51 Ways to make your home sell - Tip #4

The fourth of our weekly installments on 51 ways to make your home sell faster



Homes for Sale in Belmont Neighborhood of Charlottesville, VA
Homes for Sale in Rugby Neighborhood of Charlottesville, VA

Quinton Beckham
Keller Williams Realty Charlottesville
1885 Seminole Trail, Suite 100
Charlottesville, VA 22901
434.242.6212
www.select-homes-charlottesville.com

Let's Talk about Short Sales... But only for 2013

While perusing Facebook and catching up in what my friends across the country were doing I ran across one Tucker Griffin and Barnes' postings which talked about the Debt Forgiveness Act. Forgive me if I sound like I am quoting, and I guess in many ways I am, but Bill tucker is a lawyer in Charlottesville with over 30 years experience leading the Firm's Real Estate Group in all manner of Real Estate related issues. Tucker Griffin and Barnes is an excellent firm with a stellar reputation that, despite being a full service law firm, has managed to stay focused on their community.

Homes for Sale in the Belmont Neighborhood of Charlottesville

What he pointed out in this posting was that the Debt Forgiveness Act has been extended to December 31, 2013. This allows homeowners who are are at risk of foreclosure - upside down on their mortgages and going through financial issues that could make them fall behind on payments - to have an opportunity to sell the home they are in while avoiding being taxed on the "forgiven" debt. This is an incredible boon to any family that is feeling trapped in a home that they bought at the peak of the market that they can no longer keep up with after the recession.

For the full posting from Tucker, Griffin and Barnes, click here. 

If you or someone you know is falling behind on their mortgage payments or at risk of foreclosure, a short sale offers you unique opportunities to get a fresh start without having to file bankruptcy or pay an enormous tax bill. For more information, contact me at 434.242.6212 and I strongly recommend that you read the link above.

Condominiums for sale in the City of Charlottesville

If you are looking to Buy a Home, Sell a Home or Invest in Real Estate, call me -

Quinton Beckham
Keller Williams  Realty
434.242.6212
www.select-homes-charlottesville.com

Wednesday's Child, full of woe...

So you've done it, you made the plunge, chose a Real Estate Agent and you are putting your home on the market; you are ready to get it out there and don't want to wait another day! But maybe you should.

One thing that every Real Estate Agent knows and lives by, the longer your home is on the market, the less likely you are get your asking price. Days on Market is the holy grail of negotiating and one of the few unarguable points in determining the how close to your asking price that first golden offer is; the longer on the market, the less likely it is you will get the price you ask for.

In this era of online everything there is simply one magic day for marketing a home and getting the most bang for your electronic debut - Friday. According the Real Estate Analysts Redfin, homes listed on a Friday garnered 99.1% of their asking price in the actual sale. (Remember folks, that is an average, your individual experience will absolutely vary according to the market you are in, your home itself, the neighborhood and local trends.)

Homes for Sale in the City of Charlottesville, Virginia

Nailing the day that a home listing hits the internet is crucial according to Glenn Kelman, President and CEO of Redfin, which covers 19 markets in the U.S. "You get four times the traffic on the day of debut than any other time of the week, and you only get one chance," he says, "Soon, you're yesterday's news." Properties listed on a Friday also sell the fastest, average days on the market being only 81 days.


But what makes Friday so special? Richard Ryan, Professor of Psychology at the University of Rochester says that adults typically work a Monday through Friday workweek (adults who are NOT real estate agents, I should add) and are more upbeat and enthusiastic on a Friday. They also tend to report more energy and vitality on the weekends which could make them more proactive in actually seeing your home or making an offer.

Homes for sale in the Belmont Neighborhood of Charlottesville

So if Friday is the best day to debut, what is the worst? Sundays. Homes that debut on a Sunday end up selling, on average, for 98.4% of asking price. That could be a difference of nearly $5000 on a $500,000 home. Sunday listings have to sit around for a few days before people start lining up home tours for them and by that time, newer listings may make the Sunday debuts seem stale.

Now you can't hang your entire marketing plan for selling a home on the day of the week, but in this market of ups and downs and low inventory and competitive buyers, we certainly can take every little bump to help us that we can get. The number of factors that go into a home sale are so numerous as to be immeasurable, one of the many reasons you need a Real Estate Agent to help you navigate it and get the best price and best net proceeds for your home.

As always, if you are looking to Sell a Home in Charlottesville, Buy a home in Charlottesville or want to Invest in Real Estate, email me or give me a call, I would love to be the agent that helps makes it the absolute best experience for you possible.


Quinton Beckham
Keller Williams Realty
434.242.6212
www.select-homes-charlottesville.com

Click here for the complete article from the WSJ

So you've closed on your new home... NOW WHAT?

You've searched and searched, previewed homes until your eyes have bled and finally (as your Realtor cheered and jumped up and down) found the home of your dreams, made an offer, made it through contract negotiations, home inspections and closing. You're done and ready to move in, right? Well, maybe. There are some things you still need to do to keep that home your "dream home."

Prepare for anything you want done before you move in

Rarely does a buyer get into a new home that is truly, completely, ready to go. As you have looked at the home and toured through it you have come up with a myriad of ideas about how to live in it. Where you will out the sofa, which rooms the kids will have, what color are you going to paint that room that has a shade of lavender rarely seen outside of an Easter egg. Which rug will cover that stain in the otherwise immaculate hardwood floors... 

