Stacy Mallonee

Great report full of lots of information for the sellers and buyers.

http://dullesarea.net/marketstatistics/Loudoun%20County%20May%202009.pdf

Just like the lyrics in the Bob Dylan song the Northern Virginia Real Estate Market is changing. The market is seeing stabilization throughout the area. The price declines have slowed down and from March to April of this year the price decline was less than one percent in month over month. We have noticed that the supply in eastern Loudoun for single family homes are not meeting the demand for the year which is creating a bidding war for those sought after properties. It's still a great time to be a buyer and it's now more important than ever to jump off the fence to find that perfect home.

Being green is something that I haven't done a very good job with in the past. I have decided during this Earth Day celebration that I would embrace my green ambitions. I have been good about recycling but it's not time to take it up a notch. All cans, bottles and paper will have their place in my garage and will find their way to the local recycling center which is located right next to my daughters Preschool so no more driving by and saying I really need to do it. Here's what my green plan is for my family.

1. Set up a recycle center in my garage to include cans, bottles and paper.

2. Ger rid of the paper plates and pull out the wedding present plates that are collecting dust.

3. Turn off all lights that are not needed in the home.

4. Set the air conditioner two degrees higher to help save on the electric bill.

5. Set the pool pump to run only 6 hours instead of 10 hours.

6. Grow my own vegetables and fruit for the summer.

7. Stop buying cases of water and start using a water bottle that is useable.

8. Buy all natural cleaners and throw out the harsh chemicals that I currently use.

If all of us will join in the celebration of Earth Day and just pick one thing to do differently than our planet and our children will thank us.

The real estate market in Northern Virginia is busy. It's so busy that many of my clients have been competing against multiple offers. My buyers and I have run up against multiple offers on condos, townhouses and single family homes and getting that dream home just became a little more challenging. The buying power has increased and the homes priced well and in good condition are selling higher than their list price. I realize as buyers that it's a hard concept to grasp going over the list price on their offers since they are sure we haven't hit bottom yet. The point I try to explain to all my buyers is that there is no way to predict the bottom and it will have come and gone while they have been debating it.

I know that I preach that it's a perfect time to be a buyer, but it is. You get an $8000 tax credit and the ability to enjoy interest rates that are historically low. You can buy more house than ever before and you have a guarantee that you home will go up in value over the next few years.

With inflation alarms quietly sounding in the background of the Federal Reserve, we can be sure that our historically low interest rates will not be sticking around for ever. Please don't miss your opportunity to take advantage of a down market like we haven't seen in over a half of century.