Luisa Rodriguez

It appears that this time of year will be a difficult time for many folks. Although many of us may feel the pinch of the economic downturn, we always have to remember that it is worse for other folks who have currently been laid off due to the economic crisis. There will be a lot of little kids this Christmas without any gifts. So those of us that still have income flowing in should consider giving a little extra this year. For my family, it may mean that my 2yr old may get only 1 gift from mom and dad this year (plus all the others from grandma and grandpa) and my husband and I forgoing Christmas presents from each other, but it will give the opportunity to another child that isn't so fortunate to also get something for Christmas.

It is a great time to go through our pantry and our closets and give to charity. And for those of you that are getting ready to list your homes for sale, it is a great way to remove the clutter!!! Many charities will come to pick up donations from your house such as Salvation Army and Purple Heart. I personally like Toys for Tots --run by the Marine Corps reserve. So let's start giving!!!

Many believe that going through a Realtor is the only way to go if you are trying to sell your home. I am not of that mindset. I liken it to an experience I had with a repair man recently. It cost me about $300 to get my washer and dryer fixed. I had the opportunity to watch everything he did and he was nice enough to explain each step. It took him about 20 min to replace the old part with the new part. The part cost about $40 and the rest was for the labor. As soon as he was done, I realized I could have done that myself and I would have saved $260.00. The bottom line is that if I would have taken the time to research the system, maybe get a manual, I would have saved myself that money. However, what I would have not saved myself is the time. But that is just the thing, I didn't have the time to do that research on top of the million other things I had to do.

There was another time that I decided to install a garbage disposal on my own to save the $50. Eight hours later and after multiple trips to Home Depot, I decided it would have been worth to pay the $50. I am sure that expert could probably have done it in about 30 min, since they probably had all the tools they needed in their vehicle and having installed hundreds of garbage disposals would have known exactly what to do.

So if you have the time and the inclination, by all means do the FSBO. As an FSBO you will have to spend a lot of money up front to get the type of advertisement you will need to properly expose your property. Remember a Realtor has access to the MLS which automatically exposes your property to thousands, if not millions of buyers. An FSBO will also require a lot of research and time, but it is not impossible to do it on your own.

Realtors like a plumber, already have a tool box of "materials" that they need to sell your property, not to mention the knowledge they have acquired. So what may seem like an easy, effortless job to the outsider ( just list your house in the MLS and do an open house), there is a lot of training and learning that goes with this job. We spend countless hours going to workshops, classes, just to learn the latest trends. We read up on the latest real estate news, what today's buyers are looking for, what the best types of advertisements are--we network. When you pay a commission to us, you are paying for our knowledge plus all the other services, such as the open houses, negotiating, etc.

My advise to anyone that wants to get the best price for their home, but doesn't have the time required to do an effective FSBO, is to interview different Realtors. Ask for references. You want to find the Realtor that will give your home the most effective and maximum exposure--someone that you know is working hard to get your home sold.

If you are relocating to Fort Belvoir, there are many areas to consider. If you are interested in older homes, the around Mount Vernon can be the place for you. The closer you are to the Potomac River, the higher end the homes will be. The area is attractive because homes are surrounded by mature trees and many of the homes are unique (i.e. they are not cookie cutter homes). The Mount Vernon Trail also runs along that route parallel to the GW Parkway which is a popular attraction for bikers, runners and people just wanting to take a nice stroll in a beautiful setting.

Lorton is another option. Lorton has a lot new construction and the area has developed tremendously since the prison closed several years ago. Since then, it has also become a more sought after area. However, if you are looking for affordability, Prince William County (PWC) is the place for you. Woodbridge in PWC would be your best bet if you are commuting to Fort Belvoir. However, if you take public transportation, you will probably need to take the VRE to Lorton and switch to the Fairfax Connector (bus system).

Port Potomac is a new development off of Route 1, south of Dale Blvd in Woodbridge, VA. With the current housing slump, single family homes here can be found in the $300,000s and $400,000s. There are also townhomes at least 2400 square feet available for just under $300,000.

What I like about Port Potomac is that the community has a lot to offer for an HOA fee that I think is very reasonable, $126 a month for townhomes. That fee includes the maintaining of common areas, use of the indoor and outdoor pool (indoor pool is availble all year), the use of the tennis courts, basketball courts, the staffed fitness facility, the tot lots, etc. What I think I would be paying for a membership at a local gym, I believe $126 is very reasonable. I use the pool at least a couple times a month to let my 2 year old burn off some energy, and in the summer time, several times a week. There are also community organized activities such as ultimate frisbee, wine tasting events, kids events, etc.

There is also currently construction of a Creme de la Creme daycare/school (http://www.cremedelacreme.com/default2.aspwithin ) the development that is due to open in January. If you want high quality day care and if you live in Port Potomac, it will only be minutes away. Port Potomac is also only a 5 minute drive from the new Wegmans and the new upscale shops that are currently under construction next to the Wegmans. It is about 15 minutes north of Quantico and it is about a 10 minute drive to the Virginia Railway Express (VRE - http://www.vre.org/) station at Rippon Landing.

Although there are still some promised ammenities that still need to be constructed by the developer such as the amphitheater and the community garden, it is turning out to be a great place to live.

With the news coming from Wall Street and rumors that we are in a recession many wonder if it is the right time to buy. The right time to buy really depends on you and your particular circumstances. The market is unpredictable, and although some may say that prices will continue to fall, we don't know for how long. I personally believe that if we haven't hit the bottom yet, we are close, at least in Prince William County in Northern Virginia. The bottom line is, if you are in it for the long term, there is no reason why you shouldn't buy if you are financially stable and have stable employment. The last thing you want to do, however, is to miss out on this great opportunity to buy in buyer's market.

The most important advice I can give to my clients is to buy within their means and make sure they have at least 3 months salary in savings for any unforeseen circumstances. Unless they are an experienced investor, I also stronlgy suggest to get a fixed rate mortgage. If they are in it for the long term, eventually, they will build equity on their homes.

You are always welcome to email me or give me a call if you don't know if you should buy now. I am not one to push people into something I think is over their heads and I have in the past suggested to clients to wait until their financial situation improves.