If you want to get things done to your new home, the best time to do them is before you move in. Once you have removed your contingencies, the sellers have moved out and you are close to closing, get the contractors in the house that you are going to need to do work on the home to make it yours. Have the painter take a look and give an estimate, get that floor refinisher in to see the stain and tell you if he can fix it and how much it will cost, how long it will take. Your Realtor can be a great resource for small job contractors who can help you get all the minor repairs that weren't worth negotiating over but that you still want done. Work on a home is faster, cheaper and less headache if it can be done while the home is vacant. Nothing takes the fun out of moving into a home faster than sharing the space for the week with Joe the Plumber...

Click here to see Homes for Sale in Belmont, Charlottesville

Set up the utilities

We are so used to flipping a switch and the lights coming on that we forget that we really do have to get the utilities put into our name. Find out which companies serve your new community and call them in advance to be sure everything can move into your name seamlessly so that the first morning in your new home will be one that has hot water and hot coffee. Especially check for any cable or internet service. These vary widely based on where you live and nothing makes the teenagers whine more than not being able to Facebook, blog and play xbox live for the two weeks it takes to get the cable installed and working. 

For the original article, click here. 

You have your new keys! WONDERFUL! Now change the locks. 

It's just better to assume that everyone and their brother has a set of those keys that are now in your hand. The listing agent likely made them available to a score of contractors, their assistant and God only knows how many copies the last owner handed out to family members and neighbors to be sure that they never got locked out. 

Be ready to hire a cleaning crew before you put one stick of furniture in

Most of the time, sellers have had the place cleaned after they moved out, but just in case, it might not be a bad idea to have a cleaning crew ready to do a thorough once over. Showing up on moving day with a car full of hungry family, boxes and hundred of pounds of furnishings only to find that every bug for miles around has decided to use your kitchen floor as their place to die can take the thrill out of that new home in ten seconds flat. Even if the seller did clean, for all you know they paid their fifteen year old nephew $40 to do it and their perspective of what "clean" is can be starkly different from your own. This is a small and inexpensive item that is better not left to chance and more easily done before you fill up the rooms. 

Click here to see What your Charlottesville home is Worth

Have a handyman or a small contractor on call

Moving in can take days or weeks depending on your particular tastes and personality and once the house has closed, it's all yours. Every square foot of joy and each and every scratch, dent or hole in the wall from dropping that family heirloom armoire made from leftover 1941 tank panels. Having a handy man identified who is ready to go can make your life simpler. If you have them identified already and know that they can do the touch ups or fix those small yes annoying items that are not apparent until after you try to move in. 

Taking just a little time to plan ahead can save you a ton of headache, remove huge amounts of stress from being prepared and make your overall experience a much, much more enjoyable one!

Click here to see all homes for sale in the City of Charlottesville

Quinton Beckham

Keller Williams Realty

www.select-homes-charlottesville.com 

Homer Simpson sells home to Moe the Bartender...

On the lighter side of Real Estate news, the Los Angeles Times reports that Dan Castellaneta who does the voice for Homer Simpson on "The Simpsons" sold his home to Hank Azaria, who voices Simpsons' bartender Moe.


His Pacific Palisades home sold for $5.5 million, following a $200,000 price reduction prior to Azaria purchasing it. There was no mention of whether or not there was free beer or the settling of old bar tabs as a part of the sale.

For the full article, click here: http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/22/simpsons-real-estate-deal-homer-sells-home-to-moe/?iref=allsearch

Castellaneta and his wife Deb Lacusta - a television writer herself - have lived in the 4,414 square foot, 4 bedroom, 3 1/2 bathroom home for five years.

I doubt very much that this will have any impact on anyone who is looking to Buy a Home in Charlottesville or Sell a Home in Charlottesville. However, having been a fan of the Simpsons going back many years, I could not help myself and had to include this in my blog somewhere.

Should you wish to sell or buy in the Greater Charlottesville Area, please feel free to contact me for assistance. I promise, I will not try to mimic any voice from the Simpsons...

CLICK HERE to see homes for sale in the Rugby Neighborhood of Charlottesville.

Quinton Beckham
Keller Williams Realty
434.242.6212
www.select-homes-charlottesville.com 

Mortgage Rates Remain at Record Lows

According to the associated press, the average rate on 30-year fixed mortgages inched down toward its record low this week, helping to keep home buying affordable. 

Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac Says the rate on the 30-year loan dipped to 3.38% from 3.40% last week. This is slightly above the 3.31% rate reached in November, the lowest on recrods dating back to 1971. The average on the 15-year fixed mortgage remained unchanged at 2.66%. The record low being 2.63% In all of 2012, the average for a 30-year fixed mortgage was 3.66%, the lowest annual average in 65 years, according to Freddie Mac. 

Cheaper mortgages are a key reason the housing market began to come back last year and continued low rates promise continued recovery in the housing market for 2013. With these rates in mind, moving away from renting and into homeownership remains the best choice for consumers. 

If you are looking to buy a home in Charlottesville, Sell a home in Charlottesville or invest in real estate, contact me and let me help you make it happen! 

Quinton Beckham

Keller Williams Realty 

434.242.6212

www.buyorsellhomescharlottesville.com 

www.select-homes-charlottesville.com 

Google and NAR release study on Digital Home Buying

As more and more americans access internet on the go, on the job and sometimes, even while driving - the number of homes buyers that start and end their home search online is increasing.

