Coral Gundlach

Radon is an issue we talk about every day in real estate. It is a pretty typical test to get when buying a home with a basement, and rarely are elevated levels found here inside the beltway. Radon is a naturally occurring carcinogen found in the ground and it is in pockets throughout the country. It is possible for one house to have it and the next to not. Recent real estate transactions in Arlington and Falls Church have been showing elevated levels of radon, however. I've heard it is due to the earthquake last summer, but can't confirm it.

I do know that you should take it seriously and test every couple of years for it as it can come and go. It can also test high in the winter and low in the summer. The EPA recommends that any home that tests at 4picoCuries per Liter (4 pCi/L) or above be remediated. The World Health Organization recommends remediation at/above 2.7 pCi/L.

Recently, I had a buyer under contract on a house that tested at 11.8 - that's quite high for this area. The sellers had it retested and it came in at 4.6. My buyer, after researching radon's negative health effects, decided she wanted it to be below 2. Fortunately, remediation worked and it came in at an average of 1.9.

Most homes can be remediated to be under 2, according to the Radon Abatement specialist who did the work. Radon is easy to test for an relatively inexpensive to fix ($800-1500 or so depending on how your house is built).

Homes with sump pumps are cheaper and easier to remediate because the radon pipe system can tap into the sump pump.

Homes built on dirt can be more difficult and more expensive to remediate because the radon is not buffered by anything.

I am by no means a radon expert, and everything in this blog I learned from research online and by talking to radon remediation contractors. If you have a home with a basement in N. Arlington, I recommend you get you home tested every two years for radon. Contact me if you'd like a recommendation on a testing or remediation company. My personal home tested at 3.9 so I got a system installed recently and would be happy to share my experience.

See this video from the EPA for more on radon's risks.

These words were recently spoken to me by a contractor I had recently used on a huge job at my house. I won't go into details, but we spent 5 figures with this company and had quite a bit of work done last October. I am a Realtor®, and I have also used this contractor on occasion for work on listings. So when I called him to see if he worked in an area in a neighboring county where I have a listing coming up, I was surprised when he had absolutely no idea of who I was. I gave him my name, my company's name, my address, my husband's name and described the large job he'd just done for us last fall. Nothing made a bell ring. He claimed the cell service was bad and he was having a hard time hearing me. That's fair. So he called back and left a voicemail saying, and I paraphrase, "I am sorry I did not know who you were, I have 10,000 people in my database and sometimes it's hard to remember my clients' names right away."

So, with that voicemail and pseudo apology, I did not call him back, reached out to some colleagues and found a great referral for the job I need done at my clients' house. I will also be using that referral for another project I have at my house, and I figure the guy who has 10,000 people in his database and could not remember who I was, probably doesn't need any more. He did call back again and say he remembered who I was after getting to his office and looking me up. Okay, again, that understandable, but he should have someone IN his office (I tried that number 5 times with no answer) answering the phones to figure out who people are if he can't himself. Because he has no receptionist, or anyone answering the phones, I called his cell. And here we are, he lost a customer and who knows how many referrals.

I am not a mega agent, nor do I intend to be one. I have a nice solid business that makes a good living and keeps me busy and fulfilled. I have relationships with my current and past clients, and can tell you without a doubt, I know who each and every one of them are and would not be so confused if a client from 8 years ago called me, let alone 5 months ago.

I can't imagine I could possibly even want to build 10,000 people in my database someday, but maybe if I am an agent for another 20 years, it's possible. If I get to that point, I would most certainly have a solid team of people to help me keep track of them, answering phones during business hours for one, and helping me remember who my clients are. Again, I can understand if you are in business for 30 years you might not remember someone from that long ago. But we are talking about 5 months. And it was not a small project.

What are your thoughts? Do you expect people with whom you spend large sums of money to remember you when you call again within a few months? Do you want to work with the "biggest agent in town" or one who will know who you are when you call them with a question after you close?

If you are looking for a Realtor® in Northern Virginia who will remember who you are, give me a call. I don't take on more business than I can handle and give personal service to each and every one of my clients. You are not just a number to me. And it's likely that you'll even hear from me post-closing before you need me.

It should come as no surprise, but Arlington County Virginia boasts the lowest unemployment rate in the DC Metropolitan area. Our current unemployment rate is 3.6% - down from 3.8% from December 2010 and down from 4.3 from 2009. We have an incredibly strong real estate market as well. See the full Bureau of Labor Statistics report here. Our median price for January 2012 over January 2011 is up a whopping 15% from $438,000 to $513,000. That is a remarkable jump for a slow time of year.

If you are thinking of making a move to Arlington County Virginia and want a local expert opinion on the real estate market give me a call for a consultation to discuss your options. Our real estate market is not like the national news - we currently have an inventory shortage and a very strong seller's market. Likewise if you are thinking of selling, believe me, now IS a good time if you have either owned your home for a while or paid down your mortgage. I just had a buyer win out in a multiple offer situation on a home in North Arlington this weekend - it sold for significantly over asking price. Homes are selling fast for at or over asking price if priced and staged correctly. I can advise you through this complicated marketplace as either a buyer or seller.

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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If you happen to drive by the Overlee Pool on Lee Highway in Arlington, and wonder where it went, don't fret. Overlee is undergoing a wonderful renovation that will give members brand new pools and a new club house. Yes, they did get started a bit later than planned, but the Overlee Pool board members assure us the swim team practice season will begin in May as planned. For current members to register, you can do so here. For more photos or regular updates, check out the Overlee Construction blog here. If you are new to Arlington and want to get into Overlee, you should put your name on the waiting list right away, as it does take some time (like years) to get into the pool. If you are interested in other options that could be available this summer, give me a call or email. I can give you the scoop on the local pool options outside of Overlee.