Archive for December, 2009
Chantilly Home Owners: Save Money By Properly Using Your Ceiling Fan
December 30th, 2009 categories: Home Life
Just in case you forgot, every year at the turn of seasons, you can save a little on energy bills and add comfort to your Chantilly area home by changing the rotation direction of your ceiling fans.
Take a look at this 2-minute video and you will get a simple demo on how this works.
During the cooler months, you want the blades of the ceiling fan to rotate clockwise. It moves warm air at the top of a room downward. The right blade direction can change a room’s “feel” by 8 degrees or more, and that will achieve the same level of comfort at reduced energy costs.
Many of these money and energy saving strategies are easy. You just have to know and do them.
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Avoid this household hazard: It will send 40,000 people to the Emergency Room
December 28th, 2009 categories: Home Life
If you are a Chantilly or Northern Virginia area home owner or renter, do be aware of this potential household hazard: carbon monoxide poisoning.
The symptoms can be subtle, but they do include flu like signs such as headache, dizziness, and nausea. Apparently, many people confuse one for the other.
I wanted you to know that this can be fatal. About 40,000 ER visits will come from this problem. As we learn from CBS News, those that survive have a much higher incidence of heart disease later in life.
You can take a few simple precautions to avoid this serious problem:
- Don’t use your gas oven to heat the home.
- Never leave a running car in your garage.
- Make sure to get the annual servicing of your gas-burning appliances/heating-cooling system.
And here is a big one that lots of folks are not doing: install carbon monoxide detectors near every bedroom in your home.
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Buying a home in Chantilly area during 2010? Be aware of Fannie Mae change.
December 26th, 2009 categories: Buyer Strategies, Mortgage & Finance
If you see a home purchase in Chantilly or surrounding area during 2010, and you will be doing what most folks do…applying for a mortgage…do be aware of some recent mortgage news.
Here is a very quick update on Fannie Mae’s latest tightening of home loan standards.
In its official announcement, Fannie Mae describes these changes as part of reducing long-term lending risks.
First, starting December 13, 2009, most of Fannie Mae’s loans require a 620 credit score minimum. There are a few exceptions, but not many.
The second change deals with mortgage insurance.
Homeowners whose loan-to-value exceeds 80 percent now have a choice:
- Pay higher mortgage insurance premiums month-after-month
- Pay a one-time fee paid at closing to compensate for higher risk
Third,. Fannie Mae will no longer approve loans with debt ratios exceeding 45 percent. The exception being very strong assets and very high credit scores.
There are other changes, but I think these are the major issues.
Everything changes with time, and I think it is a good guess that guidelines will tighten more over 2010.
If conditions are right for you now, consider your options. Good deals don’t matter much if you can’t get a mortgage.
By the way, if you need a few good mortgage loan referrals please call. I will give you the names of several reputable professionals.
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Foreclosure statistics: 4 month decline
December 23rd, 2009 categories: Buyer Strategies, Mortgage & Finance
We saw a foreclosure peak in July 2009 and since that time the national foreclosure activity has dropped through 4 consecutive months.
In November we saw another 8% drop.
On a national basis, foreclosure stats are still heavily tilted by a small number of states.
As reported by RealtyTrac.com, more than half of November’s foreclosure-related activity came from just 4 states:
- California
- Florida
- Illinois
- Michigan
Rounding out the top ten list are Arizona, Texas, Ohio, Georgia, Nevada and New Jersey.
At least for right now, I am seeing the bargins are a bit harder to come by. But there are still good deals out there.
And remember too that you need to go into the foreclosure situation with eyes wide open. This route is not for everyone. Work with knowledgeable pros so you know what you are getting into. Remember, you are buying “as is” and the administrative process can be stressful and unpredictable.
But for some folks it can be the way to go. Just get the reality view form those who know what is involved.
Some say the great deals won’t be around much longer. I hope they are right, but all I see and hear tells me there are a lot of foreclosures coming down the pike..
At this time as an overall average, “Distressed home” sales now account for 30 percent of home resale activity.
It you want to see what is available in the Chantilly area by way of foreclosures, or elsewhere in Northern Virginia, let me know. I will get you whatever is current.
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Chantilly homeowners who don’t like “handyman” jobs: This may help a little
December 21st, 2009 categories: Home Life
A lot of the Chantilly home buyers I work with don’t love doing “handyman” work. I understand the sentiment.
With the pace of life here in Northern Virginia, home buyers and sellers usually don’t have time for many home projects.
Nevertheless, anyone who is a home owner knows you need to do at least a few minor things around the house.
If you want to avoid buying a full socket set check out this 16-in-1 Black & Decker socket wrench. It is called the ReadyWrench.
It features the 16 most popular socket sizes, so it can simplify your handyman responsibilities. It fits SAE sizes (5/16 inch, 3/8 inch, 7/16 inch, 1/2 inch, 9/16 inch, 5/8 inch, 11/16 inch, 3/4 inch), as well as metric sizes (8mm, 10mm, 11mm, 13mm, 14mm, 16mm, 17mm, and 19mm).
It has cool features like a rotating head, and it comes with a lifetime warranty and is available at most hardware stores and on Amazon.com for $30.
This might be that affordable and unique gift you have been looking for. The right person would appreciate the Ready Wrench!
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One Easy Way To Increase Your 2009 Mortgage Interest Tax Deduction
December 16th, 2009 categories: Mortgage & Finance
That tax-deductible mortgage interest does make a different at tax time.
You may or may not have considered that you can increase your 2009 tax deductions just by making the January 2010 mortgage payment before the year is over.
Then, apply this to your 2009 itemized tax deductions.
This can help come Thursday, April 15, 2010.