A study performed collaboratively between Google and the National Association of Realtors shows that, "Nine in 10 home buyers today rely on the internet as one of their primary research sources, and 52 percent turn to the web as their first step."

Certainly no shock to any family that has teen aged children in it, the digital revolution is over and the internet has one. You find it in phones and offices and planes and cars - just seems to make sense that it would make its way into the home market.


Other interesting facts noted in the study:

Top 5 new home buyer activities on mobile devices: 

1. 51% - Read general home information
2. 48% - Get directions in order to visit a home
3. 44% - Compare prices
4. 35% - Compare Features
5. 35% - Search a listing company's inventory

Places where new home buyers use their mobile devices

77% - At home
31% - At work
28% - While waiting in line
27% - At a restaurant
26% - At someone else's home

Days of research before new home shoppers take action on a website

40% - 120 days
17% - 60 days
7% - 30 days
4% - 3 weeks
3% - 2 weeks
5% - 1 week
24% - Same day

Percent of age groups who registered to buy or sell a home on a website

8% of 18-24 year olds
31% of 25-24 year olds
21% of 35-44 year olds
19% of 45-54 year olds
14% of 55-64 year olds

Percentage, by category, who used the internet to search for a home

First time buyers - 47%
Senior Buyers - 75%
Vacation Home Buyers - 93%

Yes, the internet is here to stay and it is slowly taking over the way we search for where we want to live and what we are going to buy when we get there. Speaking of, why not take a gander at one of my websites...

www.buyorsellhomescharlottesville.com
www.select-homes-charlottesville.com 

Quinton Beckham
Keller Williams Realty
434.242.6212

US Home Prices Continue To Surge

For nine straight months home prices have been in the positive and the gains are only getting larger. November shows a 7.4% jump from a year ago, according to CoreLogic. Most had predicted prices gains at a modest five percent for 2012 but the market is outpacing those expectations.

"As we close out 2012 the pending index suggests prices will remain strong," wrote Mark Fleming, Chief Economist for CoreLogic, in a release, "Given that the recently released Qualified Mortgage rules issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are not expected to significantly restrict credit availability relative to today, the gains made in 2012 will likely be sustained into 2013."

This is certainly reflected in the Charlottesville Real Estate Market where gains and numbers of sales have continued to show gains. Just six States showed drops in pricing, and Virginia wasn't one of them.

For the full article go to: http://oxstones.com/us-home-prices-surge-despite-distress/

If you are looking to Buy a Home in Charlottesville, rising prices and continued low mortgage rates should be cues that waiting around for things to get better is not the way to go. Investors are still out there looking to take up properties that can be part of the still lucrative rentals market, so there is competition for an inventory that is not going to get bigger in the near future. Though more homeowners are Selling their Charlottesville Home, there are still a lot of competitive buyers out there looking to get the best homes at the best prices while this confluence of events continues.

If you are renting, go see a Local Real Estate Agent and see what you can do to get into a home now while the prices are still low and the mortgage rates are so very inexpensive!

And, as always, if you are looking to Buy a Home in Charlottesville, Sell a Home in Charlottesville or Invest in Real Estate Property, contact me for a meeting on first steps to move you forward!
I am here to help!






Quinton Beckham
Keller Williams Realty
434.242.6212
www.buyorsellhomescharlottesville.com

CAAR Releases 2012 Report

CAAR has published their report on the state of the Charlottesville Real Estate Market.
If you are Buying or Selling a home in the Charlottesville area, you should take a look!

The brief notes are as follows:

Prices are starting to climb. 
The median sale price was $260,000 for the fourth quarter of 2012, the highest fourth quarter showing since 2008.

Sales Volume is increasing. 
The fourth quarter of 2012 saw over 600 sales, nearly a full hundred transactions over the same quarter last year.

Overall, 2012 topped 2011 with an added 343 sales. Of note, Fluvanna had a 26.6% increase in sales, closely followed by Charlottesville with a 25.3% increase in sales.

Inventory remains low. 
As buyer confidence and access to credit increases, it is outpacing the number of home owners who have enough equity to make it profitable to list their home. Those sellers are out there, just not in as great a number as they were prior to the market collapsing.

So what does all this mean? 
If you are a buyer, the good news is that you can get credit and the home market is recovering - so the good investment of homeownership remains a great choice. However, you are not going to have your choice of homes out there that have similar appearance and amenities in a variety of neighborhoods. It's important that every home buyer be sure of what is truly important and necessary in their home and not get distracted by things that are not real "deal-breakers" as they search for their new home.

If you are a current homeowner and have some equity - the day to sale will continue to contract as more buyers enter the market and competition for your home will pick up. It also means that if you are looking to use that equity to upgrade - or even just get out of a home that you do not really like to get one you do - you need to start that process before the inventory drops low enough that you don't have a choice to go to.

For Complete Report go to: http://caar.com/files/market/01_2012/2012%20Year%20End%20CAAR%20Market%20Report.pdf

For assistance with Charlottesville Real Estate, Buying a Charlottesville Home or Selling your Charlottesville Home, call me and lets talk about your particular needs and wants and make a plan for what is best for you. One thing is certain, once mortgage rates begin to climb, you won't see them this low again for a long, long time. Those rates make this market a real bargain for those wanting a home or wanting to upgrade the home they live in.

