Avoiding impluse buying in the Supermarket
March 13th, 2011 categories: Uncategorized
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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Before You Remodel In Preparation To Sell: Know What To Avoid
February 22nd, 2011 categories: Seller Strategies
There is a lot of home remodeling going on in Northern Virginia and elsewhere.
By some estimates there may be over $125 billion spent this quarter in home remod projects. Yes, that is an incredible number.
You want to be real careful if you are doing this to get your home ready to sell.
Not all renovations are created equal. Some may not be “worth it”, according to Remodeling Magazine’s 2011 Cost vs Value report.
The real kicker is that some projects should never be started — they may cause your home to be difficult or impossible to sell.
One quick example is installing a new toilet that requires the discharge pipes to run along the living room ceiling. Re-engineer that or forget it.
An article on CNNMoney.com mentions several others projects you should never do:
- Don’t add a 4th/5th bedroom to a home with just one bathroom.
- Don’t build a bedroom with no closet space.
- Don’t make common rooms disproportionately large or small to one another.
When working with sellers, I always provide my own view on factors that impact “salability” and when appropriate, we get other experts in to help the seller make sound decisions on remod projects. I also believe strongly in the need for proper home staging, so I work with a home staging professional to provide a free consultation and set of recommendations to my clients.
If you need referrals on local home improvement contractors, don’t hesitate to call me and I will be glad to share names of folks we have to be found reliable and quality service providers.
And of course, if you are considering the sale of your home and want a personal consultation, we are here for you.
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Community Spotlight: London Towne West – Centreville, Virginia Area
February 19th, 2011 categories: Centreville Area
Our community profile for this week is London Towne West in the area of Centreville, Virginia.
London Towne in the Centreville, VA area
London Towne in the Centreville VA area is a development of town homes very close to Country Club Manor near Route 29 and Stone Road, and well situated in relation to Centreville and Chantilly employment destinations.
Here are CURRENT LISTINGS in London Towne West.
PLEASE NOTE: Several small communities may have periods when no properties are on the market. Also note that in the current market, the price range of properties may vary from time to time depending on market conditions. If you see no properties listed in the above link, and have questions regarding current price range, don’t hesitate to contact Kathy. You can also use our PROPERTY SEARCH tool to get regular updates on current and new properties for sale.
- If you have an interest in FORECLOSURES, SHORT SALES, and BANK OWNED properties, we also invite you to contact us and we will give you information on whatever is available. You can find some exceptional values, and then again you can also find yourself in a situation you had not bargained for. We will help you with good information so you can make your own informed choices with solid support.
Here are a few other links that will give you more information about this community and others in this general area:
MORE INFORMATION ON LONDON TOWNE WEST.
MORE INFORMATION ON CHANTILLY-FAIRFAX COUNTY, CHANTILLY- LOUDOUN COUNTY, CENTREVILLE AREA, and NEARBY COMMUNITIES.
Moving to the Northern Virginia area? Check out our Area Living, and of course call or email Kathy if you want quick answers to any questions about property in the Centreville or Northern Virginia area.
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Fed Minutes Say Lower Unemployment And Higher Growth For 2011 and 2012
February 16th, 2011 categories: Buyer Strategies, Mortgage & Finance, Seller Strategies
If you watch the Fed minutes, the last release was its January 25-26, 2011 meeting minutes.
Fed Minutes are detailed recaps of the Federal Open Market Committee meetings. They are not a trivial matter, as they help shape national monetary policy.
The minutes are a clue book about the direction of policy-making. Right now they are saying the potential for food and energy inspired inflation is a minor economic risk, but indicated a willingness and capacity to act it that assessment changes. Many economists feel that the Fed will not start adjusting the Fed Funds Rate until late this year, or early next year.
What does all of this have to do with real estate in Chantilly and Northern Virginia? Well, interest rates have been creeping up over the past few months, but they are still extremely attractive. We always counsel our buyers and sellers based on the set of factors that are unique to their goals and current realities. At any given time, there are always some advantages and disadvantages to the prevailing real estate market.
The critical thing when making important decisions like putting your home on the market, buying a home, or any other real estate transaction is to look beyond the immediate moment and make decisions that have wisdom and insight. You can never foretell what the next year will bring. But you can make common sense decisions that have staying power. That is what we help our buyers and sellers do. Let us know if we can help you.
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Outer Banks Investor Video Series: Manteo and Roanoke Island
February 4th, 2011 categories: Outer Banks Focus, Uncategorized
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If you have been looking at North Carolina’s Outer Banks for real estate investment, part-time or full-time living, or a second home for future retirement, this series on “The Communities of the Outer Banks” will add to your knowledge of OBX real estate and lifestyle.
This video describes real estate investment possibilities in Roanoke Island and the town of Manteo, along with giving you a sense of the lifestyle in these communities.
If you have an interest in other parts of the Outer Banks, check out our Video Series of Outer Banks communities.
In our brief profiles of Outer Banks communities, we take you on location to talk about the distinctive features of these locations with special emphasis on helping real estate investors interested in OBX property.
Also, if you are seriously considering a real estate investment in the Outer Banks, do listen to our 6 Part Series on the realities of OBX investment. It can be a great investment move, but don’t go into it 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 Roanoke Island or Manteo area, or elsewhere in OBX. And…if you are a Northern Virginia resident wanting to know more about the OBX, please know that you have a highly experienced team with Kathy O’Neal right here is Northern Virginia and our strategic partner in the Outer Banks, Barb Connery.
We are here for you!
