This week I am starting a blog series called This Weeks Caller. Everyday, I get calls from home buyers and sellers who have questions about the market. Over the past month, I have featured one call a week on the front of our website in the yellow box called This Weeks Caller.
These are some of the calls, questions I answered this week:
#1.-I would like to see a Foreclosure Home. It is Vacant. Can't you just give me the code?
My answer to this one is absolutely NO.The caller said but my other REALTOR® ( friend of the family who I hate...just gave us the code to get in) I said well not this REALTOR®. If you would like to see a home for sale, I will be more than happy to show it to you. Please forward your pre-approval letter to me, and then we can set up a time.
#2- Is there a way to buy a home with a low down payment and avoid PMI?
You might be surprised to know the answer is yes! ACACIA Federal Savingsis offering a five percent down loan with no PMI read more here
#3. Will the landlord of 11166 Alendale Ctwait until my lease ends at the end of August ?
11166 Alendale Ct off Davis Ford Rd, in Manassas is now Vacant and Ready for new tenants. The home was listed at $2400 a month and has just been reduced to $2200. I will check with the landlord however what you are asking them to do is SUCK up two months of mortgage payments waiting for your lease to end. I will let you know what they say.
#4. Peggy, your name was given to me by the owners of 3388 Vineland Place. Can you help me?
My answer was of course we can. Thank you for calling. Can you do me a favor, just fill out this formso I can better serve you. In less than a few days, that caller has now talked with a loan officer, and has received information on the value of their current home and is looking forward to purchasing a move up home.
#5. Peggy, why do you use those Ugly Yellow Signs on the weekends?
This call was from the homeowners who's home I have just listed. I mistakenly forgot to share with her why I use the Ugly Yellow corrugated directional signs on weekends to bring attention to her home. She called all upset saying she pulled them all up. Read what my answer was
#6. Hi, Can You Give Me The Number For the HOA in Princeton Woods.
It was from another local REALTOR®who was frustrated trying to find the management company for a community. The good news is I had the answer. I directed here to the PWAR HOA Database
Have a question? Let's talk contact me by email or call 703-851-3085.
Contact Peggy James or Erick Blackwelder of Erick and Company of Exit 1st Choice Realty, 14029 Crossing Place,Woodbridge VA. Realtors®, call 703-851-3085 (Peggy) or 703-590-2252(Office).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, Garrisonville and Triangle area's
Find out what's for sale today in Woodbridge Virginia Click here
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Do you need help? Have a question?
Just ask me peggy@erickandcompany.com
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Contact Peggy James or Erick Blackwelder of Erick and Company of Exit Choice Realty, Woodbridge VA. Realtors®, call 703-851-3085(Peggy) 703-590-2252 (Office).Give us a call and we can "GET YOUR HOME SOLD FAST"to list your property for sale we service Woodbridge, Lake Ridge, Westridge, Old Bridge Estates, River Falls, Middle County, Manassas,Gainesville, Garrisonville and Triangle area's.Basically all of Prince William County Virginia. Manassas Park, Haymarket,Montclair, Dumfries, Quantico, Fort Belvior, Occoquan, Dale City.
Good job, featured without a comment yet! ;-D You have a couple of broken links, in #2 and #5, at least I got errors when I tried to access them. Just thought you'd like to know! Congrats on the feature!
You fielded a lot of questions this week! Great answers for your prospects..
Loved your answers to the questions and the ugly yellow sign.
Have a great weekend.
As always, great job Peggy. Always providing great education to buyers and sellers who need it even if they don't know it!
Peggy, what a great idea for a blog series! We all laugh when I get calls thinking I am the movie theatre or a local restaurant! We all laugh.
Sharon
Hello Peggy,
Thanks for the great post today! and congrats on the feature as well.
I enjoyed the read the the comments.
Patricia Aulson/Seacoast NH & ME
Not surprised that this one is a feature. By the way Peggy I got this question today by a client of mine. "My co-worker wants to buy a townhouse in Stafford VA? The sign reads MB068522. What does MB068522? I told her that I don't know. Maybe you do because honestly speaking,I don't have a clue. Congratulations on your featured post. Have a great and safe 4th of July Weekend. Great post.
We certainly get a lot of questions every week. This is a great idea for posts....
Love your post about the ugly sign. It works...who cares if they are ugly.
Great post Peggy! Clearly your website is getting a lot of hits (thanks to Active Rain no doubt)!
Very good idea about the ugly signs! I am glad that your seller had a "light bulb" moment. And putting the question of the week on your blog also provides a reason for people to come back to your blog!
Hey, I like your "cheery yellow signs" :) If it results in a beautiful SOLD sign, who cares what those open-house signs look like, right?!
Peggy:
How about taking a picture of your "ugly yellow signs" I want to copy them. thanks for the post and have a fun and safe 4th.
That is an interesting idea for a blog series. Plus, you seem to have a lot of questions being asked. Happy 4th!
Peggy,
Great post! Happy 4th of July.
Good Monrning Everyone! This blog series occoured to me when I was sitting in the kitchen of one of my listing clients. She said " I went online to find answers to my questions about selling and buying my home. I wound up on a lot of canned websites. However when I got to your blog, I didn't leave. I learn alot and decided to call you."
Peggy, loved your question and answer blog! It reads as a conversation and gives so much info. As others, I truly enjoyed your post about yellow signs :)
Pat & Wayne, the links work. Chances are since both were AR Links to the outside blog it was just a hiccup. Try it again.
Ruthmarie-Thank you, I try. There were so many more. These were the one's off the top of my head.
Debra- Selling a home is a very emotional thing. Sellers work hard to make sure the home looks perfect. I understood her concern. However she hired me to get it sold. So I do what it takes.