Quinton Beckham
Keller Williams Realty
434.252.6212
www.buyorsellhomescharlottesville.com

Five tips to Sell Your Charlottesville Home

Without a doubt, the Real Estate Market in Charlottesville and the surrounding area is picking up. Just this last weekend I did an Open House at one of our Brokerage's Albemarle Homes for Sale and in just 2 1/2 hours had EIGHT couples come in to view the home! That's an amazing amount of traffic and a wonderful sign for the local Real Estate Market Conditions. Of those eight visitors, five were couples who were renting who had decided that they could no longer pass up the amazing mortgage rates we are enjoying right now and had decided to stop paying too much in rent and invest in their own home.

But what if your home for sale in Charlottesville isn't selling? The most recent CAAR data is showing homes in the area are taking an average of about 110-125 days to sell. Some of the lower priced homes are going much faster, higher priced homes taking a touch longer, but what if it has been six months and your home is still on the market? Here are some tips to help renew interest in your home and move it - and your life - along.

1. DO A VIDEO WALK-THROUGH
 Fire up the smart phone, iPad or digital camera and walk through your house with it. Look around and document the house as though you were potential buyers seeing the house for the first time. Now sit down with your family and watch the video. Does it look clean and uncluttered? Are you distracted from the main focal points that  add value to the home by too many items on the kitchen counters? Is the garage or storage area neatly done? Despite it being winter, does the lawn and curbside of your home look clean and cared for? Do you have a wall of family photos with children making funny faces that you (and only you) get a chuckle out of every time you see them? Take the time to clean up the items that draw attention away from your home's value. Potential buyers are not buying your industrial style mixer or your memories - they are looking to make their own. Providing a "blank canvas" gives them a chance to imagine their own items in the house and their own pictures on the wall. Any clutter should be cleaned up and put away - it makes the house "feel" uncared for and can effect you getting offers and the price that they come in at.

2. DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO BE AWAY FROM THE HOUSE WHEN THERE ARE SHOWINGS OR OPEN HOUSES

We all want to stick around and hear what potential have to say about our home, but we shouldn't. You have an agent to give you any feedback they give. If you stick around the buyers are not going to spend enough time and look at the things that really interest them because they will feel too awkward. When you are at a friends house for a party you never search through their kitchen cabinets "just to see" because it would be too awkward. You go to their bathroom and sneak a peek in their medicine cabinet. That same social taboo holds true for buyers seeing your home. If you are gone they are more likely to ask their agent the right questions, right there and look at the things that are important to them before they leave. If they leave without having answers they are much more likely to assume the worst and rule your home out. This also lets them have any conversations they need to have with their agent without feeling a need to whisper. These are paramount to a successful showing to sell your Charlottesville home.

3. MAKE IT IKEA
When we go through ikea we see a perfect example of staging. There is furniture and other items set out to make us imagine the room, but it is all against a white backdrop and there are no pictures of the sales agents smiling at their cake-covered child at their first birthday party. If you really love love love purple and so you have painted the rooms in your house eight different shades of it, you might consider the investment of a couple weekends or $500 dollars to have someone come in and paint it a neutral color. Just like clutter, too much of a personal touch and the potential buyer can not imagine themselves in it. It may have been your home for ten years, but you are wanting to make it someone else's now, so give them the chance to think of it that way. No one will complain about seeing white walls, but you might pick up on their shuddering as they see the grape colored family room that really makes your heart pitter-patter. Research shows, homes with white exteriors sell faster. For internal colors, try white, off whites or pale greys.


4. ENLIST YOUR FRIENDS
We all depend on our friends for a multiplicity of reasons. Why not make them your very own free marketing team? In this age of connectedness when there are not more than six degrees of separation between us and the paper-boy in China, surely you are just two coffee chats away from the friend who knows someone who knows someone whose cousin is just DYING to live in your neighborhood. It really is all about networking and Real Estate Agents who are good do this all the time. Send your friends out and let them know how you "really need to get your house sold and do they know anyone who is looking to buy?" Remind them regularly (you can really drive the point home by always noting the great features of your home when they are visiting, "And these extra studs right here that we added stopped the car that UVA student was driving from making it into the living room. This house is SOOO safe!")
And when your friend does know someone who is interested, SEND THEM TO YOUR AGENT or give the information to your agent. You do not want to be the one trying to negotiate the sale of your own home. For one, you agreed not to. For two, agents can spend years building up experience that makes them able to get you the best deal for your house, don't throw that away in a moment of desperation.

5. AND FINALLY, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY

The one greatest secret to selling your home quickly is that it is ALL about price. Price fixes everything! In fact, I think that deserves saying again, it is ALL ABOUT THE PRICE! If your home is not selling you and really need to sit down with your spouse or significant other and talk about what you really want. Are you needing to move cause you are too far from work and the drive is stressing you out and making you want to do mean things to your dog with a fork every night after dinner? Do you need out from under the mortgage that is killing your finances now? Have you found the perfect home to move to but need the down payment to come out of the house you have? Figure out what you really need out of the house you are selling. Too many home sellers lay awake at night dreaming of what they will do with the money they get when they "make a killing on the sale of their house." They dream of an extra $5000, $10,000 or even $50,000 dollars and how that will make their lives so much better.
The truth is, you probably aren't an investor and the average sale price in the Charlottesville area is about $350,000 give or take a bit. You aren't going to be able to retire off of the extra thousand dollars you get by sticking to your guns and turning down offers or refusing to negotiate. You listed your Charlottesville home for sale for a reason, and you need to stick to that reason and not drum up others that make it impossible to accept reasonable offers.