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Remodeling your Northern Virginia home before selling: Which projects pay off?
January 30th, 2011 categories: Seller Strategies, Uncategorized
Thinking about a remodel project to get your Northern Virginia home ready for sale?
If you are remodeling for that purpose, you do need to think it through. Start by taking a look at the latest report from Remodeling Magazine.
They took a look at average costs for 35 projects with an eye toward how much value the project adds to resale. Interesting findings that are worth knowing about.
For example, kitchens projects and custom vanities are giving back less value to homeowners in Chantilly – and elsewhere - on a percentage basis, than energy-efficient doors and windows, as one example.
Here is a sample of what they found regarding cost recovery:
- Attic Bedroom Remodel : 79.90 percent cost recovery
- Bathroom Addition : 74.90 percent cost recovery
- Bathroom Addition (Upscale) : 72.80 percent cost recovery
- Home Office Remodel : 63.40 percent cost recovery
- Minor Kitchen Remodel : 85.20 percent cost recovery
- Major Kitchen Remodel : 75.90 percent cost recovery
- Roofing Replacement : 73.90 percent cost recovery
- Window Replacement (Wood) : 85.30 percent cost recovery
You can see that “green” projects do pretty well.
CNNMoney.com has a “Will This Renovation Pay Off?” calculator on its website, using data from this study.
If you are in the Northern Virginia area, and you are thinking about a project for this purpose, don’t hesitate to call me and I will be glad to give you some feedback on what we are seeing in this area regarding home improvements that are worth considering. Keep in mind that you should be taking a number of factors into consideration before you plan the project. and I am happy to give you insights on a few minefields as well as what is working for resale purposes.
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Giving your Northern Virginia kitchen a health inspection
January 22nd, 2011 categories: Uncategorized
Even though Northern Virginia home owners spend a lot of time commuting, like most people, they also spend a lot of their in-home time in the kitchen.
That’s why I thought this two-part, 6-minute video from NBC’s The Today Show is worth your time. There are lots of great health reasons to be aware of the tips and techniques covered in this video.
Also, you may find these ideas will help keep an environment where the movement of flu bugs and infections is more controlled.
The techniques are not complicated, they just require being aware of some of the things we do routinely. Take a look and see what you think.
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Getting your credit card interest rate down
January 19th, 2011 categories: Mortgage & Finance, Uncategorized
Want to get your credit card interest rate down in preparation for buying your Chantilly or Northern Virginia home?
Take a few minutes to listen to David Bach’s practical suggestions.
In this 4-minute video from NBC’s The Today Show, you will get quick advise on things you can do pretty easily. And it may well result in more money in your pocket each month.
Some of the ideas covered in the video include:
- Compare your current rate to the rate offered to new customers. Ask the lender for “new customer rate” if it’s lower.
- If your credit score has improved since application, ask for an interest rate more reflective of your current credit score.
- Be very considerate to the person you talk to….it may make all the difference, and it certainly won’t hurt.
It may take some persistence. Don’t be put off if you don’t succeed on the first try. Stay with it and you may very well get this done.
And if you are among the Northern Virginia area home buyers who are starting their search, we’d love for you to use any of the many resources on our other real estate web site, as well as this one.
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Foods That Don’t Belong In A Garbage Disposal
January 19th, 2011 categories: Uncategorized
When you have a garbage disposal problem, calling a plumber in Chantilly will cost you the service charge along with whatever the “remedy” was to get things fixed.
You can avoid many problems just by knowing what you should not put in the disposal. It does have it limitations.
Most clogs are the result of how certain food waste reacts with water and there’s some items you should never flush down your sink. This is because everything sent through the disposal eventually must make its way down the waste line and that can include a trap.
Over time, the trap can get blocked.
Keep that in mind as you remember to avoid the things in this list:
- Rice and pasta : Small particles can never be completely pulverized, and will swell in the presence of water. This can clog pipes and traps.
- Egg shells : Tiny, granular waste can get “bound” with pipe sludge, creating a thick clog.
- Coffee grounds : same comment as egg shells.
- Grease : Liquid fats turn to solid when in contact with cold water. Over time, this creates a clog…think of it as plaque on an artery.
- Potato peels : Once ground, peels turn starchy like mashed potatoes. This can clog a drain pipe immediately.
A good rule is to not put anything down the disposal that you have doubts about. It has its limitations and knowing them can save money.
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Comparing Adjustable and Fixed Rate Mortgages
January 16th, 2011 categories: Buyer Strategies, Mortgage & Finance, Seller Strategies, Uncategorized
ARM home loans are definitely not for everyone. Approach them with lots of awareness and caution.
That said, there may be some situations where they should be at least considered.
Compared to a fixed rate mortgages, current ARM pricing is very attractive. Freddie Mac’s weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey places the 5-year ARM mortgage rate lower than the 30-year fixed rate mortgage by 1.02 percent.
For a $250,000 home loan, a 1.02 difference means a payment savings of about $149 monthly.
Here are a few situations where it may be smart to at least look at ARM options::
- Buying a new home with the intent to sell within 5 years
- Currently financed with a 30-year fixed mortgage with plans to sell within 5 years
- Interested in low payments; comfortable with longer-term rate and payment uncertainty
Also to consider, if you are a homeowners with an existing ARM that is due for adjustment, you may want to refinance into a new ARM, if only to push the first adjustment date farther into the future.
We always recommend you confer with your loan officer about your options. If you need a few referrals, we always have a few loan professionals that have served our clients well, and will be happy to give you their contact information. Let me know if this would be of any help.
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