You are not technically paying “in advance” because that mortgage interest is paid in arrears; the January 1 payment takes care of interest that accumulated in December 2009.
We are not giving you tax advice. Everyone has their own situation, so get professional expertise as you need it on tax issues.
As always, when you need a referral on something like this, contact me. We are always here for you!
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Video Series on Outer Banks Real Estate Investing: Four Wheel Drive Area, Corolla, and Duck
December 15th, 2009 categories: Outer Banks Focus, PODCASTS
EPISODE 29 – REAL ESTATE IN CHANTILLY
If North Carolina’s Outer Banks real estate is on your mind as a possible place for an investment property, second home, or even full-time living, this series on “The Communities of the Outer Banks” is definitely for you.
In today’s show we talk about the Four Wheel Drive Area, Corolla, and Duck.
We have just completed a Video Series of Outer Banks communities, and in today’s show we preview just a few highlights from the first episode.
In our brief profile of the Four Wheel Drive Area of OBX, we take you on location to provide just a little taste of this unique part of the Outer Banks.
What is the attraction of the Four Wheel Drive Area? What advantages or disadvantages does it hold for investors? Start by listening to this podcast, then view the video.
And if you are serious about the possibility of buying in the Outer Banks, do go through our 6 Part Series where we help you learn about the realities of OBX investment. It can be a great investment move, but don’t go into if without due diligence. We help you separate reality from hype so that your OBX move is based on solid research and good sense.
And of course we invite your follow-up questions if you want details on properties for sale in the Four Wheel Drive area or elsewhere in OBX. We are here for you!
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Easy Savings On Your Electric Bill
December 14th, 2009 categories: Home Life
What do Chantilly area home owners pay for their average annual electric bill, compared to the national average of $2,200?
Whatever it is, wouldn’t it be nice to reduce it?
Take a look at this 5-minute video and you may get a few more ideas on where the electric dollars are going and how you can spend fewer without any sacrifice, just by changing a few patterns.
The Power Monitor device (retails from $30 to $100) is a useful tool for anyone getting serious about saving energy..and money.
The writer of this story used this tool and discovered:
- A plugged-in phone charger without phone attached costs $0.10 per hour
- Cooking with a microwave costs $0.88 per hour
- Big screen TVs cost $0.06 per hour to operate
Without too much effort it looks like most families cold save at least a few hundred dollars a year.
If you are considering getting an energy audit for your home, for big dollar energy savings, make sure to listen to the series we did on Chantilly Radio which describes how to get this done.
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Outer Banks Investor Video Series: Four Wheel Drive Area
December 11th, 2009 categories: Buyer Strategies, Outer Banks Focus
If you have ever thought about investing in property in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, but did not know where to begin, this video series on the communities of the Outer Banks is a good place to start.
In this first video of the series we focus on the Four Wheel Drive Area.
The Kathy O’Neal Team of REMAX Premier in Fairfax and our Outer Banks strategic partner, Barb Connery of REMAX Ocean Realty, have put together a video series just for investors, second home buyers, as well as those interested in full-time living in the Outer Banks.
In the video series we’ll give you brief but informative highlights of what to be aware of regarding the distinctives of major OBX communities from top to bottom.
If you are considering investing in OBX property you probably have lots of questions. What are the investment options? What do I need to be aware of before looking at possible rental properties? How do the Outer Banks communities differ, and what is special about each one?
Don’t miss this insightful introduction to investing…and living…in OBX.
And if you have not yet listened to our 6 part series on “Investing in the Outer Banks” on Chantilly Radio, do take the time to listen to each show. We will take you through frequently asked questions about the OBX real estate market and give you answers that you definitely need to know before you begin the process of finding the OBX property that is right for you.
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Aldie Equestrian Center: Good Horse Sense Near Chantilly
December 8th, 2009 categories: Community Life
In working with Chantilly area home buyers, I have driven by Aldie Equestrian Center countless times to show properties in places like Haymarket and other surrounding communities.
I have also worked with buyers seeking horse properties as well as those selling horse properties in these communities, and we do have many of our area residents who either want their children to get involved in riding lessons, or want to learn to ride as adults. So here is a little something to help out if you have been thinking about riding lessons, horse boarding facilities, or equestrian activities.
First of all, location. If you are heading west on Route 50, just turn left at Route 15, and very soon you will see the Center on your right.
The grounds look impressive with the various riding rings including one for indoor riding, as well as cross country jumps, and private and semi-private paddocks. There is a whole bunch of, I guess you would call them “equestrian amenities,” that the good folks at Aldie Equestrian Center have told us about. I am not a rider myself, but for any of our readers who are considering learning this wonderful activity, either as adults or for their kids, this looks like the place to check out.
The Center is a family business with a 40 year tradition behind it. If welcomes everyone from beginners to highly advanced. It is a “full service facility” so if you have a need that is horse related, the Center can probably help you out. For example, we were told, “…the center aisle way barn offers large stalls with mats, hot/cold wash stall, farriers station, tack rooms as well as a borders lounge. Our full-time barn staff lives on site.”
In chatting with Lindsay Fox, one of the experienced instructors as well as a member of the “founding family” at AEC, we learned that the Center offers riding lessons for both youngsters and adults. If you want to jump into this as an adult, don’t feel you are alone. Lindsay was telling us about the very positive impact that learning this skill has for riders of all ages. The confidence and poise it develops in young people was especially interesting. And for adults, we were told about the sense of personal happiness and satisfaction that so often comes to adults when they learn riding.
Another nice feature of the Center’s approach is the flexibility of the riding programs. Lindsay will work with you in structuring a program that is suited for your individual goals.
If you have been thinking about learning more about this activity, you don’t have to go far to get the information you need. Visit the Center website, or give them a call at 703 887-4622. And…happy riding!
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