Ask your agent to show you the comparisons that they used when they first talked about the price with you again. Look at other houses that are for sale on www.buyorsellhomescharlottesville.com and see what houses like yours are going for and then be realistic about the condition of your home. If the roof needs some fixing, you might need to drop that price some. Homes that are not listed with a competitive price get ruled out by buyers before they have even seen the home. If you can't get them in the door, you can't sell your home. If you can't sell your Charlottesville home, you can't get that new house you found that you really want.

Agents really do want to help you and have you feel good about your transactions with them over the years. After all, the best customer is one who would recommend their agent to a friend or relative. But agents can't do it all for you. Taking a bit of time and reviewing some basic tips can go a long way towards making your home sell and sell fast!

Wanting to Buy a Home In Charlottesville?
Looking to Sell your Charlottesville Home?
I want to help!
Contact me
Quinton Beckham
Keller Williams Realty
434.242.6212
www.buyorsellhomescharlottesville.com

Kitchens in 2013 - Looks to watch for

Much like bathrooms, kitchens have been moving away from rooms that were built for work and utility and growing into the "heart of the home." Gone are the days of kitchens whose countertops proudly displayed all of the electric appliances and whose centerpieces were stoves that stood out. These have been replaced with kitchens that are open and uncluttered, appliances that blend into the cabinetry and countertops. Center islands and breakfast bars make the kitchens of today a place where family gathers as food is prepared and can spend time socializing in an environment that lends itself to being part of the living room.

If you are selling your Charlottesville home, remodeling your kitchen, looking to buy a home in Charlottesville, or just plain love seeing what the new trends are, here are some trends to watch for in 2013.

1. Modern Style

Kitchens are becoming increasingly modern in their styling. Lines are becoming simplified and offer up large open spaces that flow naturally into the living areas without walls or doorways to block sight or access. Less of a utilitarian room and more of an "annex" to the living room, they are gathering places that just call out for entertaining family and guests. 

2. Tucked-away Appliances

Appliance design has caught the trend and manufacturers are creating sleek models that blend into the rest of the kitchen, matching the finishes of the cabinetry and the countertops. Many appliances have moved to under the counter tucked away versions - like coffee pots or microwaves - and just about everything except the cooktop goes under the counter. This includes having appliances located under the center island such as trash compactors or mini refrigerators. 

3. LOTS and LOTS of light

Lighting has really stepped up its game in the modern kitchen. Gone are the days of a single, UFO sized panel of fluorescents over the center of the kitchen. This has been replaced with a mix of task lighting that focuses light on the areas where food prep is going to happen alongside more muted light such as under the cabinetry or canned lighting with dimmer switches so that the kitchen can remain a gathering spot without the harshness of direct fluorescents.  

4. Super-Sized Islands

"2013 kitchen design trends are moving away from dining rooms and towards eating, drinking and interacting in the kitchen itself, and a large kitchen island complete with bar stools is the perfect way to make this happen," according to HomeThangs.com. Islands have grown to meet the demands of style, socializing and function with electrical outlets being placed on the sides and lots of storage underneath. 

5. More style overall, neutral paint schemes and high gloss finishes

If you look at any featured kitchen, you will find a mix of high-end countertops, neutral or white paint schemes and back splashes that range from recycled glass to mosaic tiles giving it just a touch of decoration. The overall effect is to allow the kitchen space to stand alone when not in use, with clean and uncluttered countertops and aesthetic touches being added by back splashes that are also easy to clean. 

No matter what your particular tastes are, this room in the house is certainly a selling point for your home and a gathering place for your family. Construction and design experts have realized this and certainly, if you are a modern family with busy schedules and children you have known this for years. Nice of everyone else to catch up to the idea!

Are you looking to sell your Charlottesville Home?
Call me for a free market analysis of what your home is worth.

Looking at homes for sale in Charlottesville?
Let me help you find one that you love!

For any questions, please call me, I want to help!

Quinton Beckham
Keller Williams Realty
434.242.6212
www.buyorsellhomescharlottesville.com




For the full article, go to: http://styledstagedsold.blogs.realtor.org/2013/01/07/8-kitchen-trends-to-watch-in-2013/?om_rid=AAJ8zx&om_mid=_BQ7aJSB8wPnkIL&om_ntype=RMODaily

The Charlottesville-Romanov Connection

Charlottesville has a rich history that dates back to English Colonial times and includes such notables as Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, Edgar Allan Poe and William Faulkner. But unbeknownst to many, Charlottesville was also home to a Claimant to the Grand Duchy of Russia.


