Washington, DC

© 2009 Patricia Kennedy. Unless otherwise noted, the content, both written and in pictures, is the property of Patricia Kennedy . If you would like to use this image, please email me (housepat@mac.com) with your request. I'll almost certainly say yes, and ask only that you provide a link back to my original content as well as an acknowledgment. The same thing applies to any other material you see posted here on Active Rain or on any of my other blogs.

After a pretty successful and busy summer in staging, I toyed with the idea of investing in a fun prop, that I could use on my projects. I have read on a few staging blogs that many realtors don't like for stagers to leave information about their business in the staged properties, which seems a shame - stagers are business owners too! I think I found a creative way around it and hope I don't offend any of my realtors by using it.

Here it is - Drum roll please...

And I am excited to be able to use it on my first unit this winter! The screen is 40" wide and can either be shown on the stand, as seen above or else mounted on the wall. Perfect prop for condos!

Let me know what you think!

© 2009 Patricia Kennedy. Unless otherwise noted, the content, both written and in pictures, is the property of Patricia Kennedy . If you would like to use this image, please email me (housepat@mac.com) with your request. I'll almost certainly say yes, and ask only that you provide a link back to my original content as well as an acknowledgment. The same thing applies to any other material you see posted here on Active Rain or on any of my other blogs.

If you're buying a house, chances are you are delegating the choice of title and settlement companies to your agent. After all, he or she goes to lots of settlements every year. You will probably attend only a few during your entire lifetime.

But before you say "Yeah. Sure," to your agents, you need to ask a few questions:

• Does the company send your broker any money for the referral? With many title companies, they have affiliations with one or more real estate companies and the send hefty rebates off to the broker for each referral they send. This is taken from the money the title company charges you. The company I recommend credits the buyer with the amount that other companies send to brokers, and the amount is sometimes in excess of $1,000.
  
• What are their fees? They should send out an itemized list of their charges before you are obligated to use them.
• Who will actually perform the settlement? Some companies have attorneys conduct the settlement while others use staff who do not have law degrees. A lot of the non-lawyers do a fine job, but I strongly prefer to have someone with a law degree sitting at the head of the table.
• What services will they provide? Do they just take care of the money and papers, or do they follow up with services like filing homestead exemptions?
  
• Where will the settlement take place? I once had a settlement that was a drive to Baltimore because the title company owner was the agent's buddy. Some companies that have inconvenient locations will drive to your agent's office to have everyone sign the papers.
• Does the person performing the settlement do this type of work as the major part of his or her law practice? Some buyers decide they want Uncle Lenny to do the settlement. Or maybe a college roommate or the best woman at their wedding. Don't do it unless they happen to be a real settlement attorney and can do this stuff in their sleep.

Most of the boiler plate language in real estate contracts gives the buyer the right to choose the settlement venue. And if you are not yet ready to fill a name into the blank, you can always insert, "to be determined".

Should you just take your agent's suggestion? A lot depends on the extent to which you trust your agent.

My advice - if you should feel the need to shop around, do it. In the end, you may wind up taking your agent's suggestion, or you could end up saving some money that you could use to take your sweetie do a really nice dinner - or buy some furniture for your new place.

P.S. I need to clarify something. It would be unusual for state regulators to set minimum fees for title companies to charge the buyers and sellers who use their services. But there are Federal regulations requiring real estate companies to disclose to their clients any referral fees they recieve from title companies and lenders. In this part of the country, it is common for the larger companies to provide "one stop shopping" for real estate, title insurance and lenders. Their partner lenders and title companies compensate these real estate brokerages, and this compensation often is a significant part of the real estate company's income. My broker does not have any such arrangements. The settlement company that I use (they also have no such arrangements with brokers) credits a portion of the fees they receive from the title insurance carrier to my buyers.

On Sunday, December 6, 2009 beginning at 1pm there will be multiple open houses in the Southwest Watefront neighborhood of Washington, DC. Southwest DC is home to Arena Stage, Fort McNair, close to Nationals Ballpark, minutes to National Airport, downtown, Capitol Hill, and convenient to 295 & 395.

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Tiber Island Cooperative Homes

429 N ST SW #S203	DC7125526	$169,000	studio	1 bath	Listed by RE/MAX Allegiance
1245 4TH ST SW #707	DC7155573	$257,000	1 bedroom	1 bath	Listed by Coldwell Banker

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Harbour Square

530 N ST SW #S-106

DC7197771

$260,000

1 bedroom

1 bath

Listed by Long & Foster

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Carrollsburg, A Condominium

240 M ST SW #E815

DC7178886

$339,000

2 bedroom

1 bath

Listed by RE/MAX Allegiance

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Waterfront Towers

1101 3RD ST SW #501	DC7142575	$335,900	1 bedroom	1 bath	Listed by the Mayhood Company
1101 3RD ST SW #113	DC7142577	$370,900	1 bedroom	1 bath	Listed by the Mayhood Company
1101 3RD ST SW #412	DC7214177	$272,000	1 bedroom	1 bath	Listed by the Mayhood Company

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River Park Mutual Homes

372 N ST SW #T-372	DC7172398	$389,000	4 bedroom	2 bath	Listed by Keller Williams
1301 DELAWARE AVE SW #N-112	DC7007817	$225,000	2 bedroom	2 bath	Listed by Gerlach Real Estate

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Potomac Place Towers

800 4TH ST SW #S616	DC7214341	$229,000	studio	1 bath	Listed by Monument Realty
800 4TH ST SW #S602	DC7214350	$300,000	1 bedroom	1 bath	Listed by Monument Realty
800 4TH ST SW #S620	DC7214456	$316,000	2 bedrooms	1 bath	Listed by Monument Realty
800 4TH ST SW #S103	DC7214508	$180,000	studio	1 bath	Listed by Monument Realty
800 4TH ST SW #S618	DC7214323	$240,000	1 bedroom	1 bath	Listed by Monument Realty

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Get automated info on any DC property listed for sale. Call 202-595-0057 and enter the street number of the property.

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