meetings really help us learn about you and you learn about us and what we know.  If you can devote a little time with us, then I promise you that you will not be waisting your time, in fact this type of meeting with a Realtor can actually save you time and money." Share with us the lifestyle you have in mind, paint the picture of the scenerio for your family. Before we're done, we will sit down with you on the Realtors MLS computer and input exactly what you are looking for. First we start with your preferred commuting distance, and if we do not find anything suitable, then it's time to re-evaluate. We talk about your options.

a) wait for a home to come on the market in your target area

b) expand your boundaries for a commute time

c) check with your lender to see if you have any room to increase your target price point

By going through this exercise on the commputer you quickly begin to see what is possible and what is not. One thing I know for sure is you will come away from that meeting with a great understanding of our market and how you've chosen the right real estate agents to help you. We know the Prince William County Virginia area very well. We all live and work here.

Today, Erick is highlighting two acreage communities off the Prince William Parkway located between Manassas and Woodbridge Virginia. Hunter's Ridge and Heron Bend.

Both neighborhoods are located in what we locals refer to as Middle County. This is the area between Hoadly Rd and Liberia avenue on the Prince William Parkway. Community to the Dulles Area is one turn on Liberia and one turn onto Rt 28 starting out to Dulles. Or to the Pentagon/DC area take the Prince William Parkway to I-95 and head on up to Ft. Belvior, the Pentagon, Ft. Meyers and The District of Columbia.

Watch as Erick Blackwelder takes you on a driving tour or Hunters Ridge just off the Prince William Parkway 

And now Erick Blackwelder takes you on a short tour of the Heron Bend neighborhood.

There are so many more acreage communities nearby such as Bear Creek, Deer Valley, River Falls On the Occoquan,Cannon Bluff, Cannon Bluff Estates, Woodmont, Running Creek,The Cloisters,Hampton Grove,Fox Mill,Malvern Chase,and Springvale Estates and occasionally Westridge and Meadowbrook Woods will have an acreage home come on the market. Tell us what your looking for an we will help you find it!

 Do you need an experienced Buyer Agent to help you? Just call 703-590-2252 or contact me by email 

Contact Peggy James or Erick Blackwelder  of Erick and Company - Exit 1st Choice Realty,14029 Crossing Place,  Woodbridge VA. 22192. Realtors®, call 703-851-3085 (Peggy) or 703-590-2252 (Office) to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Lake Ridge, Westridge, Old Bridge Estates, River Falls, Middle County, Manassas, Montclair, Dumfries, Occoquan, Dale City, Gainesville area's

My mother had picked a huge bucket of local blackberries at the Westmorland Berry Farm and she had some peaches. She decided to toss them in togther and the result was the most amazing Berry Cobbler.No matter what function you bring this to, people will rave! Add a spoon-full of ice cream along side. Yum!

 Right now is a the perfect time to pick up local Peaches and Blackberries from your local Farmers Market.

She used this simple recipe and the results were the Rave at the BBQ!

                                             QUICK PEACH COBBLER
 
Place in shallow baking dish 5 or 6 cups of sliced fresh peaches. Mix together with a fork 'till crumbly and sprinkle over peaches the following ingredients:
 
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder                   
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg                              -  

This will be a bit sticky so break it up a bit if necessary
 
Melt 1/3 cup butter and pour over top, sprinkle with cinnamon according to your taste. Bake at 375*F for about 45 minutes. Serve with milk, whipped cream or ice cream.
 
COOKS NOTE: I mixed blackberries and early peaches this time. You can use anything you like and there is no need to sweeten the fruit in advance. The later, firmer peaches work lots better since they hold up so well.  Leave the dish uncovered to keep the top crispy.

Here is a list of all the local Farmers Markets in throughout Prince William County Virginia and surrounding area's read more

Or go pick your own at the Westmorland Berry Farm!

Enjoy..

