You can't always get what you want

Gotta love Mick Jagger and the Stones. I have this song ringing in my head most all of the time. Constantly want to sing it to my kids, my husband, my friends, myself and of course, my real estate clients. Buying or selling a home is a huge, stressful and very expensive undertaking. I've found that when you are buying or selling a house here in Arlington and surrounding Northern Virginia areas, the stakes and expectations are very high. The median sales price in Arlington county was $513,000 in January, 2012, and for the North Arlington area of 22207, it was a whopping $790,000 - median. So when buyers are forking over this kind of cash for a property, the expectations get high. However, Arlington can be a very rough reality because these prices do not equate to large luxurious homes. For example a home at that median price of $513,000 in North Arlington is likely to be built in 1940 or 1950, have 3 bedrooms, maybe 1.5 baths, and if there are two one will be in the basement. It's possible one of those bedrooms will be about 9x9 and not really fit a double bed comfortably. $200K does not get you a TON more. You will still be hard pressed to find a master bathroom in the $700K range in North Arlington, and if you do, it will probably be small. There are a ton of tear down homes being bought by builders in 22207 and 22213 for $600-$650K right now. What will replace them will start around $1.5 million for a 4000-5000 square foot craftsman style new home.

And sellers, yes, the market here is strong, but you have to be realistic about price. If you are not getting offers and getting multiple showings, you've either got a house that does not meet the taste of the masses or it's too high, or a combination of both. I can explain to you what most N. Arlington home buyers want, and can help you set out with realistic expectations for a sales price.

So, if you are about to start house hunting in Arlington, especially in the 22207 zip code, download this song on your iPod and keep in playing while you look. Sellers, I have the same advice. You might not get the price you want, but you will get what you need which is to sell your house and move on to what lies ahead, if you price right. Life in Arlington is great, but you can't always get what you want, if you want to live here.

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