This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. For a more complete picture of home sales in your neighborhood, contact her on Reston Real Estate.

While helping a couple narrow down the focus of their Reston home search recently, the husband made a statement that he would never own a condominium because the fees were in his opinion “a total rip-off.”

As a condo dweller and active in my condo for years, I’ve heard this sentiment on condo fees many times before.

When you own a townhouse or a single family home you understand that sooner or later you will have to replace your water heater, roof, windows, siding, appliances. Hopefully you have a financial plan that allows you to save for the replacement of things as they wear out. It is a “pay me now or pay me later” situation, but you are going to pay.

When you defer home maintenance you won’t get top dollar for your property when you go to sell. Most people would prefer to save a little bit each month in anticipation of home repairs rather than face a large unplanned expense. Condo management requires this forced savings.

Every year condominiums (in Virginia) are required to confirm that they are reserving enough money to repair, replace and maintain the property. If a condo has not adequately reserved (saved) the money needed to make repairs and has a sudden failure in a common element, it must make a special assessment in order to make whatever repairs are needed to maintain the property.

So, a rip-off? Not if your property is properly maintained.

What are my condo fees paying for anyway?

In a condominium, the fees fund two categories: operating expense and reserve funds. The operating expenses are the monthly costs required for trash, grounds maintenance and snow removal, administration and condo management.

The reserve funds represent the anticipated cost of replacing and repairing common elements of the property like roofs, sidewalks and elevators. The amount of money needed in the reserve fund is determined by a study which by law, is undertaken at least every 5 years for the purpose of determining how much money is needed to repair, replace and restore the capital components of the property. Every year condominiums (in Virginia) are required to review their study results and confirm that they are reserving enough money to repair, replace and maintain the property.

Before you choose this form of own ownership consider:

• Condo life involves a lot of governance
• Well-run condos always include an active membership

Some leadership decisions might be unpopular, but ultimately protect the membership from unplanned assessments by insuring that reserves are adequate to meet the expected and unexpected repairs

When looking at condominium ownership, you will have a chance to review a resale package that will include the condominium bylaws, rules and regulations, current financial reports and audited financial reports. Review these carefully looking for potential problems. Questions to ask should include:

• What do the audited financial statements say about the reserve funds? Are they adequate?
• What major projects/repairs are anticipated for the upcoming year?
• What projects were completed in the prior year?

The other thing to consider is what type of condo environment are you looking at? Is there a doorman or a concierge? The cost of people always goes up, so if you are looking at a condo with these types of amenities you should expect a slow steady rise in condo fees. Read More

This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. For a more complete picture of home sales in your neighborhood, contact her on Reston Real Estate.

Urban planning and architectural students study Reston, VA for a reason — some of Reston’s early designs were groundbreaking.

Hickory Cluster, the first development in Reston, is one. Designed by the famous architect Charles Goodman, they represent why Goodman’s early designs changed the way developments were planned.

Architectural historian Elizabeth Jo Lample noted in Housing Washington, “The appeal of living in a Goodman house is enormous to those who share his avant-garde spirit, plus his ideals for openness, engagement with nature and liberal social values… To those who are fortunate enough to obtain them, his dwellings feel like highly livable works of art, glazed conduits to the natural world.”

One of Goodman’s trademarks is the way he used the land.

In Hickory Cluster, he arranged groups of townhouses around intricately paved terraces, which in turn are leveled into a wooded hilltop. Overlooking Lake Anne Village Center, the Hickory Cluster townhomes features sharp changes in the rooflines, varying sizes and contrasting textures.

The homes come in a variety of designs with 2, 3 or 4 bedrooms, rooftop terraces, balconies, playrooms, private studies, family rooms and recreation rooms.

The cluster backs up to Reston Association path and is just a short walk to Lake Anne, Reston Town Center and Lake Anne Elementary School. The Reston Station, Silver Line Metrorail, is a five minute drive and Dulles International Airport is within 15 minutes by car.

Charles Goodman also designed Hollin Hills, a single family home development in Alexandria VA. For an up close look at Hollin Hills be sure to check out the Hollin Hills House and Garden Tour this April 28th.

Like Hickory Cluster these homes have stood the test of time with spaces that feel just as relevant today as they did more than 50 years ago.

Visit the Hickory Cluster website to learn more about this historic, and beautiful, Reston community.

