Lake Ridge Virginia Real Estate Help For Sellers and Buyers: December 2009

Just a quick note to say, my husband Bill stopped in at the new Los Toltecos Restaurant located at The Glen Shopping Center off Old Bridge Rd. Little did we know it was "Opening Night". We were heading out to dinner and saw the lights on and the bright colored Mexican wraps in the window and we thought "what the heck?"

We hadn't read the reviews from the Alexandria location, we were just hungry and decided to check it out. From the moment you enter the restaurant there was a warm Mexican glow, the waiters greet you with a bowl of fresh salsa and fresh chips. Yummy! The food was very tasty! Here is the menu

Now you must treat yourself to a Margarita!

I love having a new neighborhood restaurant. Maybe I will see you there. And remember all restaurants in Virginia are now non-smoking. So go enjoy and if you've eaten there comment below for others.

For all your real estate needs, Erick and Company has been serving Woodbridge Virginia Home Buyers and Sellers for decades. Call 703-5851-3085    or contact me by email  if  you need assistance.  

Contact Peggy James or Erick Blackwelder  of Erick and Company of Exit 1st Choice Realty, Woodbridge VA. Realtors®, call 703-851-3085 (Peggy) or 703-590-2252 (Office).If you are a homeowner who has a home to sell, we have  buyers ready and waiting for nice homes to come on the market. Give us a call and we can "GET YOUR HOME SOLD FAST" to list your property for sale we service  Lake Ridge, Westridge, Old Bridge Estates, River Falls, Middle County, Manassas, Manassas Park, Haymarket,Montclair, Dumfries, Occoquan, Dale City, Gainesville, Aquia Harbor, Garrisonville and Triangle area's . 
                                
                      

We have great news for one of our local Woodbridge Virginia homeowners who entrusted Erick and Company to sell their home by Short Sale. We received Short Sale Approval from Midfirst Mortgage this week!

Back in September, a Lake Ridge Virginia homeowner called, they were in distress, they had transfer orders to Illinois. The unfortuate part was they could not sell the home for what they owed on the mortgae and fair market rental prices in the area were nine hundred dollars shy of their current monthly mortgage payment.

The best we could do is offer to assist them with a Short Sale. Selling your home by short sale is no different than selling your home any other time. It is a sign of the times. It is not your fault that you are in this situation. In the case of this homeowner," this was happening to them, they were not choosing to do this to the mortgage company."

So ask yourself. "Do you have a legitimate hardship?" If you cannot afford to make the mortgage  payments on your home, can't sell it, can't rent it, them it's time we talk.

In the case of this homeowner.  We listed the home the last week in August, and the seller accepted a contract in the first week of September 2009, we submitted a full short sale package to Midfirst Mortgage and nintey six days later we finally have a Short Sale Approval letter in hand! 

            11289 Edgemoor Ct, Lake Ridge Virginia 22192 

         SHORT SALE IS APPROVED FOR $180,000!

                                To Learn More about this home and the area Read More Here  

Homeowners Do You Need Help?:"If you are worried about what to do and you are searching for answers on how to sell your home by short sale email me  I can help you and if I can't I will tell you right from the start." The very last option is foreclosure.The sooner you call and the sooner the stress will begin to melt away. Many of my clients say, they don't know what took them so long.

Steps for  getting your home sold fast in 2010?

• Determine your time-frame
• Call Peggy to discuss options
• I will design a Exit Plan that works for you.
• Sign Listing Paperwork
• Relax, Stop Worrying and Start Packing...

Call me for all your real estate needs and questions, I can be reach me directly at  703-851-3085    

   or contact me by email    

Contact Peggy James or Erick Blackwelder  of Erick and Company of Exit 1st Choice Realty, Woodbridge VA. Realtors®, call 703-851-3085 (Peggy) or 703-590-2252 (Office).If you are a homeowner who has a home to sell, we have  buyers ready and waiting for nice homes to come on the market. Give us a call and we can "GET YOUR HOME SOLD FAST" to list your property for sale we service  Lake Ridge, Westridge, Old Bridge Estates, River Falls, Middle County, Manassas, Manassas Park, Haymarket,Montclair, Dumfries, Occoquan, Dale City, Gainesville, Aquia Harbor, Garrisonville and Triangle area's . 
                                
                      

Let The Holiday Baking Begin!

Everyone has a favorite recipe they like for the Christmas Holidays, in our family, it is the Soft Molasses Cookie. They are big,soft, molasses cookies topped with butter cream frosting and half a walnut. This is a recipe that has been passed down in our family since the 1950's. This recipe has stood the test of time! They pack and ship well and in a closed container will last through the holidays.  Well, not in our family they hardly last a week.

