Lake Ridge Virginia Real Estate Help For Sellers and Buyers

I've seen a lot of homes in my day and very few surprise me.  Well let's just say " my jaw dropped when  the homeowners gave me a tour." The home is nothing like the homes we've sold in the neighborhood in the past two years. 

The only thing that came out of my mouth was " Oh My!" Especially when I saw the expansive addition, the back staircase, the stunning master bedroom additions, all the remodeled baths, the landscape, the patio, the detached garage with lift and who can forget the dog wash station in the two story mud room! 

Have I peaked you're interest? This home will be Open Sunday January 15th, 2012 from 1-4pm. Come see it.

MLS# PW7754284

To view more photo's of this home simply click here

Or just use your iPhone and scan this with your QR Reader

You can also read what Erick Blackwelder has to say about this home.

He walked it the other day with his camera in hand. Read more..

The home in the photograph is For Sale right now in Woodbridge Virginia. It is a rare find because it boasts a contemporary floor plan. Don't you just love the high ceilings?This is the perfect home for someone who hates living in a colonial box. Maybe you are  about to relocate with the BRAC or have moved here already from California, or Colorado or even Florida.  All you want is a home that offers volume ceilings and room to spread our a little. Your striving to find a home that matches your casual lifestyle and gives you a place to put up your huge Christmas Tree  that you have used for years. Well, you don't compromise on that wish here. This is  "regular owner"sale. That means if you make an offer on this home,and you and the seller agree to terms, you could be moving in just in time for the holdidays!

So why not give yourself a gift this Christmas? A new home....

Would Three Bedroom, three and half baths and a two car garage work for you?

This home is located at 3469 Lacrosse Ct, Woodbridge Virginia. in Beau Ridge Estates off Cardinal Drive. Centrally located between Fort Belvior Virginia and Quantico Virginia. It is listed by Judy Hazelow of Park Hill Properties,LLC. Click here to view everything about this house MLS# PW7680013

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The schools that service this home are:

• Fitzgerald ES  703-583-4195
• Rippon Middle 703-491-2171
• Potomac High 703-441-2200

***Interested in seeing this home? Well, I will be happy to work for you as your Buyers Agent****
 

Single Family Homes For Sale Right Now-Between $300,000 and $350,000 -Start Search

The Newest Market Stats are out from RBI ( Real Estate Business Intelligence) an MRIS company. Today I am featuring the Northern Virginia report. This report includes Prince William, Manassas and Massassa Park Virginia.

I love this months review, that's because the news is pretty much all good in the real estate world. The commentator brings up a good point. If the weather man reports on the morning news it is raining in Florida, do you automatically grab your umbrella when you head out the door to head to work here in Prince William County Virginia?

Of course not!

"So don't just consider what you hear about the real estate market, all the doom and gloom relates to your area. It may not.Real Estate is local. It always has been and always will be."

Watch this video to learn " What happening with our local Prince William County Real Estate Market." Here are the highlights.

• Inventory is down 22.6% since last year overall in the Northern Virginia Market!
• We are nearing and under six month supply in many price points! ( I've personally experienced mutilple bid situations lately when working with buyers)
• Home values have increased for two years in a row!
• Interest Rates are historically low...around four percent!
• The market continues to teeter on a balanced market. ( this is great for both buyers and sellers)
• We are experiencing appraisals coming in at or above list prices.

Now is the time to list your home if you are thinking of selling. Take advantage of the low inventory and sell your home fast.

Other related posts you may like:

• The Lake Ridge Virginia Luxury Home Report ($500,000 and above home sales)
• Learn about the Winter Advantage in Real Estate
• Learn how Erick and Company can Sell Your Home Fast

Wow, that's a loaded question and one that we get all the time.  "The caller has been approved to purchase a home up to $650,000 with VA Financing. So you would think they would have a lot of choices, right? Well, not so in Fairfax County, Virginia and not when you consider what he is looking for and where."

The caller stated, they have looked at countless homes online and cannot seem to find the type of home they would like to live in. They were looking for a relatively short commute to Fort Belvior in Lorton Virginia, yet they wanted a newer home, with a half acre yard or more, and they would prefer a planned community atmosphere. Not to mention they strongly desired a neighborhood school.