This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. For a more complete picture of home sales in your neighborhood, contact her on Reston Real Estate.

Reston is one of those places where people buy a home and then live in it for 50 years.

While many houses on the market in Reston have been renovated, at least in the last 15 years, chances are you’ll fall in love with a home that needs some work. Since fixer uppers tend to sell for less than a renovated home, the thought of buying one is attractive.

I help clients work through the pros and cons of buying a fixer upper every day, and here’s what I tell them.

Buying a fixer upper

First, you need to be honest about how much of a project you can take on. If you really don’t have the time or desire to do the work yourself, don’t buy a house based on doing the work yourself. That’s a good way to end up living another 15 years with a kitchen from 1970.

Before you buy, try to get an estimate of how much the renovations will cost you. Talk to friends who have done similar renovations. Or try this free estimator (it’s basic, but it’s a place to start). You may find that they add up to the difference between the fixer upper and a renovated home. Of course, for someone who’d like to have work done exactly how they’d like it, that might not matter.

When to consider a fixer upper

• You’ve always wanted a specific type of kitchen, bathroom, deck, etc. (maybe you dream of Viking appliances and granite counters). This is a great opportunity to spend a little less on the purchase of your home and funnel that extra money into getting what you really want.
• When the repairs are actually very superficial. It can be hard to imagine how wonderful your living room is if it’s painted a color you hate or has unappealing wall paper. But paint is a simple fix and it will change the look of your whole house.
• When the structure is good, and things just need an overhaul. If the kitchen layout works for you and the cabinets are in good condition, getting new appliances, counters and painting is easy… and well worth the effort to freshen the house.
• If this is your dream house in your dream neighborhood. If you really love this house, then you should live in it!

Know when to walk away (or at least consider it)

There are some fixer upper scenarios that you really shouldn’t take on.

• A bad roof or ancient heating/air conditioning systems: Both of these are very expensive repairs. If the house you want needs a new ones, negotiate that into your price.
• Foundation issues:If you’ve got a bad foundation, it is very time consuming to fix it. Your home inspection will turn up any problems and if it does, consider very carefully if you love the house enough to deal with the headache.
• Old electrical systems: Older homes can have faulty wiring and electrical panels that could pose a risk of electrical fire. Your home inspection will reveal whether this is an issue to consider.

My advice: avoid structural issues that will cause you headaches for years — and may make it difficult to sell your house later. But other than that, if you really are handy or you have a great contractor, fixer uppers are a great investment.

See more at: http://allrestonrealestate.com/blog/#sthash.7Gi37GGz.dpuf

This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. For a more complete picture of home sales in your neighborhood, contact her on Reston Real Estate.

Most of the Reston condominiums built in the 1970’s look nondescript from the outside. There is no way around it — they are boxy and plain. But if you take the time to go inside, you will be pleasantly surprised. Vantage Hill is a wonderful example of this.

Vantage Hill sits on 15 beautifully wooded acres that have been designated a Backyard Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. That’s 15 acres for 152 units or, more than 4,000 square feet of open space per unit — hard to come by in Reston these days!

And then there are the spacious interiors. These may be condominiums, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up space. The units are generally 2 or 3 bedrooms with generous floor plans, ample closets and spacious kitchens.

One of the beautiful things about these older condominiums many of them have been updated — new kitchens, new bathrooms and new flooring. It’s the best of both worlds — the solid construction and beautiful landscape of the 70’s with the beautiful interiors and modern designs of today.

There are 5 Vantage Hill condo’s for sale ranging from 2 bedroom 1.5 bath for $169,000 to a 1 bedroom 1 bath unit for $249,000.

Utilities are included in the condo fees. Vantage Hill is located between Reston Town Center and Lake Anne Village Center, with an easy walk to either. It’s about a five-minute walk to Lake Anne Elementary School. Older children attend Langston Hughes Middle School and South Lake High School.

This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. For a more complete picture of home sales in your neighborhood, contact her on Reston Real Estate.

In Reston we have a number of apartments that were built in the 1970’s that converted to condominiums in the late 1980’s: Vantage Hill, Park Crest and Ivy Oak are just a few of them.

As a Realtor, I always find them interesting. They are mostly tan brick with the ever present Reston Brown trim. They tend to be a little on the boxy side, a little on the plain side; but most of them are set on really large land parcels. Some are set in the woods, others have open park like areas but they all have a lot of open space.

