Agent Open House

I had an agent lunch last week at my listing on Wishart Court. This is such a great home. It was nice to have so many agents come by to view all the wonderful features this home has to offer. For more details on the property, click here.

Let's Get Organized

I ran across these checklists on the Mimi and Meg Blog. I thought they were a good starting point for getting organized in 2012. If you are thinking of putting your house on the market, these lists can help you get off on the right foot. Buyers will look in your closets, drawers and cabinets. And if you are looking for an agent, give me a call. I would love to work with you and offer complimentary staging services for all my sellers.

Source

Source

If you are staying put for a while, it can't hurt to get organized. I need to do quite a few things on these lists. You should see my linen closets...yikes! 

Happy New Year!

Happy 2012! We are almost back in a groove over here. Michael has been home with us since Christmas Eve Eve and he will return to work tomorrow and the kids will go back to school. I am not going lie.... this break may have been one day too long.

However, I did start the New Year off with a bang. Yesterday, I worked out an offer on my listing in Chester. Woohoo! Cheers to many more real estate transactions in 2012.

We also managed to get out and about some over the break. My awesome mom had Camille & Clyde for a sleepover on New Year's Eve so we went to dinner at my friend Katy's parents house. It was tons of fun and she had the cutest table display.

Black Eyed Pea & Stewed Tomatoes Favor

Here is this first menu planner of 2012.....

Monday - Michael's Chili
Tuesday - Mexican Pizza (Michael gave me a pizza stone for Christmas so we have been experimenting with different recipes. The pizza stone really makes a huge difference in the crust. As for the linked recipe...I leave out the cinnamon and add chopped jalapenos to the black bean mixture.)
Wednesday - Girls Night out
Thursday - Italian Sausage Pasta (This is as easy as it sounds...Italian sausage cooked and mixed into store bought sauce and served over pasta.)
Friday - Chicken Enchiladas (we are winging this and I don't have a recipe)

2012....a great year to buy or sell a house!

Contact me if I can help! Happy New Year!

Menu Planner

Phew! I am behind this week. Had a great open house yesterday in North Oaks. Lots of potential buyers out and about.

I just got to the grocery store this morning and here is what is cooking this week.

Monday - Dinner out for my mom's birthday

Tuesday - Tacos with Ground Chicken

Wednesday - Roasted Chicken and White Bean Pizza

Thursday - Turkey Day! I am making Squash Casserole, Italian Sausage Stuffing & Chocolate-Filled Sweet Potato Cupcakes for my two Thanksgiving feasts.

Oh and I also learned that it a turkey wattle not a gizzard. See this post.

Weekend Recap & Menu Planner

New listing....just hit the market on Friday. Cute 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath house in the North Oaks subdivision in Chester.

More pictures and details can be found here.

Here is this week's menu planner. I am posting last nights dinner because it was delicious! I also checked out Southern Living Complete Quick and Easy from the Library and three of our meals this week are from that book.

Saturday - Chicken Parmesan Burgers, Steak Fries

Sunday - Chicken Cannelloni with Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce from Southern Living

Monday - Marinated London Broil from Southern Living, Red Potatoes in Onion Soup Mix, Asparagus

Tuesday - Chicken Black Bean Salad from Southern Living (Can't find a link for this...if it is good, I will post the recipe).

Wednesday - Dinner & Shopping for Angel Tree with my mom and sisters.

Thursday - Not sure yet....

Pricing Your Home

I ran across this great article today on pricing your home. I know it can be hard as a seller to stomach falling home prices especially if you bought your home within the last few years. But unfortunately we can't change the current housing market and in most cases you will get a fantastic deal on your purchase. Bottom line is price your home right to start for a quick sale. Click here to read the article from Inman News.

Happy Friday! I have a full list of things to complete this weekend...check back Monday to see how many I accomplish.

Open House Sunday in Desirable Woodlake!

Open House Sunday 12-2 pm

5202 Highberry Wood Road

Back on the market through no fault of the sellers. Move in ready home with 4 bedrooms & 2.5 baths in desirable Woodlake. This home features a large family room with gas fireplace & 14 foot ceilings. Freshly refinished hardwood floors are throughout the downstairs. The kitchen features a large eat-in area with views of the private, forested lot. The home includes a screened in porch and 12' x 23' brick paver patio with water feature....perfect for entertaining or relaxing. Master bathroom has his and her closets, double sinks and separate garden tub shower combination. Off of the 2nd bedroom, there is an additional 14' x 7' room with a built-ins & window that would make a great playroom or office. 2.5 car garage. New 50 gallon hot water heater. Great location within walking distance to Woolridge Elementary. Sellers are offering a 1 year home warranty. Quick closing possible.

More details at http://5202highberrywoodsroad.epropertysites.com/.

New Mortgage Calculator for iPhones

Image Courtesy AgentGenius.com

Do you ever wonder if you should buy vs rent? Homes.com has come out with a new mortgage calculator that helps you determine. I recently had a buyer who is now actually paying less per month to own his new home that is three times larger than the apartment he used to rent. It looks like the Homes.com app is only for iPhone right now. Click here to learn more. But in searching online, I found a few other buy vs rent calculators. Check out this one from Yahoo Real Estate or this one from Mortgage 101.

