Here's a sign of a shift in the real estate market.

NOT A FORECLOSURE OR A SHORT SALE -- important to note that because they are typically priced below market.

Last Thursday, I placed this home on the market:

The 3 bedroom 1 bathroom home in the Sterling Park subdivision of Sterling, VA (out near Washington Dulles Airport) shows great and was priced at $225,000.

But, guess what, none of that matters here, since I'm no longer marketing the house. It's not necessary.

No sooner did I finish typing the information about the home into the MLS and uploading the photos at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday than I got a call at 2 p.m. from an agent who had shown the home and was ready to submit an offer.

By the next day we had a total of 3 offers (and about 8 other interested phone calls from agents!)

The sellers chose the best offer, and it was signed, sealed and delivered on Sunday.

LISTED AND UNDER CONTRACT IN 3 DAYS!

Give me a call at 703-626-0715. I can do the same with yours! * *

** Fine print: You must agree to price your home correctly. The home must show well. There's no guarantee that we will have 3 offers, let alone a ratified contract in 3 days, but we'll try our best.

Sterling VA Home Sales 2009. Sterling Park of Sterling VA - Single Family Detached Home Sales 2009

In the Sterling Park subdivision in Sterling VA in Loudoun county this year, there have been 179* single family detached fee simple homes in Sterling Park that sold since January 1, 2009. These were resale Sterling Park homes listed in MRIS.

• High Price Resale Sold Price $349,900
• Low Sales Price $110,000

There are currently 19 MLS listings for Sterling Park Homes for Sale as of this post 8/09/2009

• 19 Active listings for Sterling Park Homes for Sale $395,000K / $174,900K (Hi /Lo)
• 7 Cntg/KO listings for Sterling Park Homes for Sale
• 53 Cntg/No Ko listings for Sterling Park Homes for Sale
• 20 Contract listings for Sterling Park Homes for Sale

Last year, Sterling Park was the center of an illegal immigration debate and crackdown. This year, Sterling Park is the center of a Loudoun County "clean up" campaign. According to the Washington Post, Loudoun County leaders are focusing on cleaning-up Sterling Park by cracking down on things such as unkempt lawns, crowded homes and truck-jammed curbs they say have eroded the quality of life in Sterling Park.

Here are some excerpts from the Washington Post article:

"This spring, officials held meetings in the Sterling area. They will use residents' testimony to help create a community improvement program. On Tuesday, officials will consider regulations that would ban the parking of cars in yards and allow volunteers to mow untended lawns. Many residents also have called for stepped-up zoning enforcement to crack down on overcrowded homes, an ongoing issue that supervisors are likely to take up again this fall.

'The county got so caught up because of the tremendous growth that we've had for the last nearly 17 years,' said board Chairman Scott K. York (I). 'What happened through that period of time is there wasn't necessarily that focus on Sterling and other eastern communities.'"

This presents an excellent opportunity for home buyers and real estate investors because,

1. Prices in Sterling Park are about half of what they were at the peak of the market and are showing signs of stabilizing
2. Buyer demand in Sterling Park has doubled this year over last year with buyers and investors scooping up foreclosures/bank-owned properties to rehab/renovate
3. The campaign by Loudoun County to "clean up" the area will help the area become more appealing to buyers, which speaks to demand and helps with long term price appreciation.

Sterling Park presents buyers and investors with the opportunity to "buy at the bottom" in an area that is being "cleaned up" by Loudoun County - a winning long-term investment formula.

For more information about the Loudoun County real estate market, check out http://LoudounScene.com and http://LoudounForeclosures.com.