Vantage Hill sits on 15 beautifully wooded acres that has been designated a Backyard Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. That’s 15 acres for 152 units or more than 4,000 square feet per unit. I don’t know where else you’d find anything approaching that amount of open space in a more recently built condominium.

The other surprise of these 1970’s conversions is on the inside. By today’s standards these units are really large. Ivy Oak units range from 1,760-1,875 square feet. Ivy Oak is also unique because they are townhouse style condominiums; they are on 2 levels so you don’t have someone living above you. The floor plan on the main level is very open and many have wood burning fireplaces. When you look at the money for the space and the physical settings of these communities, they stack up pretty well against their more contemporary counterparts.

We all know the old adage of not judging a book by its cover — the same is true for property. You do yourself a disservice when you refuse to view a property based solely on your response to the outside. Take a look, and then decide.

Vantage Hill, Parkcrest and Ivy Oak owners, tell us what you love about your neighborhood.

This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. For a more complete picture of home sales in your neighborhood, contact her on Reston Real Estate.

In real estate, one of the things that agents look for in buyers and sellers is motivation. People have to have sufficient motivation to put themselves through the challenges associated with buying or selling a home. It’s a lot of work.

While there are a few that seem to enjoy moving, most of us require some serious reasons to uproot ourselves and move. Home buyers and sellers are almost always going through some large life event — a change that is big enough to generate the necessary motivation to go through the process of buying or selling. It might be a happy change, a new baby, a new job, a new season in life; or it might be a sad change, the loss of partner, a job, an illness, a death.

Whatever the change, it makes the work of being a Realtor interesting. Agents get to walk along side and hopefully be of some assistance in someone else’s transition. Good agents will take the time to understand the forces behind the deal rather than focusing exclusively on how many bedrooms and bathrooms are needed.

Communication is a tricky process; unless an agent gets behind the “what” and digs into the “need” there’s no way to help a buyer get to the best home choice. Buyers in particular have a tendency to translate their wants into a list of rooms that a prospective house must have. So the need for a home office often gets described as an additional bedroom when in fact all kinds of space might work equally well as a home office.

It’s the agents’ job to get the buyer to go a little deeper in explaining how they will use the space that the buyer says they need. On the selling side it’s the agents’ job to help the sellers present their homes in ways that will demonstrate flexibility in how spaces can be used.

If you’re entering the market to buy or sell, you’ll set yourself up to succeed by being open to suggestions. If you’re buying, agree to see properties that on the surface might not seem to fit. If you’re selling hear your agent out when they make recommendations on how to present your home; they’re working for you.

This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. For a more complete picture of home sales in your neighborhood, contact her on Reston Real Estate.

I don’t typically hold to the notion that one time of year is better for selling your home verses another. For as long as I’ve been selling real estate, I have always had at least one transaction around the Winter holidays, but conventional wisdom says that there is something magical about Spring.

As of this writing, there are 55 days until Spring. I have two listing appointments next with sellers that want to go over what they should do to get their property ready for the Spring market. They’ll be surprised when they find there is a long list of “to dos” to get a house ready for the market.

The first place to start is by cleaning. I don’t the mean the vacuum & dusting kind of cleaning; I mean the scrub the grout with a tooth brush kind of cleaning. I mean you do your best imitation of your crazy Aunt Saddie with the obsessive compulsive cleaning disorder kind of cleaning.

Some clients opt for hiring a cleaning crew; if you’re going to do that you should de-clutter your house before bringing in a cleaning professional; and if your “to do” list includes painting save the professional cleaning for the last item on your list.

So what does the typical seller “to do” list look like?

• Reduce contents of all closets by half. Stuffed closets speak to prospective buyers they say, “this house doesn’t have enough storage.” Which may not be the case, maybe you’re just really bad about getting rid of the excess we all seem to accumulate.
• Neutralize your home: Pre-pack most of your personal items like family photos, your ceramic frog collection and other things that can distract buyers from seeing the house
• 50% of the houses I see prior to listing need to be painted — Go neutral.
• Be prepared to put furniture and other items in storage.
• Thoroughly clean and organize the utility areas of your home, including the area around the furnace and water heater.
• Clean everything — every, nook, cranny, light switch cover, door jam, door knobs, everything.

A super clean and orderly home says, “I have been well maintained.” A clean house reduces buyer anxiety.

