"Why aren't there any room sizes on the listing?"
I can't begin to count the number of times I've been asked this question by prospective home buyers, whether calling to inquire about a property for sale, or after I've handed them a copy of the property listing. Buyers are consumers. And, in most cases, consumers want to know exactly what they're spending their cold hard cash on. Predictably, they're interested in knowing whether or not the property suits their needs.
Home ownership is not a "one size fits all" business. For those of us who've picked up a "super-sized" dining or bedroom room suite during one of our duty tours abroad (does Germany ring a bell?), room size is a vital consideration when looking at a possible next home. Not being able to fit furniture in a particular room is not an option.
Many property listings include the total finished living space, but far fewer mention or provide the size of each of the rooms inside the property. For many prospective buyers, this is information that is sorely needed when making the decision on whether a home might be suitable for occupancy.
Room sizes are included in a property listing to provide buyers with an accurate picture of the property. These sizes are normally not included for one of three reasons:
1) The seller has requested they not be included.
2) The agent has chosen not to include them.
3) The listing agent has not taken the time or made the effort to determine what the room sizes are.
Do any of these reasons make sense? Of course, the seller has the right to do whatever they choose. However, the listing agent has no excuse for not including room sizes in the property listing. Their duty is to act in the best interest of their client.
Providing information about a property, through words, pictures, or virtual tours, is the primary means of informing the viewing/shopping, or buying public what you is being sold. In selling a home, less is not more. On the contrary, home buyers want more information. The Stafford & Fredericksburg areas aren't lacking when it comes to informed consumers. As far as our clientele is concerned, the more informative and specific a listing agent is in describing a property in the Multiple Listing Service(MLS), the better.
Fortunately, if room sizes are not included, there are a couple of ways to determine what the actual room sizes are.
First, the property made have been listed previously. If so, the room sizes may be included in the previous listing. Secondly, the listing agent, or seller, may actually have a blueprint or house plan indicating room sizes. Finally, when all else fails, you can always take measures (literally) into your own hands. When viewing the house, pull out the tape measure and measure the room sizes yourself. Believe it or not, most homeowners won't mind. Remember, they want the home to sell! If you measuring rooms will help accomplish that, then they'll be more than happy to oblige.
To Continue Reading this Article, Click Here: It's More Than a Matter of Inches
One of the many pleasures in life is being entertained. For some of us, the convenience of the family room and big screen T.V. on a Sunday afternoon is about as good as it gets. I mean, how many armchair quarterbacks have ever been wrong?
But, hopefully, other than your daily back and forth to work, you get out every now and then to enjoy the people, places and things your community has to offer. Our Stafford & Fredericksburg area offers a variety of entertainment outlets for both young and old. One of the attractions that suits just about any taste is the Bella Cafe which sits on Route 1, just North of Stafford, VA.
The Cafe is not your everyday attraction. While it's been called a restaurant or eatery, it's anything but. Known for its Tuesday and Thursday Chess nights, the pieces and chess boards are actually in use whenever there's table space and players ready to play. While the chess nights seem to attract an older crowd, it's the Open Mic nights on Friday and Saturday that really draws the twenty-something and younger crowd. The "open mic" is just that.
While there is the line-up of regular performers, the microphone is open for all comers. As a matter of fact, it's the ideal place for any and all beginners to get some experience. Whether its an instrument you play, or you just like to sing, there's no better place to get your feet wet. For those with a bit more experience, what better place to hone their skills? Most of us do our best singing in the shower. For us, Bella offers us a comfortable place just to sit back and enjoy the entertainment. You won't be disappointed. Of course, what's a Cafe without food?
Bella is an all day affair. In other words, it serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. While open, food is served. Hours are:
Monday - Thursday 9:00AM - 10:00PM
Friday 9:00AM - 10:30PM
Saturday 9:00AM - 11:00PM
Sunday 10:00AM - 5:00PM
Menu items include many different offerings of various types of sandwiches, wraps, bagels, & soups, among other things. Drinks available include expresso drinks, gourmet coffees, smoothies, custard shakes, and the regular lineup of soft drinks. Teens stand in line for the 21 oz custard Brainfreeze which comes in an assortment of flavors. While I have yet to have one, the numbers don't lie. The Brainfrreze must be tasty! But, it's their Shrimp and Roasted Corn Bisque that I find hard to pass up. If a soup can be labeled gourmet, then it is gourmet.
The Bella Cafe isn't you're everday hangout. Not only is the food very good and the entertainment enjoyable, but, what keeps the faithful coming back is its charm and sense of community. So, next time you decide to turn off the big screen T.V. and head out for a bite to eat, by yourself or with friends and family, stop by the Bella Cafe. If you're lucky, you may have the chance to listen to the next star of "America's Got Talent."
To Continue Reading this Article, Click Here: When Karaoke Just Won't Do
Today's headlines were filled with good news. We've got Hannah & Ike coming to visit, and Freddie and Fannie are being marched off to their rooms for a bit of "quiet time."
Actually, Hurrican Hannah came ashore yesterday off the coast of North Carolina. Today, in the heart of Virginia, we're feeling her rath. Fortunately, according to the Weather Channel, it looks like her stepbrother Ike, who is in trail, will miss us. It appears he'll be visting the Bahamas before heading off into the Gulf of Mexico. But, with the arrival of the storms clouds also came news that the nation's two largest mortgage giants are the most recent victims of the mortgage crisis that's devasted our real estate landscape for the past three years.