Soft Old Fashion Molasses Cookies: Set oven to 375*

Cream together in a saucepan

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 cup light brown molasses

Melt over low heat until thoroughly mixed.

While that is melting, in a separate bowl mix dry ingredients:

4 cups flour

2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon sale

1 teaspoon baking soda

After the two mixes are stirred cream them together with 3/4 cup of milk. Mix thoroughly. I use a hand mixer however my sister uses a big stand mixer either works fine. Note: they are delicious when you add raisins and chopped walnuts into the batter.

Next let batter stand for 5-10 minutes until it thickens. Grease and flour the cookie sheets( or use parchment paper) Use a tablespoon to drop spoonfuls on the cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes at 375*.

Remove from oven and let them cool. Once cool to the touch top with butter cream frosting and half a walnut.

Trust me...you are going to LOVE these cookies.

Recipe for getting your home sold fast in 2011?

• Determine your time-frame
• Call Peggy to discuss options
• We design a Exit Plan that works for you.
• Sign Listing Paperwork
• Relax and Start Packing...

Call me for all your real estate needs and questions, you can call me directly at  703-851-3085 

or contact me by email        

Contact Peggy James or Erick Blackwelder  of Erick and Company of Exit 1st Choice Realty, Woodbridge VA. Realtors®, call 703-851-3085 (Peggy) or 703-590-2252 (Office).If you are a homeowner who has a home to sell, we have  buyers ready and waiting for nice homes to come on the market.  First step let's find our how much your home is worth- Click Here for a Free Market Snapshot. If you know you want to sell and list your property, we service  Lake Ridge, Westridge, Old Bridge Estates, River Falls, Middle County, Manassas, Manassas Park, Haymarket,Montclair, Dumfries, Occoquan, Dale City, Gainesville, Aquia Harbor, Garrisonville and Triangle area's . 
                                
                      

Have You Ever Dreamed Of Owning A Home With A Barn?  A place where you can keep your horses on your own lot, a place with a paddock two pastures for grazing? I see a lot of homes every month, however it is not very often that I see a home that hands down surpasses all others in it's price range!  

25 Ruffian Drive,Stafford Virginia 22556

Is that property!

I asked Joy Doyle of Realty World the listing agent for this home, if I could share this property with my readers just in case you or someone you know may be looking for a home with a barn, Once you read this please share this with anyone that you know that might be looking for such a home. I wanted to showcase it, because I truly believe it is one of those properties that gets missed or push aside by those who don't have an interest in horses. Not everyone is enamored with a barn and corals, however if you are into horses or have ever paid the cost of boarding and upkeep, this may be your saving grace! I know when my sisters children were riding and competing, this was their dream to have a home and a barn. 

Typically most people feel that homes like this, are financially out of reach, however this one is priced at $614,900!  It is only about six miles from I-95 in Stafford Virginia. I know in my heart, once you see this home and these photos, there will be no stopping you!  You will want to walk the grounds and dream the dream. Just call me 703-851-3085 and let's go! I work as a Buyer's Agent for you.

The property boasts three picturesque acre's and outstanding views, two fenced pastures and a paddock, a stunning custom built barn with room for three horses, an office area ( or hobby room with loft) and plenty of parking for the trailer. Thorough out the barn area, there is attention to the smallest details,places for saddles and bits and water in the barn and along the fence line. Along with that , comes a custom built Mike Garcia  home with approximately 5000 finished square feet."This property is a rare find, a feast for the soul." For me it was difficult to leave. I wanted to go home,tell my husband we're putting our home on the market for sale and we're moving. I liked it that much, and I don't even have horses! What totally resonated with me was the quiet...oh my, the quiet. From the moment you drive up the picturesque drive past the corals and see the stunning landscaping you cannot help but be drawn to the barn. It is as if it is calling to you, "come inside, take a look"

• Three Rolling Acres
• Three Stall Barn, Office, Loft Storage
• Plenty of room for trailer parking along side of barn
• Barn comes complete with Barn Cat!
• Public Water
• Septic Tank-home perks for four bedrooms
• Room for a in-ground pool
• Massive Deck with Awning for entertaining
• Walkout Daylight finished lower level basement with bar.
• Brick Front Home with Side Load Garage
• Priced at $625,000!

