Archive for March, 2011
Buying Your First Home in Northern Virginia? This Video is for You!
March 31st, 2011 categories: Buyer Strategies
If you are a home buyer in Northern Virginia, we want to invite you to invest a little time to watch our free home buyers video.
If you have not gone through the process of buying a home before, or if it has been a while, a little education will go a long way toward helping you avoid serious mistakes.
Video for first-time home buyers: a little education can save you a lot of trouble.
And there are mistakes you can easily make. But many are preventable.
We took the Home Buyers Workshop that we have delivered live many times, and put the key points in this video presentation. We take you through the major phases of your home buying journey and help you to understand what you need to do, and not do, at each critical juncture.
The video is educational and will give you a lot more confidence so that you can go through the home buying process as an informed consumer.
We invite you to focus on it carefully before you jump into the home buying process. And of course, let us know if you have any questions on anything we covered or other issues you have concerns about.
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When you need a Pet Sitter in Chantilly VA: Total Animal Care
March 28th, 2011 categories: Community Life, Home Life
If you are a pet owner in the Chantilly, Virgina and surrounding area, one resource to remember is Total Animal Care LLC.
We have know the owner (Cynthia Tallia) of this pet sitting service for years, and when the need for this kind of service arises among our real estate clients, we let them know about Cindy and her well-established Northern Virginia pet sitting and animal care service.
We also love animals here at The Kathy O’Neal Team and very often work with buyers and sellers who either need boarding services or pet sitting services during the time of their home purchase or sale.
If one of your criteria for hiring a Pet Sitter is that special connection and love of your pet that you hope someone else will share, you can be sure Cindy has that in great measure.
Total Animal Care also does a lot more than pet sitting, and you can get all the details at their website, along with contact information.
If you are looking for this kind of service, check out the good folks at this Chantilly area pet care service.
CIndy and friends
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Keep your home safe from burglars while on vacation
March 19th, 2011 categories: Home Life, Seller Strategies
You certainly don’t want a vacation ruined by returning to a home that has been burglarized.
Even something as seemingly harmless as sharing your vacation plans on a social network website is to be avoided.
You will find other tips and ideas as well, in this 4-minute video from the NBC Today Show.
You will get insights taken from interviews of former criminals. There is a lot of common sense here, but there may be a few things you have not considered.
One of the tips: if you don’t have a safe for valuables, consider moving them to a child’s room. It’s among the last places a burglar looks.
And if you would like safety in your choice of a real estate agent, invest the time to watch our video on how to make a wise choice when you do not already have a real estate agent you know, trust, and respect. Our video on “The Right Real Estate Agent for You“ will give some clear guidelines on how to make a choice that fits your goals, personality, and values.
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Military Personnel: The $8,000 Tax Credit is still an option
March 15th, 2011 categories: Buyer Strategies, Mortgage & Finance
Just in case you were not aware, for certain members of the military, and for certain federal employees, there’s just about 6 weeks left to take advantage of the buyer tax credit. (A little less time than the graphic indicates).
Eligible persons include members of the uniformed services, members of the Foreign Service, and intelligence community employees who served at least 90 days of qualified, extended duty service outside of the United States between January 1, 2009 and April 30, 2010.
Also, the spouses of anyone fitting the above categories are eligible.
The tax credit ranges up to $8,000 for first-time home buyers, and up to $6,500 for existing homeowners. Existing homeowners must have lived in their “main home” through 5 of the last 8 years to be eligible.
There is a two stage process to claim the credit. First, you must be under contract for a new home on or before April 30, 2011. In addition, the home’s closing must then occur on or before June 30, 2011.
No date exceptions from the IRS.
Furthermore, both the buyer(s) and the property must meet these minimum eligibility requirements:
- The home can’t be purchased from a parent, spouse, or child
- The home can’t be purchased from an entity in which the seller is a majority owner
- The home can’t be acquired by gift or inheritance
- Each buyer must meet tax credit eligibility standards
- The home sale price may not exceed $800,000
- Buyers may not earn more than $125,000 as single-filers; $225,000 as joint-filers
You can look at a complete program description on the IRS website.
Another important point: the IRS is giving eligible buyers a tax credit as opposed to a deduction. This means that a taxpayer qualifying for the full $8,000, and for whom the “normal” 2011 federal tax liability is $8,000, will have zero federal tax liability in 2011.
For additional information regarding your tax credit eligibility, call an accountant. Speaking with a tax professional is often worth the cost. And if you need a few referrals on this, let me know.
And if you live in the Northern Virginia area, or are relocating into the area, and need help figuring out what properties might work for you, I invite you to be in contact, as well as to use the resources on this site and our other main site. My team and I are here for you!
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Avoiding impluse buying in the Supermarket
March 13th, 2011 categories: Home Life
Next time you are food shopping remember this surprising statistic: More than 50% of supermarket purchases are “impulse buys”.
Those who market for the food stores are aware of this, and you may be able to save by being more conscious of your purchasing habits.
Take a look at this 6-minute video from NBC’s The Today Show, and you will get a sense of how the stores use techniques to encourage you to buy.
Among the supermarkets’ tricks:
- Locating flowers and bakery at the front of the store to “make you salivate”
- “Deal phrasing” (e.g. Buy 5 for $5.00) meant to entice larger purchases
- Placing staples on top and bottom shelves, leaving middle shelves for impulse products
One interesting suggestion: shopping a supermarket in a clockwise-fashion. You will spend less tie in the store.
Every little bit of savings helps. This video may add a few dollars to your month.
If you are planning a home sale or home buy, we invite you to contact us. Our buying and selling strategies can also help you save!
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