You will never have to pay to be listed as a top neighbor. Period. That important detail clarified, let's discuss how we arrive at two "top neighbors" for a given region:
Localism is a bustling collection of hyper-local communities, and the top neighbors should reflect those members who are most active. When ranking users in a given region, several factors are considered. To get your foot in the proverbial door, you need to have posted at least one "Localism" article or photo for the region.
The very best way to quickly rise to #1 is to post high-quality local content. Keeping a steady strem of incoming posts and photos will massively tilt the scales in your favor.
What doesn't count toward the top neighbor ranking? ActiveRain points and community sponsorships. The top neighbor spots will always go to the most active members in a region. We want to create a level playing field that encourages the growth of communities — talent and dedication are required to win the day.
Gotta love Mick Jagger and the Stones. I have this song ringing in my head most all of the time. Constantly want to sing it to my kids, my husband, my friends, myself and of course, my real estate clients. Buying or selling a home is a huge, stressful and very expensive undertaking. I've found that when you are buying or selling a house here in Arlington and surrounding Northern Virginia areas, the stakes and expectations are very high. The median sales price in Arlington county was $513,000 in January, 2012, and for the North Arlington area of 22207, it was a whopping $790,000 - median. So when buyers are forking over this kind of cash for a property, the expectations get high. However, Arlington can be a very rough reality because these prices do not equate to large luxurious homes. For example a home at that median price of $513,000 in North Arlington is likely to be built in 1940 or 1950, have 3 bedrooms, maybe 1.5 baths, and if there are two one will be in the basement. It's possible one of those bedrooms will be about 9x9 and not really fit a double bed comfortably. $200K does not get you a TON more. You will still be hard pressed to find a master bathroom in the $700K range in North Arlington, and if you do, it will probably be small. There are a ton of tear down homes being bought by builders in 22207 and 22213 for $600-$650K right now. What will replace them will start around $1.5 million for a 4000-5000 square foot craftsman style new home.
And sellers, yes, the market here is strong, but you have to be realistic about price. If you are not getting offers and getting multiple showings, you've either got a house that does not meet the taste of the masses or it's too high, or a combination of both. I can explain to you what most N. Arlington home buyers want, and can help you set out with realistic expectations for a sales price.
So, if you are about to start house hunting in Arlington, especially in the 22207 zip code, download this song on your iPod and keep in playing while you look. Sellers, I have the same advice. You might not get the price you want, but you will get what you need which is to sell your house and move on to what lies ahead, if you price right. Life in Arlington is great, but you can't always get what you want, if you want to live here.
We've had incredibly great weather here for January in Northern Virginia. Yesterday it was in the high 60s! So my "boys" - husband and two sons, and I, took a walk from our house off Sycamore St to the Lee Harrison Center for some ice cream and a few groceries. It's about a mile each way, and a great way to spend a sunny and unseasonably warm afternoon. We ran into some friends and met a sweet dog who inspired us to maybe get our own. You can't get these experiences when you drive!
How's the real estate market in North Arlington, VA? Well activity is down, but sales price and list price to sales price ratio were up. I can tell you as a very busy agent working in North Arlington that inventory is a problem. Not the problem you hear about on the news with too many houses on the market. Here in North Arlington, we have the opposite problem - not enough homes for sale. Especially right now in December. I have 4 sets of buyers in the $800,000-$1.1 million range who can't find a house. That has always been a dead zone in North Arlington real estate, but it is the case now more than ever.
For some historical perspective, it is important to note that in 2007, the average original list price to sales price ratio was just 92.5%, now it is 95.78% - this means sellers are getting more of what they are asking for then they were 4 years ago when the market, shall we say, got pretty difficult.
The average sales price has also gone up from $632,000 to $813,250 since the same period in 2007/2008. Obviously that jump is not across the board, but for a "slower" time of year, this kind of price increase is encouraging.
So, if you live in North Arlington and think you might have a house to sell, and are waiting until spring, just because you think that's when it's best - give me a call or email. Even if your home is not the right fit for my buyers, I can certainly help you prep it and list it to get a great price. Interest rates are very low* and buyers want to buy houses here in North Arlington. And there is an inventory shortage, low inventory = happy sellers!
*This is not a guarantee of an interest rate. If you'd like a quote from a mortgage provider, contact me.
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.