Now let me tell you about the house. The house is not just any house, this one was built by Mike Garcia Homes, one of the finest builders in all of Northern Virginia. Mike Garcia homes have won some of the most prestigious awards such as Northern Virginia Builder Of The Year Award, and has held the honor of Southern Living Magazine's Choice for Exclusive Builder in Northern Virginia and for it's Southern Living Showcase Homes. Take a look at the photo's I took when I visited the property along with some of Joy's photo's that she took when she listed the home. Together these photo's may just make you say " I want that house!"If so, you better hurry, because it is priced to sell. It has recently been appraised by and FHA appraiser for $625,000, so I know personally that it is priced to sell. This house can be yours if you are pre-approved and ready to settle in thirty days or so.  Not eligible for an FHA Loan? Then use your VA Loan or Conventional Financing. Interest rates are at the lowest they have ever been and prices of homes are as well.  Get pre-approvedright now call Tom Halfpap of SunTrust Mortgage. Now don't forget, home-buyers are eligible for the Home Buyer Tax Credit. No matter whether you are a first time buyer or a move up buyer you stand to gain a nice windfall of cash after you settle. $8000 for a first time buyer $6500 for move up buyers. Read more to see if you qualify. 

                                              Click here to look at the photo tour

            Here is the listing as seen on FranklyMLS.com: MLS#ST71173575                                              

If this is a the kind of lifestyle you've been searching for. Then it's time to discover Seven Lakes Subdivision in Stafford Virginia. The community is tucked quietly a few miles off Rt 610 and Shelton Shop Rd, and features all acreage lots. Here is a current list of all the homes available in the 22556 zip code area of Stafford that are on acreage lots CLICK HERE.  Not sure you want to live in Stafford Virginia. Check out our website for all the amazing foreclosure properties and quick move-in homes in Prince William County Virginia. Read More

Remember, if you need help finding your dream home, I work as a Buyers Agent for you  and can show any home that is Actively For Sale in your price range.Just pick up the phone and give me a call.

Cell 703-851-3085  or contact me by email    

Contact Peggy James or Erick Blackwelder  of Erick and Company of Exit 1st Choice Realty, Woodbridge VA. Realtors®, call 703-851-3085 (Peggy) or 703-590-2252 (Office).If you are a homeowner who has a home to sell, we have  buyers ready and waiting for nice homes to come on the market. Give us a call and we can "GET YOUR HOME SOLD FAST" to list your property for sale we service  Lake Ridge, Westridge, Old Bridge Estates, River Falls, Middle County, Manassas, Manassas Park, Haymarket,Montclair, Dumfries, Occoquan, Dale City, Gainesville, Aquia Harbor, Garrisonville and Triangle area's . 
                                
                      

I wanted to pass this on to my readers. The post below was posted by Joseph Metzler a loan officer in Saint Paul Minnesota. The mortgagee letter explains in black and white the rules for being eligible for a new FHA Loan when you've sold your home by Short Sale.

If you have questions, you can contact Joseph Metzler in Minnesota or any of our local preferred Virginia mortgage loan officers.

• Three Finished Levels
• Walk up Basement Stairwell
• Two Car Garage Home
• Large Ground Level Deck On Rear Of Home
• MLS#PW7223217

Note: home is occupied with tenants and will be shown by appointment only until the New Year. This home is being sold by Short Sale .  Call for details.The purchaser who gets this home will need to be patient. Call our office for details.

If you cannot imagine waiting three months or so for a Short Sale home. There are other choices."Did you know that there are Approved Short Sale Homes?" These are homes where the bank has approved a price and the only thing that is needed is a buyer who will accept the terms and be willing to close quickly! 

                           Check out the list of Approved Short Sale Homes and Regular Owner Sales

For months Bank  Owned and Foreclosure inventory has been getting lower and lower almost to the point of seeing less than a dozen on the market. However in the past two weeks 74 Bank Owned Homes appeared in Multiple Listing Service that Realtors use to locate homes for consumers. Of that 54 are still actively available today.

If you are looking for a home it is time to take a few days off work and let's go look at homes in your price range. The prices on these homes will blow you away! Before we will take you out looking at homes you will need to have all your ducks in row . Otherwise you will loose out everytime. Only the home buyers who have been pre-approved for a home loan  get a shot at these amazing bank owned homes. The higher the price range right now appears to be the best value. Go figure! I guess banks don't want them on thier books.  It  is time to contact  one of these local loan officers will be happy to get your Pre-Approved today. Learn More

Who said the Real Estate Market is slow in December? Not this year...click on banner to accees the list.

Remember I'm only a phone call away if you need real estate help.