One of the first things I do for clients after signing a listing agreement is to drop off 100 office sized boxes to be used to de-clutter, or as we like to call it, pre-packing. A home that is free of clutter makes room for the prospective buyer to mentally picture themselves in that home; which in turn helps to move the buyer from thinking to acting… writing a contract.

The more you can do, clean, organize, neutralize, paint, upgrade, the faster your home will go from being on the market to sold.

This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. For a more complete picture of home sales in your neighborhood, contact her on Reston Real Estate.

When Your Cluster Board Won’t Keep Things Up…

Living in a townhouse means that you live in very, very close proximity to your neighbors. It also means that what your neighbors do or don’t do will have an impact on you and on your home’s value.

I recently showed a great townhouse in the Lake Anne area. The place itself was in fairly good shape — it needed some updates but generally it wasn’t too bad. What stopped the buyer wasn’t that the home needed a new kitchen, it was that the areas of the property that are owned in common, the parking lots, sidewalks, retaining walls, large trees and even light poles all needed attention, everything looked under cared for and a little worn.

I started looking more closely; the buyer was right. The asphalt in the parking area was in kind of shabby condition at best, the sidewalks needed power washing, the light poles were peeling, the trees needed trimming and a few significant retaining walls were in bad shape.

The buyer asked me to get information about how the Cluster Board was going to address these issues. The listing agent relayed there was no active plan in place to address any of the issues my buyer identified. End result; the buyer just couldn’t get comfortable with the lack of action on obvious maintenance issues and so decided to keep looking.

Neglecting your property has consequences. Next to location, condition is the next single biggest factor in determining if your property will fetch a price at the top of your market range or at the bottom of your market range. When you live in a townhouse this means that it’s not only the condition of your home that counts; it’s the condition of all of the property you own in common with your neighbors.

So, what do you do when the “powers that be” don’t or won’t take action to address maintenance issues?

I think the first thing to do is to read and understand your Cluster Bylaws and to know your Cluster financials. Most Cluster Bylaws state specifically that the Board is directly responsible for maintaining the commonly owned parts of the property in a way that keeps it safe and that maintains and enhances the property values. It’s important to know your Cluster financials because if the Board has been under reserving, (not saving enough for repairs, replacement and maintenance), the problem is bigger than just inactivity.

The next thing to do is to get involved. Cluster Boards are notoriously over committed. Volunteer to get bids for work that needs doing, organize a Cluster clean up day and be willing to participate on committees. Do not just be a person that complains.

And If That Doesn’t Work…

It’s time for a Coup. Organize your like minded neighbors, identify candidates and get them elected to the Board. In most communities this isn’t too difficult to do. I think that 99% of what doesn’t get done is really a function of inertia and a lack of leadership. Read More

This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. For a more complete picture of home sales in your neighborhood, contact her on Reston Real Estate.

It was an interesting year in Reston real estate. Overall more than 1200 properties traded hands accounting for more than $572M in volume. These numbers sound great but they represent a third straight year of declines in average home prices. While home prices were somewhat flat, demand was strong and housing inventory was low, an equation which would typically trend towards a Seller’s Market.

However, intense price sensitivity kept the market fairly balanced with well-informed buyers not being willing to pay more just because there were so few. The attitude seemed to be, “if not this one, I’ll get the next one.” Given that prices haven’t been moving much it’s up to sellers to create motivation in the buyers by presenting the very best option possible in the price category in which they’re competing.

We currently have just 120 properties on the market; 70 homes sold in the past 30 days and 81 homes are pending.

All of this indicates that if you’re ready to sell in 2018 you shouldn’t have too much trouble, provided you work with your agent to get your house ready and dig into the numbers to really understand what the market is doing in your neighborhood.

This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. For a more complete picture of home sales in your neighborhood, contact her on Reston Real Estate.

Ah, summer! Imagine wandering out your back door and down to your private dock, where you launch your canoe for a lazy paddle around the lake. Sound perfect? It is. And that dream can become your reality.

Cabot’s Point Cluster in South Reston is a beautiful community of cedar patio homes sitting on Lake Audubon, Reston’s largest lake.

Built in the early-to-mid 1980s, these townhomes have a distinctive contemporary design with sharp right angles and sun-drenched cedar siding. Rather than the adjoining walls typical of most townhouse developments, two-car garages attach these units. The yards are beautifully landscaped, and common areas provide a wooded setting. The homes have one or two decks and are staggered along winding, narrow cul-de-sacs that give the impression of a small village. Many units have lake views; all have lake access.