Kieno-when we go to the Internet to find a new place to eat, a place to repair our car, we find local companies that can provide the service we need. When a potential seller or buyer lands on my local Lake Ridge VA real estate blog I want them to know they can call me to ask any real estate question. I'm sure folks looking is Ashburn would love to know you can answer their real estate questions.
Frank and Sharon-so true! Two weeks ago, someone wanted to know how they could join the Westridge Waves Swim Team.
Patricia- Thank you. I'm glad this is featured as well. Now only for active rain members but for readers as well. I want the shy reader or the person sitting at home wondering if they can buy or sell to call me. You never know until you ask.
Lanre- I think that # is from the Military By Owner website. Check..
Joan- Isn't is amazing?
Mike- Bingo!
Adam- exactly
Steve and Carol- we sell how this works. I also link one of the questions to our website as a Feature of the Week and that leads people directly to my local real estate blog as well.
Sonja- The Cheesy Yellow Signs are cheap and can be also be given out to clients and customers for their garage sales, block parties, welcome home directionals. I just keep a big box of them in my garage for when people need them.
Evelyn- these can work like a charm depending on where your property is. I just use step in wire frames and a blank yellow corrugated plastic sign.
Sandi- We do field alot of calls. And homeowners and home buyers call about renting, selling, buying, refinancing and how to do short sales. People find us and call to ask lots of questions.
Ron- Thanks same to you!
Congratulations on the featured post. These are good questions and answers for consumers.
Peggy - Featuring these questions on the homepage of your website is a great idea... and I like you're linking to the extended answers. I've been doing a weekly Q&A on my outside blog, and it's usually an extended answer to one questions. Maybe I'll give your strategy a try!
Hi Peggy,
Fun post!
Another answer to question #2 is HomePath. In our area we now have a lot of FNMA foreclosures, and they allow 3% down payments on their approved properties with no PMI at all, and no appraisal.
And, until the end of October, they are giving 3.5% for buyer closing costs, and a $1200 bonus to the buyers agent.
Phil
Good stuff, Peggy. Thanks for adding the links to your answers. And, thanks for including the "ugly yellow signs" from the previous post. 8-) Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, isn't it!
Peggy, these questions and answers will help other who may have the same questions. Good answers.
Anna- Thanks. People tell me that all the time. When they read my blog post they feel as if I am talking to them and they respond. Erick Blackwelder my partner says I have a folksy blog style. I let my customers and clients inspire my next blog posts. I'm sure people find you when they are looking for homes in the Boston Metro West area as well. My neice is moving that way soon. I may need your help.
Gita-I think it is important for consumers to know that the REALTOR® who write blogs are plugged in with today's real estate market conditions and are accessible. In fact every REALTOR®, who has commented on this post is one you should consider calling to interview if you are getting ready to sell or buy. Tip From Peg for consumers (TIP): always Google the REALTOR® you are thinking of hiring.
Cheryl-I think every blogger should do a series like this.
Margaret-Adding the Q & A to the website and linking it to Active Rain, just helps the website be less canned. I also post my latest blog post on my Facebook Page
Phil-Have you had any luck with the HOMEPATH Financing? I know the lenders here are having a tough time with it. Share how it is working in for you in Kirkland Washington area. I'm so curious.
Mike-So true. I shared with my customer. Those ugly yellow signs are a pattern interrupt. When someone has been pre-approved for a home loan. Their Reticular Activator kicks into high gear. What is that you say? That is the part of your brain that heightens your awareness. ( I feel another blog post coming on!)
Sorry, I wasn't logged in!
Nope, the links still don't work. I keep getting this message:
Oops! Google Chrome could not find lakeridgevarealestatenews.com
Even after clearing cache and cookies. Must be a Chrome issue, no worries.
Pat and Wayne- I gave up on Google Chrome. The reason it has so many issues especially with Zip Forms. Maybe the AR Gods can look into this issue. Sorry you are having issue with the links.
Cindy- I'm sure the readers in the Carmel Indiana area would love to know their is a REALTOR®, who is ready and willing to answer their questions and take their calls. I look forward to ready what questions folks have in Indiana.
Peggy- what a great idea to set up a blog section talking about the questions you get on a daily basis. You know if you're getting them, most of us are as well so it's entertaining to read yet somewhat comforting to know we're not alone!
I think I'm off to make some ugly yellow signs right now! Great idea for a series!
Selling in the Sarasota area of Florida which is beginning to recover a bit quicker than the rest of the state, the phone calls that we get from the media soaked buyers up North still revolve around their belief that no matter what the listing is priced at, they should be able to pick it up for about 50%. There could be volumes written on the time wasted researching properties for buyers who just do not understand that the prices in many cases are actually very close to the selling price that does eventually happen! Thanks for an affirmation that I am not the only one getting some of the questions you have so well addressed.
Interesting week of questions. It seems like question number one comes up a lot! Why people think they can go into vacant homes without a realtor is always a surprise to me.
Call #1 is one we get a lot. Buyers think if it's vacant, why can't you just let me in, and give me the code? NO WAY. Sorry.
Peggy, just as an FYI to #2, there are many programs that will allow for a buyer to avoid PMI with as little as 3% down not including USDA and VA that will go 0% down. I will be happy to discuss them with you.
Peggy Loved your Q&A blog, we sure do get a varried group of questions thrown at us each week.
Peggy,
What a great idea for a blog series!!! We get questions from Buyers & Sellers all the time and I am sure many more out there have similar questions. Thank you for sharing this!
We get all sorts of questions in this business. Some good, some completely off the wall. Looks like your doing a good job handling them all!
Peggy, this is a great idea for a blog series! I read your conversation with the homeowner about the "ugly yellow signs" ... another great idea and the way you gradually allowed the seller to come to the same conclusion was priceless! I only wish you had included a picture of the signs. :-)