Selling Stats for Arlington County, Virginia - Priced Well and Selling Fast!

My Falls Church Selling Statistics blog inspired me to run the same stats for Arlington County since the beginning of 2009. The stats below are for any listing in Arlington County (condo, townhome, or single family):

Since 1/1/09:
265 properties have sold
38 (14%) sold in 7 days or less101 (38%) sold in 30 days or less
287 properties are currently under contract and waiting to close

53 (19%) went under contract in 7 days or less
110 (38%) went under contract in 30 days or less

I am seeing activity pick up as many first-time buyers are looking to take advantage of the new $8,000 tax credit (FYI - if you haven't bought anything in 3 years, they look at you like a first-time buyer and are eligible for the credit). In this market, every buyer is looking for a good deal on their purchase....giving them a great price is a great way to solicit offers from buyers.

Falls Church, Virginia - Selling Fast and with Multiple Offers!

This weekend when I was out with some new buyers in Falls Church looking at homes, we had to opportunity to see a brand new listing, 1 day old, on a great house. The listing agent had under priced the property by about $30-$40k in order to sell the house quickly...and that he did.
The house, sold "as-is" by the current owners, had 6 contracts in 2 days (1 on the first day).

This inspired me to look at some of the neighborhood numbers for Falls Church:

Of the 187 Sold listings since January 1st:
25 (13%) sold in 7 days or less62 (33%) sold in 30 days or less

Of the 252 listings currently under contract:
44 (18%) sold in 7 days or less98 (39%) sold in 30 days or less

Those are HIGH! I heard a great analogy for this market, and since I didn't come up with it - I can't take credit for it. Selling in this market is like:

"A price war in a beauty market"

What does your house have to offer a buyer? How much value does that give them over the competition? How quickly do you need or want to sell your house? Those are all important questions when getting ready to sell...

Restaurant Spotlight: Mamma's Kitchen in Alexandria

I had the pleasure of trying out Alexandria's new Italian/Greek/American restaurant - Mamma's Kitchen. Open just 6 weeks now, the restaurant was busy, the service was great, and prices affordable. Here's a snippet of the menu:

Appetizers (Tzatziki w/pita, Hummus w/pita, Calamari, Fries, and more)

Gyros (Beef, Lamb, Chicken, Original)

Gourmet Pizzas with any topping you want: PEPPERONI, ITALIAN SAUSAGE, HAM, BACON, GROUND BEEF, GYROS MEAT, ANCHOVIES, Fresh MOZZARELLA, FETA CHEESE, PROVOLONE, RICOTTA, GREEN PEPPERS, ONIONS, BLACK OLIVES, MUSHROOMS, ROASTED RED PEPPERS, BROCCOLI, BABY SPINACH, FRESH GARLIC, SUN DRIED TOMATO, EGGPLANT

Paninis (I had the CHICKEN, SPINACH, PORTOBELLA & CHEESE - excellent!!)

Subs (Italian Sub, Chicken Cheesteak, Steak & Cheese, Chicken Parm...etc)

Sandwiches (Reuben, Club, Hamburger, Cheeseburger, and more)

Pastas (Moussaka, Lasagna, Chicken Parm, Chicken Florentine, and more)

Desserts (Baklava, Flogeres, Cheesecake, Tiramisu, and more)

Where: 7601 Fordson Rd off Rte 1
Alexandria, VA

Enjoy!!

What Was I Thinking? I Turned Down A Listing?

Much to my dismay, I still can not believe I walked away from a listing priced near $1M. Why did I walk away? Because that's about $130-$140k over what it's currently worth.

I just celebrated my 1 year anniversary as a licensed agent in Virginia. So needless to say I get excited at every opportunity I have to work with either a buyer or seller in this market. So this weekend when I was holding an open house in Arlington, I had a neighbor come through with a few questions about selling. Much to my surprise, I learned she was trying to sell her house herself - with no luck. She invited me to her house for a 2nd opinion of her price and techniques. Before going to the meeting, I pulled some comps to support my opinion of her pricing.

After Mrs. Seller showed me her wonderful house, which is in a prime location for Arlington.

We began some dialogue about pricing and how the market has been in North Arlington. It became very clear to me almost immediately that Mrs. Seller and I would not be coming to an agreement on price. Unfortunately, my analytical mind lets the market determine how much I think we should price the property - with influence on their motivation. So after much deliberation, I was very honest with her and said,

"I'm afraid I don't think I can sell your house for the value you're looking for. I fear that you will be unhappy with me when/if I can't sell it for that price, therefore, I think it would not be in our best interests to work with each other. However, if your situation changes, and you're willing to reconsider, I would love the opportunity to talk with you again."

I got into real estate to help people buy and sell their homes. In taking a listing I knew was overpriced, I believed I would be doing both of us a disservice. In this market, it's a "price war in a beauty pageant."

Luxury Living in Arlington, Virginia: The Dakota Condos

Built in 2002, this 14-unit luxury condo building is located at 1555 Colonial Terrace in Arlington, Virginia, near Rosslyn. The 7-floor building features 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath units with open floor plans, high-upgrades, and beautiful views of Georgetown. Units feature garage parking, balconies/decks, and so much more.

(map courtesy of maps.google.com)

The Dakota is surrounded by other condos and townhomes, and is ideally located near the Rosslyn Metro, and I-66 and Rt 29 into Georgetown and the District of Columbia.

Curious about prices? Penthouses range upwards of $1M, and lower levels are upwards of $600k.

At the end of January the numbers indicated that prices were about 20% lower than those of January 2008. If you're looking to broaden your investment portfolio to add some real estate, now is definitely the time to start looking! With changes on the horizon, some people will greatly benefit from the tax breaks and incentives the stimulus bill offers.

So why not work with an REO (Real Estate Owned, i.e. Bank Owned) Specialist? I recently received a certification from the Loss Mitigation Institute as a Certified REO Specialist. Over 50% of my buyer activity last year was focused on foreclosures in Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, and Woodbridge.

Looking to learn the difference between a Short Sale - Foreclosure Auction - Bank Owned Property? Let's talk about it!

Arlington Virginia Real Estate Sales 2009 Year to Date

I can't believe we're already into March! Nor can I believe it actually snowed on March 1st and 2nd!! Here the numbers for January and February 2009 (as of 3/2/09):

Total Arlington Sales: 209
22201 - 23
22202 - 15
22203 - 30
22204 - 58
22205 - 14
22206 - 28
22207 - 22
22209 - 15
22213 - 4

Did you know the even zip codes (22202, 22204, 22206) are the South Arlington Zip Codes? All of the other Zip codes are North Arlington.

22201 - Of the 23 sales, 4 were townhomes, 14 were condos, and 5 were single family homes.

22202 - Of the 15 sales, 5 were single family homes, 6 were condos, and 4 were townhomes.

22203 - Of the 30 sales, 8 were single family homes, 3 were townhomes, and 19 were condos.

22204 - Of the 58 sales, 15 were single family homes, 15 were townhomes, and 28 were townhomes.

22205 - Of the 14 sales, 12 were single family homes, 2 were towhnomes, and none were condos.

22206 - Of the 28 sales, 2 were single family homes, 19 were townhomes, and 7 were condos.

22207 - Of the 22 sales, 15 were single family homes, 4 were townhomes, and 3 were condos.

22209 - Of the 15 sales, none were single family homes, 2 were townhomes, and 13 were condos.

22213 - Of the 4 sales, 1 was a single family home, 1 was a townhome, 2 were condos.

Who had the most expensive sale? 22207 - in Lee Heights for just over $1.44M

Look for more specific market data by zip code to follow.

Some Monday Morning Inspiration! Art Williams on Winning in Business - "Do It"

This morning I woke up to a blizzard in Arlington, Virginia - you know the type of morning that makes you want to crawl back into bed and sleep? It's mornings like today that need extra motivation and inspiration. Below is a video of Art Williams, a billionaire and found A.L. Williams & Associates, known as Primerica Financial Services since 1991. This speech, titled "Do It," was delivered in 1987 to the National Religious Broadcaster Convention. It's interesting to hear him talk about the "current" economic situation back in 1987, compared to the similar times we're facing now. I hope you enjoy this little bit of motivation:

Watch Art's speech, here.

Thinking of Investing in Arlington or Falls Church? Some Tips!

Real estate investing, a great way to diversify your portfolio for long-term planning. Especially now.

With rates low, and prices hit, it's like we're having a "Real Estate Sale." Meaning - it's a great time to invest! Arlington was voted one of the best places to live during a recession, since Northern Virginia and the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area is in it's own bubble. Since real estate is local, each market has individual characteristics that make investing smarter. Some of them are:

1. Real Estate Type. You'll get faster and greater gains by investing in a single-family home, versus a townhouse, and even more so than a condo. Condos make for great living, but high condo fees eat into cash flow. Also, single-family homes appreciate at a faster rate than condos

2. Location, Location, Location! Staying along the orange line corridor (Rosslyn, Courthouse, Clarendon, VA Square, Ballston, East Falls Church, West Falls church, and Vienna) will warrant higher prices than those outside of walking distance to the metro.

3. Comps. Have your Realtor run rental comps for the neighborhood and similar properties. Your safest estimate for rental income should be the lowest rental comp. If you end up getting a higher rent - GREAT! - but better to estimate low, than estimate high and have to shell out additional money to cover your mortgage.

4. Fixer-Uppers. Sweat equity is great potential for a higher return on your investment, especially if you intend to hold it for a few years before you flip it. For example, many of the Falls Church properties up for sale now are in the $300k range - rewind to 2005, and they were in the $500k's (there's an example of where the market went wrong!). Look for the potential to knock down a few walls, redo a bathroom, etc. to improve market value.

5. Intangibles. Look for the intangibles of a property that will make it more appealing to buyers and tenants. Charm? Character? Or better yet, the possibility to add some.

There are so many great books on investing in real estate, but if you're curious to see how you can become an investor in your local market, talk to a local Realtor. We're always willing to help!