Do you have questions about the value of your home? Call me 703-851-3085 or contact me by email 

Contact Peggy James or Erick Blackwelder  of Erick and Company - Exit 1st Choice Realty,14029 Crossing Place,  Woodbridge VA. 22192. Realtors®, call 703-851-3085 (Peggy) or 703-590-2252 (Office) to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Lake Ridge, Westridge, Old Bridge Estates, River Falls, Middle County, Manassas, Montclair, Dumfries, Occoquan, Dale City, Gainesville area's

If you live in Westridge, chances are you've seen a lot of For Sale Signs this year. In the first half of 2010, there have been thirty one homes listed for sale so far. Let me break that down for you since Westridge offers both single family homes and townhome living. There were seventeen townhomes listed and fourteen single family homes. So I'm sure your wondering how does all this activity affect my homes value. Just send me a quick email and I will send you back a quick snapshot of your homes value.

However in the meantime, let me break it down for you. Since January 2010 this has been the single family home activity.

Take a look at the actuall home listing and sold here

.

Now let me show you the townhome stats. Currently there are eight buying opportunities if you are looking for a large townhome in the Lake Ridge Virginia area. Three are active Foreclosure listing and two are being sold by short sale the other three are healthy (regular owner) listings.

Take a look at what homes are actively For Sale right now and those that were successfully sold in the first half of 2010. Click here.

So let me break down this information for you.

The best news is the average time to sell your Westridge home is 30 days!

The Single Family Home Market Remains Healthy Only 1 Foreclosure and 0 Short Sale Listings!

Twelve of the thirty three townhomes were distress sale.

I know Westridge, I live and work in the community.Don't hesitate to call me. 

Do you have questions about the value of your home? Call me 703-851-3085 or contact me by email 

Contact Peggy James or Erick Blackwelder  of Erick and Company - Exit 1st Choice Realty,14029 Crossing Place,  Woodbridge VA. 22192. Realtors®, call 703-851-3085 (Peggy) or 703-590-2252 (Office) to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Lake Ridge, Westridge, Old Bridge Estates, River Falls, Middle County, Manassas, Montclair, Dumfries, Occoquan, Dale City, Gainesville area's

If you are thinking of buying a home in the Prince William County Virginia area, may I suggest you talk to Markita Aldridge Woods of Westar Mortgage. She has helped several of my buyer clients over the past few years.

In fact here is a very good article Markita wrote regarding many questions home buyers have about buying a home. In this post she answers the Top 10 Questions she gets from home buyers who are getting ready to purchase.

Have you ever dreamed of owning a waterfront home? Well the Prince William County Virginia area offers  several very nice options. Occoquan Virginia being one area and Belmont Bay  is also a beautiful community offering condo living, townhome living as well as single family homes. Take a look as my partner Erick Blackwelder of Erick and Company takes a Sunday drive. Sunday's is typically his day off and you can see that in real estate, Realtors are almost always doing something real estate related.

• Take a look at what's avaialble right now in the Woodbridge Virginia area Waterfront Homes
• Take a look at all the Luxury High End Waterfront Living opportunities in Virginia ACTIVE FOR SALE
• Are you looking for a particular style home or lot? Please let us know and we will alert you when it becomes available. Just share with us what you are looking for CLICK HERE

Our entire real estate team at Erick and Company has been assisting buyers and sellers in the Prince William County Virginia are for decades, we know the area and the market well. Don't hesitate to give us a call if you have questions. 

                                       Call me 703-851-3085 or contact me by email 

Contact Peggy James or Erick Blackwelder  of Erick and Company - Exit 1st Choice Realty,14029 Crossing Place,  Woodbridge VA. 22192. Realtors®, call 703-851-3085 (Peggy) or 703-590-2252 (Office) to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Lake Ridge, Westridge, Old Bridge Estates, River Falls, Middle County, Manassas, Montclair, Dumfries, Occoquan, Dale City, Gainesville area's. When relocating to the Prince William County Virginia are rest assured you will be treated like family. Erick and Company has been serving buyers and sellers for decades.

Over the past few weeks I have been working with several high end buyers searching for homes in the Prince William County Virginia area. With that in mind, I thought you might like to learn how the current Prince William County Virginia luxury home market is holding up in the first half of 2010.

A quick snapshot shows that there are currently 142 resale luxury homes actively being marketed For Sale in the Prince William County Virginia MLS area. Of the 142 listings, there are only 10 short sales and 2 bank owned property. Does that surprise you? 