In July of 1918 the Bolshevik Revolution summarily executed the Czar and his family, purging the country of its de-throned monarchy. A mass grave was found in 1991 which held the remains of the Tsar, his wife and three daughters, but the bodies of Alexei and one of his sisters - either Anastasia or her older sister Maria, were not to be found.
Persistent rumors of her survival circulated for decades with multiple claimants to her legacy, most notable of which was Anna Anderson

Between 1922 and 1968, Anderson lived in Germany and the United States with various supporters and in nursing homes and sanatoria, including at least one asylum. She emigrated to the United States in 1968, and shortly before the expiry of her visa married Jack Manahan, a Virginia history professor who was later characterized as “probably Charlottesville’s best-loved eccentric”

Jack became interested in Anna - who was 21 years his senior - through Gleb Botkin. Gleb himself was the son of the late Czar’s family physician who had been killed by the Bolsheviks along with the Royal Family in 1918. Botkin had known Anastasia as a child and supported Anna’s claim to be Anastasia. Botkin had escaped Russia during the early months of the revolution and came to New York, later moving to Charlottesville to be near his Daughter. He also served as Jack’s Best Man in his wedding to Anna. 
Anna and her husband lived out their lives as Charlottesvillean notables, not just for her claim but also for their eccentricities. Anna believed that KGB was trying to kill her and, as one her many aversions, would not eat from anything metal. This resulted in their car being regularly littered with empty styrofoam trays The Daily Progress otes that Jack often ordered food from Ken Johnsons’s Cafeteria (located near what is now the site of Ruby Tuesday’s along Emmet Street) and would then stuff his pockets with condiments. He and Anna would then eat in in their car parked out side of the restaurant

They resided in a small Italianate house on 32 University Circle for their entire marriage, which ended with Anna’s death in 1983.


After the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union, the locations of the bodies of the Tsar, Tsarina, and all five of their children were revealed and multiple laboratories in different countries confirmed their identity through DNA testing. DNA tests on a lock of Anderson’s hair and surviving medical samples of her tissue showed that Anderson’s DNA did not match that of the Romanov remains or that of living relatives of the Romanovs.
 So, if you ar looking at homes for sale inthe City of Charlottesville, take a close look, you might be buying a piece of history along with the home

Buying a home in Charlottesville

Selling a home in Charlottesville

Wanting information on Charlottesville Real Estate

Please contact me, I would love to be a help to you

Quinton Beckham

Keller Williams Realt

434.242.6212

www.buyorsellhomescharlottesville.co




Real Estate Avoids the Fiscal Cliff!

For all of you who were nervous about buying a home in Charlottesville or selling your home in Charlottesville because you were waiting to see just how far down it was to the bottom of the fiscal cliff, there is good new. Stephen Fishman, a tax expert, attorney and  author of multiple books on tax law has summarized the impact of the new bill that takes us back from the “fiscal cliff.” 

First and most importantly, the mortgage debt forgiveness act that was due to expire in December of 2012 is carried through to the end of the year. This ensures that anyone who is seeking principal mortgage debt forgiveness or needs to make a short sale, has the first $2 million of debt forgiven excluded from taxable income. 

Next in line of positives, and this is a big one if you are seeking to Buy a Home In Charlottesville, this bill resurrects the tax deduction Mortgage Insurance Premiums. This deduction had expired in 2011 but the new law extends it retroactively for 2012 and all the way through 2013. This is a huge bonus for new home buyers wanting to escape the rent trap and own a home and gain the other tax benefits as it makes using first time buyers programs that allow for less than 20% down be more affordable in the short term. 

In addition to various extensions to MID deductions, the $500 deduction for energy saving improvements remains intact through 2013, encouraging all improvements for those of you who want to be more Green in your home energy use. Need a new Dishwasher to make your home marketable? Save the receipt, its tax deductible up to $500 provided its certified Green! 

For the Full article, see Inman News at www.inman.com

If you are looking to: 

Buy a Charlottesville Home

Sell your Charlottesville Home

Get a Market Analysis of what your home is worth

Please contact me: 

Quinton Beckham

Keller Williams Realty 

434.242.6212

www.buyorsellhomescharlottesville.com  

Real Estate in 2013 - What has happened and what to expect.

What were the five biggest stories of 2012 and how do they effect Charlottesville Real Estate?

According the KCM blog, they are as follows:

Housing was a tailwind to the economy and not a headwind

That's right, housing helped the economy to pick up and did not drag it down. Despite claims by many experts that homes for sale  would not pick up until the overall economy picked up, housing has lead the economy and has been the only bright spot in an otherwise lethargic economy.

The Fed Remained Committed to Historically Low Mortgage Rates

If I haven't said it before, I should say it now, you will not find a better rate to purchase homes in Charlottesville! At the end of 2011 30 year mortgage rates were at 3.95% and everyone thought that there was only one way for these rates to go; up. But the Feds supported policies that kept rates down and this resulted in rates dropping to 3.4% by year's end. Truly, if you are looking to sell your Charlottesville Home, you have more potential buyers this year than you did last year, because they could afford the rates. If you are looking to buy a Charlottesville Home, you can get a lot more home for your house payment.  

Demand Remained Strong throughout the Year

Home sales numbers continued to increase throughout the year, supporting the belief that we believe in homeownership as a way to prosperity and an achievement of the American Dream. Even the last existing homes sales report of the year from the National Association of Realtors revealed that home sales were up 5.9% from the previous month and a whopping 14.5% form the same time last year. 

Inventory began Shrinking

Housing inventory dropped to its lowest level (4.8 months) since September of 2005, a 22.5% decrease compared to the same time last year. Why? Because more and more of the short sales and foreclosures are getting cleared from the market than are being added and more families are staying caught up on their mortgage payments. 

Prices first Stabilized and then Increased 

The biggest real estate story of 2012 is that Home Values as a whole turned the corner and headed upward. By the end of the year home values were up 10.1% compared to the end of 2011. Looking ot get that "stellar deal" on a Charlottesville Home for Sale? Better hurry up! 

And what should all of this makes us expect? 

