Tanya Spotts Loudoun County Real Estate, Blogger

This week might having me whistling a different tune by next week, but my last two listings had buyers making offers and contracts being accepted in less than 6 hours. I must admit the buyers were ready to buy, made good decisions with their offers, and because we (the buyer' agents and and I) had good communication skills, the negotiating went smoothy.

What my sellers witnessed was a strategy that most Realtors try extremely hard to communicate to most sellers.... Pricing your home correctly the first time will get you a contract without the need for more price adjustments and days on the market, Unfortunately, like most sellers, my seller wanted to try the higher price first just to see if they would get any bites. And of course, like I had warned, nothing happened. We had a few showings with most of the feedback from the buyer's agents stating "the price is too high." My sellers wised up and decided to lower their asking price to a more reasonable one.

Time is money... the longer it stays on the market, the less valuable it becomes. Homes become stale. like old bread or old beer It looses its fizzle. Who wants to buy old bread or drink stale beer??

Our showings tripled at the price range I had originally suggested.

At the end of our second week, I had another Open House during which time I had two people wanting to make verbal offers.

I always require people who make these type of offers to "put it in writing." As I explained to the sellers, most of these types are just fishing and making low ball offers thinking they will be getting a lower price since they come without a Realtor.

Within the week, we had two offers and a third within a couple of hours.

I thought it might be interesting to see what really has happened in the last 30 days, particularly in the Broadlands since my listing was there. Take a look at this link to see recent listing that went under contract and which have sold in the Broadlands, in Ashburn Farm, and Ashburn Village.

Pricing is EVERYTHING. The "pie in the sky" asking price on many listings will have you waiting, waiting, and waiting to get your home sold. There are not enough advertising dollars that could be spent to find a buyer willing to pay over what a home is worth. Yes, everyone believes their home should be worth more than their neighbor's. You must always take into consideration, especially in today's market, the appraised value. Unless the buyer is paying cash, a lender will require an appraisal. So be prepared to make sure you are within the recent sold price point of homes sold in your area which are similar.

A Realtor's job is not always about helping buyers and sellers with their homes. It also entails giving back to the community and to friends in need. This past Friday, I was able to volunteer at the "Coaches' Grill" during theLoudoun Valley-Stone Bridge High School football game.

Softball Coach and teacher Mr. Spicer along with the help of Patti Hansen, parent volunteer, make Chef Emeril's grilling techniques look dismal.

The goal was to help raise money for Jenny Donaldson's medical bills.

The eventual outcome of the Loudoun Valley vs Stone Bridge was what everyone predicted- Stone Bridge easily winning the game, but what no one predicted was the fantastic support we had for Jenny Donaldson, one of Loudoun Valley's top female athletes. I want to personally thank all my friends, especially those from Ashburn and western Loudoun who did not personally know her, but contributed so willingly.

Jenny was severely injured in a car accident in Pennsylvania this past June. She is not only a terrific kid and student, but one of Valley's outstanding gymnasts and softball players. You can't miss what she contributes to her team. Her energy and bubbly personality is both evident to her teammates and to the fans who watch her. Having watched Jenny about eight years ago at Apex Gymnastics where she competed with my daughter, I couldn't help but notice her determination and outgoing personality. Affectionately known as "Furry Head," her smiling face is framed by wispy, little strands of hair which seem to match her carefree spirit.

Parents, peers, and everyone who know Jenny were devastated when hearing the news about the accident involving an out- of- control commercial vehicle. Jenny was a passenger in a car. Her injuries are extensive resulting in constant care and rehabilitation for many months..

Along with the parents, coaches, and teammates, I wish to THANK YOU for your support at the "Coach's Grill" on Friday night. The concession stand called the "Coach's Grill", offers food and refreshments at Viking home games, including last Friday's game against Stone Bridge. All the proceeds Friday night are going to Jenny to help pay for medical expenses and bills. If you love the sport of gymnastic or softball, you'll understand how difficult it will be to not have Jenny back this season. Please feel free to make a contribution to: To Benefit of Jenny Donaldson c/o Middleburg Bank 431 East Main Street PO Box 2250
Purcellville, VA. 20132

Real Estate is becoming high tech. 90% of buyers begin their home searches on the Internet. A lot of real estate ads make you believe that you can find your dream home by logging-on. Fortunately, software will never replace relationships. "Technology is something I offer Careology is something I live, "

Out of state clients have called me asking for help in finding a surgeon for their six year old daughter who would be needing heart surgery after their move. I had one client call me on the way to the hospital to let me know his wife was just thrown from a horse resulting in a broken femur, fractured spine, and broken ankle. I immediately gave him the name of a great orthopedic and called the doctor to let him know. My job just isn't real estate; it is a job of being a consultant and friend.. I understand many people would say I am asking for trouble, but I have come to know my clients as friends and family. Who wouldn't stick their neck out for a friend or family member?

