About Bristow's Braemar

Braemar Property Values for September-October 2009 have just been calculated for the Carriage Series homes. What's a Carriage Series home? That's easy. These are single family homes with detached garages. (Of course, not all Carriage home have a garage. Some homes chose to have only asphalt where the garage would normally sit.) The models that make up the Carriage Series homes are: Maplewood, Norwood, Oakdale and Parkdale.

Braemar Property Values for the Carriage Series this report are an average of the past two months sales. In September and October there were three resales. One Norwood and two Parkdale models. This gives us a mix of smaller and larger Carriage Homes.

Sadly, the average Property Value for a Braemar Carriage home is $262,000 this report. That's a 10.6% decrease in value since last report (july-August 2009), and the lowest property value since I began this report in mid-2005.

During the decline our real estate market, Braemar Carriage Homes have maintained their position as a top performing house. They neverlost the same ground as the larger homes around them. That's probably because Braemar Carriage Homes were a great alternative to townhouses, and much less expensive than the larger homes around them. Now, as the larger homes begin their recovery, the Carriage Homes are declining steeply.

If you put your Braemar Carriage Home on the market today, and priced it to current market condition, this latest report indicates that you can expect to have your home under contract in about one week's time. You can also expect to be asked to pay an average of 2.5% of the buyer's closing costs.

The next Braemar Property Value Report will be out in January. Until then, you can check back into average sale prices dating back to 2005 on my website: www.nvarealestate.net. Click the link on the left for Braemar Property Value Report Online and scroll down until you see the heading Carriage Series. The page will look like this:

Braemar Carriage homes will continue to be in demand as they are great alternative to townhouses for first time buyers. And with the extension of the $8,000 first time buyer tax credit, there will be many first time home buyers looking for a home like a Braemar Carriage Home. If you'd like to put yours on the market, give me a call. No one knows Braemar better!

Chris Ann Cleland, Realtor, Licensed in VA, Long & Foster

703-402-0037, chrisann@LNF.com

Braemar Proerty Values for September-October 2009 have just been tabulated for the Arista Series. The Arista Series consists of the large, single family homes built by Brookfield Homes and will be one of three models: Allister, Buckingham or Canterbury. If you have one of these models, this Braemar Property Value Report pertains to you.

Braemar Property Values were impacted by only one resale in the Arista Series this report, so there was no averaging necessary. One resale means the average market value is the sale price of the one sale. That resale was a loaded Allister, comparable in square footage to the average size Canterbury. Braemar's average property value for Arista homes is now $410,000, up 1.7% since last report (July-August 2009).

That puts us EXACTLY where we were one year ago. That is actually something to be happy about since we have been losing ground year after year since I started this report in July 2005. You can't gain any ground until you stop losing it.

If you needed to sell your Canterbury or Allister model homes, and priced it to current market conditions, you could expect to have your home under contract in less than one month's time. Whether a buyer would ask for closing cost assistance...well...with just one sale, it's hard to know.

The next Braemar Property Value Report will be out in mid January. Until then, if you would like to view average sale prices for Breamear homes dating back to 2005, you can visit my website: www.nvarealestate.net. Click the link for Braemar Property Value Report Online and the Arista Series numbers will be the first you see. It will look like this:

If you are thinking of selling your Braemar home, please give me a call. No one knows Braemar better!

Chris Ann Cleland, Realtor, Licensed in VA, Long & Foster

703-402-0037, chrisann@LNF.com

Braemar Townhouses continued to be in demand as we started the Fall selling season in September 2009. Overall, between the months of September and October, there were 5 Breamer townhouse resales, which I divided into two categories: Garage Townhouses and Townhouses with No Garage. When comparing sales prices, it is always best to compare like to like.

Braemar Townhouses without Garages gained some ground this report. After only two resales, the average sales price has gone up 10.6% since last report (July-August 2009) to $212,000 this report (September-October 2009). Average seller subsidy (closing assistance from seller to buyer) was up 65% to $2,998. And if you were thinking of selling your Braemar Townhouse without a Garage, you can expect to have it under contract (if priced to current market conditions) in just under two weeks. That's nearly identical to last report.

Braemar Garage Townhouses lost some value this report. After three resales, average sales price is down to $215,000 since last report...a 7.9% loss in two months. Average seller subsidy is up 14.7% since last report, to $5,698 this report. And if you are thinking of selling your Braemar Garage Townhouse, you can still expect to have it under contract (if priced to current market conditions) in a week's time.

I prepare the Braemar Townhouse Report every two months. The next one will be out in January. If you would like to receive a hard copy, send me an email and I'll add you to my mailing list. Otherwise, you can check my website to see average sales prices of Braemar Townhouses dating back to 2006. Go to www.nvarealestate.net and click the link on the left for Braemar Townhouse Report Online. The two categories will look like this:

In the meantime, if you are thinking of buying or selling a Braemar townhouse, don't hesitate to call.

No one knows Braemar better!

Chris Ann Cleland, Long & Foster, Realtor, Licensed in Virginia

703-402-0037, chrisann@LNF.com

Many rumors going on!!! However, the lates update is that the credit most likely be extended to April 2010. The house is trying to expand the bill to assist everyone!!! $8,000 for 1st time home buyers and possible $6,500 for existing homeowners. They are talking to modify the annual income from less than $125,000 up to $225,000.

If that's not enough they home value will be for $800,000 homes or less and the contract must be signed by April 30, 2010 and settlement shall take place by June 30th!!!

I will keep you posted as development continue!!