Demand for Housing Will continue to Surge

The market has turned and all signs point towards buyer demand continuing to increase through 2013. Household formations have shot up to boom-time levels in 2012 and are projected to increase at an even faster rate in 2013. This could have an effect in prices as you seek to buy a home in Charlottesville and the supply is shrinking. 

Generations X and Y are proving their belief in Homeownership

Contrary to what many have hypothesized over the last few years, young adults (ages 18-35) are just as committed to homeownership as previous generations have been. Recent Studies have shown: 

- 43% already own a home

- 72% see homeownership as part of their personal American Dream

- 93% of those currently renting plan to buy a home

Move up Sellers will Return in Great Numbers

Over the last few years negative equity has prevented many from upgrading their homes to something more sizable or in a better location. However, as prices recover and the mortgage rates show no signs of skyrocketing, more and more families may realize that now is the time to pursue that bigger or better home. 

So if you are living in the Charlottesville Area, relocating or otherwise just wondering if you should continue to pay that rent that you are paying, now truly is the time to investigate becoming a homeowner and achieving all of the tax breaks and security that it provides instead of paying for someone else to own a home. 

For complete articles, go to: www.kcmblog.com

If you want to learn more about Charlottesville Homes for Sale, Buying a Home in Charlottesville or Selling a Charlottesville Home, please contact me, I am here to help! 

Quinton Beckham

Keller Williams Realty 

434.242.6212

www.buyorsellhomescharlottesville.com 

Winter is here, is your home ready?

I know that it is trite to talk about preparing your Charlottesville Home for winter, but it truly is important. Whether you are just someone who wants to stay warm, need to save money on your winter heating bills or want to decrease your carbon footprint, taking some steps to treat your home for winter can result in a lot of savings and happier times for the winter months. 

Additionally, if you are wanting to sell your Charlottesville Home over the next few months, nothing can turn off a prospective buyer than walking in and it being so cold that they can see their breath, or passing a window with a draft that chills their bones, and their enthusiasm.

1. CLEAN OUT YOUR GUTTERS

It takes a little time for all of the leaves to finally fall and, though you may have done your duty during the fall months, you might be surprised to see how much debris has built up in your gutters and drains in the first few cold months. A ladder (a someone to spot you), a simple spatula and a few hours can make a lot of difference to your home weathering the cold months successfully. Clogged drain spouts and full gutters allow the winter water and ice to build up. This can result in ice dams that actually damage your gutters and roof, letting cool air in and costing a lot more money when the thaws come.

2. FIND THE DRAFTS AND BLOCK THEM

Every house has leaks and they are usually exactly where you expect them. The simplest method to find leaks is to be sure the HVAC is off, light a stick of incense and then walk through your home, pausing at doors that lead outside, windows and anything that goes inside of your ceiling, like canned lighting and anything that penetrates your walls, light electrical sockets. A simple step ladder can help you reach those places and locate the leaks. Breezy days are good for this task as it will make seeing the drafts easier. The average american home has leaks that amount to a NINE SQUARE FOOT HOLE, according to EarthWorks Group. Plugging these holes can be accomplished with door sweeps (yes, as seen on TV) insulation tape around sockets or gaskets around the rims of canned lighting.



3. ADD INSULATION

Everyone knows this, but hey, insulation is in the attic and we don't look up there. Besides, it makes you itchy to deal with it. Nevertheless, the quickest way to get money back on winterizing is by adding insulation. Don't stress over R-Values or measuring tape or making this hard. Look in your attic and if you can see the joists, then you need more insulation.Buy plain, rolled insulation without backing and roll it out. You don't want to use the papered backing when you are layering insulation on top of the original insulation as the paper serves as a paper barrier and adding another vapor barrier can cause moisture issues. Don't worry about too much - so long as you are not blocking any of the attic insulation, you are good to go. One big advantage of adding insulation, it helps all year round!

4. CHECK THE DUCTS

While you are crawling around in your attic or your basement or crawl space, check the ducts if you have central heating. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that 60% of the heat your Central HVAC unit generates is lost because of poorly insulated or leaking ductwork. You can repair places where ductwork is pinched and use a metal backed tape to seal off any leaks you find in the ductwork. Surprisingly, duct tape is not recommended as it does not last over time and if you take the time to do this, you really do want it to last.

5. FACE YOUR WINDOWS

Windows lose heat. Its as simple as that. If you did our walk through from earlier you may have added weather stripping as a simple quick fix to drafty windows, but that won't change the amount of cold or heat that radiates out from your windows. This is not a simple weekend do-it-yourselfer fix in the way many of our other tips are, but if you find the worst windows you can budget to put up storm windows as an extra layer of protection and replace older single pane windows with ones that are double paned. Not a cheap fix but totally worth in terms of saving heating/cooling costs and a great boon when it comes time to Sell Your Home. One other tip is to have heavier curtains that you can draw over your windows at night. This added insulation helps to reduce heat loss in the coldest hours.

6. REVERSE YOUR CEILING FANS

Often overlooked and only thought of in summer months, your ceiling fans can help to distribute the heat more evenly through your house, increasing your comfort and reducing your bills. Heat rises and reversing your ceiling fans and setting them on their lowest setting helps to move that heat back down into the room where the people are. Not sure what "reverse" is on a ceiling fan? When you look up at the fan it should be turning clockwise for winter, counter clockwise for summer.