Did I mention it’s also private? The neighborhood is so secluded that many people don’t realize there are houses back there. And the resident’s like it that way. I’ll tell you how to find it though–you enter from South Lakes Drive, across the street from South Lakes High School.

Cabot’s Point may be close to every activity Reston has to offer (including the Reston Metro station), but for many residents, lazy evenings on the lake are the leisure activity of choice.

Homes don’t often come on the market here, that’s how much the residents love their neighborhood. So if you see one, jump on the opportunity immediately. And then go shopping for a new canoe.

This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. For a more complete picture of home sales in your neighborhood, contact her on Reston Real Estate.

What could be more perfect for singles or young families than adorable two or three levels townhomes? Not too big, not too small — just right. That’s Woodcrest Cluster.

This is a small cluster with only 63 homes. The quaint colonial style townhomes have an average of 1,000 sq. ft. of living space, two bedrooms and 1 ½ or 2 baths.

Several of the homes also have fireplaces, and many have fenced-in back yards — perfect for letting the dog out! Surrounded by wooded areas, they afford privacy and are light and bright.

Located in North Reston, North Point Shopping Center (grocery store, restaurants and more) and Lake Newport pool are both easy walking distance. The surrounding Reston Association walking paths provide easy access to outdoor activity.

The proximity to Reston Parkway, Fairfax County Parkway and Route 7 — and Dulles Airport for those who travel — make commuting a breeze from this location. Armstrong Elementary School is walking distance, and Herndon Middle School & Herndon High School are a short ride away.

This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. For a more complete picture of home sales in your neighborhood, contact her on Reston Real Estate.

Have you ever been to a holiday party where the host doesn’t serve red wine, or any dark liquids actually, to avoid staining the carpet? I have and I always want to take the host aside and say you don’t need to worry. After years in this business, and seeing a whole lot of different stains on carpets, I know you can get stains out.

I found the video below on YouTube, and I think it does a great job of describing one of the easiest methods to spot clean your carpets. It really works, so you don’t need to fear red wine anymore! This method works on all different types of stains — wine, urine, red Kool-aid, chocolate (assuming any of that ever makes it to the carpet). It also works on all different types of carpet. Just follow his instructions to make sure you don’t damage the carpet during the cleaning process.

Here are the supplies you need:

• Hairdryer
• Cup of hot water
• Grease-fighting dishwashing liquid and a teaspoon for dispensing it
• Steam iron
• Bucket of clean water
• Clean cotton rags
• ShopVac (or any type of wet/dry vac that you can use to suck up moisture)

The ShopVac is likely the only thing on this list you don’t already have. I recommend getting one. They are not horribly expensive, ranging from $50 to $100. It’s the kind of item that, once you have one, you can’t imagine how you survived without it.

Now that you know how to clean up carpet stains, go enjoy that red wine.

This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. For a more complete picture of home sales in your neighborhood, contact her on Reston Real Estate.

One of my favorite things about this time of year are all the lights everywhere. It is so cheerful and festive! Of course Lake Anne and Reston Town Center put out the lights and it’s lovely. But there is nothing like a lights show to really make you smile. We are lucky to have three great ones nearby, and each is worth the trip. I suggest going to all of them.

Winter Walk of Lights at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

This is my favorite, and it happens to be closest to Reston — just a 15 minute drive over to Vienna. Fodor’s named it the #1 Botanical Garden with “Wow-Factor Winter Transformations.” The garden is magical any time of year, but for this, it is transformed into a half-mile, animated walk of lights. There’s the Lakeside Lights, the Fountain of Lights and the Holiday Nature Walk, along with new displays each year. At the end of the walk, you can gather around the bonfire and roast marshmallows while sipping hot beverages.

It actually started in November, and it will run until Sunday, January 7, 2018. It’s open every day from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. (last tickets sold at 9:30 p.m.) and it’s only $13 for adults if you buy your tickets online. Children under 3 are free and ages 3-12 are $8. Timed tickets are required, so that’s another reason to purchase your tickets online. Use promo code SOCIAL17 for $2.00 off admission January 1-7.