Call me, reach me direct at  703-851-3085    

   or contact me by email    

Contact Peggy James or Erick Blackwelder  of Erick and Company of Exit 1st Choice Realty, Woodbridge VA. Realtors®, call 703-851-3085 (Peggy) or 703-590-2252 (Office).If you are a homeowner who has a home to sell, we have  buyers ready and waiting for nice homes to come on the market. Give us a call and we can "GET YOUR HOME SOLD FAST" to list your property for sale we service  Lake Ridge, Westridge, Old Bridge Estates, River Falls, Middle County, Manassas, Manassas Park, Haymarket,Montclair, Dumfries, Occoquan, Dale City, Gainesville, Aquia Harbor, Garrisonville and Triangle area's . 
                                
                      

Yesterday I attended a home inspection for one of my clients.It was a lovely custom built resale home. During the inspection the inspector noted that many of the windows would fall when in the open position and several had size-able gaps allowing air flow in between the plastic jamb as well as small critters such as Lady Bugs inside the home.

My clients grew concerned, however the inspector quickly pointed out, the house was not very old and the windows just needed repair. None of the seals were broken, it was just a matter of getting the right parts to make the repairs.

He recommended "Blaines Window Repair." He explained that here in the Virginia area they are the only place that carries replacement parts for spring balances for window sashes.

He explained to the buyer that most people, just go to the local hardware store such as Home Depot or Lowes and when they do not find the part they need, they just live with windows that do not operate. 

All windows in a home must be operational and windows that come crashing down can hurt a child or even an adult. I remember recently my husband was in an upper bedroom hanging out the window with the leaf blower cleaning the leaves from the gutter. The window came crashing down on his head as he pulled himself back inside as he was getting done. Oh my, the words I could hear from upstairs! ( #++***!!!**#+++###!!!) Luckily he was just bruised and not hurt badly.

Tip For Sellers: if you have windows that fall, or do not open and are painted shut,  have them repaired before you list your home for sale. This is home owner maintenance.

I so glad I know the name of a company where we can get the part. Never assume you must replace the windows.

Vist their  website now

Remember I'm only a phone call away  if you need real estate help.

Call me, reach me direct at  703-851-3085    

   or contact me by email    

Contact Peggy James or Erick Blackwelder  of Erick and Company of Exit 1st Choice Realty, Woodbridge VA. Realtors®, call 703-851-3085 (Peggy) or 703-590-2252 (Office).If you are a homeowner who has a home to sell, we have  buyers ready and waiting for nice homes to come on the market. Give us a call and we can "GET YOUR HOME SOLD FAST" to list your property for sale we service  Lake Ridge, Westridge, Old Bridge Estates, River Falls, Middle County, Manassas, Manassas Park, Haymarket,Montclair, Dumfries, Occoquan, Dale City, Gainesville, Aquia Harbor, Garrisonville and Triangle area's . 
                                
                      

This past Thanksgiving I was searching the Internet for a few new recipe's. I stumbled upon Paula Dean's Cinnamon Spice Cake. I thought I'd give it a try, since the reviews were so good.

Oh my, oh my it was delicious. You've got to try it! The recipe is so easy. Enjoy!

Photo compliments of: Marsha D.

Ingredients:

• 1 (18-ounce) package spice cake mix              
• 1 (4 serving) package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup corn oil
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a 10-inch tube pan. Combine cake mix, instant pudding, sour cream, eggs, and corn oil and beat together well. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Pour half of batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with sugar mixture, reserving a little to sprinkle on top. Pour the rest of batter into pan and sprinkle with the rest of sugar mixture. Bake 1 hour. Let cool and remove from pan

Remember I'm only a phone call away if you need real estate help.

Call me, reach me direct at  703-851-3085    

   or contact me by email    

Contact Peggy James or Erick Blackwelder  of Erick and Company of Exit 1st Choice Realty, Woodbridge VA. Realtors®, call 703-851-3085 (Peggy) or 703-590-2252 (Office).If you are a homeowner who has a home to sell, we have  buyers ready and waiting for nice homes to come on the market. Give us a call and we can "GET YOUR HOME SOLD FAST" to list your property for sale we service  Lake Ridge, Westridge, Old Bridge Estates, River Falls, Middle County, Manassas, Manassas Park, Haymarket,Montclair, Dumfries, Occoquan, Dale City, Gainesville, Aquia Harbor, Garrisonville and Triangle area's . 
                                
                      

Calling to schedule an appointment to see the home you like, only  to learn the home is already Under Contract!  All that time wasted searching for the perfect home and you missed it. The whole process is giving you a headache?