The luxury market in our area is defined as $550,000 and above. The highest priced listing is $2.9million and there are 24 active homes for sale over a Million Dollars. The average size of the luxury priced home is about 3800 taxable square feet however many of the high end homes will be upwards of 5500 on the fist two levels and many have full basements. You can find luxury high end homes for sale all over the Prince William County Virginia area. We have a variety of communities to choose from. Find golf course communities, waterfront communities, equestrian communities as well acreage communities. Let me break them down for you. Feel free to click on the link provide this will show you each Luxury Home For Sale in that area.

23 in the Woodbridge Virginia Area-this includes communities such as River Falls and Occoquan

18 in Manassas- Most are in the Middle County Area offering acreage lots.

21 in Gainesville- Communities such as Lake Manassas, and Virginia Oaks top the list

25 in Nokesville- Most the available homes boast ten acre lots!

49 in Haymarket- Communities such as Dominion Valley, Piedmont, Thunder Oak and Evergreen Farms

5 in Catharpin- Communities such as Green Gables and Forest Hills

Since January 1st 2010, 158 luxury homes have gone Under Contract! 27 were short sales,16 were foreclosures. The highest priced home to sell in the past six months was in Woodbridge Virginia for $1.4 million in River Falls On The Occoquan!  

Last year Prince William County Virginia had 134 luxury resale homes sell in the first half of the year. So this year is ahead of last year by 24 units. This does not include any new homes builders. Average days on market for homes sold is approximately 92 days. Of course that all depends on price, condition and the marketing. In the lower end of the luxury market $550.000 to $650,000 range homes are selling much faster than average. In many cases less than 30 days!

Are you looking for a particular style home or lot? Please let us know and we will alert you when it becomes available. Just share with us what you are looking for CLICK HERE

Our entire real estate team at Erick and Company has been assisting buyers and sellers in the Prince William County Virginia are for decades, we know the area and the market well. Don't hesitate to give us a call if you have questions. 

                                       Call me 703-851-3085 or contact me by email 

Contact Peggy James or Erick Blackwelder  of Erick and Company - Exit 1st Choice Realty,14029 Crossing Place,  Woodbridge VA. 22192. Realtors®, call 703-851-3085 (Peggy) or 703-590-2252 (Office) to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Lake Ridge, Westridge, Old Bridge Estates, River Falls, Middle County, Manassas, Montclair, Dumfries, Occoquan, Dale City, Gainesville area's. When relocating to the Prince William County Virginia are rest assured you will be treated like family. Erick and Company has been serving buyers and sellers for decades.

Today's post is about how marketing matters when selling your home. Some people think all that's needed is a For Sale sign in the front yard, a lockbox on the front door and then just place the home in MLS. Occasionally, homeowners and Realtors get lucky, however for the most part it takes a lot of work.

So how does a Realtor go about finding that buyer that will love your home as much as you do. Let me explain. Play Video

Let me share with you, how I work hard for homeowners who need to sell. Remember, you will benefit more on the bottom line it you choose  to hire a Realtor who knows your community well. Make sure you hire an experienced Realtor who will be able to master all of the hurdles on the way to settlement.

 Below are just a few examples of how Erick and Company will market your home and get it sold fast.

Then I will make sure to Blog about your home similar to this. When readers find homes on the Internet especially on a blog post, they should feel they are getting more information that just looking at a MLS Listing online. This is the place where I can showcase your home in a more personal way.

We also use Business Card Stickers to promote your home

Not only that we market with Text to allow prospective home buyers to access information about your home instantly.No matter whether they just drove by your home or they picked up a flyer in the house, they can access information about your home in seconds. Price, Photo's, bedrooms and baths Go ahead punch in the code above to see how this works.

Start by typing #79564 into the To section of the text area, now type 76860 and the information will be sent to instantly!

You the seller never have to worry that a buyer is not able to learn how much your home is, or just drives a way assuming the price is to high.

These are just a few ways that Erick and Company helps sellers sell fast in today's real estate market. We have many more and our tool box is full. 