Trust me that is a tall order close to Fort Belvior,Virginia. You can find many wonderful older homes built in the late 1970's and early 1980's. (see chart below) Some have been remodeled, some not. All have small rooms, and far less amenities that today's homes have. If you are willing to consider an older home, many boast nice landscaped lots. There are also new homes new home with luxury baths, big closets, spacious open floor-plans,however you will need to compromise on lot size and the planned community idea.

The callers says.."Peggy I have looked at so many homes online, are their any other options we are not looking at. Can you help us? "

I love when I get that question!

My first questions is where do you want to draw the line? Literally, I can show them on a map just how futile their search is. I can take them out of their misery and help them start dealing with the reality of what they want vesus what Fairfax County Virginia has to offer compared to just ten miles down the road in Prince William County, Virginia. 

This was his reality! I shared with the caller, let do a map search by drawing a line on our Search For Homes Map Based Web Search below you can see you are really looking for a needle in a haystack!

Notice: You the buyer have the power to move the lines where ever you want on this Map Based Web Search to accomplish your goal. This helps you get a feel for our real estate market conditions. Don't hesitate to set up a custom search.

Click on the map above to see the results of this Active Search!

Now the next step is to save that search! Why? Because you will be updated by the MLS System when a homes status changes, of any price reductions and any and all new listings that enter the MLS Database that match your search criteria!" Never miss your dream home again."

                            Do you have questions? Call 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, Quantico, Fort Belvior, Occoquan, Dale City, Gainesville, Aquia Harbor, Garrisonville and Triangle area's . 
                                
         

That's a great question. And recently, I was one of few pprivileged REALTORS®, who were in attendance at RGS Title in Lake Ridge Virginia where a Wachovia Short Sale Manager was the guest speaker.

The gentleman was there to assist REALTORS® ,who are trying to help homeowners in the Prince William County, Virginia area who may need to sell by short sale. The meeting was very informative.

So if you need help and are facing a financial hardship, don't wait call me. "In fact I can have a Wachovia Short Sale Manager come meet with you personally to discuss your options and so you can learn personally from him what your options are." This a bank who has people in the field, on the ground ready to help you.

Do you or does anyone you know have a Wachovia Pick-A-Pay Loan ?  If so, please know that if you are falling behind or are finding it difficult to make ends meet or your loan is about to reset, their is a very good chance we can get you an determination in days note weeks or months.  

I can say from personal experience when assisting a local homeowner just recently. The Short Sale Process with Wachovia/ Wells Fargo was a very quick process. From list date to closing was less than 60 days. Read More

If you are falling behind or have suffered a hardship, don't wait. 

Let's talk about your options.

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

Contact Peggy James or Erick Blackwelder  of Erick and Company - Exit 1st Choice Realty,14029 Crossing Place,Woodbridge Virginia 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.

I have questions for anyone who has ever purchased a home.

1. When did you purchase your first home?
2. Do you remember what the interest rate was at the time?
3. What was your motivation to buy a home back then? 

My twin sister Patty and I purchased our first home in our mid 20's. The newspaper clipping to the right, is the townhome we purchased in the early 80's as first time buyers when we relocated to Northern Virginia from Upstate New York.

Below is a graph from Money Cafe, that shows you what the current interest rates are doing. Believe it or not mortgage rates are at historically low rates.

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Find more information at Money Cafe

Bottom line, interest rates will rise and fall and yet throughout history people still buy and sell homes. Back in the 1980's we were waitresses making a minimum wage of $3.10 an hour plus tips and yet we knew we wanted our own home. We purchased for just under $100,000. We lived in that home for many wonderful years. Today even with the economy the way it has been, that home has more than doubled in price and the current market value is over $250,000! The reality is, if we had kept that home it would be paid off by now.But that's a whole other blog post!

At what interest rate did you buy your first home and what motivated you to purchase a home?

If you are thinking it is time to consider buying a home, the first step is to learn what your buying power is. Markita Aldridge-Woods of Westar Mortgage here in Lake Ridge Virginia has helped many of our clients with getting a home loan Read more here

                                                                Need Help?

