Northern Virginia Real Estate Podcast with Jody Donaldson

If you suffer from seasonal allergies, making a few changes in your home can reduce that suffering. Spring is here, which is a perfect time to freshen the air inside your home.  Here are five tips to maintain great indoor air quality for your home: 1. Use allergen-rated filters. Besides making sure your air filters are changed on an appropriate schedule, using a high-quality filter rated for allergen filtration will help clean the air as it cycles through your home.  2. Consider using an air cleaner. If those living in your home are experiencing negative health effects from invasive allergens, using an air cleaner in conjunction with a HEPA air filter for your HVAC system will dramatically increase the effectiveness of your home’s air filtration.  “These tips will allow you to breathe easier at home.” 3. Install ultraviolet lamps. These can be installed inside the heating and cooling units to kill the mold and bacteria that may develop around the coil due to moisture. There are also lamps available that can sterilize the moving air.  4. Ensure your home is properly ventilated. Bedrooms and kitchens need to be properly vented. Check your exhaust vents to make sure they’re unobstructed and working properly.  5. Utilize a dehumidifier. A dehumidifier removes excess moisture from the air, which helps prevent the development of mold and/or mildew.  As always, if you have any questions or you have any real estate needs I can help you with, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I would be glad to help you.

If you’re shopping for a home right now, you’re likely looking at several properties. While this is great news for prospective buyers, there are five essential things you should look for when you walk through a home you’re interested in:  1. The roof’s condition. When entering or exiting a property, take a moment to look up and check out the roof. While you can’t always tell if a roof is well-maintained by looks alone, missing or warped shingles are signs that the roof has been neglected.  2. Rust. Check any major appliances in the home for signs of rust or any type of neglect. This means the HVAC system, the water heater, the vents, and other things of that nature. “If there are multiple listings on a given street, there might be a good reason why.” 3. Warping. Examine the angles of the rooms and the corners of the doors. If they’re tilted or warped a little, this could indicate settlement issues with the foundation.  4. Moisture. If the home smells musty or the wood around the windows is soft or rotted, there is likely some sort of moisture leak from a pipe, an improperly fitted or warped window, or a funky foundation.  5. Numerous listings. If there are lots of listings on a given street, there might be a good reason why. Do your research before purchasing a property in an area others may be trying to get away from.  If you have any questions about what to look for in a home you’re thinking of buying or you have any other real estate needs, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I’d be happy to help you.

How is the real estate market in Northern Virginia? Let’s answer this question today with our latest market update. To begin, home purchase activity in our area has changed a little from what we saw at this time last year. New pending contacts are down 5.7% year over year. The number of closed sales has also decreased since this time last year, but not very much. This statistic has dropped just 0.3% since March of 2017. “Now is the time to sell.” The number of new listings has dropped by 11.6% year over year, but are actually up 46.4% since this February. The five-year average for new listings in March is 5,727 so our current figure of 5,589 new listings isn’t far off from what is typical. Moving on, the current median sold price of $459,000 is a 4.6% increase from last year. Another area of improvement is the current average for days on market. Currently, the average days on market is just 43, compared to last year’s 51. To summarize, we are in the thick of the spring selling season. Looking at the statistics for current closed sales, the year-over-year increase in sales price, and the reduction in average days on market, it’s clear to see that buyer demand is strong. In other words, now is the time to sell. If you have any other questions, would like more information, or would like to discuss your real estate goals, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Setting out to buy new furniture always starts on a high note, as you’re excited to enhance your living space with stylish and functional pieces that will be part of your home’s environment for years to come. Then reality sets in. A multitude of factors combine to make your shopping experience stressful, expensive, and unfulfilling. However, there is a method to the madness. Here are five important tips that can make shopping for furniture a positive experience all around: 1. Focus on one room at a time. If you have multiple rooms to outfit, complete one room at a time. Doing so will not only help you focus on the design of one space, but it will also help you focus on your shopping outings. 2. Shop online first. If your shopping trip is taking you to a name-brand retailer, pursue the inventory online first to narrow down the selection. Check out available fabrics, finishes, and measurements before making that visit to the store, and call ahead to see if your selections are in stock so you don’t waste a trip. 3. Measure access points. Before you get your heart set on that super-sized sectional or California King bed, make sure there is a way to get it into your house. Don’t just measure the spot where the piece will reside. Measure doorways and stairwells to make sure it will fit around the corner, and find out if the piece can be broken down into separate pieces for delivery. 4. Find out about assembly. Be sure that you’re clear on whether or not the furniture item you’re buying requires assembly. Decide if you are ready, willing, and able to take on the task if it does. “Shopping for furniture is a marathon, not a sprint.” 5. Time your buy. According to NerdWallet, you’ll find the best deals for standard premade furniture right before the spring and fall seasons, when new product lines are introduced. President’s Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day are especially good for sales. Most importantly, make sure that you slow down. Shopping for furniture is a marathon, not a sprint. Ideally, these should be items that are part of what makes your house a home for years to come. Avoid overpaying and dissatisfaction by taking your time. I hope these tips will help make your furniture buying experience a little better. If you have any other questions about home maintenance or real estate in general, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!