  I understand. "My advice ...take two aspirin."

What most consumers do not realize is, when you search online and land on a  Realtors website, or a big search engine site, even Craigslist, chances are you are getting dated ( historical information).  It's called advertising. Many large search engines extract information and keep it posted to get you to call so they can capture you as a lead.

Why am I telling you this? Because I personally believe finding your home should be fun and exciting and local. It is important to work with a local Realtor who knows the area where you want to live.

Here is a tip for you. "Have you ever heard of FranklyMLS.com? Well if not, you are in for a home shopping treat." That is if you live in the Northern Virginia, Maryland or Washington DC Area.This is a consumer based MLS website, that gives you all the information you need and want on one page! No more searching tax sites, and map sites and then Realtor sites. This site is a real time information site and so much more. All the information is current and up to date.

Let me show you how it works.Today I searched for Homes For Sale in the area I service most in the Woodbridge, Lake Ridge, Virginia area. In this particular search I used the 22192 zip code area as an example.

The secret is to type in the wordActive 22192 and then select a price range, for this example I choose $250K-$700K price range. ( this way you do not get home that are already SOLD!)

Results in Gallery Format- this is for those who are searching for a particular style home. You know your dream home when you see it. Use Gallery Format, it's quick and easy.

Results in Spreadsheet Form. this is great for those of you who are analytical. You want to know all the background data, and the tax information and what it sold for before. It's all there.

Then there is Photo's and Gallery This is for the buyer who wants to have their cake and eat too. You get the the best of both the spread sheet and gallery search in one easy to view format.

 You can find these options right under the search space bar!

Another cool feature is you can sort the results  by any of these categories below!

Sort by:Listing/Desc Listing DOMm/Low DOMm/High DOMp/High Price/Low Price/High OriginalPrice/Low OriginalPrice/High Address Address/Desc City City/Desc Zip Zip/Desc Tax.A/Low Tax.A/High BDR/Low BDR/High Lot/Low Lot/High List$/Tax Low List$/Tax High List$/LastSold Built/Low Built/High SQFT/Low SQFT/High Subdiv./Asc Subdiv./Desc # Views/Low # Views/High Last$Change OpenHouse Low OpenHouse High WalkScore Low WalkScore High Pix/Low Pix/High CloseDate High ListDate High Sold$/Low Sold$/High 
Hopefully this little post helped you learn something new today.   Now remember I work as a Buyer Agent in the Woodbridge, Lake Ridge, Manassas area. Basically all of Eastern Prince William County and Stafford Virginia.  I know real estate, and have helped hundreds of folks find homes. If you would like a strong negotiator working to help you attain your goals, then let's talk.      

I am not affilated with FranklyMLS.com. However I am one  the WikiMLS Top 10 Buyer Agent Contributors on Franks LLosa's website. What that means is this. When you go to the front page of FranklyMLS.com, on the right hand site you will find Realtors who are working hard everyday in Real Estate, making sure consumers like you get good information. Each of these Realtors comment on homes they visit. How cool is that?  Only Realtors who are pounding the streets and entering comments and feedback for buyers get showcased on Franklymls.com. Realtors can buy positions there. Soy you can trust that these Realtors are the ones who are working hard for buyers just like you. When you are thinking of buying a home in Northern Virginia,Maryland, Washington DC, Stafford  or Prince William County VA you may want to consider contacting one of these agents. If you click on the number to the right of their names you will see the homes they have visited and the comments made! You the consumer get to read what a Buyer Agent saw when they showed the home. Not only that it gives you an in-site to that agent as well, visit their website, Google them to see if they are someone you want to work with.This is the coolest most innovative site that is available to you the consumer. Enjoy!

   If you are looking for a home in Prince William County or the Stafford  Virginia area, I can help you. 

Call me, reach me direct at  703-851-3085    

   or contact me by email    

Contact Peggy James or Erick Blackwelder  of Erick and Company of Exit 1st Choice Realty, Woodbridge VA. Realtors®, call 703-851-3085 (Peggy) or 703-590-2252 (Office).If you are a homeowner who has a home to sell, we have  buyers ready and waiting for nice homes to come on the market. Give us a call and we can "GET YOUR HOME SOLD FAST" to list your property for sale we service  Lake Ridge, Westridge, Old Bridge Estates, River Falls, Middle County, Manassas, Manassas Park, Haymarket,Montclair, Dumfries, Occoquan, Dale City, Gainesville, Aquia Harbor, Garrisonville and Triangle area's .