 Don't hesitate to 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 Virginia 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,

Terrylynn Harrell the broker owner of Exit 1st Choice Realty treated her top producing Realtors for the month of July, to a luncheon on The Odyssey on the Potomac. Top Producing Realtors were The Blackwelder Team ,Don Rattarre, John and Valarie Meyers, Luisa Rodriques, Marjorie Chacon. Also in attendance were our broker Terrylynn Harrell, associate broker Michael Adams, co-owner Russell Dillard and several strategic partners.

Unbelievably for most of us this was our first time on The Odyssey.  What we all chuckled about at lunch is that most of us are so busy handling the tasks of everyday, we forget to take time out to enjoy the Nations Capitol and all it has to offer. I for one was so bogged down with work and was grumbling this morning I had to much to do. That sentiment was shared by Valarie Meyers as well. However, I learned a valuable lesson today. Sometimes...Realtors need to schedule time for themselves.

It was a perfect day to be on the Potomac. The weather was gorgeous, the food delicious and that band on board that ship was fabulous! 

Our broker Terrylynn always says folks "we work so that means we get to play hard!" She always has something up her sleeve. I was totally amazed recently at a office party when they broke out the Karaoke Machine! That is one thing I love about affiiating with Exit Realty, they Terrylynn goes out of her way to make sure her Realtors are happy and heading in the right direction.

Learn why both Erick Blackwelder and I switched to Exit Realty

Contact Peggy James or Erick Blackwelder  of Erick and Company - Exit 1st Choice Realty,14029 Crossing Place,Woodbridge Virginia 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,

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 $2.9 million 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. 

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!

 Search all available Luxury Homes in Prince William County VA right here

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.

What a difference a new year makes! Last year and the year before trying to sell your home was a miserable experience for both the homeowner and the Realtor. Values were way down, buyers were few and far between and loans programs were scarce. However a lot has changed for the better. Lately Real Estate is beginning to feel more like a normal balanced Real Estate Market. Something we haven't experienced in a long time.

I've been making some "Happy Calls" to homeowners!     

For homeowners who have equity in their homes ( those who purchased before 2003)  things are looking up. Homes are selling, loans are being granted and real estate is moving again. Many homeowners are beginning to realize it is a very good time to sell and move-up to a larger home. Or possibly downsize or relocate. Things you could only dream about doing over the past three years are now possible. That move you want, that house you want are now within your grasp.

For example in the past 30 days:

• Calling the owners of  4106 Cardinal Drive to share with them "Their Home Appraised for $400,000!" Was a delightful call. Even with several short sales nearby priced much less, I suggested the try $399,900 since their home was so nice. The great news is the VA Appraiser agreed! We'll be heading to settlement within a two weeks!
• I was able to give the folks at 11543 HillMeade Lane the great news. When I listed the home,just half a block away there was a  foreclosure listing similar to theirs that was priced under $140,000. I suggested they list at $259,900. "Their Home Appraised for $260,000!"
• The folks at 12496 Sulky Ct were able to pack up and move to Illinois because no only did we get their price, we negotiated away closing costs because of multiple offers! The home appraised at $330,000! That home settled already.
• Thursday night I called the owner of 5155 Bobcat Ct, and told them the buyers accepted their counter! So their home went under contract in just 7 days!

In each of those examples above were in neighborhoods where short sale and foreclosure homes were all around. However I am a firm believer that as your Realtor it is my duty to try and get you the most the market will bare. Each of the homes above were in excellent condition and well maintained. We priced the homes right at market of just a tad below to generate interest. It worked! Each of these owners are thrilled with the outcome and all will be moving soon.

Here is  TFP: "Tip From Peg"

If you are a homeowner who is not fortunate enough to have equity in your home. Selling by short sale may be your answer. There is no shame in selling by short sale. We list them and sell them just like every other house. The only difference is, we need your mortgage company to approve your short sale. So whatever you do, don't sell yourself short just because you are selling by short sale!

Do you need help? Would you like to work with a positive person who will help you get your home sold.

Then give us a call. You don't just get me, Erick and Company is a family real estate team.

                              You Can Reach me direct at 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.