Author Archives: acollier1410

I’m starting my Spring 2022 update with the above graphic because I believe the statistics really do speak for themselves. A “balanced” market, meaning there is equal leverage between buyers and sellers, is considered to be 6 months of supply. You’ll see in the statistics above furthest to the right, in our area, there wasContinue reading “Market Update: Spring 2022”

Hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful fall weather while it lasts in the DMV. Today we are going to dive into the escalation addendum, which is usually included as part of an offer in a competitive situation. It is beneficial for both buyers and sellers alike to understand this form, as buyers will likely includeContinue reading “Escalation Addendum 101”

We’re officially in that season of happy haunts – one of my favorites to kick off the holidays. With that, I think it’s important to give an update on the real estate market and the latest trends for buyers and sellers post Labor Day. As many of you probably already know, there’s almost always aContinue reading “Market Update: Fall 2021”

Today let’s talk about dual and designated agency, which is applicable to both purchasing and selling. To give you simple definitions: Dual agency – when one agent represents both the buyer and the seller. Designated agency – when two agents from the same brokerage represent the buyer and seller separately. Our team will not doContinue reading “Dual and Designated Agency”

Hello to all those home sellers out there. Today, I’m going to cover the topic of staging. In terms of to-do items, this will usually fall on my list immediately after a home has been visited by contractors and cleaners, and is almost ready to hit the market. I always educate sellers on why IContinue reading “Seller 101: Importance of Staging”

One important safety net you, as the buyer, have in your corner when purchasing a home in either a condominium association or home owners association (HOA) is the governing documents review period. When a seller lists a home that is part of an association, by law they are required to deliver these documents to theContinue reading “Home Buyer 101: Association Doc Review Period”

Forgive me, friends – I did take last week off. It’s been a busy spring real estate season over here! Today we will cover the appraisal contingency in depth. So let’s start with the basics. What is an appraisal? Your lender will require that an objective third party (an appraiser) visits the home to assessContinue reading “Home Buyer 101: Appraisal Contingency”

Continuing on in our educational journey to teach readers about the financing contingency. Let me start this article by saying, WHO YOU CHOOSE AS YOUR LENDER MATTERS. In our market in particular, I always recommend a local lender. There are many reasons this is the case, but here are my top five: A local lenderContinue reading “Home Buyer 101: Financing Contingency”

Happy spring, fellow real estate connoisseurs. Though the smell of blooming flowers and the sound of birds chirping may stir happy emotions, this is also the sounding call indicating the time of year with competition and bidding wars for buyers and multiple offers for sellers (at least in the current state of the market inContinue reading “Home Buyer 101: Home Inspection Contingency”

Before diving into more educational pieces about the home buying and selling process, I’d like to walk buyers and sellers alike through the current market landscape around the greater DC Metro area and Northern Virginia. Inventory is as low as ever and interest rates are still historically low, driving out a large pool of buyers,Continue reading “Market Update: Spring 2021”