Bull Run Festival of Lights and Holiday Village

This is another annual favorite and is great for people who want to stay in their car as they enjoy the lights, which on cold winter nights is very appealing. The Bull Run Festival of Lights is 2.5 miles of illuminated glory. You turn off your headlights and follow the magical glow and the variety of displays. When you’re done, stop by the holiday village to enjoy rides, refreshments and photos with Santa Claus.  Monday through Thursday you can get discounts and avoid the long weekend waits.

It’s open every night until January 7: Monday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. and Friday-Sunday & Holidays, 5:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m. The cost of driving through the light show varies from $20-$25, depending on the day you attend (note: vans w/ 15-34 people and motorcoaches cost extra — visit website for details).

Winter Lights Festival at Seneca State Park

This one is a little more of a drive (it’s in Gaithersburg, Md., which means you have to cross the bridge) but it’s worth it. It’s a 3.5-mile drive through the enchanted setting of Seneca Creek State Park. There are 380 illuminated displays and 65 animated vignettes. So many lights! Themes include Winter Woods, Teddy Bear Land, Victorian Village, the North Pole and much more. This one runs until December 31, so get there soon.

The hours are Sunday-Thursday: 6 p.m.-9 p.m. and Friday-Saturday: 6 p.m.-10 p.m. It’s closed Christmas. Price is $12 per car Mon-Thurs; $15 per car Fri-Sun. Cash only. See the website for van, bus and limo rates.

This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. For a more complete picture of home sales in your neighborhood, contact her on Reston Real Estate.

It’s almost that time of year when the county sends around tax assessments, which gets homeowners wondering what their house is worth today. This is when I start getting calls from clients and friends asking for my opinion–an opinion I am always happy to provide.

I was thinking about this when I came across an article on Realtor.com (How Much Is My House Worth? Tools to Help You Determine Your Sale Price).

The article outlines a few ways to assess your home value:

1. Comps for the area. What similar homes have sold for is a good indication of what your home is worth. Realtor.com’s Just Sold feature is a great place to start. All you have to do is enter your ZIP code, and click “Search.” A list of recently sold homes in your area will pop up, along with their sale price. The thing to remember is this may or may not be an accurate reflection of your home’s value: home improvements, mortgage rates, the economy can all factor into your selling price. But comps will give you an idea.
2. Home improvements. Things like an updated kitchen and bathrooms impact price. For example, if you are likely to get 66% return on investment from a bathroom remodel (spend $10,000 and add $6,600 to your list price). But will that be the tipping point to make a buyer choose your home over another? Who knows. And will you get the same return from a new deck or replacing the windows? Not necessarily. Those things will definitely improve marketability, but may not translate into dollars. Does that mean you shouldn’t bother? No. Make improvements that will make you happy while you live in the home. Just know you may not recoup the cost when you sell.

If you want to list your home, the best thing to do is call your realtor and set up a meeting to discuss your strategy–anything you need to do to improve marketability, timing and listing price.

This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. For a more complete picture of home sales in your neighborhood, contact her on Reston Real Estate.

Thanksgiving is in two short days, and that means Chanukah, Christmas and New Year’s Day are approaching fast. Now is the time for home sellers to hunker down and wait until Spring, right?

Wrong.

Selling at this time of year can actually be very beneficial to the seller. Here are three reasons to list your home now (from an article on Realtor.com that discussed 10 reasons why you can sell your home during the holidays).

1. Seller competition is lighter during the holidays
   There are plenty of buyers out there right now. But with sellers reluctant to list their homes during the holidays, there is a shortage of inventory. Take advantage of that.
2. People buying during the holidays are VERY motivated
   The average American home buyer who isn’t relocating doesn’t usually have a timetable. But those who are actively searching during the holidays are extremely motivated buyers. Think about it: they’re willing to alter their holiday schedules and brave bad weather to get into a home. These buyers want to move right away and are willing to spend significant money to make it happen. These are the kinds of buyers home sellers want.
3. Internet searches during the holidays surge
   Many home buyers spend a lot of time house hunting online during the holidays, as opposed to seeing homes in person. Real estate website traffic kicks up significantly when the overall market sales might be slowing down. That means to have your home discovered during this timeframe, it must be on the market and, thus, showing up on line. Homes advertised correctly online during this time get significantly more exposure than the average home, and those sellers that are taking a break from being on the market are as good as non-existent to the online buyer.

Read the article for more insights as to why this is a great time of year to sell your home. Or call me and I can help you get ready.