Interesting and worth while fact!

LOUDOUN COUNTY #1
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From an Article in the August 29, 2008 edition of the Leesburg Today.

http://www.leesburg2day.com/articles/2008/08/27/news/fp429census082708.txt

"The U.S. Census Bureau released Tuesday the 2007 American Community Survey, which highlighted LOUDOUN COUNTY as having the hightest median household income in the NATION!

The bureau also released its annual 100 fastest growing counties list, which ranked Loudoun fifth in the nation and FIRST IN VIRGINIA, in population growth amoung counties with populations of 10,000 or more."

Still growing and more people are moving from Fairfax to Loudoun.

Check out the website: School Matters for information about local schools.

As a Professional Realtor here in Loudoun, I see many folks working here who cannot afford to live here. Is this something to be proud of, I wonder?

You know, I never gave it much thought when we moved into our dream home about four years ago. I thought I would eventually put something decorative on my windows. I really don't need the privacy since we live on 3 acres and our neighbors are not that close.

We have a wonderful area which I use as an informal dining area. The bump-out with about 6 windows is adjacent to my kitchen and, as you can see, I have a beautiful round table for family dining.

Since our daughter is on Loudoun Valley's high school gymnastics's team, we volunteered to host the end of the year party. I thought this might get my husband to agree to do some decorating. It worked!

What I discovered was truly amazing.

My all-time favorite place to go is the The Silk Supply Company. I was hoping I might find something in stock for us to do some quick decorating and get a window treatment for this area. I never imagined I could have a custom window tratment done in time for the party. Mr. Richard and his wife Lennie not only helped me design a window treatment, but one which is unique and sassy. I found a beautiful raw silk fabric, it looks a little like burlap, and asked if it would be possible to have my design ready for a party on Tuesday evening. It was Friday late afternoon when we arrived at the store. Without hesitation, he called his employees, asked them to work overtime on Saturday. They had my beautiful window treatments ready for me by Tuesday. I can't say enough about those folks at the Silk Supply Company.

The funny thing is, I am a Realtor. I know how empty homes can look without the proper staging items or decorating advise. I should have done this years ago. The warmth it adds is unbelievable... we just get so use to seeing our homes, and really need some outside eyes to help us take a real look at our homes. Then you need to take the plunge, especially if you are thinking about selling. Be daring, be creative, but most of all decorate with the things you love, and with the help of professionals. Happy decorating!!
It is ironic, but my draperies don't cover the windows, only the walls! I love them !!

I can't stop myself from telling everyone about what I saw at the Lucketts Fair this past weekend, August 23-24. The Green Exhibit was wonderful.

Just look at Carter Marrow cooking hot dogs and chocolate chip cookies with his "easy bake solar oven."

He is a great resource for building green or what Virginia is doing in the to go Green. If you are looking to have a custom built home, you can find Carter at his Bay Homes website.

I can give you lots of stats about why you should think about going green, like....

**Fact**

Two in a household use 25,000 gallons of water a year to do laundry- We use 5 billion gallons of drinking water to flush toilets

**Fact**

Unplug everything you are not using: Standby current can account for 9-10% of household energy. Your TV uses 25% of its energy when it is turned off!

And..if every commuter one day each week would be in a carpool, ride a bike, use mass transit, or work from home, we'd save 5.85 billions of gas and 143 tons of CO2.

but I won't bore you with the data, what I want you to consider is simply to turn a green corner. You have begun replacing your SUVs with a more fuel-efficient & safer model cars ( I am trying to do this as soon as I can), but to take going green one step further, in making your home more green!

It can be as simple as looking at your insulation and appliances to painting with low VOC (volatile organic compounds). It is not only good for our environment, but great for your health.

We all know what it is like when there are water restrictions in Purcellville, Hamilton, Leesburg , and Ashburn. Let's think about how we can save beyond the days with water restrictions.

Let's look at what it means to THINK GREEN. Simply put, we must think about the costs of our energy use and how we can make a difference by the choices we make.

What did you plug into a house 20 YEARS AGO:

1 TV

1 Refrigerator

1 Fan

Several lamps

What is pugged into our homes TODAY

5 TVs

5 Computers, cell phones, PDAs

Indoor and Outdoor Lighting

Visit Energysavers.gov for more information to help you GO GREEN

I am a Green Building for Real Estate Professional- GL certified and if you are thinking of buying or selling a home, I will be happy to discuss with you about home improvements which are "GREEN" and beneficial to your health, comfort, and marketability.

Tanya@TanyaSpotts.com

www.ThisSpotsForYou.com

Email me for more information on Building Green or improving your home's energy use.