 When you need Results, Count on Erick and Company

                                                                              How can we help you today?

                       Do you have questions about the value of your home? Call me 703-851-3085 or contact me by email 

Contact Peggy James or Erick Blackwelder  of Erick and Company - Exit 1st Choice Realty,14029 Crossing Place,  Woodbridge VA. 22192. Realtors®, call 703-851-3085 (Peggy) or 703-590-2252 (Office) to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Lake Ridge, Westridge, Old Bridge Estates, River Falls, Middle County, Manassas, Montclair, Dumfries, Occoquan, Dale City, Gainesville area's

I knew the caller could tell I had a smile on my face and a chuckle in my voice. I shared with the caller, I wish I had a  Chrystal Ball to be able to tell you what is going to happen, but I don't. What I can share with you, is what has happened to past clients that all of us at Erick and Company have assisted over the past two years when buying a home in the Eastern Prince William County Virginia area. 

The caller said; " I'm sure that the houses are worth about the same as when they purchased."

I said, wrong! Let me share with you just a few that come to the top of mind.

Example #1: Pulte Townhome located in the heart of Lake Ridge Virginia.

First Time Buyer Buys A Foreclosure Home.

Back in September 2008, a  first time buyers was looking for a starter townhome in Lake Ridge, Virginia.  The one that really caught their eye was located within walking distance to shopping,schools, the pool and  fantasy play ground.

This was a Fannie Mae Foreclosure home purchased for $159,900.  Homes like this if in good condition and updated today sell for $170,000 up to $190,000 Link to comps

Purchased for $159,900 current market value $190,000 =$30,100 Gross Equity

      ********************************************************************************

Example #2. Thousand Oaks Townhome in Lake Ridge Virginia 

We assisted a military veteran who wanted to buy using his VA Eligibility. The best home for him in his price range at the time was a dreaded  short sale home priced at $171,500. We contracted in December 2008. It was a Countrywide Short Sale and the process was a painful one. Long and drawn out. However he finally settled in June 2009. Even though it was a grueling way to buy his first home. I am happy to inform him that it was worth every painful moment. Homes like this end unit sell for anywhere from $199,000 to $215,000. Take a look click here

 Purchased: $171,500 -Current Value $210,000= $38,500 Gross Equity

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Example #3. Renters bypass townhome ownership, and jump into single family ownership.

This was a single family home we helped a purchaser buy in Meadowbrook Woods.  They were renting a townhome in the Westridge Subdivision of Lake Ridge and were ready to jump into home ownership. The home they liked needed a little TLC and some updating. Other that that, it was a quality built NV Home with a great floorplan in a quiet neighborhood located between Woodbridge and Manassas. The best news is they purchased the home with their VA Eligibility. They secured a fixed rate VA Zero Down Loan to buy and the seller paid most of their closing costs. The result are outstanding!

Purchased for $449,000 in June 2009, currently homes with similar floor-plans in the community are selling on average for $525,000 and higher!

That is an $76,000 Gain In One Year...Take a look at the comps

The caller was jazzed and said. I need to get pre-approved for a home loan can you help me? That I did and they will soon be ready to begin their search for the perfect place to call home. 

What are you waiting for? 

Interest Rates are historically low, and homes prices are still being offered at deep discounts. Many new home builders are offering incentives and sellers are offering to pay your closing costs. Erick and Company has Erick, Luis and myself who are standing by ready to assist you to help you find your dream home.

               Share with us what you are looking for. Feel free to call me 703-851-3085 or contact me by email 

Did you know you can sign up to receive MLS listings daily? Never miss your dream home. Start Here

Do you have a home to sell before you can buy your move-up home. No problem, we can help Click Here For More Information

Contact Peggy James or Erick Blackwelder  of Erick and Company - Exit 1st Choice Realty,14029 Crossing Place,  Woodbridge VA. 22192. Realtors®, call 703-851-3085 (Peggy) or 703-590-2252 (Office) to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Lake Ridge, Westridge, Old Bridge Estates, River Falls, Middle County, Manassas, Montclair, Dumfries, Occoquan, Dale City, Gainesville area's