October 2009 home sales in Alexandria's Old Town neighborhood show identical DOM (days of market) as in October 2008 and an increase of one in the number of sales.
The exciting news is that the average sold price shows an 8.8 percent increase from $611,462 in October 2008 to $670,236 in October 2009.
This steadfastness in total sales, along with the 2009 price increase, speaks to the overall health of the housing market in Northern Virginia.
Blogging the frugal life style does not belong only to the "experts." Indeed, individuals in Alexandria and Northern Virginia are contributing to the blogging landscape with a wide variety of offerings on how to survive - and thrive - in what some have called "lifestyle deflation."
Some of the blogs are quite professional and have advertisers but most are your basic do-it- yourself blog.
Stay at home moms, young couples and singles all offer their take on making the most of every dollar. Some share month to month grocery budgets, complete with store by store sales while other focus on activities and taking advantage of coupons. Anyway you look at it, its easy to access information that anyone can use.
Here are some of our favorites:
This list is just the tip of the iceberg. Almost all of the blogs reference other blogs so be prepared to spend some time surfing and finding out about the best bargains in the area - it's contagious!
Blogging the Frugal Life Style in Alexandria and Northern Virginia
Mortgage rates are showing a slight decrease for home buyers in Alexandria with FHA, VA and conforming conventional loans in the 5 percent and 0 point range. Rob Clark, our go to mortgage guy offers this observation on the market:
"With limited economic data released last week, mortgage rates continued their recent trend of slowly moving downward. While we continue to see limited activity outside of conforming and FHA-backed mortgages, it is worth noting that jumbo mortgages are beginning to reappear more widely in the market, and the difference between conforming and jumbo rates has been shrinking.
This is a week full of economic data for markets to sort through. With recent signs that the labor market could be hitting bottom, any signal that indicates that the recovery is beginning to power up could start pressuring mortgage rates upward.
Both Retail Sales and Industrial Production are due this week. If these two influential reports show greater strength than anticipated, then the likelihood of increasing rates will grow. However, if they both come in lower than expected, we could see this trend of very slowly decreasing rates continue.
Both the PPI and CPI also are also due this week. If they are near expectations, they will create some additional downward pull on rates."
Next we'll be bringing you up to date information on the extension of the first time home owners tax credit so stay tuned.
On a beautiful November Sunday, the George Washington Parkway was alive with activity - biking, walking, running and sitting on a bench - and wonderfully quiet in its beauty.
A November Sunday on the George Washington Parkway.
October home sales in Alexandria's Del Ray neighborhood show a decline in the number of sales from a year ago - 15 in 2008 to 10 in 2009 - but with an increase in home values.
The average price is up almost 9.4% with the average number of DOM (days on market) down from 91 to 50 for the same time period.
These numbers are a good reflection of both the stability of the real estate market in Northern Virginia and the continuing overall turnaround.
Want to know more specifics about October home sales in Alexandria's Del Ray neighborhood? Give me a call at 703.927.4554 or email me at michael.bergin2@verizon.net.
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An Accredited Buyers Agent and Senior Real Estate Specialist. Graduate, Realtors Institute. Working with first time buyers and military families is a priority. Licensed in Virginia and WDC.
Alexandria - Northern Virginia's Best Small City
A busy community in the heart of Northern Virginia, Alexandria offers the best in small city living:
a thriving downtown
tightly knit neighborhoods
high walkability scores
public transportation
Working with first time home buyers and military families makes me glad to be an agent. Answering questions and walking buyers through the process never gets old!
If you are first time buyer or a buyer new to the Commonwealth of Virginia, it is important to understand the role of real estate agents in your transaction. Virginia allows the buyer a choice of who will represent them in the purchase of a new home. This person is known as a buyer's agent.
Imagine that you are out and see an open house sign. You go in, look around and begin talking with the on site agent. This person is usually a listing agent. It means they have signed a listing agreement with the seller that clearly states that they will act and protect the seller's interest in the transaction.
Because they represent the seller, the agent cannot give you unbiased advice on pricing, inspections, comparable sales, contingencies, etc. In fact, any information that you receive will all be in favor of the seller. There is actually nothing wrong with this, the listing agent is just doing his or her job, but as a buyer, you want someone representing your interests. That's where an Accredited Buyers Representative comes in.
An Accredited Buyers Representative (ABR) is a licensed real estate agent who has completed an additional course of study and serves specifically as an agent for buyers in a real estate transaction. Buyers sign an agreement with an agent, just like a seller signs a listing agreement. As a Buyer's Representative I make sure my clients are well served in the negotiating process and fairly represented.
I am also a Senior Real Estate Specialist, working with a team of profesionals to make the buying and selling process for "seniors" as uncomplicated and streamlined as possible. My interest in this area comes from personal experience with my own parents and with my mother-in-law. I can recommend everything from moving companies to move in specialists to assisted living facilities. If you are helping an older family member make a move, give me a call.
“I referred a real estate deal to Michael and he handled it like a Pro!” Steve R.
"We first met Michael when we moved to the Northern Virginia area as renters. A year later when we decided to buy we called Michael to help us find a foreclosure in our price range. He never lost patience or confidence that we would find what we wanted and answered all our questions, multiple times over! We highly recommend Michael and look forward to working with him again in the future." Jimmy and Karen W.
"We met Michael at an open house and he went on to help us buy our very first house. Two children later we called Michael to sell that house and to find us a new one. He did both in short order and with great good humor, patience and professionalism. When a sticky situation arose around move in day, Michael was right there, working with the seller and her agent to resolve the issue and avoid delays. Michael is a pleasure to work with and we can't think of a better agent in the Northern Virginia area." Frank and Gillian H.
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
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