Richmondopenhouse.com



Image courtesy richmondopenhouse.com



Do you like to visit open houses on Sunday afternoons?

Richmonders...there is a new open house directory, richmondopenhouse.com which offers an easy way to search by county. Check it out and let me know if I can help with any of your home buying and selling needs.

House Tour!

I recently helped my friends, Jessica and Campbell, buy this cute house. It had been on the market for a while but had good bones and just needed a little updating. Jessica had that vision and a great sense of style. They have made a real transformation with lighting, paint and furniture. A true test to how staging can help sell your home! Here are the before pictures.



Foyer



Dining Room



Kitchen









Family Room



And now drum roll please......the afters!



New Bright Green Front Door and Wahoo Flag. Go Hoos!

  

Foyer



Dining Room




Kitchen




Breakfast Room




Family Room



Another Family Room View





Nursery



Happy Family

Thanks to Jessica and  Campbell  for letting me share their new home.









Sale Pending!

UNDER CONTRACT IN 12 DAYS! 

New Listing in Desirable Woodlake Community!

Move in Ready Home with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths in Desirable Woodlake Community   

This home features a large family room with gas fireplace & freshly refinished hardwood floors throughout the downstairs. The kitchen features a large eat-in area with views of the private, forested lot.  The home includes a screened in porch and brick paver patio with water feature….perfect for entertaining or relaxing.  Master bathroom has his and her closets, double sinks and separate garden tub shower combination. Off of the 2^nd bedroom, there is an additional 14’ x 7’ room with a built-ins & window that would make a great playroom or office.  2.5 car garage. New hot water heater. Great location within walking distance to Woolridge Elementary.  Many community amenities such as walking trails & parks.

$244,900

A Great Time to Buy!

Watch this short clip on the improving economic growth forecast for 2011! Now is a  great time to buy. Contact me if I can help.

Sale Pending!

It is a great time to buy or sell a house. This one is gone but I can help you find something great. Call me if you are interested in buying or selling a home. Rates are still low!

Rise in signed contracts....

Good news on the home buying and selling front.

NEW YORK --

People are starting to buy homes again, lifting a battered industry that is bracing for its worst sales year in more than a decade.

Signed contracts to purchase homes rose in November, the fourth increase in five months. That should give the housing market a boost in the first few months of the new year because there's usually a one- to two-month lag between a sales contract and a completed deal.

Economists cautioned that a major reason for the jump is that people are buying foreclosed homes, which sell at steep discounts and weigh on the broader market. Another obstacle is the sudden spike in the 30-year fixed mortgage rate, which only weeks ago had fallen to a 40-year low

Still, many economists expect sales to gradually rise next year as the economy adds more jobs and home prices stabilize.

"Sales appear to be picking up and we expect better sales in the next several months," said Patrick Newport, a housing economist at IHS Global Insight. "A lot of that is because the job market is improving."

The National Association of Realtors said Thursday that its index of sales agreements for previously occupied homes increased 3.5 percent last month from a downwardly revised reading in October. Contract signings were up in the West and Northeast, but down in the South and Midwest.

Pending sales in central Virginia were up as well in November, and prices here seem to have stabilized over the last couple of months, said Laura Lafayette, chief executive officer of the Richmond Association of Realtors.

Click here to read more. Source: TimesDispatch.com

Price Reduction on West Grace Street

Come take a look at this great home. Reduced to $252,500, this house is move-in ready. Updated kitchen and bathrooms, gas cooking, gas fireplace, security system, new heating and air conditioning system, new hot water heater, new washer/dryer, updated and modern lighting, fully fenced in backyard with fire pit...the list goes on!

Mortgage Rates Keep Falling

Cute West End Cape Cod For Sale! Rates are low...make an offer!

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: November 11, 2010

NEW YORK — Rates on fixed mortgages dropped to their lowest levels in decades this week after the Federal Reserve unveiled a massive bond-buying program to help spur economic growth.

Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac says the average rate for 30-year fixed loans fell to 4.17 percent from 4.24 percent last week. That's the lowest on records dating back to 1971.

The average rate on 15-year fixed loans fell to 3.57 percent from 3.63 percent. That's the lowest since the survey began in 1991.

The Fed detailed plans last week to buy $600 billion in Treasury bonds. The extra demand means Treasurys will produce lower yields for investors. Mortgage rates tend to track those yields.

Read more here.

Home Sales Up in September!

The National Association of Realtors reported that existing home sales rose 10% last month. In addition, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage fell to a low 4.35 percent in September. Read more here.

Don't let the media fool you...it is a great time to buy or sell.

Home Sales Surge in Richmond

West End Cape Cod. $264,900

Check out this article from the Richmond Times Dispatch....

"The housing market in the Richmond area has turned upward, with sales outpacing the nation and state, according to reports released yesterday.

The number of new and previously owned houses sold in Richmond and in Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico counties jumped 23 percent in the second quarter from the same period a year ago -- more than three times the state rate, according to a report by the Richmond Association of Realtors." Click here for the rest of the article.

It is still a great time to buy or sell. Mortgage rates are at record lows!

Source: Carol Hazard | TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER