Fall is a Great Time to Sell Your Home

Fall is a Great Time to Sell Your Home

I stepped out my front door one morning earlier this week to walk my dog, Sadie, and instead of a wall of hot, humid air I was greeted by a crisp, cool morning. The cicadas were louder than I'd heard them all summer, but everything else about that morning said "fall is coming."

Fall is a time I never hear anyone complain about the weather. The may complain about the leaves they have to rake, or the fact that winter is right around the corner, but they never complain about the weather.

"I'll be really glad to see fall end. I don't have to run the heat or AC for nearly two months, I keep my windows open every day, and the colors are amazing. I hate every second of it!"

- No One Ever

Fall is also a great time to put your home on the market. Inventories have been low for most of 2016 and this time of year they are traditionally even lower. This means you have a unique advantage because:

• You're on the market at a time when there are fewer homes to choose from,
• Your landscaping can look it's best because of lower temps and fall colors,
• People who are looking at this time of year tend to be serious buyers, and
• People actively looking now tend to want to be in their new homes -- your home -- before the holiday season.

Call me today to get a free market analysis for your home. There’s never any obligation following the call. Worst case, you get some excellent advice and information about selling your condo. Best case, we work together to get you top dollar for your condo.

Give me a call at (703) 935-6891 or send me an email at rob.traister@gmail.com and let's connect.  No hassle, no pressure, just honest straight-forward real estate advice.
 
Rob Traister
REALTOR®
RE/MAX 100
Licensed in Virginia
(703) 935-6891

You Haven't Really Started Looking For A Home Unless You've Talked To A Lender

You Haven't Really Started Looking For A Home Unless You've Talked To A Lender

You’ve decided to buy a home. Congratulations! This is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. You want to make sure you choose a home that’s right for your needs – now and in the
future.

So what’s your first step? You'll probably look at some homes online and go to a few open houses, but then what? Call me and start looking, right?

Choosing the right agent is an important step on this journey, and when you choose me I’ll work hard to find the right home for you. I’ll ask you questions about where you want to live, what kind of home you want, how many bedrooms and bathrooms you want, and whether you want a yard or something that requires less maintenance, like a townhouse or condo.

One of the first questions I'll ask is if you've spoken to a lender and gotten approved. This is an integral part of the process, and until you’ve spoken to a lender you haven’t really started a serious home search.

Talking to a lender lets you know how much home you can afford. Your time is valuable; knowing your budget helps me efficiently find homes that will fit your needs and your budget. Going through the approval process also gives you the opportunity to check your credit score and shop for the best interest rate for your loan.

In addition, the type of loan you get may exclude certain properties from your search. For example, homes purchased with FHA, VA, and USDA loans have to meet certain requirements that don’t apply to conventional loans.

Finally, when you make an offer you will need to include an approval letter from your lender showing that you qualify to purchase the property at the offer price. This shows the seller that you are serious about your offer. While it doesn’t happen every day, some people who are “just looking” find the home of their dreams on the first day of looking. If you've talked to your lender and gotten approved, you can make an offer quickly before someone else decides that your dream home is their dream home.

As always, if you have questions I'm here for you. Call or text me at (703) 935-6891.