For a more complete list, please go to the full article at http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=13107899


If your home is older and you are feeling overwhelmed by its winter needs, just call me and we will find a new home and you can move. Not terribly practical perhaps, but certainly an option.

If you are wanting to Sell your Charlottesville home, Buy a Charlottesville Home or just have questions about the market and financing, you can check out my website or call me for an appointment.

Quinton Beckham
Keller Williams Realty

434.242.6212
www.buyorsellhomescharlottesville.com 

In December, Charlottesville joined the NAHB list of Improving Housing Markets. 

“The big gain in improving markets this December indicates that key measures of housing and economic strength have now been holding steady or improving in metros across the country for six months or more, which is an important signal of stability amidst the slowly emerging recovery,” said NAHB Chairman Barry Rutenberg, a home builder from Gainesville, Fla. “The main thing that’s limiting the progress we’re seeing right now is the difficulty that potential buyers continue to experience with regard to overly tight mortgage qualifying standards.”

“This fourth consecutive month of expansion in the IMI, coupled with the fact that well over half of all metro areas are now represented on the list, is in keeping with the upward trends that we’ve been seeing all year in terms of housing starts and sales, builder confidence and other measures,” noted NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. “In general, we expect the overall housing recovery to continue expanding in 2013. However, that is absent a major policy change of the kind that some policymakers have been discussing with regard to the mortgage interest deduction.”

“The dramatic expansion of improving markets at the end of this year should help encourage consumers who may have been on the fence about a home purchase that a housing recovery is now firmly underway,” added Kurt Pfotenhauer, vice chairman of First American Title Insurance Company.

The IMI is designed to track housing markets throughout the country that are showing signs of improving economic health. The index measures three sets of independent monthly data to get a mark on the top improving Metropolitan Statistical Areas. The three indicators that are analyzed are employment growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, housing price appreciation from Freddie Mac and single-family housing permit growth from the U.S. Census Bureau. NAHB uses the latest available data from these sources to generate a list of improving markets. A metropolitan area must see improvement in all three measures for at least six consecutive months following those measures’ respective troughs before being included on the improving markets list.

A complete list of all 201 metropolitan areas currently on the IMI, and separate breakouts of metros newly added to or dropped from the list in December, is available at www.nahb.org./imi. 

If you are wanting to: 

Buy a home in Charlottesville or Belmont, Click here

Sell a home in Charlottesville or Belmont, Click here

Learn about the Market and Being a Real Estate Agent, Click here

To contact me directly: 

Cell 434.242.6212

www.buyorsellhomescharlottesville.com 

Quinton Beckham

Keller Williams Realty 

Bathroom Updates!

Often overlooked in day-today life, the bathroom can be a place of retreat and restoration from the day. When ignored and left to the most basic of traditional looks, bathrooms become places where cleaning and grooming is a chore. However, with a little time and money your bathroom can be transformed into a retreat that allows your body and mind to rest and prepare to face the world again. Homedit.com shares some ideas for giving your bathroom a new look and a whole new feel to go with the new year.



Outside of the kitchen, very few remodels breathe new life into your home like redoing the bathroom. From a complete refit to some simple accessories to give it a new feel, stepping out of the mundane can add enjoyment and give you cause to take the time enjoy a warming soak in the winter or a relaxing shower in the summer. Changing how you view this room can do a lot for your sensation of the space itself, changing it from a place where chores of cleaning and shaving are performed as quickly and efficiently as possible to a room to be enjoyed as an escape. Additionally, outside of a kitchen, very few rooms can do so much to increase the the value of your Charlottesville home than making the bathroom something spectacular.






Whether you go for a more modern look like the one pictured at the top of the page, or something a bit more traditional like the picture directly above and to the right, just glancing at these photos certainly lets you know that these were not bathrooms chosen out of the aisleways of the local home improvement store with a measuring tape and heavy duty cart and the latex advertisements for what is on sale. No matter what you choose, the point is to give a signature and make it inviting, unique and valuable. I have yet to be out with a couple buying a new home in Charlottesville / Albemarle where they do not comment on two rooms - the kitchen and the master bath. You may choose to update your bathroom for your own enjoyment now, but when the time comes to sell your home in Charlottesville, I can promise you this is an investment that will pay off in two ways - overall value of the home and by increasing traffic and shortening the length of time your home is on the market.


Are you an outdoorsman? Enjoy camping in winters and planting in the spring? One of the primary draws to Charlottesville / Albemarle Real Estate is the mix of city and nature, the ability of homeowners to experience and enjoy both. If you do love nature and experiencing it in person than you are likely in want of a mudroom. No mudroom in your home? Make your master bath one with a wet side and a dry with these unique partitions that let you clean up without spreading the mess throughout the whole bath.  Stylish and versatile, these partitions give your bath a unique feel and help you keep on the good graces of your spouse by simplifying clean up and not spreading the mess. Enjoy the outdoors without losing the luxury of your bath with these wonderful accessories.

Whether you have a large budget or a small one, you can make a difference in your home and your life with some well spent energy and money in a room that we should all enjoy that will add value to your home when it comes time to trade up.

For the full article go to http://www.homedit.com/new-year-makeover-ideas-for-your-bathroom/

If you are looking to buy or sell a home in Charlottesville or its surrounding areas, I would love to help. I can be found at www.buyorsellhomescharlottesville.com or at via contact information below. If you like this article, please consider sharing it.

Quinton Beckham
Keller Williams Realty
434.242.6212