On Friday, the Federal Reserve made a call on the red phone (you do remember that 3 A.M. call, don't you?) to inform Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae of its intention to place them under federal control. They'll be placed into "conservatorship". Into what, you say? According to the Fed, the good news is, the companies will continue to operate with the government backing their debt. The bad news is that their boards will be replaced, and their shareholders will be left holding the bag. Well, at least, that's what they're saying. But, let's hope it isn't the shareholders that are the only ones who'll have to pay the price for gross mismanagement. But, enough of the bad news.
For anyone that's travelled up and down I95 in Northern Virginia, rush hour traffic is not a pretty sight. The good news is, according to the recent Urban Mobility Study, the commute to Washngton D.C. ranked as the 5th worst commute in the nation. To be honest, I guess it's kind of human to feel a bit better, knowing you don't have it as bad as other folks. Besides, the actual study examinedf the 10 most wasteful cities in the country for commuters, based on fuel usage. What were the top four?
Gridlock on our nations highways is never enjoyable. With today's onboard GPS systems, traffic backups can, at times, be avoided. For those of us that live here, we can always find a way around I95. The "reroute" may take us a bit out of the way, but the added time may more than make up for the aggravation avoided. Besides, when the traffic gets bad, just remember, it could be worse.
To Continue Reading this Article, Click Here: When Finishing 5th Isn't So Bad
"The strong take from the weak, but the smart take from the strong."
from Coach Pete Carril's book, "The Smart Take From the Strong"
In today's digital world, these words have taken on special meaning. Those of us that have been involved in any type of physical competition can attest to the strong taking from the weak, the big beating up on the small. While bigger may not necessarily mean better, when to comes to physical prowess, it goes a long way. Who didn't grow up with a neighborhood bully?
But, with today's technology, what kind of online assistance exists for an effective and successful home search when shopping for your next home? Clearly, there are a number of very good online sources. Some of today's most popular web sites with national coverage include:
These "home" sites not only provide the consumer with home listings but also are meant to be a one-stop shopping location for home buyers by providing links to lenders, insurance providers, maps, agents, and other helpful resources.
Once you've done a "macro" look at what's out there, perhaps now it's time to turn to the area expert, or local real estate agent to help narrow your search and actually do that "boots on the ground" looking. Nothing takes the place of a local real estate agent's expertise. But, please remember, like any other profession, not all practitioners are the same. Some agents are better than others. So, please do your homework before enlisting the aid of an agent. For many of us, a referral from a trusted source is always a good place to start.
Many of our clients are inbound from overseas or deployed locations. Sometimes, the closest they've been to their next duty station or job is an ocean away, or, in some cases, they may be PCSing from the furthest reaches of the globe. So, reaching out to online sources may be their most effective and practical approach to home shopping before they actually move. The good thing is, much of the upfront work is best done via computer and phone, or e-mail.
While the web provides a wealth of real estate information for the purchaser, local expertise can answer questions for you that you probably won't find anywhere online. And, if the agent doesn't know the answer, they can certainly point you in the right direction. Remember, their duty is to you! But, more importantly, make sure your Realtor knows what you want. That may sound like the proverbial "no-brainer", but believe it or not, sometimes that simple fact is overlooked, or more often, minimized instead of emphasized.
The bottom line is: The resources to optimize your home search are at your finger tips. Use them to educate yourself on neighborhoods, schools, cultural and recreational activites, churches, traffic patterns, and anything else that might impact your choice of a home and/or location. Equipped with those resources in hand, and a professional agent to assist you, you'll have all the smarts necessary to find the home of your dreams.
To Continue Reading this Article, Click Here: There's Gold In Them There Hills!
Well, our holiday is over, and it's time to get back to work. Ignore the fact that most us are employed 12 months out of the year. But, Labor Day's goodbye isn't the only indication that the school year's about to begin. In case you've forgotten, we'll be seeing those large yellow buses competing for road space as well!
Seems that as long as I can remember, the yellow school bus has been the primary means for most students to get to and from school each day. But, do you ever wonder where the yellow came from?
While the challenge of transporting students to school has been around as long as schools have, bus transport became popular in the early 1900s. Most of the early transport was required in order to pick up students who lived in rural areas where walking to school, due to the distance to school, was simply impractical. Development of the modern school bus took off in the 1930s and led to the design of those used today. National school bus construction standards were established at a 1939 conference led by Dr. Frank W. Cyr, of the Teachers College at Columbia University. Originally labeled as National School Bus Chrome, the color chosen for school buses later became known as National School Bus Glossy Yellow. Yellow was the chosen color because black lettering on the color was easiest to see in the early morning hours when buses where on the road.
The sight of the yellow school bus reminds us that its time to get back to work, specifically for students and those that teach them. It also reminds me how important it is to get and on the road a bit earlier in the morning. While I may appreciate the purpose of the yellow school bus, I'll avoid them if at all possible. Fortunately, Stafford County publishes its bus routes. In Northern Virginia, traffic congestion is a challenge in and of itself, when school isn't in session. Can you imagine what it is like when the buses are rolling?
To Continue Reading this Article, Click Here: The Big Yellow Bus
Jim specializes in buying and selling homes in the Northern Virginia real estate market. Our niche is assisting military & DoD employees in relocating to the greater Washington Metro area.
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